Produced by - Harley Medcalf,
Directed by - Peta Roby
Choreographed by
- Jason Gilkinson and Peta Roby
Scenery design - James Kronzer
Costume design
- Bret
Hooper, Sharon Brown
Lighting design - Scot Rogers
Sound Design - Derek
Wilson
Canberra Theatre – March 1st 2016
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Seventeen drop dead gorgeous dancers, trim, taut and terrific
in extravagant, sassy costumes; live singers and musicians augmenting the
driving soundtracks; striking and inventive choreography together with brilliant
lighting are just some of the reasons which make “Burn the floor – Fire in the
Ballroom” such a memorable dance experience.
Productions of “Burn the Floor” have been touring the world
since 1999, so there’s been plenty of time to get the format right. This brand
new production nails all the elements, hones each to perfection, and raises the
bar significantly for the genre.
The show is performed on a multi-level setting, which, with
the help of clever lighting, transitions seamlessly from Viennese ballroom to
steamy Latin nightclub, and even the streets of Seville, while providing plenty
of room for the succession of tightly choreographed ensemble routines, allowing
the show to move at such break-neck speed that by interval the audience is left
wondering how the dancers will be able to maintain the pace.
 |
| "Burn the Floor" dancers performing "Hips Don't Lie" |
But maintain it they do, even surpassing what has gone
before. High energy hardly seems an adequate description for this troupe of
brilliantly accomplished dancers. The routines are tightly rehearsed and impeccably
executed with breath-taking precision.
Each dancer quickly
establishes a stage personality within the ensemble, and all understand the
backstories which propel these routines beyond simply being complicated dance
numbers. They become miniature ballets
performed within the movement repertoire of ballroom and dance sports.
The steps and moves associated with Viennese Waltz, Quick
Step, Foxtrot, Rhumba, Jive and Latin can all be spotted in the brilliant
routines devised by Gilkinson and Roby, but in this show featured in surprising
and unexpected combinations. A well-chosen
soundtrack of familiar songs, cleverly re-interpreted in new arrangements, is
sung live by Sharnielle Hartley, Mikee Introna and Jessica Longotti, who also
get to wear some amazing costumes.
Two brilliant guitarists, Marc Aliana and Miki Santamaria,
and percussionist, Pat Madden are also imaginatively woven into the
presentation, sometimes highlighting a
featured adagio or adding additional drama to a particular routine.
But it is the seventeen dancers, drawn from around the
world, who command the show, and leave
you in awe of their individual dance skills, and how brilliantly these skills
have been showcased by Gilkinson and
Roby, into an exciting spectacle which makes “Burn the Floor – Fire in the
Ballroom” such and entertaining and
memorable production.
This review also appears in Australian Arts Review - www.artsreview.com.au