The Main Event: Geometry and Grace

IT'S spring 2008, and Ashley Page is in San Francisco. Always on the look-out for exciting new works – or people to create them – the artistic director of Scottish Ballet drops in on San Francisco Ballet's 75th anniversary New Works Festival. And here, much to his delight – and soon to be ours – he finds exactly what he's looking for.

"I saw ten new ballets in three days," he says, "and the piece by Val Caniparoli was one of the strongest. What struck me was the movement – I could see our dancers doing it. So I went back to see it a second time to consolidate my view, came home to Scotland, thought about it for a bit, then got in touch with Val and we started an email dialogue."

The work he saw in San Francisco wasn't available, however, so Page commissioned Caniparoli to choreograph a new work specially for Scottish Ballet. Premiering this week as part of the company's autumn season, Still Life has the makings of a great piece of dance. Even in rehearsal, stripped of the set, costumes and lighting so pivotal to anything Caniparoli creates, it's still utterly absorbing.

"It looks very exciting," Page concurs. "Val has done exactly what I'd hoped he'd do, which is give the dancers a really good experience. I'd done a bit of research on him, and the word was that he's very good with dancers. Dancers always enjoy working with him, and that was evident from the performances I saw in San Francisco – the dancers really relished doing the work."

Page may have had to research Caniparoli, but the American was already well aware of Page. "I knew Ashley's work as a choreographer with the Royal Ballet from when they came to San Francisco," says Caniparoli. "And it's well known in the States that since he's taken over the helm at Scottish Ballet things are really happening. Plus I'd read about him in magazines so I was totally aware of the company and how well it was doing, even before Ashley invited me."

Talking to Caniparoli, watching him work with the dancers and observing the kind of choreography he produces, it's easy to see what Page saw in him. In many ways, the two men are kindred spirits – both understanding that if the dancers enjoy the creative process, and feel involved, then the work will be stronger.

"Right away I knew that Ashley and I would get along," says Caniparoli. "I didn't even meet him while he was in San Francisco, the invitation arrived later and came as a total shock – but I love surprises like that. At first it was just emails and telephone calls but I knew we'd work well together. We have the same sense of humour and viewpoint."

Inspired by aspects of flight, Still Life features seven male and seven female dancers dressed in dark coats and stylish dresses, complemented by striking lighting design, beautiful chamber music and a raft of paper birds. Caniparoli's collaboration with San Francisco-based designer Sandra Woodall is central to almost all the works he creates.

On arrival in Glasgow, however, Caniparoli found new collaborators in lighting designer Lucy Carter, the dancers and, to a certain extent, Ashley Page. "Ashley and I talked about music and he suggested Uzbekistan composer Elena Kats Chernin," says Caniparoli. "So in many ways he's been a true collaborator too. Of course, the buck stops with me, and sometimes you can have too many voices in the mix. But if we're all going in the same direction then I think it makes for a stronger piece."

Caniparoli's new work will form the centrepiece to what looks set to be one of Scottish Ballet's strongest triple bills to date. Opening with Frederick Ashton's elegant classical work, Scnes de Ballet (last seen at the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival) and closing with Page's Olivier Award-winning Fearful Symmetries, the Geometry and Grace programme, as it's being called, is a night devoid of narrative.

Instead it will demonstrate just how accessible, audience-friendly and emotive abstract ballet can be. As Caniparoli says, searching for meaning other than your own can sometimes be a fool's errand.

"I don't think the audience needs to know exactly what the work is about," he says. "Still Life is an abstract piece, and I love not dictating to an audience or telling them what they should feel about it. People can make up their own mind – although I get into a lot of trouble for that from those who say 'what did he mean? I don't get it'. Well there's nothing to get – you just sit back and watch."

Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Thursday to Saturday; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, 23–25 September, then on tour to Aberdeen and Inverness www.scottishballet.org.uk

• This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday, September 12, 2010