Five-Star Success for National Youth Dance Wales at Edinburgh Fringe

Celtic Collective earns outstanding reviews as young dancers from Wales and Scotland unite to showcase the future of dance in 9 sold out performances.

National Youth Dance Wales has received five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for Celtic Collective, it’s exciting collaboration with National Youth Dance Company of Scotland. 

NYDW were invited by NYDCS to share a double bill presented by YDance at Assembly at Dance Base, bringing together the two national youth dance companies for a dynamic double bill celebrating emerging talent, ambitious choreography and the creative possibilities of collaboration between Wales and Scotland. 

The response from Fringe critics has been unequivocally strong. Fringe Review awarded Celtic Collective five stars, recognising the quality and ambition of the work and the exceptional young performers at its heart. 

The production was also reviewed by The Morning Star, with dance critic Matthew Hawkins including Celtic Collective in his Edinburgh Fringe round-up, A day of dance, published on 10 August. The review considered eight dance productions presented at the festival, highlighting the breadth and quality of contemporary dance being performed in Edinburgh. Hawkins gave National Youth Dance Wales a 5 star, commenting the dancers’ performance was “passionate and voluminous”.

“They thrill with exactitude whilst playing right to the edge of it all falling apart”

Celtic Collective brought together two distinct works: National Youth Dance Wales' Momentum – Undone, choreographed by Marcus Jarrell Willis, and Afterglow, choreographed by Tess Letham for National Youth Dance Company of Scotland. 

Celtic Collective 2026

The result was a meeting of two young ensembles that demonstrated both the individuality of their artistic voices and the extraordinary potential that comes from working together. 

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival describes the production as combining “distinct cultural influences with cutting-edge contemporary dance”, with vibrant ensemble movement, intimate duets and emerging performers pushing their technique, artistry and imagination to new heights. The review also describes the young performers as “rising stars” offering audiences a glimpse of what dance in the UK can become. 

For National Youth Dance Wales, the Edinburgh performance represented an important opportunity to put young Welsh dancers on one of the world's biggest stages. 

But Celtic Collective was about much more than a prestigious performance opportunity. It was about partnership. It was about young dancers from Wales and Scotland working alongside one another, sharing ideas and experiences, challenging themselves creatively and discovering what they can achieve when they are given the opportunity to work at a professional level. 

The collaboration also offered a powerful statement about the future of dance. 

These dancers are not simply the next generation of performers — they are potential choreographers, teachers, artistic directors and creative leaders. 

Their experience at Edinburgh gives them the confidence to take their next steps, while demonstrating to audiences and the wider dance sector just how much talent exists within youth dance across Wales and Scotland. The critical response reflects that promise. 

Earlier reviews of Celtic Collective have praised the dancers' “intensity and control”, while Plays To See described the production as “a vibrant presentation of dance from the youth companies of Wales and Scotland” and called it “a promising showcase of where Celtic dance might be heading to.” 

The Reviews Hub awarded the production four stars concluding that “Dance in these Celtic nations clearly has a bright future.” 

For the young dancers of National Youth Dance Wales, that future is not some distant idea. It is already beginning. 

“I never thought performing in Edinburgh would be possible for me, but NYAW made that dream a reality. With their support and encouragement, I was given an opportunity I never imagined I would have. I’m so grateful to everyone who believed in me and the other dancers and helped make this experience happen. Performing in Edinburgh is something I’ll never forget, and it has shown me that with the right support, dreams really can come true.” - Tabitha, from Swansea  

From rehearsal studios in Wales to the international stage of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, these young artists are demonstrating the discipline, imagination and ambition needed to take contemporary dance forward. 

Celtic Collective has shown what can happen when young artists are given the opportunity to collaborate across borders, work with leading choreographers and perform ambitious contemporary work in front of new audiences. 

And with a five-star Fringe Review now among the accolades for the production, the message from Edinburgh is clear: Welsh youth dance has arrived — and the future is looking very bright.