When you find a hip hop dance company programmed in the Edinburgh International Festival, you know it's going to be an exciting year for dance. Both the Festival and the Fringe have an array of diverse, dynamic and thought-provoking dance shows lined up for us. Contemporary, hip hop, tap, flamenco, ballet, dance theatre – it's all heading to Edinburgh. From witty pastiche to serious political statement, here are some of the shows we're most looking forward to …

Blak Whyte Gray

Boy Blue Entertainment's Olivier Award-nominated triple bill, inspired by past and present political and social events, depicted through powerful hip hop dance theatre.
Blak Whyte Gray, The Lyceum, Wed 16–Sat 19 Aug

Fagin's Twist

Entertaining and accessible hip hop/contemporary dance company Avante Garde present their clever take on Dickens' Oliver Twist, focusing on Fagin's youth.
Fagin's Twist, Zoo Southside, Sun 20–Sun 27 Aug

5 Soldiers

Rosie Kay Dance Company's visceral look at five soldiers, male and female, serving on the front line, from barrack banter to war zone trauma.
5 Soldiers, Army @ The Fringe in association with Summerhall, Fri 11–Sat 26 Aug

Folk

National Dance Company Wales makes a welcome return to Scotland to perform Caroline Finn's darkly comic look at social dynamics and how we behave in groups.
Folk, Zoo Southside, Sun 20–Fri 25 Aug

Gossip

Last seen at the Fringe in 2014 with her dynamic dance theatre work Riders, Czech choreographer Lenka Vagnerova is back with a new work about the impact of rumour and slander.
Gossip, Zoo Southside, Fri 4–Tue 15 Aug

The Humours of Bandon

Every visit to the Fringe by Ireland's Fishamble lays a treat at our door, and this year is sure to be no exception. This time, the company depicts the trials and triumphs of competitive Irish Dancing.
The Humours of Bandon, Dance Base, Fri 4–Sun 27 Aug

#JeSuis

Blending contemporary dance and Indian Kathak, dancer/choreographer Aakash Odedra and his company explore xenophobia in the UK.
#Je Suis, Zoo Southside, Wed 16– Sat 26 Aug

Lady Macbeth: Unsex Me Here

Company Chordelia follows up its 2016 Fringe hit, Nijinsky's Last Jump with this fascinating all-male exploration of Shakespeare's most famous female character.
Lady Macbeth: Unsex Me Here, Dance Base, Fri 4–Sun 27 Aug

Lear

Dublin-based John Scott Dance presents this re-working of King Lear, with the title role played by 82-year-old New York contemporary dancer, Valda Setterfield – a former key member of Merce Cunningham's dance company.
Lear, Dance Base, Wed 23–Sun 27 Aug

Nederlands Dans Theater

image: Stop Motion / credit: Rahi Rezvani
Widely regarded as one of the best modern dance companies in the world – and for good reason – NDT brings a triple-bill to the Edinburgh International Festival, including works by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot.
Nederlands Dans Theater, Edinburgh Playhouse, Mon 21–Wed 23 Aug

Rain

Acclaimed Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker re-stages her much lauded 2001 creation, Rain, set to Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians.
Rain, Edinburgh Playhouse, Fri 25–Sun 27 Aug

Rosalind

Shakespeare's heroine from As You Like It is seen through a modern lens by choreographer James Cousins and his company.
Rosalind, Summerhall, Fri 4–Sat 26 Aug

TUTU: Dance in All its Glory

All-male French company Chicos Mambo jump from classical ballet to contemporary to gymnastics to tango and beyond in this witty and affectionate look at the dance world.
TUTU: Dance in All its Glory, Pleasance Courtyard, Wed 2–Mon 28 Aug

Velocity – The Rising

Two bolts of lightning combine in this music and dance show featuring Guinness World Record-breaking tap dancer James Devine and World Champion Irish dancer David Geaney.
Velocity: Rising, Assembly George Square, Wed 2–Sun 27 Aug

Yo, Carmen

Credited with introducing flamenco to a whole new audience, Spanish dancer and choreographer María Pagés turns the character created by Mérimée and Bizet into a real woman.
Yo, Carmen, Edinburgh Playhouse, 12 & 13 Aug