BURN THE FLOOR Reviews

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 6:41pm

The Associated Press is Mixed-to-Negative:

'It's not that the 20 dancers, drawn from all over the world, aren't technically proficient. They can swirl, swerve, kick, slide and glide with ease. But Australian director and choreographer Jason Gilkison has arranged the show, which has toured the world over the last 10 years, in a deadening manner.

There are scattered salutes to the waltz, fox trot, tango, cha-cha, samba, rumba and some jivey boogie-woogie. And a cursory nod to what appears to be Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, performed to one of the tunes associated with those movie icons, Irving Berlin's "Let's Face the Music and Dance."

Unlike theater greats such as Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett or Jerome Robbins, Gilkison brings no distinct style to his dance creations. Efficiency is all.'

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=114&sid=1731456

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 7:47pm

Backstage is Positive:

"While Broadway theater lovers will undoubtedly find the Fosse-influenced scenes the most satisfying, real dancesport aficionados may go wilder over "The Latin Quarter." Though the dancers are nothing less than brilliant all evening, it is in these tricky Latin numbers that one really appreciates their world-class talents. I couldn't help but wish that the tiny seed of a love-triangle narrative planted during a luscious rumba (featuring the gorgeous Peta Murgatroyd) had been further extended dramatically. Yet Gilkison lends choreographic intrigue to a tango by surrounding the central couple with a male quartet that reflects both the lines and ardor of the duo. (And yes, the tango was included in the Latin portion of the show, even though in competitions it is classified as a standard, not a Latin, dance.)

The evening culminates with the disappointing "Contemporary" segment, in which no real contemporary dance flavors (e.g., hip-hop) are tasted. Instead, every dance cliché in the book is revisited, including the requisite chair number and the "steamy" pas de deux, with him in torn jeans and her in sexy underwear. But don't leave early! There's an electrifying finale to "Proud Mary" that will surely inspire you to cash in the coupon for a free ballroom dance lesson that a local dance studio is distributing outside the theater."

http://www.backstage.com/bso/reviews-ny-theatre-broadway/burn-the-floor-1003999353.story

Updated On: 8/2/09 at 07:47 PM

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 8:19pm

Variety is Very Negative:

"Let's call it "So You Think You Can Step It Up and Dance Your Ass Off With the Stars of America's Best Dance Crew." While ballroom blitz "Burn the Floor" has been touring internationally for 10 years, its arrival on Broadway clearly aims to cash in on the resurgent popularity of dance on television reality shows. But if you're going to invade the turf of Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins and Michael Bennett, you need to bring something beyond adrenaline and aggressive sizzle. Something like grace, style or wit. While there's only about 15 ounces of collective body fat onstage, there's also about 15 ounces of imagination."

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940762.html?categoryid=33&cs=1

[Steve2]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:11pm

The Leader is Very Positive

"In recent memory, there hasn't been a Broadway show that has lived up to its title better than the dance spectacle known as "Burn the Floor." The two-hour showcase of spins, twists, dips and fleshy contortions tears up the stage of the newly renovated Longacre Theatre, and for enthusiasts of ballroom dancing or devoted fans of "Dancing with the Stars," the show is a surefire crowd-pleaser. It delivers with a sexiness and diligent command that is breathtaking, if still gimmicky."
...
"It's a treat. It's a blast. It proves a wonderful distraction."
'Burn the Floor' is blazing entertainment

[Steve2]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:16pm

Theatermania is Mixed

"Despite the promise of its title, Burn the Floor, the touring all-dance show that has landed for a limited run at Broadway's Longacre Theatre, turns out to be much like this summer's weather in New York: surprisingly cool with occasional flashes of heat. While the show will likely more than satisfy those who are suffering from withdrawal from ABC's megahit Dancng with the Stars, more discerning dance aficionados -- not to mention your average theatergoer -- may wonder what all the hooting and hollering is about."
...
"Ultimately, though, what makes the show so shockingly tepid is that the hard-working troupe of champion dancers, culled from numerous countries, rarely emit much personality or even find significant ways to connect to each other or the audience. They're all quite attractive, technically adept, remarkably swift -- and willing to bare much of their bodies (even when clad in Janet Hine's provocative costumes); but one wants to witness more individuality from each ot fhem. Indeed, only the consistently fiery Giselle Peac0ck and the Amazonian Peta Murgatroyd manage to stand out from the crowd -- and make you feel the burn."
Burn the Floor

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/2/09 at 10:21pm

Charles Isherwood is Mixed-to-Negative:

"While it has been spruced up for its arrival in New York with new sets and costumes, the production still looks more ripe for Bournemouth than for Broadway. The set consists of little more than a bandstand with steps, some flimsy-looking backdrops and a disco ball. (Maybe in Bournemouth the disco ball was smaller?) The costumes, clingy sequin-spattered and fringe-trimmed dresses for the women and tight black slacks (and the occasional shirt) for the men, sometimes look cheap. Two percussionists and two other musicians perform live, but much of the music is recorded.

A little tacky too is the brevity of Mr. Chmerkovskiy and Ms. Smirnoff?s tenure with the show. They will appear only through Aug. 16 before they cha-cha off to other pursuits. That is a shame, because they provide ?Burn the Floor? with a jolt of real charisma and heightened style in their duets. One flashy dance finishes with an electric flourish, as Ms. Smirnoff suddenly kicks up a heel and slings herself upside down over her partner?s arm. And Mr. Chmerkovskiy surfs the high-velocity, intricate choreography with a legato ease that makes it seem effortless.

Amid the general frenzy, his smooth operating comes as a distinct relief. So do the slower-tempo waltzes performed with a debonair sweep by the Australian couple Damon and Rebecca Sugden, although their peculiar facial expressions ? his waxen affect and her open-mouthed rapture ? can be a little distracting."

