Performance, Propaganda and Power in the Age of Mary, Queen of Scots In the shadow of the Reformation, can a dance change a nation's fate?

Join us at the Wardlaw Museum for a unique afternoon of historical research and live performance, exploring the role of Renaissance court culture in the political and religious upheaval of 16th-century Scotland.

When Mary, Queen of Scots returned from France in 1561, she brought with her the sophisticated traditions of the Valois court. Dance was more than entertainment: it could be a powerful expression of royal authority and legitimacy. For radical reformers such as John Knox, however, these displays represented dangerous “popish” influence.

Dance historian Dr Alena Shmakova (Les Danses Antiques) combines archival research with live, period-informed dance demonstrations to explore how courtly performance became part of the political struggle surrounding Mary's reign.

This event is part of the War, Destruction and Reform exhibition and is supported by the Society for Renaissance Studies. It is delivered in collaboration with the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland as part of the Women in Dance in Early Modern Scotland project, made possible through funding from the AHRC-funded Spaces, Places and Belonging Community Hub programme and the University of the Highlands and Islands Student Development Fund (funded by RES).