(Got some Edith Piaf duet on at the mo' (pass the tissues) *(' A life lived in fear is a life half-lived' from Strictly Ballroom. pff!)
I've always loved dancing. From being a kid in the juniors and getting all excited about clutching Maria Jarvis's sweaty palms in scottish country dancing to dancing like a complete twat to happy hardcore (how old are ya? It was a rite of passage for my daughter and I must admit it did put a smile on my face) or even back in my teenage years when dancing meant exploding.
My interest was rekindled when a few years ago I read of a Tango event held in a park in that there London, apparently held over two separate weekends. The first weekend attracted some 400 but for the second, when it rained, 200 turned up and danced under umbrellas. Sweet.
I later came across an article on salsa holidays and classes mentioning that there was a shortage of willing fellas - get yourself forward, lad.
Initially something just to get out of the house and loosen off salsa became something else, something that I had to work at - it took six weeks just to learn to mambo. The feet just don't want to go in them places but it makes sense when you see how the moves unfold. The breakthrough came when some spanish people came to the class and their feet were all over the place - not like us mechanical english clompers and bobbers.
Then there was the flamenco weekend at West Yorkshire College of dance. Just me and some thirty ladies - woof! I must admit I did feel a bit of a pillock, especially when I caught sight of myself in the mirror being all graceful. No doubt the lads building outside in the cold on the cherrypicker must have had a laugh but this was saturday and it was no 'Y.M.C.A'.
It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. . . .
Go dancing!
Like many recently (I think it was Zoe Ball's hip movement on an ad that finally drew me in) I've become a bit of an addict of Strictly come dancing (1). I'm loving seeing fat yorkshire lad Goffy enjoying himself so much - most of 'em really. In fact as soon as he and the charming Lilia hit the floor I actually voted (being fairly merrie at the time I also voted for a couple of others but to make sure gave The Dazzler another. This is some going for someone who doesn't like the idea of charidee.)
For me the show is too audience focussed. I'd like to see the dancers dancing for no-one else but themselves. Methinx this is something that besets all these kind of shows - the crowd and judge pleasing that encourages a degree of superficiality lacking at club level. I get the impression that the celeb dancers seem constrained having to hold their heads at awkward angles - maybe I just lack finesse. It does seem to put them under added pressure.
And please - get closer! Anyone can be a three minute hero so to dance with someone for two like you are one shouldn't be too hard. And Zoe Ball ought to ease up on the cheese. (rearange book, leaf, ect (sic) Perhaps hubby could knock up a dance track? - naw . . . .
Talking of which, I was wondering who else they could have in the series - Keith from Prodigy? Roy Keane? Go on, break a leg. What about a flamenco face-off? Hmm.
And I do like Anton wotsisface.
Best quote of the show so far? Julian Clary: 'I'm sure he'll pull something out of the bag', which is a tad cheeky even by his standards. (Ok, and CJ's 'You filthy minx!')
(1)http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=strictly+come+dancing&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
*(Finishes off with 'ain't misbehavin' ' via 'On a little street in Singapore' - very nice.)
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