SHALL
WE DANCE ?
Essex Dance Theatre at Brentwood Theatre
13.07.13
On
the hottest day of the year, a professionally structured year-end
presentation from this excellent community dance group.
The
opening number set the standard: a sophisticated All That Jazz [Kim
Bradshaw] from the seniors, immaculately costumed in black, with
elegant gloves. The frocks were a key element in the show, from the
baby dinosaurs to the floaty skirts for Down By The River, Jane
Ben-Aderet's lovely barefoot interpretation of the Neil Young
classic. Sparkly bowlers for Barnum [a lively production number from
the Junior Performing Group], flying helmets for Those Magnificent
Men, and lovely houris/temple maidens for Nicole Carman's energetic
Bollywood routine, one of several good things to come out of this
year's Easter course.
Plenty
of tap, none of it predictable: Jennifer Lopez Latin tap, kooky Oz
tap, Ellington tap. And ballet, too, including a stylish Shall We
Dance from the Juniors, Peer Gynt, and La Fille Mal Gardée; no clogs
alas, and no Widow. No boys at all, in fact, in this otherwise
inclusive company.
Two
special treats – choreography from the students, notably Anjali
Jayasekera's busy take on Regina Spektor, and several numbers from
ex-EDT, now dance graduate, Rhiannon Munson-Hobbs, whose fast, fun
Hair, inspired by a yakkety-saxy Amanda Lepore track, filled the
stage with chairs and Holy Chic tee-shirts. A brilliant number. And
it was Rhiannon's "One", a sure-fire, kick-line
showstopper, which brought this superb showcase to an end.
