Big Help Ballroom is Less Than One Week Away!
Here is everything that you need to know about the inaugural Glitterball event.
We are weeks away from the inaugural Big Help Ballroom, where … couples will be putting their six weeks of training to the test to compete for the first ever Big Help Glitterball. The event will take place at Liverpool’s iconic Town Hall – and Ballroom – on Saturday 23rd September. We are incredibly grateful for the enthusiasm for this event and, whilst tickets are sold out, you can follow along on the night – from home, with friends, wherever you’d like – as we livestream the entire evening!
The evening has been kindly sponsored by Maxwell Hodge Solicitors and Amazon LPL2 - representatives from which will make up part of our judging panel!
Photo courtesy of Liverpool Town Hall.
To prepare you for the competition, we’d like to introduce you to our dancers!
First, meet Adele and Ben…
Adele and Ben will be dancing the Quickstep!
Adele Wood spends a lot of her time around friends and family, particularly her nieces and nephews, as well as being an avid tennis player - which she hopes will help her on the big night! She attended a charity strictly event a few years back, ‘sitting there thinking how much [she] would love the opportunity to do it!’. Strictly Come Dancing is the TV highlight of the year for Adele, and she now gets to participate in Big Help Project’s very own. Adele’s mum is Head of Corporate Engagement at the charity, so she ‘absolutely jumped at the chance’ once she found out that this event was happening.
Ben Cosgrove is one of the owners of the Arts Bars (Baltic & Hope St) and loves supporting all art forms! For Ben, competing in ballroom and Latin dance around the country is always a thrill. The Arts Bar partnered with the Big Help Project on a few events earlier this year and as Ben has done strictly for the team before, he couldn't wait to get involved again! It's been a few years since he’s danced at the Town Hall and believes it's such a lovely venue.
Our next pair is Julie and Pete…
This pair will be dancing the Modern Jive.
Julie Shields has always loved watching Strictly on the TV, but only plucked up the courage to join Jive Teddy’s dance class towards the end of last year. Along with enjoying learning the dance, she made a bunch of new friends - who eventually convinced her to sign up for Big Help Ballroom. She’s feeling a little overwhelmed at being part of a competition at such a grand venue, but is still very excited to take part and can’t wait to take on the dance floor!
Her dance partner, Peter Bowyer, is a friend of Jive Teddy (another Big Help Ballroom contestant), as they bonded over their shared love of dance. Outside of jive classes, Peter enjoys woodturning and has a keen interest in local history. He’s very excited to be taking part in Big Help Ballroom, and his love of history makes dancing in the Liverpool Town Hall all the more special.
Now, for Liam and Neve who will be dancing the Charleston!
Neve Dooley had been wanting to do her bit for charity for some time now and feels Big Help Project is an amazing cause and the Big Help Ballroom is a great way to raise money. Taking part in this event was definitely meant to be as Neve met the team at work one day and immediately said yes when asked to part take. She is so excited for this experience!
Dancing with her is Liam Peters! Liam has lived in Liverpool for five years. He loves plants, gardening and obviously Ballroom & Latin dancing! He got involved with the event through a dance friend who has taken part before and said it was fantastic and rewarding. Liam is so excited to be dancing the Charleston at Liverpool Town Hall, and knows it’s going to be fun, whacky and full of kicks and flicks!!”
Dancing the Cha Cha are Martin and Libby:
Martin Tsang owns multiple businesses across Merseyside, but primarily works in plumbing and fitting bathrooms - and made headlines last December after spending 15 hours to fix burst pipes and bathrooms across Merseyside for free. Outside of work, he loves spending time outdoors, and travelling with his wife Jules and German Shepherd BoBe in their campervan. Martin is doing Big Help Ballroom to push himself out of his comfort zone; he has done lots of charity walks, climbs and abseils, but nothing scares him more than the idea of dancing in front of a crowd.
Libby Rothwell is a learning support assistant, and has been practising Latin and ballroom dancing since she was ten years old. She got involved after hearing about the event during a BNI meeting. Libby’s competed in many dance competitions and charity events over the years, so she’s thrilled to be taking part in Big Help Ballroom for such a good cause.
Our next couple is Chris and Michelle - dancing the Waltz!
