Episode 1 You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

Look at the helter-skelter. That is the first time in my teaching career I have ever said that.

Jack Murphy is choreographer to the stars.

Now he's swapping Hollywood for Bolton.

I'm going to revive social partner dancing in Bolton.

-Are you?

-I am.

-Here?

I want to get everybody dancing in a dance hall,

dancing cheek to cheek.

To bring back the partner dancing heyday,

Jack's tracking down the original 1950s boppers.

Do you have any injuries? This could be interesting.

How long you got?

He needs to recruit hundreds of ballroom virgins...

I invite you to waltz, cha-cha or tango.

And a cha-cha-cha.

This is not good.

..and breathe life into a derelict dance hall.

Beauty...and the Beast.

Oh! Wow!

But will the Bolton locals...

-Who's leaving?

-Me!

..swap a night in the pub...

Why are you not on the dance floor?

You're trying to change a culture where they...

..for a night in a dance hall?

What's so magical about dancing cheek to cheek is the connection.

-What about a nice slow foxtrot or a waltz?

-Can't do it.

Or with his reputation on the line...

How am I going to fill a dance hall?

..will Jack be running for the Hollywood Hills?

If you don't want to let me down, then dance from your hearts.

He's really bumptious, actually.

-The next time I see it, I can't have this...

-You want it right.

-I do.

-Right!

Bolton is home to one of the country's once-glorious dance halls.

Jack Murphy has just arrived to get the keys.

-It's been empty for three years, so...

-Three years.

..watch out for the rats.

-Are you for real?

-Yep!

This is the first time Jack's stepped inside.

A smell of cement.

The building has been mothballed.

Oh, my gosh.

Really not too bad at all!

Despite its last incarnation as a nightclub...

They didn't kill it. They haven't killed it.

..some of the old charm has survived.

Wow.

I am...I'm loving it.

Now Jack wants to use it to kick-start a partner dancing revival.

People's perception of ballroom dancing

is probably fake tan

and sequins and fancy footwork,

when, actually, when this place was

kicking, 60 years ago, it was about sociability,

about people meeting. They came here to meet.

Bolton's Palais De Danse opened its doors in 1928,

and was at the forefront of a ballroom revolution.

Once the reserve of aristocrats, working-class locals

flocked from the industrial heartland and took to the floor

to dance arm in arm.

By the 1950s, 60% of Lancashire folk could ballroom.

And Jack's hoping they will do again.

This is gagging for a revival.

I'd say we'd need 200 people.

At least.

At least 200 people to fill that space.

Ballroom dancing might be out of fashion,

but Jack believes it's the perfect antidote to 21st-century living.

Don't tolerate sitting on the sofa.

Get off the sofa, get in here and learn three steps

and feel the buzz of the place and get this place kicking again.

To start his revival,

Jack is about to swap Hollywood movie stars for Bolton's oldest boppers.

He's arranged a reunion of the original Palais patrons.

What's frightening is, what if they don't walk through the door?

You know, because the demographics of that age group,

a lot of those will have gone to

that great big dance hall in the sky.

It's been over half a century

since the partner dancing craze first swept the nation.

Do you know...

if no-one turns up...

..I'm, I'm in a bit of, you know...

deep you-know-what. Proverbial.

I wouldn't know how to go forward without them.

# Young at heart... #

Just as in decades gone by...

All right! Come on, then!

..the former dance hall has drawn in the crowds.

Have you got the plastic surgeons inside?

This is the first time in almost 50 years some of the regulars

have set foot inside the building.

HE LAUGHS

Ah, it's great, isn't it? Good to be here.

Oh, God, how different it is.

When are we getting music on, then? Come on, we want to get bopping.

Bop off!

One of the youngest to make a comeback is 74-year-old widow Margot.

They've altered it very much. It's not the same, I'm afraid.

They've spoiled the floor.

It's so completely different from what I remember.

Right now, I just want to get cracking.

I want to go and talk to those people.

I want to go and meet those people.

When you come to a big place like this to dance,

with hundreds of people, what do you think it's really about?

-It's about romance and sex.

-Romance and sex, yeah.

-In men's mind. My husband used to say that.

-Wonderful, wonderful.

Not in my mind, my husband's.

-How many nights a week were you here?

-Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays,

-Saturdays.

-So that was your wages.

-And where were you working at the time?

-I was a sewer at Vantona.

-You were what, sorry?

-A sewer at Vantona.

-A sore-a van-tawn-a?

That's very poetic.

-Tell me what a sore-a is at van-tawn-a?

-Ah, I used to sew.

-I used to make eiderdowns.

-Oh, you made eiderdowns.

-Yeah.

-I've worked in shoe shops.

-Oh, a sewer!

-A sewer!

-What did you think I said?

-I thought it meant, like, saw!

After a lesson in the local lingo,

Jack meets the dance hall's oldest regular, Alice.

There were always dancing here Wednesday afternoon,

-and the GIs used to come....

-Oh, the GI!

The memories are flooding back,

and dance hall veteran Flo reveals more than most.

Yes. Yes, I do understand you.

Oh, were they? Tell me, tell me.

Oh, please. I'll be your best friend.

No...

Oh, no, don't - tell me, I'm innocent.

Now Jack has a revelation of his own to make.

-Hello!

-Hello!

There's more to his plan than reuniting old friends.

I did bring you here for a reunion

but I have another little thing up my sleeve.

Having seen this photo of the Palais De Danse,

I thought,

"I want to reopen that dance hall."

THEY LAUGH AND CHEER

And this is how I think you could help me.

-You've had some great nights in here, yes?

-Yes.

And I think the younger generation need to see you dancing.

-But we need partners! We need men.

-We need men!

-They're all dead!

-Can you put the word out?

-Yes!

-Yeah?

