It seems that the Cairo Opera House in the east and the western Broadway spectacles in the west are two worlds never meant to cross paths.
For the second time this year, avid lovers of musicals were let down by a performance sold as a ‘Broadway-inspired’ show, a keyword that sent audience anticipation and sales through the roof. However, everything from the caliber of performers and the choreography to stage lighting proved otherwise.
“Take the Floor is an amateur production characterized by bland choreography, abysmal stage direction, lack of synchrony, or chemistry among performers and above all, a fragmented purpose. The entire production seemed like random excerpts from a high school production with slightly more glamorous costumes and a first-class stage at their feet.
At one point during the show, the 16 dancers shrieked a childish ‘oooh’ as they gathered in a circle facing inwards with their hands stretched above their heads, shaking queerly.
The performers are part of Dance Masters of America, an international organization of dance educators who have members across the US and Canada.
The first half was the hardest to sit through.
Performers took the stage for what seemed to be a series of ballroom dances, some of them choreographed to playful blues while others fell in the category of classics, with more mellow tunes and quite a lot of gliding.
The entire first half was comprised of partner-shifting numbers, where dancers frequently rushed in and out of stage, switching partners and moving from one end of the Opera House’s Main Hall to the other.
But despite all that movement, the stage constantly felt bare.
There were no props, and the use of flashy-colored lighting was only put to play during the second half of the show. Nothing on set seemed to complement the mediocre performers. In addition, the grandiose Main Hall stage seemed to outshine the dances, and with a stage so bare, the prevailing impression was that of a big void.
If this flaw is to be attributed to the art director, the performers too have a catalog of shortcomings they are fully responsible for.
Choreography aside, there are two important ingredients for a successful ballroom performance: chemistry and harmony. Unfortunately, for most of the show, there were no traces of either.
Even though the male dancers were more interactive than their female counterparts, it takes two to waltz. Instead of complementing each others moves, it was as if each one was doing their routine separately, gracelessly, shrouding the stage with chaos.
The female dancers were as stiff as a board, often failing to perform a simple grand jeté, a long jump typically including a 180 degrees full split in mid air, or an arabesque, where the dancer is supported on one leg as the other is stretched behind while keeping their knees stretched.
The footwork was basic and no one was being thrown in the air, leaving the viewer wondering, is this really how they do it on Broadway?
The second half of the show was a little better than the first, kicking off with a short tribute to Michael Jackson that featured some of his most celebrated works including Thriller, Billy Jean and Smooth Criminal. Although the accompanying dance did not live up to the standards of the king of pop, the gist was heartfelt and we became temporarily excited about what was next on the program.
The show’s highlight was a Tango number carried out by all eight couples to Astor Piazzolla’s Concierto para Quinteto.
This was not, however, a sensual routine with skillful footwork; the success of this number lies in the dancers’ ability to fill in the entire space and leap for a couple of lifts here and there.
A couple of not-too-fast-paced salsa numbers failed to capture the spirit, or swiftness, of Latin American beats. Followed by the show’s only flamenco performance, still, the average duet left no impression on this reviewer.
The biggest bomb was dropped on stage when a Samba duet whirled in, as the female dancer sported a hot pink and orange feather headdress, lifted directly from Busby Berkeley’s musicals, accompanied by an equally ridiculous tail. She took the stage artlessly while her male companion hurried along in a clumsy rendition of the Brazilian classic.
After the final dance, epitomized in a salsa number, we were getting ready to leave when pop Arabic music suddenly replaced the Latin tunes that were blasting from the speakers. To our surprise, the dancers carried on with their Latin moves in a bizarre yet willful integration of both styles.
The best was the Tango, the worst was the Samba, and somewhere in between I just grew numb to everything else.
“Take the Floor is showing tonight, 8 pm, at Cairo Opera House’s Main Hall. Tel: (02) 2739 0212
