Final preparations are underway for the first show of Footloose this evening.

Some 200 dancers are polishing their act and getting used to their 1980s style costumes.

Footloose is one of the liveliest musicals and tells the story of a young man, Ren McCormick, who moved from Chicago to a small rural town in Texas after his father died. The town had a ban on dancing.

The ban on dancing was created by the town minister in response to his own son's death. Mr McCormick created a movement to lift the ban on dancing and dancing became a metaphor for self-expression, and eventually a way to heal the entire community.

YADA's Felix Busuttil said he chose Footloose because "it is a feast for the eyes and ears, just like Dirty Dancing, was, which was a sell-out and went down very well with the Maltese public.

"It's a very happy and uplifting show, and for me it's a bit nostalgic too as it's music from the 1980s.

"All those involved put in a lot of effort and energy in it. People don't realise how much time and energy go into such productions, but when they come to see it, they will realise how professional dancers of all ages are."

Dancers have been rehearsing daily over past four months.

"We made it a point to involve juniors from the College of Jazz as it gives them a different experience from the annual school experience of a show. This is a very big thing. They perform six times in front of an audience that does not just include their relatives and friends," he said.

Footloose is the 13th production for the YADA dance company. There will be six shows, tonight, tomorrow and Sunday and on the following weekend starting Friday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta.

There are still some tickets left, especially for this weekend. Tickets are available from the MCC or by calling Jai 7982 1901.

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