"SKOL!" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

For their latest original jazz dance musical, Collide Theatrical Dance Company took inspiration from a recent scholarly finding that a 1878 archeological find that was believed to be the body of a Viking warrior is in fact female remains. There is other evidence to support the existence of female Viking warriors, which you can read about here and I'm sure other scholarly sources. Or you can go see SKOL!, which is less historically accurate than it is an imaging of a strong female leader in the Viking culture and its reflections in today's world. For the first time since the pandemic, Collide is returning to live music accompanying the dancing (their last few shows have used recorded music), and for the first time in their history, they're using original music written for this story instead of covers of pop songs. It's an ambitious task, and after 10 years of creating original dance pieces, they're up for it. If you're someone who things dancing warriors is silly, this might not be the show for you. But if you see dance/music/theater as a way to express heightened emotions, the kind that are very much presence in war, love, and family drama, head to the Southern Theater in the next two weeks to see this fun collision of dance, music, and theater to tell a story of female power.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at Park Square Theatre

Now in their 6th season, Collide Theatrical Dance Company is an expert at telling stories through dance. In their newest original jazz dance musical, playwright and frequent collaborator Michael Hanna has re-imagined Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in the modern NYC fashion world with all female characters. I'll let Regina Peluso, Collide's Artistic Director and choreographer of this show, take it from here. "This classic story, as told through a female lens, illustrates many central themes for women today including the fight against aging in our culture and in the beauty industry, social media's narcissistic influence, the depravity behind perfection, and the debate between beauty and morality." That's more words than are uttered in the entire 100-minute (including intermission) show, but all of that and more is conveyed through the expressive choreography, beautifully danced and emoted by the company, the appropriately chosen pop songs, and the sparkling look of the show. It's a fabulous and well constructed piece of dance-music-theater.

"The Great Gatsby" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Ritz Theater

In the past five seasons, Collide Theatrical Dance Company has brought us original stories from various historical eras, as well as adaptations of classics like Romeo and Juliet. Their new show is an adaptation of the most well-known novel by Minnesota's own F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby. What makes Collide unique is that they tell their stories entirely through movement and music, with few or no words. Their "original Broadway-style jazz dance musicals" are a collision of music, dance, and theater. In other words, an excuse for this busy theater blogger to watch pretty people dance prettily, while telling a theatrical story. Combining perfectly chosen pop songs performed by a live band and singers with thrilling dances performed by the talented company of dancers, they're able to convey all of the emotion of the story (with plot summary printed in the program if you care about the plot). The Great Gatsby is a great example of this as they tell the story of these beautifully tragic and tragically beautiful people.

"Dance 'Til You Drop" at History Theatre, a Co-Production with COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company

What do you get when you combine COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company, known for creating original dance musicals, with the History Theatre, dedicated to creating new work based on or inspired by true events in Minnesota history? You get Dance 'Til You Drop, a dance musical about a Minnesota dance team who competed and set a record in a dance marathon in the 1930s. Let's call it an original historical dance musical! Like all COLLIDE productions, it features exquisite storytelling through dance, and like all History Theatre shows, it's an informative and compelling look at history and how it relates to today. It's fun, inspirational, nostalgic, and over in a quick two hours that will leave you wanting more.

"La Petit Moulin" by COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company at the Ritz Theater

In my biannual excuse to watch dance (which I love, but just don't have time for with all the theater I see), I attended opening night of COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company's latest "original jazz dance musical" La Petit Moulin last weekend. COLLIDE's shows are always great fun - gorgeous dancing, incredible live music, short and sweet so you're outa there in under two hours. For someone who sees a ton of theater, it's a nice palate cleanser to watch a story unfold with nary a word said. Now in their 5th season, the COLLIDE team (choreographer Regina Peluso, Director Josh Campbell, and Music Director Doug Rohde), the musicians, and the dance company are experts at telling a story solely through music and dance.

