The Arts, Rehearsal to Performance

From the collection of

National Library of Scotland

Scotland’s national collection of moving image is based at the National Library at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. The National Library of Scotland collects, preserves and promotes access to films capturing Scotland and her people, from the early days of film making to the present day, with over 48,000 items captured on film, videotape and digitally. Manuscript, printed material and memorabilia relating to the history of filmmaking and the cinema going business in Scotland since 1896 are also part of the collection. You can watch over 3,500 clips and full-length films on the Moving Image Archive catalogue or to explore even more of the collections visit Kelvin Hall.

The Arts, Rehearsal to Performance

From Dame Judy Dench to the Bolshoi Ballet: performances and rehearsals take centre stage in this Grampian TV arts compilation.

A compilation tape featuring news items from Grampian Television between 1990 and 1991. This selection of material relates to various artistic performances and rehearsals, including the 1990 Aberdeen International Youth Festival, Dame Judi Dench rehearsing at Eden Court, the Bolshoi Ballet and Gaelic folk band Capercaille playing live at an HMV store in Aberdeen.

This compilation tape is one of almost 2,000 such tapes preserved at the National Library of Scotland. Grampian Television transferred content from mostly news and arts output onto a single videotape. These tapes record audiovisuals in the form of interior shots, interviews, exterior shots, and occasionally, material from external source such as ITN or advertisers.

For example, a tape can jump from colour bars to a scenic view, from an interview with a prominent figure to a live performance - usually without context or guidance on what you're seeing and when it was recorded (although Grampian did keep detailed logs of timecoded content on each tape with recording (?) dates attached. Due to their age and format, some of these recordings may now have visible video dropout, splashes, tape wrinkles, and visual distortion, among other technical issues.

Tapes digitised for preservation and viewable on BFI Replay are mostly Betacam SP. These compilation tapes provide a rare, informative, and fascinating look at how complete news stories were archived by a regional broadcaster, and they are still likely to contain a little untransmitted material.

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From the collection

Performing Arts: Dance

Next up in our Performing Arts series...

Continuing our exploration of the world of performing arts, this collection delves into the universal language of dance. Since the origins of dance are intrinsically linked to self expression, spiritual connection and social interaction, there is a long and fascinating history of movement beyond the stage. This collection invites us to reflect on the multifaceted nature of dance: that which is innate and exists on a fundamental level in each of us, that which is taught and studied as choreography or technique, and all manifestations in between. Each work in this collection is an energetic, vibrant display of dance in its many forms - from show rehearsals and live performances, to traditional festivals and flash mobs. Don't forget your dancing shoes as we journey through the wonders of movement!

25 videos in this collection

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Ella

  • 1986
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A Total Obsession

  • Swindon
  • 1985
A collective dedicated to arts, culture and performance

Steel 'n' Skin

  • Liverpool
  • 1979
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A Dance Fellowship

  • 1980
Dance, music and celebrations at the Folklore Festival

Sri Lankan Kandyan Dance Troop at Sidmouth

  • Sidmouth
  • 1980
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Flash Dancers from LS11 to Millennium Square

  • Beeston
  • 2002
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Movement and Meaning 5: A Lesson in Gender

  • Eastbourne
  • 1985
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The Dancer's Cookbook

  • Yeovil
  • 1988
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Furry Dancing

  • Helston
  • 1986

Morris Dancing in Portrush

  • Portrush
  • 1977
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50th Anniversary AUGB in Bradford

  • Bradford
  • 1996
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Ballrooms and Disco

  • Belfast
  • 1985
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The Yorkshire Disco Dancing Championships

  • Doncaster
  • 1980
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Wheelchair Dancers

  • 1986
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The Arts, Rehearsal to Performance

  • 1990
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The House of Bones

  • Oxford
  • 1991
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Urban Exchange

  • Leeds
  • 1994
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Passing Phase

  • Pelaw
  • 1992
Mademoiselle Valerie is the queen of the ballroom and haute couture.

Valerie Clemson Young

  • Torquay
  • 1980
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Tower Hamlets Arts Project: South Asian Dance

  • Whitechapel
  • 1976

Morris Dancers invade Horsham

  • Horsham
  • 1989
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Sounds Good [28/03/1985]

  • Bradford
  • 1985
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Sounds Good [04/04/1985]

  • Ripon
  • 1985
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Sounds Good [11/04/1985]

  • Barnsley
  • 1985
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Vogue Workshops Final Preparations

  • Liverpool
  • 2008
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