DOCUMENTARY: Len Goodman's Dancing Feet: The British Ballroom Story
Channel: BBC 4
Date: Thursday 27th December 2012
Time: 21:00 to 22:00
Duration: 1 hour.
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Len Goodman takes to the dance floor to discover the golden age of ballroom. In the early 20th century millions enjoyed dancing. Graceful movement was everything as we grappled with the waltz, the tango and each other. Len reveals a surprising world of scandal and outrage - a time when ballroom was considered radical and trendy. Why did people enjoy ballroom so much and why did we eventually turn our backs on it? Len visits its spiritual home, Blackpool, and demonstrates some popular steps with professional dancer Erin Boag. He discovers how the smart set danced the night away at the Cafe de Paris and returns to a favourite dance hall from his youth, the Rivoli in south London. Len talks to dancers, singers and musicians who remember the golden age and discovers the people who introduced 'rules' to ballroom - the dance leaders and teachers who were concerned that ballroom was out of control and needed new regulations to govern steps, movement and music.
(Stereo, Widescreen, Subtitles)
Excerpt taken from DigiGuide
