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4 Weeks To 2/8/25

 

Strictly Come Dancing announces two new Professional Dancers.

The BBC has announced the two brand-new Professional Dancers who will be joining Strictly Come Dancing when the hit series, made by BBC Studios Entertainment, returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this autumn.

American-born Alexis Warr is best known for winning US dance series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022 and was crowned as ‘America’s Favourite Dancer’, becoming the first female Ballroom and Latin dancer to claim the title. She has performed as a guest Professional Dancer and in the dance troupe on the US version of Strictly, Dancing With The Stars, and has been part of the series’ accompanying US tour for the past three years. Alexis has also danced on America’s Got Talent, World of Dance, and on national tours across the States – including three with Dancing With The Stars judge Derek Hough, in addition to his Las Vegas residency.

Australian-born Julian Caillon has been dancing since the age of 10, specialising in Ballroom and Latin American, and going on to represent Australia on the international stage. He appeared as a Professional Dancer on three seasons of Australia’s Dancing With The Stars, has toured the globe with hit dance show Burn The Floor, and also competed on So You Think You Can Dance in Australia. Julian has a degree in Exercise Physiology from UNSW Sydney and, alongside his dance career, has worked as a Personal Trainer and Exercise Physiologist. Julian is a keen athlete, and 2025 has so far seen him complete two triathlons.

Both Alexis and Julian have also previously danced at the World-famous Blackpool Tower Ballroom, where Strictly will return later this series for its much-anticipated Blackpool special.

On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Alexis Warr says: “I’ve admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. I can’t wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK.”

Julian Caillon says: “Joining the cast of Strictly really is a dream come true. I’ve watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who’ve been part of it. I can’t wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special! “

Sarah James, Executive Producer, BBC Studios says: “We’ve been big fans of Alexis and Julian for some time so it’s with great excitement that we now welcome them both to the Strictly family. They’re two incredible dancers with bright futures ahead of them, and we know viewers are going to love getting to know them both.”

Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: “Alexis and Julian are the perfect additions to Strictly, and we can’t wait for you to see them light up the ballroom this autumn. With our fantastic Professional Dancers plus everything else we love about Strictly, the new series promises to be bigger, better and even more glitter-packed than ever before.”

Alexis and Julian join Strictly’s hugely popular returning Professional Dancers: Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer, Katya Jones, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal, Johannes Radebe, Aljaž Škorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola.

Alongside Alexis and Julian they’ll take to the floor each week in unforgettable group routines, which alongside world class music acts, theme weeks and Strictly’s annual trip to Blackpool, promises viewers another spectacular series of the nation’s favourite dance show.

Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas all return to the judging panel, with recent MBE recipients Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman back on hosting duties.

Strictly legends returning to Glasgow with hit dance show in September.

   

Following the success of the Legends of the Dance Floor last year, Vincent Simone, Pasha Kovalev, James Jordan, Ian Waite and Brendan Cole are reuniting for a new tour that’s twice as big for 2025, with the 35-dates including a show a Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall on 9th September.

And no one could be more pleased than the happy hoofers themselves.

Says Vincent Simone: “We knew we had a hit on our hands last year when most of the tickets for the tour were sold within 48 hours. That’s why we’re doing double the dates this time round.”

So, how does he explain this success? “I think some of it has to do with when the five of us were on Strictly. The show is still hugely popular but in its first 10 years or so, it was getting TV audiences of around 15 million. We were the first: for instance, I danced the first Argentine tango on British television, a truly emotional moment.”

But it’s not just that. “In a two-hour show in the theatre, we can demonstrate so much more variety. We bring dances from around the world: the tango from Argentina, the rumba from Cuba, the samba from Brazil, the Viennese waltz and so on.”

And then there’s the humour. “Audiences love to hear the stories behind Strictly and they really seem to enjoy the banter between us. We’re five big characters with five big egos and we all tease each other. It’s so nice to be working with such good friends.”

He’s 46 now; this is going to be a demanding tour. How’s his stamina? “I’m sure I’ll feel some aches and pains during the first few days of rehearsal. But I’ve been dancing since I was a child – it’s my passion – so a combination of muscle memory and experience will see me through. I can’t wait!”

Pasha Kovalev is also raring to go. He believes that last year’s tour went down so well because five popular professional dancers had never toured together in one show.

“It was such fun – for the audience but also for us. If I wasn’t performing, I’d watch the others from the wings and I was blown away not only by the standard on stage but by the laughs, too.”

It’s more than that. “Because it’s a live show, no two performances are ever the same. And that’s what keeps it so fresh. There’s a lot of energy from the dancers but then there’s a huge amount from the auditorium. We all feed off each other.

