“Strictly Come Dancing” star Anton Du Beke is putting the finishing touches to his latest book, B is for Ballroom, which is to be available from October 18.“Did you know, for instance, that the double reverse spin was invented by the first British Open champion, Maxwell Stuart, while he was dancing with the Queen of Norway in the 1920s?”
B is for Ballroom explains why some lifts are illegal, why judges focus on competitors’ hands and arms and why ballroom dancers are so at home in sequins. He covers individual dances, points of technique from holds to footwork and all the glamour of the ballroom world.
Anton and his professional partner Erin Boag have appeared in every series of “Strictly Come Dancing”. Erin, Anton says, keeps his feet on the ground. “We’ve been together longer than a lot of marriages! Erin is normal, not at all starry.
“If you put all the ingredients together it takes to create the perfect lady ballroom dancer, you’d end up with Erin. If I couldn’t dance with Erin, I’d retire, there’d be no point to it.”
B is for Ballroom, published by Constable & Robinson will be available from October 18 (RRP £14.99).
For the full interview, see the October issue of Dance Today, on sale on October 3.