So, we're going to revive social dance in Bolton.

-Come on!

-Yes? Are we up for it?

-Yes!

-Great stuff. Thank you very much for coming along today.

Let's have a cup of tea, let's have a sandwich and let's have a chat.

Well done.

-So, I'm going to see you, yes?

-Yes, definitely.

-Yes?

-Hopefully.

-No, I'm going to see you.

-We've nothing else - I've nothing else

-better to do, I'm retired...

-Wonderful.

-..so it doesn't matter.

Well, I'm glad I'm going to entertain you.

Jack wants to get both veterans and novices ballrooming.

To do it, he's going to reopen the dance hall for one night only.

But the Palais regulars aren't convinced.

You're going to try and get the young people in here?

Or any generation that never danced here.

If I said to my kids, they'd laugh at me, you know what I mean?

Would they? I'm going to teach them to jive,

-I'm going to teach them to waltz.

-How do you think they've got,

they've not time for pressing all bloomin' things they're pressing

-and putting them all on.

-They're never off their phones.

-I know, that's part of the reason.

-No!

-That's exactly it.

-No, no.

I think that most of the men now are in t'graveyard.

No, there is a few. No, we have got a few.

-Thing is, I've got a gammy knee.

-Oh, have you?

And a gammy hip, at the moment.

You're trying to change a culture, where they...

If I manage to do it, if I do manage to do it...

And if I live long enough, I'll bloody apologise, love, yeah. Right.

By the end of the reunion,

Jack has gathered a long list of interested dancers,

and an even longer list of worries and woes.

The Bolton Palais means so much to its original patrons,

and it is going to be a mammoth task to get them dancing once again.

And they are not as young as they once were.

In their heyday, the Palais patrons knew all the moves.

We were doing foxtrot, quickstep, barn dance, polka, all the lot.

From the 1930s to the '60s,

dance halls were packed with working-class Brits.

We used to be the first in the Palais, all dolled up

and ready to go, and we were on that floor the minute the music started.

The dance hall classics were relaxed versions of the ballroom standards.

All you needed was a partner.

Someone would tap you on the shoulder and you'd look around

and think, "oh!" It was, you know,

your heart would leap a bit and, you know,

you'd say "yes" and waltz, get hold of you and start to dance.

Now Jack wants to see if the originals can still take

the dance floor by storm for his night at the Palais.

Today is a very important day

because I get to see the wonderful patrons of the Palais dance.

I'm very excited to see what they have on offer.

You're asking to do something we haven't done

for quite a long time, aren't you?

We're going back from 60 years now, what you're asking.

I do feel a little bit,

"Oh, my word, I'm taking coals to Newcastle,"

because they were living it

so I expect them to teach me, not me teach them.

Alice!

You made it!

Jack expected a big turnout

but only half of the original patrons have come back...

Do you have any injuries? This could be interesting.

Do you have any injuries that I need to know about before I teach you?

How long have you got?

..And the men are seriously outnumbered.

Right, so, we've got one, two, three, four gentlemen.

So let me see who's going to dance...

Well, I haven't got anybody.

I'm going to put a piece of waltz on and then we will rotate

-so nobody's left out. Is that OK, my lovely?

-Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry.

I'm used to being left out, don't worry about that.

Don't say that, you'll break my heart.

OK, here we go.

Jack's picked one of the earliest dancehall classics - the waltz.

You go one, two. One, two.

-One, two, three, Sheila.

-One, two, three, sorry.

That's where I'm going wrong. It's me that's doing it wrong, not you.

Back in the day, it was an end-of-night smooch

so everyone knew the moves.

I'm a little bit surprised.

I thought they would waltz better than they did.

Waltz means "to turn".

It was more, you know, shuffling round the floor.

-Try not to step on each other's feet.

-Cheeky bugger.

But it's been an age since many of them gave this one a go

and it shows.

You're doing very well considering you're a cripple.

Good. And we still alive? Yes?

Saying that in this room is pretty frightening.

The old classic has failed to hit the spot...

-Have a break.

-Get me to a chair.

..so Jack, who is more used to teaching seasoned pros, changes tack.

Would you show me how you jive?

We don't have to throw them over our shoulder, do we?

No, don't throw them over the shoulder. Not yet.

Save that for tomorrow, Walter, yeah?

Lovely. Very nice.

-I used to love jiving.

-Oh, jiving, yes!

That's all I did. I could never quickstep or foxtrot.

Whoo!

This is great. This is good.

My cousin used to come to our house and she showed me a little bit.

She used to get the door and she'd say, "Like that. Shut the door."

-She used the door handle to jive.

-To jive, do you know what I mean?

That's how you learned.

Yeah!

Yay.

Are you all listening?

We will not be waltzing.

LAUGHTER

We'll be jiving.

-This is fantastic. Really, really...

-He's excited now.

No, I'm not excited.

I'm less worried. Less worried.

Here we go. Carry on, guys.

When they jived, I tell you, my heart skipped a beat.

I was so relieved. The room just lit up and it was fantastic.

I mean, Walter and Sheila are just in their element.

You know, you can see them as teenagers.

Margot, I'd say, is still trying to process the teenager.

She's still entrenched in being the 70-year-old.

Tell me, tell me, tell me,

when you dance that dance, how does it make you feel?

-Knackered.

-Knackered!

It makes you feel young.

It makes she feel like a 25-year-old man, does it?

No. No, I'll settle for 35.

You'll settle for 45.

It will be interesting to see if Jack can produce any males.

He'll be miraculous if he can.

The point is - do they want to dance?

But it's not really all that

masculine, is it, to be honest?

A lot of men don't like it.

With just a handful of volunteers and most of them women over 70,

Jack's way off the hundreds he needs to pack the Palais.

And, as it stands, the exterior of the building

isn't going to pull in the crowds.

