Category: Dance

The London City Ballet (LCB) has returned to the stage again nearly 30 years after it ended operations.

It has re-established itself at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in Angel, north London, where the company was previously based.

It is recognised as one of the world’s leading dance companies, and was patronised by Diana, Princess of Wales, before closing its doors in 1996 due to financial struggles.

Artistic director Chris Marney said he wanted to relaunch the company to "introduce people to dance".

Mr Marney, who is a former dancer, said performances would be more contemporary for a modern audience.

"I wanted to take the company in a new direction for this generation," he said.

He added that the repertoire was "less like traditional classical ballets" and said the company "will not be performing Swan Lake or Cinderella like some companies do".

Mr Marney, previously a director of the Joffrey Ballet Company in Chicago, said he recognised that it was "financially a difficult time to tour", but added: "Because companies aren't touring, there's a gap in the market.

"There's a demand for ballet and there are many theatres around that are being underserved by dance companies travelling through them," he added.

The artistic director said the inaugural tour with the company had so far been a success, adding: "What we're finding on the road, is that audiences want it and audiences are coming to see us."

London City Ballet will finish a run of performances at Sadler's Wells Theatre this week before moving on to a world tour.

Birmingham Royal Ballet today announces the all-new programme Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration: Diaghilev and the birth of Modern Ballet for BRB2’s third UK tour in 2025. Described as ‘pinsharp and personality laden’, BRB2 brings together some of the world’s very best young dancers, the international stars of the future, to share their incredible talent.

Carlos Acosta has created a brand-new gala production for this year, featuring highlights from the repertory of Serge Diaghilev‘s troupe of rebel dancers, musicians and designers who fled Russia to set a new standard in creativity that inspires and resonates across the world of dance to this day.

The repertoire of this next generation of ballet includes The Firebird, Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides and Scheherazade. 

​The work will pay tribute to Mikhail Fokine and the seminal works he created at the beginning of the last century. The choreography, sets and costumes will remain faithful to Fokine’s original vision but will be adapted to fit smaller stages. As with last season’s ‘Classical Selection,’ the repertoire will showcase and develop emerging talent and present important repertoire in venues around the UK that don’t always have access to classical ballet. The music will be a recording made by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia exclusively for this tour, presented in theatre with live piano.

​The company will make its Birmingham Hippodrome debut before travelling to Sadler’s Wells East where it will be the first ballet company to perform in its inaugural season.  The tour then moves on to Poole Lighthouse before culminating with a return to the Royal and Derngate in Northampton.​

BRB2 puts the spotlight on some of the best ballet dancers from across the globe aged 18–22. The original cohort of BRB2 dancers Maïlène Katoch, Jack Easton Frieda Kaden, Oscar Kempsey-Fagg and Mason King all completed the two year programme in BRB’s junior company last season and have now joined the main company as Artists.​

The new BRB2 cohort: Charlotte Cohen (Royal Ballet School), Andrea Riolo (Royal Ballet School),  Noah Cosgriff (Australian Academy of Classical Ballet), Ellyne Knol(Royal Conservatoire in The Hague) and Ixan Llorca Ferrer (Escuela Nacional de Ballet Fernando Alonso) have all joined BRB2 this season. Sophie Walters, who trained at Elmhurst Ballet School, completed her apprenticeship and will also join BRB2. They will join the second cohort of Ariana Allen (UK / Royal Ballet School), Alisa Garkavenko (Ukraine / Princess Grace Academy), Thomas Hazelby (UK / Royal Ballet School), Alexandra Manuel (USA / Royal Ballet School) and Alfie Shacklock (UK/Australia / Royal Ballet School).​

Also dancing with BRB2 is Marlo Kempsey-Fagg (brother of BRB Artist Oscar) who joins the company as Apprentice Dancer from Elmhurst Ballet School. Marlo started dancing at the age of 6 when his talent was identified in a local Birmingham Primary School and he joined BRB’s Dance Track programme.

BRB2

Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration

Diaghilev and the birth of Modern Ballet 

​

Programme:

Les Sylphides – Fokine/Chopin

Scheherazade  (PDD) –  Fokine/Rimsky-Korsakov

Les Biches –  Nijinska/Poulenc

Spectre de La Rose – Fokine/Von Weber arr. Berlioz

Firebird  (solo, PDD, & finale) – Fokine/Stravinsky

​

Birmingham Hippodrome

Press Night: 6 May, 7.30pm

Sadler’s Wells East

9 & 10 May, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Lighthouse Poole

13 May, 7.30pm

14 May 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Northampton

17 May 2.30pm and 7.30pm

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Du first visited Japan when he was 26. There was no intention to relocate at the time, but the doors opened when he was invited to join the Tetsuya Kumakawa’s ballet company with his wife. AP video by Mayuko Ono

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In selected cinemas from October 30

Trafalgar Releasing has been appointed by English National Ballet to distribute Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in-the-round to cinemas across the UK and internationally for the first time from Wednesday 30 October 2024.

Tickets will go on sale online from 11th September.

Marking English National Ballet’s 75th Season, the cinema release of Swan Lake in-the-round gives dance fans the chance to experience the splendour of ballet on a grand scale. Derek Deane’s stunning in-the-round production has been enjoyed by over 500,000 people worldwide and offers an unmissable 360° view of one of the most popular ballets of all time. With 60 dancing swans, exquisite choreography and Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score played live by English National Ballet Philharmonic, the film will take you to the very heart of this celebrated classic.

Featuring Lead Principal Sangeun Lee as Odette/Odile and Principal Gareth Haw as Prince Siegfried, this production captures all the magic of the beloved ballet. From the breathtaking spectacle of shimmering swans moving in unison, to the captivating romance between Prince Siegfried and the Swan Queen Odette, this is cinema bursting with beauty, passion and betrayal.

The ballet was filmed live at the Royal Albert Hall in June 2024 and includes never-seen-before overhead angles which will give the cinema audience an aerial view of the genius choreography. Combining exceptional artistry, gorgeous spectacle and compelling drama, Swan Lake in-the-round is a cinematic masterpiece that will enthrall and delight.

English National Ballet: Swan Lake

Dates 30th October – 3rd November 2024

Cinema Tickets On sale from Wednesday 11th September 2024

Website

Runtime 162 minutes

On 14 March 2020 I was at Leeds Grand Theatre for the première of Northern Ballet’s Geisha. The curtains swung open on fishermen flinging out their nets, geisha, samurai, 19th-century Japanese village folk, followed by the sudden appearance of American sailors. It was in essence a Japanese Giselle: the tale of a geisha, spurned by her American lover, who dies of grief, and whose restless spirit returns from the grave.

It was a unique production. Many of the dancers at Northern Ballet are Japanese, Chinese or Korean and this was an east Asian story. The ballet was created by the young choreographer Kenneth Tindall with music by Alexandra Harwood (who created the music for the new All Creatures Great and Small) and a spectacular scenario by Gwyneth Hughes (Mr Bates vs The Post Office). I was the historical consultant. As a Japan specialist it was my job to make sure the production was as authentic and respectful of Japanese customs and traditions as possible. I gave talks to the dancers about geisha and the historical background. I made suggestions and demonstrations on how to bow and carry oneself, Japanese-style. I provided details about Japanese ghosts, festivals and music.

The critics loved the ballet. Fate, however, was against us. Lockdown had already been announced and the theatre closed the next day. The work, two years in the making with endless planning and rehearsals, never had a second performance. The tour that had been scheduled, from Leeds to Sheffield, Sadler’s Wells, Edinburgh and Cardiff, was also cancelled.

At the beginning of 2021, restrictions were starting to ease and our hopes were rising. But then came unexpected news. Sadler’s Wells had decided not to stage the ballet. We, the creative team, were never given the story first-hand. As we heard it, a staff member had seen a poster for the ballet – a preliminary mock-up – that showed an Asian dancer with a bare back and deemed this to be racist, sexist and a form of cultural appropriation. The complaint had gone to the Sadler’s Wells board, which decided to cancel their performances of the ballet. Northern Ballet then decided to terminate the entire tour as Sadler’s Wells would have been the lynchpin. So the première that we had all seen turned out to be the only performance the ballet would ever have.

We were equally puzzled and frustrated at being given no clear explanation at the time. Bare backs are not unusual in ballet. Added to which, Sadler’s Wells management had attended the première and declared themselves happy with what they saw.

It’s not as if we weren’t sensitive to the issue of cultural appropriation. A Northern Ballet dancer, who was British of Chinese origin, had complained about the concept of Geisha and suggested those women were misunderstood and misrepresented in the West. Northern Ballet took his concerns seriously and sent him to see me as the resident specialist. The dancer was worried that the ballet told the same stereotypical story as Madama Butterfly, in which an Asian woman kills herself for a western man. He was also concerned by the preliminary poster which, he said, sexualised Asian women.

