Big Stars Little Star

I've been to a few TV recordings in the past (Strictly Come Dancing being my highlight, naturally), so when we got the chance to be in the audience for the ITV show Big Stars Little Star, i got very excited.

After the London Marathon, (see post on this here) me and my mum tubed it up to Wembley. (Side note - how cool are the new Met line trains? Oh the things that excite me). 

On the show were Eastenders actor Jake Wood with his son Buster, Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker with her so Noah, and ex-rugby player Austin Healy (whose twin girls were SO adorable).

(Photos: ITV Pictures)

Our priority tickets got us sat front row, which was all very well until they revealed they wanted to film  the audience dancing for an advert. Cue awkward and embarrassing Granny moves. Fab.

Worries aside, the show was great. Stephen Mulhern presented, and was clearly a natural. He`d come over and chat occasionally during breaks and was exactly how i expected. So funny and such a nice guy.

Not gonna lie, I do love the buzz of live shows, but this was much more relaxed and still really enjoyable. I loved it!

*UPDATE* The show aired on the 7th of May, so I guess now it's ok for me to big up Austin Healy and his daughters Betsy and Bibi who won the £15,000 jackpot for British Lung Foundation. 

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Go Mo!

Ah, that time of year again. Time to dust off my best cheers and head to the London Marathon. 

I'd love to say I'd run it and am sat here bonding with my medal, but, for now, the roadside is where I'll stay.

There was definitely a higher turnout of spectators in comparison to previous years. I'm sure the prospect of seeing Mo Farah drew in the crowds. You can imagine the roars of excitement and OTT Mobots as he came running round the corner. And by running, I mean sprinting. The speed at which the elite runners go at is insane.

The whole event is ridiculously exciting. The atmosphere equals that of a carnival. 

If you stay long enough to watch the fun-runners, it's brilliant. You see kangaroos, bananas, trees, nuns, Captain Jack Sparrows and the odd celebrity. And where else can you scream out the names of people you've never met, and them actually smile at you? 

Be prepared to stand up for a long time if you are watching in the busier areas. The first half of the race you can usually sit on the curb if you get there early enough, but as the runners make their way down Embankment and down Birdcage Walk towards Buckingham Palace, the crowds tend to be a few people deep. We've solved this in previous years with picnic chairs. Yes, you feel a bit silly, but your legs will thank you for it. Big time.

I'm hoping to enter the ballot again for the 2015 race, so who knows! Definitely go and watch if you get the chance :)

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Move It 2014

The other week I embarked on a quick trip to the biggest dance event in the UK - Move It. 
 

Ever year it attracts thousands of dancers from all backgrounds to the Kensington Olympia exhibition complex in London. Running from the 7^th- 9^th March, this year it was bigger and better than ever. 
 

Move It - Kensington Olympia

 

Although this was my 5^th visit to Move It, it was the first time I’d been on the Friday. It was a little less busy, but the incredible atmosphere was still there. It just meant there was a little less squeezing down the aisles!

 

 

As a dance-addict myself, I adore going to Move It. I could spend hours wandering round the hundreds of stands selling products, advertising top colleges and bagging lots of good freebies...

 

 

There's an endless list of classes taught by professionals that you can attend. They cover everything from lindy hop to advanced commercial, musical theatre to tap, and beginner’s ballet to audition technique.  

 

 

However, if you prefer to spectate you can easily fill your day with incredible performances and inspiring interviews. This year artists included Sisco Gomez, the cast of Stomp, Dancers Inc Ambassadors, Diversity, Darcey Bussell, Janette Manrara and many top dance schools from around the country, just to name a few.

 

 

Here are a few of my highlights from the day:

 

 

·       We bumped into to Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton who were at the Wheelchair Dance Sport Association stand. As always they were super friendly and happy to chat. I love these two! They told us all about the association, and what an amazing job it does providing dance opportunities for people in wheelchairs. Anyone can get involved! You can visit their website here.
 

Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton at the WDSA stand

 

·       We then wandered round the stands a little more and came across the FitSteps stand, run by the ridiculously talented Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite, who were selling DVDs and chatting to fans.

 

 

Natalie Lowe, Ian Waite and Mark Foster (FitSteps Creators) being interviewed by Annaliese Dayes.

  I joined in one of the four demonstrations that were taking place throughout the day and had a chat with Natalie after. (We took photos which I’ve left out as I horrendously pretty gross and sweaty…) She said I should join in the next class too, so I couldn’t resist. How often do you get to dance right up close to two of the best ballroom dancers in the UK? (And for free!) Admittedly halfway through the second one I began to wilt, but it still felt amazing! 
 

       (Fitsteps is a new dance-based fitness class that is sweeping the nation. I started a couple of weeks ago and I’m so glad I did. I cannot recommend it enough. You can easily adapt your workout to whatever suits your fitness level, so literally anyone can reap the benefits. Find a class near you here.)
 

·      Sisco Gomez’ interview stands out for me. This man has so much sass! He gave such a great talk covering his life as a dancer and sharing invaluable top tips for being successful in the industry. He also reluctantly name dropped the likes of Janet Jackson, Madonna and Kylie. He’s fab, just the right amount of diva.

 

Trying to take a sneaky selfie with Sisco Gomez, looks like he's patting my head! (left) Sisco having photographs (right)

 

·      I have never seen Stomp, but after their showcase at Move It I am making it a top priority to go. It’s seriously incredible; so rhythmical and exciting.
 

·      The Dancers Inc Ambassadors are regular performers at Move It, in the past performing on the main stage the likes of Adam Garcia and Kimberley Wyatt. They are all absolutely incredible, and their performance is one of the things I look forward to most at the event.
 

          I can’t help but notice my eyes always seem drawn to the almost-not-human-he’s that-good-looking Anthony ‘BB’ Kaye. We attempted so many selfies (he said he absolutely LOVES selfies, so would I if I looked like that!), but the light was just not co-operating. Such a shame...it meant we had to keep trying until we got a good one, which as you can imagine was awful for me.. ;) I think I ended up with about 9 on my phone haha.

 

 

The Dancers Inc Ambassadors after their performance on the Main Stage.
 

If you love any sort of dance, whether it be watching or participating, Move It is the place for you, and I would 100% recommend a visit next year. Maybe I’ll see you there!
 

You can keep up to date with next year’s show, and see photos of previous years here.

 

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