Dancing under strict orders from Christina

CHRISTINA Cawte won’t be dwelling on the upcoming West Clare Strictly Come Dancing fundraisers in the Armada Hotel until much later this month.

 

CHRISTINA Cawte won’t be dwelling on the upcoming West Clare Strictly Come Dancing fundraisers in the Armada Hotel until much later this month.

The Meath woman, who lives near Cross, is the event choreographer and has already put hundreds of hours into preparations for this year’s second annual event on November 24 and 30, which will raise money for Doonbeg charity, Help the Cherven Orphans, Clare Suicide Bereavement Support Group and MS Ireland.

However, Christina, her husband, Michael Liddane, and their children, Leana and Samuel, will be cruising around the Caribbean in the coming weeks, returning five days before opening night in Spanish Point.

It’s not stretching things to say that Christina is somewhat of a cruise ship veteran. This will be her 24th cruise, while her other half has accompanied his wife on 20 of them.
“I can’t bring him on all of them. Leana, my little one, has been on seven cruises and she’s only six. This will be Samuel’s second cruise and he’s two,” Christina explains.

Although the cruising will take Christina’s mind off Strictly, she has been instructed by event organiser Edel Smith to buy dance costumes for some of the couples while overseas. “I have to go shopping for costumes when I’m there,” Christina confirms.

She has been dancing since childhood and having completed a health and fitness course at Tralee IT, where she met her husband, Christina has made a living in the fitness and dance industry since.
“I’ve been dancing since I was three. My mother and grandparents were all dancers. It’s in the blood really,” she explains, adding that she competed in the Irish Dancing World Championships.

“I left that when I was 15 and went off and did hip hop and free-style dancing. I did my thesis in college on dance. As I went along I did different courses in dance and with the Zumba, I started it three years ago. You learn different rhythms for each of the five levels that you do,” Christina notes.

Zumba dancing is a fusion of Latin rhythms, including salsa, samba, jive, cha cha, tango, paso and flamenco, which have been adopted as a way of attaining fitness.
Christina runs Zumba classes throughout West and North Clare, Monday to Friday, sometimes overseeing four classes per night. She met Edel at one of the Zumba classes and suddenly she had another (voluntary) job in her lap.
“I’ll never forget it. She said to me last July, ‘Christina, can I ask you a favour? Will you give us a hand with Strictly Come Dancing?’ I ended up taking over the whole thing. Twenty-six dancers choreographed from the start last year.  So no pressure this year,” Christina laughs.

“Edel pops into the Zumba every so often, especially when something is coming up. Before the St Patrick’s Day parade is another time when you’ll see her coming in again,” she adds knowingly.
Last year’s Strictly Come Dancing event sold out two nights in West Clare. However, it requires months of work to put together. Christina has been coaching this year’s couples since August.
“You have to pick the songs, make up the dances and then teach the couples. It’s not like couples from Strictly Come Dancing on television when you have a professional. Some of our guys have never danced. I can’t believe they’re doing it. They’re mad,” she believes.

“When they’re signing on for it they’ve no idea what they’re signing on for. It’s fine to come and meet me for three or four hours a week but they have to go off and practice. With a lot of them you know who practices and who doesn’t,” Christina reveals, clearly indicating that trying to fool her is not likely to work.

It took hours of persuasion before Christina eventually relented and picked her favourite 2011 competitors.
“Last year, Carmel Muldoon (from Kilkee) was a natural. You’d definitely remember her and her pink dress. Dermot Tubridy was brilliant but I think Tara Flynn and Paddy Costelloe were a great couple,” she recalled.

So what about this year? “That’s cruel. I have to stay neutral but I do have one or two favourites,” Christina replies before expanding slightly.

“We’ve only got one natural mover this year – Michael Hoey from Ennistymon. I can’t think of anyone else. The rest of them are starting from scratch, besides the set dancing but nothing compared to what they’re doing. Laura Foley and Shane Keane [Carrigaholt] are putting so much work into it and they’re not natural dancers. It’s the same in Kilkee – Michael O’Shea and Stephanie Haugh are not dancers either. They’ve no rhythm but they’re putting the work in. They’re going to bring it on the night,” Christina predicts with unshakeable confidence.
She has found that some competitors felt dancing wouldn’t tax them but they have gone home wrecked.

“A lot of the footballers come in saying ‘I’m fit, bring it on’ but they’re pumping sweat going out the door. Martin Downes [Cross] is one. He always has to bring a change of clothes. I’ve to tell him to stop wearing shorts because he’s sliding on his legs and he has burns on his knees,” Christina says solemnly.

While on holidays, Christina will be leaving Ruth Vaughan, Carmel Muldoon, Marie Galvin and Edel Smith in charge of her dancers.
“I’ll be leaving orders and DVDs,” Christina states rather sternly, adding that she might even spot-Skype her dancers from the cruise ship.
“That’s a good idea. I might,” she says, ensuring that the 12 couples cannot be sure when their choreographer will be gazing intently at their every move.

Last year Strictly Come Dancing raised just over €26,500. Tickets for the opening night of this year’s event have been sold out, while some remain for the second night. This year’s 12 dancing couples are as follows: Shane Ryan and Edel Conway (Doonbeg), Declan Meaney and Annie Morrissey (Cooraclare-Cree), Martin Downes and Stephanie Foley (Cross), Shane Keane and Laura Foley (Carrigaholt), Michael O’Shea and Stephanie Haugh (Kilkee), Ann Glynn and Ian Lynch (Kilrush), Eoin Malone and Adrienne Nugent (Labasheeda/Killimer), Mary Flynn and Thomas Downes (Kilmihil/Cranny), Michael Hoey and Michelle Hoey (Ennistymon), Edel Kenny and Alan O’Brien (Lahinch), Johnny Daly and Davina McCarthy (Kilmurry Ibrickane) and Johnny Wilson and Louise Talty (Miltown Malbay).