He was the only dancer who complained. The others – many of whom were Japanese – were thrilled at the chance to tell an Asian story. One Japanese dancer said she had been brought up learning about European culture and how marvellous it was, but no one in the West seemed to know much about Japan. Here was a chance for westerners to see an Asian – and specifically Japanese – story, told in balletic form. Several dancers had, in fact, participated in planning the show. The dancers, in other words, were not offended. What did Japanese people more generally think? I consulted the cultural attaché at the Japanese Embassy and discovered that, far from being offended, the Embassy had registered the ballet as part of the Japan-UK Season of Culture, listed it on their website – and were surprised to hear the tour was not going ahead. The attaché asked me to reassure Sadler’s Wells that the tour had the Embassy’s official imprimatur.

There was a further twist. In May 2021 Geisha was nominated in the best classical choreography category at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. Following this, a member of Stand Against Yellow Face – an association of Americans of mainly Chinese descent dedicated to eradicating what they see as cultural appropriation – contacted the awards and asked them to withdraw the nomination. The dance awards committee conducted an investigation. They interviewed the dancers and the critics who had actually seen the performance and decided there was no reason to remove it from the shortlist.

I asked for a comment from Sadler’s Wells and Northern Ballet and both answered only that Geisha had been cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. To date there are no plans to stage Geisha or to revive the tour.

So what does cultural appropriation mean? The whole area is incredibly fraught. It’s obvious that racial insensitivity is a very serious matter. But can we accuse something of cultural appropriation when the actual people one would expect to be offended are not? The only people accusing Geisha of cultural appropriation were westerners of Chinese descent, not the Japanese.

The very term seems to have become a political weapon, as in the case of the Monet exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2015 when visitors were invited to don kimonos and be photographed in front of Monet’s ‘La Japonaise’ (1876), in which the painter’s wife Camille is pictured wearing one. The interactive element of the exhibition was terminated after complaints of ‘cultural appropriation and orientalism’ from Stand Against Yellow Face.

Sometimes concerns about avoiding offence can misfire. In 1907 the British government banned a production of The Mikado for six weeks because Fushimi Sadanaru was making a state visit. The Japanese prince, who’d been looking forward to seeing the famous operetta, was severely disappointed. A Japanese journalist discovered that there was a production taking place somewhere up north, went to see it and pronounced it extremely funny and not at all offensive.

So, who gets to be offended – and who doesn’t? When Japan opened to the West in 1868, the wealthier classes quickly started wearing bustles, bonnets and shoes, had western haircuts, learned the piano and the violin and dined on French food. Westerners took this as a sign of admiration, not appropriation. Similarly, no one had any problem with the Victoria & Albert Museum’s exhibition Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk, which opened around the same time as Geisha – and where a Japanese ballerina (one of the stars of the stage show) was filmed dancing among the exhibits.

These days the question of how to avoid accusations of cultural appropriation casts a long shadow over productions of all works, old and new. It’s an issue that companies have to take into account when planning to perform pieces such as Madama Butterfly, Turandot, The Nutcracker with its caricatured Chinese tea dances, La Bayadère with its faux Indian setting or indeed The Mikado.

Groups such as Stand Against Yellow Face and the British equivalent Beats (British East & South-East Asians in Theatre & on Screen) keep a close eye on companies and their productions. Beats lobbies for more roles for Asian actors and asserts that casting any white performer in an Asian role constitutes ‘yellow face’, while in America several ballet companies have signed the ‘Final Bow for Yellow Face’ pledge, vowing to do all they can to eliminate racist presentations.

The most recent production of Madama Butterfly at the Royal Opera House was updated in 2022 to address such concerns head-on. It approaches Puccini’s opera as ‘a savage indictment of the evils of imperialism’ (though I’m not sure Puccini would have recognised this analysis). It aims to be as authentic as possible, with Japanese consultants to advise on kimonos, make-up and movement. Beats suggested Madama Butterfly use only Asian singers for the Japanese roles but the ROH declared this impossible at this stage.

Works such as Madama Butterfly were written in the age of Empire and until recently have been performed in ways which perpetuate the racist stereotypes of those days. Over the past 20 years I’ve seen many productions of the opera and did find the inauthentic kimonos and hairstyles, and the elderly ladies dressed and made up as teenage geisha, annoying and anachronistic.

In March this year the New York Metropolitan Opera issued a ‘trigger warning’ for their production of Zeffirelli’s marvellous staging of Puccini’s Turandot, stating that the opera was ‘rife with contradictions, distortions and racial stereotypes’ and that ‘audience members of Chinese descent might find it difficult to watch as their own heritage is co-opted, fetishised, or painted as savage, bloodthirsty, or backward’. But people go to the theatre to enjoy the fantasy, to escape to another time and place. No one attending an opera will think what they’re being presented with is realistic.

All these works, however, were written 100 years ago – or more. It’s unsurprising that they can be seen as offensive by today’s standards. To a greater or lesser degree the tenor of our times has forced producers to make changes to the way these shows are presented. They’re not cancelled; they’re just updated.

Geisha is different. It was a new ballet, written with full awareness of Japanese culture and sensitivities, created with the participation of east Asian dancers and with the backing and approval of the Japanese Embassy.

The trouble with cultural appropriation is that it’s a wishy-washy term that can be flung around without much justification. But it’s also an extremely powerful weapon, impinging on opera, literature and theatre as well as ballet. In the case of Geisha, it seems to have brought an end to a production that was widely admired and much anticipated by the Japanese community, among others.

Strictly Come Dancing will launch on Saturday 14th September, with our hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman welcoming our celebrity contestants onto the Strictly dancefloor as they make their dancing debut and we discover which Professional Dancer they will be paired with. Once the pairings have been announced the celebrities and professionals will perform an eye-catching group routine, launching the new series in style.

Watching their every move and making notes ahead our first live show will be our Strictly Judges – Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas.

Our dazzling professional dancers for the upcoming series are: Aljaž Škorjanec, Amy Dowden MBE, Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, Jowita Przystal, Kai Widdrington, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Lauren Oakley, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas, Nadiya Bychkova, Nancy Xu Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin and Vito Coppola.

Aljaž Škorjanec

Describe Strictly in one word?
Happiness. I think it’s a glittery happiness, an escape for so many people. After a tough week of work or whatever they might be going through, they can sit down on a Saturday and just enjoy it. To be honest, it’s the only live TV show left where the whole family can sit together with a cup of tea and forget about the world for two hours.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
Privilege. It’s been a privilege really. This is my 10th year so I’ve done half of them and the show has changed my life. Changed my life for the better. And it gets better every single year. And I think on the 20th anniversary it’s going to be even more special. I was there when Bruce was presenting. It’s a testament to how good it is that it’s been running for 20 years.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living, dance titles etc?
I’d just stopped competing, and started doing a theatre show called Burn the Floor which I did for three years. A year after that, I started Strictly. At 20 I had no responsibilities, I was travelling the world, meeting some really cool people.

What do you think the next twenty years will look like for this iconic show?
I can’t wait for the show to start using things like holograms and AI. It’ll be tricky to know what’s real and what’s not, but that might be the next technical step. I wouldn’t change much, though, because I think what makes Strictly so successful is that it’s stuck to its original format – watching dances that people love and then learn to love themselves. Let’s be honest, most people watching Strictly haven’t been in a dance class or studio themselves, but even watching it feels the same. That’s why people get more invested each year. So, keep the format exactly the same, but just add even more to the production.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching etc, do you eat certain foods for energy, any good luck mantras/charms you need to have with you etc?
I probably talk to my family more on a Saturday than at any other time, just to feel as calm as possible and take my mind somewhere else, like back home. Even if it’s just on Zoom, it helps me feel a bit more level-headed about everything. I’ve noticed that I always give my best performance when I’m tired. So if I’m yawning before a show, I know it’s going to be a good night. It used to drive my celebrity partners nuts – they’d ask, ‘How can you be tired and then pull off a great performance?’ I don’t know, but I’ve learned that being in a calm, almost sleepy state helps me stay zen, and it keeps them calm too.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the Ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing, are you calm for your celebrity etc?
I try to keep things calm, but there are definitely weeks where not everything has been rehearsed or perfected. I never worry about how I feel – my focus is always on how my celebrity partner feels. It’s not about me. If I can’t get myself calm, I have no business standing on that Ballroom floor. My only concern is them. The sooner you realise it’s not about you, the easier your job becomes.

Amy Dowden MBE

Describe Strictly in one word.
Magical.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th Anniversary year?
It feels really surreal. I’ll never forget watching at home the first year when Natasha Kaplinsky won. I’d never seen
anything like it before on TV. At the time I was dancing and going to Blackpool regularly but to see it on TV was
special so to be part of the anniversary feels surreal. I think it’s going to be a real celebration of a series.

The show is 20 years old this year. What were you doing when you were 20?
I was competing, I was going between Wales and the Midlands to dance. Strictly was always on my radar but I
didn’t think I’d be lucky enough to be someone that gets to be on it out of the millions of dancers who want to be
on the show.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
I think it’s quite exciting to see how much it’s evolved. The costumes, the set, the dance, the dancers, the music
and also the show keeps evolving by adding couple’s choice, Argentine Tango, Charleston. I think it will always
keep its element of Ballroom and that’s the beauty of this show, and what makes it so iconic but it will continue to
develop. I think it’ll still be the nation’s favourite show.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things that you do to prep for a live show?
I literally can’t keep still. I have to keep moving, I can’t sit down. I’m like a bottle of pop waiting to burst with
nerves and energy.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing?
My friend came to watch once and she said she could actually see my heart beating through my chest. I always
say the day I’m not nervous is the day I hang up my dance shoes because I think it shows how much I care and it
means to me. I just want my celebrity to do well. It’s still such a special moment. I always say, just produce what
you did in the training room. This is your moment so go and try.

