On the sixth (and final!) day of Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2024 celebrity reveals, my true love sent to me….. Billy Monger 

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is back! As the Ballroom is once again transformed into a magical winter wonderland, the final celebrity behind the all-star advent calendar doors this year has been revealed.   

On Strictly: It Takes Two on BBC Two and iPlayer this evening, Billy Monger was announced as the final celebrity included in 2024’s Christmas line up, he will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova. 

Expect festive cheer, jingle bells, mistletoe madness, bedazzling baubles and six celebrities all sleighing their way to Elstree in a bid to be crowned the Strictly Christmas Champion 2024.  

Billy Monger is a racing driver and TV presenter. 

Billy has scored podiums in British Formula 3 and followed in Lewis Hamilton’s footsteps by winning the Pau Grand Prix in European Formula 3.  

He was critically injured in a high-speed collision while racing in Formula 4 which left him with both legs amputated. Despite this, Billy refused to give up on his racing career, lobbying to allow both disabled and non-disabled drivers to race alongside each other. 

Billy won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and had a BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary made about his story. Billy is also a presenter and pundit on Channel 4’s coverage of Formula One and the Paralympics. He recently beat the world record for a double amputee in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii – the toughest endurance event in the world – a BBC documentary on this is being made. 

Billy Monger said: “I’ve spent the last 12 months training 20 hours a week for an Ironman world record attempt, but the thought of donning sequins in front of Craig Revel Horwood fills me with a fear I’ve never experienced before. This is about as far from my comfort zone as it can get! My family are big Strictly fans, so I’m doing it for them and to raise awareness for what I’m doing for Comic Relief next year. I’m just hoping my leg doesn’t fall off mid-dance!”  

In the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, produced by BBC Studios, each of the six couples will perform a festive fuelled routine in the hope of impressing the judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas, and the voting studio audience. But who will emerge the Christmas star of the evening, and lift the sought after Christmas trophy? 

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Judy Morr “decided to do something nobody else was doing in Southern California, which was to bring major international dance companies to Orange County. That’s how it all started. Dance became the way to establish the Center’s reputation nationally and internationally.” – CultureOC

On the fourth day of Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2024 celebrity reveals, my true love sent to me…… Harry Aikines-Aryeetey 

The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special is back! As the Ballroom is once again transformed into a magical winter wonderland, the fourth celebrity behind the all-star advent calendar doors this year has been revealed.   

On Strictly: It Takes Two on BBC Two and iPlayer this evening, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey or ‘Nitro’ from Gladiators was announced as the fourth celebrity included in 2024’s Christmas line up, he will be paired with Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Nancy Xu. 

Expect festive cheer, jingle bells, mistletoe madness, bedazzling baubles and six celebrities all sleighing their way to Elstree in a bid to be crowned the Strictly Christmas Champion 2024.  

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey or ‘Nitro’ is a Gladiator and Olympian. 

In 2023 Harry was unveiled as ‘Nitro’ in the BBC One series of Gladiators. He is also a Team GB sprinter, Commonwealth and World gold medallist sprinter. Harry has competed at the highest level in the UK since his youth. After becoming the first athlete to win gold medals at both 100 and 200 metres at the World Youth Championships, he won 2005 BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year age 17. 

Harry has gone on to win gold 4x in the men’s 100m European Championships and at the Commonwealth Games. His long list of achievements include: 2x Olympian, 3x European Champion, 2x Commonwealth Champion, 1x Commonwealth Silver Medallist, 1x European Bronze Medallist, 1x World Bronze Medallist, 1x British Champion, 2x World Youth Champion and 1x World Junior Champion. 

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey says: “STRICTLY….ARE YOU READY?! Nitro’s blasting onto the Ballroom floor this Christmas! I’m swapping my trainers for dancing shoes, and trust me, I’m bringing the power, the energy and the moves! This December I’m gonna light up that dancefloor and crank the Christmas spirit all the way UP. Let’s do this!” 

In the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special, produced by BBC Studios, each of the six couples will perform a festive fuelled routine in the hope of impressing the judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Head Judge Shirley Ballas, and the voting studio audience. But who will emerge the Christmas star of the evening, and lift the sought after Christmas trophy?   

The remaining Christmas line up will be announced on Strictly: It Takes Two in due course.  

The ballet world is mourning the death of Vladimir Shklyarov, one of its leading male dancers.

Shklyarov, a principal with the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, was an “extraordinary artist” who inspired fans worldwide, one tribute said.

His death, announced by the St Petersburg company on Saturday, is being investigated by federal authorities, according to Russian media reports.

Mariinsky representatives told media he had fallen from the fifth floor of a St Petersburg building while on painkillers.

“This is a huge loss not only for the theatre’s staff but for all of contemporary ballet,” the company said in a statement on Saturday.

“Our condolences to the artist’s family, loved ones, friends and all the numerous admirers of his work and talent.”

Shklyarov was married to fellow company dancer Maria Shklyarov, with whom he had two children.

Born in Leningrad, he studied at the famed Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, graduating in 2003.

He joined the Mariinsky Theatre the same year, becoming a principal in 2011.

Over 20 years with the company, he danced leads across several productions, including Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

He performed at prestigious venues around the world, including the Royal Opera House in London and Metropolitan Opera in New York.

In 2014 and 2015, he featured as a guest artist at the American Ballet Theatre. The company issued a statement on Sunday mourning his “tragic loss.”

