The cast members of “Burn the Floor” suddenly begins appearing throughout the main floor of the Community Center Theater, then dancing their way on stage.

Right from the beginning, the show is truly spectacular. With in a few minutes those in the audience begin reacting. They clap and cheer the dancers on, reacting strongly to the more intricate, flashier and athletic dance moves. There are some really amazing moves.

Ballroom dance purists may quibble over the “purity” of the dancing, but “Burn the Floor” is not just about the dancing. It is theater, drama and spectacle through ballroom dancing, and it really delivers on all these elements.

The show is two acts with two scenes in each. The mood goes from sensual to sexy to erotic and back. Nearly a dozen different dances are are performed overall with several interspersed through each scene.

One of the numbers features a single blindfolded female dancer being passed back and forth with a half-dozen shirtless, sweaty men. The counterpart shows up later with one male dancer and several women. His original partner strongly pushes aside the other women, reclaiming the man and putting him back in line.

There is no chorus here. All the dancers are stars. All have been dancing since early childhood. All have won major dance competitions. Most have appeared on television in shows such as “So You Think You Can Dance” in the United States and overseas. Most also are “Burn the Floor” veterans having appeared in the original West End London production and/or Broadway. They hail from Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia, England, New York and Los Angeles.

They dance solo and as couples to the full cast on stage. Dancing solo or with the whole cast, they are incredibly beautiful to watch. Move after move was performed that had the audience applauding and cheering.

“Burn the Floor” was originally conceived for Elton John’s 50th birthday party more than 10 years ago. After two years of development in England, “Burn the Floor” became the touring show we see today.

Australian Jason Gilkison both directs and choreographed the show. Paired with fellow Australian Peta Roby, they were major winners of British and Australian dance competitions. Gilkison has choreographed several other shows.

The whole show is about choreography. The choreography of the dance moves with the lighting, costuming and music all work together to create a magical, visually and musically stunning experience.

Ray Klausen’s scenic design works beautifully with Rick Belzer’s lighting to create a sense of place and mood. The lighting is choreographed well with the dance.

International costume designer Janet Hine has designed costumes for numerous Broadway shows as well as shows for musical performers such as Chris Isaak and Harry Connick Jr. Some of her costumes for “Burn the Floor” are about creating a whole lot with very little material. She goes from monochrome to a riot of colors depending on the the mood. Her designs flow beautifully with the dance.

Rebecca Tapia is the female half of the vocalists. Besides having a good voice, she has some great dance moves herself.

Peter Saul, the male vocalist, performs several great songs. One of the highlights of the show is Saul’s rendition of “Burn for You" with a wonderful pas de deux by Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev. It is hard to decide whether he is accompanying the dancers or they are accompanying him.

Two live percussionists, Joseph Malone and Henry Soriano, create the powerful rhythms that drive the dancers.

The rest of the music is digital pre-recorded. It does work well though. The company brings its’ own sound system, lighting and set to guarantee that everything works well and is totally coordinated with the dancers.

Sound designer Peter Fitzgerald worked with music consultant Charlie Hull to create sound and music as dramatic as the dances. Both have strong resumes in musical theater and film.

“Burn the Floor” really is a feast for the senses. All the elements of the dance, music, costumes, lighting and set blend together to create an stunning exciting show. This is the hottest show to come to Sacramento in years.

If you love exciting dance and or theater spectacle go see this show. It is worth breaking open the piggy bank to purchase a ticket. Splurge on the seats closest to the stage. You won’t have a chance to see another show this hot in Sacramento for another several years.

“Burn the Floor”
Though October 10th
Tues.-Sun. 8:00 pm Thurs. Sat. Sun. 2:00 pm
Sacramento Community Center Theater
1301 L Street, Sacramento
Tickets $18-25
(916) 557-1999, (916) 808-5181 Community Center Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento.  Advanced tickets Wells Fargo Pavilion box office 1419 H Street, Sacramento       Online
 California Musical Theatre