Darren Bennett Archives - Learn To Dance

Learn To Dance Newsletter 20th February 2013

learndance — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:28:36 +0000

Our latest newsletter has just gone out. In case you aren’t on our email mailing list, or missed it, you can find a summary and the link below.

In this issue

Over 50s Tenpin Bowling
No More Friday Zumba Classes
Viennese Waltz Workshop & Social
FREE Zumba Session this Saturday
Learn Sequence Dancing Workshop
Wednesday Zumba Gold Moving to Maidenhead
Foxtrot Master Class
Great Yarmouth trip
No Dancing Sunday 10th March
Anton & Erin 15th March
Beginner Waltz Workshop
Easter Break
April Exams
Vincent & Flavia ‘Midnight Tango’ 1st May
Private Lessons available.

You can see our latest newsletter at http://want-to-dance.co.uk/newsletter/20130220 or check you inbox!

To sign up for our newsletter please visit http://want-to-dance.co.uk/news and fill in the online form.

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Learn To Dance Newsletter 4th January 2013

learndance — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:00:49 +0000

Our latest newsletter has just gone out. In case you aren’t on our email mailing list, or missed it, you can find a summary and the link below.

In this issue

Classes recommence this week
Card payment charges reduced if paying in person
Monday Zumba Gold
New Zumba class
No evening class Wednesday 9th Jan
Jive workshop and first social of 2013
Waltz Master Class
Beginner Argentine Tango Workshop
New ‘Learn Sequence Dancing’ workshop
Final deadline for Great Yarmouth trip
Strictly Keep Dancing Feb 9th
Forget Me Not Ball Feb 16th
Anton & Erin 15th March
Easter Break
April Exams
Vincent & Flavia ‘Midnight Tango’ 1st May
Private Lessons available.

You can see our latest newsletter at http://want-to-dance.co.uk/newsletter/20130104 or check you inbox!

To sign up for our newsletter please visit http://want-to-dance.co.uk/news and fill in the online form.

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Strictly Come Dancing launch show

learndance — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:19:00 +0000

Strictly’s back, we’re back, everyone’s back…well except for a few of our favourite professionals.

What do I think of this year’s lineup? Quite a good lineup even if the average age is apparently now 45. There’s a few people (as usual) that I have no idea who they are but there does appear to be more potential here.

So first partnerships are Scott Maslen and Natalie Lowe and Scott doesn’t appear to know where to put his lips. Matt Baker is up next and is paired with Aliona Vilani (something she doesn’t look entirely ecstatic about surprisingly). Finally Peter Shilton (I’m predicting Kristina Rihanoff), but no he get’s Erin Boag.

The transfer to ‘the tower’ seems a little bit awkward and far too staged but hey, this is Strictly after all.

Now to meet the new professionals Robin Windsor, Artem Chigvintsev and Jared Murillo. First impressions are Artem and Robin have good promise, though Robin looked a little shaky, however Jared looks completely out of his depth in the first dance and will certainly have to step it up if he wants to prove the producers were right to drop the established professionals.

Now our first female celeb partnerships are Michelle Williams and Brendan Cole – a very promising partnership on paper, Pamela Stephenson gets James Jordan, watching Jared in the lineup further supports my theory that he’s not at home up there but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t pair him with Tina O’Brien…not a bad guess it turns out!

So some VT showing the celebs trying their first group dance and a few potentials but not really enough shown of each celeb for me to comment on.

Our next round of partnerships; Paul Daniels and Ola Jordan; Patsy Kensit gets Robin Windsor; and Goldie is paired with Kristina Rihanoff.

Let’s see how Jared performs in the next group dance…complete with a flying Vincent and Flavia and a leaping Brendan Cole. Someone’s definitely been working with these guys to make it more of a show than a ballroom demo and I must admit it’s not a bad choice in this instance. Didn’t get to see much of Jared but he is starting to look more at home.

So we’re over halfway through our celeb partnerships, who’s next?

Kara Tointon proves she’s starting as a beginner when she thinks her Salsa with Mark Ramprakash is actually a Samba, so Artem has his work cut out for him! Jimi Mistry has Flavia Cacace and Gavin Henson is left with Katya Virshilas – not a bad girl to be left with.

For once I agree with Alesha…you can’t predict how all the partnerships are going to work until we see them actually dancing.

Our first look at the ‘Strictly Show Dancers’ and I’m hoping to see a reason why they’re on the show. A good performance but I’m struggling to see what the point is when the preceding pro dance was more of a show dance. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ian and Darren but they’ll need to step it up!

Our final two pairings are Felicity Kendal (a personal boyhood fave!) with Vincent Simone and Anne Widdecombe is ready to get her claws into Anton Du Beke (a no brainer based on his past partners).

I really can’t call this one just yet; it’d be nice to see how their training is coming along. After seeing the group dance, Gavin and Peter have a mountain to climb, but Anne should have public support. Felicity is looking promising as is Pamela. Jimi will be interesting but Matt and Scott show a bit of promise. Out of all that I’ve seen so far I’m tipping Matt, Pamela and Felicity to do well.

What did you guys think of the opening show?

