Look North Weather Presenter Sarah Cruddas is dancing the Samba with her dance partner Denis at the A Ward School of Dance on Holderness Road in Hull.
As part of the build up to the big night she is writing us a blog.
PART 1
Sarah Cruddas and Denis
Well there are just ten days to go until the big night, and competition is really starting to heat up. To be honest my dancing is in need of some serious work. I wasn't planning on taking it all that seriously, but now having seen some of the other competitors, I've changed my mind.
My dance partner Denis, from the A Ward School of Dance in Hull decided that the Samba would be the best dance for me - as it was slow (ish) - I wanted to do the Jive, but apparently it was too quick.
To be honest, I am glad I am doing it now, but I'm still finding it really difficult - those pro's you see on the TV make it look a lot easier than it actually is!
My dance routine, which is slowly coming together, involves a solo dance for 30 seconds. I am really not looking forward to it, I keep on giggling because I don't think I am any good.
Denis is away until Thursday, so I have been left in the capable hands of his teacher Roman, hopefully I will be a pro by the time he gets back?
Sarah gets her dancing shoes on.
PART 2
I actually really enjoyed dance today. Denis was away in London, so I had his teacher Roman Shabanov. Roman has worked as a dance teacher all around the world - so I feel really privileged to have such expert help.
We were concentrating on my dreaded solo dance again today - my biggest problem is I just can't relax, but apparently, I have improved a lot, which is good news. Roman told me that anyone can dance, it's all to do with confidence - which I think is very true.
We also started practicing lifts - these are my favourite bit, as I just get to pose and be carried around. Not sure if me and Denis will have a lift in our final dance routine, so watch this space.
On top of the lifting and the solo dancing we must have practiced the core Samba steps about thirty times. It sounds a lot, but it really isn't, there is so much you need to get right, its not just the footwork. You need to have the right posture and be able to move to the beat.
At the moment I feel like every time I get the right arm action, I forget the footwork! But the good news is I can start to see some sort of dance coming together and am really looking forward to getting back to the dance studio.
PART 3
Well things are starting to get really competitive, somebody - who I shall name only as Dave Reeves who presents Early Breakfast - told me I can't dance! How very dare he - I will be an amazing dancer on the night, or at least grin and bare it!
Today was really exciting as I got to try on my dress, I'm not going to say what its like though , as I want it to be a surprise. I also got to dance in proper dance shoes - they are much easier to dance in then the plimsolls I have taken to wearing - and at least I know my left dance shoe from my right, unlike one competitor who will remain un-named.
I had both Denis and his teacher Roman helping me today - I need all the help I can get! However they spent the first half hour or so in a, shall I just say 'heated' debate about my routine. But between them they have finally come up with the finished routine, which involves a lot of spinning and shaking - well it is the Samba after all. So seeing as there is now only a week to go I guess I will be spending most of my weekend in the dance studio!
PART 4
Well I actually managed to spend much of my weekend in the dance studio, but how much of that time was productive remains to be seen.
I think I finally know my routine now - trust me its much harder to learn than it sounds! Friday afternoon was spent going through it none stop with Denis and helped by his teacher Roman. I was so tired that I ended up going to bed before nine on friday night!
As for the weekend, well Denis and Roman decided that I needed to dance on my own to prove that I knew what I was doing - at least when I am with Denis I can just follow him! So basically my Saturday afternoon was spent dancing on my own, counting out loud the timing of every step, worse still every time I made a mistake, they made me go back to the beginning and start again!! Lets just say I ended up staying much longer then I had planned.
Sarah and Denis are floored
Part 5
Well I can now not only touch my toes, but also hold that position for at least ten seconds - all thanks to Denis’s army drill style dancing techniques. Most of yesterday I was forced to stretch and bend further than I ever thought possible. I nearly cried and walked out several times, but I think it was worth it, as although my legs and arms ache, a lot, I am now much more bendy then I ever though possible - which is good news for Friday.
Our dance is now complete and we have the best finish ever - well that is according to Denis and myself, but we are biased, and I’m not allowed to reveal what it is, so you will have to wait until the night.
Following the pain of the stretching and bending yesterday - and Denis making me repeat the first part of the dance about 100 times, yelling at me every time I got it wrong - today was spent rehashing the routine, again and again and again. The fear of Denis making me do more streches really worked as I danced better than ever!
So there are only three days to go now, and I am starting to get nervous. My biggest fear is falling over in front of everyone, but as long as I make it to the end of the dance I will be happy.
Neil and Ellie
Neil McMullan is a Technical Operator On Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Look North, He will be trying to keep up with 16-year-old Ellie Lockton on the dancefloor. Ellie is a dance student from NAPA (national academy of performing arts).
Neil is becoming ever more nervous "I chose an up beat song, but once we put the dance steps to the track, it seemed way too fast for my feet".
Radio Humberside presenter David Reeves is being joined on the floor by local dancer Amy Ward.
David Reeves and Amy Ward
Starting each day at 4am David is hoping his endurance for early mornings will transfer to his training on the dance floor. "This is a totally new experience for me and luckily Amy has the patience of a saint. The first thing Amy said to me was "at least you can hear the beat", shame I've got the rhythm of a large Cornish pasty. I guess you'll see the results on November 14th".
Amy is the Latin American and Ballroom British junior champion and currently works as an assistant at the A Ward school of dance on Holderness Road.
