Perfecting a dance partnership

But Richard Alfieri’s play has not been produced over 50 times worldwide, in various languages, because this simple idea translates into agreeable, non-threatening theatre. Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks is biting, poignant and funny and its cast handle challenging roles very well indeed.

The play is long for a two-hander – around two hours – and other than for brief costume changes, both Judy Ditchfield and Jose Domingos are on stage the entire time. The action is set in a flat in a retirement community in Florida in the US, and the accents are solid and consistent. Lily (Ditchfield) is a slightly nervous sort, fidgety and unsure of how to assimilate a new character into her little daily dramas, especially when that character (Domingos as dance instructor Michael) turns out to be a caustic, brittle gay man with a very dark sense of humour.

The pair can initially hardly get through a sentence without picking a fight with each other, and the core of each scene is usually an argument. That sounds a little tedious, but again, the combination of Alfieri’s clever, purposeful writing and the excellent chemistry of the actors means a high level of energy is maintained. And the conversations are spiced with mordant wit that both entertains the audience and helps to snap either Lily or Michael out of their current tirade.

The second act, which begins with the characters having now established a relationship, is heavier than the first, which is more regularly punctuated with dancing (Ditchfield and Domingos are well-paired; they pull off Brandon Eilers Le Riche’s choreography superbly) and laughter.

Issues including prejudice towards both the elderly and homosexuals are examined with reason and insight. As there was at the beginning, there’s a slightly affected feel to the mechanisms used to end the play, but Lily and Michael’s relationship will probably be convincing enough for most at this point, so there’s no real issue there.