Keep Dancing Tour - Birmingham Review

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Tue 06 Dec 2016 - Sat 10 Dec 2016

Keep Dancing isn't Strictly Come Dancing but it does offer some ballroom respite for fans of the TV show.



While there's glamorous costumes, big dance numbers and live singers, the big pull is the professional dancers and special guest, which in Birmingham's case is the 2012 Strictly winner Louis Smith.

Olympic gymnast Smith has impressively kept much of the technique he picked up with Flavia Cacace, although he's this time dancing with professional Anya Garnis ( who was in Strictly for one series with Patrick Robinson from Casualty).

But despite Smith's acrobatics and Garnis' panache, this show is very much a vehicle for former Strictly professional dancer Robin Windsor. He's the life and soul of the production, aflame with swirling hips, open shirt and speedy feet.



A partner to celebrity contestants like Anita Dobson, this show makes you realise how much his big personality is missing from the TV show.

Keep Dancing is touring the UK but stopped off at Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre from December 6 to 10. Over two hours, the audience gets its value for money from the stars of the show. Smith does four dances, including his famous winning Charleston while Windsor and Garnis are on stage for a majority of the time.

Accompanied throughout by three impressive singers - Adam Warmington, Lisa-Marie Holmes and Harriette Mullen - the entertainment is kept bubbling along by a troupe of backing dancers. These dancers kick off the show and seem impressive until Windsor and Garnis appear and blow everything else out of the water.

Their pinpoint accuracy and control is a class above everyone else on stage and is obviously the high calibre demanded of those who reach the dizzy heights of Strictly Come Dancing.



Their performances are the highlights of the night including a romantic, mesmerising waltz to 'A Thousand Years' by Christina Perri (from the 'Twilight Saga movies) and a sizzling tango.

Windsor also takes the lead in an innovatively choreographed all-male routine that combines paso with martial arts. It sizzles with erotica.



When the Strictly professionals aren't on stage, the production, at times, does seem more cruise ship cabaret than the slick studio chic seen on the BBC1 reality show, but it's nevertheless a crowd-pleaser - whether it's a Second World War dance jive and boogie woogie section or throwback to a 1970's disco.

What this lively, flamboyant show offers is a taste of Latin, traditional ballroom and, most importantly, plenty of fun that will make you want to keep dancing.

RATING: & #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9733 ;& #9734 ;& #9734 ;

The Keep Dancing tour tickets and information are available at the Keep Dancing website or by calling the New Alexandra Theatre box office on 0844 871 3011.

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!date 06/12/2016 -- 10/12/2016
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