Ballroom My Story

This story belongs to Darcey and Mummy Rachel.

It's a tiny tale about Mummy Rachel's life and the things she used to do.

Darcey and Mummy Rachel are having fun with Darcey's baby brother Drew.

Now it's time for Mummy Rachel to share her memories

and take Darcey on a journey of discovery.

Mummy Rachel is a ballroom dancer.

People have been dancing for a very long time.

These are all paintings of dancers hundreds of years ago.

Some kinds of dance are very old.

Like ballet and the waltz.

Other types are lots of fun.

Like the Charleston.

The jitterbug.

Rock'n'roll dancing.

And the twist.

Wow, look at them go!

Latin dancing was really popular when Mummy Rachel was young

and so was disco.

Nowadays lots of people learn street dance.

Dancers wear different shoes to do different types of dance.

And Darcey is having a look at her dance shoes.

What are you doing, Darcey?

Looking at all my different dance shoes

-from my different dance classes.

-Wow.

When I was your age I didn't do as many dance classes as you.

Which ones did you do?

Mummy did ballroom.

And I did Latin.

But I didn't do ballet like you.

Which was your favourite?

It has to be...Latin.

Did you do street?

I did, but it was called disco when Mummy was little.

They talk some more about how Mummy Rachel started dancing.

When I was a little girl

I asked Grandma if she could take me to dance classes

and she took me along and I loved it, just like you do.

Mummy met Daddy at dance school.

And we were partners together and that's how we met.

This is my daddy and he dances too.

Hello!

Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven don't just dance...

they also have their very own dance school

which Darcey is visiting today.

When Mummy was a little girl I used to go dancing every week,

just like you, for years and years.

And then Mummy and Daddy grew up and we loved dancing so much

that we opened our own dance school.

And Mummy is going to teach you and Daddy some dancing today.

-What would you like to learn?

-Street.

Street! Do you think Daddy's going to be good at street?

Uh-uh.

OK, good choice.

Yes!

-STREET DANCE MUSIC PLAYS

-One, two.

Three and four. All the way around.

Five, six. Big one. Seven and...

Daddy Steven seems to be getting the hang of it.

Daddy, wrong way.

Oops, spoke too soon.

Shall we do that again?

This way.

-Try again.

-Go.

One.

Two. Crocodile snap.

Push. And away.

In. Out. And down.

-Was that a good dance? Was I good?

-Yeah.

That was fun. Mummy Rachel is a great dance teacher.

Next the family are off to Blackpool, which is by the seaside.

This is an old film of Blackpool.

Look at all those people having fun on the beach.

One of the things that Blackpool is famous for is this huge tower.

Which was built a long time ago to look like the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

And underneath the Blackpool Tower is a very special ballroom

where people come to do ballroom dancing.

Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven have danced here many times

and they've brought Darcey to see it.

Wow, what a wonderful place.

Look at all those sparkly lights.

Darcey, when Daddy was a little boy,

I used to watch a TV programme called Come Dancing

and it was filmed in this very ballroom right here in Blackpool.

I loved that programme so much

that I asked my mummy to take me to dance school.

I like watching dancing on TV too.

-Do you like watching Strictly Come Dancing?

-Yes!

Well, parts of that show are filmed here too.

-And when they go on tour, Mummy and Daddy go dancing with them.

-Wow!

Look, this is Strictly Come Dancing at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Those are the judges.

They judge the dancers on their dance skills

and give them a mark out of ten.

This judge is called Darcey Bussell.

And now our Darcey is going to be a judge too.

-Would you like to be a judge just like on Strictly Come Dancing?

-Yes!

OK. So, go and take a seat and we'll do some dancing.

UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS

Oh, this should be good.

I wonder what score Darcey will give them.

Wow, look at that fancy footwork.

Mummy Rachel is dancing backwards.

That must be worth extra points.

Darcey looks impressed.

All these twirls are making me feel dizzy.

Oh, bravo. That was wonderful.

So, Judge Darcey, what did you think?

You were amazing! I loved it!

So, how many points will you give us?

I'll go for a ten! Yay!

Full marks for Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven.

What a result!

Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven used to compete in a formation dance team.

Look at this old film of formation dancing.

Each pair of dancers in a formation team has to move at exactly

the same time as the other pairs.

Formation dancing used to be called pattern dancing

cos the team forms shapes and patterns on the dance floor.

Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven have won lots of competitions

with their formation team.

Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven are dance partners.

And Darcey has a dance partner too.

This is my partner, Isaac. He's a very good dancer.

Hello.

I think it's time for some more dancing.

Darcey, would you and Isaac like to join Daddy and I

-in a formation team?

-Yeah!

OK, cue the music.

And a one, a two, a one, two, three, four.

Remember, the pairs of dancers in a formation team

have to move at exactly the same time.

Well done.

Nice move, Darcey.

Darcey and Isaac move together so well.

Bravo!

Wow, what a fabulous formation team.

This is another old building in Blackpool, called the Winter Gardens.

And inside is a theatre called the Opera House.

Mummy Rachel has a special story to tell Darcey about the Opera House.

When you were little,

Daddy and I danced on this stage in front of somebody very famous.

Who?

The Queen.

We were part of the Royal Variety Performance.

The Royal Variety Performance started a long time ago.

Once a year, members of the Royal Family go to the theatre

for a special evening event of entertainment.

It's a great honour to be asked to perform for them.

This is the performance that Mummy Rachel and Daddy Steven danced in.

That's Daddy Steven there!

And here's a picture of them at the royal event.

Don't they look lovely?

Darcey, you're my special princess now,

I'd love to dance with you in this very special place.

Mummy could be the Queen and sit in the royal seat.

Darcey and Daddy Steven are going to dance to music

from this very famous ballet.

It's called The Nutcracker

and it was first danced over 100 years ago.

MUSIC: "Waltz Of The Flowers" by Tchaikovsky

Darcey and Daddy Steven are dancing a waltz.

This is a very famous piece of music from The Nutcracker

called the Waltz Of The Flowers.

It was written by a famous composer called Tchaikovsky.

Look, Mummy Rachel is pretending to wave like the Queen.

What a lovely twirl, Darcey.

APPLAUSE

Well, that was a performance fit for a queen.

Well done, Darcey and Daddy Steven.

Thank you, Mummy, for telling me stories about you and Daddy dancing.

My pleasure, Darcey.

Can you remember all the special things we did together?

You gave me and Daddy a street dancing lesson at your dance school.

We went to the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Then you and Daddy danced like Strictly Come Dancing.

And I was the judge and I gave you a ten.

Yay!

You, Daddy, Isaac and I danced just like a real formation team.

And at the Opera House you pretended to be the Queen.

And I felt like a real princess dancing with Daddy.

What was your favourite thing?

Dancing with Daddy. What was your favourite thing?

My favourite thing was watching you dance with Daddy

and spending lots of special time with him.

What a fabulous heap of fun.

That was Darcey and Mummy Rachel's tiny tale

about the things Mummy Rachel used to do.

Now Mummy Rachel has shared her story with Darcey,

it's time for Darcey to start her own story.

Do you know someone who has a story to share?