Havana Rumba!

Havana Rumba is not just a dance show. From the liberally distributed rum (Havana, naturally) to the uninhibited hip-swinging of the audience, the show is an all-encompassing cultural experience that successfully recreates the atmosphere of the vibrant Cuban capital.

From the moment the Cuban dance troupe explode onto the stage, the performance is spellbinding. Complete with a lively eight-man band, the four pairs of dancers spring into action, shimmying to the characteristically syncopated rhythms with seemingly boundless energy. Combining impressive solo routines with formation dancing and conventional couple-based salsa, the group twist and turn to the music, executing perfectly-choreographed moves that correspond to imagined locations. 'La playa,' for example, sees the dancers sexily-clad in bikinis and boardshorts, whilst a humorous dance-off in a bar provides the perfect opportunity for the men to display their outstanding technical agility.

The talented band more than matches up to the dancers' prowess. Playing a varied selection of music, ranging from traditional Cuban, to African rhythms and Reggaeton, the beaming musicians bounce to the beat with remarkable zest. So infectious is the rhythm that at one point everybody around me is helplessly tapping the catchy rhythm on their thighs.

The level of audience participation increases until the whole crowd is miraculously – this is Britain after all – up and dancing to the beat, looking rather awkward but smiling with glee. Even when the show is over, the beat goes on in the minds of the two elderly ladies I catch rumba-ing round the toilet after the show.