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★★★★★
If you’re a fan of Strictly Come Dancing’s Nikita Kuzmin, you will be thrilled to learn that the six-time Italian Champion in Latin and Ballroom dance is currently touring the UK and Ireland with a new show, ‘Midnight Dancer’. This is the first time that Nikita is heading out on a solo tour and this week the production has been at the Peacock Theatre in London’s West End for 3 performances. The dancer’s passion for performing is an absolute joy to watch and this show which has been presented by ROYO (Room on Your Own), Cuffe & Taylor and Live Nation highlights both his creativity as a choreographer and the countless dance styles within his repertoire.
Overall concept and structure
‘Midnight Dancer’ very much has a narrative, following a love story over the course of one evening, taking audiences to a bar, cinema, club and elegant ball to name but a few locations. With references to midnight and balls, it is similar in storyline to ‘Cinderella’ but it has been brought into the 21st century with a cinematic twist. Nikita “the hero” falls for a movie star (Andreea Toma), but life is keeping them apart. Featuring good versus evil choreography which puts Seamus Mcintosh centre stage as the villain and some beautiful romantic partnership work with Andreea, ‘Midnight Dancer’ takes on the form of a modern day fairytale told through dance. Additionally, the narrative is facilitated by the phenomenal live singer and Fairy Godmother figure Rebecca Lisewski, who showcases exceptional movement skills in her own right and oozes stage presence throughout.
However, fans of Nikita’s bubbly personality will be pleased to learn that the show is not all fairytales and elegant dance sequences. The dancer takes to the microphone on a couple of occasions, acknowledging the audience, telling amusing stories and being unapologetically himself. Nikita is a born entertainer and totally at home on stage. It honestly made me wonder why we have had to wait until 2025 for the dancer’s first solo tour.
A masterclass in dance entertainment
With so many ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional tours at this time of year, it could be easy to assume that they would all be strong dance productions, but Nikita and the company of dancers throw everything into ‘Midnight Dancer’. In turn they have created the most colourful and dynamic showcase of dance styles. Their boundless energy is supported by Andrew Exeter’s vibrant lighting and Rachael Ryan’s dazzling costumes, which together make the show an exciting spectacle. Audiences could at times get swept up in the high production value, but the lively cinematic, Tango and Country medleys are complemented by softer lyrical sequences which highlight the diversity of Latin and Ballroom dancing.
A beautiful celebration of Nikita’s adoration for dance
Even though ‘Midnight Dancer’ is a story in itself, at its core this show is a celebration of Nikita’s passion for dance and accomplishments so far. Over the years I’ve always maintained that Johannes Radebe’s productions are the epitome of the Strictly professional tours, but perhaps this year Nikita has taken on that mantle. The dancer’s first solo tour was absolutely worth the wait. You can catch ‘Midnight Dancer’ at various venues until May, with tickets available via the Nikita Live website. If you follow my Kent theatre reviews, the show is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Wednesday 21st May and you don’t want to miss it.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for ‘Midnight Dancer’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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