大象传媒

Friday Night is Music Night presented by Ken Bruce . The 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra joins forces with the London Swing Orchestra to celebrate five centuries of dance music.

No one can tell when or who took the first rhythmic steps - but Grecian friezes, Egyptian hieroglyphics and ancient cave paintings show that we've been throwing some shapes since at least 9000BC.

Ken Bruce is our terpsichorean host for the evening as the 大象传媒 Concert Orchestra trip the light fantastic through a selection of waltzes, tangos, foxtrots, sambas and pas de deux. There'll be memories of the great dance icons - Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse, John Travolta, Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

The programme will chass茅 its way through the last five hundred years of dance including Morris Dancing (first noted in the 15th century):from Tudor times the Courante and Elizabeth I's favourite the Lavolta; From the 18th century the Minuet ,as interpreted by Mozart in his Jupiter Symphony; the glorious waltzes of the Strauss family from the 19th century and disc-slipping Twist from the 20th century. From Mexico the famous Hat Dance and from Greece Zorba's Dance .

The London Swing Orchestra directed by Graham Dalby has been re-creating music from the great dance band days since 1985 and have been asked to perform at many royal birthday parties and occasions. They provided the theme tune and incidental music to the 大象传媒 series the Mrs Bradley Mysteries starring Diana Rigg and Neil Dudgeon. Tonight they guide us through the Charleston, the Black Bottom and the Lambeth Walk plus a tribute to the great Glen Miller with In The Mood.

Whether you prefer the Tower Ballroom, Studio 54 or the Wigan Casino tonight's Friday Night is Music Night is guaranteed to bring the dance floor to your front room.

First broadcast in May 2015.