Scottish Ballet Autumn Season

Scottish Ballet is committed to helping develop new choreographers and offers regular opportunities for dancers who wish to grow their choreographic skills. Christopher Hampson, Scottish Ballet’s Artistic Director, has worked closely with Laplane over the past few years, nurturing her remarkable natural choreographic talent and giving her platforms to show her work.

Sophie Laplane’s Oxymore was showcased at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2013 as part of Scottish Ballet’s Dance Odysseys, was included in Scottish Ballet’s Up Close tour in 2014 and most recently was performed at the TEDx Glasgow event. Laplane created Sink In for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2014 and will debut a new work on Friday at the Independent:BALLET event as part of the Cottier Dance Project.

Maze has developed from being part of the Royal Ballet’s Draft Works programme for emerging choreographers and this will be Laplane’s first work to be performed in a large scale theatre. 

It will appear as part of Scottish Ballet’s exciting Autumn Season alongside Elsa Canasta by Javier de Frutos and Motion of Displacement, a world premiere from Bryan Arias.

“Sophie has been consistently developing her choreographic style and is ready for the next step. Ensuring that new work is developed for Scottish Ballet’s repertoire is essential to our growth and I’m delighted that we’re able to showcase a choreographer from within the Company alongside emerging choreographer, Bryan Arias and a master in his field, Javier de Frutos.”

Scottish Ballet Artistic Director and Acting Chief Executive Christopher Hampson

“I am so excited that my new work Maze is being included in Scottish Ballet’s Autumn Season. It is amazing news and I am just really thankful to Scottish Ballet for the opportunity to showcase my work.”

            Scottish Ballet dancer Sophie Laplane

Elsa Canasta, Motion of Displacement and Maze will be performed at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, Festival Theatre in Edinburgh, Eden Court in Inverness and His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen in September and October 2015.

Scottish Ballet announce (Vile pretends to be a newshound)

Thanks to my rather conservative instincts - if I become aware of a particular artistic director or choreographer, and then begin to appreciate their distinctive style, I don't like it if they move to new projects - I approached the introduction of Scottish Ballet's new artistic director with caution. Having appreciated Ashley Page's reign, which rescued the company from my memories of some rather twee work in the 1980s, I was concerned that a new director might decide to consolidate rather than expand the repertoire.

Usually I wait a few months before having an opinion about anything new. I am diving in today because I am quite excited about at least one of the future productions mentioned by Hampson in today's press conference.

So, for once, here's me acting liek a reporter... Scottish Ballet have got an exclusive license to performa Matthew Bourne's Highland Fling. Based on the classical ballet La Sylphide. Since it is set in Glasgow - and Bourne made a work up here last year, under the auspices of The Theatre Royal -  it seems only fair that Scottish Ballet get to be the first company, apart from Bourne's own, to have a shot at presenting it.

It also fits well into SB's identity - it is influenced by classical ballet, but gets into all sorts of sexy, psychedelic antics. At their best, SB have given "contemporary ballet" a presence and meaning, stripping away those secondary characteristics - the tutus, the romantic stories - while using the technique and discipline. Page's choreography often had a sardonic edge to the elegance: Highland Fling suggests that Hampson is respecting that path.

Hampson himself came across as aware of the company's dual role, both as ambassadors of Scottish dance to the world, and encouraging dance in Scotland. His project towards a version of Hansel and Gretel is going to collaborate with schools, colleges, Louise Welsh and the Forestry Commission - no lack of ambition there - and he promises that a wave of new choreographers will be coming soon to make new work but...

That's five o'clock. Time to post