Dance venture draws new crowd

Acclaimed contemporary dance duo White & Givan will take up a two-year placement, which - as well as giving them space to develop their craft - seeks to engage new audiences with contemporary dance.

Dance initiative

Giving back to the city and to Scotland is a foremost ambition for Moray House School of Education.

Dr Rowena Arshad OBE, Head of Moray House School of Education

Dance artists and choreographers Errol White and Davina Givan, who co-direct White & Givan, are the latest residents to build on the Moray House initiative offering innovative new platforms for dance and dance education.

The unique joint residency will enable students to hold workshops with pupils in schools across Scotland, introducing them to the techniques and history of contemporary dance.

The dance artist in residency initiative began in 2012, with dance artists, Vincent Hantam and Chris Kidd holding a residency in Moray House School of Education.

We are exhilarated by this unique opportunity to position our contemporary dance company within these prestigious settings for the next two years.

Errol White, White & Givan Artistic Co-Director

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New partnership

For the first time, this third artists’ residency at Moray House School of Education is being developed in strategic partnership with the Traverse Theatre - one of the world renowned institutions showcasing new theatre works since 1963.

This is a perfect example of how by working together artists and institutions can support each other to creatively flourish and, in doing so, provide the conditions for great new work made in Edinburgh to fly.

Orla O’Loughlin, Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Traverse Theatre

Spring tour

The launch of the joint dance residency held at the Traverse Theatre featured a preview of White & Givan’s new website as well as Breathe - their latest dance duet in the wake of its nationwide spring tour.

Breathe blends contemporary dance and theatre, as the dancers begin as two distinct individuals and gradually leave the stage to re-emerge as one.

White & Givan are also supported by Creative Scotland through Open Project Funding.

White & Givan will bring quality in-house lived experience to our students, narrowing the gap between theory and practice in dance science and education. We will prioritise working with schools so that they have opportunities to engage with the practice and performances by this esteemed artistic duo.

Wendy Timmons, Programme Director, MSc Dance Science and Education

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