“Anyone who lived through this era is going to love it, and their kids can see what their moms and dads were doing,” said Derryl Yeager, artistic director of Odyssey Dance Theatre.
Act One begins with a repertory of four different works. It features the return of the “Clean Up Krew” tap dance, choreographed by Veronica Yeager. The happy foot choreography is followed by Derryl Yeager’s Cirque du Soleil styled “Andante” and “Solimbula,” which is set to the music of Mozart and Beethoven, respectively. Adding to the first act is former company member and choreographer Christian Denice’s contemporary piece “Between Disconnect.”
Act Two offers something for the oldies — loving hearts with the kick start to “Dance Fever!” Paying homage to John Travolta’s classic “Staying Alive,” this production is a crowd pleaser with countless Bee Gees favorites such as “Staying Alive,” “Emotion,” “More Than a Woman,” “Tragedy,” “How Deep is Your Love” and “You Should Be Dancing.”
“Choreographically I used a lot of the steps from the clubs back in the day. I even have a guy dressed in silver spandex and an afro dancing to Boogie Child,” Yeager said.
With choreography from Derryl Yeager himself, along with Allison Thornton and Jessica Holker, “Dance Fever!” works to become an entertaining and high-spirited blast from the past. Odyssey Dance Theatre hopes to give nostalgia for disco balls and white suits. It also wants to maintain a spectacle of choreography that only Odyssey Dance Theatre can provide.
“One of the reasons we have our name is because we do put theatrics into our pieces,” said Yeager on the various styles presented in “Shut Up & Dance.” “You don’t like tap? Wait a few minutes and you can watch a contemporary or a ballet. There is always a little taste of these different styles — it’s a dance smörgåsbord.”
“Dance Fever!” will take stage Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 15 at 2 p.m.
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‘Dance Fever!’ is a far-out ‘70s blast from the past
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