In the first of our exclusive interviews with this year’s Festival artists, Camilla Dallerup speaks to Festival reporter, Ann Chadwick about romance, Yorkshire vowels and Fred Astaire.
Why is Camilla leaving one the most loved BBC shows ever – a show that inspires palpitating passions – the ultimate dance competition that has provoked endless column inches in newspapers as diverse as the Guardian to the Sun?
“I’ve had an amazing five years and six series, an absolutely amazing time, but I’ve always learnt to leave a party while you’re having a good time. I’m actually seeking new challenges now, I think after five years you know it was just time to move on, it was just a natural thing for me to do – six series is a long time.”
Camilla & Ian live at the Royal Hall
What really shines about Camilla is her passion for dance and her love of entertaining. And that genuine heart felt joy is evident watching her and her professional dancing partner Ian on the dance floor.
She’s danced with some gorgeous men on the BBC show – if she had to choose between the Fred Astaire wannabe Tom Chambers or the hunky Gethan Jones – who would she choose?
“Ooh, that’s so unfair to ask me that!” Camilla objected, “I suppose I would have to say Tom because he got me the trophy, but they’re actually both adorable.”
Anyone who has seen the movie Strictly Ballroom knows it’s the winning that counts.
Behind the sequins and fake tans, is life on the dance floor really so competitively ruthless?
“I think it’s slightly exaggerated but there’s a hint of truth. In any sport actually – not just ballroom – you see pushy parents in any sport. You don’t have to go into ballroom dancing to have pushy parents. No, I think that’s exaggerated, but it’s definitely a great movie though,” she laughed.
Camilla started dancing at the ridiculously young age of two. Did she feel any pressure?
“I was so lucky, I went to a school every day after school where I would do drama, dancing, singing, I had a social life, I had friends that I loved, and I felt like I belonged. For me I feel like I’m an entertainer first and a dancer second, for some it’s the other way around, but I just love to entertain. I didn’t care if I was dancing, singing, doing a drama – anything – I just wanted to be on stage, I loved entertaining. What I loved so much is actually connecting with an audience, when you leave the stage and you know that you’ve made someone happy or it’s reminded them about some emotions – that’s amazing. That’s got to be the best thing in the world to actually connect with an audience, to have an affect on other peoples’ moods – brilliant.”
So, spill the beans, who is her favourite celebrity that she’s danced with on Strictly?
“They’ve all been my favourites for different reasons,” she said diplomatically. “But with James Martin – I do think I will never forget his journey because he really started at such a disadvantage and he ended up leaving like a dancer, and I’m quite impressed by that journey because he showed what sheer determination and basically what mind over matter can do.”
There’s something enormously genuine and sweet about Camilla, which the nation witnessed with her emotional win in the 2008 show with her celebrity partner Tom Chambers.
Who, dead or alive, would be her ultimate dance partner?
“It would be my boyfriend, and if not my boyfriend, Fred Astaire – for sure! Oh My God!” she sighed. “One night with Fred Astaire on stage, can you imagine? Oh! My! God! And I think Tom would like that too, he kept talking about wanting to be Fred Astaire.”
The audience strut their stuff on the dance floor
Her passion is infectious. Strictly is responsible for getting an entire new generation back into dance. This summer, Camilla may not be appearing on Strictly, but she’s still firing up the passion for dance, moving away from celebrities to children: “I’m working on a new kid’s programme that’s on the BBC this summer – I’m judging – and I’m absolutely adoring it, it’s lovely to see the kids creating in different ways.”
The dance class in Harrogate is an amazing opportunity to learn with the pro’s, but what about us adults worried about having two left feet?
“Well we try to make it very simple, one of the most important things for me is to get a lot of people enjoying it, because dancing is all about sharing and having fun and the social element really – so two or three left feet not to worry! Just come along. From experience, with all the dance classes we’ve done before, people do leave knowing a couple of moves. Even the ones that go, oh no we’re not going to learn anything,” she laughed. “We’re used to working with people who haven’t danced before, that’s what we prove on the show – that it is possible to learn, you know if you just give it a go.”
And, Camilla adds, there’s never been more of a reason to let go of those inhibitions and dance, dance, dance! “It’s funny when we look over time and history people have always danced, even when the war was here you know, people were dancing in secret locations. I think when it’s a critical time for people they seek to be together and to socialise. And dancing is one of the things that actually makes all your problems go away, because while you’re dancing and you’re co-ordinating your body and listening to the music and watching the steps and having fun with the people around you, you actually forget everything else. So it’s a great de-stress actually. And I think it’s important in difficult times to laugh and have fun, because everything’s so serious out there, it’s depressing enough to listen to all the news on the economic climate.”
A certain generation of parents and grandparents actually met, socialised and romanced at dances. Now, with the alienating advance of technology, have we lost the romance of dance?
“I think it’s coming back!” Camilla said. “I think that’s what we’re seeing when we’re travelling all around the country visiting different cities, that actually people are going dancing and romance is also starting to blossom through dance again, which is lovely! I mean I think there’s something nice about being invited onto the dance floor by a man. I think lots of women like that, and people are realising it’s a great way to socialise because with all the people meeting through the web and texting, everything’s becoming quite impersonal. So actually dancing is something that brings that socialising and personal contact back – to hang out with people – it’s nice while you’re exercising and having a good time at the same time.”
Camilla & Ian impress with their rumba
We women may be dancing in the same formation, but what about the blokes? At a Salsa class in a Harrogate club I attended, all but one of the students was female.
What would she say to encourage more Yorkshire lads to attend her Harrogate dance class?
“I danced with James Martin and he’s from Yorkshire isn’t he?” Camilla said. “I love the way he says ‘no’ (attempts flat Yorkshire vowels), I always try to say ‘no’ the way he says it.”
But surely it’s time Yorkshire men learnt a thing or two from the sexy moves of their European counterparts? British men can be so inhibited.
“I think maybe that’s generalising a little bit, I think it also depends on the area, and of course yeah maybe you’re still seeing slightly more women than men but definitely Strictly has helped men to go to dance classes – 100% – I’m hearing a lot of stories now where the husbands are saying, oh you know, I would never have danced, then I saw Strictly, and I saw James Martin doing it so I can do this too, and that’s nice you know.”
After the dancing class with Camilla and Ian, you can watch them dance to the sweeping music of Gershwin and Porter. Camilla describes her relationship with Ian as a ‘professional marriage’: “It’s closer than just colleagues; we are like each others’ best friends. It’s like going to work with your best friend every day.”