THERE is a real treat in store at Felixstowe next week when an international box office smash hit will take the Spa Pavilion by storm.Spirit of the Dance has played to 20 million people worldwide and has grown out of the immense popularity of Riverdance and the performances of Michael Flatley.

THERE is a real treat in store at Felixstowe next week when an international box office smash hit will take the Spa Pavilion by storm.

Spirit of the Dance has played to 20 million people worldwide and has grown out of the immense popularity of Riverdance and the performances of Michael Flatley.

Wherever it has played, it has received rave reviews and has smashed box office records in 15 different countries.

It is one of the most successful shows ever to come out of Ireland and is the winner of nine Global Awards, including Best Choreography and Best International Production.

It is a spectacle bursting with raw energy, a foot-stomping production featuring a spellbinding blend of traditional Irish dance but also innovative choreography highlighting the changing taste of world dance styles.

Powerful, show-stopping Irish Dance is combined with the passionate Latino rhythms of Tango, Flamenco and Red-Hot Salsa.

At any one time the show – which comes to Felixstowe on Thursday May 2 at 8pm – is being performed in up to six places around the globe.

Over 250 dancers, all aged 18 to 25, of the Irish International Dance Company, 150 technical staff, 50 musicians and 75 management personnel are working round the clock to ensure it looks great wherever it appears worldwide.

"The dancers are either British or Irish, and many of them are Irish dance champions," said a spokeswoman for the theatre company.

"They have appeared in different productions of Spirit of the Dance worldwide, including Australia, Dubai, Hong King, Singapore, USA, Canada, Korea and all the European capitals.

"We also have our own full-time training schools in Dublin and London where new dancers are constantly being groomed to appear in one of the international tours.

"Our dancers have to be highly skilled in many forms of dance. This unique skill puts them on a higher level to almost any other dance troupe in the world. They also have to be super-fit, and be totally dedicated to their profession."

Most of the dancers have been Irish dancers since they were small children and have then gone on to dance colleges. They have to rehearse every day to maintain the precision and accuracy of all the dance steps to the highest level.

"People always ask us if the dancers love what they do, and the answer to that becomes obvious when you see the vitality and sheer electricity that generates from the stage during the show," said the spokeswoman.

"Their enthusiasm and energy shines out as they dance – and you can see just how much they love it.

"The minute they walk on stage, they become totally immersed in their performance and hive out everything they've got because that is where they want to be."

Tickets for the show are £16.50, £14.50 and £12.50, available from the Spa box office or on 01394 282126.

WEBLINK: www.spiritofthedance.com

n The Spa also offers dance this week with the Marwyn School of Dance presenting its show The Twelve Dancing Princesses at the theatre on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27.

The school was founded in Felixstowe in 1946 by Margaret Spencer and her cousin Winifred, using part of their Christian names for its title, and has been thriving ever since, bringing a love of dance to generations of youngsters.

Tickets for the show are £6.50 for adults and £3.50 for children, available from the box office.

WEBLINK: www.marwyndance.btinternet.co.uk