CUTAZZ

MUMFORD THEATRE

Rarely does one comes across a show that justifies its own advertising hype, but the annual Cambridge University Jazz and Tap Society production, which promised to be “electrifying, diverse and entertaining”, managed to do just that. Variety in every form seemed to be the order of the day, from the costumes and colours to the styles of dance and music. Although the complex formations were not always flawless, the more balletic movements of the lyrical piece provided a clever contrast to the temptresses tapping along to Chicago’s ‘Roxie’, and the hip-hop moves of Timberlake’s ‘Smack That’. As a new addition this year, several routines offered a combination of dance styles and abilities. This proved particularly effective in ‘42nd Street’, where plenty of showgirl attitude and some creative lighting effectively recreated the atmosphere of Rat Pack-era New York. On a stage of red hearts, stripy dresses and swinging pigtails risked making the

bouncing ‘Candyman’ girls a bit too sweet, but just the right amount of sass and a hefty dose of talent ensured their performance was sexy rather than sickly. Due to popular demand, they are apparently available in costume for formal swaps. The convulsive dynamism of ‘Earth Song’ was unexpectedly moving, aptly capturing the dramatic nature of the lyrics. A personal favourite was the breathtaking conclusion to the first half. Performed and choreographed by a group of seven dancers, the propulsive agility of the aptly named ‘Explosive’ left the audience in impatient anticipation for the rest of the show. The only downside of the enormously high quality of dancing exhibited by most groups, is that they did make some of the more inexperienced performers look a little less vibrant. Nevertheless, even the beginners’ pieces were executed with confidence and could not be faulted for accuracy.

With so much of our attention to the Arts focused on theatre, dance performances in Cambridge tend to go unnoticed and certainly under appreciated. Finding myself

continuously surprised as the evening progressed by the astoundingly high level of ability displayed, I realise I am just as guilty as anyone. There is time, however, to rectify this gross neglect. This weekend the Ballet Society is performing what promises to be an equally exciting show to the music of Holst‘s Planets. Each routine will aim to reflect the character of the Planet/God in question. Having not seen the production, I cannot guarantee it will be as diverse or dynamic, but given the overlap in membership of the two societies, it promises to be of a similarly high standard.

As I left the Mumford theatre last Saturday, I found myself full of wonder and excitement, inspired to dance my way home. My pride was spared only by the darkness as I rapidly discovered that achieving such feats of coordination was nowhere near as easy as CUTAZZ had made it look.

Gianna Vaughan

Posted on Friday 29 February 2008