Five dancers in black costumes perform in front of a vivid orange and yellow backdrop, with blurred motion emphasizing dynamic movement.

Five dancers perform in front of a bright yellow-orange backdrop, wearing black costumes, with a blurred effect showing motion and raised arms.

A line of ballerinas in black costumes performs on stage en pointe, while two male dancers face them with arms extended against an orange backdrop with black abstract designs.

Five dancers leap mid-air on stage with an abstract orange and black swirling backdrop behind them.

Scottish Ballet

Emergence

Thu 1 - Sat 3 Oct 2026

Venue: Festival Theatre

Enter a mesmerising underworld where human-kind dissolves into something altogether more elemental, returning to Scotland for the first time in ten years, this bold piece showcases the explosive physicality and artistry of Scottish Ballet.

Two of contemporary dance’s most electrifying choreographers

Crystal Pite’s Emergence is a breathtaking fusion of classical ballet and raw, insect-like movement that casts dancers as swarming creatures in a darkly beautiful universe, creating spectacular formations that blur the boundaries between individual and collective consciousness.

Drawing from swarm intelligence research and bee colony behaviour, Pite explores the tension between our craving for individual agency and our deep need for collective belonging. Set to Owen Belton’s haunting music, the full company transforms into a living, breathing super-organism, moving with the urgent precision of a hive mind.

Joining Emergence is a world premiere from Julia Cheng, the acclaimed choreographer behind Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and Fiddler on the Roof, whose boundary-crossing work has earned Olivier and Chita Rivera Award nominations. Cheng’s new work features an original score and a stellar creative team.