Burn The Floor: Floorplay

Countless reviews and fans have praised Burn The Floor for their spectacular choreography and dancers the past few years since director and choregrapher Jason Gilkinson first collaborated with producer Harley Medcalf in creating this masterpiece of a captivating display of ballroom dancing in the new millenium. Floorplay is Burn The Floor's latest performance, bringing together the best of Samba, Rumba, Waltz, Lindy, Cha Cha, Tango, and many more I lost myself in. I must admit the best way to watch the show is without any expectations, and allowing yourself to submit to the music and the dance.

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.

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.

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.

- Jennie Fitzhardinge

First off, the young female dancers look more like they’ve stepped off a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot than out of a ballroom dance hall, while the shirts on the male dancers start off unbuttoned before they succumb to the collective will of most of the audience and are relinquished altogether.

There’s a Broadway feel to the Harlem nightclub scenes, with colourful, energetic quicksteps, foxtrots and charlestons — and a tap dance from Kulik, demonstrating he can dance as well as belt out the vocals. I particularly enjoyed the whole Harlem Nights choreo, reminiscing the times I once Lindy Hop-ped some years back. Tangos and the paso doble crank up the heat in the second act, with a stunning matador scene and a dance duel between two couples.

In a stunning finale to wrap up a supercharged 2 hour showcase of international dancers and dances, the trademark Proud Mary item below showcases the best of Grease-Saturday-Night-Fever-style moves in the new millenium - the Floorplay way. I would think that moving this fast to the beat and music would certainly beat any slimming pill, and earn you those legs you wished you'd own.

The best part of it all must be the post-show autograph session, which allowed people like me to get up close and personal with notable dancers like (from left to right) Alana Patience (Australia), Sasha & Giselle (Russia), along with lead singer Kieron Kulik and Sharna Burgess (Germany). Pity the other vocalist Rebecca didn't join in that night's autograph session, or the lead blonde dancer, Jessica Raffa.

With Floorplay's next stop at the newly opened Venetian Macau, I exchanged a few words with Alana, thanking her for the splendid performance from the cast, and asked for them to return to Singapore once more when the Marina Sands Resort opens in a couple years' time. When that time comes, I'll be sure to buy a stall seat along the aisle, ready to jump, jive and wail.