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Feb
7
One Enchanted Evening – the Debut Novel

One Enchanted Evening – the Debut Novel

One Enchanted Evening by Anton Du Beke

‘One Enchanted Evening’

The Debut Novel by Anton Du Beke

London, 1936.

Inside the spectacular ballroom of the exclusive Buckingham Hotel the rich and powerful, politicians, film stars, even royalty, rub shoulders with the talented dancers from all around the world, who must enchant them, captivate them, and sweep away their cares. From behind plush curtains and discreet doors, the unseen staff of the hotel dream and listen – and watch…

The storm clouds of war are gathering, and beneath the glitz and glamour of the ballroom lurks an irresistible world of scandal and secrets.

Let’s dance…

Pre-order now – available 4th October!

WHSmith – SIGNED BY ANTON

Hardback (UNSIGNED)

Amazon
Waterstones

E-Book

Amazon – Kindle
Google – Play
WHSmith – Kobo

 

Anton Du Beke – the King of Ballroom, Strictly Come Dancing royalty, and household name – is truly making his mark as one of this generation’s all-round entertainers. Hot on the heels of his debut album From The Top, Anton now realises his boyhood ambition and will be publishing his first novel, One Enchanted Evening, later this year.

The consummate storyteller, adept at captivating audiences will now captivate readers as he whisks them away to worlds of dance, intrigue, high society and scandal… bringing the golden age of dance to life, page by page.

As Strictly‘s longest running professional dancer, achieving a remarkable decade in dance on tour with his professional partner Erin Boag, and as a much sought-after personality and presenter, Anton is the perfect author to lead the reader to the dancefloor as never before.

Make a date with Anton Du Beke this Autumn and prepare to be swept off your feet! Meanwhile, follow Anton on twitter: @TheAntonDuBeke #AntonDuBook… and pre-order your copy now from the retailers’ links above!

Anton X
Nov
16
Week 8 – The Foxtrot

Week 8 – The Foxtrot

Well my loves, the glorious heights and twinkling lights of Blackpool Tower may well have been in our sights, but alas, t’was not to be! Our Week 8 Foxtrot was unfortunately to be our swan song in this season of Strictly Come Dancing, but for my part, dancing with the wonderful Ruth Langsford has been thoroughly uplifting, and we absolutely ended our time on a high!

Ruth and I were both thrilled to be able to dance a Foxtrot to the wonderful Bobby Darin version of ‘Mack The Knife’. A classic tune, and one with particularly strong emotions for Ruth – it being a favourite of her Dad’s – so this dance became something of a tribute to him, and all the more special.

Training during the week went well…

…with some moves which made the cut… and some which didn’t!

When it came time for costumes, we knew this was going to be a corker – a proper suit for me, and hats and canes for us both. Classy, and just the ticket!… Though, as it turned out, not the right ticket for the Blackpool Express!

I for one thoroughly enjoyed our performance – how could I not? With a wonderful partner, wonderful music, wonderful staging… I was in my element! And although the showtime nerves crept in a little for Ruth, I know she enjoyed every second of it too. From our side-by-side intro section, with jazz hats and cane action… through to the our time in hold as we glided across the dancefloor… Joyous!

Anton and Ruth's Foxtrot
Anton and Ruth's Foxtrot
Anton and Ruth's Foxtrot

Admittedly the tempo was somewhat animated and our Foxtrot had elements of mild gallop at times but we found that keeping things moving along was a good way of managing the timing – Ruth will admit that counting wasn’t her strong point! But catching props on live TV certainly was – who knew?! What a star; is there no end to her talents?!

Something of a result was that I managed to remain upright at the end of the number – I was determined not to repeat my indecorousness of last week! But I think as we approached the Judges for their critiques, we both felt we may not have quite captured the magic of our bewitching Quickstep, our tumultuous Tango, or indeed the roof-raising finalé of our Paso (indecorousness aside!). Had this week’s dance out-foxed us?

It came as no surprise that Craig didn’t enjoy the opening sequence, said the routine was like a horse trotting and pointed out a number of errors. Darcey like the amount of content though said there was no glide, and that Ruth was ‘swimming’ in hold and “out of her depth” in this dance – to which I disagreed, of course. Shirley was firm (with Blackpool on the horizon) and was put off by the quicks versus slows; she said it wasn’t her favourite. Bruno said “It was the fox that lost the trot… it turned into a gallop,” and that the timing was out… Oh dear, it didn’t go too well in their eyes… though given the Foxtrot is no easy dance, I still hold that Ruth performed amazingly well.

The scores confirmed our worst fears… Fours from Craig and Shirley, and fives from Darcey and Bruno for a total of just 18. “Undermarked,” I hear you cry! We certainly got that sinking feeling, especially when, by the end of the show, we were once again at the bottom of the Leaderboard.

Week 8 Leaderboard

The Sunday night results show was an event in itself. I simply must mention the beautifully poignant and powerful Remembrance Day tribute dance that us professional dancers had the honour of performing. I’m not sure if there was a dry eye in the house by the end. So very fitting for such an important day when we think back to those who gave their lives for our freedoms. We were thrilled to be accompanied by the RAF Spitfires Choir, and to have so many servicemen and women join us in the audience. Huge and heartfelt thanks to all of them.

The wonderful performances didn’t stop there… Seal was here to perform his new song, and Nadiya and I were thrilled to accompany him:


Anton, Nadiya and Seal

But the evening remained unforgettable for yet more reasons… As one by one the couples were saved, for the first time this series Ruthie and I were bathed in the dreaded red light… we were in the Dance-Off.

