Dance ‘Til Dawn (UK Tour 2015)
Choreographed by Karen Bruce, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace
The Lowry, Salford – 25 Apr 15
It is a crying shame that this weekend will see the final performance of the Dance ‘Til Dawn UK tour, for it is a show that would have undoubtedly pulled in a wildly enthusiastic returning audience. Combining the outstanding talents of renowned dancing couple Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace with the world of musical theatre, Dance ‘Til Dawn is a production quite unlike any other. True, any stage appearance by UK Ten Dance and World Argentine Tango champions is guaranteed to receive dropping jaws and resounding applause, but this show has taken the plunge with an amalgamation of performance styles that enhance and complement each other in a truly unique way.
Dance ‘Til Dawn is set in the Golden Age of Hollywood and tells the story of Tony DeLuca, a little-known actor, and Sadie Strauss, star of the big screen. Tony and Sadie (Simone and Cacace) are thrown together when Sadie’s cheating boyfriend Bobby Burns is shot by the manipulative Lana Clemenza (played by Abbie Osmon), setting in motion a tale of romance, adventure and – of course – an unjust accusation of murder. Whilst the plotline may be rather predictable in no way does it feel humdrum or tedious, thanks to style of the story-telling. Guided through the plot by Private Investigator Tommy Dubrowski (played in this performance by Ben Harris) the story is told mainly by narration, with all of Tony and Sadie’s acting performed through dance alone. This lack of dialogue from the leading characters is rather ingenious and creates the feel of a silent movie, allowing Simone and Cacace’s acting abilities to be showcased alongside their dancing.
On that topic, Dance ‘Til Dawn is – as the title would suggest – abundant with top-class dancing (and not just from Simone and Cacace, but the supporting cast as well). Utilising a huge variety of Ballroom and Latin dance styles to cover every emotional turn of the show’s plot, director and co-choreographer Karen Bruce has successfully created a means of satisfying both Strictly Come Dancing and musical theatre fans alike. Waltz, quickstep, rumba, salsa, Charleston, jive and Paso Doble all tell a separate part of the story, highlighting Simone and Cacace’s vast repertoire as dancers, but it is the closing Argentine Tango that is the ultimate star of the show. Danced to the thrilling ‘Tango de los Exilados’ it is everything you want from a tango – fluidity, sensuality, electricity, passion – and whilst it may take two to tango Simone and Cacace practically merge into one to give an effortlessly slick and quite literally breath-taking performance. (Watch the video below to see them in action).
Evocative of the era in which it is set, the music of Dance ‘Til Dawn is as important an element as the dance itself. The films of Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ celebrated the use of music and dance as a means of emotional expression, and Dance ‘Til Dawn brings this to a modern audience by interspersing classics such as ‘That’s Life’, ‘Stand By Me’ and ‘Moon River’ with contemporary song choices such as ‘Rumour Has It’, ‘Runaway Baby’ and ‘Pencil Full of Lead’. All beautifully performed by Oliver Darley, whose versatility as a singer is astounding, the variety of music ensures that no emotion remains untouched throughout the entire show. The music even helps to enhance the production’s comedy aspect, with slapstick humour and extreme dry wit that often jokes at the expense of the show itself (“Tony and Sadie were easy to find. I just stood in the centre of the stage whilst the set was pushed on around me”).
To successfully unite Ballroom and Latin dance with elements of theatricality and comedy is no small feat, but Dance ‘Til Dawn is a superb example of how it can be done. Cleverly, the programme for this production contains no synopsis so the audience has no idea of where the show will take them, which makes the pleasure in watching all the more exhilarating. Dance ‘Til Dawn is unfortunately now at its end, but Vincent and Flavia will be returning in September for their farewell tour in The Last Tango.
(Check out my fellow bloggers ‘G Views …’ and ‘West End Musings’ for some more Dance ‘Til Dawn reviews).
Vincent and Flavia dancing the Argentine Tango:
All the World's a Stage 