Edinburgh Fringe is nearly back upon us, and with it being a British Council year again, there's an enormous selection of high-quality shows to see - and that's just in dance! In addition to the British Council Showcase - usually presenting the cream of the shows on offer - there's also the annual Taiwanese dance showcase at Dance Base (038, Together Alone), a Czech dance showcase, the Made In Scotland showcase, and The Place's presentation of three shows as well as an installation by Rosemary Lee and Roswitha Chesher.

Of course there's also the Edinburgh International Festival alongside this, showing largescale work such as Nederlands Dans Theater and Boy Blue Entertainment's Blak Whyte Grey, which features the superlative Dickson Mbi.

While some people like to go to Edinburgh to see where the flyering (and flyerers) takes them, it's also very helpful to be able to plan in advance and particularly book in advance; there's nothing like word of mouth, and some shows will become hot favourites and rapidly sell out (the preview nights of Kneehigh's show have already sold out, as has Boy Blue Entertainment's youth show). Not to keep harping on about the British Council showcase shows, but they'll only be in town for a few days during the busiest part of the month, so those tickets won't wait around. 

Of course, all this can easily add up to a very long list of shows on offer, an enormous Fringe programme, limited funds and absolutely no idea what to see. While the total number of dance and dance-crossover shows is long indeed, I've attempted to whittle the list down to a slightly smaller number of shows, with details of them below, along with a very handy spreadsheet which includes a schedule of 41 of the shows, their details and details of the venues as well. It's not every single dance show, but I hope it helps narrow the selection down for you to help decide what to see.

I've also indicated the lengths of shows to assist with planning: after all, two of the most important questions we ask ourselves are a) does this leave me with enough time to get from Venue A to Venue B, and b) will I have time to grab some food along the way? Many years ago, Raymond Tait devised the hashtag #frinja, which really does sum up the art of trying to cram as many shows into one day as you can. (If you have a sweet tooth, I recommend the sweetshop across the road from Dance Base for their tablet supply). 

Of course, for the artists involved, performing at Edinburgh Fringe carries a huge financial burden - two years ago, I'd started researching an article on the costs of taking work to Edinburgh - and so going to see as many shows as you can really helps the artists. As does encouraging others to see their work, and spreading the word about their shows. They're taking a huge financial gamble on being there, so every little bit does help.

Firstly, here's the spreadsheet I mentioned, and I hope it's of use to you: Edinburgh Dance Shows 2017.xlsx

Secondly, here are the venues' details, to save you looking them up:
C Venues, Adam House, 3 Chambers St, EH1 1HR
Dance Base, 14-16 Grassmarket, EH1 2JU
Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson St, EH8 9FT
Greyfriars Kirk, 1 Greyfriars, EH1 2QQ
New Town Theatre, 96 George Street, EH2 3DH
Pleasance at EICC, The Exchange Edinburgh, 150 Morrison St, EH3 8EE
Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, EH8 9TJ
Summerhall, Summerhall Place, EH9 1PL
The Leith Volcano, 119 Constitution Street, EH6 7AE
theSpace on Niddry Street, Niddry Street, EH1 1TH
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge St, EH1 2ED
Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows, Middle Meadow Walk, EH9 9EX
Zoo Lauriston Halls, 28 Lauriston Street, EH3 9DJ
Zoo Southside, 117 Nicolson Street, EH8 9ER
Zoo, 140 Pleasance, EH8 9RR

And finally, I only know some of these shows so it's hard to write about the ones I haven't seen or don't know anything about, so I apologise in advance for missing out any gems or for not giving them due credit.

Special Mention

Gracefool Collective - This Really Is Too Much
Venue: Underbelly on Cowgate
Dates: 9 - 27 August (not 14th)
Time: 15:20
Cost: £10 - £11 depending on day (£9 - £10 concs)
Running time: 60 mins
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/138058689
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/this-really-is-too-much

I'm beyond mortified that I missed the ever-wonderful Gracefool Collective off the original writeup below, so they get their own special section on this list and at the top, which is where they belong anyway. Please go see them!

A relatively young company, This Really Is Too Much was originally premiered as a short work in early 2016, however I've not yet had the fortune to see the full-length version which they are performing in Edinburgh. It's a very slick, sharp and witty work exploring the facets of being women in our modern society, with the various expectations and stereotypes which that incurs. Labelled as feminist comedy dance, it's really good and really enjoyable, and definitely worth seeing. 