“We mourn the tragic loss of Vladimir Shklyarov, an extraordinary artist whose grace and passion inspired audiences worldwide.

“Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world,” the company wrote on Instagram.

Shklyarov received several accolades during his lifetime, including the Léonide Massine International Prize in 2008. He was also appointed an Honoured Artist of Russia in 2020.

“He forever inscribed his name in the history of world ballet,” the Mariinsky Theatre said.

Wynne Evans is the eighth celebrity to depart the dancefloor in Strictly Come Dancing 2024

 
Wynne Evans and Katya Jones have left Strictly Come Dancing, following a dance off against Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe during the eighth results show of the series, this week from the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.  

Both couples performed their routines again; Montell and Johannes performed their Salsa to Don’t Leave Me This Way by Thelma Houston. Then, Wynne and Katya performed their Charleston to Carmen Suite No. 1: 5. Les Toreadors by George Bizet.  

After both couples had danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts: 

·       Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Montell and Johannes. 

·       Motsi Mabuse chose to save Montell and Johannes. 

·       Anton Du Beke chose to save Montell and Johannes. 

With three votes in favour of Montell and Johannes, they won the majority vote meaning that Wynne and Katya would be leaving the competition. Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed and said she would have decided to save Montell and Johannes. 

When asked by Tess about his time on the show, Wynne said: “It’s been wonderful, I’ve got to say. I feel like it’s what Strictly is all about. If I can come and do Strictly and last until week nine, then anybody can get out there and dance and have a brilliant time. Strictly is such a brilliant family, such a precious family, that I want everybody here in this room and at home to look after it for the generations to come because it is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  

Katya said: “To be honest with you, the smile hasn’t left my face since the first day of our training, since the day we got partnered up.  

“You [to Wynne] have made this experience so joyous and so full of laughter for me. I’m sure everybody was jealous because you’re the kind of guy that everybody wants in their life. You bring light, you bring laughter, you bring charisma, you fill up every room you walk into with those qualities” 

Wynne added: “To have been partnered with Katya has been amazing and coming every Saturday night to hang out with these guys [to fellow contestants in the Clauditorium], that’s been wonderful. But to spend every weekday dancing has been just fantastic. I’ve grown so much and I’m so thankful to have met this person [to Katya].”  

Sunday’s results show also features a phenomenal additional performance from Pet Shop Boys, who perform their brand-new single All The Young Dudes, plus our professional dancers put on a passionate and sultry performance to Tango Jalouise.   

The remaining seven couples will take to the dancefloor next week when Strictly Come Dancing returns live on Saturday 23^rd November at 19:05 with the return of the Dance-A-Thon feature, where all of the couples will take to the Ballroom floor together to impress the judges with their best Samba moves in a Samba-Thon. The results show will air on Sunday 24^th November at 19:20 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.  

Both of this weekend’s episodes are available to watch now via BBC iPlayer. 

Wynne and Katya will join Fleur East for their first exclusive televised interview live on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday 18^th November at 18:30 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. 

Don’t miss a Strictly Come Dancing sequin by clicking on the image below, where you’ll be taken to the latest news

On a Friday afternoon on the last day of May, Donna Faye Burchfield was sitting on her deck in Philadelphia when a newspaper notification popped up on her friend’s phone: University of the Arts, where Burchfield had been dean of the School of Dance since 2010, was closing its doors in a week—for good. Were Burchfield and her colleagues given any warning? “Of course not,” she says with a laugh, still incredulous months after the fact. “And we had 31 students scheduled to leave for France in less than two weeks for the low-residency MFA program.”

Burchfield spent the rest of the night pacing her apartment, trying to process the shock. The next morning, she started making phone calls, relying on friends and colleagues in the field to help her compile a list of contacts who might be able to help. “I didn’t even know what I was going to ask for,” she remembers. “It was like being lost at sea. I needed to figure how to get to land.”

Eventually, Burchfield was connected to Bennington College president Laura Walker and provost Maurice Hall, and described her most immediate concern: that the 13 UArts low-residency MFA students expected to graduate at the end of the summer—many of whom had already accepted job offers predicated on earning their degrees—would be able to do so. “I explained that,” says Burchfield, “and Laura said, ‘Don’t stop there. How else can Bennington help? What else do you need?’ ”

Just two months later, thanks to Walker’s heroic fundraising efforts and the generosity of three major donors, The New York Times announced that the UArts School of Dance would be revived at Bennington College. In September, 36 BFA students, 20 continuing low-residency MFA students, and 13 faculty members matriculated to Bennington, trading UArts’ urban Philadelphia setting for Bennington’s pastoral Vermont campus.

While the partnership might seem unexpected, both Burchfield and Walker see it as a serendipitous continuation of Bennington’s modern dance legacy. In 1934, a group of artists including Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Hanya Holm, and Charles Weidman helped to launch the Bennington School of Dance, a summer festival that acted as both a training program and a creative laboratory. In the decades since, dance has continued to play an important role at the college, with notable teachers including José Limón, Judith Dunn, and Steve Paxton.

“There’s a direct line from our founding dance faculty to what we’re doing now,” says Walker. “Bennington was the first college to put the arts at the center of the curriculum, and that still informs everything we do.” Other Philadelphia-based schools, like Temple University and Drexel University, offered to absorb UArts students and faculty. But Burchfield understood that what made UArts’ dance program special was more than just its people. “We were looking for a place where we could hold on to the ways that we’ve taught students,” she says. “There was already a history of experimental pedagogy in place at Bennington.”

