Floorplay sexes up ballroom

Floorplay | Burn The Floor
Regal Theatre, Subiaco Season ends July 29

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JASON Gilkinson calls it ballroom dancing for the new millenium and I wouldn't be surprised if dance school enrolments spike wherever Floorplay is performed.

Jason Gilkison, Burn The Floor's artistic director, says he was inspired to create the show by the intimacy of the Regal Theatre, but this is the first time it has been performed in Perth - even though Gilkinson took his first steps towards a world championship title at his family's dance studio in Murray St.

And he uses the theatre well.

The show starts before the curtain even rises with a solitary female dancer prowling down the aisles, flirting with the patrons, before being whisked onto stage by a "patron" who knows a few dance moves himself.

Again and again throughout the show the dancers engage with the audience, sometimes storming down the aisles, or just sending a flirty look from the stage.

In the new millenium the only judges these ballroom dancers care about are the audience and themselves and the main criteria is "are we having fun". And I've got to say, we did.

From the high energy opening samba and rumba to the graceful beauty of the waltz, the dancers put their heart and souls into rediscovering the passion that traditional ballroom dancing, with its strange costumes and painted-on smiles, somehow lost.

And what really brings it to life is that at least some of the music is performed live. Two percussionists put the heartbeat into the music while vocalists Rebecca Verrier and Kieron Kulik bring another level of energy to the show.

During the Harlem Nights number, where dancers lindy hopped, jived, charlestoned and quickstepped to some swing classics in fantastically colourful costumes, Verrier still managed to steal the show with a voice that recalls the likes of Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner.

As for Burn the Floor's version of '80s classic, Tainted Love, they should release that as a music video.

At the end of the two-hour performance the audience gave Floorplay a standing ovation and more than one person was heard to say on the way out, "How do they dance like that for two hours? I'm exhausted from just clapping!"

The show runs from Thursday July 12 to July 29 at the Regal, Subiaco.
by Jennie Fitzhardinge July 13, 2007 08:00am

By Terry Byrne, Globe Correspondent | June 2, 2007

The heat was on high at the Citi Wang Theatre last night. But it's the kind of heat that energizes you, and makes you feel as hot and sexy as the triumphantly talented dancers of "Burn the Floor's" newest extravaganza, "FloorPlay."

Fans of "Dancing With the Stars" will appreciate the dramatic playfulness among these performers, but these are not actors playing at dancing, they're dancers par excellence, and the precision with which they execute their moves is breathtaking all by itself. The Australian-based company features 24 dancers who groove through every possible combination of steps in salsa, samba, waltz, jitterbug , and tango, but they do it with such dramatic panache, the very idea of ballroom dancing takes on a whole new meaning.

The two-act evening lays out the history of the ballroom dance form, celebrating those early fox trot and Lindy Hop steps that bring two people together to move in ways that are completely captivating. The second act even includes a film with clips of ballroom dance displays from the '50s and '60s.

But even as the film offers a lovely point of reference, it's the live bodies moving on the stage that make the audience gasp. The couple demonstrating the elegantly fluid waltz moves glide across the floor barely suggesting they're touching the ground. With dark hair and pale skin, the woman in this couple looks as delicate as a porcelain doll.

Besides boasting incredible technique, these dancers infuse all of Jason Gilkison's choreography with personality and passion. "The Dance of Love," featuring a woman dancing while blindfolded, and was described as the dance of "lust and trust," explores the notion of partnership and the importance of timing in these intricate combinations.

In the second half, the dancers crank up the intensity , and the series of songs that make up the segment "Fire in the Ballroom" creates a story in a nightclub with all the characters and story lines that entails. Although we know the tango is coming, Gilkison opens up those tightly sexy moves so that they transform the dance into an inviting embrace. When the matadors arrive, swirling capes in tow, the effect is disarming and impressive. As the second act heats up, the dancing of larger and larger combinations of the company becomes fierce, even frenetic, but always so perfectly synchronized it's astonishing.