Personal Highlights

Barely Methodical Troupe - Kin
Venue: Underbelly's Circus Hub on the Meadows
Dates: 5 - 26 August (not 14th or 21st)
Time: 17:00
Cost: £10 - £15.50 depending on day (£10 - £14.50 concs)
Running time: 60 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wW0BSECXK8
Interview: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/apr/20/circus-barely-methodical-troupe-bromance-kin-circusfest
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/kin

Barely Methodical Group is a very talented company of young (not youth) circus performers, and they've followed up their hugely successful Bromance with this work which has been directed by Lost Dog Dance's Ben Duke, and assisted by the very talented Ella Robson Guilfoyle. It combines impressive acrobatic work with Ben Duke's signature storytelling, which makes this a highly entertaining and rewarding show to see. This is likely to be one of the Fringe's highlights, and has already been singled out by the advance press, so come and see this show for yourself.

James Wilton Dance - Leviathan
Venue: Dance Base
Dates: 4 - 13 August (not 7th)
Time: 17:30
Cost: £10/£8 preview; £12/£10 full
Running time: 40 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDJaJIr-T-g
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/leviathan

James Wilton returns to Edinburgh with his latest work, which has been touring intensively around the country - selling out shows at many of the stops - which is an adaptation of the tale of Moby Dick, in Wilton's signature style: to quote Neil Norman of The Stage, "Capoeira, martial arts, yoga and acrobatics are all essential parts of Wilton’s dance aesthetic", which results in dramatic yet seamless choreography. It also has very striking lighting, so that's something extra to enjoy.

Joan Clevillé Dance - Plan B for Utopia & The North
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard (Plan B) / Dance Base (The North)
Dates: 21 - 27 August (Plan B) / 4 - 13 August (The North; not 7th)
Time: 10.30am (Plan B) / 4.15pm (The North)
Running time: 1 hour
Article19 feature: http://www.article19.co.uk/hdvideo2/joan_cleville_dance_plan_b_for_utopia.php
Trailer (Plan B): https://vimeo.com/132943878
Tickets (Plan B): https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/plan-b-for-utopia
Trailer (The North): https://vimeo.com/216810094
Tickets (The North): https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/north

Joan Clevillé's Plan B for Utopia was enormously successful when it was part of the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe at Dance Base, and as a relatively small and simple yet very engaging show, it has since been touring extensively nationally and as part of the rural touring network; it returns to Edinburgh again to be part of the British Council showcase. It's a show that's hard to define, and that's a huge part of its charm, as are the dynamics between the dour John Kendall and irrepressible Solène Weinachten. If you haven't yet seen this, try to catch it. If you've already seen it, then of course you should see it again, right?

Joan has recently been creating a new work The North, again featuring John Kendall and Solène Weinachten; as I couldn't make it to Glasgow for its premiere, I know nothing about it, but based on his work on Plan B, it'll definitely be worth watching.

Kneehigh - The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
Venue: Traverse Theatre
Dates: 15 - 27 August (not 7th)
Time: different times each day
Cost: £21.50 (preview tickets have sold out)
Running time: 90 mins
Review: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/jun/06/the-flying-lovers-of-vitebsk-review-kneehigh-marc-chagall-bella
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/173637871
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/flying-lovers-of-vitebsk

The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk was Emma Rice's final creation for Kneehigh before leaving to take up her directorship of The Globe. It's directed by Emma Rice, which is pretty much all the reason you need to see it; also, with her Tristan and Yseult having just completed its recent nationwide tour by Kneehigh and her Summer of Love season underway at The Globe Theatre, there is a significant appetite for her work right now, so do book in advance if you want to see this.

Liz Aggiss - Slap And Tickle
Venue: Zoo
Dates: 21 - 26 August
Time: 19.10
Cost: £10/£8
Running time: 60 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emLbhTUZYus
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/slap-and-tickle

Liz Aggiss refers to herself as "the enfant terrible of the bus pass generation", and Slap and Tickle is her latest work which explores varying aspects of women's roles and ageing, with her irreverent and somewhat ribald sense of humour. It's visually striking and a very rich work - and in the words of Liz herself, "let's have a party!" And being Liz, she doesn't like people to leave empty-handed...

National Dance Company Wales - Folk
Venue: Zoo Southside
Dates: 22, 23 & 25 August
Time: 15.30
Cost: £12
Running time: 30 mins
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/155555286
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/folk

Caroline Finn's work is wonderful to watch, informed by her years of working in Germany, and bringing a rich visual and movement language to her creations. I've only seen Bloom, her commission for Phoenix Dance Theatre, and the trailer for this work, however Caroline Finn appears to be a significant choreographic voice, so it's worth seeing her work when we can.

