All the latest dance, theatre, and stage news from Dincwear Dancewear.

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Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin was forced to pull out of tour dates at the last minute.

Strictly Come Dancing star Nikita Kuzmin was forced to pull out of the opening night of the show’s live tour at the last minute.

The professional dancer, who was partnered with Tilly Ramsay for the 2021 series, was due to perform with his dance partner in Birmingham on Thursday night.

The BBC One dance contest has headed out on the road for its 2022 live tour, taking in arenas across the country. But Nikita will be absent for a string of shows after testing positive for coronavirus.

Posting to Instagram last night, the 23-year-old said: “So sad to be missing a portion of the Strictly Live Tour, but unfortunately, I Tested Positive for COVID-19.”

Sharing the post alongside a series of images, he added: “Lots of luck to all the amazing Strictly Cast. “Will be back as soon as I can.”

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Anton Du Beke reunites with former Strictly pro Erin Boag for a new tour.

Anton Du Beke joined the judges panel for the 2021 series of Strictly, marking the first season he was unable to take to the dance floor. Yet Anton Du Beke hasn’t lost his passion for ballroom and will once again take to the stage after reuniting with former show pro Erin Boag, 46, for their new UK tour.

While Erin quit Strictly back in 2012 she has continued to compete alongside Anton, 55, in competitions.The pair were forced to postpone their 2021 tour due to coronavirus restrictions, but are now back with Showtime, which celebrates the world’s greatest stars of entertainment including Sir Elton John, Dame Shirley Bassey and Frank Sinatra.

The dancing couple are set to debut their tour on January 28.

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Alan Cumming to play Robert Burns in solo dance-theatre show.

Alan Cumming will play Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns this summer in a solo show that will delve beyond “the traditional biscuit tin image” of the great poet.

Burn, a dance-theatre production was announced on Tuesday amid preparations for the evening’s traditional Burns suppers celebrating the poet’s birthday. It will be staged as part of the 75th Edinburgh international festival (EIF) in August.

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Blackpool Tower Ballroom dance floor undergoes extensive restoration

One of the world’s most famous dancefloors has received its first extensive restoration in more than three decades to bring it back to its “phenomenal” best.

Described as the jewel in Blackpool’s crown, The famous Tower Ballroom has played host to both professional and amateur dancers.

The original wooden dance floor, made famous by performers including the Strictly Come Dancing stars, has undergone its most extensive restoration in 30 years.

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BBC Strictly Come Dancing’s Janette Manrara reveals show future decisions.

Janette Manrara has addressed her Strictly Come Dancing future during an appearance on This Morning.
The professional dancer turned presenter was on the ITV daytime show to chat to Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes about the Strictly live tour.

Appearing on This Morning, Janette was asked by Phillip how it was stopping dancing to move into a presenter role. “The dancing was hard,” she replied. “Obviously, I’m going to ‘keep dancing’ as they say. That’s never going to go away.
“But I felt right at home on It Takes Two. I remember my make-up artist, Summer when I was just about to go off for my first show, she was like, ‘You don’t look nervous at all’.

“And I was like, you know what… I’m not. I’m more excited to sit down chat with my mates about dancing and a show that I’m obsessed with anyway.”

Janette added: “I just felt right at home. Rylan [Clark – who she shared hosting duties with] – and the whole team at It Takes Two just made it so smooth and easy for me and made me feel so welcome. “So it was amazing. I loved every single show.”

When asked whether she’d go back to being a professional dancer on Strictly. “No, I don’t think so now,” the 38-year-old said. “It Takes Two is my new home and I’m very happy there.”

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General News & Sighting

• The use of masks in theatres will no longer be mandatory from the 27th of January as Plan B covid restrictions are lifted.
• HMRC & Arts Council England have told recipients of emergency covid grants that they must pay tax on their payments – contrary to previous guidance.
• The cast and crew of “Magic Mike Live” in London have been told that they will only be paid during closures caused by covid if they have been fully vaccinated.
• Ireland has initiated an online consultation on its plan to give a basic income to artists. This programme will cover 2,000 artists for 3 years. The Government has earmarked e25 million for the plan.
• The Royal Ballet has postponed its “Winter Draft Works” from the 5th – 8th of February to the 4th & 5th of April. It will now be called “Spring Draft Works” and will take place at the Linbury theatre.
• A new cast joins “Wicked” on the West End from the 2nd of February. Lucie Jones will star as Elphaba and Helen Woolf as Glinda.
• “Dear Evan Hanson” has extended its run in the West End until the Autumn. The choreography is by Danny Mefford.
• Aitor Arrieta & Emma Hawes were promoted to Principle dancers of the English National Ballet onstage on Friday after their performance in “Raymonda”. Shiori Kase has been promoted to Lead Principle dancer.
• The “Footloose” tour opened in Zurich on Wednesday night.
• Miss Betty Laine OBE has retired as Principle of Laine Theatre Arts. Betty founded the college in 1974.
• Cincinnati Ballet announced that from the 1st of August, Jodie Gates will take over as Artistic Director from Victoria Morgan. Victoria has been at the helm for 25 years.
• Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency due to covid-related production delays.

