On Wednesday 20 June, Scottish Ballet will take a couple of well placed dance steps on the road to its new home at Tramway as participants of the Company’s integrated performance group Reactivate join forces with special guests Indepen-dance to present a unique site-specific performance. This free performance begins at 5pm and is set amidst the inspirational haven of Tramway’s Hidden Gardens.

Reactivate (previously known as Activ8) is an integrated project for young people run by Scottish Ballet, and for the last 3 months it has seen 33 pupils from 8 Glasgow schools – 4 mainstream and 4 SEN (special educational needs) – get together to explore movement, enjoy dance and be inspired by live music in the run up to this very special one off performance. Reactivate will be joined by Tramway-based Indepen-dance, a company specialising in dance performance projects predominately for adults with learning disabilities and their carers. Indepen-dance pride themselves in providing an environment which is safe and appropriate for the needs of the dancers to perform in, whilst retaining each individual’s dignity and integrity. The relationship between Scottish Ballet and Indepen-dance will continue to prosper as the group will benefit from space within the Company’s Education Studio as part of Scottish Ballet’s new home at Tramway, due for completion at the end of 2008.

Performing Close your eyes, open your ears, Reactivate will be accompanied by guest musician Signy Jakobsdottir. Trees, traffic, a chimney, trains, birds, wooden books, wish trees, a Gingko tree, in the middle of the city, plants from all over the world, seeing how it used to be, Close your eyes, open your ears was choreographed by members of the Reactivate Company with help from Scottish Ballet’s Education Officers, Tamsin Bone and Emma Jane McHenry; the group was asked to close their eyes and open their ears to what was around them as they stood amongst the Hidden Gardens and the things they saw and heard were used to create the movements and sounds of the piece.

Indepen-dance will be performing FORECAST, choreographed by Cheryl McChesney and Claire Mitchell. Performed to music by Shooglenifty, Peat Bog Fairies, Michael McGoldrick & David Spillane, FORECAST is a journey through the weather and how it reflects seasonal feelings. It looks at the simple joy of sunshine, the refreshment brought by the spring rain, the electric energy of storms, the peaceful calm of the falling snow and how each is linked by the wind and its many changing moods.