The dancers are accompanied mostly by taped music, augmented by two dueling percussionists (Alex Leon Jr. and Henry Soriano ) who add to the heat. Two vocalists, Kieron Kulik (who also provides some occasional narration) and Rebecca Verrier also change the focus with their singing. Verrier turns especially soulful with a sexy version of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" that puts her right in the midst of the dancing. The choice of music is eclectic, ranging from "Sing , Sing , Sing" and "It Don't Mean a Thing," to "O Fortuna" and a version of "Proud Mary" that would make Ike and Tina Turner proud.

The musical mix, combined with the vibrantly colored (and revealing) costumes, make "FloorPlay" a wonderfully dramatic evening. Although the show opens with "You Make Me feel Like Dancing," that's certainly the way the audience feels on the way out of the theater.

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

SCHENECTADY -- According to neuroscientists, the human brain contains so-called "mirror neurons," which fire not only when a certain action (such as dancing) is performed, but also when a human is simply watching that action being performed. In that case, more than a thousand humans, while appearing to sit still in their seats, were actually experiencing a veritable neuron bonfire Friday night at Proctor's Theatre.

The action being performed was called "FloorPlay," a sassy, sexy homage to ballroom dance in all its many moods and forms. It's the newest production from Burn the Floor, a company conceived by producer Harley Medcalf while watching a display of ballroom and Latin dancing at Elton John's 50th birthday party in 1997. The fruition of his vision is a traveling troupe of a dozen dancing pairs from around the world, all of whom generate a level of nonstop energy that leaves a middle-aged mirror neuron gasping for breath.

What with the giant disco ball, the dry ice, the countless costume changes and the acres of fresh young skin on display, you could be forgiven for thinking "FloorPlay" is all about glitz and flash. But you'd be missing the substance that supports all that style -- the quick, intricate footwork, the perfectly timed dips and flips, the silky-smooth partnering.

Apart from a sweetly romantic waltz or two, "FloorPlay" (as the name suggests) tends toward the suggestively steamy. As vocalist Kieron Kulik put it in a brief introduction, "Some of the routines danced tonight would have surely made our grandparents blush." This is not Fred and Ginger's ballroom dancing. The foundation is there -- the Charleston, the two-step, the rumba -- but with all the starch and ceremony left by the wayside and a toe-tapping, head-bobbing soundtrack of pop songs belted out by the chameleonic Rebecca Verrier, who channels Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Etta James with gusto.

The dancers hail from Australia, Ireland, Britain, Germany, Sweden, Russia, Slovenia, Italy and the United States, and the production itself, choreographed by artistic director Jason Gilkison, has a multicultural feel, with African dance movements slipped in during one number and a few phrases of Indian raga music in another. There are references to tango and flamenco, and a celebration of the Latin influence on ballroom with numbers like "Tanguera" and "The Matador," in which the men twirl capes through the air and face off against each other and their ladies.

All the couples look great, even close up (they did lots of dancing in the aisles, even recruiting audience members for a quick waltz), but the Australian pair Ash-Leigh Hunter and Dannial Gosper are particularly eye-catching, she with a shock of white-blond hair and he with a ponytail and a pelvis like Elvis. Like the other dancers, they abandoned themselves to the dancing with a palpable joy, elevating "FloorPlay" from high-gloss entertainment to something absolutely fabulous.

Tresca Weinstein, a local freelance writer, is a regular contributor to the Times Union.
Dance review
'FLOORPLAY'
Where: Proctor's Theatre, 432 State St., Schenectady
When: 8 p.m. Friday

Length: Two hours, one intermission
The crowd: More than a thousand, mostly 40-somethings and up, who expressed their appreciation with multiple standing ovations

The dancers then blazed full force into “The Samba” — one of the production’s many steamy dance sections working the art of sex appeal, with all the punch and impact of the hard-driving Latin beat being pounded out by the show’s two drummers behind them.

Featuring a bevy of topnotch dancers from eight different countries, Burn the Floor’s take on ballroom dance was not one for the traditionalist or faint of heart in the audience.

