Ellie Simmonds on Strictly smashes prejudices about what a dancer can be | Cathy Reay - I Newz360

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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Ellie Simmonds on Strictly smashes prejudices about what a dancer can be | Cathy Reay

The show’s adaptations of dances for different types of bodies is powerful for those of us who never see ourselves represented

I really hyped up Strictly Come Dancing to my kids this year. In advance of the launch show on Friday, we bought popcorn, lit candles and piled the duvets on to the sofa. Maybe this sounds like overkill, but if you were watching a nationally televised dancing competition that, for the first time in its history, was featuring someone who looked like you, wouldn’t you be a bit excited?

As the show blasted on to our screen with its familiar upbeat theme tune, I was immediately reminded of the glitz and glamour of the production, and my heart soared seeing Ellie Simmonds on screen for the first time, made up to the nines and looking absolutely incredible. The genetic makeup of Strictly Come Dancing is heavily rooted in the beauty of bodies and their movement, and she so seamlessly fitted in from the moment she appeared. It felt like a huge moment for people like us, who aren’t typically celebrated for being beautiful or rhythmic.

Cathy Reay is a disabled author, editor and speaker on the subjects of disability justice, accessibility, relationships and single parenthood

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/78FYf6L

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