Maltese dance group Yada is set to conquer the American public, as 35 dancers, accompanied by a technical and artistic team, are getting ready to premiere one of the company’s dance shows at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco early next year.
The show, Dance Rush, will also be previewed in Malta before travelling to the US for a series of shows in nine cities. These will be followed by performances in Europe and Australasia.
This is the first time that Dance Rush is being put up as part of the company’s extended 25th-anniversary celebrations. Yada co-founder Felix Busuttil explained that this was a first for a Maltese dance company to perform on the West Coast of the US.
“We plan to be dance ambassadors of Malta. The show is a dazzling bonanza of choreography, lights, visual effects, costumes and sound, and we anticipate a huge impact on audiences.
“We will also be introducing Malta to the millions of American theatre-goers and also to commuters constantly exposed to the marketing campaign that accompanies the show.”
Dance Rush is inspired by August Rush, Kirsten Sheridan’s 2007 touching cinematic tale of the 12-year-old orphaned boy who believes that through music he will be reunited with his family. In Dance Rush, the protagonist creates seven characters, the seven notes of music that will transport him back to his family.
Music includes the score from the original movie, mostly composed by Mark Mancina, as well as original compositions from Etnika, Dominic Galea, Red Electrick and DJ Ruby.
The score also includes pieces from classical composers like Vivaldi, Bach and Shostakovich, as well as operatic highlights from Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Carmen. The score also contains contemporary hits by Jennifer Lopez, Michael Bublé and a live singing number by Chiara.
Designers Charles and Ron have created some 600 glamorous costumes for the cast and visual effects will be by Peter Howitt.
The show will be directed and choreographed by Busuttil, with additional choreography by Justin Roy Barker, Nina Winter, Daron Galea , Elaine Falzon and Vivienne Fielding Refalo, with final touches by Tanya Bajona.
Past shows from Yada include Moulin Rouge, Dirty Dancing, Tango, Phantom, Strait Street, Christus, 25 A Filigree of Dance and Michael Jackson Forever.
Dance Rush will be held on October 26, 27 and 28 and November 4 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. Tickets are available online or from the booking office.
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