Page 23 of Take the Lead
W hen Olivia finally tells us she’s ready to take us all to the studio for filming, there’s an immediate buzz in the air.
As we follow her down the corridor, she calls out the running order of our dances.
Theo is kicking things off this week, with his partner Daniele.
Aleksis and I will be second from last, presumably so they can make sure our score is high enough to keep us in the competition. Merle and Emilia will close the show.
My heart leaps as Merle falls into step beside me. ‘You’re still the most sexy,’ he whispers into my ear as he passes. Then he strides ahead, with Emilia sweeping along behind him. She doesn’t even glance in my direction.
I stare after him, pulse racing, thinking perhaps I imagined it.
But I know I didn’t mishear him and it throws my head into a whirl of confusion.
Does that mean he regrets switching dance partners and wishes he was still dancing with me too?
No, that wouldn’t make any sense – he’s the one who instigated the swap.
Could it be that he is now sleeping with Emilia, but it’s not living up to what he shared with me? No, that’s just my ego talking , I tell myself firmly. Although if I miss those moments, it’s not too much of a stretch to think that he might as well …
Not that it matters , I remind myself. I’m not about to forgive him for the way he treated me. And the fact that he thinks that’s an appropriate first thing to say to me after everything that’s happened is the perfect reminder of why not.
But it doesn’t stop his words tumbling round in my head as Kimberley Ross takes her place on the stage and week two’s live show begins. My eyes keep drifting towards him, even though his back is now turned, and I know the jitters in my stomach are not just pre-show nerves.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Fire on the Dance Floor !’ Kimberley shouts to a cheer from the audience. ‘There are just six couples left in the competition this week and we can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store for us tonight as they battle it out for a place on next week’s show.
‘Sadly, last week, we had to say goodbye to Liam after his salsa failed to light up the dance floor. But sparks flew during Kate’s saucy kizomba, which saw her and Merle get on top of the table. To the top of the table, I should say!’ she laughs.
My cheeks flush as the audience sniggers at her joke. I thought the show would gloss over last week’s antics, not highlight them in the opening minutes. I plaster a smile on my face to hide my irritation.
‘So will the salsa be the dance that sees off another couple this week? Tonight, it’s Kate who’ll be showing us her hip-swinging moves – once again,’ Kimberley smirks, with a conspiratorial wink.
‘Jesus Christ,’ I mutter when this gets more laughter. I’m not sure I can maintain my composure if Kimberley carries on with her innuendos. I want to grab the mic and lob it out of the studio. I nearly jump out of my skin when I feel Aleksis give my hand a supportive squeeze.
‘But we’ve got a big surprise for you this week,’ Kimberley says brightly, before chucking in one last cheap laugh.
‘Because this week it’s not Merle who Kate will be getting jiggy with, but Aleksis, former partner of Emilia, who has stepped in to take Merle’s place.
Merle, meanwhile, has joined forces with Emilia, and we predict they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.
‘We can’t wait to see what they bring to the dance floor this week.
Will they be the ones who set our hearts racing tonight with their sensual bachata?
Will Kate and Aleksis have the same chemistry she found with Merle?
It’s time to find out – so without further ado, let’s bring out our first couple and start the fire on the dance floor! ’
I have to concentrate even harder on my poker face as Theo and Daniele run onto the stage to a cheer from the audience.
The bloody bachata? Of course, Merle would luck out with that for his first dance with Emilia.
He lives and breathes the bachata, it’s his speciality.
It’s bound to be brilliant. I can only hope that means it will at least take the focus off him and me.
Theo and Daniele score 7.9 for their cha-cha, so they’re off to a good start.
Tammy’s kizomba comes next and I can see she’s relieved when 8.
1 flashes up on the screen. It’s a huge improvement on her merengue score and means she’s safe for another week.
It’s followed by Dean’s merengue and although it’s not as energetic as Tammy’s was, he plays up to the audience and makes them laugh and it gets him a straight 8.
‘That’s it, we’re halfway through,’ Kimberley says, ‘and as you can see it’s really, really close this week.
With their score of 7.9, it’s Theo and Daniele who are in the danger zone at the moment, but there are still three more couples to dance and, as you know, it’s you who get to decide their fate.
