This year, Imaginate's Expo-funded Festival commission is a new dance show by award-winning disabled dance artist and choreographer Marc Brew, which will open at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival in May 2026 and go on tour across Scotland.
Having worked closely with disabled and neurodivergent artists for many years, the new commission is a natural development for Imaginate and an exciting highlight of its year-long programme with a particular focus on disabled-led work.
Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled and queer director, choreographer and dancer Marc Brew, reflecting on his journey as a boy who defied society’s expectations to embrace his love for dance. The performance unfolds through a tapestry of memories, shedding light on the loneliness of being the only boy in the village who dared to dance.
The production will combine movement, storytelling, lighting and an uplifting sound track, alongside visual projections and animation to reflect Marc’s inner journey and create an immersive experience for young audiences.
Boys Don’t Dance celebrates individuality and the liberating power of dance, encouraging audiences to embrace their unique passions and find strength in their differences. It follows Marc Brew’s internationally acclaimed and award-nominated dance theatre piece an Accident / a Life that shares his lived experience of being a dancer who acquired a disability.
Marc Brew said: “I am extremely excited to be commissioned by Imaginate to make new work Boys Don't Dance for young audiences. I grew up in a poor and rural area of Australia surrounded by sheep, cows, and country folk who loved football. All I wanted to do was dance but I was told “boys don’t dance”. Throughout my life, society has told me that I cannot dance - whether that was during my upbringing as a boy from a working-class household, or after I acquired my disability.
I’ve worked to prove people wrong by championing and celebrating differences. This work will celebrate the beauty of this, and how we can each forge our own path to fulfil our dreams.”
Boys Don’t Dance is commissioned by Imaginate in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts and supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund. It will tour Scotland before and after its run at the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival in late May.
