The neXt big thing

With “DanceX” due to high-kick its way on to our TV screens later this month, Nikki Santilli got a sneak preview of the talent at the London auditions

Has reality TV finally grown up? Television’s popular dance judges, Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli, have been scouring the country, auditioning for their new BBC show, “DanceX”. Two groups will be trained in singing and dance and subjected to weekly elimination rounds, and the winners will form a dance “super-group”.
It was all sounding tiresomely familiar until I met Arlene and Bruno on the outdoor set of the open London auditions at the BBC studios. There, I was delighted to discover they had a wider vision: bringing quality performance dance back in to mainstream culture.
“In the 1970s, everyone knew who [Mikhail] Baryshnikov was, who [Margot] Fonteyn was.” Bruno exclaims. “But who knows [Sylvie] Guillem? She is amazing. To me she is one of the best dancers of the 20th century. People are cutting out a huge source of inspiration if they don’t know about people like Guillem.”
But if this is their rather admirable aim, is there any point inviting amateurs to participate in “DanceX”? Arlene is adamant that there is.
“In Bristol I came across a 17 year old from Cornwall. He had started dancing at the age of 12: disco, line dancing  and so on. He took my breath away. He was unbelievable. He must have been practising more than so many others on a three-year course.”
Indeed, Arlene is in determined spirit, although her job seems harder these days. “At the time of Hot Gossip [arguably the last dance super-group, which she founded in the 1970s], the girls were already warming up when I came in to do the warm up. Now the whole attitude is different,” she gestures indifference, “there are mobile phones going off everywhere…”
And it seems dancers are lacking in terms of versatility too: “they were adaptable then and learned different styles. Now, everyone only does street dance. It drives me to despair.”

Overall, what comes across most clearly from both Arlene and Bruno is a passion to communicate the dedication that a career in dancing requires. This dedication applies to rehearsal time; to learning a range of styles in order to adapt to whatever is required by choreographers; and even being resiliant in the face of (inevitable) rejection.
And when the auditions start, there is no lack of their familiar, sharp-tongued criticism. “If that was sexy, you’ve put me off sex!” cries Bruno to one group. “You’re so unattractive you look like binmen!” Arlene scolds three finalists who are dressed in a miscellany of baggy sweat pants, loose cut-off tops and trainer-style shoes.
Some complain that women are turned down and told off for being overweight where men are not. “Showing skin and cleavage gets you in,” grumbles contestant Dionne Hughes. Others express surprise at how many talented dancers are turned away. But everyone accepts that the judges are searching for “that something” that is beyond technique.
“I think they’re looking for outstanding dancers but also personality,” observes Kerry Jenkins (36), a professional dancer who didn’t make it through to the solo round. “It’s daunting but there’s a lovely atmosphere here, and to get to the last 140 out of thousands, well – I’m chuffed to have got this far.” 
When the crowd insist on booing the judges’ decisions, Arlene strides to the edge of the stage. She assures them this is not about what they, the audience, want but what she is looking for to create her group. Bruno supports her. But now that British audiences have learned to unleash their heckling, anti-authoritarian voices on live television, persuading them that harsh discipline is what it takes in the real world to become a professional dancer may prove a touch harder than anticipated.

Photographs by Sandra Figueira