It's fair to say that opinions on dance can be some of the most subjective across all of the major artistic styles and my feelings around Street Dance were fairly 'beige' - that is until I saw Diversity take to the stage in Birmingham on Thursday evening.
The Connected tour has been a few years in the making thanks to pandemics and lockdowns, but I defy you to find a single person in the audience for opening night who would say it was anything other than worth the wait!
It’s been 13 years since the group rose to fame, winning the third series of Britain’s Got Talent back in 2009. Following 9 sell-out tours, they’re back on the road with their biggest production to date. Connected is designed around the world of social media, the internet, and the digital era and looks at how we communicate and the future of technology.
The story itself is enticing and gives people a few short, sharp shocks about the potential toxicity of the Internet as well as showcasing a huge number of positives - but, putting that to one side, what clearly stands out here is the quality of the performers on stage this evening.
The show mixes a variety of dance styles with a clever set, beautiful lighting, stunning visual effects and a number of synchronised videos that command your attention from the opening bars. Alongside a perfectly selected jukebox of songs - some created in house and some others mixed by Banjo himself - there's something about this show that speaks to the audience in a way that so many others fall short on.
Whilst a lot of the pieces are funny or give room for a playful overtone, there's a number of performances in the show that are incredibly raw and emotionally charged which meant a rollercoaster for the audience. The troupe performed their BAFTA-winning 'Black Lives Matter' choreography; something which, when it was seen on national TV, earned some members death threats.
However the audience in the theatre this evening clearly sat in solidarity with the message and, for me, it was nothing short of a privilege to see that routine in the flesh. Whilst, in honesty, there should be no reason for it to have ever been dreamt up what it did was make us simultaneously sit in silence with tears rolling down our cheeks and then to stand up to applaud something which is nothing short of an exceptional piece of dance in its own right.
A section including a number of light-up drones was another highlight and seeing Banjo's interaction with them in a perfectly timed, exquisitely executed sequence was breathtaking.
But what was most apparent, and most inspiring, was the sense of family between the 15 people on stage. This is a tight-knit, supportive unit oozing talent from every beat of their choreography. It's clear to see that there's no individuals to single out because this works as a group not with any individual in isolation.
Whether you love hip hop, fantasize over contemporary - none of that maters because this show is as much about the message, the community and the support network as it is the brilliantly rehearsed, slick and world-beating moves coming from a cast of exceptional performers.
Oh, and Banjo Bear!
Connected plays at the Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 16th April 2022 and returns to the theatre on June 13th and 14th 2022. For more inforation or to get your tickets, head online to atgtickets.com/birmingham.
