BEATS ON POINTE

A review by Anisha from Fashion and Frappes

I have to start off my review with a long list of disclaimers. I am not exactly well versed in the art of ballet or hip hop. I like dance reasonably enough as a spectator sport but not to get involved personally – I have two left feet. So logically I would probably not be the target audience for Beats on Pointe which is a dance show combining hip hop and ballet. But I am definitely a fan now!

I don’t really know how to say this in a measured way – I loved the show. I usually enjoy plays but I am so glad I went for this. The main cast, which is huge, is brilliant. The talent on display, especially for someone like me who has no dancing or musical talent, is impressive.

Of course there is a core group of ballet dancers and a core group of hip-hop dancers but its not a very stark contrast. Everyone in the cast seemed to be able to effortless move from one form of dance to another. In fact there were cast members who sang, performed beatboxing, played on tin cans and managed to do a whole lot of music and dance related performances.

There is no real plot line but there isn’t meant to be and honestly, by the time you realise it you don’t care. The dance sequences move from one to another seamlessly but you still notice the contrast between the dance forms. The only moment that seemed to drag a little for me was the comedy sequence but I could hear kids in the audience laughing. The standout moment for me was the ballet performance to Eminem.

The costume changes kept you guessing, the props used fun to see and the music was familiar and catchy. However, I would have to say that it was surprising not to find any black artists’ in the cast especially considering the social and historical context of hip-hop in black culture.