Keep Dancing

Image Source: ATG

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Musical
Genre: Musical
Date: November 1 2016
Location: Liverpool Empire Theatre

Following on from last year's Puttin' On The Ritz, a ballroom dancing showcase which celebrated the works of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter, we have something of a follow-up in the form of Keep Dancing. The biggest difference between the two shows comes in terms of the music which acts as the soundtrack for proceedings; in contrast to the early 20th century songs which are old favourites to longtime music lovers, Keep Dancing provided a mix of hits from the 1950s-to-1970s and some modern hits. Granted, there are nods to a fondly-remembered time when music was a lot simpler, but for the most part, Keep Dancing is a modern exhibition of ballroom dancing, at least in terms of the songs. However, there is one big similarity between Puttin' On The Ritz (which you can read my review of by clicking here) and Keep Dancing, and that is the outstanding quality of the dancing on display (which, of course, is the feature attraction). Anyone who has ever watched Strictly Come Dancing will know what to expect here, and they will likely be very impressed.

The dance moves are eye-catching, complex and, most of all, spectacular. I wouldn't necessarily pick out certain routines as having a true "wow" factor, although the Hot Honey Rag (which admittedly had much in common with the similar routine for the Maple Leaf Rag in Puttin' On The Ritz), where nearly a dozen dancers sit on the edge of the stage in an increasingly-rapid and difficult-looking display of hand- and thigh-clapping, including criss-crossing and additional arm movements, was definitely the most eye-catching and well-received performance of the evening. But the standard of the dancing was high throughout the show, led by the superb combination of Robin Windsor and Anya Garnis, both of Strictly Come Dancing fame, who were amazing and extremely professional throughout; the show reached a higher level when they were on stage doing their thing, and doing it very well indeed. However, the back-up dancers were all very good too (so much so that they all deserve a mention here: Mason Boyce, Aaron Brown, Victoria Burke, Florence Edge, Yanet Fuentes, Jordan Hinchliffe, Joshua Moore, Shane Seal, Lisa Welham and Rose Wild), and the routines varied from modern, funky dancing to a slow-paced, almost artistic representation of combat to classic vintage moves harking back to a bygone era. It is a feel-good show, and the dancing (which also included some guest spots by Louis Smith, British Olympian and winner of the 2012 series of Strictly) and choreography were brilliantly executed and very professionally produced.

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