In parallel with the topics in 'Ballet' and 'Modern Dance', we invite you to tell us about unforgettable performances that you've seen.<P><BR>Bomablurina Member posted: <P>CATS!!!!!Oh my goodness CATS!!!!! That would have to be it! The whole show is intense dancing adn it'd so baeultifly done and 100% is given all the time to some really hard moves and i think that ti is just so wonderful! <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited August 01, 2000).]

One of my strongest memories in the theatre took place about 30 yeqars ago when a Zulu company brought 'Umabatha', their version of 'Macbeth', to London. Even with an ear phone commentary the production was amazing and the story was transplanted to the tribal rivalries of Africa with great ease. <P>The vibrant war dances were a highlight and added to the success of this production which was the hottest ticket in London for all of its run as part of an International Theatre Festival. <p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited August 04, 2000).]

Are Flamenco, Irish, Musicals etc sooo boring that no one remembers any of them? Difficult to believe!<P>If you have some good memories of performances in this category, why not share them with us, we'd love to hear about them.

Well, alright. Back in the 70's I saw "Jose Molinas and the Bailes Espanol" perform. The company joined with the audience so well that you could just feel the souls of the attendees dancing along all around you. The program covered many forms of Spanish dance from the northern "jota" danced in soft shoes with castanets involving lots of jumping and footwork, to raucous bulerias, to moving soleares. Also in the program was the typically masculine and challenging farruca and the very classical bolero school. All was completed with the cuadro flamenco, where the entire company comes together on stage and take part in good-natured, often humorous competition. Even the guitar players and singers jump up for a dance accompanied by palmas or handclapping, all building to such a frenzy, that the audience joins in with loud "oles."<P>I had the good fortune to be able to study with several members of the company over the years. Once a reporter noted that Jose seemed to be waving to someone he knew high in the balcony of a theater he had performed in. When asked, Jose said that as a boy, he used to save enough pesetas to be able to afford a seat in the last row of the balcony to see shows that he loved. Now, he acknowledges and gives special thank-yous to the person who sits in the 12 peseta seat.

Wow, Maggie. I really like how the musicians get in on the dancing, and the audience gets pulled right in from the beginning. Also, the story about the 12 peseta seat - how lovely.<P>These Unforgettable Performances threads always get me thinking back over things I've seen. Even if I don't post much about them, it's nice to revisit past shows.