Testament to how tricky the Foxtrot can be, we were pitched head-to-head against Jonnie & Oti who’d also fallen foul of this dance. Suddenly the distant glow of the Blackpool Illuminations was becoming dimmer and dimmer with every passing moment.

In The Dance-off

We danced our dance as if it were our last, and once again, I was so proud of Ruth for giving us such a fabulous performance… and, let’s not forget, catching the hat and cane again at the end! What a pro!

Credit where credit’s due, Jonnie & Oti delivered a wonderful dance, and the Judges were unanimous in saving them. Understandably, Ruthie and I couldn’t hide our disappointment – we were of course utterly heart sunk not to be heading to Blackpool, but at the same time thrilled and so very thankful to have made it this far in the competition and to have had eight wonderful weeks performing together on the Strictly dancefloor.

Voted off

We took to the floor one final time for our last dance, which became something of a spectacle, ending in what’s become a ‘signature move’: the ‘Pile on’… I’m under there somewhere:

Even after Strictly, they couldn’t keep us apart, such was our partnership! Here we are on Loose Women… watch and enjoy – we even have one last twirl at the end!

Loose Women

Tens all round from the team – and rightly so – what an absolute dream this series has been. Full on entertainment – I’ve had a ball, and if Ruthie has had half as much fun as I have, I’m over the moon. What a delight she has been to work with these past months, truly a privilege. Not only to be able to spend so much time with such a wonderful person, but to share the highs and lows of the training process – the kinds of things that make friends for life. To see her talent, abilities and confidence grow has been such a thrill, and I do so hope that she continues to dance – it’ll be such a waste if she doesn’t! (I wonder if Eamonn could be tempted to give Strictly a go next year?!)

Well my loves, there ends my Strictly journey for this year – eight wonderful weeks with a truly tremendous partner – what an experience. This series has been simply joyous and I couldn’t have wished for a more entertaining, more enthusiastic, more sympatico partner. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve had thrills… and spills, we’ve danced and danced and danced some more… but most importantly, we’ve had just the most fun! Hats off Ruthie, you’re a star!

Ruth and I would also like to convey our heartfelt thanks to you for all your love, your unending support, and for being so generous with your votes each week – you’ve been instrumental in enabling us to keep dancing all this time, and we are so very, very grateful. You’ve helped make Ruth’s Strictly dream a reality, and we so hope we’ve entertained in return.

Until next time, and with all my love,

Anton X
Nov
10
Week 7 – The Paso Doble

Week 7 – The Paso Doble

The competition is certainly hotting up – ever more so for us this week with a hot-blooded Paso Doble to ‘The Shady Dame From Seville’ – a very entertaining number from the Julie Andrews classic movie ‘Victor/Victoria’. Whilst parody formed a good part of our performance, content must always be king and we knew we had to deliver a delicate balance between the two… a balance maintained through to the very end… almost!

Positions please! The wonderful flamenco guitar started, Hayley passed me a red rose as cue to start the routine, and I addressed the floor in just the most wonderful matador get-up – frills, sash, flares, ruff and felt boater – I must have been a vision. (And I bet you thought they couldn’t top those pink sleeves!)

I was certainly a vision to my sizzling señorita up on her balcony fanning herself in the heady Spanish evening air… She spied me down below and her heart was all a flutter. I took my lead and went up the ladder, rose in teeth, whilst she came down the stairs, missing each other with comic timing. Ruth continued to fan herself whilst I came down to join her, at which point we had a scene-setting side-by-side moment before we cast away our props, took each other into hold, and we were off!

Anton & Ruth's Paso Doble
Anton & Ruth's Paso Doble

With a flurry of footwork, this next section was filled with many of the dance’s core steps, made all the more difficult against the changing tempo of the music. I must stress here that it was a real accomplishment for Ruth to be able to pull that off – we’d worked so hard to get it right and whilst our theme required a peppering of humour, there was to be no doubt in the Judges’ minds that this was a real Paso!


Anton & Ruth's Paso Doble

Then came a wonderful sequence with our parallel stalking kicks – again superbly done by Ruth, with Hayley’s soaring solo vocals scaling the heights to a top G Julie Andrews would have been proud of.

We were off again, this time spinning and traversing the floor at breakneck speed and with such gusto as the music rose to its finale… Our momentum matched the crescendo, and we’d built up so much that by the time we arrived at our final positions I was literally bowled over! Carried away, you might say – I just went! …And unfortunately I took Ruth with me!

After such a wonderful, fiery, passionate routine, what a fall from grace. My goodness me – we’d maintained our delicate balance almost to the end! Unfortunately, it being live television, the image was well and truly captured for posterity. (In more ways than one, as Ruth tried to restore some symmetry to our pose by climbing atop me!)

The audience erupted, Eamonn’s face was priceless as he looked on, and even the judges couldn’t contain themselves (well, all bar Craig, who continued to take notes).

The Judges

Such was the disarray, Tess had to hurry us across to the Judges so we could keep the show on schedule!

Bruno was quick to tell me that I looked like Manuel from Fawlty Towers on Spanish night… “Murder on the dancefloor,” he said, “What more do you want?!” We weren’t quite sure if any of that was good or bad! Craig made it quite clear; “This number is essentially a drag act, which is what we got tonight. It’s entertainment vs technique. At least the people at home will vote for it, but I can’t possibly.” Ouch.

