Review: Burn The Floor at the Shaftesbury Theatre
Published on Thursday 29th July, 10.14am, Written by Kelly Pentland
Burn The Floor is a spectacular dance show that lights up the stage with sizzling dance routines, breathtaking costumes and powerful live music.
A celebration of Latin and ballroom dancing performed by 20 world-class dancers from many different countries, Burn The Floor is truly mesmerising.
Ablaze with passion and emotion, each dance tells a different story with one performance seamlessly leading into another, maintaining the flow of the production in a skillful way. A slow, romantic dance like the waltz was often succeeded by a more lively routine, be it samba or the cha-cha, and it was this unpredictability which made the show so enjoyable.
Burn The Floor features Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian who you may remember from Strictly Come Dancing
The rumba, a sensual Cuban dance exuding passion and eroticism was a highlight of the show. Karen Hauer from Venezuela took to the stage as the lead female performer for this number and was utterly enchanting. Captivating the attention of a host of male dancers she performed this routine with ease — even when blindfolded. Unbelievably beautiful, her outfit revealed plenty of her perfectly toned body and there was nothing to do but enjoy her every move.
The Paso Doble, a Spanish dance based around bull fighting was another incredibly impressive piece; the stunning red and black costumes worn by the dancers looked sensational and perfectly complemented the fiery passion of the dance.
The jive, based on jazz and improvisation is upbeat, fun and willfully puts a smile on people’s faces. With the male dressed in a white outfit complete with cap and black braces and the woman in a short pink dress with black belt, the routine was light-hearted, lively and highly entertaining. The jive could have played a larger part in the show, but the small fragment we were treated to was certainly impressive.
Burn The Floor is more than just an exquisite dance show, it is a musical delight. The tunes which gave life to the dance routines were performed by talented singers and musicians. The female vocalist Rebecca Tapia absolutely stole the show and particularly impressed with her rendition of Sway. Her voice was powerful, her outfits sparkling and her moves spellbinding. Even when the dancers were doing their thing, Tapia stood out and was utterly enchanting. The male singer Ricky Rojas had what can only be described as snake hips and was a brilliant entertainer.
Burn The Floor London also stars Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian, well-known for coming third on last year’s Strictly Come Dancing. Brian Fortuna was sensational, perfectly chiseled and really set the standard for the rest of the dancers. Ali gave her all to every performance and although her inexperience showed when she performed alongside the professional dancers her determination and positive attitude shone out.
Burn The Floor is a sensational production that lights up the beautiful Shaftesbury Theatre. Great for anyone who enjoys sensational dance routines or loves good music, Burn The Floor is a hot and sassy production.
