Sliding Doors Collective

Dance Theatre Duo

Co-founded by Clara Cowen and Rachel Laird, fellow Scots met by sheer coincidence, through a mutual friend at an audition back in 2014. In a twist of circumstance, they were both forced to spend a total of 9 hours together at a bus station.

This escalated into three years of living together, travelling all over the world and studying at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. While members of the National Youth Dance Company of Scotland, the two toured nationally and internationally to India, Belgium and Australia.

A spark of creative compatibility ignited.

On New Year's Day 2019 ‘Sliding Doors’ was born from a hungover conversation where they expressed their desire to collaborate.

Reflecting on the series of events causing them to meet, Clara and Rachel likened their situation to the fascinating premise of the 1998 film Sliding Doors.

Inspired by their collective experiences, their very own ‘Sliding Doors’ concept aims to create work that everyone can access. No previous dance experience necessary. Text is integral to their practice, allowing a unanimous celebration of life’s chances, whether or not we choose to take them.

All images by Beth Hopkins Photography

PENTHOUSE HICKIES

Join two best friends in a "cheeky, honest and confrontational romp" through the rollercoaster of their early twenties. From online dating and one-night stands to insincere rejections and moving on.

By fusing contemporary dance and text in equal measures , sometimes formal or genuinely conversational, you are brought into the honest world of two best friends. Penthouse Hickies is a fractured narrative, showing flashes of moments that dramatise the romantic experiences of your twenties through the highs and lows.

Penthouse Hickies is Sliding Doors' first creation. It made its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019 to a sold out audience at Dance Base, followed by positively reviewed performances in London including Rising Tides and Resolution 2020 at The Place.

2020 was a very different year in terms of performances but it allowed for Sliding Doors to complete two R&D residencies at Citymoves, Aberdeen and one online residency. They were also successful in gaining a Love Micro Commission from Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival to have their work shown digitally at their festival. This work was also shown in a triple bill alongside Shaper Caper and Shaun Stickland at DanceLive Online Festival.

RACHEL LAIRD DANCE