[LMBTO] Do Eurovision and Dance Shows Make Good Bedfellows?

Cheryl and Mike let themselves go in later years, didn't they?  I jest, this was Deborah Meaden from the BBC programme "Dragon's Den" and her dance partner Robin Windsor, dancing the jive on "Strictly Come Dancing" to Bucks Fizz and "Making Your Mind Up".  This was one of the few times that a Eurovision song has accompanied the dancing on the Saturday night ratings winner that is SCD in the UK - around the world it tends to be known as "Dancing With The Stars" or "Let's Dance".  Whatever it is called, the music used for the dance on show is so, SO important and can be the difference between a great dance and one that leaves the celebrity in the 'dreaded dance off' for survival.

Being a massive Eurovision fan AND a SCD viewer too, I wondered if I could fit Eurovision songs to particular dances from these popular shows.  Of course, it didn't always mean that the dances ended up being as good as the songs:

Enough said on that one perhaps but it is an example of a Eurovision song being used for the jive, perhaps the easiest dance genre to fit a bouncy, rock 'n' roll sounding pop song to.  By the way, in case you hadn't realised, these shows use 'house singers' and not the original tracks, but picking holes in how these songs are sung was not my goal here, it was to see if all the dance styles used in these talent shows could be accompanied by a Eurovision song.
Now I have no dance talent whatsoever and my musical knowledge extends to 'I know what I like but technically I don't know why'.  In other words, I don't know an A minor from a C Major nor do I have a clue about what beats per minute a pop song has or what time signature it is.  I really thought that this was going to be a thankless task and that I wouldn't get very far but through the power of the internet (via Wiki mainly), I have found that Eurovision songs HAVE been used widely for most of the dances, all over Europe.  Some appear to be obvious choices, some less so - I will start with the dance styles where the genre of music we all love has been used and then I will move onto those dances that seem to have been ignored.  With these handful, I have found that some Eurovision STARS have danced to them Strictly-stylee though and have included those too.  There is even a special Freestyle dance for you all to enjoy at the end!  So here goes - I think we'll start with a ballroom style and a performance from the UK show last year...


Viennese Waltz - "Boom-Bang-A-Bang"



I have to say that I was always puzzled that it took fourteen series of Strictly for this song to feature, more so considering that Lulu herself was in the 2011 series!  Even to my untrained ear, the beat and rhythm of this song just screamed 'Viennese Waltz' to me, as it seems to fit perfectly with the whirling and twirling of the dance.  As Eurovision songs go, "Boom Bang-A-Bang" has a lot of humour flowing through it and the choreography here compliments it beautifully.  27 out of 40 scored in the fourth week of Strictly's 2016 series - Judge Rinder and Oksana reached the QF in the end but there wasn't any time for another Eurovision song.  I won't hold my breath for another anytime soon in the UK version but having the 1969 winning entry as the sole example of the genre being linked with a Viennese Waltz is a good place to start...


Rumba - "Is It True?"



Now the Swedish version of Strictly (Let's Dance) had embraced Eurovision entries wholeheartedly, as you might expect of a nation with one of the most popular NF series and enjoying a purple patch at the Contest for much of the 2010s.  There are lots of examples of songs across various dance styles - the first one I wanted to focus on was the Rumba, the slow dance of love, often painful to watch due to most celebrities not wanting to release themselves into being passionate with a dance partner they barely know!  What was most interesting here is the celebrity dancer - Molly Sandén, 'veteran' of JESC and Melodifestivalen:
All the more reason perhaps to include Eurovision songs during her routines and who can deny that Yohanna's "Is It True?" is a superb choice of love song and therefore a prime candidate for the Rumba?  The version used in "Let's Dance" has much the same vocal treatment as the Eurovision entry we all know and love but the instrumentation has been 'sexed up', swapping strings and drums to a heavier guitar sound and a slower beat.  Definitely a song to dance sensually to but perhaps difficult for a 17 year old (as she was in 2010) - Molly struggled with this dance and ended up with a very low score (10/40)!  Luckily for her, this was only week two - she survived to end up 4th overall...