When it opened in 1928, the Palais was an art deco masterpiece

and the sign over the door

was a beacon for Bolton's ballroom devotees.

But it's long since lost its kerb appeal.

Right.

Let's get upstairs.

I'd like to get out on to the front of the building

because I'd like to see if, behind the Ikon sign,

if there's anything that informs me

of the original glory days of this fabulous building.

Do you know, if there was the Palais de Danse,

I would be ecstatic

but I'm doubting that.

Here we go.

Oh, I can't tell you, the smell is just...

Bleurgh!

It's been almost 50 years since the Palais closed

and a long line of nightclubs followed.

OK, here's the accounts.

Let's look at the accounts.

Yep. Went bust.

Take that. Sweeties.

To find what Jack's looking for...

Ah! Awning! I can see street.

..he'll have to go out on a limb.

There's the awning.

So they've gone and

attached these girders

to the original face of the building

and extended out the Ikon sign.

God, it looks like the haunted rollercoaster.

Oh, original.

Oh!

A-I... A-I-S!

Yes!

It's there! It's there! It's there! The original's there!

Oh, please, get this horrible sign down!

Palais de Danse.

We'll clean you up.

We'll get you looking good again.

Just got to wash it down. It just needs a power shower.

Beauty

and the beast.

The Palais de Danse is there.

The sign's there.

We're ready to rock and roll!

That gives me hope

that I can take this building back to its former glory,

not just on the inside but also the out.

Jack struck gold at the dance hall.

By his big night, he wants hundreds of people partner dancing.

He's determined the original patrons

will jive like they did in their teenage years.

I learned at school.

We used to go behind the blackboard in the break times

and learn all the other girls to jive.

That was when we were about 13.

The risque moves took the dance floor by storm during World War II

when American GIs stationed at Cheshire's Burtonwood airbase

came to town.

They brought that kind of aggressive ballroom jive to the UK.

We watched it and copied it.

Breaking all the ballroom rules, it was the twerking of yesteryear.

But, at the Bolton Palais, there were no jiving.

You weren't allowed to have a jive.

I got pulled up for having a jive in the corner with one girl.

Now Jack wants the Palais regulars to bust those moves again.

Morning! Let's make our circle. I do like to start in a circle.

-Have you got me a Fred Astaire yet?

-A Fred Astaire?

Jack might not have found Flo a movie star

but the pensioners are about to get the Hollywood treatment.

You all dance jive differently.

-Do you accept that?

-Yeah.

-OK. Right.

Now, in order to get a wow factor of you all moving together,

you all have to do the same style.

Jack's choreographed a tailor-made routine.

So, with our partners...

A-one and two.

He's pulled in help from his long-time assistant Heidi.

Good. So the whole routine is going to be

a basic...

..a throw away...

It might start with the basics...

..round that back,

underarm turn...

..but this routine builds to a complicated sequence of steps.

OK? Do you think you could get that?

All of it?

They've got it but some don't like it.

Left, right, left...

We don't turn yet. Left...

To be taught something at this stage in our life, that's...

That's quite something different.

Two and two.

Three. Three and two. Three.

We are not professionals, you know?

I can't do this.

I've not done the jive for a while.

I find jive absolutely brilliant.

He took us step-by-step along the way which was very good.

After a tough session, Jack gives his most enthusiastic dancer, Alice,

a lift home.

-This is my house here. This one.

-Can I park in there?

-This one.

-Yeah, can I park in there?

-Yes. Yes.

In return, he's getting a spot of Northern hospitality.

I tell you, Alice, after today, I'm gasping.

-So, shall I play mother?

-OK.

-Yeah?

-Now that's me husband Frank.

-Frank, yeah.

Now, he died when he were 66.

-When he was 66?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-I'm sorry to hear that.

-That's myself.

-Look at you! Great figure.

-Bit slimmer there, Jack!

-Great figure.

A bit slimmer!

And that was taken on the balcony.

-That was taken on the balcony at the Palais?

-At the Palais.

I had my first date with him there.

And was he a good dancer?

-Yes. He was.

-What was your favourite dance with him, Alice?

-Oh, the waltz.

-The waltz.

-Oh, so romantic.

-Oh, was it?

-Dancing cheek to cheek.

-Dancing cheek to cheek.

-More or less. Oh, yes.

-That's beautiful.

-So you've been dancing since you were 14?

-14.

And here you are still dancing.

-Well, no, because you need a partner.

-You do.

So, if I could find you a dancing partner,

you would carry on dancing?

Oh, I'd love to, yes. Yes.

How does dancing make you feel at 87?

Actually, I think it makes you feel a bit younger.

-Makes you feel younger.

-Yeah!

How long are you to carry on dancing for, Alice?

-Well, it depends if I have a partner.

-Mm-hm.

-Yeah.

So leave that one with me, will you?

And what about yourself? Have you a nice partner?

Oh... No.

-No.

-Oh, Jack!

-Very unlucky in love.

-No!

-You're like me, then.

-Hardly!

-You're like me, no partner.

-You put me to shame, woman!

Yeah, but no partner I'm talking about.

No, no, no.

-But you're too far away, aren't you?

-Too far away? For who?

-London.

-Yeah.

-I'm in Lancashire!

-Oh, OK!

All right. Oh! OK! Fine!

I'll just have a cup of tea.

Unless Jack fancies a permanent move to Bolton,

he needs to find some alternatives

fast.

Today is all about finding men for these wonderful ladies.

With only four men recruited to his revival and hundreds needed,

Jack's plans are on the ropes.

I'm trying to find men who would like to dance.

Would you mind if I was to chat to some of you patrons?

-No, I don't mind.

-And put up a poster?

-There's a few good movers in the gym.

-Are there?

