Review: Blaze

I feel like there should be a support group for this kind of thing. I’ll start things off…

Hi, my name’s Luke and for about 10 weeks in the year I am addicted to So You Think You Can Dance.

It is because of his addiction that I went along to Peacock Theatre this weekend past to see the new offering from Sadler’s Wells and panDaddy Productions, Blaze. It’s a ‘streetdance sensation’ very much in the same style of Bounce, that took the West End by storm in 2005, and features two dancers from said reality tv show. I will admit that this last little factum is the only reason I purchased tickets, but I’m extremely glad I did.

However, on the way back to my abode I found myself in a slight quandry. Having never seen a ‘streetdance sensation’, or for that fact any modern dance show, how was I to review? How do I review something that I really have no point of reference for? Therefore, I have decided to pretend that I am an afficianado of dance. I’ve been to the ballet… Once. I own some dance pants and an aged pair of jazz slippers. I can do this.

To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect from Blaze. I like hip hop dance as much as the next middle class white boy, but an hour and a half of it? What resulted was an hour and a half of pure entertainment. It helps that these are 16 of the best hip hop dancers and breakers currently performing. Also, they have a team of 7 choreographers from across the globe, as well as one of the top West End directors/choreographers at the helm. Add to this some of the best lighting and projection work that I’ve seen on the London stage, and it’s hard to see where they could go wrong.

The dancers were all extremely strong. it’s interesting to see both Lizzie Gough and Tommy Franzen from sytycd in the context of a show surrounded by other professional dancers. You are led to believe that these guys are the best that the UK has to offer. What struck me is how much they blended in with the troupe. They may have been on tv for a few months, but they are definitely not the best out there. In saying that, Tommy, who came second in sytycd, at times did stand out from the rest of the dancers. Not so much due to talent, which is definitely in no short supply, but more so because he has an extremely distinctive style. So much so that it was incredibly obvious which routine he choreographed for the show. I honestly believe he has a future in choreography, with his routine being one of the most enjoyable in the show.

The three breakers (four if you count the MC) are clearly at the top of their game. The moves that these guys pulled off were only matched in precision and skill by sheer lunacy. It’s amazing to see these three dancers, nay athletes, pull off some of the most death defying moves I’ve ever seen. The little comic interludes for the three breakers were also very well done.

While all the routines were quite amazing, the highlight of the night was definitely the extremely touching couch routine. The two dancers, Rowen Hawkins and Lil’ Steph, portrayed two quarrelling lovers with a grace and poignancy usually only seen in contemporary dance routines. While it felt a little sytycd, I was sucked right in. It’s a problem I have.

The technical aspects of the show, particularly the lighting and projection work, were simply breathtaking. The way that both worked with the set design was slightly awe inspiring. Special mention of Lizzie’s 3D routine, where the dancer interacted wih the lighting and projection flawlessly. It was a fantastic display of performance and technology working in ways that theatre often refuses to. The lighting designers, Patrick Woodroffe and Adam Bassett, and video designers, Mehmet Akten, Robin McNicholas and Jane Laurie, need to win something for this show. Now.

Overall, whilst being a slight dance philistine, I enjoyed Blaze immensely. Even a dance moron like myself can see and appreciate the flawless technique and immense skill that everyone in his production posesses. I wholeheartedly suggest seeing this before it moves on in a weeks time.

Blaze is playing at the Peacock Theatre until March 28.