‘I particularly enjoyed the opening number of the second act when we were all dressed as cowboys in a Wild West saloon. And I loved the dance-off with James Jordan with me as Patrick Swayze and him as John Travolta.”

Pasha, 45, was paired with Countdown maths whizz Rachel Riley in 2013’s Strictly. They fell in love and married six years later. Will she be bringing daughters Maven, five, and three-year-old Noa to see daddy dance on the 2025 Legends tour? “Of course,” he says.

“Last year, Ola brought Ella, her daughter with James Jordan, to see the show in St Alban’s and Rachel came along to the same matinee performance with our two. It was so incredible to look out into the audience and see them there. Something I’ll never forget.”

James Jordan never doubted the 2024 Legends tour would be a great success. “I just thought the nostalgia attached to five older guys, famous from Strictly, on the same stage at the same time, couldn’t miss. Even so, I didn’t think it was going to sell out quite so quickly.

“Most of us left Strictly over 10 years ago and yet, people wanted to come and watch us old boys doing our stuff. We’re all either knocking on the door of 50 or past it. Amazing. The reaction exceeded all our expectations.

“And, of course, we could indulge in a level of banter not possible on TV. In the woke world in which we all live now, it’s genuinely refreshing to go to a show and have a good laugh, sometimes at each other’s expense. We’re all at an age now when we don’t care what we say although it’s still child-friendly family entertainment.”

At 47, he thinks he’s mentally and physically better prepared this time round. “For rehearsals last year, I had to take in four t-shirts every day because I was sweating so much. There were occasions when I thought I was going to pass out.

“Unlike the other four, I hadn’t toured for a long time. But now, I’ve got a real thirst to get back on the road especially as there seems to be such an appetite for it. I hadn’t appeared before a live audience for some years until the first Legends tour. I must admit, the reaction made me quite emotional.”

Veteran dancer Ian Waite agrees. “What amazed me,” he says, “was that, some 20 years after we all started on Strictly, give or take, we can still fill a theatre and very often with exactly the same audience that enjoyed us on TV in the noughties.”

This time round, the Legends will be visiting many venues that weren’t on the 2024 tour. “We’ll be performing a number of new routines under Scott Coldwell’s excellent choreography along with some of the most popular dances from last year. But it’s going to feel like a whole new show.” His personal highlight? “A classic Viennese waltz, such a beautiful dance.”

How’s his level of fitness? “Well, the three weeks of rehearsal from nine in the morning until six at night will be crucial. But I’ve recently done another three months of Dancing With The Stars in Australia. My partner and I won it last year, two decades after I first appeared on Strictly. I never dreamt I’d still be performing as a pro dancer at 54.”

He’s currently on tour with his fitness brand, Fitsteps, dreamt up with former Strictly professional Natalie Lowe in 2013. “We’ve developed it as a way for people to learn the dance styles they love from Strictly, in a fun fitness class. So, put it this way: I’m going to be pretty much match-fit for the Legends 2025 tour.”

At 49, Brendan Cole is no stranger to touring. “As an artist, there’s nothing I like better than performing in front of a live audience. I think I was born to be on a stage. But would people want to come and see five old fellers from Strictly with five gorgeous girls in the same show?”

The answer, of course, was yes. “We were quite overwhelmed by the reaction. But then, I think we created a bit of magic together and part of that was down to the obvious camaraderie on-stage.” His favourite moment? “The rumba, such an intense experience, so full of raw emotion. And I loved the tribute from all of us to the late Robin Windsor.”

Another bonus for the pro dancers is the crowd waiting outside each stage door. “I’m old school. If someone can take the time to ask for a selfie or an autograph, I’m happy to oblige. We couldn’t do what we get to do if there was no audience.”

So, no doubting, then, the commitment to this new tour from all five Legends. At this rate, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be embarking on a third tour in 2026 – and every year afterwards. “Absolutely,” laughs Ian Waite. “We’ll carry on for as long as we enjoy it as much as UK audiences seem to.”

Adds James Jordan: “And how nice, in these sometimes difficult times, to offer people two hours of unashamed, unabashed escapism.”

For tickets to Vincent Simone, Pasha Kovalev, James Jordan, Ian Waite and Brendan Cole star in The Return Of The Legends at The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow on 9th September go to www.legendsofthedancefloor.com .

MJ the Musical announces final West End extension.

MJ the Musical will extend its run at the Prince Edward Theatre in London one final time.

The musical, which features more than 25 Michael Jackson hits, won the WhatsOnStage and Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and was nominated for Best New Musical at both ceremonies.

