BWW Reviews: CELTIC LEGENDS brings a taste of Ireland's music and dance to delight audiences of all ages.

Saturday 18th October 2014, Enmore Theatre, Newtown

CELTIC LEGENDS is a high energy taste of Irish culture, showcasing some of Ireland's talent. With a simple set of 6 lit banners topped with a celtic knot, the 6 piece band drive the show from the rear of the stage with both their own musical features and providing music for the 18 dancers.

There is a good mix of hard shoe dances that get the audience excited and raise energy levels and soft shoe routines from the ladies that whilst still high intensity are in a way gentler and provide a nice contrast. The dancers' precision and flexibility is amazing. There was an audible "Ahh" from the audience the first time the ladies did the rock step, appearing to roll over on their ankles from side to side and the tapping en pointe is breathtaking. The speed at which feet move is frenetic, all the while maintaining the lack of motion on the upper body that Irish dancing is known for. The audience participation in clapping encouragement also serves to increase the intensity as the speed of the dancing lifts even further.

The dancers are led by male and female soloists. A male solo, done without any music serves to showcase the young man's talents. Rousing cheers from the audience encourage him to demonstrate more of his skill and an amusing challenge - response between the dancer and the Bodhran drummer lightens the mood. The female soloist is showcased between the fiddler and guitarist with a soft shoe dance before being joined by the male troupe.

The melding of the contemporary and the classic is shown through the choice of costumes. Whilst the men's costume varies in shirt colour, the ladies dresses range from modern lycra simple mini dresses to a modern version of the traditional skirted dress with Celtic motifs and sparkle all topped by wide smiles and the traditional mass of curls that seems synonymous with Irish dancing girls. Each dance brings a new colour theme, further ensuring that the audience remains interested.

The band provides music between the dance numbers, some featuring the various instruments, and others sung ballads. The singing does not however sound like an Irish accent but rather an American country accent which was a little off putting. It is nice that some of the musicians are able to move away from the microphone stands to move upstage and utilise the space. It is nice to see the band members appear to really enjoy the music they are creating, the guitarist/singer, and fiddler in particular really responding to the music.

CELTIC LEGENDS is an enjoyable night out for all ages and is a definite must see for fans of Irish dance or music.

CELTIC LEGENDS

Tour continues through cities and towns in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

Photographs: Philippe Fretault & David King

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