"Dracula" by Collide Theatrical Dance Company at the Ritz Theater

Collide Theatrical Dance Company is now in their fourth season of creating "original Broadway-style jazz dance musicals." As a theater geek who doesn't know much about dance but loves to watch it, Collide provides an accessible and theatrical way to get into dance. I've seen all of their productions over the last four seasons, and their newest creation Dracula may just be my favorite of them all. Collide is at their best when they let the dancing do the talking, as they do here, telling this modernized story of the iconic Dracula strictly through movement and music. A live band accompanies this fantastic troupe of dancers as they perform innovative and evocative choreography to a wide variety of popular songs reinvented to fit the story. Created by Artistic Director and choreographer Regina Peluso and director Joshua Campbell, this Dracula truly is a perfect collision of dance, music, and theater to create a new and exciting form of storytelling.

"The Belmont Hotel" by COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

COLLIDE Theatrical Dance Company is a new company whose mission is "to create original Broadway-style jazz dance musicals that engage and entertain audiences." It's a cool concept, and for a musical theater geek like myself who doesn't know much about dance, it's a great way to experience the beauty and storytelling power of dance in an accessible and familiar format. Like a musical without words, the story and emotions of the characters are conveyed simply and powerfully through movement and physical expression. Their inaugural production Lot of Living to Do told the story of prostitutes in the '30s trying to better their lives, and their new production, The Belmont Hotel, tells of a hotel owner with a failing business in 1929 who turns to bootlegging, and the effects that has on his family. Directed and choreographed by company founder Regina Peluso and featuring a talented ensemble of dancers, a fabulous on-stage five-person band, and two fantastic singers, it's a highly entertaining evening (free drinks from sponsors Stella Artois and Whiplash Wines don't hurt either).

The story of The Belmont Hotel is fairly simple. Losing money due to the Great Depression, hotel owner Frank (a light on his feet Jeff Quast) decides to go into business with a bootlegger (a smooth and seductive Patrick Jeffrey), introduced to him by the nanny (an appealing Renee Guittar). The money starts rolling in, but his wife (director/choreographer Regina Peluso) and daughter Lily (the precocious Dora Dolphin) are not happy with the change. A crisis neatly leads to a change of heart, the family is reunited, and everyone's happy again. Let's dance!

Dora Dolphin, Regina Peluso, and Jeff Quast
as the (sometimes not so) happy family

And what dancing there is! Regina's choreography is classic and fresh at the same time, beautifully executed by the leads and ensemble. But the youngest dancer steals the show; Dora Dolphin is already a star* at a young age, and is completely charming in Lily's dance with her daddy and alone on stage in her angry neglected dance. The ensemble numbers are also a highlight, especially the Act I closing number "Feeling Good" and the final number "Sing Sing Sing," and include some pretty amazing acrobatic tricks that I wished I could rewind and watch again!

The soundtrack to the story is a selection of jazz standards like "Stormy Weather" and "Mack the Knife (with a little Beyonce and Beatles thrown in for good measure), performed by the band with vocals on some songs. Katie Gearty has a dusky voice that's perfect for these songs, and Cameron Wright has impressive vocals, most evident in an a capella unmiked version of "It Don't Mean a Thing" that fills the cavernous space of the Southern Theater stage. I'm not sure there is a better stage for dance in the Twin Cities than the Southern, with its wide open stage, gorgeous brick arch backdrop, and excellent sightlines from the audience. Costumes are period appropriate (with the exception of an inexplicable untucked plaid shirt and khaki pants ensemble) and still allow the dancers to move freely and beautifully.

This is a short run so act quickly if you want to catch this production of the new original jazz dance musical The Belmont Hotel - only four more performances remain this weekend (discount tickets available on Goldstar.com). Recommended for dance aficionados and novices alike. COLLIDE's next production is Romeo and Juliet next spring. I cannot imagine Romeo and Juliet as a jazz dance musical, but I trust this company to make it work!

*Her bio notes that Dora will be in Gypsy at BCT next spring. From what I've seen of her, she will be a perfect Baby June!