Chris Jones has been working in the construction industry for 10 years, and currently works with Shawton, who have sponsored multiple Big Help events. Outside of work, Chris loves spending time in the great outdoors with his wife, 2 kids and his dog. He’d always wondered what being in Strictly would be like when he watched it on TV, so he decided to experience it first-hand!
By day, Michelle Mutch works as a dispensing optician - but by night, she’s a fantastic ballroom dancer! Michelle had danced as a child, but took it up again 5 years ago after being a contestant at another Strictly-style competition. She continued to dance with the same partner, and they now dance competitively in both regional and national competitions. Outside of dance, Michelle has organised many charity fundraisers herself, so is thrilled to be taking part and raising money for an important cause.
Our Mystery Dance pair will be Ashlea and Helen…
Ashlea Walton loves music and dance, and during lockdown decided to grow her TikTok following to help other people in isolation, gaining over 160k followers with 1.8m likes. Dianne Buswell from Strictly Come Dancing joined her in a TikTok dance which was really exciting. Ashlea was asked to do videos for Children in Need, the Superstar Arts Charity, Drag Syndrome and lots of others. Ashlea is so excited to be taking part in Big Help Ballroom 2023 because it’s a new challenge for her and she wants to show off her abilities, support the Charity and help other people.
Helen Ibbetson, who is from Halifax, has been dancing since she was a child and have done many styles from ballet and tap, to disco and Ballroom. Helen has been competing in Ballroom and Latin for fifteen years now and loves dancing in Blackpool! Her dance partner Simon, is also taking part and he got Helen involved in this event. She is really looking forward to performing for you all in Liverpool Town hall with her partner in crime, Ashlea!
Pete and Amanda will be dancing the Tango…
Peter Schriewersmann is the co-owner of Hotel Anfield, Onyx Real Estate and Happy Days Apartments. He moved to Liverpool in 2008 and has never wanted to leave since, calling himself an “adopted scouser”. He likes to think of himself as a socially minded entrepreneur, and has helped fund both local causes and relief efforts for Ukrainians fleeing the war. He’s also a proud father to two wonderful daughters, Elsa and Sansa.
As well as being a property lawyer and mother to three boys, Amanda Richmond has been doing competitive ballroom and Latin dancing for over a decade. She’s done a number of strictly style fundraisers and has thoroughly enjoyed every single one, even getting lifelong friends from the process. Michelle’s looking forward to an unforgettable evening at Big Help Ballroom, and highly encourages anyone considering it to join us for the next competition!
Jane and Ste will also be dancing the Cha Cha:
Jane Reid is the marketing manager at Maxwell Hodge Solicitors, who are supporting Big Help Project as their nominated charity of the year. She’s loved dance ever since she was a child, and went from copying routines from Top Of The Pops to performing alongside her school dance troupe at the Philharmonic - but ballroom dancing is something she’s never done before. Her family and friends all encouraged her to take part, and she’s very excited to be dancing in the iconic Liverpool Town Hall.
Steven Williams works for Sefton Council, as the driver for The Mayor of Sefton. Steven is an experienced and qualified dancer and dance teacher, with experience of performing on cruise ships. Steven is not a stranger to performing in Liverpool’s Town Hall and supports a number of charities across Merseyside, taking part in various dancing events.
Yordanka and Rob will be dancing the Lindy Hop!
Yordanka ‘Dani’ Dimitrova is originally from Bulgaria, and moved to the UK for university. Currently, she works with Amazon LPL2 in Knowsley, and is very proud to represent them during the competition. She picked the Lindy Hop because the dance is performed in a key scene of her favourite comedy movie, and has really thrown herself into learning the dance
Robert Collier is a member of Mersey Swing and is very excited about bringing the joy of Lindy Hop to Liverpool Town Hall. Dance is a huge part of his life, and Robert is often out dancing in different cities, organising Mersey Swing events or teaching aerials and lifts to newer dancers. Outside of dance, he’s an artist and enjoys travelling. He’s honoured to be a part of Dani’s journey to the ballroom and has been proud to see how much progress she’s made since they first started dancing together.
Becky and Anton will be our Samba dancing couple!
