What a triumph for Sadler’s Wells East to host the return of Uchenna Dance’s Our Mighty Groove, last year’s winner of Best Dance Production at the Black British Theatre Awards.

The hour-long performance follows a vibrant cast of characters through a night at Club Groove, inspired by choreographer Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s own experiences in a New York nightclub.

Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s signature blend of club, house, waacking and vogue, mixed with African and contemporary dance is a high-energy watch, touching on themes of connection and finding community through dance.

The eve kicks off with an introduction by the Club DJ, whose voice pops up throughout the performance, introducing characters and spicing up drama. A solo performance by the expressive club worker Wesley (Dani Harris-Walters) sets off the tempo for the night, busting out moves while lifting boxes.

Then comes my favourite character of the night, the cheeky chappy bad boy security guard (Cache Thake), whose oozing charisma seems to be everywhere - taking selfies with girls in the queue, breaking up fights and chirpsing one of the dancers. 

Enter Blue (Iona Brie), a suitably annoying influencer, dressed in a sparkly sequined jacket and sporting a painful looking ponytail, joined by her friend Jessie (Shula Carter), a prim and out of place girl who is reluctant to join in.

The most captivating and technically impressive performance of the night is undoubtedly Kabuki Johnson, who plays Bougetta - a diva and frequent club groover, who makes a dramatic entrance with her minions and proceeds to dominate the dance floor (all done in stilettos too…).

What ensues is a diva-off between Bougetta and Blue - think dance battle in White Chicks - that adds some fun and drama to the performance. The ensemble pieces are slick, packed with an energy that makes it easy to follow the shifting plots and gossip of the club. 

The soundtrack, composed by Warren Morgan-Humphreys and Kweku Aacht, is excellent throughout. Loud and atmospheric, it completes the club setting and guides the pacing of the choreography perfectly. The set is minimalist, dominated by a huge neon GROOVE sign at the back and a door entrance, which for the space works well.

Lighting is well-executed, moving your gaze around the stage as the focus shifts to different groups. The costumes are fun, with each character adopting their own unique style, and a memorable dress reveal for Jessie that signifies her Sandy-esque transformation into a new diva. 

There is some, quite unexpected, group participation (hence the OUR Mighty Groove), which left my guest crying tears of laughter at our inability to follow basic choreography. It’s fun, and gets the whole room moving.

After the final bow, the audience is led out of the auditorium in a lively procession to a pop-up dancefloor, where the dance continues. Quite un-Britishly of us, there were a lot of people actually joining in… and enjoying themselves!

The show is only running for three days, but there’s still time to catch Our Mighty Groove tonight Fri 3rd or tomorrow Sat 4th July. Check out tickets and more info here.