The West Midlands is one of the UK’s biggest and best dance hubs, with venues hosting everything from classical ballets to snake-hipped Strictly stars strutting their samba stuff. Here’s a selection of productions hot-shoe shuffling their way into the region over the next few weeks...

NIKITA: MIDNIGHT DANCER

International champion and Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin’s first-ever solo tour sees him joined by ‘a sharp and chic cast of talented dancers and vocalists... for an evening bursting with happiness, euphoria, and (of course) world-class dance’.

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 2 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 11 May; Birmingham Hippodrome, Saturday 17 May

ACOSTA DANZA: CUBAN ECLECTICO

Danceworks inspired by Cuban culture - but which come complete with a ‘twist’ -  are brought together in this latest creation from Birmingham Royal Ballet Director Carlos Acosta.

The show is presented by Carlos’ critically acclaimed ensemble, Acosta Danza, which performed a Latin American-inspired version of The Nutcracker at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton earlier in the year.

This latest production will see the company showcasing dance that ranges from modern to Afro-Cuban. The featured works, created in tandem with Carlos by highly regarded  choreographers from across the globe, incorporate flamenco, capoeira and hip-hop. A Q&A session will take place post-show on the opening night.  

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May

RHIANNON FAITH COMPANY: LAY DOWN YOUR BURDENS 

 “The constant in all my work is love,” explains socially conscious choreographer Rhiannon Faith, who this month brings critically acclaimed show Lay Down Your Burdens to Coventry. “I know how that might sound, but actually, I think it’s brave to say. I make work about the human experience, and at the heart of that, the most essential thing that we truly know and we truly need, is love; to give it and to receive it.”

Set in an on-stage pub and exploring themes of grief, serious illness and personal suffering, Rhiannon’s Olivier Award-nominated show combines physical performance, personal testimonials, music from a live Ceilidh band and a selection of pub games. Its stated aim? To ‘draw together those who have been estranged or never even dreamed they were connected’. 

A free-but-ticketed workshop takes place the night before the show (Tuesday the 13th) from 6pm to 7.30pm.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wednesday 14 May

BIBI RUKIYA'S RECKLESS DAUGHTER

Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter is a new dance-theatre production exploring ‘the conditioned patriarchy enforced by women within family structures’.

Created by choreographer Amina Khayyam and loosely based on Federico García Lorca’s The House Of Bernarda Alba, the story is set in contemporary inner-city marginalised new migrant communities. 
The piece was developed over 18 months through an extensive programme of outreach workshops with women’s community groups nationwide.

Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Thursday 22 & Friday 23 May

ALJAŽ & JANETTE: A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Strictly Come Dancing favourites Aljaž Škorjanec and Janette Manrara here make a welcome return to the region with a brand-new show in which they’re promising ‘unforgettable dancing, great music and plenty of laughter’. 

Supported by their own big band and an ensemble cast of dancers and singers, the husband & wife team will be performing routines to a wide selection of music, including classics from the Great American Songbook and various modern-day favourites.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Friday 23 May