Three Artists Reclaim Celtic Dance at Edinburgh Fringe
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- Not for Glory is an anarchic dance-theatre piece by Jack Anderson, Charlotte Mclean and piper Malin Lewis, in which the trio distort, mock and ultimately reclaim their Celtic dance and piping inheritances on their own terms.
- Jack Anderson, a former champion Irish dancer who toured the world in popular shows, hid his past like a "shameful secret" when he later enrolled at contemporary dance school.
- Charlotte Mclean tried to leave behind her childhood legacy as a competitive Highland dancer, although she admits she only ever liked winning the competitions themselves.
- Malin Lewis released the acclaimed album Halocline in 2024, which saw them tagged as "the future of Scottish folk".
- The show tackles lost histories, the tyranny of competition, and dance's links to class, the military, misogyny and political resistance — terrain the reviewer says has never been applied to Highland dance in this way before.
- Not for Glory runs at Assembly @ Dance Base, Edinburgh until 23 August, then transfers to Cecil Sharp House, London as part of the Dance Umbrella festival.
- The reviewer praises Anderson as "still a cracking dancer" and Lewis for "haunting" piping, but suggests the production could benefit from tighter focus and more meat.
Why it matters: Highland dance has rarely, if ever, been subjected to this kind of deconstructive treatment, making the Edinburgh Fringe run a genuine first for audiences who only ever see the form locked in competition rules. With confirmed London dates at Cecil Sharp House via Dance Umbrella, the show has a measurable second platform beyond Fringe buzz.
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