English National Ballet, Bristol Hippodrome (From South Wales Argus)

English National Ballet, Bristol Hippodrome

11:45am Friday 17th February 2012 in Entertainments By Alison Sanders

THE Gershwin brothers’ toe-tapping tunes suited Derek Deane’s choreography brilliantly in Strictly Gershwin.

Split into two acts of Gershwin on Broadway and Gershwin in Hollywood, each number stood out from the rest, bringing the sounds and styles of 1920s and 1930s America to life.

Whether it be the Latin-inspired It Ain’t Necessarily So or the dazzling ballgown setting of Shall We Dance, the audience was constantly entertained and reminded of how good Ira and George Gershwin were.

An American in Paris was full of colour and delight showcasing a series of characters and charm before the interval while Rhapsody in Blue bewitched the audience when the curtains reopened.

But it was the show-stopping Lady Be Good, complete with top hats and canes, that was one of the real winners – as well as the solo tap performances by Douglas Mills and Paul Robinson in true Fred Astaire-style.

The Orchestra of English National Ballet impressed adding a powerful backdrop belting out some of the big band numbers.

Strictly Gershwin was not complete without a ‘Strictly feel’ with some pieces of choreography accompanied by the Maida Vale Singers.