Dynamic dancing to burn the floor

AN off-the-charts theatrical dance production is coming to town as part of its twenty-fifth anniversary Australian tour and it’s set to present a powerful modern take on ballroom dancing.

Burn the Floor was founded by renowned producer Harley Medcalf in 1999 and since then he’s taken it around the world to more than 130 countries.

Medcalf said it all began when, after promoting Elton John’s Australian tours since the 70s, he found himself at the British megastar’s 50th birthday bash in London in March 1997.

“It was this amazing full-on costume party for 600 people full of everybody who was anybody, all these superstars and me and my wife up the back,” he said.

“After the formalities Elton had decided that ballroom dancing, the most out-of-fashion style you could imagine in 1997, would be the entertainment.

“It was quite electric. These young ballroom dancers delivered what I saw as this most energetic performance.

“The whole audience just went crazy, and I was sitting there thinking, oh my god, I have to check this out.

“That became the very beginning of Burn the Floor. We struggled for a couple of years but once we started to get some momentum it has just not stopped.”

Medcalf said audiences at the company’s first regional tour should simply expect “a celebration of the joy of dance.”

“Dance is a unique art form,” he said. “The energy that dancers pour out to the audience, the audience gives it back to them and it just elevates.

“It’s a show that makes you happy, with no secret messages. Come and see us and believe me, you’ll struggle to stay in your seat.”

Burn the Floor – Dare to Dream will take place on Thursday 29 August at Ulumbarra Theatre.

Tickets are available on the Gotix website.