You can't escape Strictly Come Dancing right now. Even if you've never sat through it and can't tell your Flavia from your Foxtrot, then someone you know is obsessed and gibbering on about taking up ballroom dancing as a New Year's Resolution. Kids in Croydon have a healthy headstart on us in that respect now that tango is part of the curriculum.
Even the brutalist bastion of city culture, the Barbican, is getting in on the strictly sequinned game. Knowing that their impeccable Lates line up can't compete with the Beeb's premiere light entertainment, celebrity career rehab and yet it's all for charity, early evening telly crown jewel, it's incorporating it into the programme. This Saturday, shift off your sofa and down to Silk Street to watch the semi-final drama unfold on the freestage in the ground floor foyer from 6.10pm. Commentary will be provided by Boogaloo Stu - for those Eurovision addicts amongst us, he was the one providing additional commentary behind the red button, making us wish that El Tel would never resign (sigh). Betwixt show and results, investigate the installation in the Curve or lay out some cash to see the unseasonal Robert Capa war photographs. After the results show, the "People's Pensioner" Ida Barr will be spinning tunes for you to strut your strictly boogie too, in the mirrorball lounge till 1am.
Culture vultures: other stuff that isn't ballroom dancing related is going on.
But come on, wannabes - ask Santa for those dancing shoes and geeeeeeeet dancing!
Image of Boogaloo Stu who's also appearing in School of Dance at the Barbican - only tickets for this Wednesday left! Book now for a crash course in the history and practice of high camp glamour dance.