Cha Cha Cha - "J'aime la vie" / "Hard Rock Hallelujah"



Norway's version of Strictly seems to love Eurovision as much as Sweden - during one week of "Skal vi danse?" in 2011, all seven couples danced either the Jive or the Cha Cha Cha to Eurovision songs, admittedly some of those being very unusual choices.  I've included two of the Cha Cha dances here, as they are SO different in their choreography and more so in the songs used!  The first one above has got Sandra Kim's winning Belgian entry from 1983 supplying the tempo for the Cuban dance that supposedly uses the shuffling sound of the dancers' feet for its name.  Not only do we have a Eurovision song, we also have a Eurovision artist dancing too - Stella Mwangi of "Haba Haba" fame, who was riding high in 2011 with a number one song (that admittedly didn't qualify for the Düsseldorf Final) and who ended up 4th in season 7 of Norway's favourite dance contest.  This routine got her four 9s and 36/40 - no mean feat at any Strictly show.  We moved on from Eurovision teen pop for my next example - on the same show there was yet another Eurovision winning song, this time heavy metal:



I know, "Hard Rock Hallelujah" - really?  I would have thought it more of a Paso Doble song (we'll get there in a minute) but whether it is because, as in Eurovision, this musical genre is SO different to what is normally served up, and that the choreography, dancing and lifts were spot on, Lordi's anthem worked amazingly well for this Cha Cha Cha.  The look and the attitude from both the celebrity and dancer (Atle, a pop singer, and Marianne eventually won this season) were transfixing too and that probably explained the 37/40 score.  Different styles and yet both successful in their own way - a fitting tribute to the only 'all Eurovision week' anywhere in the Strictly world:
I suspect that only Sweden's "Let's Dance" might repeat this sometime - hell would probably have to freeze over for the BBC to put up seven Eurovision songs in a week, seeing it took until season 6 for the first ESC song to be used and we have only had THREE Eurovision songs over 14 seasons of shows (four if you include "Volare" by The Gypsy Kings, something I will have to do here)!


Paso Doble - "Fairytale"



Now this is where I was expecting the heavy metal winner of 2006 to have been used, dance wise.  The dance that is modelled after the sounds, the drama and the movement of the Spanish bullfight is all passion, aggression, sharp movements and very stylised arm and leg positioning.  Out of all the dancing shows with any information about the songs, I found only two examples with Eurovision songs - one was Carola's "Främling" from 1983 (which on closer listen does have the necessary rhythm for a Paso but still seems too nice) and the second was Alexander Rybak's classic "Fairytale".  Not exactly something would have imagined at a bullfight but when you hear how the house band has adapted the 2009 winning song, made it more 'Spanish', it suddenly comes to life as a song that the dancers can utilise their attack, their fight and put in all those sharp moves.  Anyone who remembers reading my piece about "Fairytale" all the way back in 2013 will know that his dancers performed the Norwegian folk dance "Halling" during the winning performance in Moscow, so the song itself was recognised as fitting with certain dance genres anyway.  Andrine Flemmen (alpine skier) and her partner Lars did enough to survive week two of "Skal vi danse?" season 6 in 2010 with a score of 24/40 - it's all a bit static and not particularly passionate or aggressive but she does have 'good arms' and I have seen a lot worse...


Jive - "Waterloo" 



Well it took six series but Strictly eventually used the most recognisable Eurovision song ever.  As I said in my preamble, the Jive is a dance that suits a lot of pop songs and "Waterloo" is no exception, especially when it is danced by the eventual champions of 2008, Tom Chambers (actor) and Camilla Dallerup.  By the time they got to dance this routine, we were at the SF and despite this being a damn fine routine, the 33/40 it was awarded left it as the lowest scored dance of the night.  There was not much to change to the song itself (except shorten it to 90 seconds for the length of the dance) - instantly recognisable and an entry that everyone can dance to, even if the majority of Eurovision fans would do something resembling a 'disco two step' rather than these flicks, kicks and party tricks!  Other Eurovision songs that have been used around the worldwide Strictly franchise for this sort of routine?  "Fångad av en stormvind" (totally get that, just listen to the drum beats and watch Carola's routine in Rome, there's almost some leg flicks there already), "La Det Swinge" (a little slower paced, some Strictly shows have had a "Rock 'n' Roll" section, maybe more suited to that?) and even "Stay The Night" (see?  Any pop song can be used for the Jive)...