Carlos Gu

Describe Strictly in one word.
Family.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
It’s genuinely an honour to be part of one 20th anniversary for such an incredible show, it’s a dream.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20?
When I was 20, I was in university back in Shanghai, China and competing, dedicating all my life to being a
professional competitor. No holidays, nothing – just dancing, dancing, dancing.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
I genuinely think the show will go on for as long as possible. Every year, we have different new, fresh celebrities.
It’s always a new experience for people who watch the show, so you never find it cliché and it never feels like,
“Oh, I’ve seen this before.” Every year is a new experience for us Professional Dancers as well as for the
celebrities.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show?
Meditation. I always find my own space and do a little like five to ten minutes of meditation.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom to perform?
In that moment before we step into the Ballroom, I feel like I’m as nervous as my celebrity partner. It never
changes. You think, “Oh, I’ve been training for 20 years, I’m a Professional Dancer,” but every time before
entering the ballroom, my heartbeat, my nerves— even meditation doesn’t work anymore in that moment, you
know? Especially in those three seconds before you actually step into the ballroom!

Dianne Buswell

Describe Strictly in one word.
Magical.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th Anniversary year.
It’s so cool to be a part of the 20th year. It shows how amazing this show is, for it to be going for 20 years, that says a lot about
the success of the show so to be a small part of that is incredible.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
I was a hairdresser. I was still dancing and competing alongside that but I had just finished my hairdressing apprenticeship.
Hairdresser by day, dancer by night.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for Strictly?
I honestly think it is still the best show and will continue to be the best show on TV for many years to come. I hope in 20 years’
time they’ll look back at stuff I’ve done with my partners and think that was cool. I hope that they look back with fond memories
just as we look back on Strictly series one so fondly.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep before a live show?
I have a couple of little rings that my Dad bought me. There’s a certain ring that I have on my finger that I’ll just touch and it
makes me feel like I have good luck. Before I dance, I’ll look down at that ring and I know everything’s going to be okay because I
have my rings.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform?
I’m definitely not calm but people would think I’m calm. Inside I’m shaking in my boots but I try and stay as calm as I can for my
partner. I think nerves are really good and it’s natural. I’ve always had nerves no matter what I do. I think it just means that I
really care about what I do so but on the exterior I’ll look calm.

Do you have any words of wisdom for your partner before you go out there?
Just to forget all your inhibitions and go for it. They think we expect them to be these amazing dancers, and sometimes they do
end up being amazing dancers, but I want to see them enjoy and take in the moment. I’d rather them enjoy themselves 100%
than worry that they’re going to get something wrong.

Gorka Márquez

Describe Strictly in one word.
Happiness.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly 20th year?
A privilege. It’s the dreams of any professional dancer to be on the biggest TV show on telly but also to be celebrating 20 years
doesn’t happen very often. It’s incredible to be celebrating a show that has been running successfully for 20 years with so many
memorable moments. To be part of something that has touched so many lives is incredible. I’m very excited to celebrate it.

The show is 20 years old this year. What were you doing when you were 20?
I was living in Madrid. Dancing lots of hours every day to become the best dancer I could and dreaming of doing something like this.

hat do you think the next 20 years will look like for Strictly?
I don’t know but I do hope I am still here in 20 years’ time. I will be 53 but hopefully I’ll still be here.

Did you have any favourite memories from the show?
One of my favourite memories is when I joined, it was a pinch myself moment. Another great memory is dancing in the Christmas
special with Gemma and we had a picture of our daughter in the dance. Dancing with Helen Skelton in the final was also special
because we got a standing ovation!

Do you have any weird or wonderful things you do to prep for a live show?
I always do the same thing that I do in week one. It’s different every year, but whatever I do on the first show I will repeat for the rest of the series. So if before week one I have a coffee and a biscuit I will have a coffee and a biscuit before every show. If it goes well, I will not change it. I like to keep the same routine every time.

Can you explain that feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing?
It doesn’t matter how many times you do it always feels like the first time. You always have goosebumps, nerves and adrenaline
because you want everything to go perfectly for your partner.

Johannes Radebe

Describe Strictly in one word.
Family.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?
It honestly is incredible that the show has been going on for such a long time. And not only that, it still brings joy to people. I don’t
know how, as a nation, we would ever get through winter without it. It feels like a full circle moment, not just for me, but for
everybody that’s ever been involved since its inception, from 2004 until now. I think everybody should just be proud that it’s still
going. It’s just amazing. It’s amazing that it’s happening.

As the show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20?
I was aspiring to be a part of the show. I was manifesting at the age of 20 to come to the United Kingdom and be a part of the
dancing. I think it was the first time, I sat back in Africa, and I was just like, “Ballroom and Latin American dancing is on mainstream
television.” It blew my mind. I couldn’t believe it, but I was sitting in a township back home in South Africa, dreaming.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for the show?
The show has evolved so much since it started. But now, every year, the show keeps topping itself. How we do that, I don’t know.
Honestly, at the end of every series, I think, “This was the best,” and then the next year comes, and I think, “No, this is the best one.” So, in 20 years, who knows?

Do you have any weird or wonderful things you do before a live show, like good luck mantras or lucky charms?
Whatever happens, I need to disappear. I hide with a can of fizzy pop, I need that sugar. Just before I go on stage, I always take a
minute to ground myself and remind myself why I’m doing this. It’s important to take that time off, even if it’s just to take my partners with me and get in the zone.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform? Is your heart racing, or are you calm?
There’s anxiety. You want to vomit. It’s the weirdest thing. People say it’s butterflies in your stomach, but it doesn’t feel like that. If
you could disappear, you would, and take your partner with you. But there’s a moment when you have to let go of that anxiety and
just be in the moment. I think anybody who walks onto that stage and doesn’t feel nervous isn’t normal. And they’re probably not in the right thing if they’re not nervous. This is Strictly Come Dancing – everyone is nervous. I don’t care who you are or how prepared you are. It’s live television, and you never know what’s going to happen that day. It’s all up to chance, and that’s the exciting part about it. So, like I said, for lack of a better explanation, we all have butterflies in our stomach before we go on.

Jowita Przystal

Describe Strictly in one word.
Fun, fun, absolutely fun.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?
It’s literally unreal because this shows how big the show is in this industry. It’s all around the world, and Strictly Come Dancing was the first serious edition of the show. To have 20 series is a huge achievement, I think.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
I was leaving Poland to go to America. Then I was just dancing around the Caribbean.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
More of the same magic, to be honest. I never thought we could get better and better each year because we use the same foundation of Ballroom dancing. We can’t change the rules; we can’t change the steps. But if you watch Strictly, year by year, it’s just getting better and better.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching or eating, do you have anything
weird and wacky that you do before you go out?
I think I’m just trying to breathe. And always, before I go on stage, I need to play my favourite song. It depends because sometimes it’s a different song; it’s never the same song. With each of my partners, I had one song, and if I go alone or do group dances with professionals, I have my own song. I always play it. Also, I’m sorry to say this, but I always feel like I need to use the bathroom just before getting on stage! It’s horrible because our costumes are sewn in, so it’s a challenge to go to the bathroom. It’s not like a two-minute job. If you wear tights, it’s really difficult, but I manage to sort that out.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform? Is your heart racing, or are you calm for your celebrity?
It depends. If I’m dancing with a celebrity, I’m just putting all my attention on them, focusing on how they’re feeling, and trying to make them feel comfortable and calm. If I perform by myself, I have that adrenaline, but I think it’s positive nerves. It’s not like I’m nervous; it’s just a nice feeling inside. Because if you don’t feel anything, then something is wrong.

Karen Hauer

Describe Strictly in one word.
The first word that came to mind was home.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?
I feel privileged, first of all, to be here on my 13th year. I feel extremely privileged, especially because people have grown up watching the show – kids and adults alike have gone through their lives with us. It just feels exciting. It’s love, it’s lovely. It’s just a really nice feeling to celebrate Strictly and the happiness it brings to people.

