Scratch Night x Project X | Friday 23 October | 19:00-21:00 | £10/8 | Book Now
An exclusive first look at works-in-progress by some of Scotland’s leading Black dance artists from the African and Caribbean diaspora, curated and supported by Project X and hosted by Dance Base Artistic Director Tony Mills.
This autumn, our Scratch Night will feature:
- Michael Arowolo | Sacrilege
- MC Laffitte | Clear
- Kiki Oladapo and Gaia Silvan | Lost Tongues – The Humanity of the Gods….
The Dance Base Scratch Night is a unique platform in Edinburgh which brings live dance work to audiences and creates a supportive platform for dance and movement artists to try out ideas on the stage, experiment with an audience and share their work with their peers, the sector and the public.
The evening will be hosted by Dance Base Artistic Director Tony Mills, who will create a safe space for artists to receive feedback from you, the audience, through a relaxed facilitated conversations.
Along with space in the theatre for conversation during the show, there will also be drinks in the interval and at the end of the show, providing space for audiences and artists to connect.
Let’s move. Book your tickets now.
Sacrilege by Michael Arowolo
Michael will be performing a section from a dance piece called “Sacrilege,” which is still being developed. It’s inspired by his Nigerian roots and features various traditional dance movements such as Bata and Yengbe accompanied with the Bata drums from the Yoruba tribe and Yoruba chants (oral poetry).
Michael will be joined by Adenopo Samiat who features as a dancer on this piece.
Image courtesy of the artist
More about Michael Arowolo
I am a Nigerian-born multidisciplinary artist working across dance, choreography, drumming and music. I have over five years of experience working in theatre and the performing arts, developing work across choreography, movement direction, performance and music creation. I enjoy bringing these different practices together to create work that feels engaging, expressive and enjoyable for audiences.
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to showcase my work and collaborate on a range of projects and performances across the UK. These include working with Project X Artist Voice for Dance International Glasgow, collaborating on Dictations: The Heart of the Sea by Mele Broomes, Dive Into the Groove with Whacking Scotland, Project X’s In the Making, Jaiva House Afrobeat classes, as well as a number of other corporate and creative performances.
Collaborators:
Adenopo Samiat – Dancer
Ari Baba Akewi – Chant (recorded)
Convenant Art and Ensemble Hub – Drummers (recorded)
Clear by MC Laffitte
What happens when there is nowhere to go, no one waiting, and so little to hold on to? Clear is a solitary exploration of isolation, endurance, and the quiet search for connection. As space contracts and presence shifts, a single body navigates the weight of being alone—reaching toward something that remains just out of reach. The piece is a physical exploration and a call made to the outside, knowing it might never be answered. It asks: how do we keep moving when there is nothing to move towards? And can we stay with emptiness without trying to fill it or escape from it?
Image credit: Sally Jubb.
More about MC Laffitte
I am a French-Cameroonian dancer and producer who has been part of the dance community in Scotland for the past ten years. I started dancing with Yasmin Doak company in Glasgow and then went onto training Hip-Hop and African diasporic dance styles with THREE60 Street dance company, where I received close mentorship from Divine Tasinda.
My practice is increasingly driven by the themes, questions and feelings that move me personally. I am interested in bringing to the stage the thoughts and emotions that stay with me, unsettle me, or ask to be explored. Through movement, I try to give these inner experiences a physical form, allowing myself to investigate what I may not yet understand or know how to articulate.
I create from a need to stay connected to myself — to keep questioning, feeling and discovering, and to find meaning in experiences that can otherwise remain difficult to express. Through an offering of ideas and movement, I aim to create an honest connection with people around me and explore how personal experiences can become shared through dance.
Collaborators:
nxa Parinussa – Artistic Consultant
Robert Millon – Sound mixing and editing
Lost Tongues – The Humanity of the Gods… by Kiki Oladapo
Two lost beings encounter one another, drawn together by a strange sense of familiarity. Disconnected from their histories and from themselves, they begin to uncover fragments of a forgotten past.
As their relationship develops, memories begin to surface, revealing hints of who they once were and why they became lost. What begins as a chance encounter slowly becomes something more complex, as trust, power and control begin to shift between them.
Inspired by African, Caribbean and Scottish folklore, the piece explores identity, isolation, connection and the cycles we create within our relationships.
As the boundaries between past and present begin to blur, the two beings are forced to confront what lies beneath their connection. Are they finding their way back to themselves — or repeating something that has happened before?
A physical and atmospheric journey into memory, power and the mysterious bonds that connect us..
Image credit: Marios Ento-Engkolo
More about Kiki Oladapo
Kiki Oladapo is a hip-hop dancer, choreographer and creative director based in Scotland. Rooted in London’s hip-hop scene, his practice blends hip-hop theatre, storytelling and cultural identity.
As a Black artist with Nigerian heritage, Kiki explores themes of identity, belonging, masculinity, family and connection through physical and expressive movement. His work draws inspiration from African mythology and folklore, while bringing hip-hop foundations into contemporary theatrical spaces.
Kiki has performed and developed work across the UK, including with Breakin’ Convention and Dundee Rep. Alongside his artistic practice, he is passionate about creating opportunities for young people and inspiring the next generation through dance.
More about Gaia Silvan
Hello! I am Gaia! I’m a Multidisciplinary Artist, from Kintyre, I am a recent graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Contemporary Performance Practice. As a black-mixed race, neurodivergent, queer woman/person and coming from my rural upbringings, I have always been drawn to exploring the intricacies of my/our identities. What makes us human, and draws us together? My work has a strong sense of physicality and storytelling and is led by my intuition. Combining dance, performance, paintings, and music inspired by the universe around and within, I create work that explores my relationship to my intersectionality. I like to make work which pours from the soul and sparks joy.
Support Us
Dance Base is a charity with a mission to encourage and celebrate the potential for dance in everyone. We use the power of dance to improve people’s health and wellbeing, and we support professional dance artists at all stages of their careers. We’re grateful for the generous support of out funders and donors.