"Lot of Living to Do" by ColliDe Theatrical Dance Company at the Southern Theater

I don't go to many dance performances, mostly because it's hard enough to stay on top of the incredible theater scene in the Twin Cities area. To be fully immersed in the theater and dance world would be too much for one person to handle. But occasionally I find myself at a dance show (typically one with theatrical connections), and I always love it. Dancing is a further extension of the core principle of musical theater - that when ideas and emotions cannot be expressed in mere words, music and movement are necessary to fully convey them. In ColliDe Theatrical Dance Company's original jazz dance musical Lot of Living to Do, a story is told through dance alone, without a single word of explanation (a story summary in the program helps set the stage). The talented troupe of dancers is accompanied by jazz standards performed by a fantastic three-piece band and two talented singers, all of which combines for a very entertaining evening.

ColliDe's mission is to partner artists with Minnesota charities to create new works, an admirable goal (I've always believed that theater has the power to change the world, a little at a time). In this case, the charitable partner is the Women's Foundation of Minnesota's campaign to end underage prostitution in Minnesota, called "MN Girls Are Not For Sale." It's unthinkable that this occurs right here in our fair state, something I wasn't really aware of before reading the literature for this show. In fact, the Twin Cities is one of the 13 largest centers for child prostitution in the country. But don't worry, Lot of Living to Do doesn't preach or hit you over the head with scary facts. It's a story about working girls in the 1930s and their problems and triumphs over them, as a subtle reminder that things aren't that different today. The story centers on teen-aged Jenny, abandoned at a brothel by her mother who can no longer support her. Jenny eventually finds a way to escape this life, with the support of the other women who are in too deep to see a way out for themselves.

Some highlights of the show:

• I have to admit, one of the reasons why I wanted to see this show is to see one of my favorite musical theater actors, Jared Oxborough. Just after a successful run as Radames in Theater Latte Da's Aida, he channels Michael Buble on such classics as "The Best is Yet to Come," "Have You Met Miss Jones," and my theme song, "The Lady is a Tramp" (I get much too hungry to eat dinner at 8, I love the theater, but never come late, I never bother with people I hate). Jared also plays the role of a jerk of a john, and gets to kick up his heels a bit at the end.
• Katie Gearty plays the brothel madam, the aforementioned Miss Jones, and lends her gorgeous jazzy voice to songs like "Nice Work if You Can Get It" and "Frankie and Johnny," all while presiding over the brothel and collecting money from her girls.

the light-on-his-feet (and hands) Galen Higgins

• All of the dancers are so gorgeous performing the choreography of ColliDe Artistic Director Regina Peluso, a sort of Fosse-esque jazz style, sharp and yet loose at the same time, and very expressive of the high emotions of the characters. Standouts in the cast include Lauren Anderson, a fierce and powerful dancer, conveying strong emotion as the tough working girl Frankie. As Jenny's sweet boyfriend, Galen Higgins is incredibly light on his feet and expressive in every muscle of his body, from the tips of his toes to his open face. His dancing is so joyful, it's impossible not to smile while watching him.
• The Southern Theater is a great place for dance, with its wide-open cavernous space, well-used by the dancers. A few set pieces, including a bar on the left, a small stage for the singers, and some tables in back, set the scene of a 1930s brothel while still leaving plenty of space for dance.

ColliDe Theatrical Dance Company beautifully tells this story in a fun and entertaining way. On the surface it's just a beautiful dance performance, until you see that it goes a little deeper than that. It's a great way to draw people in and inform them of a very real and serious problem, as well as offering a solution to that problem. In the real world, young girls need more than a cute bartender boyfriend to get them out of this terrible situation, which is where MN Girls Are Not For Sale comes in. See their website for more information on how to help in this worthwhile campaign, and go check out the show at the Southern (one performance Saturday night and two on Sunday) for an entertaining evening of jazz, music, vocals, and dance. Talented dancers, singers, and musicians, a captivating story, a great cause, and free drinks from sponsors Whiplash Wines and Stella Artois. What more can you ask for?