Dancing on the Stage in Edinburgh in the Eighteenth Century

The history of theatre in Scotland has attracted scholarly attention before. However, dance, dancers, and their repertoire have been largely overlooked. The professional performing stage developed in Edinburgh significantly later than in London or Dublin due to limited patronage opportunities after 1603 and 1707 and strong resistance from the established church and town officials. The first purpose-built theatre was constructed in the Scottish capital in 1747, whereas the licensed Theatre Royal opened in 1769. The first references to the resident, rather than travelling, troupe giving regular performances in Edinburgh are dated from the 1730s, with mentions of dance entries during the plays appearing around the same time, shortly after advertisements of specially invited dancers were published in newspapers. This work will look at dancers who were recruited and performed in Edinburgh theatres and their repertoires in Scotland and outside, based on newspaper reports, playbills, and archival materials, to understand the role of dance and determine any specifics of the Edinburgh dance stage in the eighteenth century. 

Alena Shmakova is a dance historian based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She teaches historical dance courses for the Edinburgh Educational Dance Programme and performs as Les Danses Antiques. In Autumn 2022 Alena started MLitt in History at the University of Highlands and Islands. Her main research interest is the Scottish dance scene during the Enlightenment period. The later project she is also doing as a research volunteer at the National Trust for Scotland. Alena is a trustee of the Early Dance Circle. Alena is trained as a researcher with a PhD in Life Sciences from the University of Dundee.