Review: M is for Mazurka

Last night, I had the pleasure of watching an interesting Victorian style dance show performed by Danse Libre and Swing Cats. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it because, frankly, I’ve never heard of Victorian dance before. I was definitely in for a treat though.

Most dance shows are just dance number after dance number and nothing really ties the numbers together. No over-arching plot or story to follow. This show was quite the opposite, though, as there was a full murder mystery plot going on in a 1930s nightclub where these types of dances took place. The dances complemented the storyline somewhat and delivered a very entertaining piece of theatre. The costume pieces were quite elegant and colorful and I’m still surprised those dancers could move in skirts that big! The detail and research that went into these dances definitely showed as I felt like I was witnessing a scene taken straight out of the era. Did I mention that the script was entirely written by the dance company themselves?

Anyway, they have one more showing tonight at 8 PM at the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto. Their website has more details. I highly suggest experiencing it if you’ve never experienced Victorian dance before. You’re in for a treat!