The world’s toughest dance show returns to SA
The show, Burn The Floor, opened in England in 1999. A decade later, after visiting thirty countries and over one hundred and sixty cities worldwide, it achieved its long standing dream, to bring Ballroom to Broadway - appearing at the Longacre Theatre in New York, followed by two hugely successful seasons in London’s West End.
BURN The Floor, the show that revolutionised the image of dance, returns to its ‘home away from home – South Africa, for the fourth time at the iZulu Theatre, Sibaya Casino in Durban from Wednesday, 8 to Sunday, 19 June.
The original concept of Burn The Floor grew from an electric display of ballroom and Latin dancing at Sir Elton John’s 50th birthday party in London, March 1997. There, producer Harley Medcalf, discovered the ballroom dance world and its charismatic people, with their deep intensity, commitment, discipline, burning passion and total love of the ballroom art form.
Initially, Medcalf’s idea of a new theatrical ballroom production sent shock waves through the ballroom dancing establishment. For decades, ballroom competitions had been performed behind closed doors, as a pastime for the privileged and well before reality television embraced it with such shows as Dancing with The Stars and Strictly Come Dancing.
The show opened in England in 1999. A decade later, after visiting 30 countries and more than 160 cities worldwide, it achieved its long standing dream, to bring Ballroom to Broadway – appearing at the Longacre Theatre in New York, followed by two hugely successful seasons in London’s West End.
Burn The Floor today remains focused on its ballroom origins, but the new edition to be seen in South Africa, the ‘gloriously sinful’ Burn The Floor: Fire in The Ballroom, choreographed and directed by Peta Roby, has more surprises in store and promises to blow the roof off the theatre. It has the same rebellious spirit as the previous editions, though more daring with a theatrical rock angle – including music from Santana, Janis Joplin, Christine Aguilera and Led Zeppelin.
Burn The Floor has the reputation of being the world’s toughest dance show and the dancers are handpicked to embrace a new Latin American feel. The international cast of dance champions now includes the sensational South Africans, Johannes Radebe and Kylee Brown.
Born and talent nurtured in South Africa, Johannes Radebe started dancing at the age of seven. He is the current reigning South African National Ballroom and Latin American Champion and is a season dance trainer for the TV production Strictly Come Dancing SA. Radebe recently became a very recognisable figure in South Africa when he and his celebrity partner, Capetonian Leigh-Anne Williams, were the runners-up in the 2015 season of the TV show.
Kylee Brown was born in Pretoria and started dancing at the age of eight. Brown is the undefeated WDC South Africa U21 Latin Champion. In 2011 she won the U21 WDC World Latin Championships and the highlight of her dancing career to date was winning the U21 Open British Latin Championship in Blackpool in 2012.
Burn The Floor: Fire in The Ballroom is brought to South Africa by Dance Partner Productions, in association with The South African State Theatre and Bernard Jay. Tickets are now on sale at Computicket. Visit www.computicket.com, call 0861 915 8000 or purchase your tickets at any Checkers, Shoprite or CheckersHyper stores. For block bookings and group discounts, contact Ailsa Windsor of Going Places at editor.goingplacessa@gmail.com, or 083 250 2690.
