A Scottish Return: Glasgow-born star of Gauthier Dance, Andrew Cummings

A look at Glasgow born star of Gauthier Dance, Andrew Cummings, as he returns to his home town, performing Marco Goeke's Infant Spirit at Ballet Nights Glasgow on the 4th July at Theatre Royal.

Raised in Glasgow, Andrew Cummings, began his training at the Dance School of Scotland before continuing at Elmhurst Ballet School. Andrew launched his professional career with the Zurich Junior Ballet, and went on to perform with the Greek National Ballet and Theater St. Gallen. In January 2020, he joined Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart, where he has since danced works by renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Sasha Waltz, and Hofesh Shechter. He has also been involved in the creation of new works by acclaimed artists including Marco Goecke, Sharon Eyal, Aszure Barton, Mauro Bigonzetti, Andonis Foniadakis, and Akram Khan.

Andrew Cummings by Jeanette Bak

We spoke to Andrew to find out more about the piece, Infant Spirit; working with Marco Goeke; and how he feels about returning to Scotland.

When did you last perform in Glasgow and what excites you about performing at Ballet Nights Glasgow?

I last performed in Glasgow in my last year of training at the Dance School of Scotland in 2007, at the annual Showcase at the Theatre Royal. It’s so exciting to come home after all these years and share what I have been doing, in the place where it all started. 

What will you be performing at Ballet Nights Glasgow?

I will be performing Infant Spirit by Marco Goecke. Marco’s work is so expressive and I can connect deeply to it. Infant Spirit is such a beautiful solo, you can really get lost in the emotion of it. I wanted to present a work at home which reflects the kind of work I love to do, and share it with the audience in the city that gave me all the tools to have a career in dance. Infant Spirit was created for Gauthier Dance in 2018, as an Homage to Pina Bausch after her death. For me it portrays many emotions from melancholy, love and hope.

Have you and Marco worked together before?

I was fortunate enough to work with Marco Goecke for the first time in 2020, where he created a full length work for Gauthier Dance called Do You Love Gershwin. It was very special as it was created under covid restrictions. He created a solo on me, and was a very important moment for to have this intimacy in creation with him during such a hard time. 

Three things you miss about living in Glasgow and three locations you would visit if you were a tourist?

I miss my family the most. I moved away from Glasgow to continue my training when I was 16, and then moved to Europe to start my career in Zurich when I was 19. When I come home to Glasgow, it is family time. I love to go for walks with my family and dog through Kelvingrove park, especially in the summer, it’s always full of life (and a curry at the wee curry shop is always a bonus)! Glasgow is such a vibrant, creative city, it’s hard to know where to start for recommendations. The beautiful parks, the bustling nightlife or a trip to the Barras! There is always something going on.

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