A new program, made up of former UArts students and faculty, now exists alongside Bennington’s BA in dance. While the BFA is more geared towards preparing dancers for performance careers and the BA is primarily focused on choreography, interdisciplinary research, and critical inquiry, students are free to take classes across both tracks. Outside of their BFA classes—which will be taught by many former UArts professors (including Shayla-Vie Jenkins­ and Jesse Zaritt, who will act as faculty­ advisors), mostly in a rotating group who will visit Bennington to teach in three- and seven-week stints—the transfer students will be fully integrated into life at Bennington, living in campus housing and choosing their own BA courses. UArts’ low-residency MFA students will go to Bennington’s campus over the college’s fall and spring breaks, and then spend six weeks over the summer in Montpellier, France, just as they did before the merger.

While Walker and Burchfield hope that the UArts transplants feel settled in Vermont this year, they’re still hoping to find a satellite space in Philadelphia where the BFA program can build a home. “Philadelphia has such a rich cultural life,” says Walker. “I’m really excited­ about having an outpost in the city that all of Bennington College can use.”

Before the start of the academic year, Burchfield and her team laid down a support floor in Bennington’s student union, transforming it into a studio for the BFA students. “It was like this space was waiting for the floor to be laid. All those folks and all that labor, it still lives here,” says Burchfield, referencing Bennington’s dance history. But it’s Burchfield and Walker’s steadfast belief in arts education that’s allowing that legacy to continue to grow. As of press time, dance is the only one of UArts’ schools to find a way forward for a large group of students and faculty.

Walker hopes that this collaboration can serve as a blueprint for other programs suffering in the future. “As the arts are under attack, we need to find new models to ensure that programs like this, that are extraordinary, will continue,” she says. To that end, Burchfield has hung a quote by Merce Cunningham­ dancer Viola Farber—another member of Bennington’s­ storied dance faculty—on the door of her new office.­ It reads: “I think somehow all of us who work at dancing inspire one another; whether we have anything specifically to do with each other or not.”

It’s Halloween on Strictly Come Dancing, and the couples danced to these spooktacular songs:

• Chris and Diane performing a spooky Samba to “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees
• Jamie and Michelle with a scary American Smooth to “The Addams Family Theme” by Vic Mizzy
• JB and Amy with a frightful Foxtrot to “Dancing in The Moonlight” by Toploader
• Montell and Johannes with a chilling Cha Cha to “Love Potion No. 9” by The Clovers
• Pete and Jowita gliding through a wicked Viennese Waltz to “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra
• Dr Punam and Gorka with a terrifying Tango to “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics
• Sam and Nikita in a jump-scare Jive to “Time Warp” by Richard O’Brien (from The Rocky Horror
  Picture Show)
• Sarah and Vito attempting the first “Argh’gentine Tango” to “Ready Or Not” by The Fugees
• Shayne and Nancy showcasing a petrifying Paso Doble to “In The Hall of The Mountain King” by
  Edvard Grieg
• Tasha and Aljaž with a spooky Samba to “I Like To Move It” by Reel 2 Real
• Wynne and Katya in a scary Salsa to “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai

Wednesday, on a Saturday. A disco sequin graveyard. Scarecrows, pumpkins & wheelbarrows.

The Strictly Come Dancing Halloween scoreboard looks like this :

Click the image below for all things Strictly

Dr Punam Krishan is the fifth celebrity to depart the dancefloor in Strictly Come Dancing 2024 

 
Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez have left Strictly Come Dancing, following a dance off against Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu during the fifth results show of the series.  

Both couples performed their routines again; Punam and her partner Gorka performed their Tango to Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics. Then, Shayne and his dance partner Nancy performed their Paso Doble to In The Hall of The Mountain King by Edvard Grieg.  

After both couples had danced a second time, the judges delivered their verdicts: 

·       Craig Revel Horwood chose to save Shayne and Nancy.  

·       Motsi Mabuse chose to save Shayne and Nancy.  

·       Anton Du Beke chose to save Shayne and Nancy.  

With three votes in favour of Shayne and Nancy, they won the majority vote meaning that Punam and Gorka would be leaving the competition. Head Judge Shirley Ballas also agreed and said she would have decided to save Shayne and Nancy.  

When asked by Tess about their time on the show, Punam said: “I am really proud of myself. You know I’ve taken on something that’s so out of my comfort zone. The one thing that I’ve very much learnt is to say yes more, and that there is no point in your life when you can stop learning new skills. I’ve learnt more than dancing, I’ve learnt so much from Gorka. Everyone’s been so incredible and it’s just memories that I’ll take home forever and I am very proud. I’ve made my family very proud, I’m just really grateful.” 

When Tess asked whether Punam’s family are proud, she responded: “They really are. My kids are so proud, my parents, my husband, everyone. This is just one of those things that I have dreamt about for years and I think to have one of your dreams genuinely come true is just a surreal feeling. Week after week it’s been incredible, I’ve made friends for life and everyone’s just been so kind, so thank you.” 

