May 2008

Back in March I was lucky enough to attend the European premiere of Burn The Floor’s latest show, Floorplay, in the quirky city of Amsterdam, where I met artistic director and choreographer Jason Gilkison. Having trained in ballroom and Latin dance since taking his first steps at his grandfather’s dance school in Australia, Gilkison has worked his way up to the very top of his game – and Floorplay is a fantastic example of this artist’s choreographic talent. Gilkison first heard about the show back in 1998, while spectating at the world-renowned Blackpool Festival, just one year after announcing his retirement from competition with partner Peta Roby. The decision was a risky one, and watching the action from the sidelines of the Empress Ballroom can’t have been easy to stomach. But, ten years down the line, that risk has certainly paid off, and Burn The Floor’s phenomenal success shows no sign of waning. The energy on stage at the Carré had to be seen to be believed, and when I talked to this month’s cover star Jessica Raffa and her partner Robin Windsor, it became clear that this is the product of a fundamental passion for dance, which all the members of Burn The Floor share. The show’s producers are in talks to bring Floorplay over to the UK, while Gilkison’s dream is to see it on the West End stage. If these goals are realised, there’s no doubt you’ll find me amongst the audience – and I’ll have my dancing shoes at the ready.
Katie Gregory

In this month's issue    

6 News
Birmingham International Dance Festival, “Strictly” stars in the West End, holidays and breaks, and more
9 Letters
Your views and opinions
10 DanceScene
Woodcote DanceSport 2008; Inter Varsity Dance Competition; 2008 South of England competition day; Rumba at the 2008 Relay; BDF page
20 The heat is on
Katie Gregory talks to choreographer Jason Gilkison at the European premiere of Burn The Floor’s Floorplay
27 EADA: part two
Rachelle Stretch presents a guide to the English Amateur Dancesport Association
31 Blackpool my Blackpool
Robin Escolme recalls his experiences at the venue
36 Summer time
Katie Gregory talks to Summer Strallen, West End star of The Sound of Music

42 Urgent – partner wanted: part one
Rachelle Stretch explores the challenges of finding the perfect dance partner
47 The science of fitness: part two
Imogen Walker offers a guide to improving physical fitness in the second of a three-part series
51 DVD reviews
Katie Gregory reviews the latest home fitness DVDs

PLUS win a set of Lilia Kopylova’s fitness DVDs

53 Review:
Tango: Nuevo
Graham Williams reviews Tango Siempre in Swansea
55 Leading and following
Benoit Drolet discusses technique for dancers
57 Book review
Bryan Allen reviews Barry Gasson’s Random Thoughts
58 Sequence section: The 2008 Easter Sequence Dance Festival by Helen Blackburn

60 Simply Swing by
Graham and Kathy Thomson
62 Variations: A simple sparkler in Waltz
by Pamela McGill
63 A simple sparkler in Paso Doble by Steven Verrall
64 Competition diary
Dates for May
65 Listings
Dance around the UK
74 The last dance
Dancers’ Vogue in
40 years ago this month,
plus The Ball-Room Guide

 

On the cover: from left to right, Burn The Floor’s Robin Windsor, Jessica Raffa, and Aric Yugedin in Floorplay. Photograph © Burn The Floor.