Blaze (Tour – Salford)

Following up their 2005 success, Bounce, Dutch producer Eric Holman and West End Choreographer Anthony Van Haast bring a talented international collective of street and break-dancers to the Lowry with Blaze.

The show opens with some rather gratuitous, but nonetheless enjoyable, six-pack flashing from some of the male dancers. In many ways this sets the tone of the evening; cheeky but irresistible, and an exuberant (and mostly teenage) audience seem thrilled.

The stage feels like the inside of a giant locker room; drawers are stacked up to ceiling height, some open with discarded clothes hanging from them. Projecting ever-changing lights onto this backdrop adds a sense of texture and movement to the static set.

Each dancer brings a slightly individual style to the piece but all are excellent at their craft. Caramel has a constant charismatic grin that makes it difficult to look anywhere else, and DJ Hazze does the best ‘robot’ that I’ll probably ever see. The soundtrack is delightfully unpredictable, ranging from Michael Jackson to Dubstep, and is easily good enough to be sold in it’s own right. For any fan of modern dance, or those who just fancy something to get them in the mood for the weekend, this show is an absolute must.

– Poppy Helm