So, as this year, the show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20?
I was in New York, and I wasn’t working. It was one of those times when I was in a transition, trying to figure out what I wanted to do in my dance career. I didn’t know where I was going to be, but I was dancing, just unsure of what direction to take with my dance career. I started doing ballroom when I was 19, with my first partner. I was in a transition between deciding whether to continue with contemporary dance or to pursue Latin dancing. At the time, I was also competing. It was a big shift; I was in the world of dance but didn’t know which direction to take yet. And then I found Strictly.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
The show has been evolving over the past few years. We get different dancers, different choreographers. The public is so used to what we offer. The best thing about Strictly is that it keeps its magic. It doesn’t change too much, which is nice – people like that. It’s like the warm blanket you had growing up. I think that will always stay. Strictly is the beating heart of television; it keeps everyone coming back. It’s a nice feeling, and I think that’s what it’ll continue to do. It’ll keep bringing joy, continue to bring exciting new ideas, but it will always stay the same in essence. There’s a tradition we’ve never lost, and I think that will always remain. Of course, everything else changes as the world changes, and we keep up with the times, but I don’t think it needs to change very much because it’s already a beautiful show.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show?
No, but I like to hide. I need time because there’s so much going on – you’re doing makeup, hair, practicing with your celebrity, dealing with costumes. There’s a moment where I just need like ten minutes for myself. I usually just find a corner in the girls’ room – there’s always a little corner with a sofa, which is always my corner. We all pick our little corners, and I put my music on, or I watch something, and I just keep to myself for a bit. I think a lot of us are like that. I don’t have any good luck charms, but I think my celebrity is my lucky charm. If anything, it’s whoever I’m dancing with that I do something with to make them feel comfortable. For me, it’s just another day at work.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform? Is your heart racing, or are you calm?
I stay very calm. Obviously, everything is fluttering inside, but on the exterior, I’m very calm. Either way, I stay calm because I want to make sure they feel completely secure. I know they’re a ball of nerves, but if they know I’m calm, they’ll feel confident. I know they’ve got it, but as long as I stay relaxed, I can take charge of everything they do. If they go wrong, I’ll bring them back in. If I’m a mess, then it won’t work. So yes, I do get nervous, but I don’t show it. I just breathe through it, and whatever happens, happens. That’s actually the exciting part – you don’t know what’s going to happen, but as long as I keep it together, I know I’ll keep it together for them as well.

Kai Widdrington

Describe Strictly in one word.
Fabulous.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?
Very, very honoured. I remember watching the first episode as a youngster, so I feel very honoured to be a part of it.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20 years old?
When I was 20, I was traveling around the world touring in South Africa, China, and doing all those sorts of shows, but I knew I’d have to come home eventually.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
I think it’s going to be bigger and better, probably with more glitter, and filled with weird and wonderful things.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show?
I always shake my hands before and blow through the gaps in my fingers. It’s really random, but I do it before every single dance.

What do you feel before you walk out onto the ballroom to perform?
I just pray that my partner gets their steps right. But other than that, it’s a feeling of joy, and I can’t wait to dance to the music because it’s such a privilege.

Katya Jones

Describe Strictly in one word.
Wholesome.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th Anniversary year?
It’s an incredible privilege especially because I don’t come from this country. To see that it’s become part of the nation’s culture
and to be a part of that. It feels very, very special. The fact that it’s been on for 20 years speaks for itself, it’s everything that
people need.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living?
I was living between Hong Kong, China, and London, winning championships. I was living a real top athlete life out of the suitcase.
It was an incredible lifestyle, to travel the world doing what you love the most. It seems like a very, very long time ago.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
I imagine that there’ll be more glitter and more glamour and more incredible dancing. We’re going to keep bringing entertainment
to the nation and give everybody an opportunity to gather around the TV in their living rooms, all of the generations together,
because that’s what would do best. Maybe Craig will be a bit nicer. Who knows? We’ll have to find out.

Do you have any weird and wonderful rituals to help prepare for the live shows?
No, I just literally breathe. I imagine that I grow roots into the ground and it grounds me. All I really worry about is my partner,
that’s where most of my attention goes to make sure they’re okay. I love that moment when you hold hands and walk in and have
a warm reception from the audience. I think that’s really wonderful and it boosts their confidence as well.

Can you explain that feeling just before you walk out? Are there any words of wisdom for your partner?
It’s beautiful and I want them to soak in that moment and get really comfortable in that environment. They spend so many hours
in the rehearsal room and then suddenly have flashing lights and cameras as well as the audience who are excited to see them. I
want them to take that moment and make that the norm for them for the next 90 seconds.

Lauren Oakley

Describe Strictly in one word?
Magical.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
Really special. Being from Birmingham, I’ve watched the show growing up. I watched the first episode, so I can’t believe I’m now part of it, especially in such a monumental year. It’s the best show on telly, so I’m not surprised it’s lasted 20 years, and I just feel really lucky to be part of it. It’s amazing.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living, dance titles etc?
When I was 20, I was at university in Nottingham studying journalism. But I was still competing in Latin and ballroom at the same time. I was traveling up and down the country for lessons and was the under-21 UK ballroom and Latin champion.

What do you think the next twenty years will look like for this iconic show?
The beauty of Strictly is that we know what we’re getting. It’s always the same, and that’s comforting. You know what you’re getting on a Saturday night, but it gets bigger and better every year. It’s always about watching someone fall in love with dance and have their life transformed, and I think that’s what people love about it. Even in 20 years, I hope it stays the same, with new music and new fashions.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching etc, do you eat certain foods for energy, any good luck mantras/charms you need to have with you etc?

I try not to indulge in superstitions because once you start relying on them, it can take control away from you. I believe everything you do is within your control. For a live show, it’s all about making sure your celebrity partner is comfortable, which can change every week, per person, and even every minute. It’s about figuring out what you can do for your celebrities and yourself. You don’t even think about it much because you’re focused on them.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the Ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing, are you calm for your celebrity etc?
It’s really strange because when you perform for yourself, you get really nervous. But it’s a different kind of nerves. They’re there underneath, but you have to be the rock of the partnership. So, the nerves are like a quiet, calm adrenaline. It’s live TV, so anything can happen, but it’s also exciting.

Luba Mushtuk

Describe Strictly in one word.
Love.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
Exciting, grateful. I can’t wait.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
When I was 20, I was living in Italy and I was very focused on my dancing and competitive career.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for Strictly?
I think there will be more sparkles, more glamour and more wonderful people coming into the show.

Do you have any weird or wonderful things you need to prep for a live show?
I always go into my zone. I listen to specific music that I always listen to before any show. I have a very random collection there is some Marc Anthony in there, some songs from my childhood, Russian songs. I also speak to someone who was very, very close to me but passed away. Before I do any show I speak to him and tell him I’m doing it for him.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom to perform?
When I’m with a partner who has never done it before I’m always taking care of them. I concentrate on making them feel calm and sure that everything’s going to go well. I’m usually more excited that scared, it’s a beautiful feeling.

Michelle Tsiakkas

Describe Strictly in one word.
Joy.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?
It feels amazing. It is honestly a blessing to be here. It was a dream ever since I was six years old and still feels very surreal, but
I’m very grateful every year for being here. I think it’s really exciting. This show has been on for 20 years, and that just shows
what an amazing show it is. I mean, it’s been successful for that long for a reason; it’s the nation’s favourite show. So, celebrating
these 20 years is really special, and I feel lucky to be here for it.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
So I was at the University of Kent studying architecture when I was 20 years old. Yeah, very different now.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
Well, I’ve got great hopes for the show because, honestly, I just feel like it keeps getting better and better. Every year, we keep
topping what we did the previous year. And that’s obviously thanks to the amazing team we have: the choreographers, people
behind the scenes, cameras, costumes, dancers—just everybody. I think we’re all at the top of our game, which makes it such an
amazing show. So, I’m quite certain that the show will just keep getting better and better every year.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching or eating, do you have
anything weird and wacky that you do before you go out?
I think there’s something that happens to your stomach before you go live. I always make sure that I go to the bathroom at least
half an hour or an hour before, because when we’re in costumes, you can’t really go – it’s very difficult. As for weird and
wonderful things, I like to – maybe it’s not that weird – but I like to listen to classical music. It just calms me down a bit and puts
me in my zone.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform? Is your heart racing, or are you calm
for your celebrity?
I would say I’m quite calm. The heart races maybe when you’re getting ready – it’s a bit hectic – but by the time you walk on the
floor, you feel the energy of the audience around you, and you’re in your zone, ready. I’d say calm and ready.

Nadiya Bychkova

Describe Strictly in one word?

Magical.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th year?

Amazing. In general, it’s incredible to be part of a show like Strictly because, I think obviously for me, not being from the UK, I didn’t know much about it. But then when I joined and saw what this show does for people and what it means to people, it
became, through the years, something that people look forward to. It’s something that leads up to Christmas, something that brings families together. People cancel their Saturday night plans; no one’s going out. I think in general, the UK is big on tradition, and this is one of the biggest traditions for the nation. I think every year, I fall in love with the show more and more because you just realize every year how incredible it is. The fact that it’s still going strong after 20 years is especially amazing nowadays, in this industry, in this world, in our lives, where everything is changing so quickly. Everything comes and goes. The fact that this show is still going strong, getting bigger and better every year, and surprising us with new things is incredible. Being part of something so huge that touches people’s hearts is absolutely incredible.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living? What were you doing in your dancing career?
When I was 20, I was living in Slovenia. I was competing every weekend. The plan was to win the World Championship in Ten Dance. When I was 20, I think I made the final of Worlds in Ten Dance, and then slowly, every year, I went higher – fourth, then second for a couple of years, and then I won it. So, yeah, I was a fully committed athlete, competing, not knowing anything else but dance.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for Strictly?
The next 20 years is a long time. I think the show is just growing in so many ways. With the way our lives and industry are developing, it’s more accessible to more people. We can probably reach an even bigger audience because of social media. I think all of us are working on ourselves, and people are working to make sure the whole show is better and really accessible to anyone. So, I think it will just keep on going, keep on growing. Who knows, maybe in 20 years, my daughter will be on the show dancing with another celeb! Maybe the next generation will take over.