Sensuality, passion, and the ever-present tease took center stage in “FloorPlay.” The production did, however, pay homage to its traditional roots with several vignettes featuring husband- and-wife team Rebecca and Damon Sugden, who were striking and elegant in their poise and delivery.

The program’s first act was highlighted by the swing dance section entitled “Harlem Nights,” in which Burn the Floor’s dancers jumped, jived and shimmied to the jazz classic “Sing Sing Sing.” The section also featured the vocal and dance talents of Kieron Kulik, one of the production’s two vocalists — the other, Rebecca Verrier. Kulik, on the night, was as much a part of the dancing as he was singing, even providing the evening’s lone foray into tap dance.

Dancer Jessica Raffa was featured in one of the more sexually innuendo-laden dance numbers within “Harlem Nights.” She moved with a slinky and sultry grace that sent hearts racing and temperatures rising.

The program’s second act delivered more of what the first half did — expansive and heavily produced dance numbers that switched from reserved to racy at the drop of a drumstick.

Of note was the section “2AM,” which turned the overall nightclub theme of the production into an after-hours club, complete with writhing bodies and a biting sexual tension choreographed to a techno beat. The section also included a cover of Soft Cell’s 1980s hit “Tainted Love,” featuring both of the show’s sparkling vocalists. “FloorPlay” closed with a rousing blend of traditional waltz by the full company, leading into a high-energy, eye-popping version of “Proud Mary” that energized the audience, and an equally rousing version of the disco hit “Turn the Beat Around.”

Move over, “Dancing With the Stars.”

Dance Review

Burn the Floor: “ FloorPlay”

May 11, 2007 Posted by Sameer in Theatre

One review for Floorplay, the new show playing at the Hummingbird Centre this weekend, claims that the show is "so hot it probably contributes to global warming." Now I'm usually one to dismiss such cringe-worthy sound bites, but after attending the opening night of Floorplay yesterday, it's no lie that everyone in the audience was ready to heat up the dance floor.

Floorplay is the most recent production from Burn the Floor, a ballroom dancing phenomenon that has played for over 3 million people in over 32 different countries. Playing at the Hummingbird Centre for three days as part of its world tour, Floorplay aims to bring the sensuality of dance — the name of the show itself is a play on the word 'foreplay' — to the audience through live music and energetic choreographed numbers.

Apart from the physical sensuousness the show exudes, what really impressed me is the technical prowess of the dancers. Every step was meticulously planned and executed, and the physical chemistry they all had on stage was intense. The fantastic percussionists added to the ambiance, and the dancing in the aisles made it feel somewhat as if this was a private and impromptu (yet well-rehearsed) show rather than a glossy global production. While the auditorium was large, every member of the audience seemed to be engaged with and engrossed in the spectacle.

The lighting was largely unimpressive and the set decor was uninspiring for the most part, but neither of them detracted from the main draw of the performance: the dancing.
 

Infusing Latin flavor with contemporary music, the choreography combined groovy gyrations with fancy footwork that steamed up the stage (with the help of some smoke machines) and brought everyone to a sweat. It may be hot in Toronto right now, but the city mugginess didn't compare to the sizzling sultriness coming from the stage. And yes, that may be cringe-worthy reviewer copy I just wrote right there, but it's true... Floorplay is one hot show.

Not convinced yet? Here's a short clip of what you can expect at the show:

You don't have to be a ballroom dancing fanatic to know that the level of skill displayed in this show is awe-inspiring and that the infusion of song and dance is infectious. There are only three more Toronto shows left, so I'd suggest hopping over to Ticketmaster right now to make sure you don't miss Floorplay.

(Photos courtesy Hummingbird Centre. Video courtesy Burn The Floor.)

