Shall We Dance *** TNT
Once a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and later a sexy Swan in the groundbreaking all male Swan Lake in the 90’s, Adam Cooper is showing no sign of slowing down now that his 40th birthday is only a couple of years away. Not only has he choreographed and directed his latest venture, but he’s also on stage almost throughout.
A tribute to the music of Richard Rodgers, it’s a wordless mix of tap, jazz and classical dance which follows The Guy (Cooper) as he crosses continents in search of his ideal woman before realising that the Right Girl was back home all along. In loosely linked scenes this man on a mission encounters, among others, Swing Girl in the swanky nightclub where he works, waltzing European Girl, peasant Russian Girl and elegant Eastern Girl (with Chinese dragon puppet in tow). The fact that they are all already spoken for deters him not one bit - until he’s off to the next country and another conquest.
But it isn’t till after the interval that Cooper shows what he’s really capable of. The dancers let rip with an exhilarating, toe-tapping, Wild West hoe-down to music from Oklahoma. Then (weirdly rolled round the stage in a barrel to meet his partner for a final fatal duet) he dances movingly with his real life wife Sarah Wildor (another former Royal Ballet star) in the evocative Slaughter on Tenth Avenue from On Your Toes.
With music from Carousel, Flower Drum Song, Pal Joey and The King and I, it’s all quite pleasant to watch – though, strangely, stripped of their lyrics, only a few of the melodies sound familiar. One might have hoped for a touch more originality, but thanks to the stronger second half, it easily passes muster as a summer dance treat – and there isn’t a tutu in sight.
Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN (0844 412 4300) Until Aug 30 (£10-50)
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