"Puttin' on the Ritz" at Blackpool

 Charleston - Week 9

Our Team arrives at Blackpool, the home of British Ballroom and we are oblivious of the treat in store. It will be a "showstopper".

 

November 2016 11:05AM 

Arriving at Blackpool Tower, Strictly Come Dancing favourite Danny Mac rose to the occasion during the show's traditional journey to Blackpool as he scored the first 40 of the series for a "showstopper" charleston.

The actor and partner Oti Mabuse were awarded 10 points apiece by the four judges as they shot to the top of the leaderboard for the second week running.

The couple's dance to Puttin' On The Ritz by Gregory Porter was praised by judge Darcey Bussell who said "it is hard to distinguish who is actually the professional dancer". [1]

The team trains hard, working long hours sometimes from 0900 to 2200.  As Oti remarked people think she sprinkles [fairy] dust on Danny and he turns up on Saturday and performs. But the reality is he puts in the hours, works hard and makes a good deal of effort. The odd tumble is par for the course. 

       Danny describes the Charleston as a performance-based, feel-good fun routine, and expects it to be a showstopper. Oti takes him on a scene setting work-experience outing. Its fair to say he could do better.

The expectations of their fan-base are high:
 

javea61My favourites !!! Can't wait for Saturday night X

 cmscdfanReally looking forward to this - as usual they're always bringing that little extra wow to the dance floor·       

puppypeaches88 It will be amazing!!!

     debbiefoxwellLet's hope you are not under marked again tonight

karmic_chameleonOoohh I can't wait to see this! What a wonderful pairing @otimabuse and @dannymaconline are, I'm so happy they were partnered together. Oti brings out the absolute best in Danny. He's magnificent!!

·jazzpoole@_bethlawrencex this is going to be insane

 kickassgooner My voting finger is at the ready!!! You just know this will be spesh!!!

 abbiestone6They'll smash this!

 rebecca orr85This is surely going to be 10 10 10 10!! Can't actually wait!

With Oti's spectacular choreography, they did not disappoint. It was indeed a showstopper. And here Danny prepares us for the feast. He and Oti then proceed to present a number from their West End debut.  It was that good and even better.

 

Great shot[2] which is about timing and angle. But it is also about great artistry in movement and mastery of craft. The absolute trust and bond between these two creates a fluency of motion that makes the dance so mesmerising to watch. Although Danny Mac is not a professional dancer, this partnership between two artists generates a kind of magic that sweeps the audience along into another world. 

When it is over there is a millisecond of silence and then rapturous and thunderous applause. It takes the performers aback because they do not realise or are perhaps oblivious to the fact that mastery of their art has transported us to a magical kingdom, one that is difficult to let go of, weeks and even months after the experience. And perhaps life will never be the same again, neither for us nor for them. That is the mark of true artists.

During review and reflection with Zoe B, Oti prepares us for what will become a highly acclaimed and record breaking Samba. It will transport us to the Amazonian jungle, the habitat of exotic specie who will perform a mating ritual. We cannot wait!

The Telegraph "Danny notches first perfect 40 of series...

... And equally surprisingly, judge Craig Revel Horwood finally dusted off his "10" paddle. Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse's Charleston was an immensely impressive routine, full of spot-on synchronisation, goofy storytelling and spectacular lifts. Perhaps a too polished for that quirky style but by far the best dance of the night. The Hollyoaks actor has started to look like the runaway glitterball winner in recent weeks. Notching the highest mark of the series only reinforced that impression. Wonder if the judges will mark him down next week to restore some jeopardy?"

We don't know and we don't care whether 'the judges will mark him down next week to restore some jeopardy' @telegraph feature writer. For now we #TeamDoti fans are savouring the fact that after waiting several weeks for a number 10 bus, four arrives at once. Marvellous.

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[1] Acknowledgements for source material: BBC, Blackpool News&Star, Telegraph Newspaper
[2] Lisa: LAH Live Photography http://lahlive.co.uk
[3] Related Posts: a) http://amariblaize.blogspot.com/2017/01/oti-mabuse-wild-child.html?spref=tw       

b) http://www.writtenbytracey.com/2017/02/15/favourite-finds-oti-mabuse-black-girl-magic-in-the-ballroom/

Dotidivas.blogspot.co.uk  - Editors Amari Blaize, Maria Connolly, Maisie Rodway Denise Guyett