DON’T MISS - ELEMENTS OF DANCE by Simone Buchner of Ellen Bunting Dance Academy

: Back from left: Sydnee Coleman, Kim Scribante and Georgia Augoustatos Front: Phoebe Goliath

On the 3rd and 4th of November Port Elizabeth audiences can expect to be captivated and entertained, as Ellen Bunting Dance Academy takes us on a nostalgic and entertaining journey that literally celebrates the various ‘elements’ of dance – ballet, tap, modern, jazz and hip hop.

You may find your feet tapping as the show takes  a journey across time and music with this stunning on-stage theatrical dance production featuring well known hits and riveting costumes.  Director and Producer Simone Buchner has incorporated a wide range of dancing disciplines in ‘ELEMENTS OF DANCE’ ranging from modern and tap, all the way through to lyrical and broadway jazz.

Dancing to a strong piece of music, Ariana Patsalos, the Port Elizabeth Dance Festival (PEDF) Senior Tap Championship Winner of 2016, will once again wow audiences with one of her championship solos  - “You Can't Touch This". An upbeat and funky tap dance with fast, intricate footwork. Her new solo, entitled "Fiercely Tap", is performed to a piece of music that allows for two different elements of tap dance, light and shade, to be portrayed in the choreography. It's a strong piece of music and Ariana once again makes fast paced, intricate footwork work seem absolutely effortless.

Together with Simone, more talented and award winning dancers will grace the stage with numbers such as “Hippy Babes, Jailhouse Rock and On Broadway to Uptown Girls and I won’t dance”  There are three sets of mom and daughters in the show, as well as a mom and son. Kim Scribante and her daughter Sienna will be performing a tap duet together, to Meghan Trainors’s “Mom”. This number was choreographed by Kim, and is a flawless portrayal of the beautiful bond shared between a mother and daughter.

“Going into this show, I knew I had huge shoes to fill. Ellen staged many brilliant productions in Port Elizabeth and was a household name for close on 30 years. I owe so much to her. She’s been my teacher, my confidant and an unwavering pillar of support in every aspect of my life and dance career.” Said Director and Producer Simone Buchner.

Simone goes on to add “ The music for the show has a variety of pieces, Jailhouse Rock for example, which is a junior modern number, has dancers wearing prisoner outfits with a little something extra that makes the number such fun! My favourite costume in the show is the costume worn by my junior tappers in "On Broadway". This costume with it’s cute bowtie, sparkly hat and feathers, as well as the dance I’m sure will be enjoyed by the audience. “ I also have a group of 10 adult tappers who will be perfuming a 5 minute production. The age group in this number ranges between 17 and 78!”

The local production features a kaleidoscope of numbers, from tap-dancing children to Broadway Jazz and even a Greek inspired twist to a tap number.  

ELEMENTS OF DANCE will be showcased at the Port Elizabeth Opera House on Friday 3 November at 19:30 and on Saturday 4 November at 14:30 and 19:30. Prices are R120 per person (available at Computicket) for an exhilarating consideration of dance that will keep audience members entranced for the full 90 minutes.