re innate lords of the dance... When Mark Ramprakash learnt to swivel on his back foot to play a hook shot, or when Matt Dawson perfected his trademark pivot behind a scrum to kick the ball over his shoulder, the two sportsmen were unwittingly acquiring the skills that they need to take the title in Strictly Come Dancing.The form of dance seen in Strictly is not the thé dansant foxtrots of bygone years. It is closer to the new genre of dance sport recognised by the International Olympic Committee, if not yet on the Games programme. Only non-dancers were surprised by the eviction of the former Spice Girl Emma Bunton. Her centre of balance was far too high, her footwork dodgy. Her top half looked flawless but below the waist it was a different story.

Good dancers must use the floor. The sprung maple beneath their suede-sole shoes is as much their partner as the person with whom they rumba.

It is this love affair with the ground, along with the intense competitiveness and the ability to be coached, that gives the sporting stars such as Ramprakash, Dawson — and last year’s finalists, Darren Gough and Colin Jackson — a natural advantage over the stage-school graduates.

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