Gorka said: “It’s been incredible, it’s been a fantastic six weeks. I’m very proud of what she has achieved. She’s a GP and a Mum. She had never danced before and I think she improved week by week. I think she is truly what the show is about, someone who doesn’t have experience in the performance world came here and learnt to dance. She wanted to do so well and worked so hard. Also I feel very proud and very honoured that we got to do a Bollywood dance, to represent your culture, show your culture to the world and open doors for so many people in your culture.” 

Punam added: “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for giving me the gift of dancing. I’ve never danced before, but you’ve definitely sparked so much dancing. I want to learn more, and I definitely don’t think this will be the end of my journey dancing.” 

Sunday’s results show also features a spook-tastic routine from our fabulous professional dancers in a Beetlejuice-inspired routine led by Carlos Gu. Plus a show stopping musical performance from Lady Blackbird sure to leave viewers spellbound.   

Due to unforeseen circumstances, Amy Dowden MBE was unable to be in tonight’s results show. 

The remaining ten couples will take to the dancefloor next week for the brand-new icons themed week when Strictly Come Dancing returns on Saturday 2^nd November at 1830 with the results show on Sunday 3^rd November at 1920 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Both of this weekend’s episodes are available to watch now via BBC iPlayer. 

Dr Punam and Gorka will be joining Fleur East for their first exclusive televised interview live on Strictly: It Takes Two on Monday 28^th October at 1830 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. 

Don’t miss a Strictly sequin by clicking on the image below

It’s Halloween on Strictly Come Dancing, and the couples will be dancing to these spooktacular songs:

• Chris and Diane performing a spooky Samba to “Stayin’ Alive” by Bee Gees
• Jamie and Michelle with a scary American Smooth to “The Addams Family Theme” by Vic Mizzy
• JB and Amy with a frightful Foxtrot to “Dancing in The Moonlight” by Toploader
• Montell and Johannes with a chilling Cha Cha to “Love Potion No. 9” by The Clovers
• Pete and Jowita gliding through a wicked Viennese Waltz to “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra
• Dr Punam and Gorka with a terrifying Tango to “Sweet Dreams” by Eurythmics
• Sam and Nikita in a jump-scare Jive to “Time Warp” by Richard O’Brien (from The Rocky Horror
  Picture Show)
• Sarah and Vito attempting the first “Argh’gentine Tango” to “Ready Or Not” by The Fugees
• Shayne and Nancy showcasing a petrifying Paso Doble to “In The Hall of The Mountain King” by
  Edvard Grieg
• Tasha and Aljaž with a spooky Samba to “I Like To Move It” by Reel 2 Real
• Wynne and Katya in a scary Salsa to “Canned Heat” by Jamiroquai

This year, in Sunday night’s results show, our professional dancers will cast a spell with a mesmerizing Beetlejuice-inspired routine that promises to be to die for! And as the witching hour approaches, don’t miss Lady Blackbird, who will be haunting the show with a chilling performance that’s sure to leave you spellbound.

Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell

Do you have any phobias?
Dianne: Heights. I hate heights.
Chris: I don’t like little alive things or things that were alive, like seafood. I can’t get on with things that look like they did when they were alive and you’ve got to eat them. I imagine them worse than what they look like. Give me anything in a steak and I’ll eat it but like mussels I can’t get on with.
Chris: I can’t stand flying either actually. I’m a nightmare to sit next to. It’s just the not knowing if we’re going to crash. I think if I knew we were going to crash I’d be alright but it’s the not knowing so with every bit of turbulence, I can’t see the calmness around me, so I’m on edge all the time and I can’t relax. I’m always knackered by the time I get anywhere.

Do you believe in ghosts? And have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Dianne: I do. I believe in ghosts. I feel like I’ve felt presence.
Chris: I’m just keeping my mouth shut. I mean, do you think ghosts are just human or do you think ghosts are other things as well?
Dianne: Ghosts are a spirit.
Chris: But would you think there are ghost cats?
Dianne: No, I don’t think there are ghost cats. The thing is ghost cats haunt other cats, they’re not going to haunt humans are they.
Chris: I don’t believe in any of it. I think if there were ghosts, you wouldn’t be able to see anything else but ghosts. Imagine all the ghost bees.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
Chris: Episode one of this show. Generally, I was terrified.
Dianne: Anything to do with heights, I had to jump off a bridge for a show I was filming and I’ll never forget how scared I was. I was terrified and I would never do it again.

Did you go trick or treating either with kids now or when you were a kid?
Chris: I take my daughter trick or treating around our neighbourhood. You can always tell the people that are into it as they’ll have a little pumpkin in the window, I think that’s the sign now isn’t it.
Dianne: I bet you don’t have a pumpkin in your house do you? I bet you’ve got a graveyard in front of your house…
Chris: I’ve just got a sign that says stay away!

How do you trick and also treat each other when you’re in training?
Dianne: I trick Chris quite a bit don’t I. We have a good old laugh.
Chris: like yesterday you filmed a video with me with all different filters on and I didn’t know. We have a laugh but we don’t really play tricks.
Dianne: I’m forever buying him presents. I’m yet to get one off him but I’m forever getting you things. I’ve got you a glitter ball, a bracelet…

Jamie Borthwick and Michelle Tsiakkas

Do you have any phobias?
Michelle: Claustrophobia.
Jamie: Yes, emetophobia (fear of vomiting). Not Halloween related though.