How are you doing, fella? I'm after men to dance with gorgeous women.

-Single women?

-Single women.

Lovely ladies in their 70s.

Is it break dance?

Fantastic. Hey-hey!

Convincing burly boxers to ballroom is a tall order.

How are you doing? I'm looking for men who are rhythmical.

-Can I hold that bag for you?

-You can if you want, yeah.

Shall I call it?

Double right hook.

Good. Fantastic. Yeah. Marvellous.

-Now, can I have a little chat with you?

-Yep.

-My name's Jack.

-Nice to meet you, Jack.

-What's your name, sir?

-Ben.

Ben, I'm looking for gentleman to come and learn to dance

with some very, very beautiful women and we're going to jive.

Is this something you would be interested in?

-Possibly.

-Possibly!

-Until you said jiving.

-Until I said jiving.

-I can't see myself jiving.

-Right, so what's your style?

-Tell me, what moves do you cut?

-I haven't got any.

You haven't got any at all?

I think it could be something you would be interested in,

-he says, trying to persuade.

-Possibly, yeah.

Possible, yeah? Good man. Good man. Fantastic. Good.

I'll let you carry on.

With no definite takers,

Jack pushes on with his trawl of local gyms.

Hello, sir. I'm a man on a mission.

-I'm looking to find men to dance with gorgeous ladies.

-Not for me.

Hello, how are you doing? Can I take a minute of your time?

-Yeah, certainly.

-My name's Jack.

-I'm Terry.

-Terry, very nice to meet you.

-Terry, can you dance?

-Er...

-No.

-You can't?

-Would you like to learn to dance?

-I think I would, yeah.

-You would like to? You would like to?

-Yeah.

Do you have availability during the week?

I've just retired, actually, so I've got quite a lot of time off.

Oh, my God, Terry! Yes! Success on a plate, as they say.

I'll let you carry on because you need to work out.

These women are strong

and, before you know it, they'll be throwing you around the place.

-Can't wait.

-Good man. Good man. Cheers, Terry. Thanks a lot.

Jack's not the only one on a manhunt.

Margot's taking matters into her own hands.

I don't ask men out normally.

Normally, I don't.

I feel a bit sick, actually. Not butterflies.

Margot has lived alone since her husband died six years ago.

I met my husband on the way to the Palais and we met and married

within 12 months so, really, I stopped going, actually,

to the Palais.

Unless we fell out for a bit, you know,

and then I whipped back again.

He was, you know, a marvellous companion.

We were companions and, of course, I miss it terribly.

Hello, Joe? Are you having your tea?

Margot's called up an old family acquaintance.

Right. Well, prepare yourself for a shock.

I'm going to ask you something.

It's about the dancing days of the Palais. Did you ever go?

Right, didn't we all?

We've got a choreographer who's quite famous.

You won't have heard of him but...

I mean, who has, but...

He's... You know...

Would you be willing to appear?

Really? Right.

Well, that's great. That's wonderful.

'The man that I'm looking for - describe him.'

He's got to be amusing, cool.

I want somebody cool.

'I don't want anybody childish or emotionally immature, which is'

saying quite a lot for a man.

Thank you very much. All right. Bye. See you, then. Bye.

Yeah.

Great! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

One needs courage in this life.

You've got yourself a partner, Margot.

It's not a date, is it? Not... Hold on, wait a minute! No.

No, it didn't come over like that, did it? Hopefully not. No.

There is a shortage of men, isn't there?

This is the trouble, isn't it, because this dancing thing

needs a partner. And I ain't got one.

Today, Jack's got a treat for his ladies.

I've not seen him, have you?

His trawl of Bolton has paid off.

It's strange. I was working on weights yesterday and I'm...

..dancing today.

I've only done crazy disco dancing

until now, never any organised dancing.

I was at the boxing gym and he talked me into coming down.

I thought there might have been some, maybe a little bit

more my age, middle-aged maybe but it doesn't really matter.

All of Jack's new recruits have turned up

but Margot's fella is yet to arrive.

I haven't got butterflies, no.

I'm too old for that but I'm apprehensive.

Hopefully, it will be good to dance with a real man!

A proper man. That'll be a novelty.

Ladies and gents, if you'd like to come on to the floor

and take a partner...

Margot's bold move has paid off.

Margot, Joe is waiting, longing.

No, don't start being suggestive, it doesn't suit us.

We don't like it. We're glad you've made it

because they've changed the venue, haven't they?

I've never danced with Margot at all.

I danced with my wife.

She was my girlfriend at the time but since then she has died.

I'm looking for a new partner.

Ben, don't look so worried. I found you in a boxing gym, yeah? OK?

Right, we are starting in hold. So, into hold.

Let's see if we can get this right.

This is called hold or frame, yes?

Some of your frames need to be looked at, yeah?

OK? Don't be frightened of her.

Bring your right hand on to her left shoulder blade. That's lovely, good.

And breathe, Terry. Breathe.

You just like his biceps.

I think this is the toughest part of our little dance routine.

So we have a back replace, round the back.

A back replace, round the back...

Jack's strategy is to throw the new recruits in at the deep end.

Gentleman, place your right hand on top of your left hand and turn.

He's got his work cut out with the ballroom virgins.

Off you go and turn.

But Margot's man is showing promise.

Now that is a leader. That's lovely. You took my lovely Margot there.

He's only been here a morning as well.

Please stop, I'm embarrassed.

You should never say that to me because I will just carry on.

-Are you OK, Ben?

-Yes.

-Are you loving it?

-Yeah.

-Don't believe you!

Here we go. Round you go. Back, replace. One, two.

You know when you drink a really good wine, yeah?

You do it slowly, don't you? You don't knock it back.

Did you all hear that?

-Maybe you've never drunk a fine wine, I don't know.

-Oh, God.