Conversely both Darcey and Shirley found merit in the performance. “If you can hold on to a narrative like that all the way through a dance… I want to watch it every time,” said Darcey, “You came alive… Wonderful, controlled stalking kicks. Don’t give up on the content, don’t give up on the technique – you’re going somewhere!” That’s more like it… and then Shirley “Ruth, you represent absolute joy and I’m sure there isn’t a household in England who didn’t enjoy what you just did. I rather liked it. I’ve never seen a Paso Doble so humorous. I’m not laughing at you – I’m laughing with you. Syncopation separation, grand step… that was a very interesting Paso Doble.”

Thank you very much! Of course, I’d have preferred it if the judges were unanimous in their appreciation of our artistry, but we’ve long-since learned you can’t always please everyone!

The scores sang an all-too familiar tune: a four from Craig, and sixes from Darcey, Bruno & Shirley for a total of 22. The same as last week; we’re nothing if not consistent!

By the end of the night we ended the show once again at the bottom of the leaderboard. But now with only ten couples remaining it was getting especially tight, not least having the wonderful Aston & Janette placed immediately, and precariously, above us.

Week 7 leaderboard

The results show came as a surprise for everybody. No wonder it was November the 5th – there were certainly fireworks at Elstree. Ruth and I were simply overjoyed to make it through – once again, thanks to all of your votes, every single one of them – your support is just tremendous and means the world.

What none of us were expecting, however, was that the Dance Off would be between Mollie & AJ and Aston & Janette. Nothing’s ever a foregone conclusion with Strictly. After both couples danced their wonderful dances once again, Darcey and Bruno both voted to save Aston & Janette, but Craig and Shirley with her deciding vote saved Mollie & AJ based on seeing greater technique and accuracy.

A shock result indeed – we were all knocked for six. None of us wanted either of them to be in the dance off, let alone to leave the competition, but with placements so close on the leaderboard, it’s never been clearer how important the public vote can be.

And so, we bade a very sad farewell to Aston. I’m sure you’ll all agree that he simply must continue dancing – that boy’s got real talent!

This week Ruth and I have stepped it up even more. There can be no mishaps Saturday night. It’s the Foxtrot – my all time favourite dance – a proper dance, and we’re all set to do it justice.

Tune in tomorrow at 6:45pm and watch the action unfold!

I’ll see you on the dancefloor my loves,

Anton X
Nov
3
Week 6 – The Quickstep

Week 6 – The Quickstep

After the frills… and spills of last weekend’s in-flight Samba, week six of this season’s Strictly was Halloween week with a ‘Bewitched’ theme for our Quickstep. Would it be all toil and trouble, or would Ruth work her magic, cast a spell on the judges, and levitate us back up the leaderboard?…

Training and rehearsals went well during the week – I could tell Ruth’s confidence, technique and ability were all on the rise, and after making it through this far (and being spared from the dreaded dance-off each week, too), I do believe she’s starting to believe in herself as a dancer. That’s a tremendous accomplishment, and I’m so, so proud of her! In fact, she’s getting so good that we can even film ourselves in training!…

As always, the weekend was upon us before we knew it, and with all the tricks and treats of Halloween Week to add to the production, it was a full-on lead-up to showtime.

Halloween week

And what a show it was – the Strictly team went all-out to create what must be the most spine tingling episode ever! Whilst for our routine, our costumes weren’t as chilling or macabre as some of the other contestants’, they were just as bewitching nonetheless! To fans of the original 1960s sitcom (Ruth and myself included), they couldn’t have been more perfect – and after all, Halloween doesn’t have to be all fangs and frights!

Well, I can honestly say I don’t believe I’ve ever begun a routine as a rabbit before. Now there’s a first! Sat there quietly on the kitchen table as Ruth descended from on high on her broomstick (not the easiest of entries to settle one’s nerves), then, with a twitch of her nose and a puff of smoke… I was summoned literally by magic to the dancefloor as Darrin to her Samantha! (The magic may need some practise though as you may have spotted I was still sporting a very perky cottontail as I made my way over to join her!)

Ruth and Anton's Quickstep
Ruth and Anton's Quickstep
Ruth and Anton's Quickstep

My, didn’t she look wonderful – such a spookily strong resemblance to the wonderful Elizabeth Montgomery from the original sitcom, so elegant in her glittering gown… and I cutting the charming dash of an American ad exec. with my horrifyingly 70s waistcoat!

Ruth certainly got into character, as whatever magic she was channeling had us flying round the dancefloor! The quickstep is such a fabulous dance – it’s one of my favourites (Foxtrot aside), and I was so thrilled to have been able to dance it with Ruth particularly at this point in the competition where the celebs have enough technique under their belts to keep up with the delivery of a dance like this – it makes it all the more fun.

I thought our dance was frightfully good! For me, Ruth nailed it – she’d certainly worked her magic on me – and on the audience too as they rose to their feet at the end of the routine! Tremendous!… We just had to hope that the judges wouldn’t be too ghoulish with their scores.

Bruno began lyrically: “I was bewitched by the elegant look… slightly bothered by the frame … and bewildered: you went off on the wrong foot, but you brought it back… well done!” Ah, what a shame he’d spotted it! Craig took the week’s theme to heart and gave a truly gruesome verdict: “It lacked any style, too heavy, too sloppy… for me, the antithesis to light and bright.” Full marks for getting into the spirit of the theme, Craig! Darcey brought some light to the gloom: “It was perfectly charming – you became the character. You were light on your feet, you’ve gained such confidence. You’ve made a wonderful improvement so be proud.” That’s the ticket, and a sentiment echoed by Shirley: “You’ve made strides but you did make several mistakes. Nice free flowing, not bad with the frame, but a good effort… Besides the mistakes you’re actually improving – I feel it’s going in the right direction.” That’s what we want to hear – and such a fabulous boost for Ruth.