Do you have any weird or wonderful things you do to prepare for a live show, other than stretching, warming up, etc.?
Oh, me, personally, not really. I think on Strictly, when you’re with a celebrity, you kind of find your own way. When I was competing, yes, I had my own routines and everything, but with this job, our role is to make sure it’s the best environment for our celebrity to learn. The most important thing is that Saturday night, when you go out and the red light is on, and you’re live. So, you try and build and use whatever is important for them, or you create your own little routines. Usually, it depends on their schedule – whether you go on in the beginning, middle, or end. You decide beforehand what to do. But with every celebrity, as a pro, I try to adjust and adapt to them. Some people don’t need a warm-up rehearsal; they just want to go out and do it. Others want to rehearse hundreds of times before they go live. So, it’s just adjusting. I think we’re called pros because we can adapt to either way, just o suit them.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor to perform? Is your heart racing? Are you calm for your celebrity?
Oh, it depends on the celebrity, honestly. For us, it’s such a roller coaster, and the whole season depends on who you’ll get. Me, personally, I’m very calm. I’ve never been nervous when I was competing. I’m never nervous when we do our group routines or music acts with the professionals. I always prepare for whatever happens, and I try to do the same with my celeb because I think preparation is key. As long as you have good preparation, you can be as calm as you can be. Yes, the excitement is there, obviously, when you hear that voice announcing, “Dancing the Foxtrot,” it gives you a rush of excitement. If the celebrity is worried, you need to be even more stable to balance that and give them support. If they’re confident, you just enjoy that lift-up feeling and everything. Our role depends so much on our celebrity, but the excitement and the joy are wonderful. It’s amazing to have the audience there. We have no idea that millions are watching, but even the people there who absolutely love the show, who’ve waited for years to get
tickets, it’s just exciting and joyful to create some magic for them.

Nancy Xu

Describe Strictly in one word?
Wow.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
I just feel extremely lucky and grateful. I say this pretty much every time people ask me, but I still mean it. The feeling hasn’t lessened. I’m not taking it for granted. Every day, when I think about what I’m doing, I feel grateful every single second. Being part of the 20th anniversary, I want to thank those who came before us, who’ve allowed us to continue on this platform, make our dreams come true, and create something magical. Here’s to another 20 years, yay!

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living, dance titles etc?
When I was 20, I had already won all my dance titles. I was a champion in China and the first to make it to the final in an international competition before turning 20. My 20s were a period of immense change in my career and personal life, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue as a competitor. It was a huge shift – my partnership ended, I moved to a new place, and tried to build my dream with someone else. It didn’t bring me success or happiness, but I’m still grateful for that experience in my early 20s. It allowed me to achieve my dream and brought me to Strictly. At that time, I was living between Hong Kong and Beijing.

What do you think the next twenty years will look like for this iconic show?
It might be completely different from what we’re doing now. The show is based on Latin and Ballroom dance at the moment. This is my sixth year, and when I look back at what I’ve seen in terms of video aspects, group dances, and wardrobe, everything has gone up a level and taken different directions. Who knows what the future holds, but I’m very excited. The people working behind the scenes love what they do, which is so important. When you bring your passion and love to your work, it’s like breathing – people can feel it. And they’ll continue to do that.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching etc, do you eat certain foods for energy, any good luck mantras/charms you need to have with you etc?
For me, what’s important is being with my dance partner – eye to eye, hand in hand, breathing in and out. No panic. No rush. All my dance partners will be nervous, but I want to make sure we’re in the same bubble, and I think that’s really important. We need to have a moment, 30 seconds or a minute, to be alone. Then everything kicks in, and boom.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the Ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing, are you calm for your celebrity etc?
Every nervous feeling will come over me. I think people assume that once we’re ready, we can go straight away, but sometimes we have to go to hair and makeup or make a quick change, so we don’t always have much time to prepare. But when we do get that time, we feel warm, the adrenaline kicks in, and with that live audience, it’s just like, wow.

Neil Jones

Describe Strictly in one word.
Glitter.

How does it feel to be part of Strictly’s 20th Anniversary year?
It’s brilliant. I’ve been around the show for about 10 years so it’s incredible to be a part of this for that long.

The show is 20 years old. What were you doing when you were 20?
I was living and dancing in Holland. I must have just started winning championships in Holland and around the world.

What do you think the next 20 years will look like for this iconic show?
I honestly think it’s still going to be here. It’s going to keep growing and developing. I can’t imagine myself still dancing on the show in 20 years’ time, as much as I would love to, I don’t know if my body will handle that. That would make me 62, you never know!
Maybe I’ll be a judge by then….

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for the live show?
I’m always focusing on the steps, so I’ll be having fun with everyone but mainly thinking about the steps.

Can you explain that feeling just before you walk out onto the ballroom floor?
I wouldn’t say it’s nerves, it’s excitement. At that point if you’re going out there to do a group dance you know this is the last time we’re doing it. If it’s with a partner, I just want to make sure they’re okay and comfortable. I’ll let them know it’s not the end of the world so go out and have fun.

Nikita Kuzmin

Describe Strictly in one word?
Euphoric.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
It’s such a privilege. To be back doing what we love most, being with the guys, reuniting with the crew, and creating these amazing numbers – it’s truly the dream job for all of us. We feel incredibly grateful. I’m in a very fortunate position, and I’m really happy to be back.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living, dance titles etc?
Well to be fair, I’m only 26 now. I was living in Germany at the time and I was competing and then the year after that I joined the German version of Strictly.

What do you think the next twenty years will look like for this iconic show?
I hope it always preserves its core essence and stays true to what it means to people. The show is joyful, it’s family. It’s the people’s show. In my mind, Strictly is like a warm blanket, or a comforting hug. I hope it remains that way for everyone. Our job is to distract people or cheer them up I think and I hope that feeling will still be there in 20 years.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching etc, do you eat certain foods for energy, any good luck mantras/charms you need to have with you etc?
Yes, I’m probably the most superstitious out of everyone. I make sure to claim double drains throughout the week and will go out of my way, even in big circles, to collect points by walking over two drains while avoiding three drains at all costs. I go everywhere to collect drain points. I also stick to the same jewellery and wear particular socks because I need to be lucky. My ten minutes of meditation are a must, without them, I won’t feel lucky on the night. I also have to do nine jumps – three small, three big, then three small again. And right before a dance, when I’m already on the ballroom floor, I have to say, ‘let’s go.’ Five seconds before the show starts, you’ll always see me with eyes closed, palms up, thinking of my happy place in India.

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the Ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing, are you calm for your celebrity etc?
I am actually really calm. The first time I performed on Strictly I was definitely nervous! But I remember crying afterwards from just how happy I was. It was such a cool feeling before we started dancing. It was with Tilly Ramsay, a slow song, just two kids dancing. It is a really sweet memory but that was a really nervous moment for me. I think nerves are good though as they drive us and if you don’t live it then what’s the point ?

Vito Coppola

Describe Strictly in one word?
Family.

How does it feel to be a part of Strictly’s 20th year?
I’m so excited. I’m really looking forward to it because every year is special, but this year is even more so. I remind myself all the time how lucky I am. We’re all lucky to be here, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Strictly. Every single week, every single thing we do this year will be special and magical. We’re always trying to find what’s original, unique, and authentic, and with Strictly, nothing is predictable.

The show is 20 years old, what were you doing when you were 20? Where were you living, dance titles etc?
When I was 20, I wasn’t living at home because I’d left when I was 14. I was living, dancing, and competing somewhere around the world, in the most active period of my athletic career. I remember being so full of joy at that time. I was probably somewhere like Russia, near the Black Sea. I used to practice 12 to 13 hours a day. By then, I’d already been a finalist in the World Championships three times and had won another Italian championship. I also remember going to Denmark for the Under-21 World Championships, my first in the adult class. It was an exciting year.

Did you watch Strictly when you were training to be dancer? Any fond/favourite memories?
I watched the Italian version of Strictly, and I was so fascinated by this show about our world that whenever I travelled to other countries, I would ask if they had something similar. I remember when I arrived in the UK, people told me Strictly was the original format and the main version. It opened a big window into a completely different world, another culture. The UK has always been huge on dancing and ballroom, so I used every opportunity to learn more about Strictly. It’s always been a background dream for every dancer.

Do you have any weird and wonderful things you do to prep for a live show? Other than stretching etc, do you eat certain foods for energy, any good luck mantras/charms you need to have with you etc?
I usually touch my shoulders in a cross pattern, which is my way of expressing gratitude. The first shoulder represents my appreciation for life, my experiences, and what’s coming next. The second shoulder is for my family, as I always want to feel their presence with me. Another thing, which might sound a bit odd but I’m not ashamed of, is that before the show I like to eat very simply, like just white rice and chicken..

