Here's something I have written conveying the aspects that I enjoy about Strictly Come Dancing based upon Bill and Karen's departure on Saturday as the basis for my perspective. Please feel free to contribute your thoughts.
The Heart and Soul of Strictly Come Dancing
It surprised me yesterday to learn that Bill and Karen were leaving SCD. When I think of them, I will reflect upon those seven weeks of their exploits that have passed and have suddenly driven to a halt. A colourful journey that involved comedy, drama and pathos. And that was before this fine duo even stepped onto the dancefloor.
Personally, I do not think that Bill Turnbull has two left feet. Regardless of his injury, what he lacked in technique, he made up for with his spirited display, desire to participate and sheer determination to see things through. Some might take exception to his verbal sparring with the judges. I found that it added to SCD's entertainment, rather than diminished it. Although he is a celebrity, Bill in some ways, made this experience more accessible to the viewer because, to an extent, the experience can be lived through him. He is respected in his work, is a family man, has had ups and downs with his confidence in dance training yet has time to enjoy his hobbies. They are facets of his personality that provide a source of audience empathy.
An aspect of his life that stood out in particular, thanks to BBC editing, is how he cultivates affectionate relationship with his harem of wives: Ceci, his real life wife, Sian his breakfast wife and, of course, Karen, his dancing wife. Maybe I'm a gullible victim of the BBC editing process, but from the footage and the live programmes I've seen, I do believe that Bill and Karen stand out as a couple. There is something about them, a chemistry that lit up the screen from the first time that I saw them. And there was something genuinely enchanting about how this relationship translated so luminiscently and successfully onto the dancefloor.
Talking about lighting up the screen, there's Karen. From barely knowing her name prior to the series, I now understand what others had already known - that Karen Hardy is a wonderful ambassador for the world of ballroom dancing, bringing to this programme her vibrant imagination, nuanced creativity and infectious enthusiasm. From the evidence that we are permitted to observe through edited video footage, she has coped admirably with Bill's tougher times as well as forming a partnership that promotes the fun aspect of dance - the joy of two people coming together as one on the dancefloor. And sometimes they even freestyle - See Bill's Viennese Waltz.
Karen's routines have left a number of visual imprints, a veritable gallery of images firmly etched into my memory. A world where hats are exchanged freely, rings are offered theatrically and waltzes turn triumphantly. There was a story being told in each one of the routines and I felt that their semblance of magic and mischief was what set Karen's routines apart from the others. They were infused with graceful levity, playful interplay and passionate artistry. It makes you wonder that if Karen should choose to return for another series, how much of a priviledge and a pleasure it would be for us to witness her working her magic with another male celebrity.
For those of us who have felt some sense of loss at Bill and Karen's departure, or indeed other cherished couples, it perfectly illustrates how much time and energy is invested into those two minutes of dance. The viewers make an emotional investment - "You're my favourites" - eagerly awaiting the emergence of the couples walking down the staircase each week, anticipating their next dance. The celebrities mould their lives around this intensive experience. And you also come to realise how much the professionals invest in this - with their pride and livelihood at stake. I was touched that Karen had even prepared a farewell note for Tess to express how much this experience had meant to her. That she had prepared herself for the eventuality of having to leave the dancefloor was an emotional reminder that the SCD experience touches lives at a human level. It has already touched lives at a personal level because watching SCD inspired viewers to take up dancing. Myself included. And I am sure that there are plenty of others too.
What I enjoyed most about Bill and Karen was that as a couple, they are both endearingly down-to-earth. Yet they imbued the ordinary with a sense of the extraordinary. Here was a man who tested his physical limitations to their fullest extent and was willing to go the distance. He was partnered by a fantastic and gifted teacher with an eye for detail, worked harmoniously with her student and drew out the best performance possible from his skill set. I will miss them both, but I feel better for somehow getting to know them - even if it is just from the television screen.
For now, there will be other dances, other dancers and a grand finale to look forward to. But there will only one Bill and one Karen, who in their own special way, have proudly embodied the very heart and soul of Strictly Come Dancing.