The scores were in: a dastardly 4 from Craig, followed by three sixes, giving us a very devilish total of 22. Our second highest score so far, so by the law of averages we are indeed making some progress, and it put us in 8th place – 4th from the bottom.

Week 6 leaderboard

In Sunday’s results show, a particularly deathly chill drifted across the dancefloor when all the couples lined up to learn their fate. No need for any additional Halloween special effects either – with the dwindling number of us left, it was quite scary enough! Thankfully, this week, our names weren’t left to the very end… we were absolutely thrilled to bits to be put out of our misery and hear our names called as being saved!

Hurrah! What angels you all are for voting for us and ensuring we made it through! Thank you thank you thank you!!

But as always, the truly horrifying part of the weekend’s events was yet to come – the elimination. This week’s demonic dance-off was between Simon & Karen and Mollie & AJ. Sadly, despite Simon becoming something of a pro at the dance-off, Strictly’s grim reaper tapped him on the shoulder: his time had finally come as the judges were unanimous in saving Mollie. How he’ll be missed – what a true pleasure he’s been to have on the show, Simon really embodied Strictly and I so hope he’s been an inspiration to lots of viewers to give dancing a go! What a gent!

No rest for the wicked, as they say… Ruth and I were straight back into training for this coming weekend’s Paso Doble. You’ll have to wait and see what capers we’ve got in store! Not long to wait though, tune in tomorrow at 6:50pm for Strictly week 7 – and with just nine couples left, your votes will count all the more!

Oh, and if you haven’t already heard, I’ve a wonderful album being released very soon – you can pre-order it now! Click through to learn more…
 
Anton Du Beke - From The Top

Meanwhile my loves, I’ll see you on the dancefloor tomorrow!

Anton X
Oct
25
Week 5 – The Samba

Week 5 – The Samba

Final call for Strictly Airlines on a flight of fancy, a journey into the unknown… and a ‘send-up’ according to Craig! But would our in-flight Samba to ‘Love Is In The Air’ earn us our wings and land us a place in next week’s show?

After the thrilling success of our Tango last weekend, we were very much on a high… but as Ruth mentioned in the VT, brought straight back down to earth on the Monday morning when we had to put that dance firmly behind us and learn a whole new dance from scratch. Strictly really can be a bumpy ride for our celebrities. Ruth, I must say, is handling the weekly turbulence incredibly well indeed and going at it full throttle!

We had a great week of training, as seen in Ruth’s video clips – the Samba is such a fun dance and we could barely stop moving to the music…

…and with our fabulous in-flight-entertainment theme for our sky-high Samba, we were lucky enough to visit a British Airways training centre where Ruth was given some top tips on sliver service and smooth trolley action from the pros!

Then, all of a sudden, we were airborne. Cruising at 30,000 feet, I was reading my newspaper when the opening refrain of ‘Love Is In The Air’ drifted down the aisle with Ruth, her trolley and her Farrah Fawcett hair, and I knew this was no ordinary in-flight service.

First Class indeed! Our eyes met, seat belt off, we circled the drinks trolley, and then the flight was ours and we took it to an altogether new destination!

Garbed in a fetching 1970s cabin crew uniform, and I in a trademark suit and tie, perhaps it was the altitude, or perhaps it was the sheer joy of the moment… we felt compelled to whip them off to reveal outfits we’d clearly been saving for a carnival at Copacabana Beach.

Anton and Ruth's Samba
Anton and Ruth's Samba

What a sight we must have been to behold! And how I managed to keep my sleeves tucked inside my jacket I’ve yet to fathom. Those sleeves – there was so much movement going on at times it felt like a group dance! Apparently they mesmerised the viewing audience, according to the Radio Times. They were the perfect match to Ruth’s dress, it’s truly a wonder we could concentrate with all the frills going on!

A truly exuberant performance. You could see the glee in our faces as we travelled around the dance floor like the life and soul of the party. Reverse rolls, hip action, horse & cart, we had it all! I thought Ruth absolutely captured the spirit of the dance and gave a tremendous performance – she really is my high flyer!

As we glided over to the judges, walking on air after such an uplifting dance, were we in for a smooth touchdown, or should we be bracing ourselves for a bumpy landing?…

Craig began with “Well… I thought I was at the Pan Pacific Grand Prix with Doug and Shirley from Strictly Ballroom back in 1950. I’m unsure how to judge it as it was a ‘send-up’ – I know it had samba in it…” A ‘send-up’? I wasn’t going to let that slip by, so I chipped in “It wasn’t a glancing nod to a samba, it was the real McCoy!” The audience erupted, then Craig continued… “I loved it for its comedy and its showbiz, but not its technique.” We’ll take the first two and you can keep the last! Send-up? Good lord!

Then Darcey: “Slightly over the top but you came alive on that dancefloor. This crazy side – you were having fun, you were energized… Fabulous!” Marvellous – Darcey can come to our party next time! Shirley had got the measure of the dance: “Brilliant concept – definitely a parody from 1976. Difficult reverse rolls but Ruth kept up. There was Samba content and I thought the concept was fantastic.” Hurrah… always good to impress the head judge!

The scores, well, I’d have personally marked higher for flamboyance and costumery (wouldn’t you?!), but alas, some things don’t seem to change… Fives from Craig and Darcey, and a welcome six from Shirley for a total 16. For the first time in 15 series I’m disappointed Bruno wasn’t there – we could’ve done with an extra 4!

