Tag Archives: blackpool

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Posted on November 20, 2017 by mkmswain

Well, this wasn’t exactly a vintage Blackpool Week. Alexandra was pretty much the only celebrity to rise to the heights of breathless “Mecca of Ballroom” hyperbole, and even then she had the ever-irritating Human Props to contend with. Read my … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged alexandra burke, ballroom, bbc, blackpool, blog, celebrity, dance, dance off, dancing, dancing times, davood ghadami, debbie mcgee, eliminated, james bond, jk rowling, jonnie peacock, judges, latin, oti mabuse, paso doble, quickstep, recap, review, salsa, spice girls, strictly, strictly ballroom, strictly come dancing, strictly speaking, susan calman, tango, tv, week 9 | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Posted on November 13, 2017 by mkmswain

Pre-Blackpool Week saw many couples in something of a dilemma: do we go easier and hope to win over the audience with a fun performance, or risk tougher routines to impress the judges? Actually, I think voters also appreciate growth, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged alexandra burke, argentine tango, ballroom, bbc, blackpool, blog, celebrity, charleston, dance, dance off, dancing, davood ghadami, debbie mcgee, elimination, foxtrot, jonnie peacock, judges, latin, recap, review, ruth langsford, salsa, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, strictly speaking, tv | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Posted on November 21, 2016 by mkmswain

Ah, Blackpool Week: forced VTs, drama, sky-high scoring and the odd great performance amidst the hysteria. The best part for dancers is the chance to use that giant sprung floor – or at least it would be, but once again … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged A Chorus Line, blackpool, blog, charleston, claudia fragapane, dance off, dancing times, danny mac, ed balls, greg rutherford, hairspray, jive, quickstep, recap, review, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, strictly speaking, week 9 | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Posted on November 14, 2016 by mkmswain

In the year of our Lord WTF, it may seem relatively minor, yet it’s still worth acknowledging: #BallsToBlackpool is actually a reality, as 2016’s unlikely saviour prances on. At this rate, he could be Prime Minister by Christmas. Or maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged andre rieu, argentine tango, ballroom, bbc, blackpool, blog, daisy lowe, dance, dance off, dancing, dancing times, danny mac, donald trump, ed balls, gangnam style, greg rutherford, hallelujah, leonard cohen, paso doble, recap, remembrance day, review, salsa, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, strictly speaking, tv | Leave a comment

Pick of the Week

Posted on September 1, 2016 by mkmswain

Poldark, Woody Allen, Proms pleasures and Blackpool illuminations. Read my full theartsdesk newsletter here

Posted in Art, Fiction, Film, Journalism, Theatre, TV | Tagged alvin ailey, anna maxwell martin, art, best, blackpool, cafe society, dance, film, hampstead theatre, labyrinth, motherhood, music, neon, pick of the week, poldark, proms, sadlers wells, sharon horgan, theartsdesk, theatre, tv, victoria, woody allen | Leave a comment

Stepping Out

Posted on January 9, 2016 by mkmswain

Marianka Swain looks back on a busy year and previews 2016 Same-sex dance made headlines again in 2015 with the Strictly debate, but the real news was on the dancefloor, with improvements in outreach and visibility leading to exciting competitions … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Theatre | Tagged 2015, 2016, ballroom, bbc, berlin, blackpool, competition, dance, dancing, dancing times, eurogames, gay, germany, helsinki, latin, lesbian, london, magazine, music, pink jukebox, pop, preview, same sex, same sex ballroom, same sex dancing, scd, stockholm, strictly, strictly come dancing, tv, video | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Posted on November 25, 2015 by mkmswain

Welcome to Blackpool, where, according to Strictly, the beaches are positively balmy in November, time has stood still since Len’s Fifties heyday, and the local scoring exchange rate is approximately 1:1.5 – 9s and 10s for all the vaguely good … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged american smooth, anita rani, antastacia, backing dancers, ballroom, bbc, blackpool, blog, bruno tonioli, celebrity, claudia winkleman, competition, craig revel-horwood, dance, dance off, dance today, dancing, darcey bussell, georgia may foote, jamelia, jive, judges, latin, len goodman, paso doble, peter andre, quickstep, recap, review, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, take that, tess daly, tower ballroom, tv | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Posted on November 16, 2015 by mkmswain

We need to talk about music. Strictly precariously straddles the worlds of ballroom and entertainment, so it can’t – and shouldn’t – be wall-to-wall Victor Silvester, but we’ve reached a crisis point. Song and theme choices (as I understand it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged ballroom, bbc, blackpool, brandon flowers, celebrity, charleston, chicago, claudia winkleman, competition, dance, dance off, dance today, dancing, georgia may foote, jamelia, jeremy vine, latin, quickstep, samba, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, tess daly, tv, x factor | Leave a comment

Top teachers, best adverts and the world of showdance

Posted on February 9, 2015 by mkmswain

My articles in the February issue of Dance Today, out now: Just ad dance How does fleet-footed advertising affect the dance industry as a whole, and what made our top 10 ads? Teacher of the Year 2015 As we open our competition, dance luminaries pay … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, Theatre, TV | Tagged 2015, ad, advert, advertising, aled jones, american smooth, argentine tango, ballroom, best, blackpool, Bradley Stauffer-Kruse, britains got talent, competition, dance, dance today, dancesport, dancing, dark horse, dominion theatre, drama, enter, entry, fred and ginger, irving berlin, latin, learn, lesson, london, musical, prize, pupil, review, rivoli ballroom, salsa, same sex ballroom, same sex dance, scd, showdance, Sofia Boutella, soren stauffer-kruse, stage, strictly, strictly come dancing, student, sugar dandies, surprise, teach, teacher, theatre, tom chambers, top, west end, white christmas | Leave a comment

Strictly Speaking: Week 10

Posted on December 1, 2014 by mkmswain

It was so much worse than we could ever have feared. Strictly’s foray into international waters made Eurovision look positively restrained, tasteful and nuanced. Around The World In 80 Cultural Appropriation Nightmares Week made a mockery of ballroom, logic, fairness and … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, Journalism, TV | Tagged alfie boe, andre rieu, argentine tango, around the world, ballroom, bbc, blackpool, bollywood, caroline flack, celebrity, charleston, competition, dance, dance today, dancesport, dancing, eurovision, international, jive, latin, london, magazine, review, riverdance, rumba, scd, strictly, strictly come dancing, sunetra sarker, the sound of music, tv, waltz | 1 Comment

Tag Archives: blackpool

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Pick of the Week

Stepping Out

Strictly Speaking: Week 9

Strictly Speaking: Week 8

Strictly Speaking: Week 10

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