Common Ground

Mountains  

In this solo, which blends footwork, speaking and song, Nic Gareiss shares step dance rhythms from the Appalachian mountains as well as from the Scottish Highlands, Ireland’s Sliabh Luchra (Rushy Mountain) region and Surrey’s St. George’s Hill. 

Blurring the boundaries between sound and gesture, dancer and musician, Gareiss offers a singular blend of traditional dance, text and song mapping the cadence of these knolls, peaks and hollers.

Oceans  

Then, deep dive to the ocean floor with Drift.

Choreographed by Madeline Squire, First Artist with Scottish Ballet 2014-2025, it is inspired by the complex structures of coral reefs. Watch as the dancers weave their limbs together, competing for space as their environment shrinks – mirroring how marine life becomes displaced when their habitats are destroyed.  

Common Ground  

Finally, after celebrating the common wealth of our mountains and oceans and their remarkable capacity for cooperation and renewal, enjoy the world premiere of Common Ground.  

Co-choreographed by Nicholas Shoesmith and Sotirios Panagoulias, this brand new ensemble piece fuses traditional dance styles from across the Commonwealth – from grounded pulses of South African Gumboot, from the swirling grace of Indian Bhangra and the syncopated patterns of Caribbean Reggae, to the precision of the Scottish Highland Fling.