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Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Strictly Come Dancing

by Craig Revel Horwood

The BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing started in 2004 and has been a runaway success. Celebrities are paired with professional dancers who coach them to perform various ballroom and Latin dances in front of a team of judges. The judges’ scores are added to viewers’ votes (registered by phone) and each week one couple is eliminated, until eventually there is an overall winner.

The series has undoubtedly rekindled mass interest in ballroom dance and its values. It really doesn’t matter if you’re not a great dancer or even a good dancer or, for that matter, if you’re an absolutely terrible dancer, just to participate and enjoy the endorphin rush that dance can supply is all that counts.

The series has also boosted the cause of live music and revived the career of presenter Bruce Forsyth, who tells every competitor ‘you’re my favourite’. Tess Daly interviews each couple after they’ve danced, and we are shown the highs and lows of their practice sessions. The fabulous and over-the-top clothes have also stimulated an interest in glamorous dressing.

It’s been a long time since viewers were so keen to watch Saturday night light entertainment, but Strictly has brought in a new era.

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