New TV series on the history of dancing – some behind-the-scenes pictures for you
This week our new BBC Four series on dancing -‘Cheek to Cheek, An Intimate History of Dance’ – was officially announced at the Edinburgh Festival, and you can read the press release here. They also released a picture taken during the day we danced the Charleston at the Cafe de Paris in Leicester Square. What I really love about it is the gentleman in the background on the left going ‘ta da!’ with his hands. That’s our historic dancing master, Darren Royston, in an extremely characteristic pose. Makes me smile every time I see it.
I also have some behind-the-scenes photos for you from when we were busy filming back in July …
Here are Len and Darren polka-ing together. At this point I was probably sitting on the corridor floor drinking tea from my flask and eating my rice cakes with Marmite and having a rest.
It took these two talented ladies, Rosie our wardrobe mistress and Hayley our make-up artist, plus several hours of hard labour, to get me looking like this in my eighteenth-century minuet outfit. It was SUCH a hot day too!
We did lots of dancing with Darren’s troupe, The Nonsuch Dancers. What is Dylan doing up Amanda’s skirt? I couldn’t possibly say.
Here are some of the lovely people behind the camera: Rhys, Fred, Eleanor and Emma.
Here our director Emma tries to impress Len and Darren with her air-guitar playing.
We decided that Len looked immensely distinguished in his nineteenth-century evening suit. Could easily have been a Victorian prime minister.
Here I’m in the final stages of getting flappered-up (finished result in top picture), and Len is telling me not to be nervous.
Here I get friendly with a Morris-dancing horse called Betley. He belongs to the Belles of London City.
super piccies, Lucy!
I like the morris-dancing one best, but you look a total moviestar in all the others!
-:-)x
Can’t-wait to see y’all strut-yer-stuff!!
Marmite with Rice Cakes ????????
Which was your favourite era Lucy?
Well done! And hoofing it with a horse!
History is about documents.
Looks brilliant, Lucy. Can’t wait to see it 🙂
Just a drive-by comment here from someone who LOVES your history shows. I’m in the US, where history on television pretty much consists of “Next up, Part 947 in our ongoing series Penis Extenders of Modern Warfare!” The slang name for the History Channel is the Hitler Channel. It’s really, really awful. However bad you think it is, it’s worse.
And meanwhile, I’m always interested in what life was actually like instead of battles. (There’s always some bunch of guys with clubs beating up some other bunch of guys with clubs — who cares?) Instead of that nonsense, say I’m a farmer in ancient Egypt. I wake up, get up from my … bed? stuffed mattress? plank of wood?
I take off my … pajamas? overshirt? loincloth? nothing?
and reach for a nice hot cup? of … what, exactly? Do I pack a lunch? What’s in it?
This to me is history, and I love seeing it on your shows. Thank you so much for doing REAL history that answers the only real question there is, in my opinion: “What was it LIKE to live back then?”
Wow. I can’t wait. When is this scheduled to be on TV? :o)
Lucy, having seen your previous excellent programmes I’m really looking forward to your Cheek To Cheek series having seen a trailer with Len on breakfast TV. Please let me know when it starts. Thanks Peter
I’m really looking foreward to this show! My father was the Star Ballroom junior Charleston Champion in 1929. I love your history programmes so Thankyou!
When does the series on history of dancing start I cant wait
You’re great Lucy!
Dance with me,
Then marry me : )
Thank you Lucy Worsley, the dancing serie
was great.I loved every minute of it !
Thanx
Loving every single documentary you are a part of! I’m particularly enjoying your getting “in character” (costume, choreography, etc) as I’ve been seeing in your later work – both educational and great fun. Many thanks.