Rosemary Lee and Roswitha Chesher - Liquid Gold is the Air
Venue: Greyfriars Kirk
Dates: 16-19, 21 & 22 August
Time: 10.30am - 4.30pm
Cost: free
Presented by The Place
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/153673722
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/liquid-gold-is-the-air

"Discover this award-winning triptych video installation in the tranquil beauty of Greyfriars Kirk – a haven in the festival city. Full of rich iconographic images, dozens of performers move in swathes of vibrant colour, appearing and disappearing amidst a magical cathedral of trees. Created by choreographer Rosemary Lee and filmmaker Roswitha Chesher with a haunting soundtrack by Graeme Miller, featuring music by Terry Mann. Commissioned by The Stables for IF: Milton Keynes International Festival 2014 and supported by Arts Council England and Milton Keynes Council. Produced by Artsadmin. Runs continually on a 15 minute loop."

Rosie Kay Dance Company - 5 Soldiers
Venue: Summerhall
Dates: 11-13, 16-20, 23-26 August
Time: 20.30
Cost: £12 / £10
Running time: 30 mins
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/157189970
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/5-soldiers

Rosie Kay's award-winning and uncompromising depiction of army life has been meticulously researched, and is a compelling snapshot of army life as devised and choreographed by herself, exploring the changing relationships and dynamics between a small group of soldiers.

Other Highlights

201 Dance Company - Skin
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Dates: 2 - 28 August (not 14th)
Time: 20.00
Cost: £7 - £12
Running time: 60 mins
Article19 feature of 'Smother': http://www.article19.co.uk/hdvideo2/201_dance_company_smother.php
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/skin

Having had an enormously successful Edinburgh season last year and subsequent national tour with Smother, 201 Dance Company return with a brand new work Skin, using their signature fusion of urban and contemporary styles. As there doesn't seem to be a trailer yet for their new work, I've shared a feature of their previous work for a taste of what to expect, including their wonderfully-talented cast of dancers.

 

Aakash Odedra - #JeSuis
Venue: Zoo Southside
Dates: 16 - 26 August (not 7th)
Time: 20:30
Cost: £14
Running time: 45 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuoZCTOadGI
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/jesuis

The celebrated Asian dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra returns to Edinburgh with his newest work, #JeSuis.

"#JeSuis is an edgy new choreographic work by renowned British dancer Aakash Odedra. With dancers from Turkey, Aakash explores the strangulation of freedom of speech, the rise of xenophobic attitudes and the displacement of people through conflict. I matter and I exist. As atrocities in Paris and Brussels trend, #JeSuis gives voice to stories that our media readily forget. Each of our dancers tells us about the struggles of trying to be who you are in places where you are told to be someone else." (from the EdFringe website)

Boy Blue Entertainment - Blak Whyte Gray
Venue: The Lyceum
Dates: 16 - 19 August
Time: 19.30
Cost: £10 - £26
Running time: 1 hour 30 mins (including interval)
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/201274233
Tickets: https://www.eif.co.uk/2017/boyblue#.WW1bWoTyvIU

If you like hip hop dance, you'll love this, as have audiences around the country, judging by all the sold-out shows on its nationwide tour. It's advertised as a triple bill, offering a diversity of themes and styles, while delivering slick choreography and performances by an impressive cast, including the always wonderful Dickson Mbi.

Company Chordelia and Solar Bear - Lady Macbeth: Unsex Me Here
Venue: Dance Base
Dates: 4 - 27 August (not 7th, 14th or 21st)
Time: 20.00
Cost: £10 - £12
Running time: 55 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1gdploDc_E
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lady-macbeth-unsex-me-here

Company Chordelia's 'Nijinsky's Last Jump' was one of the most successful shows of the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe, and was listed by The Guardian as one of the top dance shows of 2015, alongside The Royal Ballet, Sylvie Guillem, Candoco, Lost Dog Dance and Rosie Kay, and has been cited as one of the top five dance shows of 2017. That's a lot to live up to, and we know they won't disappoint. If you'd like to know more about the show, watch the trailer for the synopsis and more.

Gecko - The Dreamer
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Dates: 2 - 15 August (not 9th)
Time: 1.30pm
Cost: £8 - £14.50
Running time: 1 hour 10 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dcu6wWjJHFo
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/dreamer

The Dreamer is an associate production by Gecko in partnership with Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, as part of British Council's 2016 Shakespeare Lives programme; it was created by Gecko's associate director Rich Rusk and devising performer Chris Evans.

