Spirit of the Dance

Like many successful dance troupes, Spirit of the Dance has been touring both the UK and the world for several years. As the stage show has been executively produced by David King, residentially directed by Neil Dorward and was to be performed by 18 talented dancers, it announced itself a highly acclaimed success.

Being part of the prestigious Spirit Productions Worldwide, who has at any one time up to 20 shows appearing round the globe, and as Sprit of the Dance specifically had been dubbed ‘one of the most successful shows ever to come out of Ireland’, great things were anticipated.

Spirit of the Dance contains a whole spectrum of music that spans from traditional Celtic folksong to a type of electro dance. Alongside its variety of music, Spirit is comprised of a broad collection of dance genres from Scottish to Fosse; it also contains several solo vocal performances which highlight the show’s versatility.

However, unlike other highly acclaimed Irish productions, it seems to lack an air of originality. From start to finish the performance was heavily dictated by a pre-recorded soundtrack, this significantly detracted from the quality of the live performance. Another disappointing factor came from the music; it seemed that there was an extra layer of prerecorded tapping to ensure the audience could hear the precise rhythms.

Another distraction from the dancers came from the heavily used and sometimes uncoordinated costumes. The final disappointment lay with the set - it was particularly reminiscent of a low budget cabaret show that wouldn't look out of place at a cheap holiday destination.

However on a more positive note, the dancers themselves proved to be highly professional. The lead performers certainly did not disappoint as they performed with enthusiasm and vigor. Overall the show was a crowd pleaser; it contained some audience participation which certainly kept all spectators in good spirits, it was upbeat, varied but most importantly entertaining.