Dance spectacular heads for the city
IF you happened to catch ITV’s This Morning programme earlier this month you may have caught a behind-the-scenes look at Tropicana.
The show is the latest European ice dance sensation to make its way to Peterborough and is a combination of choreography from Robin Cousins MBE and the recordings of Barry Manilow.
It certainly sent the This Morning team into a spin and looks set to do the same when it makes its home at the East of England Showground Exec arena at the start of next month.
I was invited to go and witness the show at the Amsterdam RAI arena, one of the most popular yearly runs, to get a taste of what’s in store from February 2 to 5.
It certainly ticks a number of boxes right from the word go with the energetic dance routines flowing in front of an impressively huge LED screen.
The screen graphics have been created by Dirk Decloedt in collaboration with Robin, and I found out he had previously worked with Britney Spears on 2009’s ‘Circus’ World Tour.
To an ice dance show novice, like me, it’s surprisingly easy to get in to. The sparkling screen helps with the identification of the routines, which remain faultless throughout.
Manilow’s music features heavily. In fact this is the first time his songs Where You Go and Stars in the Night have been presented as part of a live theatrical performance.
But how did the Manilow collaboration come about?
Robin, who is currently head judge on ITV’s Dancing on Ice, said: “A few years ago I was working with Barry on a TV special and I found his music works just as great skating should. It flows beautifully and soars in all the right places!
“There’s passion and power in the songs and that’s what I’ve always tried to convey in the shows I create. I hope this will add a new dimension to the audience’s enjoyment of these great songs.”
And that’s certainly true with Mandy (originally called Sandy) which is stripped to his musical core striking a chord with the Dutch crowd.
Following the interval children will adore the act where a small child becomes lost in a toy shop, as a number of kind-hearted, creatively costumed, friends - including a giant cuddly bear - spark into life.
As the show builds you start to recognise the individual skaters twisting their way across the vast ice plain. A number are from the UK but the USA, Slovakia, Russia and Australia are also represented.
You don’t have to be a huge lover of Barry Manilow’s song or an ice dance enthusiast to get a kick from Tropicana as the artistry of the show will appeal to all.
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Weather for Peterborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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