To quote the Edinburgh Fringe website, "Inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Peony Pavilion by his Chinese contemporary, Tang Xianzu, this vibrant production uses Gecko's trademark style to blend emotionally driven movement, a spine-tingling soundscape and striking visual storytelling to bring a new twist to these classic texts, performed by a Chinese cast."

 

Impermanence Dance Theatre - Sexbox
Venue: The Leith Volcano
Dates: 21 - 26 August
Time: 20.00
Cost: £12
Running time: 1 hour
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klXeSija6TU
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/sexbox

Having thrilled Edinburgh's Fringe audiences two years ago with 'Da-Da-Darling', they are back with their acclaimed work Sexbox, and as part of the British Council showcase, they are undoubtedly set to have an even bigger hit on their hands this year. Sexbox is described as "Looking at sex through the eyes and ears of private musician Ursula Bogner, you’ll be taken deep into stranger and stranger domains of liberation, perversion and sensuality. Bogner was a pioneer of electronic music who composed from her DIY studio in suburban Germany from the 1960s onwards."

In-the-Making Collective - Swings & Roundabouts
Venue: Dance Base
Dates: 7, 14 & 21 August
Time: 15:00
Cost: £10
Running time: 2 hours (drop in)
Tickets: http://www.dancebase.co.uk/festival-2017/swings-roundabouts-7-14-21-aug-1036

In-the-Making Collective is a dancer-led initiative which describes itself as "an experiment around processes of making, multi- authorship and shared leadership
It is not the realisation of an individual vision but of many visions. A polyphonic medley – making space for many voices." Its members include Mark Bleakley, Nicholas Bone, Ian Cameron, Matthew Hawkins, Merav Israel, Amy Longmuir, Sheila Macdougall, Rosalind Masson, Alex McCabe, Brigid McCarthy, Tony Mills, Claire Pençak and Amy Robertson.

This is their latest Edinburgh Fringe creation; previous EdFringe works have been described by Donald Hutera of The Times as 'A good example of what the Fringe is for ... the unpushy investigative nature of the whole enterprise is intrinsic to its appeal.’

From Dance Base's website: "Enter a lofty daylit room. Find your vantage point. Empathise with the immediate creativity of an Edinburgh-based dance collective.

"Driven by diverse energies, the group invents, prepares and practises scores for movement. A resulting dance-of-events shapes into a meta-score before your eyes, amid live electronic sound by composer Bill Thompson.

"Enjoy the sensory embrace and the epic cycle. Stay roundabout or swing in and out."

For more information about In-the-Making Collective, please visit their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/In-the-Making-Collective-1721915011358020/

 

John Scott Dance - Lear
Venue: Dance Base
Dates: 23 - 26 August
Time: 4.15pm
Cost: £10 - £12
Running time: 1 hour
Review: https://www.theartsreview.com/single-post/2016/10/23/Lear
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/104444386
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/lear

Commissioned by Kilkenny Arts Festival in 2014, John Scott Dance's (formerly Irish Modern Dance Theatre) Lear looks set to become another Edinburgh Fringe with its blend of storytelling and dance theatre as well as its cast, including Valda Setterfield, a former soloist with Merce Cunningham. John Scott's choreography has been described as "somewhere between Beckett, Chaplin and Monty Python" and this work is "deeply personal and playful" - the combination being perfect for Edinburgh Fringe audiences.

Light, Ladd and Emberton - Caitlin
Venue: Zoo Lauriston Halls
Dates: 23 - 26 August
Time: 12pm (inc 6.30pm on 24th)
Cost: £14
Running time: 1 hour
Review: http://writingaboutdance.com/performance/light-ladd-emberton-caitlin/
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBopGFAq1YY
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/caitlin

Caitlin is a moving, powerful and almost claustrophobic exploration of the relationship between Dylan Thomas and his wife Caitlin, deftly performed by Gwyn Emberton and Eddie Ladd respectively, and directed by Deborah Light. Performed within a circle of seats, the show offers an almost uncomfortable intimacy as Caitlin, looking back, scrutinises the highs and lows of their time together. Performed by two of Wales's leading dance artists, this show is really worth seeing - if you can get a ticket.

