Burn the Floor, a dance performance with renown equal to that of Riverdance, will play in Beijing at the Great Hall of the People from October 14 to 16.

The show will be staged by 36 top-class dancers from 12 countries, sources with the chief organizer China Arts and Entertainment Group said.

The 36 dancers have between them won 136 world championship competitions.

According to the organizer, the popular music star Elton John staged a 25-minute dancing performance for his 50th birthday party for more than 600 celebrities, and this was later developed into a two-hour dance performance named Burn the Floor, by the famous Australian artist Harley Medcalf, at a cost of US$10 million.

Performance director Jason Gilkison has incorporated various dancing styles such as the waltz, the cha-cha, samba, rumba, jazz, flamenco and tap dance, as well as introducing elements of folk dance, ballet and modern dance. The settings include a masquerade in Venice, a bullfight in Spain, and the Moulin Rouge of France.

The music ranges from the swing style of the 1930s to contemporary pop, and changes with every scene, Gilkison added.

The organizer said Burn the Floor had fired up worldwide audiences since it kicked off its tour in 1999. So far, the troupe has visited 87 cities in 15 countries.

Apart from the performance in Beijing, Burn the Floor will also feature at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai International Art Festival in November.

(China Daily August 8, 2005)