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal encounter?
Michelle: I believe in spirits. There are too many things we don’t understand. I’ve never had an encounter, but I’m quite spiritual. Ghosts as we portray them to be, no, but I think there’s a spiritual world that we can’t see with our own eyes.
Jamie: I think I do, there’s too many things not to believe. I’ve never had an encounter though.

When have you been the most scared?
Jamie: Probably the first Strictly live show!
Michelle: The first live show for me too. Jamie was nervous, but I was more excited. It’s that mix of fear and anticipation.

What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up as?
Michelle: Catwoman. I’m one of those girls who actually tries to look good for Halloween instead of scary!
Jamie: I don’t think I’ve ever really done Halloween properly.

How do you trick each other during training?
Jamie: I’ll deliberately mess up the steps just to throw her off.
Michelle: He thinks it’s funny, but messing up steps builds bad muscle memory! I might prank him by pretending to be sick – it’ll freak him out because he’s scared of vomiting.
Jamie: That’s nasty! She treats me with bacon rolls and I treat her with lunch.

JB Gill and Amy Dowden MBE

What are you genuinely scared of?
Amy: I’m scared of a lot of things, to be honest, like anything that makes you jump – even in films. When villains would come out in kid’s films, I’d even get scared then. Maybe that’s why I’m not a fan of Halloween. Just a very scared person in general!
JB: I’m scared of snakes. Predominantly snakes. Everything else – dogs, heights, small spaces – I’m fine with. But snakes, they’re just too quick and unpredictable.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
JB: I remember being lost as a child. I was probably around six or seven and was at Woolworths with my parents. I couldn’t find them, so I freaked out, calling out for them. In my mind, I was lost forever. They found me eventually, but it was terrifying at the
time.

Do you have any phobias?
Amy: I had a phobia of dogs, but I got over it through therapy.
JB: Snakes, definitely. I love watching wildlife shows, but snakes are too unpredictable. I once had one on my shoulders, and I couldn’t relax!

Best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
Amy: Strictly 2021 – I was painted red and dressed as a devil alongside Tom Fletcher.
JB: I’ve never really done Halloween, but I dressed as Wonka for Movies Week which I loved. I’ve also been an American football player before.

Did you go trick-or-treating as a child?
Amy: Yes, but only to the neighbours that my parents knew – it was all pre-arranged.
JB: Maybe when I was really young, but not much since then.

Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe

What are you genuinely scared of?
Montell: I’m genuinely scared of heights, I do not like free falling at all, petrified! Also rats and mice can’t do that and the thought of being buried alive also comes to mind, not a fan of the thought process of that.
Johannes: Creepy crawlies, especially rats and mice.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
Montell: The most scared I’ve been was when I was on an adventurous holiday in Costa Rica and I was zip lining across mountains which with the heights thing just threw me. I was genuinely the most scared I’ve been I thought I was going to die – it was chaotic.
Johannes: My sister chasing me around the house with a dead mouse.

Do you have any phobias?
Johannes: Darkness and Spiders

Best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in? OR best costume in general you’ve ever dressed up in?
Montell: I dressed up as Whitney Houston a couple of years ago for a Halloween party, that was proper fancy dress, that was probably the best outfit I’ve ever done.
Johannes: My look for the Halloween special with Ellie for our couples choice to ‘I Put a Spell On You’.

Did you go trick or treating? (as a kid/with your kids?)
Montell: When I was younger I did go Trick or Treating, a group of us would go together family and friends. But I actually preferred giving the sweets to the kids when I got a bit older. Especially when you’re in an estate or residential area and around a community lots of kids come and knock. So that was really exciting, giving out the sweets rather than going Trick or Treating.
Johannes: No unfortunately only as an adult, had the best time.

How would you trick your partner and how would you treat your partner?
Montell: To trick my partner I would probably do little weird things, like move things in our studio and turn off the lights and stuff – I think that would freak him out a little. For a treat I would probably make a personalised playlist of all the songs that we love.
Johannes: I would mislead them with paper or rock filled with sweets. Treat, have a stash of really good goodies!

What are you carving into your pumpkin?
Montell: In my pumpkin I am carving a glitterball, this is going to be quite difficult, with shoes inside, just to signify my Strictly experience with these heels!
Johannes: I would crave a really happy smiley pumpkin.

Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal

What genuinely scares you?
Pete: Nothing. Actually, gorillas. If they wanted to take over the world, they would, and they would just rip my arm off and beat me with it. Other than that, nothing really.
Jowita: Spiders. Super creepy, they’re not for me.

Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Jowita: I believe in an energy and everything, but I haven’t experienced it in my own skin.
Pete: I actually agree with that. There might be, I don’t know. I don’t necessarily believe but I also don’t definitely disbelieve. I have got a ghost tattooed on me. I used to present a podcast called Just a Little Prick about tattoos and interviewed tattoo artists whilst they tattooed me. And [the tattoo artist who did the ghost] was apparently the oldest working artist in the world. He was 93 and I expected him just to be doing like a little tattoo or something like that so I let him do whatever he wanted, but I didn’t realise it was going to be Casper the Friendly Ghost, who looks like a fat baby. It is absolutely ridiculous.