That's patronising. I don't like being patronised. Sorry.

If I can continue my story,

not everyone is a wine drinker was my point.

I use a lot of metaphors and analogies to teach, OK?

If any of you felt offended by what I just said, I truly apologise.

-Here we go.

-He's labouring that now, isn't he, somewhat?

Five, six, seven, eight and around you go.

My overriding concern is definitely Margot because when I'm anxious,

I know how I behave.

And I now have to check it

and I desperately want to keep her on board.

Jack might have to adjust his movie-star teaching methods

if he's to win over Bolton's leading lady.

I think he's really bumptious actually and I know he's probably

doing it for our benefit but I don't...

I don't take kindly to...

I can't believe his attitude, really.

Jack's grand designs to put the building back on the Bolton map

could put him back in the good books.

I'd like to rejuvenate it.

He has the building for two months

so any changes have to be agreed by the landlord.

If I'm going to replicate 1950s dance floor, I need a dance floor.

-Yeah.

-I can't dance on tiles.

I will come back to later this week with a definitive answer.

The floor is essential for the dance hall night.

-Can we go outside?

-Yeah, absolutely.

But Jack's next request could be appreciated by the whole of Bolton.

-Do you think you can take that sign down?

-I'm happy to put it forward.

I'm personally happy to pull the sign down, quite frankly.

For the people of Bolton, let alone the dance hall.

I would need to get consent from my side.

I just think it would be absolutely wonderful.

I think it would be magical, really, really magical.

Jack's dream is to fill the building with hundreds of ballroom newcomers.

All right, fellas? How are you doing?

So tonight he's going to hit the town to find them.

How are you doing, lads?

I'm going to reopen the Palais de Danse

as a night hall for a few nights.

And I'm going to revive social partner dancing.

What Bolton's become over the last three years or so

I'd say is everywhere is becoming the same.

In the last decade, half the nightclubs in this country have closed.

Why are you not on the dance floor?

Ladies, why are you not on the dance floor?

-But I'm asking you...

-Why are you not on the dance floor?

What is a great night out in Bolton?

Loads of drink and loads of girls.

There's a dance floor and the dance floor is empty.

Come and dance with me.

Jack's determined to get the younger generation dancing.

-Who's leading?

-Me!

What do you think about salsa and Argentine tango?

It would be nice to get involved with but it's not around any more really.

Why aren't you out dancing cha-cha on a Friday night? Tell me.

Because they've changed times.

-I'm reopening the Palais.

-Are you?

-I am.

-Here?

-As a dance hall.

What's it going to take me, other than a bottle of vodka,

-to entice you?

-Two bottles of vodka.

Dancing cheek to cheek is a world away from a night on the tiles.

It seems to me that the whole raison d'etre for going out

is to have a drink.

Are you going to get drunk tonight, girls?

I've got a huge task here to try

and pull the scales down from over their eyes, to say consider this.

If Jack can't convince the young 'uns to get on the dance floor,

his revival will fail.

To persuade a new generation that partner dancing is for them,

Jack's come up with an audacious plan.

Right, where do you think we are going?

It's a mystery to us, isn't it?

It will take a captive audience of thousands.

-What's going on here?

-We might be training with footballers.

Enough space for a major performance.

-Walter's a season ticket over there.

-Same here.

-Are you a season-ticket holder?

-Yes, I am.

-And the final ingredient.

-Hello.

Jack's Bolton boppers.

How are we?

There's no point me choreographing this amazing group of people

and presenting it to 20 people.

I'm hardly going to start a revolution with 20 people.

So, would you just stand on the little bit of grass here?

Feel that you are a team, yeah.

Time for Jack to drop his bombshell.

-On Tuesday week, you will be dancing there.

-Here?

-Right there, at the game in front of all the spectators.

-No!

-Oh, my goodness me.

-I dream big.

There's no point dreaming if you are not going to dream big.

-So, if you don't want to do it, step off the hallowed turf.

-No way.

I'll be sitting up there, watching them. I will.

I'm not letting my people see me down here...

What are you doing off the hallowed turf?

-What are you doing off the hallowed turf?

-I'm sorry.

I can't come up here. Sit up there with all my mates watching me?

Whoa, they'd be...

If I had one person down for reacting that way,

it wouldn't have been Walter. So, that was surprising.

Enough to give anybody a heart attack because I was shocked

coming here, to a place I come every other week

to the march and to do a performance in front of people...

I don't know how I will do it.

His identity with this place is with the lads and of course

dancing with Sheila elsewhere, so the two just don't meet.

He obviously felt,

"Oh, no, I'm going to make a right fool of myself."

Got to do it for my partner's sake.

I'll have to do it for her sake, you know what I mean. Keep her happy.

MUSIC: "Machine Gun" by The Commodores

We've got about three weeks.

So we now have to turn up the heat and get burning.

Jack's dance hall revival now rests on the Palais patrons

delivering a stellar performance that can keep 20,000 football fans

glued to their seats.

A-one and two...

Oh God! Where's...

Stop improvising!

To deliver a wow factor, the group have to dance in unison.

Two, three. A-one and two...

But the Palais old-timers struggle with the new moves.

-A-one and two...

-No.

-Three.

-You've got you've got two-thirds of it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Great.

I'll leave you, but the next time I see it, I can't have this...

-You want it right.

-I do!

-Right!

And the novices are yet to crack the basics.

Think of it like you're boxing a partner.

So, box me. A jab, jab, hook, hook.

A jab, jab. Follow me. There.

A jab, jab, follow me, there.

You look like I need to spray a load of WD-40 over you.

You look very stiff. OK.

You, basically, need to find your knees.

Ta-tum. Ta-tum. Ta-tum.

Terry has not missed a single practice

since Jack recruited him down the gym.

