The worldwide stage sensation Tap Dogs dances into Dubai

Having entertained 12 million people around the globe, as well as billions on television with a performance at the Sydney Olympics, Dein Perry’s award-winning Tap Dogs lands in the UAE for a run of shows starting tonight, writes Afshan Ahmed.

Tap Dogs hits Dubai’s Madinat Theatre tonight. Broadway Entertainment Group

They “tap” music out of everything – wood, metal, water and even a ­ceiling.

Tap Dogs, a touring dance show choreographed by the Olivier Award winner Dein Perry, will be presented for the first time in the Middle East at Dubai’s Madinat Theatre from tonight.

The show, which has won 11 awards including New York’s Obie Award and a Pegasus Award, will have six tap and two swing dancers along with musicians creating a fast-paced, energetic routine on various surfaces with tap shoes.

“[The performance] is very much about the sound that is born during the tapping,” says Douglas Mills, a principal dancer in the show, which was first staged in Australia in 1995.

“It’s about the passion you put into each tap. It’s that magic collaboration between a person and his surroundings. In our case, it is pipes, planks, wooden decks, water surface and many more.”

Their highlight performance was the opening of the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000. It was televised to 3.4 billion people and gained them worldwide recognition. The production has been watched by 12 million people in North America, Europe and Asia.

Perry went on to direct the Australian comedy-drama movie Bootmen in 2000, which is based on the dance style as well.

Mills says that the show involves a lot of intensive cardio steps, and maintaining stamina is a challenge. “ I think the hardest part is maintaining technique while performing at such a high level of energy,” he says.

“We perform upside down, on water and with fireworks all on top of tap dancing for up to eight shows a week while on tour.”

That, he says, requires maintaining the diet of an athlete.

“You need to give your body what it needs to perform the show – exactly like an athlete does. It’s hard work, but the result is always worth it when we see a content ­audience.”

The dancer says that they have upped the humour quotient and have introduced two female musicians for their performance in Dubai.

“It is tap dance in a modern format,” says Mills. “It is a very funny show and there is something for all ages. The good thing about Tap Dogs is that there is no language and our feet do all the ­talking.”

• Tap Dogs will be staged at the Madinat Theatre, Souq Madinat Jumeirah, from tonight to March 15. Tickets are priced from Dh250; to book, call 04 366 6546 or visit www.madinattheatre.com