DANCE: Deiseil - Dancing in Time

Deiseil: Dancing in Time
deiseil /dʲeʃal/ (sounds like jay-shal)
A powerful exploration of Scotland’s percussive dance tradition told through fiddle, feet, Gaelic song and story.

Deiseil: Dancing in Time is a vibrant sharing of the joy and energy of stepdance and the music and song attached to it. Stepdance is a percussive dance form which was historically an important part of Gaelic culture, but became virtually unknown in Scotland due to cultural suppression, emigration and evolution into Highland dance and Scottish country dance. It was preserved by emigrants to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and we learned from their descendants returning to teach in Scotland in the 1990s.

The show was co-devised by dancer Alison Carlyle, musician Amy Geddes and director Gerry Mulgrew. It is a collage of live fiddle music, dance, Gaelic song, spoken word and recorded material which blends into an immersive, participative event. We create the feeling of an old-style ceilidh house where people share stories and music together, across the whole range of human experience. As one audience member put it, “I went through so many emotions during the show, from glee to deep sorrow. Thank you!”

The CatStrand, Galloway said, “The energy, the musicianship and the atmosphere you created were absolutely unforgettable. You had the crowd completely captivated from start to finish – what a night!”

The Scotsman *****
Susan Mansfield
“Deiseil is more about showing than telling, and it feels like the warm, playful collaboration of Carlyle and Geddes embodies the spirit of stepdance. This is the most joyful show I’ve seen so far this Fringe. It tells an important story with the lightest of touches and doesn’t put a foot wrong.”

Suitable for all ages

Doors & fully licensed bar open from 6.45pm

Bar accepts only cards & contactless payments

This is a seated event with performance in the centre of the auditorium

Running time is approximately 120 mins with a single interval