Oti Mabuse was here!
Coming July 14th - Rhod Gilbert 'The Book Of John'
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Coming July 14th - Rhod Gilbert 'The Book Of John' 〰️
The latest big name to be attracted to Swansea’s new arena is, Strictly star and two-times winner, Oti Mabuse. Before joining the BBC show Oti was a professional dancer on the German TV series Let’s Dance and since Strictly, she has been a judge on The Greatest Dancer, a contestant on Celebrity Master Chef, a host on Boogie Beebies, a presenter on Morning Live, a panelist on The Masked Singer UK, a choreographer and guest judge on Drag Race UK, a judge on Dancing on Ice, a presenter on Romeo & Duet – and the choreographer of the brand-new UK production of The Cher Show.
‘I Am Here’ the stage proclaimed and the band certainly were - soon joined by the stars of the show and Oti herself, who made it clear from the start that this was her show with a blistering routine that had us on the edge of our seats. This is a controlled and planned show with no random mish-mash of routines. I Am Here tells a tale and there is a consistency throughout. That consistency is Oti’s life story.
Oti Mabuse Tour Poster
It begins with Oti’s appearance on Strictly which sees her recreate that infamous samba routine before before we’re taken back to her time in Germany where she met, her now husband, Romanian dancer Marius Lepure - who incidentally was one of the show’s dancers! There’s an interlude where we are treated to some of Oti’s favourite routines from the West End - Singing In The Rain and West Side Story. In a brave move Oti tackles her homeland’s dark history of apartheid with some traditional South African music and routines which continues into the second half of the show. The dance between Oti and her husband - one in black and the other white was a little naive but left no room for any misunderstanding as they kept being pulled apart by the other dancers. Sometimes it’s the simplest of things that make the biggest impact.
Photo by London Coliseum
One of the most moving pieces was when Oti described her mother’s tireless sacrifices to ensure Oti got dance lessons with her having to bring tutors to their home as black people were not allowed to attend any lessons. It’s shocking to think that this all occurred in recent living memory.
The finale saw Oti arrive onstage in a gold costume, stilettos and a crown as she and the whole ensemble danced to some killer tunes, encouraging the audience to join in. This was not just a Strictly spin-off - it was an amazing experience that will draw the crowds to future shows.
Well done to Swansea Arena for bringing these fantastic shows to the city. It’s just what we need.
Teresa Kennedy