THE 31st production of Shall We Dance set the Playhouse Theatre stage on fire with a spectacle of glamour, rhythm and artistry from September 12 to 14. Among those dancers was Yellowwood Park’s own Shelly Dady.

Also read: Yellowwood Park dancer set to feel the beat at Shall We Dance

Dady, who found a recent renewed interest in dance, danced with two companies this year, the Mark Wilson Latin Formation Team, where she assisted in rumba and samba, and with Razzmatazz, a jazz and fosse-dance company.

“For our large numbers, we did a combination of jazz and fosse technique, and to start, we dressed up in our feather harnesses for a bit of showgirl sheen,” she said.

For Dady, nothing beats being on stage performing. “It is a little surreal. The show run feels as if it flashes by in a blink of an eye, you hear the opening overture and the next thing you know you are standing backstage waiting for the finale. It’s such a tremendous feeling,” she said.

Dady believes that the people are what make Shall We Dance such a unique show.

“It’s the energy, the love, the laughs, the music, the lighting, the costumes and the common love of dance with the cast that makes this show so special. The way that groups love to encourage one another and even try to emulate each other’s choreography is heartwarming,” she said.

This year was all the more special for Dady, as her 11-year-old son was involved in the production as a backstage assistant. “He’s now hooked on the magic of the show just like me,” she joked. “If the chance falls to work in the 32nd production of Shall We Dance there will be only one choice and that is an immediate yes,” she said.

The 2025 production amazed crowds from ballroom and Latin to modern, ballet and jazz.

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