Can you explain the feeling just before you walk out onto the Ballroom to perform? Is your heart racing, are you calm for your celebrity etc?
If I’m on my own, I like to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and centre myself. When I’m with a celebrity partner, I prefer to look them straight in the eyes, hold hands, and synchronise our breathing three times together. After we open our eyes, we’re ready to go. Here’s a little secret the other pros don’t know: for group numbers, to keep things smooth, I go around and make sure I get eye contact with everyone. I find reasons to interact, like asking Gorka for the time or Dianne to pass me the water. Once I’ve made eye contact with all of them, I feel ready to go.

Strictly Come Dancing is back later this month! The launch trailer for the 20^th year of the nation’s favourite dance show will get audiences excited for the show’s much anticipated return, and will be enjoyed across the UK when it airs on Wednesday 4^th September at 19.29 on BBC One. 

The trailer will see our incredible Professional Dancers perform a fun footwork bonanza encouraging everyone to get aboard the Strictly bus, which will officially open the doors to the 22^nd series of Strictly with a sparkly, showstopping bang later this month. Choreographed by Jason Gilkison, the trailer and launch show number that will be performed in the studio is a magical medley of: We Like To Party! (The Vengabus) by Vengaboys , Baby Baby by Corona, Pump Up The Jam + Get Up (Before The Night Is Over) by Technotronic, Absolutely Everybody by Vanessa Amarosi, Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited, Saturday Night by Whigfield, Ooh Ahh (Just A Little Bit) by Gina G and 5,6,7,8 + Stomp by Steps. 

During the launch show, alongside a beautifully empowering celebratory dance to welcome Amy Dowden MBE back to the Strictly Ballroom, we will also reveal which celebrity contestants will be paired with which Professional Dancers. Audiences will get a first glimpse of the Strictly class of 2024’s dancing skills in a fabulous group routine.  

The multi-award-winning entertainment show, produced by BBC Studios, will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its new series this Autumn. As Strictly celebrates two spectacular decades of dance, this series promises to be extra special with even more glitz, glamour and unforgettable performances. 

The Strictly Come Dancing 2024 launch show will air on Saturday 14^th September at 19:20 on BBC One & BBC iPlayer.

The journey from her native city of Kawasaki in Japan to winning Spain’s most prestigious flamenco dancing prize took more than 20 years. But Junko Hagiwara, 48, has pulled off the feat, becoming the first foreigner to win the award — prompting both applause and outrage.

Known by her stage name of La Yunko, her victory last month at Spain’s leading flamenco festival — Cante de las Minas in La Unión in the southeastern region of Murcia — has rocked the traditional art form.

Her triumph “provoked protests and jeers among the audience and a great stir on social networks … one can see a clear prejudice that sometimes borders on the racist”, noted El País. The newspaper added: “They seem to say that if you are not Andalusian, or at least Spanish, it is impossible to know flamenco, let alone dance well, and to have the nerve to win such an important prize as that of La Unión.”

Members of the audience and online critics claimed that the award was given to her as a ruse by the authorities in La Unión to “internationalise” the competition, which the organisers denied. “The other dancers were better. We had stood up to applaud them and we were very surprised when the jury chose La Yunko,” an audience member told La Vanguardia newspaper.

Hagiwara reacted with surprise to the level of attacks but pledged that she would carry on dancing. “I was expecting a little bit [of criticism], but not that much. I try not to read what they put online, but it gets to me. In any case, I have the strength to carry on,” she said. “I have been hurt by it but, on the other hand, I have received a lot of support and it makes me happy,” she told ABC newspaper. “As I now have the prize, I have to keep working and give more.”

Her decision twenty years ago to move to Spain and learn flamenco had angered her parents

ANTONIO PEREZ

Hagiwara has lived in Seville, the capital of the southern region of Andalusia, for more than 20 years. “When I was 14, I started learning rhythmic gymnastics and I came across the Spanish sportswoman Ana Bautista, who used the flamenco guitar in her exercises,” she said. “That was the first time I heard the word flamenco, which sparked my curiosity.”

Her decision to move to Spain to learn flamenco infuriated her parents. “My father got very, very angry. He did not speak to me for three months. And my mother said, ‘how shameful, how shameful’,” Hagiwara told the AFP news agency.

She has travelled across Spain dancing at flamenco venues and has come under the tutelage of famed teachers such as José Galván, El Torombo and Carmen Ledesma. “In Japan, you can learn technique, choreography, but, of course, flamenco is culture, it’s a way of life,” she said.

Hagiwara learnt from some of flamenco’s most famous teachers

CRISTINA QUICLER/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

She is also a dance teacher and has performed with the ballet of Yoko Komatsubara, the Japanese dancer and choreographer.

Hagiwara took to the stage of the “Cathedral of Flamenco” in the old public market of La Unión for the first time ten years ago, but then she did not even make the semi-finals. This time she won. “I had a lot of doubts, I didn’t know even if I should enter, because young people enter competitions and I’m of an age,” she said, adding the result was “unexpected”.

She defines her way of dancing as “sincere” and “spontaneous” and recognises that being Japanese has marked her way of performing, as “dance is a reflection of each person, and life experience”.

What does it mean to sustain a Black-woman–led dance company for 40 years? What kind of vision is necessary? What are the key resources, broadly interpreted—not just money, but also people-places-things? What is the additional creative labor that leadership must take on to embed the company’s core values in every part of the work, and to engage communities in meaningful ways? 

These are a handful of the curiosities I held when entering conversations with Urban Bush Women founder Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and current UBW co-artistic directors Chanon Judson and Mame Diarra Speis. This year, the storied dance company celebrates four decades of creating and touring new works internationally, sharing its creative process and strategies for collaborating with communities, and cultivating the next generations of women+ of color performers, makers, facilitators, and producers. 

UBW is now five years into a new artistic leadership structure, with Judson and Speis alongside acting executive director Tahnia Bell and producer Jonathan D. Secor at the helm of an almost 20-person team. Financially, UBW has been able to leverage significant institutional support, thanks to funds from MacKenzie Scott and the Ford Foundation’s America’s Cultural Treasures initiative. According to Zollar, for the first time in its history the company “can withstand some velocity,” although as recently as the pandemic shutdown in 2020 it “didn’t even have as much as one month’s operating cash reserve.”

As I spoke with two generations of artistic leadership, I noticed my head, shoulders, and torso nodding back and forth in what I call “full-bodied agreement.” In each conversation—first with Zollar, then with Judson and Speis—their words resonated deeply, as I’m currently navigating some of the same challenges they described within my own dance company. Across the country, dance groups and arts education programs alike are experiencing staggering cuts and shutdowns. What can we learn from UBW’s 40 years of operations to support a more sustainable future for dance? 

In the spirit of sankofa—the Akan word that teaches us to hold our history while imagining our future—here are some of the lessons these leaders have uncovered in their stewardship of this organization. 

Keep Experimenting

Zollar feels it is urgent that dance artists remain nimble. “There is an up and down to this field,” she says. “You can be really hot and then you can’t get anybody to return your phone call.” 

While UBW’s mission—to bring untold and under-told stories to light from a woman-centered and African-diaspora community perspective—has remained constant, developing its administrative and programmatic operations has been an emergent process. “In the beginning, you just start doing your work,” Zollar says. “Over time a structure starts to evolve, and, honestly, our structure is always evolving. As the company changes, as the work changes, we’ve experimented with a lot of different administrative structures.” 

Much of their big learning has been about taking an innovative approach to organizational practice. There have been intentional experiments that have yielded winning ideas—for example, borrowing the idea of a collaborative leadership structure from the world of community organizing. UBW has learned that having a small group of partners allows for reflectiveness and shared responsibility, but also the dexterity to make quick decisions. 

Foster Collaboration

According to Speis, collaboration is critical to all UBW’s processes, whether in the studio crafting work or in an administrative meeting. This includes cultivating, maintaining, and deepening relationships with longtime partners—such as New Orleans–based Junebug Productions, dedicated to amplifying Black stories, and the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, which develops leaders in anti-racist community organizing. 

Judson and Speis describe a culture within UBW borrowed from their artistic practice of ensemble design: witnessing your community and being witnessed, holding gratitude and respect for each other’s assets, and acknowledging “That is her excellence.” This makes space for each person’s gifts to shine, and for members to notice when someone else’s offering might better help the organization thrive. 

Do Your Research

“At heart, I’m a researcher,” Zollar says. “I want to know how people have done things.” When the company faced what Zollar calls a “near-death” financial crisis, she sought advice and expertise from colleagues and mentors in the field, including- producers and arts consultants Laurie Uprichard and Baraka Sele. She also advises looking at how other industries have solved some of the same issues, and reading books on crisis management—for example, arts administrator Michael Kaiser’s book on his work with organizations like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “The research helps ground you out of a reactionary place of emotion and opinion,” Zollar says. 

Share Leadership

Judson and Speis say decision-making within UBW involves “overlapping circles” of input, allowing multiple voices to be heard. This is felt most in their Leadership Summits, all-staff meetings including everyone from company members to the marketing team. Acknowledging topics that impact the entire team and listening to each person’s experience brings another layer of awareness to decision-making. 

