Hogmanay goes Off Kilter with dance extravaganza

Published on Wednesday 21 January 2009 08:44

SCOTLAND'S more modern answer to Riverdance will help usher in this year's Hogmanay celebrations in the Capital.

Off Kilter – an eclectic mix of everything from ceilidh to hip-hop dancing – will be performed over four days at the Festival Theatre.

The spectacular dance show marks a move towards increasing the number of indoor Hogmanay events following the weather-enforced cancellations of recent years.

Staged to mark the end of the 2009 Year of Homecoming, the show will go on to tour the UK before transferring to New York.

The production will feature choreography by the world-renowned modern dance doyen Mark Morris, who is based in New York, as well as Scottish Ballet.

Its grand finale will feature a lottery based on ticket numbers where members of the audience will be called to the stage to take part in a ceilidh.

The show – a collaboration between Hogmanay organisers Unique Events and Dance Base in the Grassmarket – will be based on a production of the same name staged at the Festival Theatre in 2004, but with specially commissioned music and dance.

A Dance Base spokesman said the performance would continue the eclectic spirit of the previous version of Off Kilter.

"There was a real variety, contemporary dance and Highland traditional dance, but with a modern twist, and a company who work in Indian contemporary dance but with a Scottish twist to it," he said.

"We had some breakdance and hip-hop. It's not just Scottish traditional dance, but dance that's been made in Scotland, which takes a number of different forms.

"I would be careful about comparing it to Riverdance because that was essentially traditional dance, which this isn't. But in terms of an effect of people recognising Scotland for the high quality dance that we produce, then that would be highly desirable."

The city council is also supporting the production, and has helped secure a grant of up to 217,500 from the Scottish Arts Council.

Some of the overall cost of around 550,000 will be met by ticket sales.

The council's festivals and events champion, Councillor Steve Cardownie, said: "We're always looking to refresh our four-day Hogmanay programme and Off Kilter is a brilliant addition for this year. It will be a great show, in a fantastic venue and being in-doors there will be that bit of extra protection against the Scottish elements that some of our other events don't have."