Then the dancing started in earnest - first "4" to the music of "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi with additional music from Hilltop Hoods. As soon as the dancing began, I felt it was evocative of Charlotte Roberts' "body poetry" within the musical biography about Wilfred Owen "Bullets and Daffodils" and you could feel the influence of classical dance in the duet. The dance routines were almost playful. But make no mistake about it, there is nothing random about the brilliantly choreographed and executed dance routines served up by Decadancetheatre - it is very plain to see that a great deal of hard work goes into their performances and hours of classes and rehearsals, much the same as with any discipline. Here were inspirationally choreographed moves and carefully selected music to match the mood, cleverly highlighting the Circadian Rhythm of our human lives.
Next came "City Breathing: 2012 Remix" with Soloist Megan "Megz" Alfonso, which started with a film of the six Company members in New York. The dance suite began and ended with one solo dancer in front of four green lights and contained the most amazing 'electronic' dancing experience - with all the dancers mixing seemingly effortlessly in and out of their green silhouettes, lit, eerily on a dark stage, sometimes accompanying and sometimes leaving the soloist alone to music mixed by DJ Boo. Absolutely BRILLIANT!
Then came a short interval, during which one of those amazing Friends of the Grand volunteers (where would we be not only in Blackpool at the Grand Theatre, but in the UK as a whole without our army of wonderful, willing volunteers?) came round with 3D glasses for everyone and a gentle reminder to give them back at the end of the show.
Then came the 3D piece "When the Sky Breaks" which 'looks at the duality of water - an element that can replenish and renew as easily as it can destroy and erase' with music, special effects and dancing that were simply breathtaking. There was one sequence that was pure Catwalk magic. The distortion of the 3D glasses brought a surreal, "Chaplainesque" aspect to the movements on stage, melting and fusing into each other, co-ordinating with the backdrop and with the music with energy and vibrancy and a message that seemed to be saying "reach for the stars - anything is possible".
All in all this was a fantastic evening's entertainment and definitely worth stepping outside your comfort zone if you have never experienced contemporary dance or hip-hop. Sisters if you always thought that ballet and tutus was the only way to go dancewise (eat your heart out "Strictly") - think again! And if you are looking for a joyous expression of true liberation this is it!
Decadancetheatre bring a sensational new dimension to dance and it is very liberating indeed - giving one that magical tingly feeling that dance is within the grasp of everyone single one of us, no matter what our colour, creed, age, gender or physical form, in a similar sweep of emotion that we felt in the UK this summer with both of those Olympic Games.
Thank you to the Decadancetheatre Company for such a treat and to the Grand Theatre for providing the venue and everyone involved - behind the scenes as well as the sensational dancers - for a fantastic evening.
Decadancetheatre - for details of their UK Tour please see www.decadancetheatre.com - are DJ Boo (Filipino-American) Megan "Megz" Alfonso (America), Ann-Sylvia Clark (Norway) Taeko Koji (Japan), Georgina Philp (Netherlands), Adaku Utah (Nigeria) and Jennifer Weber (America) who is the founder and artistic director of the Company, and Doug Hunt (UK) - live sound engineer and theatrical lighting director.
Decadancetheatre were commissioned by the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal to create a new piece of work inspired by the Lake District landscape. For more information, please see www.breweryarts.co.uk
To book tickets for any of the Grand Theatre's events, please see their website - www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01253 290190.