What is the best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
Pete: Nothing because I hate Halloween. I hate fancy dress!
Jowita: In Poland, we don’t celebrate Halloween so as a child I’ve never dressed up or anything. But at an old job I worked on a cruise ship that held a competition for Halloween. Whoever had the best outfit won, I didn’t really want to dress up because
we had a double show that day, so what I decided to do was backcomb my hair so it was absolutely massive, painted my face white, wore a black dress and simply acted creepy. I was so creepy that people voted for me and I won.

Have either of you been trick or treating ever?
Pete: I switch off all the lights in my house on Halloween. I don’t remember ever going trick or treating.

How do you trick or treat your partner during training?
Jowita: We buy each other coffee…
Pete: I bought you some banana bread!
Jowita: Yes, he bought me banana bread and I didn’t even ask.
Pete: I remember your family’s names and I tried to learn some Polish so that I could say hello to your brother in Polish.

Have you ever carved pumpkins?
Pete: To be honest with you, I’d make quite a good pumpkin because we have the same skin tone. Just whack a wig on it. It would be really easy to make me into a pumpkin. Pumpkin Pete.
Jowita: Yes I did, I was quite inventive. I also love pumpkin soup. Pumpkins usually have smiley faces so it would be quite easy to do Pete as there would just be a line instead.

Dr Punam Krishan and Gorka Márquez

What are you genuinely scared of?
Punam: Spiders creep me out.
Gorka: I’m scared of cats. I cross the road if there’s a cat on the same road as me.

Do you believe in ghosts or paranormal?
Punam: I do believe in spirits but it’s more kind of feeling the presence of being I love that have passed. I don’t believe in ghosts lurking round dark corners.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
Punam: It’s very easy to spook me. Really dark rooms I cannot enter because I’ll just freak myself out.

Best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
Gorka: Strictly costume always. Nothing ever tops it. My Beetlejuice outfit (that you’ll see in the results show on Sunday!) was incredible, though it was very itchy.

Did you go trick or treating?
Punam: Yes, I go trick or treating as an adult. My whole household, including the dogs, dress up. It’s a big thing in my neighbourhood.

How would you trick your partner and how would you treat your partner?
Punam: Every day is a trick with Gorka. I’ve tricked Gorka with jump scares, but it went wrong, and I went flying through a table.
Gorka: Treats are croissants and coffee.

What are you carving into your pumpkin?
Punam: I love going to the pumpkin patch and choosing pumpkins. This year, we’re doing the Addams Family, and we compete as a family to see who can carve the best pumpkin.

Sam Quek MBE and Nikita Kuzmin

What are you genuinely scared of this Halloween?
Sam: I hate spiders. Anything really small that can get into places in a fast way without you knowing. I also don’t like to be scared. We had no curtains on our front room for a while and the thought of someone appearing at the window.
Nikita: Spiders also. There was a spider on my car the other day and I had to evacuate to get rid of it. I’m scared of rats. The ones in Italy are huge. I’m terrified of them. I hate small vegetables, small insects. I’m so scared of ants.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
Sam: I remember going to watch Paranormal Activity with the team GB Hockey Girls when it first came out. It seemed like a really good idea at the time but we all came up traumatised. My friend even ended up sleeping at my flat so we could share a bed together. It was really scary but also really funny.

What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
Nikita: I’ve been a gherkin before. This year I’m going to be Dobby. I’ve got great socks for the costume. I’m going to be driving from my house to the studio in the Dobby costume, so everyone can look at me driving and wonder where Dobby is going.
Sam: I’ve never gone sexy. I went as dead Lara Croft at university and also as a dead policewoman. I also did a dead NFL player.
Nikita: Me and Vito are dead NFL players this Halloween for the group number!

Did you go trick or treating as a kid?
Sam: yes, I went as a kid and with my kids now.
Nikita: I’m going for the first time this year as an adult. I missed that part of my life because I was away competing.

How would you trick and treat each other? Do you do tricks on each other?
Sam: Nikita is really easy to trick because I could just jump out from behind door.
Nikita: I’ll come for training dressed as Dobby.
Sam: Our treat is anything caffeine based.
Nikita: Coffee.
What are you carving into your pumpkin this year?
Sam: A glitterball.

Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola

What are you most scared of?
Sarah: People jumping out at me. I’m such jumpy person. Vito does it all the time and it always gets me. I can be in my own house knowing that there are other family members in the house but I’ll still get scared when they jump out at me.
Vito: I’m afraid of the dark. I have a little light that comes on at night time. I never sleep with the curtains pulled.

What’s made you the most scared on Halloween before?
Sarah: In my road where I live Halloween is massive. One year a friend bought this really simple rubber mask. I really didn’t like. It really freaked me out, even though I knew who it was. I also once went on The Saw Experience at Thorpe Park. I started crying halfway round and my friend had to drag me out. My friend thought it was hilarious. It was just terrifying, but my friend loved it.

Are you scared of ghosts or have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Vito: Since I was little I’ve always had things I can see and speak to. When I was a baby, I used to scare my mum because I would stand up in the night and be speaking to someone. The last experience I had was at home here in London. My speaker started to
make sounds and talking in the middle of the night. I froze and couldn’t move. My phone died as I went to try and record it even though it didn’t have a low battery. I recorded it on my watch for about five minutes but when I went back to listen to it there was no sound. I have this energy around me which I call Carmela. She’s always around and plays with lights.

