As the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour kicks off in Birmingham this weekend, leading members of the Midlands’ legal profession will be looking to pick up a tip or two.
Because come the summer, a glittering dance competition in aid of the Child Brain Injury Trust will see representatives of the Bar, the Judiciary, solicitors, clerks and other legal professionals compete to lift the No5 Chambers Strictly 9 to 5 trophy.
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Anton Du Beke will compere the evening of dance and entertainment to be held at Villa Park’s Holte Suite on Friday, June 5.
Competitors met for their first training session this week, under the watchful eye of tutor Richard Freakley, principal of the Right Foot Dance Company.
He took the two men and nine women through the basic steps of the waltz, the cha cha cha, rumba and jive and told the first time dancers ‘not to get too friendly – this is a competition’ and that between now and June they ‘can’t do enough dancing’.
After the session Richard said: “I think they all did really well.
“They seemed incredibly nervous at first, but I think they quite quickly relaxed and got to grips with the steps – some of them really weren’t bad at all.”
Michael Burrows, a barrister with No5 Chambers, said afterwards: “I enjoyed myself – but I’d decided beforehand that I simply had to throw myself into it to get the most out.
“I intend to practise as often as I can – although perhaps not in court in front of the judge!”
The students now have group weekly dance lessons until the end of February, when they will meet their professional partners and learn which dance they will be performing on the night.
Tony McDaid, Practice Director at No5 Chambers, said: “We’re hoping our Strictly 9 to 5 is a big success, tapping into the pulling power of the ‘Strictly’ factor.
“The added bonus for us as a Chambers is that the evening should help us raise even more money for the Child Brain Injury Trust, one of our 2015 nominated charities.”
The Child Brain Injury Trust was established by a group of health professionals in 1991 to research and provide information regarding the effects of ‘traumatic’ injury on a child’s developing brain. It is the leading voluntary sector organisation providing non-medical services to families affected by childhood acquired brain injury across the UK. It receives no Government or NHS funding. The Trust has a national network of child and family support co-ordinators.
Further details can be found online at www.no5.com/strictly9to5 There are a number of sponsorship and fundraising opportunities available, for more information please contact No5’s marketing team on 0845 210 555 or email marketing@no5.com
To see a short video of the first training session, click here: http://bit.ly/1yrZQSU