Hot on the heels of their South African Tour, Burn the Floor is two-stepping its way back to Perth later this month for its only run in Australia.
BTF is a two-hour dance sensation, previously dubbed ‘sexy’ and ‘high-octane’ as well as ‘Strictly Ballroom with attitude’. Even So You Think You Can Dance US judge Nigel Lythgoe pronounced it as ‘the most exciting dance show I have ever seen in my life!’
Dancer Gary Wright spoke to OUTinPerth from South Africa and explained how the dance troupe of 22 people managed to consume 90 litres of water per show.
‘It’s crazy,’ Wright said, ‘and that’s not actually just drinking it as well.’
‘We’ve got water sprays back stage for the guys and we have to go on with our shirts undone to make us look like we’re shining a little bit.’
‘All the girls are always like “can you bloody calm down with them water sprays guys†because we just spray ourselves with them from our heads to our [toes], to give us that sweaty look.’
Towards the end of the show these bottles quickly become redundant as the two-hour; high-intensity show takes its toll on the performers. For Wright, he believes BTF is by far the most energetic show he has ever done.
‘A lot of people… are blown away by the energy of the show; you speak to people after the show and they just can’t understand where you get the energy from.’
‘People [who] come and see BTF, sometimes, don’t know what to expect but from the word go, we set it out how the show is going to go.’
Wright paid much respect to So You Think You Can Dance guest judge and Perth boy Jason Gilkison, a performer from the original 1999 premier of BTF. Gilkison went on to choreograph the production from 2001 and then rose to the Artistic Director in 2005 and created the Broadway Edition of BTF in 2009.
‘He has some amazing ideas and some of the stuff he has us do in the show – some lifts and stuff like that – people are wowed by some of the stuff that we do.’
When asked what made the show different to other productions, Wright suggested, BTF audiences wouldn’t have time to get bored before the two hours were up.
Burn the Floor is touring for a limited season from August 19 to September 17 at the Regal Theatre – visit ticketek.com.au for more information.
Benn Dorrington
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