Dancing Cheek To Cheek

Pair up child of the 1970s Lucy Worsley with Strictly’s resident septuagenarian Len Goodman on the dance fl oor and it’s no surprise to find one graceful, supple and fluid and the other as stiff as a coat hanger. But in Dancing Cheek To Cheek (BBC Four, Monday, 9pm) it’s Mr Goodman who’s got all the moves, while lovely and learned Miss Worsley shows as much performing fl air as you’d expect of the quintessential bookworm that she is by dint of her Godgiven intellect. While even the most charitable of souls wouldn’t confuse these two with Fred and Ginger, they’re a fi ne double act of her high-brow history and his practical knowledge for this three-part whirl through British dance. The series will eventually end up in the jazz age but begins in the 17th century. Worsley is a force to be reckoned with as she delves into the past with a mischievous fascination for the quirks of society and hidden meaning behind the most seemingly innocuous moments: the cushion dance of four centuries ago may appear utterly innocent to our eyes, but back then the puritanical branded it a prostitutes’ come-hither gambit.

Each episode culminates in this oddest of couples performing a dance together, and this week they choose a very Georgian trip the light fantastic, the minuet. For once it’s Goodman in the spotlight rather than looking on in judgement; and give him credit, he’s as unsparing in his verdict on his own performance as he is on Strictly to the stars.

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