Strictly Inverness 2024 diary: Let's start dancing
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By around this time tomorrow, the majority of the 32 rookie dancers participating in this year's Strictly Inverness will have completed their first round of training.
This commitment to learning two individual dances and a group dance is repeated weekly up until showtime in May.
We all have our first group dance training sessions at Eden Court in Inverness tomorrow. This is likely to be a chance to bump into people (hopefully not too forcefully) who we haven't seen since the information night last week or perhaps the initial welcome event last month.
- Click here if you would like to make a donation
- Strictly Inverness 2024 diary: Let's start fundraising
- 'I'm doing Strictly Inverness for my mum' – dancer hopes it'll be third time lucky
The 16 dance pairings have been divided into Team Thursday and Team Friday, representing the day which their semi-final show will take place ahead of the final on the Saturday. I'm in Team Thursday.
A few hours after that group dance lesson, my dance partner Ruth Mason and I will be at our inaugural rumba training session, alongside Team Friday's Craig Watson and Clare MacDonald. I'm not quite sure what to expect from either session but a more knowledgeable dance fan in the office told me that the rumba is one of the slower dances, which makes it harder because everyone can see your mistakes.
In contrast, Ruth and I also have to try and master a samba. While Ruth was on holiday, I represented the team at our first training session last Thursday, alongside Team Friday's Jenna Christie and Louise Mainland – one of the annual event's first same-sex dance couples.
It was high-paced leaving me hot and sweaty, so I need to increase my cardio training if I'm going to keep up. It was great fun though to learn what I've previously called basic steps but I'm now calling them essential steps because basic sounds too easy! This wasn't that easy but I'm sure it'll sink in with time and repetition. And good luck to Ruth because I'm going to try and show her what she missed – how bad could that be?
The more time I spend thinking about this event, the more I start looking into the benefits of dance. I came across this TED talk that explains the joy that can come of it which I tend to agree with – although I've had just the one dance lesson so far!
Aside from the dancing, there is also the fundraising element with organisers and hosts, Highland Hospice and Inverness Ice Centre set to benefit from the efforts of all the dancers.
I'm super grateful to the Forge Gym in Inverness, which is displaying posters for the Strictly Raffle and selling tickets (£1 each) on my behalf to anyone interested. This adds to a similar arrangement at MKM Building Supplies in Aviemore, who I'm equally grateful too.
Friends and colleagues have also bought raffle tickets during week one of fundraising and it is humbling to receive their encouragement and support. I'd imagine the same can be said for the other dancers who have generated much-needed donations too. It's been a really impressive start with the total already passing £13,000.
A variety of fundraising activities are already planned by dancers including:
- For Kaitlyn Heggie and Emma MacDonald: Family ice skating disco party, January 27, Inverness Ice Centre
- For Stefan Robertson: Psychic Night, February 3, Chieftain Hotel, Inverness
- For Darryl Geegan: Murder Mystery Dinner, February 3, The Abbey Inn, Kinloss
- For Shireen Fyffe: Kids fun afternoon, February 11, Fyrish Gymnastics Centre
- For Lorraine Christie: A night of mediumship with psychic Pamela Duff, March 12, Dingwall Legion
- For Darryl Geegan: So you think you can drag?, March 30, British Legion Club, Inverness
- For Sean MacIver and Niamh Mcauley: Race night, April 6, Chieftain Hotel, Inverness
- For Lesley Antrobus: Rock N Reel fundraiser, April 12, Beaufort Hotel, Inverness
I'll aim to update the events list each week.
Click here if you would like to make a donation.
