JONATHAN Mills's second year as Edinburgh International Festival director has produced a fuller, more diverse dance programme than we've seen for some time. It's a cliché, but there really is something for everyone.
For classical ballet fans, the arrival of Nina Ananiashvili in Edinburgh should provide some excitement. The former Bolshoi prima ballerina is in possession of a formidable technique, and seeing Ananiashvili perform her signature role of Giselle wil
l be quite something.
For those who prefer their ballet with a more modern twist, Ananiashvili's company, the State Ballet of Georgia, will also deliver a mixed-bill. It's easy to forget that the founder of the New York City Ballet, George Balanchine, was Georgian – so seeing a company from his native land perform his Duo Concertant and Chaconne could prove very special.
Spanning 25 years, a career retrospective of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is quite an event. Having drawn inspiration from the music of Steve Reich on many occasions, it seems fitting that De Keersmaeker has assembled an entire evening devoted to his work. Reich's penchant for looping patterns of sound are echoed by De Keersmaeker's movement so if repetition doesn't float your boat best look elsewhere.
And last, but by no means least, the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey know how to whip you into a frenzy. Those who saw the London-based Dervishes who visited Dance Base last August will know how powerful this fast-paced, 700-year-old movement style can be. Mixed with poetry, music and readings, this rare visit by the Istanbul Music and Sema Group should be worth catching.
THREE TO SEEMATTHEW BOURNE'S DORIAN GRAYFROM Swan Lake to Edward Scissorhands, Matthew Bourne has brought dance to the masses like nobody else. But adapting Oscar Wilde's tragic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray signals a new departure for Bourne. Inspired by the West's get-famous-quick culture, Bourne will pairs Wilde's literary wit with some visual humour. We await it with bated breath.
• King's Theatre, Edinburgh, 22-30 August
BATSHEVA DANCE COMPANY OHAD NAHARIN will be best known to Scottish audiences from his work with NDT2. His spirited Minus 16 has brought down the house on many occasions, and the prospect of an entire evening of his work is thrilling indeed. Naharin has been running the Israeli-based Batsheva Dance Company, above, since 1990, and Deca Dance 2008 is a "greatest hits" package featuring segments from his best works.
• Edinburgh Playhouse, 28-30 August
CHUNKY MOVEBILLED as a "dance-video-music-laser performance", Mortal Engine is a new work from Australia's Chunky Move, who are known for pushing the boundaries of contemporary dance.
• Edinburgh Playhouse, 17-19 August
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