Due to his absence from the judging panel this week, the scores were out of a total 30… and it caused a bit of a jam on both halves of the leaderboard with four couples tied at 24 and four couples tied at 16. That of course included us, and I can only presume for alphabetical reasons, Ruth and I found ourselves at the very bottom once again. Oh dear. That was a crash landing for our routine, that’s for sure. Would your votes be the life preservers we needed? Doors to manual… was this our exit?

Week 5 leaderboard

The Results show was a tense affair. Well, I say that, it’s always a tense affair but more so this week as we were left til last before finding out that we were saved. My goodness me, those few seconds felt like an eternity waiting for names to be called. It never gets any easier.

Thank you thank you thank you! We’re both on cloud nine to have made it through to next week – and it’s not just any ol’ week, it’s Halloween week!!

But of course, there was a dreaded dance-off, and this week it was between Simon & Karen and Brian & Amy. Both such wonderfully entertaining couples and they both performed with such confidence and enthusiasm the second time. Rules, however are rules, and judges are the judges. Both Craig and Darcey chose to save Simon and so Brian & Amy were out of the competition. What a sad loss for the programme – Brian’s wit was a true asset to the show, as well as to all the celebrities’ camaraderie and morale too. Let’s all hope he keeps dancing!

For this coming weekend, we’ve the fabulous Quickstep, and it’s to the theme of Bewitched – there should be plenty of tricks and treats in store for Saturday night (not least from the hair, makeup and costume departments!).
 
Anton Du Beke - From The Top

Whilst I’m on the topic of treats… here’s another one for you! I’ve this week announced the release date of my debut album! (Haven’t I been a busy boy!) I’m very very excited indeed about it – it’s called ‘From The Top‘ and it’s a wonderful collaborative album of 17 tremendous tracks – such fabulous tunes, I can’t wait until the 24th November when it’s properly released. In the meantime, you can find out more about it here on my blog, and pre-orders are being taken so you can reserve yours and receive it as soon as it’s available!

There’s also a competition to win a lesson with me, too! See the blog post for more details on that.

Don’t forget, you can follow all my news – about Strictly and my new Album – on Facebook and Twitter too!

Until the weekend my loves,

Anton X
Oct
24
From The Top – Anton’s Debut Album!

From The Top – Anton’s Debut Album!

Strictly star and nation’s favourite Anton Du Beke will release his much-anticipated debut album ‘From The Top’ on Polydor… and you could win a dance lesson with him too!

A key player in the phenomenon that brought dancing not only back in favour, but onto primetime ratings-topping television, Du Beke has being entertaining 11 million+ audiences since 2004. Having wowed fans on his national sold-out tours with his singing and dancing routines, word of his debut album has been met with huge excitement.

Recorded mainly at The British Grove studios, the album features some old classics such as Putting on The Ritz and Me & My Shadow (a track that Du Beke originally performed with Bruce Forsyth on Strictly Series 6), plus a new twist on big hitter I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor plus original song Nothing But Love.

Win a lesson with Anton!

Email [email protected] with proof of your #FromTheTop pre-order on Amazon to enter! No purchase necessary – click here for more information.

Anton Du Beke - From The Top

Available to pre-order now!

Anton X
Oct
17
Week 4 – The Tango

Week 4 – The Tango

Week 4 and just 13 couples remain – unlucky for one, and after the nerves and low scores for our Rumba, Ruth and I knew we were very much on the back foot as, tickets in hand for a Venetian masquerade ball, we began to prepare for our Tango!

With Ruth’s busy TV schedule, we had our work cut out to master this dance in good time for the weekend. Like the Rumba, it’s a distinctive dance with particular frame, shaping, footwork, attack and characterisation to practise and perfect. But from the outset, I had an inkling that this was going to be Ruth’s dance: last weekend had brought about a change in her attitude, her determination, and her confidence… and a driven look in her eye. Applying this to the Tango – the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Training went well all week: Ruth was loving the dance, and embodying the powerful, dominant female character required. She also began to experience the real thrill when steps flow – no longer looking down at her feet, she was able to move like a dancer. As the week progressed and our routine became more polished, I felt we could well be on to a winner!

Ruth and Anton in Tango training

When the weekend arrived, however, the momentum we’d built up throughout the week was suddenly lost: the dress rehearsal went rather badly indeed. No doubt just a lapse in concentration, but a whole section of the routine was skipped. I knew that it would be an absolute disaster if that happened on the night, so you can imagine our trepidation as the countdown to showtime began and we waited nervously for our names to be called. I tried to reassure her that she knew the dance inside out and that it was all there in her head. It transpires that she gave herself a good talking to, which clearly did the trick…

Ruth was magnificent! Absolutely faultless – not even a foot wrong! Our tango was tremendous! It would appear, with hindsight, that Ruth was unknowingly exercising one of the traits of a true professional: holding something in reserve for the main show. Who knew?!

Ruth & Anton's Tango
Ruth & Anton's Tango

Emerging from behind a mask in the Venice Carnivale in the smoky early morning light after a masked ball, the ballroom was our very own Piazza San Marco. As the pulsing strings from Karl Jenkins’ Allegretto drifted through the air, we were driven towards each other, interlocking, casting aside our masks and taking to the floor under the lights of the Rialto bridge.

Simply spellbinding – and with that tremendous staging, we couldn’t help but get into the character of the dance, embrace the drama and ‘passione’… and well and truly nail it! All helped, no doubt, by my wonderful velvet suit — worn especially for the event as I had an inkling this was going to be a goodie!

