The most sparkling thing in ballroom since pink champagne, The Sugar Dandies are the UK’s favourite same-sex dance partnership.
What’s more, you can catch Sören and Bradley, aka The Sugar Dandies, at Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom on 13 February for the Carnival Ball, part of the Showzam festival of circus, magic and new variety, taking place from 12-21 February. Find out more at www.showzam.co.uk.
We spoke to Sören and Bradley about what to expect from their performance, competing and how dancing spices up their relationship in other areas!
So, tell us what the audience can expect from your performance at the Showzam Carnival Ball…
Sören: The theme this year is Latin heat and we are going to set the floor on fire with some sexy tango. It definitely won't be classical ballroom style - tango was originally danced man-to-man and we're going to have some fun with it.
We love tango that is passionate and full of adventure, the kind that leaves you breathless. And it's Valentines (almost), so a little romance may also be in the air.
What’s the best thing about being The Sugar Dandies?
Bradley: One of our reviews from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer called us 'ballroom superstars'. I'm not really sure if there is such a thing, but our dance cards are pretty full these days.
One of the best things is that The Sugar Dandies have taken us out of our safe ballroom environment and helped us to challenge people's perceptions of what ballroom dancing is. The Carnival Ball is a great example. It's part of the Showzam festival in Blackpool and takes place at the fabulous Tower Ballroom, the world's greatest and grandest ballroom where world champions have danced through the ages - it's a floor that we've danced on countless times, but not like this. They've been so supportive of us in Blackpool and we always have fun there.
"The Sugar Dandies have taken us out of our safe ballroom environment and helped us to challenge people's perceptions of what ballroom dancing is."
How did you meet?
Sören: We met at a week long gay chorus conference in Tampa, Florida. At the time, Bradley was the executive producer of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus and I sang in the Pink Singers from London. It was like the gay Olympics of choral singing, a pretty amazing and slightly surreal experience.
We met at the 'Wecome Aboard' party on the very first night and then missed most of the conference. We spent the next year commuting Trans-Atlantic before Bradley moved to London.
Had you had much experience in ballroom dancing before you became The Sugar Dandies?
Bradley: Yes, we started as serious ballroom dancers and we still compete on the competition circuit. Sören's mother has a whole room full of medals and trophies we've won including a silver medal in men's ballroom from the last Gay Games and the World Federation of Same-Sex Dancing's 'Rising Star' World Champions.
In 2006, we created our first show dance called 'The Skater's Waltz' which won the London show dance competition by an overwhelming audience vote and became an instant hit. We realised that we had an ability to entertain with ballroom in a way that competitive ballroom dancing didn't allow us, and thus began the adventures of The Sugar Dandies.
"This balancing act between autonomy and intimacy has made us better people and a stronger couple, on the dance floor and elsewhere. Oh, and yes - a hot sex life together!"
You became silver medallists at the World Outgames in July – what did that achievement mean to you?
Sören: Show dancing in competition is challenging for us because the judges are often looking for different things than audiences, and we tend to play for audience effect. Ballroom judges like to see restraint and control and sometimes we can be too big and outrageous for them. So it was reassuring to know that we have the balance right.
We've had a lot of great feedback from audiences in the last year, but to come second at the Outgames and top of the UK was an ackowledgement of our technical abilities as well. The crowd's reaction was tremendous, we were dancing in a sports arena which suddenly felt more like a rock concert than a than a ballroom dancing competition. We were dancing 'French Poodle', which is a wonderful foxtrot in which Bradley plays the poodle and I hold the lead - literally.
You also compete in the mainstream competition circuit – what reaction do you usually get from competitors and spectators?
Bradley: Same-sex ballroom competitions are very separate from mainstream ballroom dancing so we took a big chance the first time. There is actually no rule that two men can't dance together, but people kind of thought there was. We checked with the organisers in advance to make sure they didn't mind, but we were really worried about how the other competitors and spectators would react.
When we stepped out on the floor for the first time, there was some awkward laughter. I think they actually thought we were just messing around, but once they saw we were serious they stopped. In the end we had an almost unfair advantage with the audience - they were totally on our side. The other dancers have also been incredibly supportive, sometimes we feel that they are going too far to show us we are welcome.
Gay sports have become increasingly popular – why do you think that is?
Sören: Because we are serious about it. We try to take in at least one other sport every time we are at a major gay sporting event. Of course we love the figure skaters and other artistic disciplines, but we had a great time watching the football in Chicago and the badminton in Antwerp.
Also we should explain, not everyone knows that ballroom dancing (dance sport) is a recognised Olympic discipline. It's actually very physically demanding and it keeps you fit - see private photos. [Winks].
"Not everyone knows that ballroom dancing is a recognised Olympic discipline. It's actually very physically demanding and it keeps you fit - see private photos. [Winks]."
How do you come up with your routines?
Bradley: Most of them are things we've talked about doing for years. They often start as 'what if' and then ruminate for a while. We particuarly like animals - we just did a show about dancing penguins which was very sweet, a tribute to the gay penguins in the Bremerhaven Zoo and their defiance. And I fear I may always be remembered as a dancing poodle.
We have great support from our coaches, we know what we want to do but they help us to do it. We are lucky to train with the best coaches in the UK including Lindsey Hiller, who is a three-time world champion, and Vernon Kemp.
What is your favourite ballroom dance style?
Sören: Hmm, do we have to have a favourite? I think we could tick the 'versatile' box on this one. It is probably the quickstep because it is fast and reckless - and a bit cheeky. We've always been good at it and it is pure fun.
You’re in a civil partnership – so, what’s the secret to a good relationship?
Sören: As in dancing, try not to step on your partner's toes. I think the secret to a good relationship is to balance looking after yourself while keeping the one you love in mind. We often use dance as a metaphor - when you see two people dancing together you see a couple, but it is actually two people dancing entirely independently albeit next to each other.
Our coaches teach us to dance ourselves, to let go of the other. This balancing act between autonomy and intimacy has made us better people and a stronger couple, on the dance floor and elsewhere. Oh, and yes - a hot sex life together!
Finish the sentence: A good performance starts with…
A slow, longing embrace.
It ends with…
Pyrotechnics.
So, what is The Sugar Dandies’ main mission?
Bradley: To be glamorous. They don't really care as much about the dancing as we do, they just like all the fabulous clothes. They've got the perfect combination of classic men's tailoring and over 10,000 Swarovski crystal stones. You'll see at the Carnival Ball.
Anything to add?
Thanks! And lets have a dance sometime.
Catch The Sugar Dandies on Saturday 13 February 2010 at the Carnival Ball, part of the Showzam festival in Blackpool taking place from 12-21 February 2010. Find out more at www.showzam.co.uk.