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Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Dance > Ballroom dancing
The third instalment in Craig Revel Horwood's frank and funny
autobiography takes the reader through the highs and lows of the
Strictly Come Dancing star's 'fab-u-lous' life. Join Craig and a host
of Strictly stars - including Ore Oduba, Judy Murray and the
unforgettable Ed Balls - on the show and live tours and get the real
stories from behind the scenes.
The Aussie-born judge shares his famously forthright views on the
changes in the show's line up, from Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman's
departures to the arrival of Claudia Winkleman and Shirley Ballas, as
well as the dancers and stars.
Away from Strictly, Craig reveals fresh heartache over failed romances,
his pain at losing his dad and how his work kept him from flying to
Australia for the funeral. He marks the milestones in his life,
including turning fifty and moving from London to live in a 'gorgeous'
country pile, as well as going under the knife for a second hip
operation plus a few nips and tucks.
The multi-talented dancer, director and choreographer also discusses
his award-winning shows, including Sister Act and Son of a Preacher
Man, and spending a year in drag as Miss Hannigan in Annie. Plus, he
reveals all about his foray into movies, choreographing Hugh Grant for
Paddington 2 and making his big screen debut in Nativity Rocks.
With his famous wit and a wealth of backstage gossip, In Strictest
Confidence is the perfect read for all his fans as well as those of
Strictly Come Dancing.
Grove chronicles not only his own fascinating Anglo-Argentinian
background growing up in Buenos Aires but also the political
history of the tango. He writes, 'In the troubled times of Juan and
Evita Peron, the middle classes detested the music and dance so
adored by portenos, the ordinary people of Buenos Aires. Too
proletarian, sexy and subversive. These days the tango has
enthusiasts worldwide, from Finland to Japan, but I didn't see
anyone dance it until I was 18 and didn't attempt it myself until I
was nearly 60.' He also details the terrifying moment his father
was kidnapped by urban guerrillas and his anguish over the
Falklands war.
"Sometimes I've taken home the trophy, sometimes I've stumbled or
tripped over my own feet. But every move I've made has shaped me
into the person I am today." Season after season, millions of fans
tune into Dancing with the Stars to watch Derek Hough, the
talented, consummate competitor whose skill and commitment have
made him the show's all-time champion. Whether he's dancing with an
Olympic gold medalist, an internationally renowned recording star,
or a celebrated actress, Derek has an undeniable talent for
bringing out the best in his partners. He does more than just tutor
them in the fox-trot and paso doble-he teaches them how to see
beyond their limits and realize their true potential. Now, for the
first time ever, Derek opens up about his transformation from
bullied little boy to accomplished performer and coach who lets
nothing-and no one-stand in his way. In Taking the Lead he details
how his experiences have taught him to embrace a positive outlook,
channel his creativity and drive, and face his fears head-on. From
his early training in London beginning at the age of twelve, to
grueling dance competitions around the world, to never-before-told
stories from behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars, Derek
writes with honesty and insight about his extraordinary journey.
And in sharing his own story, he shows all of us how we can take
charge of pursuing our goals, overcome obstacles, and become
winners-not just on the dance floor but in life.
The third instalment in Craig Revel Horwood's frank and funny
autobiography takes the reader through the highs and lows of the
Strictly Come Dancing star's 'fab-u-lous' life. Join Craig and a
host of Strictly stars - including Ore Oduba, Judy Murray and the
unforgettable Ed Balls - on the show and live tours and get the
real stories from behind the scenes. The Aussie-born judge shares
his famously forthright views on the changes in the show's line up,
from Bruce Forsyth and Len Goodman's departures to the arrival of
Claudia Winkleman and Shirley Ballas, as well as the dancers and
stars. Away from Strictly, Craig reveals fresh heartache over
failed romances, his pain at losing his dad and how his work kept
him from flying to Australia for the funeral. He marks the
milestones in his life, including turning fifty and moving from
London to live in a 'gorgeous' country pile, as well as going under
the knife for a second hip operation plus a few nips and tucks. The
multi-talented dancer, director and choreographer also discusses
his award-winning shows, including Sister Act and Son of a Preacher
Man, and spending a year in drag as Miss Hannigan in Annie. Plus,
he reveals all about his foray into movies, choreographing Hugh
Grant for Paddington 2 and making his big screen debut in Nativity
Rocks. With his famous wit and a wealth of backstage gossip, In
Strictest Confidence is the perfect read for all his fans as well
as those of Strictly Come Dancing.
In this delightful and gently humorous book, Diana Melly takes us
on an eye-opening tour of dance halls up and down the country,
introducing us to everything from tango to swing.
Leave it all on the floor... Queen of Latin Ballroom, Shirley
Ballas has a spectacular dance career spanning over 40 years - she
has Cha-Cha'd her way across the world's dance floors to become a
multi-award-winning ballroom champion and one of the most renowned
dancers in the world. In 1996, Shirley retired from competitive
dancing to become a highly-acclaimed coach and now holds the
enviable position of Head Judge on BBC One's prime time show
Strictly Come Dancing. In Behind the Sequins, she leads us through
her dramatic and determined life, from growing up in a rough estate
on the Wirral and leaving home at 14 years old, to conquering the
high-octane world of ballroom and coping with betrayal, bullying,
two broken marriages and a personal tragedy that left Shirley and
her family devastated. Speaking from the heart, Shirley leaves her
dancing shoes at the door to tell you the story of a fiery,
strong-willed grafter who could make the brat pack blush.
Better Late Than Never is the extraordinary true story of how a man
born into poverty in London's East End went on to find stardom late
in life when he was chosen to be head judge on BBC1's Strictly Come
Dancing. Len Goodman tells all about his new-found fame, his
experiences on Strictly Come Dancing, and also on the no.1 US show
Dancing with the Stars and his encounters with the likes of Heather
Mills-McCartney and John Sergeant. But the real story is in his
East End roots. And Len's early life couldn't be more East End. The
son of a Bethnal Green costermonger he spent his formative years
running the fruit and veg barrow and being bathed at night in the
same water Nan used to cook the beetroot. There are echoes of Billy
Elliot too. Though Len was a welder in the London Docks, he dreamt
of being a professional footballer, and came close to making the
grade had he not broken his foot on Hackney Marshes. The doctor
recommended ballroom dancing as a light aid to his recovery. And
Len, it turned out, was a natural. At first his family and work
mates mocked, but soon he had made the final of a national
competition and the welders descended en masse to the Albert Hall
to cheer him on. With his dance partner, and then wife Cheryl, Len
won the British Championships in his late twenties and ballroom
dancing became his life. Funny and heart-warming, Len Goodman's
autobiography has all the honest East End charm of Tommy Steele,
Mike Read or Roberta Taylor.
In the early twentieth century, American ragtime and the Parisian
tango fuelled a dancing craze in Britain. Public ballrooms were
built throughout the country, providing a glamorous setting for
dancing. The new English style, defined in the 1920s and followed
by the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the '30s, ensured
that ballroom dancing continued to be the most popular British
pastime until the 1960s, rivalled only by the cinema. This book
explores the vibrant history of ballroom and Latin dancing: the
dances, lavish venues, competitions and influential instructors. It
also traces the decline of couple dancing and its resurgence in
recent years with the hugely popular TV shows Strictly Come Dancing
and Dancing with the Stars.
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