Scottish Ballet To Present Digital Dance Health Classes To Connect With Communities In Scotland - And Beyond

As Scotland’s National Dance Company, Scottish Ballet aims to bring the benefits and joy of dance to everyone. Committed to supporting communities in Scotland during these unprecedented times, Scottish Ballet, supported by its partner independent investment manager Baillie Gifford will be delivering its SB Health programme digitally in a bid to target isolated people, and get the nation moving. 

Scottish Ballet is offering a daily live stream on its Facebook channel, ensuring that the Engagement Team can continue their work in supporting people living with neurological conditions through classes that include Dance for Parkinson’s, Time to Dance for people living with dementia, and Elevate for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. In addition, Scottish Ballet will be connecting with intergenerational audiences by creating classes for dancers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Regenerate is a dance class for people over 60 to exercise body and mind, and build strength, technique and creative movement. Family Barre, led by Principal Dancer Bethany Kingsley-Garner, is a dance class for parents and children to move together and benefit from creativity and imagination. 

Talking about the initiative, CEO/Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet, Christopher Hampson, said: ‘At Scottish Ballet, dance is our primary connector to each other and our communities. More than ever, we need to make sure people stay connected to their support networks and our SB Health participants are an extension of the Scottish Ballet family.'

Catherine Cassidy, Director of Engagement at Scottish Ballet, said: 'During these unprecedented times, we feel it is vital to be continuing our engagement work to connect with communities, and help support people’s physical and mental wellbeing. We are delighted to be offering this initiative digitally, bringing the benefits of dance to homes in Scotland, and beyond.' Designed to offer a form of routine, the classes will be led by Scottish Ballet’s experienced Engagement Team to connect communities and help improve co-ordination, balance, fluidity and movement, as well as circulation, muscle tone and mental wellbeing. The Digital SB Health classes will start on Monday 30 March at 11.30am, and will run as live streams on Facebook at the same time every week day.

SB Health is supported by Baillie Gifford with a funding commitment for the next five years. The programme is aligned to the Company’s repertoire, in particular the work created as part of the Five in Five campaign which looks to create five new narrative ballets in five years; launched to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary in 2019. 

Alongside Baillie Gifford, SB Health is supported and funded by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Life Changes Trust, R S Macdonald Charitable Trust, The Rayne Foundation, Elizabeth Frankland Moore & Star Foundation, The Robertson Trust, Pam and Norman Murray, Ed and Jean Murray, Jane Britten and Fiona Chalmers, alongside anonymous patrons. Scottish Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme is delivered in partnership with Dance Base, Edinburgh. 

Scottish Ballet is also funded by the Scottish Government.