Every Step Tells a Story…

Shaper/Caper is a diversity-led dance company and registered charity. We bring the work of multi-award-winning choreographer Thomas Small to new and diverse audiences, through our inclusive approach to dance-theatre. Our work is inspired by stories and ideas from the people and communities we work with in Dundee and beyond. We make space for the storytelling of seldom-heard stories.

Our mission is to create safe, dynamic, and imagination-sparking spaces that nurture innovation and creative thinking; producing dance-theatre that connects society, reveals the extraordinary in people, and which helps make sense of the chaotic, unjust, and wonderful world we live in.

We work with Children and Young People, Working Class Families, LGBTQ+ people, and Vulnerable Individuals (people with long-term health conditions, migrants, in care, in custody).  

Our Values are Kindness, Respect, Collaboration, and Joy. We won the Chamber Champion Award at the Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce Awards in 2023 and the Inspirational Education and Outreach Work at the One Dance UK Awards in 2020!

We are delighted to be part of Creative Scotland’s Multi Year Funded Organisations Portfolio from 2025-28.