A high energy, heart pounding display of dance pyrotechnics
Variety Magazine

These dancers didn’t just Burn the Floor, they set fire to the house
Sunday Times, New Zealand

..so hot it probably contributes to global warming.
The Independent, London

Burn the Floor is ballroom dance with a rock’n’roll makeover
Boston Globe, Boston

Phenomenal!
The Age, Australia

Don’t think twice,  just go!
London Evening Standard

Those unfamiliar will be ablaze with emotion when they see Burn the Floor for the first time – It’s that good!
Desert News, Salt Lake City

The dancers are downright terrific… should give Ricky Martin a run for his Yankee dollar
New York Times,  New York

September 27, 2006

For Extreme Dancing, step on over to Luxor

Riding the wave of ballroom dancing's sudden international fame, a troupe of energetic young dancers has waltzed - and tangoed and sambaed and rumbaed - into Las Vegas hoping to find a permanent home.

"Las Vegas is sort of a dream of mine. I have always felt this was the mecca for what we are doing," producer Harley Medcalf said.

What they are doing is extreme ballroom dancing - applying raw, youthful energy to the classic dance steps.

"Burn the Floor" premiered at the Luxor last week and is scheduled for a limited run, through Oct. 26. There could be demand for a longer stay; several performances are sold out. It certainly seems to be in demand around the world. The road company performed in 106 cities last year, including four shows in Beijing with 12,000 fans each night, Medcalf said. "There was a near riot."

Japan is the show's biggest market. "We sold 135,000 tickets there during our last tour," Medcalf said. "We're going back to 10 cities in March and April next year." Medcalf created the production in his native Australia in 1999. He describes it as "ballroom that is rock 'n' roll," familiar dances made over with lighting, sets and costumes of rock concerts. "Burn" accomplishes what it sets out to do.

A nonstop performance by nine award-winning couples from a variety of countries, it is without doubt the most energetic show in town. Your feet are singing when you leave the theater. It opens with a samba to the tune of Sergio Mendes' "Magalenha," quickly moves to a waltz ("Tonight" from "West Side Story") and then a couple of rumbas ("Open Spaces" and "Weatherstorm"). The couples samba to "Sing, Sing, Sing," tango to "Tanguera," cha cha to "Carino" and even waltz to Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman."

Some of the liveliest dances have roots in the United States - the Lindy, swing, jive and quickstep.

Almost every base is covered in this fast-moving production, which can be thoroughly enjoyed by people of all ages. About the only things missing are the two-step and the polka. If there is any fault to be found in "Burn," it may be overly choreographed and the dance styles tend to get lost in the choreography. At times, the Latin dances become repetitious. I would have liked more emphasis on the most dynamic styles - the Lindy and jive.
But criticism aside, "Burn" has the potential to dance in place for a long time to come.

Las Vegas Sun – Jerry Fink

BOARDWALK BOOGIE. 'Floor Play' at the Trop has audiences on their feet.

'Floor Play," the hot new show playing at the Tropicana, is a sexy, steamy, sophisticated dance extravaganza that will keep pulses racing and temperatures rising throughout the summer.

The centerpiece of the show is a 16-member ensemble that gyrates, jitterbugs and jives through 22 musical numbers in about 70 minutes - the men, a pectoral panorama of bare chests and bling, and the women in halters and revealing dresses that show off their sinewy legs. The boys show off more six packs here than the beer case at ShopRite and the women - brunettes, redheads and blonds - are as lean as runway models.

Somebody, take these kids to Dunkin' Donuts.

Besides the dancers, there are also two wonderful singers in "Floor Play" who get their moments in the spotlight. But audiences better love watching dance, because there's a whole lot of it.

Occasionally, "Floor Play" can get repetitive, especially toward the middle of the program. And since the show doesn't have a single theme, there's no real thread holding the numbers together - they come flying at you at such breakneck speed, the performers hardly have a chance to catch their breath.

Yet, there's so much energy, vitality and talent on the huge Showroom stage that all this can easily be forgiven. From the moment the curtain rises on eight musicians bathed in soft light and enclosed in a semicircle of luscious drapery, the audience can see that "Floor Play" is a standout from Atlantic City's usual fare.

The two opening numbers - "Music" and "Maghelena" - are set to a Brazilian beat deliciously performed by the 16 dancers while Australian performer Peter Murphy sings over them. This exciting presentation with several pasa doble sets the tone for an evening of South American song and sambas, with a tango or two thrown in for good measure.

