Kevin hopes to find a partner - other than a penguin - on his trip
Dancing on ice... with the penguins – Ilford man heads to South Pole to tango
by Amanda Nunn
Sunday, February 3, 2013
3:30 PM
If you thought Dancing on Ice was impressive, you’ve seen nothing yet. Kevin Barry has spent the past year learning how to tango and is now getting ready to complete his ambition of dancing on ice – in Antarctica.
The 55-year-old from Buckingham Road, Ilford sets off for the South Pole tomorrow (Friday) to achieve his lifetime ambition.
He said while some people were surprised at his dream, others were spurred to achieve their own lifetime ambitions.
Kevin said: “Some people think I’m mad but other people get a bit of a kick out of it.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and time goes by and if you don’t do it then your turn’s up.”
The two week round trip will include stopping off in Argentina, home of the tango, before Kevin takes a boat down to the Antarctic.
“There is only one small problem which may make his plans a snow-go. He has no one to dance with.
“I’m travelling on my own but there will be other people on the boat,” he said.
“I’ve got to find someone to dance with, maybe a penguin,” he joked. “If I’m lucky a good looking one.”
He said he hopes to meet someone on the boat who will help him complete his dream.
Kevin said: “You never know, hopefully I’ll meet someone and I’ll show them the basic steps so we can dance on the ice.”
He said the ambition was a combination of looking up to Arctic explorers such as Robert Falcon Scott and loving watching dancers when he was a child.
He said: “It’s not an easy dance but it’s very rewarding when you do get it right.
“I started learning to dance a year ago with this ambition in mind.”
When the father-of-three is not perfecting his moves, he works as a jeweller.
“It’s going to be a once in a life time experience,” he added.
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