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/theater/reviews/03burn.html

[bjh2114]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 2:45am

I was really hoping that certain publications would send dance critics instead of theatre critics. Half of these reviews are from people not qualified to critique dancing, and certainly not ballroom. Carrie Ann Inaba, who is also one of the producers of the show, is barely qualified herself to judge ballroom. It only discredits Isherwood as a competent critic on the subject of dance that he cites Maks and Karina as the best parts about the show when they are technically the weakest (well at least Maks). The only one of the reviews posted that even uses any form of understanding of dance vocabulary is the Backstage review (no surprise there). Even The Leader, which is a positive review, doesn't seem to fully get the dance. It's a shame that publications are leaving this show's fate in the hands of theatre critics instead of in the hands of dance critics.

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 12:48pm

The Bergen Record is Mixed:

"The show's music is recorded, augmented by two very busy percussionists – they have the most extensive drum kits I've ever seen — with a violinist and a saxophonist occasionally joining in.

There are also two singers, an overly passionate female and a bland male.

"Burn the Floor" is an experience that alternates between exhilarating and contrived. As a bonus, just thinking of what those dancers put themselves through should give you a great night's sleep."

http://www.northjersey.com/arts_entertainment/Ballroom_show_turns_out_dance_inferno.html


Entertainment Weekly gives the show an A-:

"...DWTS' Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff, appearing as guest stars for the show's first three weeks, are mostly beside the point, though the real-life couple does pull off one hot, stripped-down rumba. A polished production makes all the difference, with classy costumes that prove glitter and kitsch aren't ballroom-dancing requirements. The show also boasts stunning vocals (particularly from The Boy from Oz's Rebecca Tapia). Two-plus hours of dancing flies by with storytelling and pacing worthy of any Broadway musical."

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20295500,00.html


The New York Daily News gives the show 4 Stars out of 5:

"Since then, dancing has become an American fixation, from TV reality shows to viral videos. In the last week, a routine on "So You Think You Can Dance" brought people to tears, while a boogieing online bridal party made folks beam.

Dance can do that ? really grab you and move you.

"Burn the Floor" does as it celebrates the foxtrot, samba, cha-cha, jive, waltz, tango and swing. The music is taped and enhanced by four onstage musicians and two singers. Choreographer and director Jason Gilkison has packed the two-hour show with moves that are athletic, sensual and rocket-fueled (except the waltz, which, though elegant, is less than a thrill)."

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2009/08/03/2009-08-03_broadways_ballroom_extravaganza_they_got_talent_to_burn.html


The New York Post gives the show 2 1/2 Stars out of 4:

"IF you've never watched "Dancing With the Stars" and don't know what "SYTYCD" stands for, you have no business being at "Burn the Floor." (It's "So You Think You Can Dance," by the way, and the acronym frequently pops up in the program's bios.)

"Burn the Floor" consists of a breathless, plotless succession of ballroom routines. That's it, and it's either a lot or not very much, depending on your love for this type of dancing."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08032009/entertainment/theater/rhythm_and_shoes_182712.htm


Newsday is Negative:

"The problem is that, for all Gilkison's attempts to superimpose coherence and variety, he has not been able to develop an internal logic or interesting dance ideas from this limited and repetitious vocabulary. The steps and rhythms may be complex, but the emotions are generalized. Love is combat. Love is mean sex. I need you, go away. Don't leave. He hangs on her. She hangs on him. Kitsch is romance. Attitude will prevail.

When the dance cannot turn a full evening into more than a series of strenuous effects, Gilkison switches the lights from green to purple. When all else fails, we get the fog machine."

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/theater/theater-review-burn-the-floor-1.1343252


NY1 (with video) is Very Positive:

"There's bound to be a lot of tongue-clucking from Broadway purists who regard the encroachment of such shows as heresy. Some might even bristle at calling it "dance theater." But few can deny that "Burn The Floor" has plenty to offer audiences looking for a two-hour escape in the company of gorgeous-looking people who happen to move to some great music really, really well."

http://www.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/theater_reviews/103516/ny1-theater-review---burn-the-floor-/Default.aspx


John Simon is a Rave:

"“Burn the Floor” is a dance show I can wholeheartedly recommend to everyone, even to people who can’t tell an entrechat from an entrecote, and those who think that watching dance on the stage is for sissies.

What is on offer at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre should change the mind of the most hard-bitten terpsichorophobe who thinks the boards are just for treading. This show is, as its director-choreographer, Australia’s Jason Gilkison, rightly calls it, dance theater. It is comic and dramatic, sensual and lyrical, acrobatic and romantic -- in short, utterly theatrical."

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601098&sid=a5VCsNsP5TVw


Time Out New York gives the show 4 Stars out of 5:

"If, as George Bernard Shaw quipped, dance ?is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire,? then the cast of Burn the Floor is one horny bunch. Come to think of it, these grinding, sweating, limb-tangling hoofers might be killing two birds with one stone: cha-cha-cha-ing their asses off while also turning each other on. In any case, spectators who want to see 20 extremely fit ballroom specialists in a two-hour workout, this is your show. Burn the Floor executes its moves perfectly: It?s a heart-pounding, sexed-up showcase of splendid dance and gorgeous dancers."

http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/theater/77117/burn-the-floor-at-longacre-theatre-theater-review

Updated On: 8/5/09 at 12:48 PM

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 7:01pm

Here's the 'Word of Mouth' review.

Updated On: 8/3/09 at 07:01 PM

[BustopherPhantom]

Posted: 8/3/09 at 7:33pm

My favorite line from WORD OF MOUTH:

DEANNA: "If you're having a 'bad body image'-day, don't see this show. Because everyone on that stage is... so hot and sexy... I totally went lesbian after watching this show."