Following the successful R&D for Deiseil, Amy and Alison founded Deiseil Airson Dannsa as a company, to take forward both the future production, staging and touring of the show, and its wider aims of promoting, preserving and developing Scottish stepdance.

Supported by board members David Francis (formerly director of Traditional Music Forum); Mairi Kidd (director of The Saltire Society) and Dougie Pincock (formerly director of Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealteachd), they then sought funding to finish developing the show.

Amy and Alison undertook a trip to Nova Scotia and in particular Cape Breton, where they shared fascinating conversations with many of the dancers and musicians who have kept stepdance alive.

We worked with singer Mary Anne Kennedy, who alongside Allan Macdonald, would record gaelic song to be used in the show’s fast-growing audio score.

As well as Alan and Mary Ann, we worked with a collective of brilliant associate artists and technicians. You can read more about the people behind Deiseil on our Meet the Team pages.

The show was performed as a work in progress with an audience at the Catstrand, Dumfries and Galloway in May ‘25. Their feedback informed the final weeks of rehearsal before the sharing at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre in June ‘25. 

By this time the show was ready to go to the Space, for a week-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2025.

This was hugely successful, with 4 sell-out shows and 2 5-star reviews, as well as a wealth of positive feedback from audience members, critics and artists in the field.