The Shimmy Curatorial

Even after ripping out the comedy and children’s section, the Fringe Brochure remains a nightmare of navigation. The growth of cross-platform works, and artists who could be theatre, cabaret, Live Art or comedy, conspires with the sheer volume of events to confuse even the dedicated enthusiast.

When The Shimmy was launched in 2009, it deliberately engaged with a single strand: dance and physical theatre. By creating a consistent critical voice, it strived to guide both the casual and obsessive dance fan towards outstanding work, while introducing new ways of thinking about criticism. With the addition of cabaret this year, The Shimmy will shine a concentrated light on specific strands.

The role of the producer within cabaret suggested a theme for the first issue: the importance of curation. A strong programmer, supporting work that they believe in, or a venue with an emphasis on a particular genre, is often a more reliable guide to quality than any number of star ratings.

Morag Deyes at Dance Base compares the process of programming to the art works of Picasso: a process of putting together different pieces towards a whole. This process, she laughs, often brings surprises. An unconsidered theme may arise, reflecting on the programmer’s state of mind. For the Booking Dance Festival, Jodi Kaplan applied different criteria: two of the shows from this Festival within The Fringe feature a series of short American choreographies, grouped by mood – Beautiful or Athletic.

The BDF, like Made in Scotland or Culture Ireland’s showcase, focuses on a nation. These two national programmes promise to pick work that is not only excellent, but represents something about the state of their nation's art. Since Made in Scotland includes cool conceptualist David Leddy, new traditionalist choreographer Colette Sadler and wild-card poet Drew Taylor, Caledonia performance is as diverse as it is intense.

Other curators are less patriotic. Zoo Venues, although not exclusively about one form, have a reputation for vibrant physical theatre, picking up the baton from the lamented Aurora Nova. The steady editorial hand of James Mackenzie and Matt Beer have seen Zoo expand into three venues, teaming up with the Roxy, which has its own programme curated by former Skinny editor Rupert Thomson, supported by veteran Richard Demarco.

Mackenzie acknowledges that the Zoo shows share a flavour, without wanting to define it too closely. "The most important task is ensuring that the shows complement each other across the programme," he explains. "That way, it is seen as something which has an identity of its own not just a collection of shows."

All of these individual artistic directors create line-ups that become more than the sum of their parts. Based on collaborative processes, a rigorous approach to quality and a clear vision, these curators are, at least, obvious in their taste and demonstrate a willingness to stand up for work they love. In the same way, the critical voice of the Shimmy aims to be consistent, coming from an enthusiasm for dance and dance writing, informed and passionate.