“Gotta Dance!” Showcases Broadway’s Magical Moves
Some of the greatest dance productions to ever hit Broadway are recaptured in the Off Broadway show now at Stage 42.
| 29 Apr 2026 | 06:20
RJ HIGTON and Company perform ‘Broadway Rhythm’ in “GOTTA DANCE! “ (
)
The cast of GOTTA DANCE!, at the opening night curtain call. (
)
If you miss—or missed—the great dance shows like “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway,” “Dancin,” “West Side Story” and “Chorus Line,” you are in luck. “Gotta Dance,” a medley of the greatest moments performed by magical feet, has just opened at Stage 42 on 42nd Street.
An amazing amount of talent in this production will remind you of what only live theatre can do: bring foot-stomping magic to life. The force behind this show–which thankfully is in an open-ended run–is Nikki Feirt Atkins. She runs a company called American Dance Machine (non- profit about educating, presenting and preserving dance) and she serves as co-director (with Randy Skinner) on “Gotta Dance.”
“I’ve been working on this in some way for about 13 years,” she says. “I just feel with the times we are living in, people are hungering for pure entertainment. That is what dance is. And we want to be sure these choreographic gems never become obsolete. What I love is that so many young people are coming to see it.”
Indeed, the night I saw the show, there were many ages, including groups of young women excited to see RJ Higton, one of the stars of “The Outsiders.” in the cast. A few understudies had come in at the last minute, and Atkins sighed with relief when they seemed not a step out of time.
Among the numbers are “Cool” from West Side Story” (“boy boy...crazy boy”) “ChorusLine,” (“One singular sensation...” ) and even a few from Gene Kelly movies. And who can forget the one- man “All I Need Is The Girl” from “Gypsy? The list goes on and they are all here. As for the selections, Atkins says, “I go with the ones that I love and that truly move me. From Jerome Robbins to Fosse to more. But I have a list of about 100, so I don’t think we’ll be running out of them.”
This is turning out to be a good season for dance aficionados. “Just In Time” at Circle in The Square continues to draw folks in to see Bobby Darin enacted and celebrated by Jonathon Groff. Darin’s songs are performed aside some “splashy,” expert, and even occasionally interactive (with Groff) choreography. And, buckle up and get ready for “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” a ballroom-style extravaganza unlike anything we’ve seen in years. What can I say?
Find those old tap shoes and get yourself to Stage 42.
Michele Willens’ “Stage Right..or Not” airs weekly on Robinhoodradio.
“I just feel with the times we are living in, people are hungering for pure entertainment. That is what dance is.” Nikki Feirt Atkins, American Dance Co.