Dance Base is Scotland’s National Centre for Dance. As a creative charity we want to see people across Scotland engaging in dance as an art form, a way to exercise and a way of life. We support Scottish dance artists to develop successful careers and we develop opportunities for dance to be used to support people’s health and wellbeing. We are international in outlook, ensuring that dance in Scotland is globally connected.
Dance Base has been active as an independent company promoting and delivering dance activity in the city of Edinburgh since 1994. The company undertook a major development with the move into new, purpose-built premises in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town in June 2001. Scotland's new National Centre for Dance, was officially opened by our Royal Patron, The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay KT, KG on 21st September 2001. A month later our Artistic Patron, the internationally renowned choreographer Mark Morris, celebrated with Dance Base by creating and dedicating a new work performed by his company at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.
Located in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, the £6.4m centre caters for dancers of all ages and abilities, providing an accessible programme of activities that offers a diverse public a non-competitive, sociable and enjoyable way to keep physically fit and develop new creative skills. Our four world-class studios provide dancers with excellent facilities and an inspirational environment in which to dance. This has all been made possible due to £5.4m funding through the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund awarded in March 1998. Other major funders of the project include the City of Edinburgh Council, Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and Scottish & Newcastle.
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) is one of Australia’s leading contemporary dance company, enthralling audiences locally, nationally and internationally since 1965.
Based in Adelaide, ADT has developed a body of artistically innovative work that reflects Australia’s ingenuity and vibrancy. The company is renowned for pushing the boundaries of dance and its collaborations with artists from a wide range of cultural and scientific domains, including robotics, photography, neuroscience, architecture, 3D graphics, video and virtual reality technology.
ADT tours extensively across Australia and around the world, and has, since 2001, performed to over 250,000 people in Europe, Asia and North America at some of the most prestigious theatres in the world including the Sydney Opera House, Sadler’s Wells (London), Southbank Centre (London), Théatre de la Ville (Paris) and The Joyce Theater (New York).
For the past 20 years, ADT has been under the artistic direction of Garry Stewart, recipient of the inaugural Australia Council Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and named as one of the world’s fifty most influential choreographers.
With its repertoire extending beyond the stage to include film, interactive installations, gallery exhibitions and works for public spaces, ADT has been the recipient of numerous Helpmann, Green Room, Export and Australian Dance Awards.