Join Scotland’s flagship dance company in an evening where past and present move together.

Scottish Roots – a new triple bill by Scottish Dance Theatre invites you to experience the thrill of bodies in motion and the pulse of music that bridges tradition and innovation – from the haunting O Chiadain and Lo (with music by Skye piper Brìghde Chaimbeul), to the wild joy of Moving Cloud (with music by folk group TRIP), and the premiere of Off-Season, a brand-new creation by Edinburgh-based choreographer Tess Letham. A celebration of four decades of passion, creativity and connection.

Blending dance with Scottish folk music, O Chiadain An Lo (by Scottish Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Joan Clevillé) delves into themes of memory, ancestry, and hidden truths. Inspired by ancient melodies unearthed from 18th-century manuscripts, the piece reflects the haunting beauty of Scottish Highland bogs and wetlands—landscapes shaped by time and layered with stories of the past.

Off-Season explores the space before the next thing happens—an elastic moment of time that stretches, contracts, and loops back on itself. Created by Tess Letham, the piece moves through the in-between places, where vulnerability meets imagination, sincerity weaves through the surreal, and the search for meaning becomes unpredictable. Growing from the fertile ground of collective play, Off-Season invites performers and audiences into a shifting landscape of embodied stories, physicalities and shared rituals.

Rounding off the evening, Moving Cloud is a joyous and exhilarating meeting of contemporary dance and traditional music, showcasing choreography by internationally acclaimed choreographer Sofia Nappi, and an irresistible musical score of Scottish folk music by Glasgow-based folk band TRIP.

Creative Teams:

O Chiadain An Lo:

Choreography: Joan Clevillé in collaboration with the performers
Music: Brìghde Chaimbeul
Costume Design: Zephyr Liddell

Off-Season:

Choreography: Tess Letham
Costume Design: Cleo McCabe

Moving Cloud:

Choreography:  Sofia Nappi
Composition: Donald Shaw & TRIP
Costume Design: Alison Brown
Choreographer’s Assistant: Glenda Gheller

O Chiadain an Lo and Moving Cloud were originally created in collaboration with Celtic Connections and supported by the Scottish Government’s Festival’s Expo Fund