But the mood quickly shifts with "Open Spaces." Suddenly, "Floor Play" becomes a celebration of American jazz and pop with an energy that overflows from the stage into the audience. People in their seats can't help but move along to the beat, and, when cast members romp up the aisles, many are quick to accept an invitation to get up and boogie.

The costumes - pork pie hats that are a throwback to the days of the Cotton Club - are vintage, as is some of the music in "Floor Play's" playlist, but the dancing is thoroughly modern, highly stylized and totally at pace with the 21st century.

In between, there are a few Latin turns, such as "Matador" and "Carino," but everything else is red, white and a lot of blues - especially when the wonderful Danielle K Thomas lets go with "I Just Want to Make Love to You" and "Natural Woman."

Some of the better acts in the show include "Sing, Sing, Sing," "Ding Dong Daddy," and a rock 'em, sock 'em blast of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" ("Rollin' on the River"), which goes on for about 10 minutes nonstop - and is good as anything you will see on a New York stage.

"Floor Play's" Broadway look and feel is not an accident. Australian producer Harley Medcalf and his countryman, choreographer Jason Gilkison, are veterans who performed the same duties with "Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance" in 2005.

As for the cast, there are no superlatives that can do them justice. From Australia, Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Ireland, Bulgaria and the U.S., each performer has a moment - from the fantastic Siberian Snow, who appeared on TV's "So You Think You Can Dance," to Rene Castenda, Jonathan Doone, Sasha Farber, Dannial Cooper, Ash- Leigh Hunter, Tobias Karlsson, Tristan MacManus, Nikolay Manolov, Katrina Muller, Peta Murgatroyd, Giselle Peacock, Julia Tamarkina, Pavlina Valcheva, Sarah West and Damien Whitewood.

By the time they wind it all up with a wing-ding whopper of "Ding Dong Daddy," you'll be dancing out of the theater.

PHIL ROURA. New York Daily News. New York, N.Y.: Jul 16, 2006. pg. 41

Full Text (694 words) Copyright Daily News, L.P. Jul 16, 2006.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

Dancers – professional ballroom dancers – are a breed as egotistical and competitive as any and every solo performer or athlete. So it is an extraordinary thrill to see 10 world class couples create one of the most impressive ensembles since the backing vocals line-up on The Band’s Last Waltz.

The show was born, in Australia, in the time when Riverdance gave every terpsichorean genre the hope that it could finally break through. Burn the Floor richly earns that break for ballroom. Eschewing sequins, fake tan, industrial strength cosmetics and scary hairdos, the cast deliver joyous, fabulous dance right across the ballroom floor from classic waltz to a turbo- charged, rock-jive encore routine, danced to ‘Proud Mary’, that would have made Mary very Proud.

The couples all compete, individually, internationally. It is extraordinary to see them dance together like this. Jason Gilkison, himself a World Champion, has directed and choreographed and this is accomplished stuff. His cast look like they love every kick and dip and shimmy and chassay they make. And that is a very attractive thing to watch. I could not keep my eyes off Peta Murgatroyd and Trent Whiddon. Together they have the kind of charisma that could start a religious movement. Gilkison’s choreography is ballroom with real balls. Dances segue into each other, rumba-ing couples duel, foxtrots become very foxy and a sinuous blonde called Jessica Raffa manages dance moves blindfolded and with six partners that will take your breath away. Big production numbers grow out of solo performances in sections spun around pasadoble, salsa and jive. It is breathtaking, it is fun and it is very, very sexy. You are watching 10 couples who each have real chemistry. For anyone still with a mental image of Come Dancing, this is a show where you can believe these guys do.

Not all that makes you love this show has a perfect pirouette. The onstage band is so hot the show probably contributes to global warming. They cover everything from Kiss from a Rose to Carmina Burana and they are superb. Adrian Cunningham’s first sax solo actually had me making whimpering noises in the front stalls. Lighting and costume are, like the dancing, spot on.

The Independent, London.