Next week, TEDGlobal 2011 starts in Edinburgh. Among the many talks will be several spectacular performances, from music to dance to sand painting. If you’re attending, or watching on the webcast, here’s a taste of what to expect from some of these performers:

British soul singer Alice Russell fills her music with a passion and strength that’s breathtaking. Hear that in this performance of “Mirror Mirror on the Wolf (Tell the Story Right)”:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xM_zOSPQCI&w=525]

Jo Hamilton is the first artist to play the Air Piano, a new, purely gestural instrument. With its virtual keys and faders, she can create an astonishing range of sounds. Watch her weave them and her voice into a beautiful piece in “Alive, Alive”:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0BsumJZUpw&w=525]

Dedicated to creating social and environmental change through artistic expression, Vertigo Dance Company grounds those ideals in a visceral and emotive performance. Watch the trailer for “White Noise,” the piece they’ll perform at TEDGlobal:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay9eMZC6LFQ&w=525]

Composer and pianist Havasi Balázs has been hailed as the world’s fasted pianist. That talent, as well those of composition and artistry, are clearly on display in this performance of “The Storm”:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kk5itF5YHvw&w=525]

Joe Castillo is a remarkable sand artist. He creates SandStories: projections as he draws, in real time, stories in sand on a light-table, choreographed to music. Watch the piece he performed at TEDActive 2011:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qui7a-x17sk&w=525]