Rock the Ballet, Peacock Theatre, review: 'The wrong kind of bad'

Rock the Ballet isn’t just a failure as dance, it’s a letdown as cheesy pop fun

Performed by the Bad Boys of Dance, Rock the Ballet is the wrong kind of bad. The posters promise high kicks and big jumps; on stage, the Bad Boys don’t know what to do with themselves between the tricks.

Rock the Ballet was launched in 2007, when it starred Rasta Thomas. These days, the show is dominated by Adrienne Canterna, its choreographer, sole female dancer and resident egomaniac.

With a blonde fringe and a determined jump, she casts herself as the vamp the male dancers all swoon for. She also stars in a series of duets to maudlin power ballads, all high extensions and moping.

The dances for the men are even worse. Perhaps saving themselves for the inevitable acrobatics, they plod through repetitive steps with stiff torsos, slack energy and iffy unison. The soundtrack ranges from U2 to Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger, with clunky video projections for scenery.

There’s a slight improvement in the second half, when the dancers give up on the unison shuffling and stick to the flashy bits. The jumps, turns and hip hop spins are efficient. Even so, Rock the Ballet isn’t just a failure as dance, it’s a letdown as cheesy pop fun.

Until 28 June. Box office 0844 412 4322