Quickstep - "Satellite"
I would have to say that of all the Eurovision songs that have been used in any of the formats around the world, there have been two that are nailed on perfect for their dance - the first was "Boom-Bang-A-Bang" for the Viennese Waltz, the second is Lena's "Satellite" for the Quickstep.  As EVERY SINGLE CELEBRITY on the planet would say about this dance, there are a lot of steps and it is quick!  The winning song from Oslo 2010 was used for the pairing of Rebecca Mir (model) and Massimo Sinató, the eventual runners-up in 2012 in "Let's Dance Germany" and to me this dance (Lets Dance Quickstep) was nigh on perfect (although they only got 35/40 from the judges).  Apologies for the link only here, Germany doesn't like YouTube and RTL likes to keep its shows tightly held to their websites!  Rebecca and Massimo mimic the fun and light-heartedness of the rhythm and beat of the 'obsessed love song' that is "Satellite" but do it in a "beautiful girl makes geeky guy's night" sort of a way.  Like Lena performing in Oslo, this routine is extremely watchable and made me smile but whether Lena's bobbing on the stage was elegant, smooth and glamorous - everything a Quickstep should be - is another matter!  By the way, you know how we saw "Fairytale" used for a Paso?  It's also been used for this dance style too...


Foxtrot - "Survivor"



It might have only come fourth in Melodifestivalen 2014 behind Alcazar, Ace Wilder and Sanna Nielsen but Helena Paparizou's song "Survivor" has made it as a "Let's Dance" song!  Sweden's TV4, much like RTL in Germany, severely restrict what non-Swede's can see of their shows so thank goodness for this video, shown from a very different perspective.  The Foxtrot, smooth and characterised by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor, is know as 'SlowFox" in Sweden and other European nations, but whatever it is called, it is a popular dance that lends itself well to pop music, something that had evolved from its initial link to blues and ragtime.  Admittedly "Survivor" isn't anything like "Rock Around The Clock", one of the biggest selling 'foxtrot records' of all time but the rousing chorus by Helena does lend itself nicely to the rhythm required.  Marie Serneholt (singer and model) and her partner Kristjan Lootus appeared to make a good fist of this dance, getting 20/30 in week two and putting them second on the leaderboard, ironically where they finished in the Final too.  If TV4 had been more accommodating, there were other examples of SlowFox and Eurovision songs - "Why Am I Crying" by Molly Sandén, Charlotte Perrelli's "Hero" and even the tour de force that is "Heroes"...


Samba - "Volare"



Okay, so I have taken a few liberties to find a suitable song for the Samba but this was the only example of a Eurovision song being used...sort of!  Of course the original was the third placed Italian entry from 1958 that we all know and love ("Nel blu dipinto di blu") by Domenico Modugno but that would never be fast enough for Samba, a dance that is lively, rhythmical and influenced by the Brazilian version that is "maxixe" (Wiki is a very useful tool sometimes).  Using the Gipsy Kings' version of the song (part Italian, part Spanish) gives this routine the necessary flow and action needed to push the Samba moves through and make this look dynamic, fast and entertaining.  Georgia May (actress) and Giovanni got 35/40 for this and it helped them reach the Final, where they finished runners-up.  I wonder if Domenico had any idea how commercial his 1958 song would become and that it might be used as the basis for a Strictly routine 57 years later...


Waltz - "Movin' On"
Now this dance genre has really annoyed me!  There is only one reference to any Eurovision song being used with the Waltz at a Strictly type show and for the life of me I cannot find any footage of it to link to here.  The song itself was from this lady in 2009:



Sounds a fairly solid track to dance a Waltz to - the clockwork ticking sets the pace perfectly and the changes in mood and rhythm with the chorus kicking in would lend itself well to any couple being whisked around the dance floor, performing no end of spin turns, Chassés and Fleckerls.  The only example of Eurovision and Waltz crossover happened in the 2012 version of "Let's Dance" in Sweden, where Sarah Dawn's song was danced to by Camilla Henemark and Tobias Karlsson.  Think you recognise the lady in the picture above?  Here is where you might have seen her but 26 years ago:



To be honest, I just wanted to throw that video in here, just so it was in my blog.  Imagine those three at Eurovision...


Now at this point I had run out of examples of Eurovision songs that had been used for different dance styles and that was over all Strictly franchises around the world, at least the ones that had credited those songs via the internet.  I was going to just pick some random Eurovision songs that might fit the four dance styles that don't seem to have been covered:

• Salsa
• Charleston
• Tango
• Argentine Tango

Salsa - Gabriela Gunčíková



In Stockholm she came across as a very refined and reserved artist, almost like an 'ice queen' at times but Gabriela's demeanour during the fifth season of "Let's Dance Slovakia" was totally carefree, fun and flirtatious.  One of the highest finishing Czech celebrities of this version of Strictly, Gabriela still only finished seventh in Slovakia - she did attempt the Salsa, which fortunately fills one of my vacant dance styles!  Judging by the knee support on her left leg, she was carrying an injury during this extremely energetic and fast paced dance, not the best genre to be attempting with a bad knee.   She got 23/40 for this dance - her other dances are on YouTube, showing that she at least made it through two more rounds.  She might not have won but I have to say that I could watch the rehearsal footage of Gabriela all day...