It really was Ruth’s dance – she performed it just brilliantly and I’m sure you could tell I was over the moon as the routine ended and we took our places ready for the critique.

We could barely believe our ears. Craig went first with overwhelming positivity (for him!): “That’s a bit more like it! … Pleased you’re making progress!” What a turnaround from last week – and from that starting point we hoped the rest would all be positive too. Darcey commented on Ruth’s determination, as well as some looseness in the shoulders, but said she felt she really was “in the moment”. Shirley delivered yet more praise: “100% improvement from last week!” She also spotted Ruth’s ‘fallaway whisk’ and said it was “amazing” – it’s always lovely to hear when those details are recognised. Even Bruno: “I can’t believe it – you didn’t go wrong once!” What simply glorious feedback… and what a huge relief!

When the scores came, sixes all round, we were both thrilled to bits. I was especially thrilled for Ruth as the comments, and 24-point total will have been a real boost for her – and a real sign that she’s improving. And not just that, we weren’t at the bottom of the leaderboard at the end of the night! Result!

Week 4 Leaderboard

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Before the final placings were revealed in Sunday’s results show, I had some particularly regal duties to perform in the wonderful group dance at the top of the show. I could quite get used to that throne!…

Back to the competition, and thirteen couples were frozen under the spotlights waiting to hear their fate. And, all thanks to Ruth’s wonderful performance – plus your invaluable votes – we were through to next week! Hurrah – our Tango was a triumph!!

Then came the sad moment that one of our celebrities would be going home. This week’s dreaded dance-off was between Davood & Nadiya, and Brendan & Charlotte – a surprise result for Davood who finished 4 places higher than us on the main show’s leaderboard. It just goes to show how unpredictable the final scores can be – and of course, how essential your votes are!

Both couples danced so very well, but one had to leave the competition and, unanimously, the judges saved Davood & Nadiya. Huge commiserations to Charlotte & Brendan – we’re all still marvelling how Charlotte managed to find the time to rehearse with her incredibly early starts and young family too. She’s very much missed already. I should also congratulate Alex & Gorka on their incredible performance: scoring 39 points week 4, that’s something quite remarkable! Credit where credit’s due, they’re a wonderful couple to watch!

For Ruth and me, it’s back to training with even more focus and determination to ensure we keep improving week on week. Things are really hotting up… not least as we’ve got the Samba!

Until the weekend, my loves,

Anton X
Oct
9
Week 3 – The Rumba

Week 3 – The Rumba

The BBC really rolled out the red carpet for a top-billing show Saturday night – Strictly does ‘Movie Week’ like no other television programme, that’s for sure! What a blockbuster evening of dance and entertainment… hats off to everyone involved for putting on such a wonderful show – not least the geniuses behind the scenes. But of course, the focus was on our front-of-camera performances with themes, costumes, and new dances to present – but it wasn’t a box-office sensation for everyone…

After nailing the Charleston (Shirley’s words!), we had high hopes for a killer Rumba with our Bond-themed dance. Ah the Rumba, the dance of love – the first of the series, too – no pressure! A notoriously difficult dance, and especially for a non-dancer so early in the competition – it really does require such a degree of confidence and technique, the steps themselves having to be second nature to allow the dance to be truly ‘performed’. All of which is a tall order, week three.

I couldn’t be more proud of Ruth’s dedication and determination during last week’s training, and I personally was absolutely delighted with our performance; more than that, I thoroughly enjoyed it, too.

In the cool blue light, bedecked in jewels and sparkles, Ruth was a diamanté vision as our routine began – bearing a striking resemblance to Kim Basinger with those long blonde locks – quite the leading lady, very much the Bond Girl, and simply stunning!

As the music began with that wonderful, iconic melody, those fabulous lyrics, I made my entrance with the panache of Anton Du Bond. I struck a pose, and thus we began our sensuous Rumba, caressing the dance floor under a cloud of dry ice, focusing on hip action and flowing continuous motion all the while embracing the styling and drama from a Bond movie opening sequence.

The audience certainly seemed to approve, and we felt worthy holders of our licences to thrill… but the judges’ comments made us feel like we should be turning them in!

Tess asked Bruno if he was shaken or stirred, which he replied “I think I was frozen!” He went on to explain how he felt Ruth’s hips needed defrosting, that the dance needed more heat and that it wasn’t her best. Things weren’t going to improve with Craig who said the rumba walks were “very stilted, and lacked hip action,” and also that it was as though Ruth was wearing a mask, hiding any acting – Ruth quietly replied that she was indeed… to hide the terror!

It was at this point I felt compelled to chip in as the feedback wasn’t feeling particularly constructive. I, a gentleman of a certain age, certainly did feel stirred by proceedings… I had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed the performance with my first class Bond Girl, and it needed to be said!

Darcey then continued on a brighter note: “This look is to die for – you look absolutely fabulous.” She went on to agree with Bruno and Craig on technical points around resistance, balance, transitions and so forth. Both Darcey and Shirley referenced eye contact: that if Ruth had held my gaze it would have helped with the sensuality of the dance, as well as her balance. Good feedback there, and that’s something which I’m sure will come with confidence. (It’s most likely my sparkly jacket proved such a dazzling distraction she had to concentrate hard on looking away!) Shirley also acknowledged that the Rumba is an extremely difficult dance (hear hear) and I’m pleased everyone could properly appreciate how hard Ruth had worked to be able to perform it.

