Off Kilter dancer talks about the up-coming show

Jan 22 2010

OFF KILTER – which promotes contemporary and traditional Scottish dance at home and abroad – was created thanks to £343,863 from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.

It has toured to Glasgow Theatre Royal and His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, and after the Perth two-nighter it features at the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, and the prestigious British Dance Edition in Birmingham in February when it will be seen by promoters from all over the world.

Artistic director Morag Deyes has gathered together world class choreographers, dancers, musicians and visual artists, including renowned Scottish painter and illustrator John Byrne, to produce a scintillating evening’s entertainment combining traditional Highland, hip-hop, Indian classical and contemporary styles.

The show, which received excellent reviews when it opened in Edinburgh, includes new, specially commissioned work by New York choreographer Mark Morris, performed by dancers from his own company, to the musical backdrop of Beethoven’s Scottish Songs sung live on stage by opera singer Mhairi Lawson. She is joined by a stellar line-up of folk, classical and jazz musicians including Martin Green from Lau, Fraser Fifield, Dave Milligan and Tom Bancroft, who has composed original music for the show.

Artistic director of Scottish Ballet Ashley Page has also created a new piece especially for Off Kilter. Three dancers will perform to a series of short songs by cult superstar Ivor Cutler in a musical, funny and intricately choreographed piece.

The exhilarating range of work includes Ihayami, a new work based on South Indian classical dance set to Scottish traditional music with Indian influences. Other highlights include atmospheric aerial dance, Half Light, a comic dance tribute to Thingummyjig and The White Heather Club in Scots Wi Hay and Small Street, a solo created by Scottish Dance Theatre’s Janet Smith and set to the Martyn Bennett track Nae Regrets.

The spectacular finale includes the full cast and features an exhilarating new dance anthem for Scotland mixed by DJ Dolphinboy, encompassing an astonishing range of music including Franz Ferdinand, The Rezillos and Calvin Harris.

The evening is rounded off with a mini ceilidh as members of the audience are invited to join the performers in a Dashing White Sergeant and even a Gay Gordons.

Among the cast of 16 Off Kilter dancers is Perth’s Lisa Sinclair, a former Perth Academy pupil who went on to train in Leeds and is now Glasgow-based.

Bubbly Lisa (29), who says she’s having a ball with Off Kilter, described her steps to becoming a professional dancer: “I was always dancing around the house when I was very young and had lots of energy so my mum took me to ballet classes at the Dance Bank in Perth, which I absolutely loved.

“I did a couple of things with the Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, but my hopes of becoming a ballerina were dashed because I didn’t have the correct body type.

“I was devastated at not getting into ballet school but Fiona Pedgrift, a PE teacher at Perth High School, suggested I attend her lunchtime contemporary dance classes.

“She was very, very supportive and through her I was able to pursue contemporary dance as a career.”

Lisa completed a four-year BA Honours course at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Leeds then moved back to Scotland as a freelance which has involved performing, teaching and choreography.

Part of her Off Kilter experience has been working with so many talented people from a variety of backgrounds.

“It’s a really fun and light-hearted show which is accessible to any age group or background. It’s a great way to brighten up the January blues!

“The tour is going past so quickly. We’re all quite relaxed about it now but the rehearsals and then the first part of the tour in Edinburgh and Glasgow were very intensive, with 11 shows in 13 days.

“I still have family and friends in Perth and I know they’re coming to see the show, so I’m really looking forward to that,” she added.