For their inaugural Safe To Be Me Festival, Scottish Ballet commissioned six dance films that explore how movement and expression help performers embrace and overcome physical and emotional hardships. ‘The Shimmering Extraordinary’ series, produced by Nexus Studios and premiered on NOWNESS, was created by Emmy-nominated director Fx Goby, and addresses themes such as homophobia, racism and ableism. The series begins with a performance by Saul Nash, a choreographer and designer regarded for his subversive sports attire inspired by the kinesis of the human body. In a powerful monologue, Nash discusses the obstacles he encountered pursuing a career in dance as a homosexual — concluding that styles such as voguing, popularised by LGBT groups in New York ballrooms in the ‘80s, ultimately provide him with a feeling of empowerment. Nash’s voiceover is backed by our contemporary blend of plucked harps, choral voices and gliding strings, enriching an ethereal atmosphere as he performs on a grassy plain at dusk.