Everybody else seemed to do it a bit more naturally than I do,

but I'm sure I'll get there.

But, as rehearsals continue,...

How's Terry doing, Alice?

..things get trickier for Terry.

He gets dumped.

-We can change partners along, can we? All along the way?

-We will do.

We'll change partners.

SHE LAUGHS

I don't know whether I were tense, or whether he were tense,

but I feel more at ease not dancing with Terry.

Just seems to be me that's left on my own all the time.

I'm trying my best to learn how to do it.

You know, sort my faults out but I'm not really, probably,

not the best dancer here but, you know, I'm willing to try.

Maybe they don't think I'm good enough to be doing it.

The fact that he hasn't done a great deal of dancing

is that women don't want to dance with him

because he's not good enough.

Well, I'm not going to have that.

Jack needs a strong woman to take Terry in hand.

-Come and have a little chat with me.

-All right, darling.

And 76-year-old Flo has got the job.

-Now, I'm working with Terry...

-I know you are.

-..and he's only...

-You've been dancing...

-Yeah.

-..for a long time.

-I know, darling.

-He's been dancing for two weeks.

-I know. It's incredible.

-So, will you work with him? Yes?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-You promise me, you will?

-Yeah, I will.

-Because you're able to teach.

-Yeah? Is that a deal?

-That's right. It's a deal.

-Love you.

-OK, darling.

-Cheers, darling.

If I have to do, I'll have to do but he'll have to get more practice.

Match made in heaven. Fantastic.

Good.

It's been an age since Flo had a permanent dance partner.

It used to be her husband Derek.

-61 years we've known one another.

-Is it?

-Yeah.

-Right.

-61 years.

-Oh, right.

I'm getting rid of you next year.

They were childhood sweethearts,

but they didn't find love on the dance floor.

I love dancing, but he just went in a circle. He couldn't dance.

He just couldn't move his feet. He just went round and round and round.

He said, "It's no good, this, Flossie," he said.

He said, I think we'd better pack our relationship in.

And I walked away

and I thought, I can't.

And I turned round and I said, "I'll give..." I'm nearly crying!

I said I'd give dancing up.

I... Ooh! I...

I remember the day when he walked away.

Flo hung up her dance shoes,

but now she and her fellow Palais patrons

will get the chance to revisit their glory days.

The art deco building attracted thousands of Lancashire locals.

They came three nights a week to bop on a sprung maple dance floor

to a live big band.

The building is Jack's for two months.

To make any changes, he needs the nod from the landlord.

But there's bad news.

"In short, we do not feel that the removal of the facade

will be beneficial to the property

and feel there will be further issues to the property,

in terms of being wind and watertight if removed."

"Therefore, we are not willing to allow this to be removed."

On behalf of all the patrons who danced here,

who really brought an amazing spirit to this building,

I'm just really disappointed. I am really disappointed.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just going to have to choose my battles.

And Jack soon claims a victory.

I'm really glowing inside.

It's such a lovely feeling.

In the 1970s, the dance hall became a nightclub

and the sprung floor was ripped out.

This is for people of Bolton

and this is to revive the fantastic dance floor

Don't open your eyes.

Keep coming. Keep coming.

Today, it's finally back.

Open your eyes.

-Ahh!

-Oh! Wow!

O-ho-ho! Look at that!

-Oh-ho!

-That's astounding, that.

-Is it bouncy?

You tell me.

-Is it?

-Woo-hoo!

-God. It's wonderful.

-O-ho!

And it is sprung.

-Thank you.

-You've got all the spring you need.

That's amazing.

-Soak it up.

-It's astounding, this.

-Soak it up and...

-It's wonderful.

-It's amazing.

And that isn't the only revelation.

Couldn't believe it when I saw the floor.

I was astounded and thrilled.

I've got faith in him now. I think it's going to happen.

With the most sceptical of the Palais patrons on side,

Jack's keen to get the rest of the makeover right.

Now, the bar. Was the bar over there?

-No.

-No.

-It was up the top.

-The bar was there.

-No, the bar was here.

Tell me about the balcony. What was going on at the balconies?

-Well, there were tables on there.

-Tables?

-Tables.

Watching the dancers.

People watching the dancers? Yeah?

There is this thing of prejudice, that you see people

of a certain age and you just think, they are not participating in life.

And they are full of life. That's what's so exciting about this group.

You can really feel that they are doing something

that's incredibly important to them.

And it is recognising them at their time of life.

Jack's pinned the success of his revival on his Bolton boppers.

Flick, kick, now back, stretch, kick!

Kelly Way for quarter to, Jackie.

Their performance has to win over the football home crowd.

And prove dancing cheek to cheek works, whatever your age.

They've been practising around the clock.

Round the back, round the back.

Now, with just a week to go,

Jack gathers the group to make an announcement.

I'd like to play a piece of music

and I'd really like you to listen to it

and then I'd really like you to tell me what do you think of it.

A VERSION OF "Crazy In Love" PLAYS

Until now, the Palais pensioners have been dancing to

a traditional big-band track.

Jack is about to make a major change.

That's the piece of music we're dancing to.

MINOR UPROAR

Now you tell us!

-It's a bit naughty, that.

-It's not the sort of rhythm were used to.

Quite honestly. It's not our type of rhythm... Well, to me.

-It's not Glenn Miller.

-That's what I mean.

-No.

You can't beat Glenn Miller's music, can you?

As the right music for jiving to.

Jack's picked the Beyonce track

to bring partner dancing bang up-to-date.

I'm not doing a museum piece.

We are bringing something back to life.

And, therefore,

the music of now has to inspire the people of now.

But it's not won over the group.

I don't like it. That's it. Period. It sounded dreadful to me.

It sounded ghastly.

I hope he doesn't want us dressed like Beyonce wi' t'costume on,

banging our bum like that!

