The Two Ensembles Project originated as part of the 2018 edition of the Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement. It brings together dancers and musicians from Ireland, France, South Africa, USA, and Russia to create a large improvising ensemble of twelve women.

The nine dancers and three musicians create instant compositions of movement and music for a variety of contexts including theatre spaces, school and community halls, outdoor spaces, heritage and historic sites. 

Echo Echo Artistic Director, Steve Batts and ensemble member Antonina Sheina had been researching, creating, teaching and performing regularly with a group of Russian dancers using the methodology that Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company has been developing over many years. The 2018 Echo Echo Festival of Dance and Movement offered the opportunity to invite the Russian ensemble to join the Echo Echo ensemble to create a series of improvised performances in Derry. Three musician colleagues from Derry and Sligo joined the two ensembles. Lucia Walker, who is based in South Africa and is a highly respected international movement teacher, director and improviser, and long time collaborator of Steve Batts, was invited to lead the meeting of the artists and to direct them towards the series of improvisation performances.

The tour of performances that included a secondary school, special schools, a care home, and an outdoor town centre square as well as a theatre performance turned out to be a highlight of the 2018 Festival.