Gay Men’s Dance Company
Christmas Show, Inferno’s Clapham
Sunday 8th Dec 2019
“The show is a variety show of our various Dance (General, Advance, Voguing, Beyonslay and Ballroom & Latin), Pole Dancing, Choir & Musical Theatre classes. Showing off some of the work they’ve done this term. Some members have been with us for years, some will have only joined this term (11 weeks ago). The cast will be around 100 members. The show is uplifting, fun & hopefully a little inspirational. It’s heavily Xmas themed, but there’s various other numbers too & we will have a mention/speech about World Aids Day/HIV stigma with it being an important subject & close to WAD….
The company has been going for 4 years now, we currently have 17 classes in London & Brighton & around 250 members. Alex Scurr runs the company and alongside other teachers is to create a safe space for anyone (any gender or sexual preference) to come & relax, meet people, have fun. There are drinks after class and various extra social events & activities. There’s a big emphasis on community, welfare & raising money for charities and causes.”
Review by Richard Lambert
GMDC has had pheneomenal growth over it’s initial class of 20 people just 4 years ago. Going from strength to strength it now has 250 members with classes covering a range of topics that include Dance, Musical Theatre, Pole, Vogue and Singing.
Any amateur show putting on a Christmas Gala is going to struggle if they perform in a nightclub with a venue tech doing the lights and sound. And this was very apparent here. With lighting that was brighter on the audience at the back of the club than on the stage, green faces like the Grinch, and Musical Theatre pieces that were totally inaudible, it’s time to step up the production values and get in some proper help.
However, that being said, the fun atmosphere, the energy, the enthusiasm, the lack of convention, the embracement of “come as you are and just be yourself” shines through! Everybody was fabulous!
Shows like this work when the creativity of the choreographers and the multitude of fun ideas abound. And that is what you have here. With performers ranging from highly skilled to highly brave the results range from spectacular to Eton Mess. But who doesn’t love Eton Mess? My favourite dessert! It was all such fun! The programme order was spot-on with full variety changing it up and keeping the pace lifted. The overall result was loadsa fun!
Alex Scurr, the founder of GMDC, as well as being an extremely talented choreographer, clearly loves to include everyone – which is how you feel watching this show! Despite the “Men” in the GMDC there are also women and all manner and variety of different people from different body shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicity.
Classes restart in January and everyone, really everyone, is welcome!
For further information and to book a taster class here: Click here
