“You must dance!” – an energetic ballet choreographed by Gregory Dean – is currently being performed at The Opera House in Copenhagen from 22 April to May 17.
A sumptuous show where the dancers of the Royal Ballet revive the swing era and present an evening of dance to the immortal tones of popular music, this sparkling performance is like a trip back in time to an old Hollywood film.
The plot may be predictable, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying it.
Likewise, the vintage clothing may also be a bit clichéd, but it’s a fine selection of casual, colorful outfits and extravagant evening gowns, so what’s not to like. They go very well with the mostly sober white sets with great effect.
And the choreography, whether supporting classical, jazz, tap, or some pretty impressive lifts, maintains a cheerfulness that’s hard to resist.
Live interpretation by Tivoli’s Big Band
The production values of the music are second to none.
Seeing the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin performed live on stage by the Tivoli Big Band and LiveStrings is a huge privilege. Hats off to Maria Lucia and Caspar Phillipson for the amazing vocals.
However, the performance was less secure in Edith Piaf’s territory, where the songs ranged in quality from magnificent to diabolical.
‘Padam Padam’ was initially lovely when sung, but tiresomely rendered when performed, the duet ‘Je ne regrette rien’ uniformly excellent, and the dancers’ carousels in ‘La foule’ far too predictable and poorly executed.
Overall, however, the dancers in their solos, duets, trios and other group compositions connect with the audience, creating a good atmosphere throughout the performance.
The post Performance Review: Gotta love this olden days Hollywood tribute appeared first on The Copenhagen Post.
Source: The Nordic Page
