Backed by a great Band, Rhythmic Circus takes to the air in "Feet Don't Fail Me Now!" at the Colonial on May 12, 2012.

They began in 2008 and haven’t stopped to catch their breath yet. That’s why Rhythmic Circus calls their “show” (an understatement if I ever heard one) Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! The evening combines hot, brassy music with a blend of hard-hitting tap, high-spirited humor and finger-snapping tunes, exploring rhythm and percussive dance through musical genres from funk to salsa. Throw in some gymnastics, some sand, a few folding chairs, and it is a show that you will tell your friends it has that “you have to see it to believe it” quality.

Double Header includes the show and an after-party too

And I predict there will be dancing in the aisles on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 8pm at The Colonial Theatrewhich will continue with a Free after party for ticket holders with DJ BFG and projections by Drew Suto. Others will pay a $3 cover charge, a bargain in my opinion. DJ BFG (a.k.a. Pittsfield author Gabriel Squailia) is an old-school mixologist trained at NYC’s Scratch Academy in 2003. Schooled on vinyl, he uses a digital rig to blend funky music from disco to dubstep into a seamless groove made for dancing.

About Rhythmic Circus

There’s tap dancing and then there’s Rhythmic Circus, the percussive-dance phenomenon that electrifies audiences with its hard-hitting, rapid-fire tap and high-spirited music. Their show, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! is spiced up with a variety of musical flavors, from Minneapolis funk to salsa, and enlivened by a seven-piece band, vocalists, and a beat-boxer. The company’s repute goes well beyond the sum of the dancers’ talents; themed pieces include costume changes and musical segues highlighting the funky styling of the band. The combined and highly integrated talents of the dancers and musicians alike have built a reputation for leaving audiences on their feet and dancing in the aisles!

No stranger to the spotlight, they have opened for Savion Glover’s Bare Soundz, collaborated with Vocal Essence in Witness: A Tribute to Duke Ellington at the Ordway Performing Arts Center, and appeared in the Crash Bang Boom! Festival at the Minnesota Orchestra Hall. Since their inception in 2007, Rhythmic Circus has quickly risen to become the busiest touring tap company in the nation. In their first National tour, they visited more than 40 cities in over 20 states performing over 70 shows which included performances in the U.S. Virgin Islands and this season will visit 20 more states as well as tour to Europe with a stop at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.

Their current production, Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!, premiered in August of 2008 at the Ritz Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when the group’s dancers and founders Nick Bowman, Ricci Milan, Kaleena Miller and Eddie Strachan joined forces with Twin Cities’ heavyweight musicians Alex Rossi, Cornell Blanchard, Patrick Nelson, Dan Ristrom, Jason Marks, Elliot Blaufuss and Aaron “Heatbox” Heaton to integrate an inventive style of rapid-fire tap with a wide variety of musical genres. This captivating blend resulted in a novel music and dance experience that appeals to audiences of all ages. Rhythmic Circus has energized their innovative live performance with a blend of hard-hitting tap, high-spirited humor and finger-snapping tunes, exploring rhythm and percussive dance through musical genres from funk to salsa. In Feet Don’t Fail Me Now!, Rhythmic Circus satisfies their “rhythmic appetite” on everything from sand to folding chairs, and in one number even utilizes the technology of electric drum triggers to change the sound of their taps.

In addition to their touring, Rhythmic Circus also has plans to open Off-Broadway in October 2012.If they do, check back with Berkshire on Stage for discount ticket deals – we have connections in New York.

Here in the Berkshires, the tab is pretty reasonable to begin with. Tickets to Rhythmic Circus are $15-$35. Tickets may be purchased in person at The Colonial Theatre Ticket Office at 111 South Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 or by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.BerkshireTheatreGroup.org. The Ticket Office is open Monday-Friday 10am–5pm, Saturdays 10am–2pm or on any performance day from 10am until intermission. Admission to the after party with DJ BFG is free with a ticket to the show, otherwise, there’s a $3 cover charge.

Rhythmic Circus’ appearance is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts. NEFA’s mission is to creatively support the movement of people, ideas, and resources in the arts within New England and beyond, make vital connections between artists and communities, and build the strength, knowledge, and leadership of the region’s creative sector.