Becky Parr works in an office furniture company called Dams as a Business Analyst. Dams have been supporting the Big Help Project as a charity partner for 2 years now. Within this time, Becky has taken part in a Fire Walk and a Virtual Halloween Bike Ride to raise money for the charity. When the Big Help Ballroom event was mentioned in work, Becky volunteered straight away without really thinking about all that would be involved. She loves to dance the night away when out in town. Becky feels privileged to have the opportunity to perform in such a beautiful venue within her home city of Liverpool.
Anton Du Cooke has been involved on the dancing scene for two decades; from Ballet to Ballroom, he has trained here in Liverpool. He has worked with some fantastic creative people both national & international with credits in film & TV such as Peaky Blinders, Sherlock, Apple. Anton’s professional dance partner is Amanda Richmond; also taking part in Big Help Ballroom, and they rank 18th in the UK.
Our next pair, Mike and Anca, will be dancing the Argentine Tango.
Mike Brougham is married with four children and eight grandchildren, and lives and works in Kirkby. Mike has owned a commercial Cleaning and Soft FM services company for the last 20 years. Mike enjoys golf, football, travelling and cooking, and especially loves horse racing and enjoys being a horse owner. Mike is nervous but also excited as he believes it’s such a great charity and will be a pleasure to help out. He’s going to embrace the event and the evening in such a fantastic and iconic venue.
Anca Voinea is a member of Manchester University's Ballroom and Latin Society. She has been dancing for 10 years and has competed in several of the society's own Strictly events, including its April 2023 edition, in which she and her society celeb partner placed third. She competes in the university and open circuits.
Owen and Owen, our next couple, will be dancing the Jive!
Owen Bridgeman, who works in Big Help Project IT team, strives every day to make a difference in the world through his work at the charity; one close to his heart. From a young age, Owen discovered his love for Irish dancing, and he found himself captivated by the rhythm, grace, and spirit of the feis competitions. Through his work at the Big Help Project, he has seen first-hand the impact that even small acts of kindness can have on people's lives. Whether it's through dancing or charitable work, Owen seeks to inspire and uplift those around him. With his indomitable spirit and a heart full of compassion, Owen reminds us all that no challenge is insurmountable when you dance with a purpose.
Owen Gillot is an award-winning Liverpool-based dance artist, actor and teacher. He has worked professionally within multiple sectors of the industry from his high-kicking cabaret acts to film and stage with credits including: Eurovision 2023, BBC, ITV and Sky TV. After already having a great understanding of the Big Help Project he was delighted to be a part of the amazing project that is bringing so many people together, raising vital money/awareness all through the magic that is Ballroom & Latin. Owen is very excited to be taking part and dancing at the Town Hall. After all being in the presence of a grand lavish ballroom is where he feels most at home.
Chelsea and Tina will be dancing the Paso Doble.
Chelsea Miller is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie - she plays netball and supports LFC, and gets very competitive during matches. She also teaches Morris dancing - but whilst she’s familiar with dance, she’s never got the chance to try ballroom before. She sees Big Help Ballroom as a great way to contribute to the community, as well as a personal challenge. It’s been a long time since she’s danced in front of an audience, so she’s a little nervous, but is absolutely going to bring her A-game!
Tina Thomas is the director of Upbeat Academy, an arts company that provides music, dance and drama workshops in schools and community settings. She’s had experience teaching different styles of dance to people of all ages, but now mainly teaches musical theatre, Latin and ballroom. She loved competing in ballroom competitions as a kid, so is thrilled to be able to perform “strictly style” at a beautiful venue with her fabulous partner, all for a good cause.
Our final couple, Ted and Pauline, will be performing the Modern Jive!
Despite being in show business for 43 years Pauline Daniels has never done any one-to-one dancing - the only dance class she’s ever been to was a ballet class when she was five, where she got the measles after a week and never went back! She’s taking part in Big Help Ballroom not only to have fun, but to help support local communities during the cost of living crisis. And make no mistake, she’s in it to win it!
Ted Williams aka ‘Jive Teddy’ is a singer and dancer, and spends most of his spare time hosting community events and his incredibly popular “Jive Teddy” modern jive dancing nights at The Railway Club in Aintree. He’s particularly passionate about encouraging older members of the community to become more socially active, and hosts Happy Memories afternoons with raffles, games and live music that routinely draw in over 100 attendees per event.