Arts Award Review: Olivia Brass
Review on the Alban Arena show- The Tap Factory
What did I experience as an audience member?
I went to see the Tap Factory at The Alban Arena on the 19th of April with my mum. This was a dance show with tap, drumming, acrobatics, lighting, humour, and hip-hop dance; it had everything! This show was a lot better than I thought it would be! After reading the description of the show, I didn’t expect it to be amazing, but I really enjoyed every aspect of it. Most of the show was tap dance; they danced on metal bins, ladders, benches, and even sand! The humour in the show had me and my mum in stitches from start to end!
What did I like best and why?
Even though the tap was the main focus of the show, and I really enjoyed it, my favourite was the gymnastics and breakdancer. He had a solo which I absolutely loved! He was flipping and cart wheeling over a curved bench, that rolled from side to side. He had so much power in his movements but he was graceful at the same time. He incorporated spins and dance steps into his piece as well, and overall it was really entertaining to watch. I think that was my favourite part, but I really liked all of the dancing, everything was interesting to watch.
What do I think could have been done better?
Honestly I didn’t dislike much about the show, apart from the beginning. One of the dancers was making jokes, but without talking. He spoke in gibberish and used his hands to try and explain what he was saying. Some of the audience seemed to enjoy it, and where laughing, but I thought it was a bit random, and had nothing to do with the rest of the show. I would have preferred if they went straight into the dancing instead of having this as a beginning. Apart from the start, I enjoyed everything else (although the interval was a bit too long for my liking!).
Would I recommend it too others? Explain why.
I would definitely recommend this show to other people, especially parents with kids. The balance between dance and the comic element made for a really goof show. There were lots of funny moments in the show; as the story line of the show was the smallest tap dancer trying to be ‘cool’ and make friends with the other dancers. The humour in the show was suitable for all ages and, out of the range of people in the audience, every single person was laughing and enjoying themselves. I definitely think that other people would enjoy this, especially if they are interested in or enjoy watching dance.
