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The stage is dark. A deep beat hits your chest. Smoke fills the stage. Suddenly it is alive with pristine movements, gyrations, and the heat and sweat of some of the finest dancers ever on one stage. ‘Burn the Floor’ hits the OC and sets it off.
Jason Gilkison has made his mark in a show that he not only once stared in but has helped evolved into a classic Broadway experience. Currently the director and choreographer of the touring show as well as the many shows throughout the world. With his excitement for the dance he has assembled some of the best dancers from around the world.
You’ve seen them on TV in ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, now see them under Gilkisons creative eye, Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev. They are not the only alums as Karen Hauer, Janette Manrara and Robbie Kmetoni heat up the room with the rest.
Adding a sense of audible life to the show that helps drive you deeper into its seductive graps is ‘Americal Idol’ star Vonzell Solomon. Her voice hits notes hard and fast or smooth and sexy to give your ears just as much tantalizing treats as your eyes watching the movements of the dance.
Mixing the best styles of ballroom dance into one show is a tough sell but ‘Burn the Floor’ does a grand job of it. From the seemless transition of showcasing the evolution of ballroom in a sequence that goes from the 30’s thru the 80’s in a matter of minutes is fantastic or perhaps the seduction and temptation of a blindfold dance to the classic setting of a speak easy, you will be trying to catch every detail and not be able to take it all in.
If there was anything I could find the slightest fault in, I would have to say the main set was very plain. Although it was being ‘dressed’ for the mood of each dance, the black set under the brightness of the lights looked cheap in its construction compared to the costumes, which amazing, the beautiful singing and of course exhilarating dancing happening all around.
In all, a wonderful show to go see. Even if you are not much into dance of any kind it keeps you interested by the continuous nature that is the body and how imaginative it can be when moved properly.
Bravo to the cast and crew and may you never tire from dancing.
See ‘Burn the Floor’ at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts May 31-June 12, 2011.
Follow my adventures in entertainment in Southern California on Twitter @SCThrillsMarc.
