Judges David King, Gill Caplin, Howard Lee and JLife’s own Elliot Landy cast a film critic’s eye over the spectacular dances by this year’s amateur cohorts: Michelle Turek, Sam Simmons, Stacey Walker, Joey Gilman, Debbie Jacobs, Roberto Gallardo, Jess Robins, Tara Buck, Cassandra Topp and Philip Winburn.
The openers were Angie and Jeremy Shulman, introducing the evening’s hosts Rebecca Skolnick and Alex Ullman to oversee a packed night of rehearsed performances inspired by the magic of cinema. Dances including Marvel’s Thor and Black Widow, Elton ‘Rocketman’ John, Shrek and Princess Fiona blazed a trail on the dancefloor, while the group dances from Strictly InFameUs and the Strictly Pink Ladies brought back nostalgia for the classic dancing movie musical to GSAL.
All couples trained tirelessly, but the ultimate winners of the matinee show were Joey Gilman and partner Victoria Coultas and Jess Robins with dancer Ping Liem, with Jess and her partner winning both the evening and the matinee Judges’ votes. The evening edition crowned a new audience favourite, Roberto Gallardo and his partner Ashleigh Hannah, thanks to their superhero inspired routine.
The night raised funds for the hosts UK Israel Business, while all money raised from ticket sales and the raffle will be donated to chosen worthy causes including Breast Cancer Haven, Donisthorpe Hall, Leeds Jewish Welfare Board, Brodetsky Primary School and The Zone. The main sponsors on the night were Manning Stainton, Berrys Jewellers and ES Motors Ltd.
In the spectacular finale, a little bit of participation was called for, with the audience getting to their feet to learn a quick routine, proving it can sometimes take more than two to tango!