Autobiography

Wayne Mcgregor is no stranger to the Edinburgh International Festival – we last saw his work three years ago, when Ballett Zürich performed the arresting Kairos. He has also created work for the Royal Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater and Rambert amongst others, as well as copious pieces for his own company. But despite this familiarity, dance fans will get to know Mcgregor in a whole new way this August, when Autobiography comes to town.

Despite its name, this is not a show depicting Mcgregor’s rise from Stockport schoolboy to internationally renowned choreographer – it goes much deeper inside him than that. In preparation for creating the piece, he had his entire genetic code sequenced by a team of scientists in the Netherlands. The resulting information not only informed his choreography, but at the press of a button it also dictates which order the show is performed each night – so Autobiography will never be the same twice. unpredictability, which makes an already interesting concept even more exciting. Dance lovers are, in the nicest possible way, big fans of the human body – but we’ll need to rein in our desire for dynamic arms and legs when Kiss & Cry Collective takes to the stage, because it’s all about fingers.

A mix of movement and film which changes slightly at every performance, Cold Blood uses tiny props and dancing digits to create a unique cinematic experience. Belgian co-creators and real-life couple Michèle Anne De Mey (choreographer) and Jaco Van Dormael (filmmaker and playwright) first hatched the idea at their kitchen table, and now it’s taking the world by storm. Expect a Fred and Ginger-style tap dance with thimbles, seven deaths and more than a touch of humour.