We sat down for an exclusive interview with Romain Rachline Borgeaud, the artistic director, choreographer and producer of STORIES. Fusing contemporary tap dance and urban jazz, STORIES – The Tap Dance Sensation is a bold and energetic production that tells the story of Icarus, a successful young actor trapped under the control of a powerful film director.
Following a sold-out, highly successful UK premiere in 2024, the show returns this autumn for a three-week run at Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, the Peacock Theatre (14 -31 Oct) followed by a UK tour to Northampton, Stockton, Bournemouth, Bradford, Edinburgh and Truro.
Conceived by Romain Rachline Borgeaud, the story is brought to life by a cast of 10 exceptional dancers performing to an original score composed by Romain himself.
What inspired you to create Stories, and what did you want audiences to take from it?
I wanted to use cinema as a symbolic world and explore the duality between real life and the film that the main character, Icarus, lives in. Each scene draws inspiration from a different film, as a tribute to cinema. I hope audiences leave full of energy and with a sense of theatrical magic. I also want people who already love tap to love it even more, and those who are new to it to discover that it can speak to them too.
How have your experiences as a dancer, musician and choreographer shaped Stories?
Dance and music have been part of my life from a very early age. I started tap dancing because of my love for Gene Kelly, and I was also inspired by Michael Jackson’s theatricality. I began playing cello when I was four, then learned piano and guitar. Later, performing in musicals confirmed my love of storytelling and tap, while my training and experience as a performer helped me shape the show. Tap is especially powerful for storytelling because it brings movement and a clear rhythm together on stage.
You wrote, directed, choreographed and composed the show. How did these different roles influence the creative process?
I began with the story, then developed the staging, the music and finally the choreography. But movement was on my mind throughout the whole process. I let the choreography grow alongside each stage, so it could flow naturally from the narrative by the time we reached rehearsals. The set was also conceived as an active character, transforming and moving with the performers. It feels far more of a complete and truthful creative process to me to be able to assume each of these roles.
Looking back at Stories today, what does the show mean to you?
I created the show in 2019, and I will always carry it in my heart. Even though I am now focused on another scale of show with our musical The Rise, every time I see Stories, I rediscover and appreciate different elements. The performers are the ones who bring it to life now; seeing them give their energy on stage and watching the audience gasp and hold its breath is part of the magic for me.
Stories has been performed for audiences in France and internationally. How does the show resonate differently across cultures?
We are always amazed by how the show connects with people in different places. It pays tribute to traditional musical theatre in a contemporary way, and I’m always excited to see how audiences in different countries respond to it. For example, first presenting the show in London in 2024 was very intriguing for us, not only because of the tap dancing community in this city, but because it was the first time an English-speaking audience saw and definitely heard the show!
What does music bring to Stories that movement alone can’t?
Music gives the movement a clear rhythm and another way to carry the story. In tap, those things come together on stage: the dancers’ movement becomes part of the rhythm, helping each scene grow naturally out of the narrative.