With regard to their roles as co-artistic directors, Judson says: “Having other leadership voices for decisions helps to mitigate some separation, so that all roads don’t come to Mame Diarra and Chanon. It would make for a very heavy load for us, and a more delicate dance with our colleagues.” 

Consider Care

Shared leadership is more than an administrative strategy; it is also a care practice. “I’m excited as a Black woman in co-leadership to not have to hold the roles in the ways that some of our mentors and predecessors had to,” Judson says. “We are able to be multiplicitous and whole. There are sacrifices we don’t have to make that were made in the past when we look at all the companies that were started by Black women. I’m grateful for their work and able to navigate in ways that are new.” 

Both mothers, Judson and Speis also acknowledge the communal and familial aspects of UBW. Judson’s children understand that they are part of the community, and have contributed by filming rehearsals and watching younger children. For Speis, a co-leadership structure makes space for her humanity, allowing her to be a mother and a leader simultaneously. “Real life is happening,” she says, “and I can do both.” 

The Next 40 Years

As UBW looks toward its next 40 years, Judson and Speis are thinking about what they call “strategizing and equalizing.” Excited to try on everything that interests them, they are leaning into experimentation. They are investigating where dance can happen outside of the theater, as well as new ways of embodying research from other fields. Judson says they are excited to “be with folks we know to be our audience, even if they don’t know they are our audience.” They are also meeting regularly to account for wins and “not-so-wins.” They are slowing down to be responsive—not reactive—in their decision-making, and to document methods and processes. 

For Judson and Speis, it’s exciting to be simultaneously evolving and innovating. According to Speis, “It feels like everything is boundless.” 

Seeding Ideas Across the Dance Field

Anyone who has experienced the Embodied History performance lecture during Urban Bush Women’s signature Entering, Building and Exiting Community Workshop may remember the distinct choreography of “outreach” versus “engagement.” The former is linear, an extended leg and a hand outstretched toward the ground, indicating hierarchy; the latter is a deep second position with the arms stretching away from the body through alternating horizontal shifts in the torso, indicating a preferred horizontal connection. 

This embodied lesson on community engagement is one of many forward-looking ideas UBW’s programming initiatives have helped seed throughout the dance world. Those initiatives include BOLD (Builders, Organizers, & Leaders through Dance) workshops, like Entering, Building and Exiting Community; the Choreographic Center Initiative (CCI), which invests in the visibility of women+ of color choreographers; the Choreographic Center Initiative Producing Program, which cultivates the next generation of women+ of color producers; and their annual Summer Leadership Institute (SLI), where participants learn strategies to connect their art to community organizing.  

With thousands of SLI participants since it began in 1997, the development of a rigorous training practice for skilled facilitators for their BOLD workshops, and generations of dancers who, according to Judson, have been cultivated as excellent artists inside their own voices, the UBW diaspora is extensive. 

“There is a heartfelt commitment to holding the space that UBW has earned,” says Judson. She and Speis plan to continue to develop UBW as both a model and a resource for other dance organizations.

Looking Forward and Backward, Onstage and Off

As a choreographer, Zollar forged space for Black girlhood and womanhood on the concert stage. She also created unique movement languages for each ensemble piece, instead of establishing a codified technique. These practices were groundbreaking in the 1980s and opened doors for artists like Camille A. Brown and MK Abadoo, who continue to make work in those traditions today. Zollar’s final work for UBW—the semi-autobiographical SCAT!… The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar, which premiered in June—hearkens back to and celebrates these artistic roots.

To keep cultivating creative practices inside the company, UBW has begun the process of developing an innovation reserve, so that UBW can sponsor projects that require risk but may not always align with funding trends. The new leaders are pushing boundaries in performance, too. The next leg of UBW’s 40th anniversary tour, titled This Is Risk, begins this fall, anchored by Judson and Speis’ dance-theater work Haint Blu, which considers the healing power of ancestral wisdom.

Zollar is currently working on The Storied Body, The Storied Stage, a book and a series of workshops and lectures documenting 40 years of building her creative practices. And to preserve Zollar’s legacy in the longer term, UBW’s board is building trust structures similar to those that maintain the catalogs of George Balanchine and Merce Cunningham. Of the necessity of protecting Zollar’s works, Judson says, “We are not all inside our liberation. The opposition is there. It feels important to hold that legacy.” 

Christopher Marney is a brave man. At a time when many dance companies are struggling economically, Marney has revived London City Ballet, a company founded in 1978 by Harold King, a personable South African who without having proper funding in place launched the company when he was still in his twenties. For more than a decade, Diana, Princess of Wales was its patron. The company leapt through many problematic financial hoops until finally closing its doors in 1996.

Marney has been more prudent.

It has been two years in the planning, and I was adamant not to announce the company until I was fully ready to do it on the scale that felt necessary. I didn’t want to drip feed it and so I worked hard and waited, then when I thought I was ready, I waited longer so I could raise more money and programme more performances.

The first tour is impressive – currently on an eight-city tour of China after various English cities, the company arrives in London at Sadler’s Wells (11-14 September) and then New York’s Joyce Theatre (17-22 September).

I knew Sadler’s Wells was the place to bring the company back to life as it had been the former home of London City Ballet and so I spoke to [Artistic Director] Alistair Spalding about my ideas and was so encouraged by his enthusiasm and offer to programme the company.

I feel very grateful to have had so much trust, also from international venues whom I was unknown to. They liked the idea of a forward-thinking company with strong repertoire and a cohort of international dancers from a diverse background of training and experience.

So why did bringing London City Ballet back to life seem like a good idea?

I spoke to many of the UK venues that London City Ballet once toured to, and it seemed these days few British ballet companies are passing through them. It’s a difficult climate for arts organisations – touring can be expensive and is often the element that suffers.

Large-scale companies cannot necessarily fit into the mid-scale venues I was looking at – the glorious Playhouse’s and Theatre Royals of the UK. They all have a great offer but have become under-represented with dance. Seeing as London City Ballet is a flexible company of 14 dancers with a mouldable repertoire that suits a variety of different stages it felt like a model that could work.

London City Ballet is certainly a good name for posters and for publicising international tours, but why adopt a name that had already been used?

My first experience witnessing ballet was outside of London, in Hornchurch, Essex, and it was actually London City Ballet – that was my introduction! It was 1991 and they were touring with Cinderella. It quickly became the company my parents helped me to follow and one of great importance as it encouraged my future career in dance. This is why touring is an essential part of my vision now the access it provides for communities outside the capital was imperative to my experience.

Its then artistic director was Harold King who died in 2020. Did you ever meet the founder of the original company?

I met Harold King on several occasions throughout my career – first whilst a student at Central School of Ballet then later, when I came to direct the school, I would invite him to watch performances.

His personality was infectious, and I related to many of his ideals around dance and providing opportunities for performers and audiences. When I was thinking about building a company so much of the ethos aligned with what the old company stood for and so I started to think about what bringing a company back, but for a new generation, may look like. It had a history that felt too important to lose.

The blurb on the site says that the company was “sensitively reformed”.

I wanted to ensure I reached out to as many people who were involved at the time as I could. This included former board members, dancers, and particularly Heather Knight, the former administrative director. I wanted to soundboard the idea with them before actioning anything. The resounding response was of positivity that the company that they loved and worked so hard to keep afloat would return. I hope to think Harold would be smiling with the knowledge that his legacy is continuing.

Of course, you’ve already had experience in running a company.

Yes, for six years I ran Ballet Central, the graduate touring programme, as well as the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company in Chicago. My role as director of these organisations focused on the day-to-day running of a touring company, the programming of performances, tour booking, budgeting, recruiting and then the artistic side of teaching class and rehearsing the dancers. It has held me in good stead for starting up from scratch.

The touring company, Ballet Central, was created in 1984 by London’s Central School of Ballet, the school founded by dancer and actor Christopher Gable. Marney graduated from Central School of Ballet in 1999, and Gable became an important figure in his life.

When I started at Central, I had come from a background where I was interested in many areas of the theatre – not only dance but music, acting, and what I learnt from Christopher was that all of these things can and should play a part in your role as an artist. I had never thought of it that way and it influenced my approach right from the age of 16.

I realised if I knew as much as I could about the music, what the choreographer had been inspired by or what I was trying to say with my character then those elements will make me different. Christopher’s journey was a huge inspiration. He was a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, an actor with the RSC, an on-screen performer in musicals, plus a choreographer and the director of a ballet company! I realised it was possible to use this amazing training to evolve from one thing to the next, and the next.  

You were already in China for only the company’s seventh show. That seems unusual.

After we launched last year, I was contacted by a production company that once brought London City Ballet to China in the 1990s! We worked together to create an eight-city tour that reflected the ethos I wanted to carry with me of taking the company not only to the main cities, but also reaching places that do not ordinarily have access to live dance.

As I write this we are in an ancient city in the region of Guangdong and are expecting a full house tonight to see a programme of British choreographers’ work.

You are also a choreographer. Are any of your pieces being performed in the inaugural programme?

This year I have included one of my works, Eve, because I feel the latter half of it and its onward journey (into the unknown!) reflects what I am aspiring to do with the company, but I do not see London City Ballet as being a vehicle for my own choreography.

