I cried with delight when Ellie and Vito won Strictly Come Dancing UK. It got me pondering as to why they were favourites in the majority of the public's eyes (and not just because Vito has an incredibly neat bum!). I think it's because of the journeys within both Eliie's internal and external arcs.
Finalists' Story Arcs:
Layton Williams came to the show as a brilliant dancer. (I realise I must have already seen him in Matthew Bourne's Carman.) Externally, he improved in so far as portraying a greater diversity of expression and developing a greater consideration for his partner. However, being so fab-u-lous to start with, his external journey (to the un-dance-trained eye) was tinsy. Internally, he gradually allowed himself to emit a whole gamut of emotions rather than hiding behind the one mask he had previously shown to the public. He also developed a resilience to on-line hate-trolls. His internal journey will have won him votes.
Bobby Brazier came to the show as a lovely lad and left as a lovely lad. He grew in confidence, but to the general public, his internal arc will have been quite flat. Externally, he went from awkward gangliness to a proficient dancer. A great external journey but not enough to win a majority public vote.
Ellie Leach: External Journey - she started with no dance experience. Didn't even know how to warm up. She listened and learnt, listened and learnt, and blossomed into a beautiful, graceful dancer who will easily be able to take centre stage in a London Musical (if that's the path she wants to follow. Let's hope she can sing).
Internal Journey: She felt awkward. She hated her body. Having broken up with her allegedly cheating boyfriend in Spring '23, and having been suddenly cut out of the storyline in the soap she's acted in since the age of 9 (she's now 22), her self-confidence had been knocked to nothing. Until she started to dance with Vito (who happens to be gorgeous and funny). He believed in her. Through their 8 hour a day training schedule, she grew as a dancer, grew in self-confidence, began to like the body she was in. And the two became close enough for rumours of romance to spread (that wonderful will they won't they scenario). In the final, she danced brilliantly, was so happy, displayed such strength of character, until she fell from Vito's shoulders. He caught her. "Sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry." He turned her to face him, and with his "it's ok. It's ok" brought a smile back to her face. For their third and final dance, she came out strong, determined. The judges gave them a perfect score. Even so, that error in the previous dance might have made them doubt they'd win, but I viewed the slip-up and recovery as a beautiful analogy of their whole journey. With such powerful internal and external arcs, they absolutely won the viewing public's hearts (and many of us hope each others). Of course they lifted that glitterball.
Why am I saying all this? Because our viewers are readers, and we want to win their hearts. This means we too need our protagonist(s) to have as meaningful an internal AND external journey as Ellie did. (Romantic element optional.)
Finalists' Story Arcs:
Layton Williams came to the show as a brilliant dancer. (I realise I must have already seen him in Matthew Bourne's Carman.) Externally, he improved in so far as portraying a greater diversity of expression and developing a greater consideration for his partner. However, being so fab-u-lous to start with, his external journey (to the un-dance-trained eye) was tinsy. Internally, he gradually allowed himself to emit a whole gamut of emotions rather than hiding behind the one mask he had previously shown to the public. He also developed a resilience to on-line hate-trolls. His internal journey will have won him votes.
Bobby Brazier came to the show as a lovely lad and left as a lovely lad. He grew in confidence, but to the general public, his internal arc will have been quite flat. Externally, he went from awkward gangliness to a proficient dancer. A great external journey but not enough to win a majority public vote.
Ellie Leach: External Journey - she started with no dance experience. Didn't even know how to warm up. She listened and learnt, listened and learnt, and blossomed into a beautiful, graceful dancer who will easily be able to take centre stage in a London Musical (if that's the path she wants to follow. Let's hope she can sing).
Internal Journey: She felt awkward. She hated her body. Having broken up with her allegedly cheating boyfriend in Spring '23, and having been suddenly cut out of the storyline in the soap she's acted in since the age of 9 (she's now 22), her self-confidence had been knocked to nothing. Until she started to dance with Vito (who happens to be gorgeous and funny). He believed in her. Through their 8 hour a day training schedule, she grew as a dancer, grew in self-confidence, began to like the body she was in. And the two became close enough for rumours of romance to spread (that wonderful will they won't they scenario). In the final, she danced brilliantly, was so happy, displayed such strength of character, until she fell from Vito's shoulders. He caught her. "Sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry." He turned her to face him, and with his "it's ok. It's ok" brought a smile back to her face. For their third and final dance, she came out strong, determined. The judges gave them a perfect score. Even so, that error in the previous dance might have made them doubt they'd win, but I viewed the slip-up and recovery as a beautiful analogy of their whole journey. With such powerful internal and external arcs, they absolutely won the viewing public's hearts (and many of us hope each others). Of course they lifted that glitterball.
Why am I saying all this? Because our viewers are readers, and we want to win their hearts. This means we too need our protagonist(s) to have as meaningful an internal AND external journey as Ellie did. (Romantic element optional.)
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