Review: DANCING WITH THE STARS: LIVE! 2024 TOUR at the Taft Theatre

American reality television is filled with its share of talent competitions, but Dancing with the Stars is one that has become a long withstanding staple in the industry. Even if a person has never seen a single episode, they’re likely to at least have heard of it or know the basic premise. For the dedicated, however, it becomes a special time to learn which professional dancer will match up with which celebrity to compete for the Mirrorball trophy. Over the course of 32 seasons beginning in 2005, more and more people are drawn to the excitement, and the professional dancers have gained a significant following of their own.

The official Dancing with the Stars tours began in 2014 and have continued on a mostly annual basis. But while the TV show focuses a great deal on the competitive and celebrity aspects, the tours become a showcase to highlight the professional dancers and their highly advanced skills. The 2024 tour cast includes EMMA SLATER as the host, and she is joined by fellow dancers Alan Bersten, Britt Stewart, Brandon Armstrong, Daniella Karagach, GLEB SAVCHENKO, Pasha Pashkov, and Rylee Arnold. Special guests are also invited to join stretches of the tour, and the February 6th performance featured recent Bachelorette star Charity Lawson, a finalist in the 32nd season of Dancing with the Stars. Her dance partner from the show, Artem Chigvintsev, joined her as well.

This sold-out performance at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio was highly anticipated by local fans, and they voiced their elation over seeing their favorite dancers in person. The show started right on time, as one could expect from performers who are used to being on a strict schedule, and they opened with a group number accompanied by Rosemary Clooney’s rendition of “Sway” bellowing from the speakers to get everyone in the mood for what was to come over the next two hours. While the show’s central focus was on the exceptional dance performances, they also kept everything varied throughout to keep engagement. A wide range of music was used from both vintage and modern eras, and the dancing style and tempo would change along with each song. In between, Emma would interview Charity (who was celebrating her first stop on the tour) about her time on Dancing with the Stars. At one point during her introduction with Artem, he shared the greatest fear a male dancer could face once paired with a female celebrity: if she is tall. Due to an incorrect Google result, he was quite nervous how working with Charity would go until her arrival, when her height ended up being substantially shorter than what the Internet claimed it to be. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized he would have more flexibility with tricks and tosses and whatnot, and they proved their partnership to be rather successful during their season.

A certain tangent in the second act ended up being an unexpectedly hilarious segment of the evening. One lucky audience member was plucked out of the crowd and brought up on stage to participate in a blind “dating” game of sorts. Using a series of provided questions, she was able to converse with three mystery dancers on the other side of the partition in order to decide which would be the best partner for her own special dance. Their answers brought a raucous laughter through the house, and Alan’s responses like, “I don’t have kids, but you can call me daddy,” led to him being chosen by the invited guest, and together they shared a brief rumba.

While so many dance routines stood out as potential favorites, they all worked in tandem to create a cohesive event. Each one was welcomed for the different emotions it brought, from lighthearted, to energetic, to sultry, to somber. Dance as an art is massively reliant on dynamics and creativity, and this tour displays so much of that. The dancers are unequivocally talented, both as a group and in their own individual ways. Not only do they hold the physical attributes that make their dancing so strong, but they are also endearing, good-natured, and naturally supportive of each other and their guests. Charity reflects on the kindness they showed her and the other celebrity stars during this past season, and if the excited screams in the audience were any indication, these dancers have certainly earned the respect of many others.

The 2024 tour of Dancing with the Stars: Live! is an absolute joy for both new and old fans of the TV show, or even for anyone who just enjoys a huge spectacle and superb dancing. Every necessary element has an elevated presence, especially when it comes to the bright, bedazzled costumes. Most importantly, it honors the acclaimed professionals for the work they do to portray and adapt traditional ballroom dance for a modern audience. The dancers’ backgrounds and techniques are used to great advantage in their performances, giving their admirers proper examples of what the art can be and what they can strive for if they wish to pursue dance themselves. Artistic activities such as choreographed, partnered dance are based in positive qualities like collaboration, passion, and dedication, and attending this show provides a good opportunity to remember just how beneficial these core values are. It is so inspiring to see these dance professionals be celebrated in their best form.

The 2024 tour of Dancing with the Stars: Live! continues through March 27th, stopping in several more cities across the United States before concluding in Los Angeles, California. For more information and to find tickets, visit dwtstour.com or click the link below.

Photo Credit: Amy Ryerson

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