RashDash - Two Man Show
Venue: Summerhall
Dates: 21 - 26 August (not 23rd)
Time: 10.15pm
Cost: £12
Running time: 1 hour
Review: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/edinburgh-festival-two-man-show-summerhall-review-a-terrifically-generous-piece-of-writing-a7196146.html
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH14FSLd4pw
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/two-man-show

Having seen Rashdash's first work in 2010, and having heard so much about Two Man Show during its Edinburgh Fringe season last year, I finally got to see it in Manchester last autumn. It's a work which explores and not-so-casually tosses aside gender stereotypes, drawing on a range of characters and themes throughout the piece. There is a lot of material and a lot of issues raised - in a good way - and it's one of those shows which seems to keep coming up in conversation afterwards, such is its impact. I hope you can make time to see this.

State of Emergency Productions - Where Is Home?
Venue: Zoo
Dates: 21 - 25 August
Time: 18:35
Cost: £14
Running time: 1 hour 45 mins
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uh2zNXd17M
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/where-is-home

Described as a dance musical, State of Emergency's production is an engaging and heartwarming story of exile, migration, identity and belonging through improvised performances by a talented international cast of dancers and musicians.

Director Steven Marshall has said that "For Edinburgh we wanted to turn Where Is Home? on its head and have some fun with it", so I'll be intrigued to see its latest incarnation having watched it on tour in Poole.

The Mayers Ensemble - What If I Told You
Venue: Summerhall
Dates: 11 - 26 August (not 14th or 21st)
Time: 5pm
Cost: £12
Running time: 1 hour + postshow discussion
Crowdfunding campaign: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/what-if-i-told-you/
Trailer: https://www.cptheatre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/What-if-i-told-you.mp4
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/what-if-i-told-you

Pauline Mayers's What If I Told You is a very courageous, personal and open work which draws on her own story to explore themes of racism, racial abuse and loss, to understand our history and where we are now: issues which are explored in the optional postshow discussion and which are made real for the audiences. Pauline Mayers is a former dancer who is now a Leeds-based theatre-maker, and having toured this show around the UK, she now needs your assistance with taking this show to Edinburgh as part of Northern Stage's showcase, if you can contribute to her crowdfunding campaign.

Theatre Re - The Nature of Forgetting
Venue: Pleasance Courtyard
Dates: 21 - 27 August
Time: 12pm
Cost: £10.50 - £12.50
Running time: 1 hour
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yXOZtplQ8Q
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/nature-of-forgetting

Having completely failed to see Theatre Re's much-acclaimed show Blind Man's Song, I managed to catch its opening run as part of the London Mime Festival. It's a beautiful and sensitive work exploring the life of a man affected by dementia on his 55th birthday, with scenes seamlessly alternating between his present and his youth. It was completely sold out in its London run, so I expect it'll achieve much the same during its time in Edinburgh, and for very good reason.

Various - Heads Up
Venue: Dance Base
Dates: 12 & 13 August
Time: 1pm
Cost: £6
Running time: 1 hour
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/heads-up-1

Heads Up is Dance Base's annual contribution to the wealth of dance talent on offer during the Fringe through two one-day platforms of emerging choreographers from around the country. The lineups are usually announced shortly before the performance dates, but they're usually very rewarding and enjoyable, and a worthy celebration of the dance industry's rising stars.

Other Worthy Mentions

I apologise profusely to these artists for not writing more about their shows, but considering how long it has taken to write this much already, the Fringe will have nearly ended by the time I complete this roundup if I go into much more detail.

Avant Garde Dance Company - Fagin's Twist

Avant Garde's director and choreographer Tony Adigun knows how to please and connect with an audience, and his dramatic brand of hiphop dance will no doubt wow Edinburgh's audiences this season with his current hit Fagin's Twist, which is part of The Place's showcase.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euW4NU7qqhI
Venue: Zoo Southside
Details: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/fagin-s-twist

 

James Cousins Company - Rosalind
Having achieved incredible success over the past five years since the New Adventures Choreographer Award showcase, with commissions and tours all around the world in the intervening years, James Cousins presents his full-length work exploring the character of As You Like It's Rosalind with an exceptional cast, including Chihiro Kawasaki and Gareth Mole.

This is presented as part of The Place's Edinburgh Fringe showcase.

Venue: Summerhall
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/rosalind

Julie Cunningham & Company - To Be Me
Julie Cunningham is an award-winning dancer who has worked with Merce Cunningham and Michael Clark and who is now forging her own career as a choreographer, having received Rambert's inaugural Leverhulme Fellowship offering a year's support to a dancer seeking to make the transition to becoming a fulltime choreographer, and Julie Cunningham's work has received substantial interest and support in recent months. Her style is a mixture of those she has worked with, with her own unique twist and humour, bringing a freshness to her works. To Be Me includes narration by Kate Tempest, providing an interesting counterpoint with Julie's movement.