Charleston - Alexander Rybak



Now Alexander can't be a winner every time, can he?  Let's Dance 2011 saw him come fourth in Sweden but he did nail a very classic Charleston here with his dance partner Malin - he definitely has the face and the mobility for the dance, with all its tricks and wacky arm and leg movements.  Even so, comparing this to most other dances of its type, this is quite restrained and a bit subdued - it does look as though Alexander wants to do more outlandish things than his partner did!  Solid and competent for me rather than outstanding - even so, at least he got to near the end of his season, more than this other Eurovision winner did...


Tango - Lulu



Or "That Bloody Lulu", as a lot of Strictly fans imagined her partner Brendan Cole would be calling her!  It is not a secret that the UK's 1969 winning artist and the former 'bad boy' of the UK show did NOT get on at all throughout their short run up to week six when they danced this Tango.  There were no Eurovision songs for her, not even her song featured way back up at the start of this article - this dance got the pair 27/40 which wasn't a bad score but it did lead to them being eliminated and them both breathing a huge sigh of relief!  It's not a bad Tango, given that Lulu is being hauled around the floor at times and it is obvious that her partner was still in his 'look at me, not at her' phase.  Decent footwork but Lulu's head flicks just ended up with her face being hidden by her hair!  There are quite a few ESC winners who fill the gaps with these final dances - my favourite Eurovision Beauty even makes an appearance...


Argentine Tango - Helena Paparizou



Now this is labelled as a Tango by the original poster but for those in the know, this is at the very least an Argentine Tango-inspired freestyle dance that the divine Helena performed on "So You Think You Can Dance" in Greece.  All of the intimacy, sensuality and eroticism are there in this spell-binding dance that is always one of the more popular ones when performed well - the entwining of and the flicks between the dancer's legs never cease to amaze and entrance the viewer.  This dance adds lots of lifts and spins but the basis of it is an Argentine Tango.  Ironically Helena looks to have this dance off pat and yet four years later, when participating in Sweden during the 2012 season of "Let's Dance", she found herself knocked out at the second elimination stage, despite being joint top of the leaderboard at stage one and a respectable 5th out of 9 the week she went home.  Any fan of Strictly shows knows that sometimes shock results happen...


Freestyle - Ruth Lorenzo



Now here is a little bonus that some of you might remember - a matter of weeks before she sung "Dancing In The Rain" in Copenhagen, Ruth showed her versatility by singing her Eurovision entry AND performing contemporary dance at the same time.  Giuseppe Di Bella helped her re-create her promotional video in the studio and boy, did they do a good job!  Admittedly Ruth sounded vocally a little weak at times but when you look at the dance moves there, I would defy any singer to have spot on sound when being tossed and spun through the air at the same time!  There were rumours at the time that this might be the choreography at Eurovision - sensibly perhaps, Ruth went for the traditional "stand on stage and belt it out" route.  Edurne, on the other hand, thought that singing and performing a freestyle dance would work perfectly...


And so we have found either a song or an artist for every dance popular to the Strictly Come Dancing Franchise - Sweden and Norway showing the way when it comes to using Eurovision songs as the accompanying music to dances, whereas most countries have had Eurovision artists participating in their versions of the shows.  We have even seen two ESC stars WIN their Strictly titles - let's just say that one of them had a 'Hero' in their showdance and the other always had 'rhythm' in whatever dance they portrayed....



The days when Måns had quite a different look but gave a very entertaining show dance - not sure I've seen too many martial arts kicks in a dance routine before!  A clear winner in "Let's Dance 2006" with his partner Maria Karlsson (Anna Book was runner-up)...



And you just knew that Loïc was destined for so much more than finishing fourth in Vienna when you saw his spins on stage - the producers of "Danse Avec Les Stars" must have realised that too.  Head and shoulders above the rest, he and his partner Denitsa Ikonomova blew everyone else away with stunning routines such as the one above, the pair getting a perfect score in the Final to win the competition.

But not everyone linked to Eurovision has performed so well at this dancing lark.  When you hear Scott Mills, BBC commentator at the SFs, taking the piss of other nation's entries and providing so-called comedy interval acts with Mel Giedroyc, just picture him as a crab who can barely walk across a stage, let alone dance:



At least Joanne got to dance with Ore Oduba, the winner in 2016, as compensation for having to choreograph for Mills the series before.  So if you think that you can't dance and have two left feet...