Floorplay comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center for one performance Wednesday.

Ballroom’s back, without pretension; so’s Latin dance: the salsa, samba, rumba and tango.

Floorplay comes to the Providence Performing Arts Center for one show, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The production, now in its sixth year, has toured 140 cities in 30 countries, changing names (from Burn the Floor), but not its basic idea: Dance is fun.

“We don’t take ourselves too seriously,” said Harley Medcalf, the show’s creator and executive producer. “This is a dance show for a nondance audience. We want people to have a good time, feel good and be inspired.”

Points aren’t deducted for creative license.

“This is not a competition,” Medcalf said. “This is entertainment.”

The dancing, according to Medcalf, has been “unshackled” from the rigid rules of ballroom competition.

“These young kids are so committed to dance,” he says. “They love all the traditions of ballroom and Latin, but put their young twist on them.”

Essentially, personalities are permitted.

“At the end of the day, it’s really about the people,” Medcalf said.

The show involves 10 couples, two singers, two percussionists and also recorded music.

“There is no message,” Medcalf said. “It’s really a journey through different periods of dance. The performers draw you in. They dance with technical proficiency that makes it look easy, and makes you think, ‘I could do

that.’ ”

THE IDEA FOR the show came to Medcalf in 1997 while attending the 50th birthday party for Elton John in London, what he called “a costume party for 600 jaded entertainers.”

Out came the ballroom dancers.

“These young dancers put on a great performance in difficult circumstances. No one was paying attention.”

However, Medcalf said, after a couple of minutes, everyone stopped to watch. The dancers were good, he said, and somewhat daringly for ballroom dance, personally expressive.

“I was attracted to the dark side, the rebel,” Medcalf said. “There are so many rules in dance competition that you can’t break. When you cut these dancers loose, they are really natural theater performers.”

Floorplay, according to Medcalf, is high energy and intensity.

“In the second half, you think they’ll slow down. But at the end of the show, there’s not a drop of petrol in the tank.”

Floorplay is at PPAC, 220 Weybosset St., for one show on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, $36 to $58, call (401) 421-2787 or visit www.ppacri.org.

brourke@projo.com