That is a piece of music that's incredibly modern.

You know immediately it's Beyonce. Well, it's a cover of a Beyonce.

So the young people,

they're going to have a connection with that piece of music.

Then they're going to see you dancing and come to think, "What?"

-Do you see now, where I'm coming from?

-Yes.

So, I'm not saying, "Ah! Wasn't the '50s great?"

"Ah!" No! It wasn't all great!

You know, I'm gay. I wasn't even...

I was a criminal in the '50s!

LAUGHTER

You know...

Jack's convinced his team.

Come on, my Bolton boppers.

But now they've got to dance to it.

Five, six, seven, eight!

And with the big performance round the corner, nerves are running high.

I'm doing everything you tell me. I don't know what else I can do.

It's not long before Joe and Margot are lost.

So, "one and two, three" becomes, from now on,

Into...A.

Into...B

Into...C

Yeah?

Five, six, seven, eight.

Into A.

Into B.

Jack's tip to remember the sequence hasn't worked for Margot and Joe.

Ba-ba-ba. Ba. Ba-ba-ba. Ba.

Ba-ba-ba-ba. Ba-ba-ba-ba.

I haven't got a clue what you're doing, but very good.

Neither have we.

Join the club. Join the club.

Are you going?

I'm trying to change it, so that you can all do it,

whoever that was who walked out of the room.

-How many

-BLEEP

-meetings have we had now?

And now we're on A, B, and C.

When he says A, I don't know whether it's the original start-up,

or the crossover. Because the crossover's A, B, and C.

And the beginning is... Throw away's A, B, and C.

I'm absolutely confused about it.

It's not clear. This is it. I'm serious. You won't see me any more.

Is he going? Is he angry? I've lost another man now.

You what?

Hey?

All right. All right. He's had enough.

He is upset because, you know, he feels he can't do it.

He's a perfectionist. So that's the reason.

So, he's having a wobbler.

I'm good at this, though. I can get rid of men like that!

Anyway.

Two and two...

With Joe's walkout to contend with and his reputation on the line,

Jack's feeling the pressure.

To be honest with you, I'm finding this unbelievably difficult.

It's just frustrating the life out of me.

Because, actually, I feel that I keep going back to page one.

It's one step forward and, no pun intended, four steps back.

PHONE RINGS

With one man down, Jack puts in a call to Joe.

RINGTONE

-Hello?

-Joe! It's Jack Murphy, dance teacher. How are you doing?

I'm all right, thank you.

You don't want to participate any more? Is that true?

That's true, yeah. It's taking over my life.

All right, Joe. Lovely to talk to you.

I wish you all the best.

-Thank you, Jack.

-Nice to meet you. Take care. Bye-bye.

Jack's problems are about to get worse.

I've come today and I've no dancing partner. He's gone on a cruise.

So,... I don't know who I'm going to dance with.

So, do you want to just get with your partners.

With days to go, Jack is now two men down.

Alice, I would like you to dance with Tony.

To keep Alice calm, Jack decides to fix her up with another partner.

-You're going to dance with Tony.

-Oh, am I?

-Why is that?

Because I haven't got enough men at the moment.

Alice has been dancing with Tony.

And you have.

I've been dancing most with Ben, though.

-Do you know what, I'm not doing this. I'm off.

-What's matter?

There is no simple solution and Jack's out of ideas.

-We'll have to sort it out.

-Alice, can you come with me?

Ben, can you come with me?

Edna, can you come with me? Eileen, can you come with me?

And, Tony, can you come with me?

Obviously, I clearly have a situation that I need to clarify.

OK.

I'm feeling pretty dreadful because I feel I've put you

in a situation that I would never wish to put you in.

I wasn't going to leave you without a partner.

Not in a million years. I couldn't possibly do that,

but Alice makes me feel comfortable when she dances with Tony. OK?

Let me put my twopenn'orth in now.

I've been a float here, there, everywhere.

I went to Tony specially and I said,

"Would you mind if I asked you to be my partner?"

Oh!

-Now, he's never let me down one day.

-OK.

That's made me enjoy what I'm doing because, prior to that,

-I kept thinking, I'm not going to bother.

-Yeah.

Because it gives you that feeling of not wanting to bother.

If you don't have a partner.

Edna said to me,

"This is the first time in my life,

"I've done something for me."

"Normally, I've done something for my children, my grandchildren,

"my husband - it's the first time I've done something for me."

-Yeah.

-And that's why I've come along to help Edna.

-Do you understand me now?

-Yeah. Yeah.

-But I can't solve your problem.

-No, no. You can't.

And I do understand you.

And I would just like to clarify that I was not aware of any of this.

Do you give them your blessing to dance together?

So, rather than me get Edna a dance teacher to dance with,

from Bolton, I get you a dance teacher to dance with from Bolton?

-Well, as...as... You would feel better, won't you?

-Well, I would.

Yeah, Alice. I would, if I was honest.

All right. Good. So, I've got to make a phone call.

Let me go and make a phone call.

Thank you.

For being a fabulous woman.

Would you like to carry on next door?

A-ha-ha-ha!

Why should we be disturbed when we're so near to the end of all?

I put my case forward and now I'm rested.

PHONE RINGS

Jack puts out an SOS to Bolton's ballroom community.

-Phil, hello. Jack Murphy. How are you doing?

-I'm good, mate.

-How are you?

-I'm great. Phil, I'm a man in need of a couple of men.

-OK!

What's happened is...

I'm hoping he's going to get me a partner.

If not, I have to have to pull Jack on the field with me.

Will Jack's cry for help come off?

Or will Alice and Margot be without partners

and out of the line-up on the night?

After weeks of blood, sweat, and walkouts.

Jack's dance hall veterans are ready to rock and roll.