What’s the best Halloween costume?
Sarah: The pumpkin I had on in the Strictly Halloween teaser. I absolutely loved it, it really is the stuff of dreams. I love dressing up for Halloween and that would definitely be my favourite. I think it was intended for a child.
Vito: In Italy we don’t have the Halloween culture but I remember when I was young watching Halloween films made in Hollywood and begging my mum to let me dress up so she took a white sheet and threw it on me, so I was a ghost. She made two little holes for my eyes. I enjoyed that day so much.

Did you go trick or treating as a kid?
Sarah: I didn’t as a child but I do now and, like I say, the street I live on is a massive Halloween street. I think it’s fantastic and I love it. It’s really safe and really good fun. I think most kids love dressing up so it’s exciting and fun. This year Percey (my cat) is going to dress up as a purple witch.

How do you trick and treat each other in the training room?
Sarah: I need to get it together because at the minute, I feel like it’s 10 tricks to none to Vito. Vito treats me by making me a cup of tea when I arrive at training in the morning. It’s something he’s just learned to do and he makes so much effort with it. I really, really, really appreciate it. He really critiques himself. We’re both similar in terms of food too and we’ll always share if we need to. I really like that.
Vito: It shows that I love you because I don’t share food with people if I don’t love them.

Are you into pumpkin carving?
Sarah: Pumpkin carving, I think is absolutely hazardous. It’s so risky. I’ve got all the equipment, like the special spoons but you’ve got to be so careful.
Vito: I’ve never done it in my life until last year on Strictly which was the first time in my life. I enjoyed it so much.
Sarah: I’m a very clumsy person. I’m a bit slap dash and I’m the sort of person who would chop my own finger off!

Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu

Have you had any spooky or paranormal encounters?
Shayne: One time I was staying in a pub B&B and on the door was Henry VIII. I thought I’d go straight to bed as I had an
early start, I switched off the light and was on my side. As soon as I rolled over I opened my eyes and saw a figure there. I
hadn’t even been asleep yet and it was just after 9pm, I literally looked at it and did that movie thing of rubbing your
eyes. Then I watched it walk off.

Did you go trick or treating as a kid?
Shayne: I loved trick or treating as a kid and I love it now as a kid. Now my son is old enough to go he’s going to be walking
up to all of the doors and asking for treats.

How do you trick and treat each other in training?
Nancy: once at the very beginning I was about to do an interview and he tried to prank me
Shayne: we were doing a VT and they were filming as I said to Nancy ‘how do I say I want to cry in Chinese’ and she taught me and I kept saying what she told me but every time she was laughing and I thought I just wasn’t saying it right. Then I found out I’d been saying ‘I love you.’
Nancy: He always buys me treats like blueberry muffins and I buy him coffee.

What will you be carving into your pumpkin this year?
Nancy: I’ve never done it.
Shayne: Oh we have to! I love it. I’ve done it with the kids over the years. We’ll do this together this year.
Nancy: the amazing thing about this show is that there is so many different cultures bringing things to celebrate. I knew about Halloween but I didn’t know how to celebrate it. In China we celebrate differently.

Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec

What are you genuinely scared for?
Tasha: Insects, snakes, darkness, and people wearing scary masks or with chainsaws.
Aljaž: We should have that in the corridors in the studios. I’m scared of everything really that’s supposed to scare you. I’ve never been good with scary things.

What’s the most scared you’ve ever been in your life?
Tasha: When going to a Halloween event at Tulley’s farm where they had themed houses, including clowns, and some actors could touch you. It was actually really funny. I’ll never forget that in every single room, Andrew would push me away and run off. Didn’t check on me once. He’d push me to the front! Good to know for a real life situation. Afterwards I was like “you literally gave my life away.”

Do you believe in the paranormal?
Tasha: I believe in the afterlife, but I don’t believe in scary ghosts or anything, I’ve never seen one thank goodness.

Do you have any phobias?
Tasha: Claustrophobia, especially in lifts or tight spaces full of people. I feel like I can’t breathe.
Aljaž: Going blank on Strictly is my phobia.

Best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in?
Aljaž: Day of the Dead costume for a Paso Doble. I don’t usually go scary for Halloween.
Tasha: Probably just the basic cat or devil. For Strictly Halloween I’m going to be Frankenstein’s girlfriend.

Did you go trick or treating?
Tasha: Yes, I loved trick or treating, it was the only time you can get unlimited chocolate and sweets. I didn’t care about the tricks.
Aljaž: Lyra will dress up as a bumblebee this year. Janette is very excited because we’re going to take her trick or treating.

How do you trick or treat your partner during training?
Tasha: Any chance I get, I make Aljaž jump.
Aljaž: In a nutshell, I bring Tasha croissants and chocolate, and in return she scares me.

What are you carving into your pumpkin?
Tasha: I love the smell of pumpkins. I love the feeling of the slime when you take the seeds out. I’d carve out the word ‘slay’ then put some cat ears above it.
Aljaž: You’re weird! My dad is very good at carving pumpkins, he’s very artsy. His pumpkins were always stories, he’d never do a face. Maybe this year I will try to make Tasha’s face.

Wynne Evans and Katya Jones

Do you have any phobias?
Wynne: I don’t like rides, rollercoasters and I really don’t like rats.
Katya: Me too. Rats.

Have you had any spooky or paranormal encounters?
Wynne: This morning! Katya put a temporary tattoo on my hand yesterday. She put the sticker on then you put water over it and then she took it off and there was nothing. We were like ‘oh well that hasn’t worked, has it?’ then this morning I was in the shower and the tattoo with the writing saying: ‘you are enough’ came up on my arm. I thought it was weird.

