On Sunday 20th October, SSH Senior Finance Business Partner, Gary Allen, took part in “Strictly Drapers 2019”. This was a ballroom competition in the style of Strictly Come Dancing, in which 10 amateur couples performed ballroom and latin dances in front of an audience of 300 people and were then critiqued and marked by three professional judges. At the end of the show, which was hosted by Drapers Dance Centre at the Royal Victoria Hotel, the audience added their votes to determine the overall winner.
Each couple were performing in aid of their chosen charity, with ticket sales and raffle draws also going to charity. Gary and his wife Louise were dancing in support of the Daniel Wilkinson Foundation, which is a small local charity formed by Dan’s parents after he tragically died at 23 years old from an undiagnosed heart condition while playing football. The charity aims to provide defibrillators to local youth sports clubs, as well as providing a programme of heart checks. Gary and Louise have raised over £750 – if you would like to add to this total, you can make a donation here.
In the competition, Gary and Louise performed a routine based on the Foxtrot, but also incorporating elements of a Quickstep and Charleston. This brought them scores of 8, 8 and 9 from the judges, and after the audience vote they finished in fifth place. Other couples performed a variety of routines, many in superb costumes including Gru from Despicable Me dancing the Jive with a minion, and a role reversal James Bond themed tango! The eventual winners performed a very moving Waltz set to a Second World War theme, featuring a recording of the declaration of war.
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