Future Dance News

• Harry Styles announced a UK & European tour starting in Glasgow in June.
• “Beauty and the Beast” which is currently touring in the UK, will have a limited run at the London Palladium from the 24th of June until the 17th of September. Directed and choreographed by Matt West, with new dance arrangements by David Chase. Nick Winston is the Associate UK Director / Choreographer with Chandon Jones as Associate Choreographer.
• The Dance Space, Brighton’s first building designed specifically for dance, will open in July 2022.
• Harry Stiles, Billie Eilish and Kanye West will headline this years Coachella Festival on the 15 – 17th of April & 22 – 24th of April.
• There was a press conference for the launch of “Dance Reflections” by Van Cleef & Arpels. This is a festival of past, present and future contemporary dance, presented with Sadlers Wells, the Royal Opera House and the Tate Modern.There are 16 productions and it will take place between the 9th and the 23rd of March.
• The “Peaky Blinders” inspired dance show will premiere in Birmingham at the Hippodrome on the 27th of September. This will be directed and choreographed by Benoit Swan with the Rambert Ballet.
• Tim Rice confirms that “Chess” is set for Broadway.
• Erica Mulkern’s “Suzy Homemaker” will be performed at the Lawence Batley Theatre on the 25th of March.
• The Barn Theatre, Cirencester, has unveiled its 2022 season, which includes a number of musical revivals.
• “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” will open in Leicester on the 28th of February 2022. It will star Molly-Grace Cutler & Tom Milner and be choreographed by Leah Hill.
• The revival of “White Christmas” will embark on a new tour in 2022. It will open on the 22nd of November 2022 at the Nottingham Theatre Royal. The choreography is by Stephen Mear.
• A new revival of “Jekyll & Hyde” has been announced to open in April 2022. It will be choreographed by Sarah Golding.
• “Anything Goes” will return to the Barbican Theatre from the 5th of July until the 3rd of September 2022. The choreography is by Kathleen Marshall and Carol Lee Meadows.
• Chance 2 Dance will present “The Showcase Arena” in Manchester on the 26th & 27th of March 2022.
• A new production of “Grease” will come to London’s Dominion Theatre in 2022. The choreography is by Dame Arlene Phillips.
• The Broadway production of “My Fair Lady” will open at the London Coliseum in May 2022.

Auditions & Appointments

• Portland Ballet in the USA is looking for company dancers and apprentices. Audition is by invitation only. The application deadline is the 31st of March. See the company website for further details.
• The Jackie Palmer Stage School is looking for a Dance Teacher to teach Tap, Modern, Ballet and MT. More details are on the website.
• New Adventures is looking for a Chief Operating Officer. Further details are on the website. The deadline is the 18th of February.
• BOR Productions are casting for several of their cruise ship contracts with MSC Cruises. For more details contact: casting@borproductions.com
• The Central School Of Ballet is looking for a Classical Ballet Tutor. This is a job-share position which is part-time and on a fixed contract from mid February to mid July 2022. The details are on the company website.
• “Wicked – The Movie” is looking for a wheelchair bound person to play Nessarose. Anybody interested should email: wickedfilmcasting@gmail.com
• Laine Theatre Arts is looking to appoint an Access And Participation Co-ordinator to drive the “Lanes To Laines” initiative – bridging the space between vocational training in dance & musical theatre and under-represented communities.
• Julie Bowers of BBO Dance launched the GradPro programme to give graduates the opportunity to perform, with the possibility of being seen by leading dance directors. The closing date for applications is the 28th of January 2022..
• Birmingham Ceremonies is looking for pro dancers for both the opening and the closing ceremonies of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year.

