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British PM can dance to ABBA! Our next PM can dance or not?

steffychun

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Why was Theresa May dancing? And did it work?

By Jennifer Scott BBC News

  • 3 October 2018








Media captionMoves like May: The prime minister's dances
What skills do you look for in a prime minister?
Is it being a good communicator? Having business acumen? A connection with real people? Or is it how they shake their money maker to disco classics?
On Wednesday, Theresa May seemed to focus on the latter, making her entrance for her big conference speech by boogieing to Abba's Dancing Queen.
It's not the first time the PM has shown off her footwork.
On the first day of a trade mission to Africa in August, she attempted to dance with a group of school children.





Media captionTheresa May was all smiles as she joined school children dancing in South Africa
It's fair to say her moves weren't universally acclaimed - "wooden" and "cringe-worthy" being two widely-used adjectives. Others, though, praised her willingness to get stuck in and have fun.
Indeed, it wasn't long until her toes were tapping again, as just two days later, she mimicked the moves of a group of scouts in Nairobi, Kenya.





Media captionMrs May danced with a group of scouts during a visit to UN offices
When she returned to the UK, Mrs May embraced the attention her moves had attracted, even offering professionals her advice.
Skip Twitter post by @theresa_may
Get in touch if you need any tips...#Strictly https://t.co/tqC8kFb1WW
— Theresa May (@theresa_may) September 8, 2018​

Report

End of Twitter post by @theresa_may

But while she tweeted, others reacted in differing ways.
She got the backing of some, like the original robot dancer and footballer Peter Crouch...
Skip Twitter post by @petercrouch
Ahhhhh the old picking apples routine . She’s going straight through my repertoire on this trip https://t.co/IOngkrxftV
— Peter Crouch (@petercrouch) August 31, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @petercrouch

Others were happier to criticise her moves...
Skip Twitter post by @quitcolleen
Theresa May dancing looks like me drying the bathroom floor after I’ve had a shower pic.twitter.com/X7WCcbSu9U
— hollie (@quitcolleen) August 28, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @quitcolleen
But we had not seen the last of the dancing prime minister...
As Mrs May headed on stage on Wednesday to give her crunch speech to party conference - to show she could lead both the country and her members, and try to silence her critics - she thought there was only one way to do it...





Media captionTo the music of Abba's Dancing Queen, Theresa May opens her conference speech
Downing Street insisted that her latest groove was "spontaneous".
They said they had decided to cue up the Abba track simply because the PM likes it - it was one of her Desert Island Discs after all.
But they claimed they had not expected her to start getting down to it.
Skip Twitter post by @BBCVickiYoung
Theresa May’s team say they had no idea she was going to dance onto the stage #CPC18
— Vicki Young (@BBCVickiYoung) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @BBCVickiYoung

Last year's conference speech was disastrous for Mrs May. She struggled with a terrible cough, was interrupted by a prankster and had to deal with a collapsing set.
The consensus is she couldn't ignore all that this time and had to confront it instead. So confront it she did, from the dancing right through to joking about "super-gluing the backdrop".
She got the support of some of her more loyal MPs for her humour...
Skip Twitter post by @willquince
Fantastic speech by @theresa_may full of optimism, passion, hope, humour and a clear commitment to deliver on the referendum result. Backing business, a new cancer strategy, council house building, tackling homelessness and of course a little dancing! pic.twitter.com/ToKCGHATp2
— Will Quince MP (@willquince) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @willquince

Skip Twitter post by @JBrokenshire
Impassioned and powerful speech from the PM with a clear message of creating an opportunity society - including a significant announcement on housing to get Council’s building. Great to see the PM show her lighter side too. pic.twitter.com/8Ujna4jzra
— James Brokenshire (@JBrokenshire) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @JBrokenshire

Some political commentators also welcomed her willingness to mock herself and present a friendlier, funnier side.
Skip Twitter post by @paulwaugh
My snap verdict on May's speech. PM hits the Boris bullseye by embracing her inner robot.https://t.co/bySB20mYhf
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @paulwaugh

Skip Twitter post by @janemerrick23
Theresa May has just walked onto the stage in a reprise of her daft dancing in Africa. Self-deprecation the way forward. #CPC18
— Jane Merrick (@janemerrick23) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @janemerrick23

And the Swedish Ambassador to the UK praised her choice of tune...
Skip Twitter post by @sohlstromt
As Swedish Ambassador I can only say Bravo to @theresa_may for starting her conference speech with ABBA’s Dancing Queen. #CPC18
— Torbjörn Sohlström (@sohlstromt) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @sohlstromt

But there were some sceptics on the ground who thought it may have been a little more planned...
Skip Twitter post by @Kevin_Maguire
No 10 insisting with a straight face the rehearsed spontaneity of the Maybot dancing was just spontaneous. Really
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @Kevin_Maguire

Skip Twitter post by @PippaCrerar
Theresa May sense of humour alert PM strides onto stage to ABBA’s Dancing Queen, even has a wee boogie on the way. Wonder how hard they had to persuade her to do that?
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @PippaCrerar

And opposition MPs felt it was just a distraction tactic from bigger issues - as well as ruining their favourite song...
Skip Twitter post by @tom_watson
We've heard nothing today from Theresa May to spark dancing in the streets or justify any on the conference platform. Her meaningless offer to end austerity is reliant on a Brexit deal that she cannot deliver while prisoner of the ideological fantasists on the Tory right.#CPC18
— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @tom_watson

Skip Twitter post by @Wera_Hobhouse
'I feel like I win when I lose' is an accurate representation of the Tories' Brexit policy... https://t.co/1kq5dLkNAD
— Wera Hobhouse MP (@Wera_Hobhouse) October 3, 2018​

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End of Twitter post by @Wera_Hobhouse

Skip Twitter post by @AngelaRayner
I use to love Dancing Queen by Abba #Cringe https://t.co/MGeBGhf0Gi
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) October 3, 2018​

Report

End of Twitter post by @AngelaRayner


But BBC political correspondent Chris Mason was sold on her performance.
"While I become a pound shop Political Bruno Tonioli with some trepidation, and this sort of stuff is guaranteed to make some groan, I thought the PM's jiggy thingy was great," he said.
"Using Dancing Queen as her music to arrive on stage to, and then busting some moves, as I think I'm meant to describe it, was novel and self-deprecating.
"Will this suddenly mean her most ardent critics will be won over? No.
"But does it help humanise the prime minister dubbed 'the Maybot'? Yes."
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Of course he can! :D

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