Scottish Ballet
Emergence
- When
- 25 Sep–8 Jun
- Where
- Aberdeen, Edinburgh &

The programme
Owen Belton
Emergence
Isobel Waller-Bridge
Emergence
The evening
Enter a mesmerising underworld where human-kind dissolves into something altogether more elemental.
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. “Like the best works of art, it transforms its audience, as well as its participants” (The Seattle Times).
Returning to Scotland for the first time in ten years, this bold piece showcases the explosive physicality and artistry of Scottish Ballet.
Joining Emergence is a world premiere of Entress 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.
Prepare to be consumed by two of contemporary dance’s most electrifying choreographers.
Running time: The performance lasts approximately 1 hour 40 minutes including one 20-minute interval.
#SBEmergence
On stage
Crystal Pite
Choreographer
Owen Belton
Composer
Jay Gower Taylor
Set Designer
Linda Chow
Costume Designer
Alan Brodie
Lighting Designer
Eric Beauchesne
Anna Herrmann
Julia Cheng
Choreographer
Yann Seabra
Designer
Isobel Waller-Bridge
Composer
Lee Curran
Lighting Designer
Beibei Wang
Laura Braid
Choreographer
Nick Drake