Ok so as mentioned I was a litttllllleee bit shall we say, excited, about going to see Latin Fever. Why wouldn't I be ... Darren and Lilia are my Idols. Excitement totally justified!
Obviously I've seen them dance before, on SCD, and on the live tour. But this was simply in a league of its own. As a unit, and as solo performers ( both of which demonstrated through out the show) they are simply mesmerising, their skill and talent captivated the audience and coupled with exciting rhythms, music and costume created one hell of a show!
We start of in the carnivals of Brazil. Samba time. Fast feet, and even faster beats. This truly is party time.
The stage is graced with 4 other couples as the show begins. You can sence the anticipation lacing the crowd, hundreds of eyes scanning the stage until finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for .... Darren and Lilia take to the floor.Their precence is captivating, I could honestly say that the rest of the dancers could have been on stage naked and I wouldn't have noticed! Thats not to say that the others were not worth watching of course!
From the Brazillian carnival, its cha cha cha. Arguably the most simple of the Latin Dances with regards to timing etc. This is supposed to be a fun cheeky dance, and that it was. Bum wiggling and flirty looks laced this perfomance, it was so lively and exciting to watch, all of the dancers, not just Darren and Lilia, created such a party atmosphere with those dances, im telling you it was tempting to get up and join in! ( I didnt of course, that would likely get me removed!)
So next we head to Buenos Aires, for the Argentine Tango. This dance has to be one of my personal favourites. The amount of passion and drama conveyed by this dance was truley stunning. The connection was so intense, and the storyline throughout allowed the audience to fully understand the style and mood of the dance. People sat in silence, totally mesmorised by what they were seeing.
Following this ... Swing time!!! This section of the show was so bright, so vibrant ... and that was just Darrens trousers! It really was massively exciting to watch, energy seemed to flow from every fibre of those on stage, everyone was so animated, it was just WOW! Mentioning Darrens 'subtle, understated' trousers! ... the costumes in the show were magnificent, there were beads and feathers, ruffles and frills. All designed by Lilia ( who herself had no less than 9 costume changes!!) The outfits really added to the dynamic of the show and we simply stunning to admire!
Throughout the show, the singers had their chance to take the stage for themselves and perform for the crowd, and I must say they were fantastic! They really got the crowd going, and aided in setting the mood for the dances to come. Perfoming a mixture of Latin inspired songs, such as Quizas, Quizaz, Quizas, Besame Mucho, and Livin La Vida Loca, the band and singers really created an atmosphere for the dancers to develop and maintain.
Now, within the show I had two ultimate favourite dances. Firstly the Paso Doble. I adore this dance, so was so so excited when I found out this dance was included in the show. Just like the Argintine Tango, the drama was intense. The cape work displayed by the men was so amazing ( and yes im now running out adjectives!!!) and Lilia's solo spot was just ... again WOW!
Secondly the rumba. I challenge anyone not to be moved by that dance. It was beautiful. So tenderly danced, wonderfully romantic . . . a true love story. This was another dance where the audience sat in silence, captivated by the beauty and mood of it all. Just gorgeous.
And and and ... there was audience participation! ahhhaaaa loved it! Everybody "Hey mambo ... mambo Italiano!" This really got the crowd going ( and made everyone a little bit excited, becasue D&L were talking!!) crazed clapping and singing along, just what you need! :)
Basically ... it was with out a doubt the most exciting thing I have ever seen. The talent was unbelievable, the music, the costumes and most importantly the dancing ... Fantastic.
( aanddd I as lucky enough to meet Darren and Lilia after the show ( whom were both so lovely) very very exciting indeed!)