Jamaal Fields-Green continues in the title role, joined by Matt Mills, Mitchell Zhangazha, Philippa Stefani, KoKo Alexandra, Joshua C Jackson, Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton, Matt Gonsalves, Michael Conley, Kieran Alleyne, Johnny Bishop and André Phipps.

The wider company includes Milan Cacacie, Filippo Coffano, Tevin Daniel, Gabrielle de Souza, Hanna Dimtsu, Aden Dzuda, Ike Fallon, Christopher Gopaul, Kalisha Johnson, Wilson Kiiru, Darnell Mathew-James, Buna McCreery-Njie, Jenay Naima, Nay-Nay, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, George Ross, Lydia Sterling, Fraser Stewart, Charlotte-Kate Warren, Tavio Wright, Ari Adebiyi, Zane Chaba, Cristiano Cuino, Zayne Tayabali, Miles Jabbie, Kristiano Ricardo, Ashton Robertson and Asher Swaray-Gray.

MJ is written by Lynn Nottage and directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Scenic design is by Derek McLane, lighting design by Natasha Katz, costume design by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection design by Peter Nigrini and wig and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe. Musical supervision is by David Holcenberg, with orchestrations and arrangements by David Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb.

UK casting is by Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, with young performer casting by Amy Beadel.

The show has confirmed it will run until 28 February 2026 – with tour plans now revealed

Arlene Phillips joins celebration for Pineapple Dance Studios founder.

Westminster’s latest People’s Plaque has honoured the work of Pineapple Dance Studios founder Debbie Moore, with choreographer Arlene Phillips helping to lead its unveiling ceremony.

The Olivier award-winning Phillips and singer and actor Bonnie Langford were the first to uncover the plaque to a crowd of well-wishers outside the world-famous home for dance, located in Covent Garden.

Organised by the Seven Dials Trust, the plaque now stands outside the entrance to the studio on London’s Langley Street, and becomes one of the city’s markers commemorating individuals and institutions who have contributed to London and further afield.

General News & Sighting

• Liverpool Performing Arts Academy LIPA school has “hit the bottom” financially, leaving staff fearing for money owed to them the National Education Union has claimed.
• Sylvia Young, the founder and principle of the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, has passed away at the age of 86.
• Almost half of all freelancers in theatre earn less than the UK National Living Wage and would be working at rates of pay that would be illegal in salaried positions, a new report concludes. (The Stage 24/7/25)
• Master Dance have cancelled their event in Birmingham that was due to take place in September.
• A dancer displayed a Palestinian flag during a curtain call at the Royal Opera House.
• Two new pro dancers will join Strictly for the new season. Alexis Warr is an American who won the US dance series “So You Think You Can Dance” and Julian Caillon worked on the Australian version of Strictly.
• It was reported that the producers of the West End production of “Burlesque” have taken out a loan as the most recent accounts filed reveal debts of more than £6 million to creditors.
• Strictly pro dancer Nadiya Bychkova won the Best Female Personality Award at the National Reality TV Awards on the 31st of July.
• Westminster’s latest People’s Plaque has honoured the work of Pineapple Dance Studios founder Debbie Moore, with choreographer Arlene Phillips helping to lead its unveiling ceremony.
• Strictly winner Oti Mabuse has received the Freedom of the City of London for her “significant achievements in contemporary dance and her charitable work”.
• The West End production of “Diamonds and Dust” has cancelled performances through to September.
• Faith Newport’s dance company Streedcred has its showcase “Purpose” on the 12th of October at the Trinity Academy in Bristol – there is a 2.00 pm and a 4.00 pm show.
• Sadler’s Wells has appointed dancer and choreographer Aakash Odedra as an Associate Artist.
• After a sold out tour in France, Sadeck Berrabah is to present “Murmuration Level 2” at Sadler’s Wells from the 10th to the 20th of September.
• A revival of “The Sound of Music” at the Curve in Leicester has announced its full cast. The choreography is by Ebony Molina and Becky Anderson is the dance captain. The show will run from the 22nd of November until the 11th of January 2026.
• The Kiln theatre has announced the cast and creative team for its production “Coven”. It will star Diana Vickers and Gabrielle Brook and have choreography by Shelley Maxwell. The show will run from the 31st of October until the 20th of December.