Dance Classes

• If you live in LA, Tobias Ellehammer is teaching at Millenium Studios in North Hollywood on Fridays from 7.00 – 9.00pm.
• Jenny Thomas, the choreographer for the Charleston dances on “Strictly”, is offering a Strictly Charleston Fit Course starting on Thursday – taught online via Zoom. There are more details on Jenny’s Instagram Bio (Jennytaps1).
• Holly Johnson is offering Commercial dance classes at the Rooftop Studios in Leek on Wednesdays for £5 per class. Aged 16+. Message Holly on Facebook for more details.
• Aileen Carroll-Turner is offering Adult Ballet classes at intermediate level on Mondays from 8.00 – 9.30pm at CTSD in Brighton. Students £8.50 and drop ins £9.50.
• Laura Gilchrist is offering a Commercial class on Mondays from 7.15 – 8.45pm for £7 at the Grove Community Hub in Leicester, LE31QZ.
• Laura Morse is offering a class on Wednesdays at Base Studios, London, from 5.30 – 6.55pm. Book your space via the app.
• Haley Monaghan is teaching a Heels class on Wednesdays from 8.30 – 10.00pm at the Base Dance Studios in London for £12. Book your place via the app.
• Valentina Dolci is giving a Lyrical Jazz class for Intermediate / Advanced level on the 28th of January from 6.00 – 8.00pm at Ignite Studio in Glasgow.
• Kim Collins is offering a Commercial class every Wednesday & Saturday from 1.00 – 2.25pm at the Base Dance Studios in London.
• Lizzie McConachie is giving a Commercial class at Pineapple Studios on Tuesdays from 7.30 – 8.30pm.
• Hannah Levitt Collins is giving a Heels class at Base Studios in London on the 15th of February from 2.00 – 4.00pm. You can book on Hannah’s Bio on Instagram.
• Sophina Afzal is teaching a Jazz/MT class at “Move It” on the 13th of March at 2.45pm.
• Hannah Cleeve is giving a Heels class on Friday the 11th of March from 2.15 – 3.00pm at “Move It”. (This will book up fast)
• Faith Newport will be teaching a Commercial / Hip Hop class on Fridays from 5.45 – 6.45pm at the Motion Studios, Bristol.
• Steffi Croxson is teaching 2 classes at “Move It”. A Salsa Fitness class on Friday the 11th at 1.45 – 2.30pm and a Barre Beats class on Sunday the 13th from 3.45 – 4.30pm.
• Jordi Guitart is teaching a class at “Move It” on the 12th of March at 2.15pm in the Fosse Studio.
• Christopher Tendai is offering a Musical Theatre Jazz class at Pineapple Studios, London, on Tuesdays from 10.15 – 11.45am.
• Drew McOnie is giving a dance class at Pineapple Studios on Fridays at 6.30 – 8.30pm.
• Lizzie McConachie is teaching on Thursdays at Base Studios from 2.30 – 4.00pm.
• Sir Matt Bourne’s New Adventures Company is doing a 1 day Pro masterclass on the 29th of January 2022 at the Urdang Academy. This includes a ticket to the evening performance at Sadlers Wells that night.
• Gareth Walker is teaching a Commercial Jazz dance class at the Pineapple Studios every Tuesday at 3.15pm.
• Ombracuradance have a weekly Hip Hop / Experimental dance class at The Base Studios on Mondays at 8.30 – 9.55pm
• Katie Deacon has an Advanced / Pro Ballet Class at the Pineapple Dance Studios on Tuesdays & Thursdays at 1.30pm.
• Lauren Gore has her “Tappercise Class” every other Monday at the Holy Trinity Church, London NR21, from 7.30 – 8.15pm for £6 per class. Contact Lauren for further details.
• Christabelle Field is teaching a Latin Jazz class at the Base Dance Studio on Thursdays from 1.00 – 2.30pm for £9.
• Louise Barton has a Commercial Dance class at the Pineapple Dance Studios every Friday from 1.45 – 3.15pm.
• Lil J is offering a number of “sassy commercial fusion” dance classes at Pineapple Studios. Check the website for details.
• Christina Andrea has classes at Pineapple Studios on Tuesday from 5.00 – 6.00pm (Studio 2) & Wednesday from 7.45 – 8.45pm (Studio 1). There is also a class at Base Studios on Thursday from 2.30 – 4.00pm (James Brown Studio).
• Dollie Henry offers a weekly Jazz class at Pineapple Dance Studios on Sundays from 4.15 – 5.45pm.
• Michael & Jowita, the winners of “The Greatest Dancer”, are offering a full range of dance classes at their Studio in Ealing, London.

Film And Video

• The National Lottery’s “The Big Night Of Musicals”, featuring some excellent pro dancers, will be shown on Saturday on BBC1 at 7.00pm.
• We spotted Ainsley Ricketts, Isabel Read, Jo Dyce. Neave Harvey, Emily Kenwright, Oli Metzler, Philip Burchall & Summer Villiers. The choreographer is Jared Hegeman and the contract was with Mass Movement.
• The USA cast of “Jamie – The Musical” appeared on the Late Late Show With James Cordon.
• We spotted Natalie Lisle in “Father Brown” on BBC1.
• We spotted Sophie Appollonia in the Azzaro “Most Wanted” campaign.
• We spotted Amy Murchison in the latest Dove anti-perspirant campaign.
• We spotted Kyia Bobbi & Tenika working on the new Feel advert. The contract was with AJK.
• We spotted Beth Willetts in the latest Carex “Second Date Eruptions” TV campaign.

 Dincwear Dancewear will keep watching the news and bring you further updates next Tuesday as usual.

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From all the news team at Dincwear Dancewear, See you all next week!

This post has been created by the Dincwear Dancewear Team.