“All I wanted to do was dance but I was told “boys don’t dance”
Boys Don’t Dance is a poignant dance theatre show by 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 a rural Australian town 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 – Choreographer Ross Malloy, Piotr Iwanicki – Dancers
Jamie Wardrop– Visuals
Rachel O’Neill – Design
Drew Taylor-Wilson– Dramaturg
Azariah Felton – Composer
Hayley Earlam / Jade Adamson – Rehearsal Director
Nia Wood – Production Manager and Lighting Design Creative Translations – Petre Dobre Fi Fraser – Production Manager (imaginate)
Susan Hay – Executive Producer
Pamela Walker – Producer (imaginate)
Rebecca Doggett – Marketing
Joy Parkinson – PR
Sofie Tait – Marketing and Admin Assistant
Friday 13 February
Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
15 & 16 May
Johnstone Town Hall, Johnstone
19 & 20 May
Eden Court, Inverness
1, 2, & 3 June
Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, Edinburgh
5 & 6 June
Light the Blue Festival, Aberdeen
Boys Don’t Dance Research and Development took place in November 2025, with the creative team coming together to develop the commission. This took place at The Work Room, Glasgow.
This film lets us hear from the talented creative team during R&D, on the inspiration and process of Boys Don’t Dance.
Boys Don’t Dance previews this May before its premiere at Edinburgh International Children’s Festival in June. It then travels to Light the Blue Festival in Aberdeen.
We welcomed Jay Whitehead into the Research and Development process through a traineeship. As a company we were keen to nurture Jay’s growing potential as a professional dancer, and help him gain experience of a creative process.
Jay was kind enough to explain how this experience has helped him grow as a young disabled artist. Hayley, our engagement manager, also explains why we chose to have a trainee and how important opportunities like this are for emerging young artists. Thanks for joining us Jay!
Commissioned by Imaginate in partnership with Aberdeen Performing Arts, supported by OneRen.
Supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, development funded by Creative Scotland.
Please contact our Producer Susan Hay for more information.