Future Dance Events News

• “Barnum” will be touring the UK from February 2026. The show has choreography by Oti Mabuse and Matt Nicholson and will star Lee Mead.
• “Mean Girls The Musical” will open on tour in Manchester on the 23rd of February 2026. The show has choreography by Casey Nicholaw.
• A musical version of “10 Things I Hate About You” is officially in the works. It will have choreography by Christopher Wheeldon.
• The National Theatre’s “Ballet Shoes” will return over Christmas. The choreography is by Ellen Kane.
• “Prescilla Queen of the Desert” will embark on an International tour from February 2026, opening at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The choreography is by Matt Cole.
• “Young Frankenstein” will receive its regional premiere at the Hope Mill theatre in Manchester from the 10th of October until the 30th of November. It will be directed and choreographed by Nick Winston.

Auditions & Vacancies

• The cruise ship company Royal Caribbean has an audition for dancers in London on the 23rd of August. For more information visit: http://www.royalcaribbeanproductions.com
• The FiSteps Dance Company is looking for a performing arts teacher in Crawley for Tuesdays. For more details you can email: fiona@fisteps.com
• Jerry Reeve of Kutes is looking for contemporary dancers with “unique movement”. You can DM Jerry on his Instagram account for more details.
• Josie Pocock is looking for 9 ballerinas for a job on the 4th – 6th of September. You can contact Josie on her Instagram account.

Dance Classes

• David Anderson has a commercial workshop at the BOH Studios in Bournemouth on the 30th of August from 12.00 – 1.30 pm. To book email: vbartsacademy@gmail.com
• Ekleido (Faye Stoesser & Hannah Ekholm) have a Voguing class at the Place in London from the 4th to the 8th of August at 6.00 – 7.30 pm.
• Graziano Di Prima has 2 classes at Dance Attic in London on the 24th of August: at 3.30 pm the Paso Doble and at 4.45 pm the Rumba. You can book via Graziano’s Instagram.
• On the 14th of September London City Ballet is holding a backstage class and repertoire workshop for professional dancers and students who are interested in finding out more about the company. For more information visit: londoncityballet.com/engage/classes
• Synergy has a Summer Intensive with Gaz Davis and Sam Stanley at the Base dance studios in London on the 8th of August from 1.00 – 5.00 pm. You can book your place on: synergydancechampionships@outlook.com
• Dollie Henry MBE and her BOP present a 2 day convention called “Jazz Art ReWired” at the Place in London on the 13th and the 20th of September.
• Lizzie McConachie has a commercial class at Pineapple Studios on Mondays at 7.30 pm.
• Dollie Henry has her weekly BOP Jazz class every Friday from 12.30 – 3.30 pm. Sign up at: info@bop.org.uk
• Josie Lee has an Intensive training day on the 29th of August at the Base Dance Studios from 12.00 – 5.00 pm. You can DM Josie to book.
• The Lukas McFarlane Intensive will take place from the 16th of September until the 25th of September. For more information visit: Lukas McFarlane | Choreographer & Creative
• Kira Malou, star of “Dirty Dancing” in the West End, has an adult ballet class at St Marks School in Southampton on Mondays from 8.15 – 9.15 pm. You can direct message Kira on her Instagram account to book.
• Laura Jane Fenney has a Jazz class at Pineapple every Saturday at 6.00 pm.
• Cora Jay has new dance classes at Dance City in Newcastle on Mondays and Thursdays. You can contact Cora on her Instagram account.
• Wallis Pipe has a Heels class at Pineapple on Mondays from 7.00 – 8.00 pm.
• Natalie Twist has a Sexy R n B class at Pineapple every Wednesday from 8.00 – 9.00 pm.
• David Anderson is teaching at the Base Dance Studios on Tuesdays from 5.30 – 6.55 pm.
• Lucy Jane Adcock is doing regular classes at the Manor in London at 11.00 am on Wednesdays and at the Base Studios on Sundays at 11.30 am.
• Amy Ireland has a Beginners Tap class at Pineapple Dance Studios on Fridays from 10.00 am – 12.00pm.
• Christina Andrea has Commercial classes at Pineapple on Tuesdays from 5.00 – 6.00 pm and on Wednesdays from 7.30 – 8.30 pm. Christina also has a class at Base Studios on Thursdays from 2.30 – 4.00 pm.

Film & TV

• “Bat Out of Hell” and “Love Never Dies” will be shown at UK cinemas this autumn. “Bat Out of Hell” will be screened from the 30th of October and “Love Never Dies” from the 21st of September at more than 150 cinemas across the UK.
• We spotted Ruby Hood performing with Post Malone at the Esports World Cup opening ceremony.
• We spotted Chelsea Jasmine Wright and Matthew Miller in the new Peggy Gou video for “DANCE”. The choreography was by Jordan Melch and the contract was with AMCK.
• We spotted Crystal Hantig and Hannah Spry performing with Nicole Scherzinger at DreamFest.

Pro Dancer News Published by the Dincwear Pro Dancewear Team.

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