|
2010 has proved a bumper year for The Tea Dance! Best-ever audiences, and three four-star reviews from people who really “got” what we are trying to do! We’ve reproduced them here, along with reviews from previous years. If you have ever attended the Tea Dance, and wish to add your own review, you can do so here - http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/dance-physical-theatre/tea-dance#reviews - we’d love to hear your comments!
FRINGE REVIEW 2010 – Tea Dance, Pleasance Dome - Edinburgh Spotlight - http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/2010/08/fringe-review-tea-dance-pleasance-dome/
n the Palm Court, a couple are dancing. Her brocade skirts swirl across the cafe floor, the feathers in her hair sway gently, and her velvet-gloved hand rests on the shoulder of a dashing gent, resplendent in tails, cravat and spats.
No, this is not Fred and Ginger, they are Susan and Gary of Fly Right Dance Company and for the last seven years they have been bringing a touch of glamour to the centre of the Pleasance Dome with their daily tea dances.
Fly Right’s display is followed with a foxtrot lesson. There are scores of people lounging in the Palm Court and queuing for shows, so less confident dancers may feel a little self-conscious at first. However, Gary and Susan are excellent teachers, starting simply and building up gradually, and soon their pupils are so focussed on their steps that any self-consciousness is forgotten. There is a real sense of accomplishment when one masters a more complicated sequence of steps.
Halfway through, dancers break for a very civilised choice of cocktails and canapes – a welcome reward but also a chance to mingle with fellow pupils and Susan and Gary which is, of course, what a tea dance is all about! It’s also the perfect way to loosen people up to try out their new skills!
Tea dances are becoming a staple of the Edinburgh social scene and this is a fun and friendly introduction which is bound to improve your confidence on the dance floor, in fact you will be fairly itching to get out and show off your new moves!
Three Weeks Review - http://edinburgh.threeweeks.co.uk/review/9678
Is the frenetic pace of the Festival getting too much for you already? Maybe you need to take things a little more slow slow quick quick. For some relaxed glamour, allow charming married couple Susan and Gary to take you through some rudimentary ballroom steps in the (rather exposed) Palm Court. Some of the participants had dressed up for the occasion; this is optional, but did make it more fun. An hour of twirling may not be enough to turn you into Fred and Ginger (or even to get you through the early rounds of 'Strictly'), but with pleasant socialising, gentle encouragement and copious cocktails all included in the price, what could be a more delightful way to unwind?
tw rating: 4/5
published: Aug-2010
[Giulia Galastro]
British Theatre Guide review - http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/otherresources/fringe/fringe10-58.htm#tea
Tea Dance
Fly Right Dance Company
Pleasance Dome.
****
Marvel as performers pay and an audience watches them for free, inverting the traditional roles of audience and performer! See real food and alcohol consumed live on stage! Stroll right across the performance space and personally influence the direction of the performance! Is this the future of avant-garde dance?
No. Not everything listed in the Festival brochure is experimental and boundary-breaking, and thank goodness for that; sometimes you need an hour to relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about being challenged for the sake of it. Tea Dance is a gentle introduction to a couple of simple ballroom dance steps, with two genial instructors and a break halfway through for cocktails and canapés. Just the ticket.
The dais in the middle of the Pleasance Dome's very public Palm Court feels at first like an overly exposed place to take those first tentative steps of the foxtrot, but concentrating on footwork and rhythm makes the 'audience' easy to ignore or forget entirely. The steps are surprisingly simple to pick up, and the instructors are responsive, not to mention full of ballroom facts – be sure to pick their brains in the cocktail break to get the most out of the experience.
Matt Boothman
And some from previous years....
Tea dance reviews, 2009
|
Tea Dance 11 Aug 2009
reviewer: Heather Sinclair, Scotland
|
|
This was a great experience.A lesson on how to dance the fox trot, a cocktail and nibbles at the break with very encouraging dance coaches.Although it is within an open air venue, don't be put off- once you start dancing you completely forget about the public around you.
|
Three Weeks - Tea Dance
Fly Right Dance Company and Pleasance
Whether it be painful hangovers, seeing the younger generation going out in nothing but their underwear, or failing to chat up the opposite sex in a loud nightclub, we have all been nostalgic about bygone social activities of the early twenty-first century, where one didn't have to rely on alcohol to have fun. Well, cast off your nostalgia, and join the Fly Right Dance Company who'll teach you how to elegantly foxtrot in a friendly environment. I say friendly; it is in the middle of the Pleasance Dome, where fringe punters can see you make a fool out of yourself, which initially is off-putting until you relax into the dance and free cocktails... er, what did I say about alcohol?
tw rating: 4/5
published: Aug-2009
|
Foxtrot Fun! Even for two left feet! 15 Aug 2008
reviewer: B & D, Edinburgh
|
|
Perfect for beginners, everyone's in the same boat and it's a right giggle! Garry & Suz were very patient and encouraging, and there was a really good atmosphere. Everyone had a great time, and a complimentary cocktail and little tasty treat too! The only downside would be that there isn't as much space as they'd obviously like but despite the odd dodgem car collision it was fine! Really worth checking out for those who love to dance, for those who don't know how and for those looking for a feel good Fred & Ginger moment!! Really Great!
|
http://stranger-eons.livejournal.com/50919.html
Tea Dance
I really made an effort to see and do different things this time around, and I think that with the Fooligan, Tartuffe, Ukulele and perhaps Dirt, I did veer away from my usual comedy/musical theatre diet. Tea Dance was another example of my effort to do something different - basically it was learning to dance with cocktails and refreshments. It wasn't what I expected though. Picture this: there's a space in the middle of the Pleasance Dome surrounded by theatre goers, people relaxing with a cup of coffee etc... in which a couple dressed in ballroom atire teach a total of TWO couples (including me and Anna) the foxtrot. Odd huh? Dancing Fred Astaire style (perhaps Fred Astaire after a car accident) in the middle of a Fringe venue. Anyway, it was different.
http://threeweeks.co.uk/edaily/080820.html
Tea Dance
Fly Right Dance Company
It's time to grab your partner, or an innocent bystander, and prepare to grace the stage and dazzle your own audience with this unique dance workshop. Your stage is situated bang in the middle of the Pleasance Dome, amidst frantic show-goers and the occasional last call, so you may need to lose your inhibitions, and prepare to be watched! Led by professionals, this is possibly not for aspiring Fred n Gingers but ideal for those who'd like to learn some of the basics, as the teaching session is quite short, with not a lot of variety or tuition in different styles. If, however, you are a willing and enthusiastic individual, you will leave (after complimentary cocktails) with a suitable knowledge of the foxtrot.
|