Anything could happen, so let’s see who’s up next.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Beth Atkins and Gabriel Romero! ’
I can tell Beth is nervous because she clenches and unclenches her hands over and over as the video clip of her week’s rehearsals plays on screen. Then the spotlight lands on her and Gabriel, their music starts playing and their Argentine tango begins.
The rest of the stage stays darkened and the spotlight follows their slow journey round the dance floor. I think it looks beautiful, like they’re dancing in moonlight, but the judges aren’t quite so taken.
‘I’m a bit lost for words,’ Jacques admits.
‘The tango is meant to be fiery and sharp and electrifying, but it felt like you were both sleepwalking across the stage. Where was the energy, the pizzazz? I think you maybe tried to use the staging to make up for the lack of drama in the choreography, but I’m afraid all you ended up doing is highlighting how misjudged this performance was. ’
My heart goes out to Beth.
‘Harsh words there,’ Kimberley interrupts. ‘Sophie, did you see anything you liked in Beth and Gabriel’s routine?’
‘Sadly I have to agree with Jacques – it was all a bit lacklustre. For me, it fell flat.’
‘Some tough feedback tonight,’ Kimberley says, turning to Beth. ‘How do you feel about that?’
‘I’m not going to lie, I really struggled with this dance,’ she admits, ‘so I think their comments are fair. I wasn’t feeling confident and Gabe did have to slow it all down for me.
But I still enjoyed performing it and if I get the opportunity to be up here again I’m going to do whatever it takes to win the judges over next time. ’
‘Good for you.’ Kimberley smiles. ‘And now, audience, it’s time to deliver your verdicts. Do you want to see Beth and Gabriel dancing again on next week’s show? Grab your keypads and let’s find out.’
The scoreboard lights up and the marker starts moving, but it only creeps as far as the seven. There’s an ‘ooh’ from the audience and Beth looks gutted. I wish I could give her a hug.
‘Beth, you must be disappointed; but remember, it’s not over yet.
There are still two couples to come,’ Kimberley says chirpily.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up one more time for Beth and Gabriel. And next up, dancing the salsa, please welcome to the stage Kate Wareing and her new dance partner Aleksis Lapsa!’
And then we’re out in front of the audience, watching ourselves doing spins and fixing the studio floor in our video clip, which thankfully gets another laugh – this time a welcome one.
Then we’re in position and everything else slips out of my mind as I concentrate solely on remembering the routine and not messing it up.
Two minutes later it’s all over, and all I can think about is how mad it is that we practise for so many hours for just these few short minutes.
‘Over to you, judges,’ Kimberley says at the end.
Mariana is nodding. ‘Not bad. There was just enough content there to keep it interesting. There was a little hesitation around some of the spins, and you fell behind on the timing just a fraction at times. But you recovered well, and overall it was a good effort.’
‘I have to agree,’ Sophie says. ‘There were a few missteps here and there, and I felt you were maybe relying a little too heavily on Aleksis at times, but all in all I liked what I saw. Obviously you’ve had the added challenge of adjusting to a new partner this week, which is never easy, so well done for coping with that.
Personally I hope you make it through. I think there’s real potential in this partnership and I’d like to see what else you can bring to the competition. ’
This gives me hope. Maybe they won’t need to fix our score after all.
‘And Jacques?’ Kimberley prompts.
‘Like Sophie says, this is a new partnership, so it’s fantastic to see it already gelling. And if we compare this dance to the dances in week one, it comfortably stands up to the competition. But of course it isn’t week one, and it wasn’t perfect.’
My heart sinks again.
‘If you go through, you’re going to have to work hard to push yourselves up in the rankings,’ he advises. ‘But something tells me you can do it – so I wish you luck.’
‘So it seems like the judges are keen to see Kate and Aleksis again on next week’s show,’ Kimberley says. ‘But, audience, what about you? Do you want their salsa to shimmy to the top of the scoreboard? It’s time to find out!’
My stomach twists in anticipation, even though I know we’re safe from elimination.
It might not be our real score, but I still want it to be good, especially after I finished in the top spot last week.
I feel awful for Beth, though. With me guaranteed to go through and the only other dancer still to come being the best dancer among us, things aren’t looking great for her.