A variety of Dance forms are on offer at this year’s EdFringe at several venues around Edinburgh. For example, dance and choreography may be based on traditional forms, contemporary, experimental or a fusion of forms, reflecting different cultures, stories or moods, and are sometimes interspersed with other theatrical genres such as circus or musical theatre.
Here are my choices, in alphabetical order – of a variety of productions with dance to get you started on the journey – exploring the many productions that focus on dance at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe:
African Traditional Dance and Drumming at the French Institute in Scotland from Accra Ghana. The non-profit Pan African Dance Heritage show includes traditional, social, regional and recreational dances from the Dagomba, Ashanti, Ga and Ewes peoples from regions in Ghana and the Republic of Benin.
In the Round at Greenside @ George Street is a new production by YUCCA DANCE exploring circles, Tibetan traditions, integrating film and multilingual audio interviews set to Japanese art-pop music.
Rêves at Assembly Roxy by INSHI a Ukrainian company, is about memory and childhood. The storytelling fuses muscular movement that is both mesmeric and dramatic with circus skills.
Sleeper at Assembly @ Dance Base from Jajack Movement | Korean Season is contemporary dance that explores the climate crisis, how we live through it and the traditional act of Korean community spirit to tie and untie knots.
The Flock and Moving Cloud at Zoo Southside is contemporary dance inspired by the migration of birds by two female choreographers: Roser López Espinosa and Sofia Nappi set to traditional Celtic music. Part of MadeInScotlandShowcase.com
The Weight of Shadow at Assembly Checkpoint by Sasha Krohn and Flabbergast Theatre from Ireland blends dance, mime and acrobatics to explore mental health struggles, symbolically based on true events.
Timeless at Assembly @ Dance Base comprises Dance Base’s in-house-companies (Lothian Youth Dance Company and PRIME) with dancers aged 14 to 80+ performing four new works “in one life-affirming showcase”.
Tiny Little Town at Bedlam Theatre is a new musical comedy (based on Gogol’s unfinished novel, Dead Souls and his short stories) by Musical Theatre Bazaar from the United States, featuring original music, songs, physical theatre and movement with some nifty choreography in a story about corruption, suspicion and coverup!
Vibrance at Greenside @ George Street presented by Chutzpah Dance (a female, neurodivergent, Jewish led project-based dance company from the United States) and 11 other choreographers from the United States reflecting contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap and salsa dance!
Jo Tomalin teaches theatre, directs, and presents national and international theatre workshops. She trained at: Goldsmith’s College, University of London, UK (Laban Movement Analysis & Choreography); École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, Paris, France: Certificat Professionnel + LEM (Physical Acting, Masks, Scenography); Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), London; Trinity College of Dramatic Art, London; Ph.D. Capella University, MN.