Venue: Dance Base
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/to-be-me

Keira Martin - Here Comes Trouble
I've never had a chance to see Keira Martin's work, so here's the description of this show: "Through a series of powerful vignettes, drawing on social and cultural influences from Yorkshire, Ireland and Jamaica, Keira rhythmically weaves together traditional music, authentic song and gutsy choreography. Best described as Irish dance deep in thought, she shares hard-hitting and heart-warming chapters of her life to confront stereotypes and challenge labels. Watch her build bridges and burn them again, each time revealing a deeper layer of herself and her heritage. This fierce, entertaining performance has a unique vulnerability and demonstrates the power and grace of women in a real and honest way."

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPGf_J4M9dM
Venue: Dance Base
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/here-comes-trouble

Port Dance Theatre Project - Pibroch Tales
I recently saw a variation of Jayne Port's Pibroch Tales, in which kilt-wearing bagpiper Gordon Douglas Raeburn narrates random sections of pibroch legends in a lively and engaging way, using theatre, dance and of course bagpipes. And his kilt.

Venue: theSpace on Niddry Street
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/pibroch-tales

Protein - Border Tales
Luca Silvestrini's Protein - formerly known as Protein Dance - revives its 2014 hit Border Tales for an Edinburgh Fringe run, adapting it from its in-the-round setting for Summerhall's stage. Having previously explored multicultural Britain through an international cast, the work - as to be expected - takes on a new dimension following Brexit and its aftermath, using dance, live music and dialogue compiled from the performers’ personal experiences. It has a truly stellar cast, including Yuyu Rau, Salah El Brogy, Kenny Wing Tao Ho, Temitope Ajose-Cutting, Andy Gardiner and Stephen Moynihan - and if you manage to see the show, please give the cast a huge hello from me as I probably won't be able to make it to Edinburgh this season...

Venue: Summerhall
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/border-tales

Scottish Dance Theatre: Process Day, TuTuMucky, Velvet Petal: Bedroom
As part of the Made In Scotland showcase, Scottish Dance Theatre are presenting three works: Velvet Petal: Bedroom, which has been choreographed by their Artistic Director Fleur Darkin; TuTuMucky, by fast-rising star Botis Seva, and Process Day which is by the celebrated Israeli duo Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar; Sharon Eyal is due to take over as the new Guest Artistic Director of the National Youth Dance Company run by Sadler's Wells.

Venue: Zoo Southside & Summerhall (for Velvet Petal: Bedroom)
Website: https://www.scottishdancetheatre.com/productions

Not on the dance list and not to be overlooked (otherwise known as the Janis Claxton and Caroline Bowditch section)
I had realised I'd reached the end of my list of shows, and Caroline Bowditch and Janis Claxton were nowhere to be found - because their works this year are in the children's section of the EdFringe programme. If you can borrow a child, please take them to these shows - or please go and see them anyway and pretend that you're there with one of New Art Club's invisible children.

Caroline Bowditch and Company - Snigel and Friends
"Join Snigel, the inquisitive snail, in their cosy home underneath the leafy canopy; a colourful and sensory world where Snigel’s insect friends come to visit, brought to life by dancers, Caroline Bowditch, Welly O’Brien and Alex McCabe, and performer Zac Scott. They dance, play, sing and make music in the undergrowth while uncovering secret treasures. An inviting new work for children aged 0 – 12 months and their adult. Look out for Snigel on their adventures around Edinburgh during the Fringe."

Venue: Dance Base
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/snigel-and-friends

Jango Starr - One Man Shoe
Choreographed by Janis Claxton, Jango Starr's children's show is a "silent physical theatre includes contemporary circus clowning, slapstick comedy, puppetry, juggling and absurd magic, bringing laughter and joy to all ages" in which "Jango, a bumbling theatre caretaker, is suddenly thrust into the limelight and embarks on a hilarious journey of highly crafted and heart-felt silent comedy, as he magically finds his way to realise his dream of transforming into a star!"

Venue: Assembly George Square Theatre
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/one-man-shoe

FuturePlay - FuturePlay Virtual Reality Studio
While taking a break from the international tour of her hugely successful Pop-Up Duets, Janis Claxton has also choreographed for FuturePlay's VR installation. In her own words: "I choreographed a VR piece with three JCD dancers and two awesome female technologists."

Venue: Assembly Rooms
Tickets: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/futureplay-virtual-reality-studio