Dancing With Hannah: Aslan’s Billy looking on the bright side of life
A professional dancer from Tallaght made her debut on RTÉ’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ on Sunday evening, when she danced alongside Aslan’s Billy McGuinness.
At 19-years-old, Hannah Kelly is the youngest dancer on the show. She is a Latin dance champion and has competed in a litany of national and international dance competitions.
Dancing is a family affair for Hannah, as her mother is a dance teacher, and it’s been a lifelong passion for the young woman as she started dancing at age three and started competing at age six.
Despite Sunday night’s performance being Hannah’s debut on the RTÉ show, the talented dancer is no stranger to being on the small screen.
Back in 2017, Hannah appeared in The Echo as she was featured in a TV3 documentary called ‘Dedicated to Dance’, chronicling the glitz and glamour of the world of Ballroom and Latin dancing.
Hannah starred in the documentary alongside other young dancers from Xquisite Dance – where she now teaches, as does fellow ‘Dancing with the Stars’ professional dancer John Nolan.
On Sunday evening, Hannah and Billy donned their dancing shoes for a spirited foxtrot to Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’.
Aslan’s Billy McGuinness and 19-year-old professional dancer Hannah Kelly from Tallaght are introduced to viewers
The duo’s performance received high praise from the judges Loraine Barry, Brian Redmond and Arthur Gourounlian, who gave them a score of 16 points and complimented the fun energy that they encapsulated in their dance.
Arthur said: “Hello, Team Banana. What a partnership, I love it already. Age is just a number. Relax your shoulders. Relax. You had fun, you made me happy.”
Brian commented: “Always look on the bright side of life – my daily mantra.
“Things to compliment you on: footwork, fun to beat the band. A few things to grumble: shoulders a bit high. I’ll be happy to have you here for quite a while.”
Loraine added: “You said, ‘I’m a chancer not a dancer’ – I think you are a dancer. A foxtrot with a rolling through your feet. I wanted more, but you both made me smile.”
‘Dancing with the Stars’ is on RTÉ One on Sunday at 6.30pm.
