Have time for a dance?

SHALL We Dance celebrates its 23rd season this year at The Playhouse Opera Theatre from 11 to 19 September.

The ever-popular Shall We Dance ballroom and Latin American showcase presents its comprehensive annual dance extravaganza, which features approximately 100 of the region’s most exciting dancers with some as young as 13 years old, as well as top award-winning international industry professionals, in The Playhouse Opera Theatre for a short season.

Direction is by Neville Letard and Caryl Cusens. The featured couples this year are South Africa’s own world champions, Gerhard van Rooyen and Amor Kruger – the duo who impressed the world with their acrobatic dance. Adding to the Latin dancers, Darren Hammond will pair with Milla Lykke. Showcase ballroom is provided by Danish champions, Nicolia Bouet and Anna Shagalina.

Darren and Milla both have an impressive record of international recognition. The partnership is much-anticipated and already they have ranked highly in competitions in Blackpool and Mannheim, Germany.

Shall We Dance once more promises to delight audiences with its carefully-chosen mix of quality dance with an underlying ballroom and Latin American feel.

Featured styles besides ballroom and Latin are ballet, belly dancing, tap dancing, line dancing and modern dancing, which promise a large variety that is sure to captivate and keep your gaze fixated on the stage. The master of ceremonies will once again be East Coast Radio’s Damon Beard.

Shall We Dance delivers a unique and exciting variety of music, from modern songs such as All About That Bass to classic well known favourites such as Pretty Women and One Look at You by Barbra Streisand, as well as some great numbers from the soundtracks of Zorro, Footloose, Burlesque, Edward Scissor Hands and many more.

This annual showcase came into being in 1991 and is probably the longest enduring annual production in Durban, if not in South Africa. It is presented by The Playhouse Company in association with the South African Dance Teachers’ Association, with a supporting grant from Business and Arts South Africa. A special thanks must also be given to the Royal Palms Umhlanga Hotel for housing the dancers as well as East Coast Radio for their ongoing support.

Tickets can be booked through Computicket – www.computicket.co.za or 0861 915 8000.