The Dance Daly Ballroom hosted the “Marvelous Musicals Showcase,” a ballroom dance event inspired by Broadway and musical theater at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on July 18 at 6 p.m. After checking in, people gathered in small groups throughout the lobby, waiting for the performance to begin.
Located in Mission Viejo, Dance Daly Ballroom is Orange County’s top award-winning ballroom dance studio, offering dance lessons for people of all ages.
Inside the theater, the stage was largely bare, with only a blue screen as the backdrop, leaving an open space for the dancers to perform. Before the show began, the emcee in a purple dress stepped onto the stage to welcome the audience. Speaking through a microphone, she raised her hands, asking the audience to clap and cheer for the dancers. The audience responded with enthusiasm.
After welcoming the audience, the curtain opened, signaling the beginning of the show. Before each performance began, an announcement with upbeat music introduced the audience to the name of the show and the performer’s name.
With each announcement, dancers stepped onto the stage one performance after the other. At the end of each number, the lights suddenly faded to black and performers quickly exited. Each time the stage lit up again, an entirely new cast entered, bringing a different dance style.
The performance featured a variety of dances, including Latin, jazz and contemporary. Most of the performances were ballroom dances performed by groups of two to three dancers, though there were also larger ensembles. One of the biggest groups included nine dancers, performing a Fosse Medley inspired by the signature dance performance style of Broadway choreographer Bob Fosse.
Other than the choreography, the costumes distinguished the different dance styles, even for people who are not familiar with dance.
Dancers wore costumes reflecting the musical that they performed while also incorporating its style. During the dance to the song from “Singin’ in the Rain,” the female performer wore a bright yellow dress reminiscent of the iconic yellow raincoat on the poster. Both of the performers carried an umbrella, another signature of the movie, as a prop in the dance.
In “You’re Welcome” from the movie “Moana,” the performers dressed like Moana and Maui, with the dancer performing as Maui wearing a costume showing the character’s tattoo and muscles. Another pair of dancers performing the song from “Cats” even wore full-body cat costumes.
Sherri Nussbaum, a volunteer at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and the Mental Health Association of Orange County, attended the event to support her friend who performed in the song from “Mamma Mia!”
“I’m looking forward to seeing the interpretation from all these different dancers on all these different musicals,” Nussbaum told New University.
Nussbaum said she was also eager to seeing how familiar musicals transform into choreography.
“It’s wonderful to see the different kinds of interpretations that can happen when you’re not confined by the entire musical, because these are just pieces of the shows, so you’ve got an opportunity to see something new and exciting.”
Similar to Nussbaum, retired high school teacher Lance Larsen came to the show with his wife, Becky, to support her friend.
“I love watching ballroom dance. I love, absolutely adore ballroom dance,” Becky told New University, “It just makes you feel good. Dancing just lifts your spirits.”
Chloe Mo is a Features Intern for the summer 2026 quarter. She can be reached at chloem7@uci.edu.
Edited by Ennes Kahf and Geneses Navarro.