Thanks for reading.
The Heart and Soul of Strictly Come Dancing
It surprised me yesterday to learn that Bill and Karen were leaving SCD. When I think of them, I will reflect upon those seven weeks of their exploits that have passed and have suddenly driven to a halt. A colourful journey that involved comedy, drama and pathos. And that was before this fine duo even stepped onto the dancefloor.
Personally, I do not think that Bill Turnbull has two left feet. Regardless of his injury, what he lacked in technique, he made up for with his spirited display, desire to participate and sheer determination to see things through. Some might take exception to his verbal sparring with the judges. I found that it added to SCD's entertainment, rather than diminished it. Although he is a celebrity, Bill in some ways, made this experience more accessible to the viewer because, to an extent, the experience can be lived through him. He is respected in his work, is a family man, has had ups and downs with his confidence in dance training yet has time to enjoy his hobbies. They are facets of his personality that provide a source of audience empathy.
An aspect of his life that stood out in particular, thanks to BBC editing, is how he cultivates affectionate relationship with his harem of wives: Ceci, his real life wife, Sian his breakfast wife and, of course, Karen, his dancing wife. Maybe I'm a gullible victim of the BBC editing process, but from the footage and the live programmes I've seen, I do believe that Bill and Karen stand out as a couple. There is something about them, a chemistry that lit up the screen from the first time that I saw them. And there was something genuinely enchanting about how this relationship translated so luminiscently and successfully onto the dancefloor.
Talking about lighting up the screen, there's Karen. From barely knowing her name prior to the series, I now understand what others had already known - that Karen Hardy is a wonderful ambassador for the world of ballroom dancing, bringing to this programme her vibrant imagination, nuanced creativity and infectious enthusiasm. From the evidence that we are permitted to observe through edited video footage, she has coped admirably with Bill's tougher times as well as forming a partnership that promotes the fun aspect of dance - the joy of two people coming together as one on the dancefloor. And sometimes they even freestyle - See Bill's Viennese Waltz.
Karen's routines have left a number of visual imprints, a veritable gallery of images firmly etched into my memory. A world where hats are exchanged freely, rings are offered theatrically and waltzes turn triumphantly. There was a story being told in each one of the routines and I felt that their semblance of magic and mischief was what set Karen's routines apart from the others. They were infused with graceful levity, playful interplay and passionate artistry. It makes you wonder that if Karen should choose to return for another series, how much of a priviledge and a pleasure it would be for us to witness her working her magic with another male celebrity.
For those of us who have felt some sense of loss at Bill and Karen's departure, or indeed other cherished couples, it perfectly illustrates how much time and energy is invested into those two minutes of dance. The viewers make an emotional investment - "You're my favourites" - eagerly awaiting the emergence of the couples walking down the staircase each week, anticipating their next dance. The celebrities mould their lives around this intensive experience. And you also come to realise how much the professionals invest in this - with their pride and livelihood at stake. I was touched that Karen had even prepared a farewell note for Tess to express how much this experience had meant to her. That she had prepared herself for the eventuality of having to leave the dancefloor was an emotional reminder that the SCD experience touches lives at a human level. It has already touched lives at a personal level because watching SCD inspired viewers to take up dancing. Myself included. And I am sure that there are plenty of others too.
What I enjoyed most about Bill and Karen was that as a couple, they are both endearingly down-to-earth. Yet they imbued the ordinary with a sense of the extraordinary. Here was a man who tested his physical limitations to their fullest extent and was willing to go the distance. He was partnered by a fantastic and gifted teacher with an eye for detail, worked harmoniously with her student and drew out the best performance possible from his skill set. I will miss them both, but I feel better for somehow getting to know them - even if it is just from the television screen.
For now, there will be other dances, other dancers and a grand finale to look forward to. But there will only one Bill and one Karen, who in their own special way, have proudly embodied the very heart and soul of Strictly Come Dancing.
Thanks for reading.
What a marvellous piece!
I'll bet more men will be inclined to take to the floor because of Bill, he's an inspiration. I will miss them both so much, SCD just won't be the same.