So how did you choose the works for your first tour?

I am usually most drawn to and moved by work that has a narrative or intention to it. As an audience member, I feel most connected when I can find a theme in the work or a relationship between people onstage. I also knew that the vision behind the programming would be about the revival of works that are rarely seen by audiences.

Being driven by researching works that have fallen out of the repertoire I started to explore lesser-known pieces by choreographers that inspired me, such as Kenneth MacMillan. We have uncovered a one-act piece of his Ballade which was unseen since 1972. Other factors for choosing repertoire going forward will be bringing pieces that we do not often get to see in the UK. We will have one new work each year as it brings identity to the company having work made on the dancers, though creations will not be my main focus.

The company’s Resurgence tour sees its 14 dancers performing Ashley Page‘s Larina Waltz (the ballet’s 30th anniversary); Five Dances, a new work from Olivier award-winner Arielle Smith; Marney’s Eve, which premiered at Sadler’s Wells in 2022; and MacMillan’s Ballade.

How did you find your dancers?

We held a global search with almost a thousand applicants. We gave the opportunity ‘to be seen’ to as many as possible and the final round of auditions consisted of not only class, but repertoire workshops so we could really get to know the dancers. We chose eight dancers through this process.

The remainder of dancers I invited from having worked with them in different places throughout my career. We have a wonderful line-up of artists ranging from graduates to experienced principal dancers. All of them are unique, exciting artists from different backgrounds and I feel proud to think that they have believed in the vision and trusted in something new.

Has Brexit caused any complications with having dancers from all over the world on tour?

The part that it has sadly made more complex is the restriction placed on dancers moving freely through Europe. Now if I want to employ a dancer from say, Paris, they need the same visa as a dancer coming from Australia. It is no longer a time when freelance, project-based dancers can take on different contracts abroad and move as easily around the world.

That said, I am proud to say that at London City Ballet we have made this possible – it was very important to me that we could give opportunities to all, regardless of location or background.

What contracts are they on?

The company will run to six/seven months for the first three years. Starting a year-round company from scratch would not have been financially viable and this way I can foresee longevity in the planning and a chance to develop each season.

And what are your plans for future seasons… your plans for the company?

I don’t wish to grow in numbers. If we suddenly shot up to 30 dancers, we would not be staying true to the chamber, small cast works I wish to revive or, in fact, the intimate theatre’s I want to play.

The growth of the company in my eyes will be expanding its access to incorporate more venues in the UK, reaching more audiences internationally, keeping it affordable for everyone to attend who wishes to and investing in the repertoire so we can be ambitious with programming and production values.

Small is beautiful!

Booking for Sadler’s Wells, London and the Joyce Theater, New York

You can find out more about London City Ballet on YouTube and Instagram.

Related

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan, aka ‘Gramilano’. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times. He wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on ‘Codice Carla’, 2023’s documentary on Carla Fracci.

“NDA” stands for nondisclosure agreement; it’s a legal document used to ensure that private information remains confidential. As a dancer or choreographer, you may be asked to sign this type of agreement when you work with a celebrity or participate in a show that wants to keep its choreography, design,­ special effects and/or release date secret. There may also be times you’ll be asked to sign an NDA that’s being used to silence someone or erase an issue. This is when it’s particularly important to be aware of what the NDA allows and prevents and to think carefully before you sign.

Protecting the Creative Process  

NDAs typically restrict what performers and professionals can publicly disclose about their ongoing projects. For Cati Snarr, who has choreographed Super Bowl halftime shows for more than a decade, NDAs are commonplace. “I signed four different NDAs for the 2024 halftime show,” says Snarr, owner and artistic director of Utah Dance Institute. “The first one was for the NFL, which I signed when I agreed to work on the project. The second was for Michael Curry, who designed the special effects, and I agreed not to disclose any of the material we discussed or created. The third one was for Jay-Z’s entertainment company, Roc Nation, and I agreed not to share any information or images about the production. And the fourth was for Usher, and I agreed to keep details of rehearsals private.”

These precautions made sense, says Snarr, because the halftime show’s impact relied on the element of surprise, as demonstrated by the enthusiastic response from Super Bowl fans to unexpected additions, like acrobats and roller skaters sharing the stage with Usher. Snarr says she also signs NDAs when she works on awards shows like the Grammys or Emmys­ because the identities of presenters and awardees need to be kept secret. 

Protecting People

Security concerns can be another reason to keep things private, particularly when celebrities are involved. According to Snarr, everyone involved in Super Bowl rehearsals had to turn off their phones’ location services and put their devices in sealed Yondr pouches. “One crew member had their phone in a back pocket during a rehearsal, with the camera on,” says Snarr. “They never returned to the project after that day.”

Such precautions prevent artists’ locations from being revealed and leaks of rehearsal images onto social media. Maintaining privacy during the creation process can enable a freer working environment for those involved. “Over the years there have been some tough rehearsals, when ideas we were exploring weren’t working,” says Snarr. “Because we kept these moments private, artists were able to retain their ideas, allowing them to create without scrutiny in the early stages.” 

NDAs can also be requested to protect audience members. Fifteen years ago, Terese Cardamon danced in a performance by Cirque du Soleil in Washington, DC, and remembers signing an NDA to keep the details of the event private. She recalls that President Obama was on the list of invited guests, as well as other well-known politicians, which explains why the location required secrecy. She encourages dancers to ask questions if there are aspects of a project that are unfamiliar, and to ask that expectations and requirements for their role be put in writing. 

When NDAs Raise Concerns

While NDAs can play a role in protecting the privacy of the creative process and product, they should not be used as a way to prevent an employee from talking about an abuse of power or from holding a company or individual accountable for misconduct. In addition to prerehearsal NDAs, you may be asked to sign an NDA if you’ve made a formal complaint about wrongdoing or misconduct, or if you’re being fired or laid off.

Gabrielle Salvatto, a member of Dancers Amplified, a global alliance of artists invested in equity, and a lead researcher for the group’s Global Active Practices, cautions dancers to think deeply before signing any agreement that could protect perpetrators of harm. Salvatto notes that these are often used to excuse and erase behavior that impacts the artists who are the most vulnerable. The concern that artists might be prevented from speaking about wrongdoing or misconduct is one reason some unions, notably Equity, have in recent years sought to limit the scope of NDAs and to have the language included as a contract rider.

When is it a bad idea to sign an NDA? Snarr says if an NDA seems to infringe on a dancer’s safety or fair treatment, they should ask questions. Look for terms that are unclear, restrictions that are unreasonable, and obligations that are one-sided. If anything causes concern, consult a lawyer, union representative, or trusted advisor before signing. And consider your personal ethics: Does an NDA require you to keep confidential information that you believe should be reported?­ Realistically, not signing the agreement likely means you will not get (or keep) the job, but the question remains: Do you want to work with people who do not support your safety, success, or well-being? If there is criminal activity involved, an NDA will not hold up in court, but this is a difficult and expensive path to pursue. 

Snarr says a good question to ask yourself before signing is “Are these policies helping artists or holding us back?”

Strictly Come Dancing Professional Dancer, Amy Dowden MBE, will make her much anticipated return to the Ballroom floor for the 20^th year of the nation’s favourite dance show. To mark her momentous return, there will be a special, celebratory group dance featuring all of the Professional Dancers which will air in the launch show this Autumn.  

The stunning Quickstep routine will see Amy front and centre as she dazzles the audience, alongside her fellow Professional Dancers. The empowering routine will exude glamour and is the perfect way to welcome Amy back for the 22^nd series of Strictly Come Dancing, following her breast cancer diagnosis in May 2023. Amy’s husband and family were watching on in the audience at Elstree Studios. 

The routine was choreographed by Jason Gilkison and is danced to a medley of Training Season by Dua Lipa, Busy Earnin’ and Keep Moving both by Jungle, and Candle Flame by Jungle and Eric the Architect, as performed by the wonderful Dave Arch and his band.  

Amy Dowden says: “I am so excited for every element of being back with my Strictly family. I am so grateful to get this opportunity, especially as it’s such a special year for this legendary show. It feels like it’s my first year again. I’m buzzing to see the whole team, for costumes, for dance routines, to meet the celebrities, the judges. Everyone’s laughing at me because I am just smiling constantly. I’d like to dedicate this dance to my pink sisters who have supported me through the past year and to all those currently facing cancer.” 

Sarah James, Executive Producer of Strictly Come Dancing says: “We are all so incredibly happy that Amy is back in the Strictly Ballroom. She will bring her sparkle, passion for dance, creative choreography and Welsh charm. Welcome back Amy, let’s make it the best year yet!” 

Jason Gilkison, Creative Director of Strictly Come Dancing and choreographer of the Quickstep number says: “It was an absolute pleasure to choregraph this very special, empowering and strong routine celebrating Amy’s return. She – and all of the Professional Dancers – are a complete joy to work with, the best at their craft, and we are lucky to be able to share their skills with the nation, particularly with this celebratory dance.” 

The multi-award-winning entertainment show, produced by BBC Studios, will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its new series this Autumn. As Strictly celebrates two spectacular decades of dance, this series promises to be extra special with even more glitz, glamour and unforgettable performances.