The dancing duo Sónia Araújo and Ricardo Silva, competing for Portugal, were hard at work for the last ten days rehearsing six to eight hours a day so as to be at their top form to compete at the Eurovision Dance Contest this Saturday.

The couple is on this week’s cover of the Portuguese TVGuide where a three page report is dedicated to the rehearsals. Sónia lost about two pounds during every reheasal and had to drive 130 kilometers a day to rehearse with Ricardo.

Despite some doubts in the past, jive has been chosen for the first coreography. It will be a rendition of a song called Hanky Panky, originally by Madonna. Sónia said that this dance style was chosen according to her dancing habilities and personality. “Jive is a very cheerful dance style and I am a cheerful person”, she added.

About the free-style routine, Sónia promises a “theatrical, expressive and dramatic coreography”. She feels very much at ease with this coreography because they"can express more their creativity and passion”, she told esctoday.com on the phone. The instrumental will be a piece called Libertango by Piazzollla.

The Portuguese delegation is already in London and besides the dancing couple, it also contains Isabel Angelino, commentator from RTP, and Marco de Camillis, author of the routines. Marta Leite de Castro, a host from RTP, will deliver the results of the Portuguese televote.

Sónia and Ricardo feel confident but they are aware of the fact thatthey will compete against some of the best professionals in the world.

Watch some footage from one of the rehearsals of thetango performancebelow. Special thanks to Pedro Costa for putting it on Youtube.