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Darren & Lilia official statement

learndance — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:26:00 +0000

Taken from http://www.darrenandlilia.com/News/scd2010pr.htm

From Jillie Bushell Associates Ltd

Agents to Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova

Statement from Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova ref Strictly Come Dancing 2010

10^th June 2010

We are in contact with the BBC regarding the proposed changes to our role within the show this year. We are unable to comment on our decision at this time until we have further understanding of the actual requirements.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the fantastic response we have received on email, Twitter, facebook & forums. Dance is our passion & life and whatever we decide that will never change”

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Strictly Professionals for 2010 announced

learndance — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:45:00 +0000

So returning to compete with celebrities this year are:

Anton du Beke, Brendan Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone, Ola Jordan, Flavia Cacace, Erin Boag, Kristina Rihanoff, Natalie Lowe, Aliona Vilani, Katya Virshilas

Added to this are three new professional dancers (3 girls were added last year so 3 guys are added this year):

Images courtesy of BBC Strictly mini-site

ARTEM CHIGVINTSEV, a Latin Champion who is a graduate of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ in the US and has unique experience of very different dancing genres in addition to his ballroom champion-level skill.
JARED MURILLO, who at 21, was a US open Swing Youth champion. Trained in America, Jared was a principal dancer in the movies ‘High School Musical’ 1 & 2.
ROBIN WINDSOR has completed five world tours of the worldwide ballroom dancing phenomenon ‘Burn the Floor’, in which he has starred and choreographed routines.

The BBC have reduced the number of celebrities from 16 to 14 this year (I think a good move as last year did feel like there was just too many). This has meant however that 5 of the existing professionals are now not going to compete this year – Darren & Lilia, Ian Waite, Matthew Cutler and Brian Fortuna. They have been offered the opportunity to form a ‘dance supergroup’, along with some other as yet unnamed professionals, that will come on each week and perform a dance spectacle for the audience.

At present Brian has confirmed that he will not take part, and will concentrate on the West End production of Burn The Floor with Ali Bastian, and it is rumoured that Darren & Lilia have also declined – they may also wish to concentrate on their Latin Fever tour. Ian and Matthew have yet to respond, neither have a show on the side as they are both on the Professionals Tour, so may both agree to take part this year.

So, the BBC tinker with the formula again and only time will tell whether they have more luck than last year. Amid rumours last week that Alesha was due to quite as judge (yay!) the Daily Star and Sun have stated that she is due to re-sign for another year (boo!).

Have any of your favourites been ditched this year, or are you looking forward to some new blood?

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The result

learndance — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:15:00 +0000

As predicted Lynda has been sent home, but it was close.

I may not have written it, but I did think that was going to be a 2-2 result.

Out of the bottom two I think the right person went, but still would prefer to see one or both of the Jo(e)s in the dance-off.

Did the judges make the right choice?

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The dance off!

learndance — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Lynda up first:

Does seem a bit livelier, why does Lynda save the better performances for the dance-off?!

I still don’t think it has enough drive however, and just as I was about to say how good it was to see her not make the same mistake again, she mucks up the ending. Shame.

Now for Craig:

A little bit John Wayne in places (some of my male students might recognise that phrase!)

Frame does look better this time round.

Again I think a better performance than during the show.

This is really going to be a hard one to call but I think they will say that Craig has more potential.

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Lynda Bellingham & Darren Bennett – Foxtrot

learndance — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:27:00 +0000

Sorry guys if these posts are a little delayed, for some reason the posts are taking a while to upload.

A dance that I feel will really suit Lynda, let’s see if she pulls it off.

Predicted 7’s based on training but this performance is looking a little wooden and bumpy, Foxtrot should move gracefully and smoothly across the floor.

A little slip up near the end didn’t help.

A ‘nice’ performance but a little uninspiring I felt. Looking at 6’s.

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Moment of truth and dance-off

learndance — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:15:00 +0000

As predicted the audience have saved Joe Calzaghe.

Will Jo Wood also be saved?

Phil Tufnell will have a hard job next week as I imagine he can’t train until he recovers from his knee surgery.

Whether she’s through or not I think they’ll leave Jo until the final three anyway, just to up the suspense.

…or not…lol

Again as predicted the audience have saved both the Jo(e)s. Is my earlier prediction going to prove correct?

…No!

So Lynda and Rav are in the final two, I think Rav will be saved again but the judges have surprised me in the past.

Slower Flamenco hand movement at the start, but still superfluous due to the speed as it has no impact.

I do think this is a better performance than earlier, but I don’t think the lipstick nose look is good for Darren!

Rav looks like a defeated man and certainly showing a lack of confidence/drive at the start there.

Little bit shaky and still huge gaps between them, Rav is neglecting to close his feet on the chasses.

Based on the dance-off I’d have to actually give it to Lynda.

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Lynda Bellingham & Darren Bennett – Paso Doble

learndance — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:18:00 +0000

A dance that requires passion and performance. Cha Cha wasn’t very good last time but this could be a lot better.

Classic dress design, not quite sure about the Flamenco moves to start with – too rushed to get the impact.

Lacks ‘attack’ and is a bit too soft for my liking but definitely better than her first two outings on the dance floor.

Think this will only get a 6 however.

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