Category Archives: Dance

Brendan Cole – Showman.

Dance

Sunday 3rd March 2019, after loads of volunteering at the Millennium Centre, I’m back in Cardiff Bay for the evening to watch the brilliant ‘Brendan Cole’. It’s amazing to sit and watch these professional dancers in action, live on stage, the speed of movement and gracefulness they accomplish, as they glide over the floor, is a sheer delight to watch.

Joined by a brilliant live Band on stage, and a Violinist for the first time in the superb Brigitta Bognar, with band leader Barry Robinson, along with two fabulous vocalists in Iain Mackenzie and Jenna Lee James. Great to see a local school girl choir taking the stage to join this impressive cast.

The Dancing was excellent, the music and singing were totally incredible, a superb array of costumes for all the dancers, just made an incredible spectacle, which Brendan always delivers on the many occasions I’ve seen his shows.

The stage was huge with brilliant sound and lighting rigs dotted around. In all a fantastic night, enjoyed totally from a very enthusiastic audience.

Brendan Cole – All Night Long.

Dance

Sunday 4th March 2018, another day in Cardiff Bay (weather problems again), and an unexpected treat tonight, with a visit to the Millenium Centre to watch Brendan Cole and his show ‘All night long’. So I get to watch one more in my mini break, which moves into day five. A really beautiful day today as well, with all that snow melting, well in Cardiff anyway.

Wow, what a superb selection of brilliant dancing from eight individuals. Brendan and his team are excellent, the speed, the teamwork and syncing together is just amazing, add that to the excellent band live on stage along with two fabulous singers in Iain and Jenna, and you have an absolutely gorgeous evening entertainment. The highlight being a Rhumba to gasp over, Jenna sang fields of gold so beautifully alongside Brendan and Faye dancing to perfection, I cried from the sheer beauty of it all, I’ll never forget that moment.

The whole night was just superb, I defy anyone to come out of that auditorium without a smirk plastered all over their faces. Brendan’s best show to date, although I must admit I’ve loved everything he’s done so far. The quality of singing, dancing musical choices just blew me away. One of the best nights I’ve ever had at a dance show, just wish it longer, went way to quickly. Look forward to next years show.

Lord of the dance: Dangerous games.

Dance

Today I’m at a different venue, at St Davids Hall in Cardiff City Centre for a performance of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games. Having seen this amazing show last year, I knew I would need to see it again, on its return to the Welsh Capital.

From a brilliant opera last night to a fabulous dance orientated show tonight, my horizons have been greatly broadened with these extraordinary shows so close to home. The standard of exquisite Irish dancing in this production is phenomenal. Everything is so precise, fast paced and just breathtaking to watch. 

With so much happening on stage, this story of good verses evil really packs a punch. With fabulous graphics behind the dancers, a superb score and live fiddlers on stage, and some great singing with the fantastic voice of Sophie Evans (Erin the Goddess) getting in on the act. The lead male dancers (Lord of the dance and the Dark Lord) and female dancers (Saoirse, Morrighan and Little Spirit) are just magnificent, and not to be outdone, the ensemble cast are absolutely brilliant as well, with pinpoint accuracy with every step taken throughout this show. This is most noticeable in the line, when all dancers take the stage for that classic Riverdance moment, as every dancer is in step with everyone else. Brilliant to watch, and so good live.

The staging is quite brilliant as well, along with the colourful screenes depicting images of good and evil, the additional lighting and sound really add to the feel of the show. The tap routines are so good, as heel and toe hit the floor simultaneously, creating a perfect sound level from all the combined dancers. So precise, and all synchronised, you would think it was one dancer hitting the beat. 

The whole event goes by so quickly, (you never want it to end, and when it does you just want more), and most of the time you cannot take your eyes off the stage, as you flit between good and evil. As choreography dictates this whole show, I must admit this has to be one of the best I’ve seen, and one I would love to see again and again which, as usual, I probably will, on its next visit to Cardiff.