“They” say that you should always dance as though no-one is watching. 10.9 million regularly tune in to see the “stars” and their partners of “Strictly Come Dancing”, so they are definitely being observed. Their dance music is an extraordinary mix of the old, the tried, the true and the tested – with a bit of very watered down modern from time to time.
This means that this “family viewing” show is offering not only a chance to see a Foxtrot, Waltz, Paso Doble or a Tango to name but a few, but is exposing music from the twentieth century to a new audience. Music that may seem passé, is washed, dyed and blown dry right before our eyes.
For example, you may hear Frank Sinatra’s “I’ve got you under my skin” used for the dance music of a Foxtrot – or see Brendan Cole and his partner stepping out to “The Girl from Ipanema” sung by Nat King Cole. Then a waltz will be performed to the strains of the once incredibly popular Andy Williams song “Moon River”, or Liza Minnelli’s rendering of “All that Jazz” will inspire another couple with their “Foxtrot American smooth”.
Occasionally an Elvis Presley number like “Little less Conversation” can be brought back to inspire a Cha Cha Cha or the perennial “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow will provide the musical backdrop to a samba.
And show tunes, old and new, become dance music for a new generation of viewers. The “Time Warp” from the Rock Horror Show has been used for Michelle Williams and Brendan Cole to dance to and the inevitable rendering of “Cabaret” by the great Liza Minnelli in series 8. The “Lullaby of Broadway” sung by Tony Bennett and “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen have turned up recently. Newer numbers too such as Shakira’s “Objection” which has been used for a Tango and “Could it be magic” played for a Cha Cha Cha also get an outing and a remix to boot! Katy Perry’s “California Girls”, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Don’t stop the music” from Rihanna reveal that up to date numbers also have their place in the competition.
Ezra Pound once said that “Music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance! As well as inspiring a new generation of dancers, “Strictly Come Dancing” is keeping a whole new raft of music fresh to the ear.