Tonight, we are going to perform...

in front of 20,000 people.

CROWD NOISE

I have never, ever, done anything like this in my life.

A bit butterfly, to be quite honest with you.

A bit nervous but we'll have to get it right on the day

and keep Jack happy.

The stakes are high and, to add to the nerves,

there are two new recruits joining the line-up

to dance with Margot and Alice.

All the others had been dancing for six week.

And, there's me, you know, with a new partner.

There's under an hour to go until half-time.

It's packed, it's buzzing. This is it.

I'm really going to find out what my group, what their mettle is.

They'll have just two minutes to wow the home crowd

and keep them in their seats.

It's, er...scary, I suppose, is the word. Isn't it?

The thought of the crowds, I think, and the size of the stadium.

I'm not nervous at all, no.

Looking forward to the whole thing.

-Yeah? Are you?

-Oh, yeah.

The wife and my eldest daughter are going to be here,

so just hope I put on a good performance on for them

and make them proud.

My granddaughter

and my great-grandson is coming on the field to watch me.

So...

I'm hoping, you know, I can get with it. Yes!

The family and friends are here for support

but the aim of the game is to recruit new blood for Jack's revival.

Honestly, it is one of the most thrilling

and also frightening things I've ever, ever done.

Like any good manager, Jack gives a pre-match pep talk.

How many of you feel like the rabbit in the headlights, right now?

-Yes.

-Yeah! That's the fear, isn't it?

LOUD CROWD REACTION

We need to get these people on our side.

And if you dance from your heart, you will enjoy it and, you know what?

You will attract them.

CROWD NOISE

If you don't want to let me down, then dance from your hearts.

You have given me, possibly, one of the greatest gifts of my life.

This is my mum and dad

and, in 1952, they danced at the Palais De Danse

in Northern Ireland, Portstewart.

My dad died 35 years ago,

but when you dance, I see my mum and dad dancing.

And I can only tell you that is the power and the magic of dance.

So, when you ask me what you do for me, that's what you do.

So, what I want you to do for yourselves is go out there,

write a little bit of history.

-CHEERING

-Here we go!

ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC WITH CROWD NOISE

There does come a moment where you have to...

I'm not a parent,

but I guess it's just, like, cut the cord

and so just feels like you've got to let it go

and there's nothing I can do.

TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

It's the fabulous group that rocked the dance floor

at the Bolton Palais, 60 years ago.

And, today, they are back, so please welcome the Jack Palace Dancers.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-They're clapping us now. This is the real thing.

-Yeah.

They've no idea what it is but, still, never mind.

DANCE ROUTINE MUSIC BEGINS

Well, there's no going back now.

MUSIC: Crazy In Love (Rock and Roll Version)

We're into the B.

I feel a lot younger in myself now.

I do, yeah.

My relationship to Jack's improved, I think. Over the time.

I've definitely mellowed towards him.

I see where he's coming from now.

Doing something like this gets your energy up again.

It's like a new lease of life, really. It lifts you.

But, it has made me come alive again, actually.

When I started on this journey, I was a little bit nervous.

Wasn't sure if I'd see it through.

Now, it's just taken over me life.

I never thought I would be teaching a group of people in their eighties.

I never thought they would be performing

in front of 20,000 people.

I think it's something that I've always wanted to do. Dance properly.

It's always been in the back of my mind.

It's been a wonderful experience.

Not many people have danced at the stadium.

It'll be something I can tell my great-great-grandchildren.

If I'd have thought this, about six month ago,

I'd have thought I was dreaming,

but it's wonderful.

Yes!

Ha!

I'm enjoying every minute and, when it finishes,

I'm hoping I can carry on dancing, too.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

We started waving. We're like film stars.

I'm proud of you.

Ah, thank you.

Oh!

How was it? You were amazing.

I enjoyed it in the end. I really did.

Because, you know, I thought, here goes, and...

Let's do it. You know. Why not? And it was great.

-Did you like it?

-Yeah. It was good. I thought she did really well.

She did. She did really well. And she looks amazing

and she looks so happy and so excited

and it's just so nice to see her like that.

Jack's rock n' rollers have jived their socks off.

I feel like I'm smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

But was it enough to inspire the crowd

to join his partner dancing revival?

If they now manage to sign up a good number of people...

I don't want to put a number on it.

Of course, I know I should be thinking...

But, if they manage to sign up new people and make that circle bigger,

I'm just honoured.

Come and sign up for the dance classes at the Palais!

Can we interest you in dance? No?

-Do you want to learn?

-No, I don't.

This lady danced for you tonight,

-do you want to come and learn to dance with her?

-No, no.

-Did you see the half-time show?

-No, I was having a pint.

Does anybody want to dance? No? No? It's not easy.

-I don't need classes.

-While you're dancing, get signing.

-Did you see them dance? Didn't they do great?

-Yes, they was good. Yeah.

-She was the best.

-Hang on a sec, you've pulled, woman!

Bolton's best dance hall.

Right.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight...

-Um...

-Well, it's eight more than we had before.

-It's eight more.

Do you know, I love your philosophy. The glass is half full.

But Jack's dance hall will be half empty.

Scores on the doors.

Um, a healthy eight.

I was expecting in the tens of, so I'm a little bit disappointed.

It would have been healthy if it was 80.

Despite his efforts, with so few new recruits,

Jack's plans for a dance hall revolution hang in the balance.

I have never felt such responsibility in my life.

-Whoa!

-Wow!

-Yeah!

You've stopped moving your feet. This is not good.

I can't do it.

You stop it. And you stop it now.

You have no idea how upset it makes me.

I'm petrified, my stomach's actually churning.

I'm excited!

Tonight's the night I find out if I fail or pass.

MUSIC: Lust For Life by Iggy Pop