The scores, however, gave no ‘Quantum Of Solace’: mere 3s from Craig and Shirley, a 4 from Bruno, and a most welcome 5 from Darcey. Total: 15. Oh dear… it almost knocked ‘The Living Daylights’ out of us – we were certainly left shaken! Such a shame that our scores took a dive after the improvement we made from week 1 to week 2; ah, the Strictly rollercoaster!

week 3 leaderboard

Finding ourselves second from the bottom of the leaderboard, just one point above the Rev’d Richard and his Flash Gordon Paso, you can imagine our nerves during the results show as we feared the worst. Even the wonderment of the ‘La La Land’ themed Pro dance (wasn’t it tremendous?!) couldn’t quell our nerves as we waited so see if we would survive to ‘Die Another Day’.

And so, you can imagine our utter relief, when our names were called out as being through to next week. My goodness me, it always comes as a surprise; when you’re under those lights with that fateful music in the background, you can’t help but fear the worst, and this week was no exception!

This week’s dance off was between Simon & Karen with their Toy Story inspired Quickstep and Reverend Richard & Dianne with their Flash Gordon Paso. (The likes of which could only happen on Strictly!) Despite valiant efforts and wonderfully entertaining performances from both couples, one had to leave the competition. The judges were unanimous in saving Simon, and we all bade a very heartfelt farewell to our resident Reverend. What a wonderfully dry sense of humour – he had us all in stitches! He did confess that he knew he couldn’t dance… but after giving us such heavenly performances these past weeks, I say ‘Never Say Never’!

Thank you all so very much, once again, for voting us through. We couldn’t have done it without you, and I’m just so thrilled that Ruth will have the opportunity to put this week behind her, to get this most difficult of dances under her belt, and to move forward with the next one. I do so hope her true potential is realised! Until then, it’s back to training – and no time like the present, after all, ‘You Only Live Twice’!

I’m going to leave you this week with this week’s Disney-themed Group Dance – I particularly like the Under The Sea section 🙂

 

 

Until next week my loves,

Anton X
Oct
4
Week 2 – The Charleston

Week 2 – The Charleston

From the Waltz to the Charleston in one week – and (spoiler alert!) with a 4 point improvement – Ruth’s really shaping up to be a very willing and able student and I think we’re on track for some classy performances in the weeks to come! Meanwhile, how about our Great Gatsby inspired cheeky Charleston last Saturday? What a ‘roaring twenties’ triumph!

High drama late in the week though as Ruth pulled a hamstring and was put on bedrest by the Strictly Physio… we missed one of our studio rehearsals, but as I’m sure you’ll agree, you’d never know from her sterling performance! She really was channelling the twenties – my heroine!

Ruth and Anton's Charleston

Fountains and champagne flutes and feathers for the flappers – all fabulous and very F Scott Fitzgerald as Ruth made her entrance in a wonderful tasseled dress and I with my dapper boater and cane! Hats off to Ruth for her solo spot at the top of the routine (especially after her feeling rooted to the spot with leaden legs at the start of last week’s dance) – what a transformation! I knew that her confidence would grow once week one was under her belt, and there’s the proof!

As Dave Arch and his wonderful band struck up ‘The Charleston’ by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys, we got into character and flew into action.

Ruth and Anton's Charleston

Ruth and Anton's Charleston

Ruth and Anton's Charleston

Ruth and Anton's Charleston

With so much content to squeeze into our routine, we needed to be in time, in sync, and in the right positions to keep the flow from one sequence to the next. Honestly, the level of concentration and coordination involved is not to be underestimated, let alone managing the tempo changes… and facial expressions! What tremendous fun, and my goodness, what sensational swivels!

As the music drew to a close and we reached our final places right on time, we were both overjoyed at the eruption of applause and the standing ovation from the audience. Magnificent, I thought, as we soaked it up and made our way over to the Judges.

Ruth’s improvement had been clear to see. Shirley said it was 100% better this week, with her solo pieces not going unnoticed… “You nailed it!” That was music to our ears from the new Head Judge. Bruno said he had no idea Ruth was such a good flapper! “It wasn’t perfection,” he went on to say, “needed to be a little bit crazier but great, great improvement from last week.” More overall positives… but the tune quickly changed with Craig: “This dance needs 80% more energy than you gave it. Very limp, very lame, and very lacklustre.” That rained on our parade, I can’t lie… but at least Darcey shone a ray of sunshine with “The enjoyment, the confidence, the difference – come back next week even stronger!”

Our scores ranged from a three from Craig, to sixes from both Shirley and Bruno and a five from Darcey giving a total 20. A four point improvement from our 16 last week is tremendous – it means we’re well and truly on the right track!

This score, combined with last week’s 16, rocketed us up the leaderboard to joint 11th place alongside Simon and Karen. Apparently Craig had told Ruth, “Darling, it’s the bottom everybody talks about,” but I say that’s no reason to stay there, this is a competition after all!

Week 2 leaderboard

Week 2 line-up

By the time of the results show, I’m sure all our new celebrities were on tenterhooks, dreading the first elimination of the series. Ruth was no exception… but you can see just how relieved we were when our names were called out as being safe.

Thank you all so much for voting, I’m sure as the weeks progress and the competition gets tighter we’ll be counting on your votes all the more – so do please keep at it each week!

It wasn’t such good news for Brian and Amy, and Chizzy and Pasha. Both couples were to face each other in the dreaded dance-off: one last chance to perform their routines before the Judges in the hopes of being voted through to next week’s show. I must say I thought they both performed magnificently, especially given the short amount of training these non-dancers had had… and they both danced better than they had in the main show – they really gave it their all.

