(Dancers Kylee Brown with Stephen Vincent
and Johannes Radebe with Megan Wragg are pictured in front of the iZulu Theatre.
Pic by Val Adamson)
Pulsating
rhythms, splendid choreography, fantastic lighting effects, great costumes and
incredible dance. (Review by Caroline Smart)
The
eagerly-awaited Burn the Floor: Fire in
the Ballroom opened last night at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino. The production is brought to South Africa in 2016 by Dance Partner
Productions, in association with The South African State Theatre and Bernard
Jay.
To quote the publicity: “The original
concept of Burn The Floor grew from
an electric display of ballroom and Latin dancing at Sir Elton John’s 50th
birthday party in London, March 1997. There, producer Harley Medcalf discovered
the ballroom dance world and its charismatic people, with their deep intensity,
commitment, discipline, burning passion and total love of the ballroom art
form.”
Last night’s capacity audience delighted in
what is an incredible piece of entertainment choreographed and directed by Peta
Roby. It includes music from Santana, Janis Joplin, Christine Aguilera and Led
Zeppelin.
With pulsating
rhythms, splendid choreography, fantastic lighting effects, great costumes and
incredible dance, the production is hugely energetic with brilliant
performances. At times the action is so dizzying that it seems as if there are
at least 30 people on stage but in fact the cast only numbers 15.
While
those with dance backgrounds will appreciate the immaculate footwork – often at
lightning speed – this is a production that will be enjoyed at a much wider
level.
Burn The
Floor has the reputation of being the world’s
toughest dance show and it’s easy to see why. Handpicked to embrace a new Latin
American feel, the international cast now includes South African dancers
Johannes Radebe and Kylee Brown (who has a Durban link in that she appeared in Shall We Dance while she was still at
school) as well as vocalist Lelo Ramasimong. All three were highly impressive,
proving their skills are undeniably at an international level.
The
opening sees a bewigged courtier wandering among the audience creating some
amusing moments. He is joined by a crinoline-clad female and together they
tease each other – even taking selfies – while gentle operatic music plays in
the background. The curtains open and the dancers in period costume present a
stately Viennese waltz before they are interrupted by a punk rocker with a
massive Mohican hair style.
One of
the highlights for me came from the backing track for this scene which sees the
two dance styles juggling for supremacy. Moving from classical waltz with full
orchestra to the thumping rock beat without missing a beat, the track was
superbly mixed. So much so that one almost felt that the music was specially written.
From
then on the pace is fast and furious. Ballroom styles intermix or cross over
each other creating captivating scenes often with heart-stopping leaps, twirls
and pirouettes alongside the dazzling footwork. Complicated manoeuvres are
handled with such skill, it makes it all look so easy but this is only achieved
with extreme talent and discipline.
If you
were able to harness the energy per second on the stage during this show, you
would surely have enough power to drive a nuclear power station!
However,
it wasn’t all hectic. There were numbers filled with poignancy and sensuality,
particularly in the number I’m Loving
Angels Instead.
It was vocalist Mikee Introna (Italy) who completely
stole the show. He blew me away with his energy and breath control – one minute
leaping around the stage then, within seconds, launching into song behind the
microphone. He also showed his comedy skills in an amusing sequence before
interval.
The set
features baroque arches, a winding metal staircase and a top platform. Elegant
drapes fill the height of the theatre, falling behind a balustrade. Simple but
effective and providing a few different performance levels. “Burlesque meets
Dickensian London!”, quipped the show’s publicist, Illa Thompson.
Burn
The Floor: Fire in The Ballroom runs at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino until June 19, Tickets are available
at Computicket on www.computicket.com
or call 0861 915 8000 or any Checkers, Shoprite
or CheckersHyper store.
For block bookings and group discounts contact Ailsa Windsor of Going Places: editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com,
or 083 250 2690. – Caroline Smart
The
trailer video and be viewed on https://youtu.be/eqXu4-d5rRk
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