There is no doubt that the 15 series of Strictly Come Dancing have introduced the world of ballroom dancing to a much wider audience and, on the back of that show, a number of professional dancers have hastily thrown together live shows to cash in on the success but Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace have a lot more integrity than to do that.
Far from being a bandwagon vehicle, Tango Moderno, their fourth live show, is the result of a hugely detailed creative process that offers its audience a well rehearsed, incredibly slick, supremely entertaining dance show that not only showcases the world of ballroom dance but also features a number of other dance styles, stunning vocal performances and a sizeable dose of comedy too.
The performance is set in the modern day, in a city. It’s left to the audience to decide where the city might be, but the whole show has a very urban feel. Vincent and Flavia act as “spirit guides” as we meet several characters who are all looking for love. To help introduce each of the scenes James Bennett recites some very cleverly written urban poetry.
Although Vincent and Flavia are fantastic dancers, and their routines are performed with world class finesse, in Tango Moderno they spend a lot of the time taking a back seat to allow the four female dancers, four boy dancers, two vocalists and a violinist to take turns occupying centre stage.
With the variety of dance styles on offer, the soundtrack to the show is an eclectic mix with incredible violin-led pieces like Czardas and Flight of the Bumblebee rubbing shoulders with Roberta Flack’s The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Bruno Mars’ Lazy Song, Michael Buble’s Haven’t Met You Yet, Rag’n’Bone Man’s Human and the worldwide smash hit The Shape of You by Ed Sheeran.
Unusually, for a dance show, there is a lot of comedy in the production with numbers like Three Handed Woman and Bla Bla Bla Cha Cha Cha leading the way. The comedy contrasts perfectly with beautifully sublime routines set to Percy Sledge’s When a Man Loves a Woman and the Bacharach and David composition A House is not a Home.
Bryony Whitfield, Cat Lane, Mary Lynn Tiep and Hannah Millichamp are the female dancers with Tom Parsons and the fabulous Rebecca Lisweski blowing the roof off with their incredible vocals. The violin solos are expertly provided by Oliver Lewis.
Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace have been dancing together for over 20 years. They work together like a well oiled machine, performing intricate moves with grace and style and totally owning the stage with their signature Argentine Tango. As with their previous productions Midnight Tango, Dance Til Dawn and The Last Tango the emphasis is very Latin American, but when they perform it so well, why not?
Although there are plenty of first class dance routines throughout the show, one dance stands head and shoulders above the rest. Performed to Lukas Graham’s 7 Years, Simon Campbell, George Hodson, Michael Carroll and Tom Woollaston give a contemporary dance twist to the show and, in a display of sublime grace and incredible strength, they jump, roll and slide around the stage in a routine that is stunningly beautiful and very moving.
Tango Moderno is so much more that “just another dance show”, it is a carefully crafted celebration of dance in the modern world which, if it does turn out to be the final tour by Vincent and Flavia, is the perfect finale from a wonderful dance partnership.
***** Five Stars
