BY day, they’re a bunch of mild-mannered tradesmen and office workers, but by night, the shirts are off and they’re pulling out their best moves – usually surrounded by crowds of screaming women.

But these men aren’t strippers, and their manager Sarah Berenson wants to make that clear.

She and group member Felipe Valenzuela created For Play, a four-piece male dance troupe who are looking to take Canberra by storm.
“They like to tease, but they’re certainly not going to strip,” explains Sarah.

“A few people got confused when they saw the promo card with the shirts off, but we want to set the record straight – the pants stay on.”

Sarah, also a life coach counsellor, says she was speaking with seasoned dancer Felipe about his goals when he mentioned his dream was to be a backup dancer for someone famous – “ideally Beyonce.”

Felipe decided to pursue that dream by enlisting a group of experienced dancers to build exposure and recognition through performing at various venues around Canberra and eventually, nationally.

And he didn’t have to look too far.

“Jason [Tabiolo] was a friend for ages with heaps of breakdancing experience so I asked him to be part of the group, and one night I was out and saw Aymard [Lam] dancing at a club… I said ‘wow I gotta have him, too’,” he says.

Fourth member Ben Tyrrell is the “MC” of the group, but “doesn’t usually do the choreographed dances,” says Sarah.

“He provides the laughs, he’s a lot of fun,” she says.

“They’ve all got such diverse talents, and are all from such diverse backgrounds, there’s really something for everyone.”

With more than 30 years of dancing experience between them, the group incorporates a variety of styles into their shows including breakdancing, Latin, African, hip hop, dubstep and Brazilian funk.

“They’re all very high energy so it’s full on,” says Felipe.

“It’s great to be able to showcase our talent in a professional but fun way, where the audience can interact rather just sit quietly and watch.”

The shirts come off, “sometimes, because it’s a bit of fun, and originally the group was inspired by the movie ‘Magic Mike’, where they obviously danced with their shirts off,” Felipe says.

“Some of our shows might have some sexually suggestive moves, but we’re not going to strip – that’s not what it’s about.”

Sarah says the audience can get pretty wild – “there’s always lots of screaming 18-year-old girls, they treat them like they’re famous,” she says.

“People are also starting to book us for parties and hens’ nights as an alternative to strippers – it’s a bit more respectful and sophisticated.”

And it’s not just women who can appreciate For Play’s dance moves – men can be the most enthusiastic reviewers.

“They’re a bit tentative at first, worrying that we’ll be a sleasy strip group, but when they see us I think they appreciate what we do and are impressed,” Felipe says.

“After our last show the men working at the door and behind the bar were like ‘awesome; when’s your next gig?’ I think they appreciate the level of energy and fitness involved as much as the women, and are hopefully inspired from that.”

More information at facebook.com/forplaycanberra