A glittering, bootylicious debut, Twerk Noir: Through the Ages is a nostalgic high. I wondered whether a troupe of dancers twerking could keep my attention for a whole hour – trust me, they certainly can.
Taking us on a rollicking good time back through major eras of music, pop culture, and social justice wins, the dancers get down and dirty with flips, splits, kicks and a lot of booty action. Not afraid to get up close and personal, these babes gave it all they got, and then some.
There were bodies and butts of all shapes and sizes onstage: diversity was celebrated, paraded and jiggled, loud and proud. Let’s face it, none of us meet all the impossible beauty standards often expected by society, and I think we all deserve to see ourselves represented onstage. We all need to see people just like us, getting up to show it all off and having the party of a lifetime. The dancers were clearly having fun, and it was absolutely infectious.
I wondered whether the troupe would mention the origins of twerking, pioneered by the African-American community to bounce music in 1980’s New Orleans. While they didn’t mention it explicitly, they did pay homage to its origins by dancing to tracks sung by People of Colour, and honouring the contribution of Black lesbians to the LGBTQ+ movement during this period. Body-positive and all for Queer rights, this show makes everyone feel seen.
Anna Phylaxis was a bedazzling and charismatic host; so much so that I didn’t pay too much attention to the clipboard she was reading off. The dancers were so electrifying; it was a shame the music was edited rather abruptly.
So, if you’re nostalgic for the twenties you wish you could have been a Gatsby girl in, the sixties you don’t remember, or the nineties that you do, you’re going to want to hop in this sexy, feel-good time machine. Get ready: Twerk Noir brings ‘shaking your booty’ to a whole new level.