October 2007

In the competitive world of “show business” – and I use that term loosely – it’s becoming increasingly important for performers to cultivate a variety of skills right across the board. Our interviews this month are testament to the versatility required; Craig Revel Horwood’s role as a judge on “Strictly” is just one element of a wider career in direction and choreography, while dancer Anton Du Beke has recently added the release of his first book to a long list of professional credentials. Patricia Daly finds out about the latest modules enabling acting students on BA and MA courses to develop their dance skills (page 30), while Rachelle Stretch delves into the lives of our young competitive dancers, for whom school and university exams fit alongside dance training (page 24). To get a look at some of these youngsters in action, see page 44 for our newly-launched Competition Diary. This is one of several additional pages to be introduced in the coming months due to an increase in pagination with this issue, which marks the start of a new volume, and comes in response to your requests in our recent readership survey.
Katie Gregory

In this month    

Features
6 News 
The what, where and when this month
9 Letters 
Tell us what you think
10 DanceScene
The Essex Championships; Thames Festival; BDF page
16 Strictly no nonsense
Katie Gregory talks to “Strictly Come Dancing” judge Craig Revel Horwood
24 Flying high
Rachelle Stretch finds out what it’s like to be a young competitor
30 Acting up
Patricia Daly talks to Paul Harris about creating a dance module for actors
35 Motion pictures: part two
Carole Edrich profiles three dance photographers



41 Write foot forward
Katie Gregory talks to Anton Du Beke about the release of his new book
44 Competition diary
Dates for October 45 Jive: part two
John Sweeney concludes with the history of ballroom and modern jive
50 DVD reviews
Fitness with a difference
51 Reviews
Katie Gregory on Satisfaction; Carole Edrich
on Tango Fire; Alison
Kirkman on Grease
55 Health notes
Rebecca Kepple offers some skincare tips for dancers
57 CD Reviews 
WIN dance music CDs
58 Sequence section: A Scottish success by Helen Blackburn

 

60 Thiara Tango by Barry Earnshaw and Beverley Murch-Fowkes
62 Rylstone Rumba by Graham and Kathy Thomson
64 Variation: A simple sparkler in samba
by Steven Verrall
65 Listings
Dance around the UK
74 The last dance
Dancing in Ulster in 40 years ago this month and The Ball-Room Guide

On the cover: Anton Du Beke with “Strictly Come Dancing” celebrity partner Kate Garraway. Photograph by David Venni © BBC.