SINEAD B*WITCHES DANCE JUDGES
Pop P star dazzles on DWTS
GREYSTONES woman Sinead O’Carroll danced her way to the top of the leader-board last Sunday night on Dancing with the Stars.
In a clever nod to the pop star’s roots, the B*witched member and her professional dance partner Ryan McShane did the American Smooth to the song ‘Bewitched’ by Steve Lawrence.
After the men took to the stage for their own first dances the previous week, it was the turn of the six female celebrities on Sunday night.
With 21 points earned by the end of the night, Sinead and Ryan took the top score with their 1950s Brooklyn street act.
‘I think there is a star in the making,’ said judge Lorraine Barry. ‘For me you really did dance with all the body, the feet, the arms,’ she said. ‘It was really, really lovely. I think you’re a leading lady.’
‘I thought it was exactly what we want to see from that,’ said Brian Redmond. ‘I was a little bit bothered by the arms and the feet were a little bit all over the place. I was bewildered by the characterisation and the storytelling.’
‘Girl you put a spell on me,’ said Julian Benson. ‘ This was graceful, smooth and elegant. You beamed through the whole thing. I’m excited for you moving forward. I wanted more. It was magical for me, keep up the good work’
The show opened with the professional dancers performing a group dance to Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.
Sinead has lived in Blacklion for the past 13 years and has run ‘Star Academy’, a musical theatre, dance, drama and singing school, there for almost eleven years. The academy currently has 60 students aged between four and 13, and all of whom join Sinead’s own children in being supremely excited about her turn about the floor on Dancing with the Stars.
Prior to Sunday night’s success, Sinead admitted to being ‘a little bit nervous’ about taking to the floor in Bray. The studios where the show is filmed are part of the Ardmore stable and located on Southern Cross Road.
The couples had a dry run there on Saturday, and a first opportunity to try their new skills on the actual studio dancefloor.
‘I just want to get on the floor and see how it feels,’ said Sinead, who has been working hard for weeks with Ryan. ‘By the time the audience is there hopefully I’ll feel a big calmer.’
While she has extensive onstage experience as a member of iconic group B*Witched, ballroom dancing is such a different experience that the nerves can’t be completely avoided.
‘It’s televised and live so there are more people looking at what you’re doing if something goes wrong,’ she said, adding that she and Ryan and all of the couples have put so much time into perfecting their routines.
‘I really like the song, and the dance, for this first performance,’ she said. They had three weeks of training before the Christmas break, and then another week before Sunday’s show.
The schedule is gruelling, with rehearsals every day, but despite the workload it’s a dream come true for Sinead.
‘It’s totally been on my bucket list,’ said Sinead. ‘My mum and dad used to dance years ago, before I was even born.’
She would see them dance at family events and always wanted to emulate that. They also used to sit down together as a family and watch the ballroom dancing from Blackpool.
‘It’s something I always wanted to learn how to do,’ said Sinead.
She contacted producers four years ago to express her interest but, with timing and other commitments intervening, its only now that Sinead has been able to seize the opportunity to take part.
Her children, Samarah (11) and Zain (8), are very proud of their mum, and hope she does really well in the competition.
They certainly know songs by B*Witched and are aware that their mother’s band is kind of a big deal, but she’s not sure to what extent. In any event, they will be cheering her on each week as she carefully learns her steps and displays her talents to the nation.
Dancing With the Stars continues on Sunday night on RTE One at 6.30 p.m.
LEARNING TO DANCE HAS TOTALLY BEEN ON MY BUCKET LIST. MY MUM AND DAD USE TO DANCE YEARS AGO, BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN