Its national football team may have failed to light up the world stage this summer, but a new show is raising temperatures on the West End in a sexy display of Brazil's other great passion - the samba.

More than 50 dancers, singers and musicians tell the story of the evolution of the joyful dance, from its origins among black slaves to the pomp of ballroom and its influence on today's hip-hop butt-shakers.

The show has already drawn in such stars as the showgirl herself, Kylie Minogue, but there's nothing flashy about Brasil Brasileiro.

While there's no resemblance of Rio de Janeiro's annual carinval, the simplicity of the show doesn't mean it's not spectacular, it just means nothing distracts from the performers who - despite a few slip ups with faulty microphones and a wayward shoe - passionately perform the dance, which is considered a second language in the South American country.

Narrative and plot are also swept aside as 31 acts of song and dance teach the audience what they need to know about the samba.

One of the undoubted stars is the man nicknamed Sorriso, the former street cleaner who became a Brazilian icon after he was televised dancing with his broom at the carnival.

His heartwarming story was featured in a recent television advertisement and now that spur of the moment act back in 1997 has taken him all the way to the West End.

Kitted out in a sharp white suit with seven backing dancers Sorriso is the star of one of the best acts, Malandro, when director Claudio Segovia projects the dancer's shadows onto a white background.

Unfortunately this is one of the few times that props of any kind are used and while we don't need a Brazilian version of Stomp, a bit of variety over the course of the two hour show would have been appreciated.

Another early highlight is the powerful display of capoeira. The speed and agility of the three dancers puts the amateurs I've seen attempting the Brazilian martial art-come-dance at music or street festivals around the country to shame.

The capoeira act easily drew the biggest applause of the night and I'm sure most of the audience was, like me, begging for more of the dynamic flipping and kicking as middle-aged singers took up far too much stage time.

While their vocal abilities and credibility can't be faulted, there is only so much singing in a different language that one can take.

Thankfully it's the women's turn to steal the show after the interval with a display of tantalising booty shaking which would have made even Kylie jealous.

Brasil Brasileiro runs at Sadler's Wells until August, call 0870 737 7737 for tickets.