REVIEW | Aljaz & Janette - Dancing In A Winter Wonderland
Aljaz and Janette in Dancing in a Winter Wonderland. Written by Emmie
Disclaimer: We were gifted a ticket in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
The run-up to Christmas isn’t the same without spending your Saturday night watching BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing which has been on our TV since 2004. Bringing together the ‘magic’ of Christmas is Strictly legends Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec with their second UK tour, Dancing in a Winter Wonderland which heads to venues across the UK until 19 December.
Regarded as the ultimate Christmas jukebox dance show - this production is a brilliant combination of song and dance unlike any other on offer this time of year. From the moment this show begins, a consistent flow of joy and sharp choreography ensues from not only the couple but from a supporting cast that contains some of the UK’s very best dancers. Dancing in a Winter Wonderland does a stellar job at not restricting itself to Ballroom and Latin styles, there are some brilliant bursts of Tap and Contemporary styles that give this production so many more dynamics to play with.
But of course, what’s dance without music? This production has all of the festive favourites you’d want including ‘All I Want For Christmas (Is You)’, ‘Santa Baby’, ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’ to name a few. They really don’t miss a mark with the music, performed by Miranda Wilford and Adrian Hansel - although Aljaž and Janette themselves prove they are more than just dancers!
Dancing in a Winter Wonderland is elevated by the addition of the couple reflecting on their own Christmas traditions, but also the birth of their daughter which was only 4 months ago! This adds a gorgeous overriding heartwarming atmosphere to this already joyous evening. This production perfectly wraps itself up in 2 hours in a spectacular festive finale.
What’s even better about this production is that it feels accessible to everyone - whether you were a young girl dancing in the aisle by the finale or someone older, you felt that it was for you at any level. It was a joyous show to watch from start to finish!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
On a UK tour until 19 December.
