DIANE TREMARCO IN AWE OF …
DIANE TREMARCO IN AWE OF …
I LOVE STRICTLY
I have always greatly admired fellow musicians and creatives and I am thrilled to be able to tell you about those I know well and those I have recently discovered . Please take a look at my Instagram profile for more of the artists I am in awe of .
I love Strictly Come Dancing . There , I said it . I love the feel-good factor the show exudes , and I love the enthusiasm of the nondancers as they fall under the Strictly spell . Imagine my delight when my son and his wife presented me with front-row seats for the Strictly tour as part of my 60th birthday present .
The day arrived , and sadly , I didn ’ t feel at my best . I knew immediately that I would struggle that evening , but we devised a plan to limit the walking .
The taxi arrived , and we explained where we wanted to be dropped off . On a previous occasion , we went to a side door catering to mobility issues . I reached for the door only to find it locked , and the lady inside that I had spotted from the road vanished . There was no way on earth that I could have walked to the main entrance , so we rang the number on the door to ask for help , as the notice suggested . Within minutes , two lovely Sparks medics and a wheelchair presented themselves and escorted me to my seat , bypassing the queue and being totally wonderful company en route . The M & S Bank Arena was packed to the rafters with an upbeat hum of anticipation . The dance floor was partly covered with gold curtains covering the podiums , and then it began . That familiar intro music stuck up courtesy of the live band . The arena burst into sound , and shoulders shimmied in seats , eager to participate .
It was a sight to behold . It was , in fact , a replica of the TV set , apart from the judge ’ s seats , which were now in front of the band . Janette Manrara was the host instead of Tess and Claudia , and Graziano Di Prima replaced Johannes Radebe .
The judges were introduced with Shirley receiving the biggest cheer as the home bird . It was amazing just how invested the judges were , making you believe that this was the first time they had seen the show , when in fact , it had been repeated in every major city throughout the UK . Anton was very funny . I had always found him mildly irritating , but he completely won me around with his quick wit and engaging banter . The ‘ love affair ’ between him and Shirley ( sorry , Dan ) brought a good few laughs too . The night ' s biggest surprise came right at the end when we learnt that Craig ’ s company
put on the whole event . All credit to them ; it was a fabulous production .
One by one , the dancers took to the stage , performing their favourite routines from the show . The audience lapped it up . The air was electric : Krishna and Jowita , Angela and Carlos , Layton and Nikita , Angela R and Kai , Bobby and Diane , Annabelle and Graziano and lastly , this year ’ s champions , Ellie , and Vito , presented themselves to the judges for scoring after two dances each .
It is fair to say that Layton stole the show . He not only danced every bit as well , if not better than the professionals , but he seemed to give more to his performance in terms of energy and commitment . Plus , he threw in acrobatics , donned a pink sparkly jumpsuit with a blonde wig and engaged with the audience more than any other dancer .
Other standouts included Bobby , for his unbounded energy , and , of course , the Paso performed by Ellie and Vito to Insomnia by Faithless . One thing I could have done without was the sight of Angela Rippon ' s undercarriage , not once but twice . Yes , I know she is fabulous for her age , and I only wish I was able to do that , but there comes a time when the public does not want to be THAT up close and personal thank you very much .
Lastly , I want to mention the band and the singers . Both were exceptional on the night . Neither missed a note . The singers actually participated in the show , coming into the arena to highlight a solo performance , which was always very well received . All in all , the show was a huge success . Everyone left chatting and singing , having been thoroughly entertained . The only downside was the refreshments . Many people returned to their seats , unable to buy any food or drink in the interval as the queues were too long . A suggestion – maybe have a separate kiosk just for water so that , at the very least , people can quench their thirst .
Thank you , Strictly ; see you later this year from my sofa with a drink in hand .
56 wirrallife . com