It was clearly a difficult decision for the Judges as there was some difference of opinion, but in the end Shirley as Head Judge made the final call and voted Brian and Amy through, eliminating Chizzy and Pasha. Chizzy was clearly so very disappointed – all of us felt for her, and for Pasha too of course: being first to go is never easy. We’re all missing Chizzy terrible already – such a personality – I do so hope she keeps dancing.

Back to training for Ruth and me though: this coming Saturday is ‘Movie Week’! I’ll be James Bond, and Ruth my Bond Girl – we’ve the Rumba… to ‘Diamonds Are Forever’. True class! I’ve got a licence to thrill and you’ll have the best seats in the house. So tune in on Saturday at 6:35pm, and I’ll see you on the dance floor!

Anton X
Sep
26
Week 1 – The Waltz

Week 1 – The Waltz

After the exhilaration of the Red Carpet Event and the series Launch Show, it must come as quite a shock to the celebrities each year as we go straight into long arduous days of intensive training to make our partners performance-ready. This year even more so, with just two weeks for them to find their feet, grasp the basics, learn the first dance… and steel their nerves!
 
The week 1 line-up
 
Ruth, I have to say, has been a model student, everything I could have wished for: tireless enthusiasm, the drive of a perfectionist, and crucially a very good sense of humour! That’s not so say the Waltz hasn’t presented hurdles for Ruth to overcome – you’ll have seen from the VT that she had ‘looking issues’ – either at her feet, or me! I had to insist that she didn’t gaze into my eyes, but looked away instead – I can’t blame her though, magnetism is a hard force to fight!

Ruth and Anton rehearsing

I’m sure that, for the celebrities, nothing feels quite ‘real’ until the first weekend of the competition. And with the dress rehearsals done and the clock ticking down to showtime, I could tell the nerves were starting to build. On a first night, they’re quicker to catch than a cold! That said, Ruth and I had a very relaxed and jolly interview with the Radio Times beforehand…



This show was perhaps one of the longest in Strictly history with 15 couples dancing all on one night, rather than splitting the initial group across Saturday and Sunday evenings. Being twelfth in the running order meant that we had an agonisingly long wait… and that’s when nerves often start to kick in. Ruth insisted she’d forgotten all her steps; all I could do was insist otherwise!

At last, our names were called, the lights dimmed, and flutes and strings from Dave Arch’s wonderful band sang sweetly over the applause: it was now or never. Thus began a beautiful moment in dance: I (dressed in my best suit and tie, and all fresh from the barbers) presented myself to Ruth, and she, seated coquettishly there on the posh settee, took my hands and rose to her feet; we embraced… and were off! Our first steps on a magical journey together.

Graceful, elegant, Ruth was simply resplendent in her beautiful dress rippling and shimmering as we traversed the dance floor in a lilting three-four time. I thought she performed marvellously – I couldn’t be more proud of her for dancing so well. Granted, there were a few uncharted improvised moments, only to be expected with the first week’s dance – but like I said afterwards: ‘She didn’t go wrong, she just went different!’ Ruth in fact admitted it was the most nervous she’d been in 30 years of live television, but each week I’m sure it will get easier and her confidence will soar in accord. Truth be told, I think we’re a particularly well-suited couple with great potential in the competition!

Ruth and Anton's Waltz

Round and round we spun to reach a grand finale with fireworks – no expense spared for what, to my mind, was a simply gorgeous performance for our dancefloor debut!

Ruth and Anton's Waltz

The applause was loud and wonderful to hear, especially for Ruth. Then hearing Eamonn say how proud he was of her was timely reassurance to her as we took our places next to Tess, bracing ourselves for the verdict from the Judges.

Darcey began by noting the romance in the performance, Ruth’s quality and grace, and that she had a wonderful aura about her. Quite so. She said there was work to do on posture, but what sold it was her smile. Marvellous!

Next up was our new Head Judge, Shirley: “What struck me the most was how you made me feel, you’re definitely a lady, very elegant.” Another first rate appraisal. She said she spotted a few off-time moments, but that Ruth was very graceful nonetheless. Something I shan’t forget in a hurry was the curious analogy of her hand placement being like a butterfly – though not one with ‘concrete boots’ – how fabulous! With constructive critique like that, Shirley gets my vote!

Some things, however, never change… Bruno: “A picture of loveliness and wholesome goodness… it’s just that the feet have a mind of their own!” He too picked up on Ruth’s posture, insisting that she should maintain her frame and not hang on to me. For a first dance I have no problem with that – after all, I can’t blame her for hanging on to me, being all suited and booted and smart!

The rise… and fall of the dance was in sync with the critiques by the time we reached Craig: “It really was the stumble and grab dance, hope you can do better next week, darling.” Ah, enough said!

The scores, I feel, could have been a tad better: a mere 3 from Craig, 4s from both Darcey and Shirley, and a welcome 5 from Bruno for a total 16. Sadly, by the end of the show, this placed us joint bottom of the leaderboard along with Brian Conley and his partner Amy. A very good place to start week 2 though – after all, the only way is up!

Week 1 leaderboard

Very much undaunted, and in fact rising to the challenge, our next dance is the Charleston. Ruth has a very good face for the Charleston, and the acrobatics… oh just you wait! I think you’ll be able to see how excited we are from our lovely chat today on ‘Loose Women’:


As for our Charleston… It’s so fast I’ve had to undo my top button in rehearsals. That’s all I’m saying… so make sure you tune in on Saturday night! Remember, one couple will leave the competition this weekend – hopefully an improved score will lift us out of the danger zone and keep us from the dreaded dance-off, but your votes, as always, will truly count!

Until then my loves,

Anton X
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