Have you ever seen a ghost or had any paranormal encounters?
Wynne: I’ve never seen a ghost.
Katya: The only thing I’ve had is when my dog died, he was a massive Great Dane and my bedroom was upstairs but downstairs is like wooden floor. She used to walk around and you’d hear her claws on the wooden floor. For months after she died I would still hear her claws on the wooden floor. I believe in some sort of energy.
Wynne: I do as well. I don’t know what I believe in. I’m open to everything. I kind of think what happens after we die but also what happens before we’re born? Who knows next?

What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever dressed up in ?
Katya: Myself.
Wynne: I’ve done the house up for kids parties, so I put like hand prints on the window and signs saying, keep out, but I’ve never got dressed up myself. I wouldn’t mind getting dressed up though.
Katya: Well, you will for Strictly Halloween! I was Alice in Wonderland on Strictly. I was also a ghost that came out of the piano. On Strictly we get to do some great fancy dress. This year might be my favourite.

How would you trick or treat each other in training?
Wynne: Katya is easily tricked with food so I reckon I could put food dye in to your tongue or teeth blue or something. As a treat, I am really into watches and she’s got a watch that has stopped so I’ll go and get it fixed.
Katya: I thought you were going to say buy a new one! Just change batteries?
Katya: I treat you a lot. I bring cakes and coffee. Tattoos with affirmations. I do the opposite, I’m like the judges are not going to be
nice to us this week because they can’t be every single week. Then we get a nine and that’s a nice treat.
Wynne: It would be nice if the judges treated us not tricked us for Halloween.

What are you carving into your pumpkin?
Wynne: I was the only person in school at 13 to fail art whereas Katya loves a craft. I’ll just make it into a soup.

Choreographic details are not the only things that can get lost in the theater: contemporary/modern dance history can dissolve into obscurity due to its innate ephemerality and the industry’s preference for creating new live work over preserving the old. As such, the fact that art museums – houses of preservation by nature – have an increasing interest in dance is a great help in the quest to capture, document, and share lesser-known performance histories. The current Edges of Ailey exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, which celebrates the legacy of pre-eminent African-American dancer, choreographer, and civil-rights activist Alvin Ailey, is a prime example. It’s an ‘important political move’ according to Lewis, since postmodern dance figures, such as the Judson Dance Theater collective, who enjoyed a retrospective at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) back in 2018, have been the artworld’s key reference point for dance for too long. ‘Historically, Black dancers have been written out of that trajectory, so it’s super important to have someone as iconic and influential as Ailey [celebrated in an art context],’ she says. ‘Finally we can break with a really reductive idea of what dance is.’

While not as easy as acquiring inanimate art objects, museums have become more skilled at collecting and conserving dance over the years. ‘A flat documentation of a great dance piece doesn’t cut it,’ says Wood. Instead, methods such as showcasing products of collaboration between dancers and artists from other disciplines or certifying dancers to serve as living archives of specific works are becoming more common. Carmela Hermann Dietrich and Sarah Swenson, for example, are instructors of Italian-American choreographer Simone Forti’s seminal Dance Constructions (1960–1), which were acquired by MoMA in 2015. Likewise, Wookey is a teacher of Rainer’s Trio A, and was responsible for staging the aforementioned performance of the work in Berlin. Alongside colleagues, she’s currently investigating how the unique verbal lexica choreographers use may be helpful in the conservation process. ‘There’s this old idea that dancers use their body but not their voice, but [they] are incredibly articulate. I have hundreds of note cards capturing [Rainer’s] language,’ she says, explaining that the words she used to talk about dance would be wildly different to someone like Martha Graham. ‘Words [in choreography] are fascinating and open up worlds.’

• Kevin is an alumnus of the School and First Artist with The Royal Ballet
• He will leave the Company and join the Upper School artistic faculty in January

The Royal Ballet School is delighted to announce that Kevin Emerton, dancer of The Royal Ballet and alumnus of the School, will join the Upper School in January as Pre-professional Year Ballet Teacher. 

This appointment marks a significant addition to the School’s artistic faculty as Kevin transitions from an outstanding 17-year performance career with The Royal Ballet to mentoring and nurturing the next generation of dancers.

Kevin trained at Elmhurst Ballet School before joining The Royal Ballet School’s Upper School. In 2007, Kevin graduated into The Royal Ballet and was promoted to First Artist in 2014. 

Kevin brings a wealth of expertise to The Royal Ballet School as an artist and dance teacher. In 2022, he completed The Royal Ballet School’s two-year Diploma of Dance Teaching course. He has since taught as a Guest Teacher with The Royal Ballet School and Company and other international institutions, balancing this with his performance career.

His understanding of the demands of classical ballet at the highest level, combined with his first-hand experience of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire, and The Royal Ballet School’s holistic training ethos, make him uniquely equipped to mentor students at the final stages of their training to success.

Iain Mackay, Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet School, said:

‘We are delighted to welcome Kevin back to The Royal Ballet School. Kevin brings valuable experience of The Royal Ballet’s repertoire and the distinctive English style. His connection with the School, both as a student and graduate of our Diploma of Dance Teaching course, makes him the ideal mentor for our Pre-professional Year students. I know that Kevin’s skill and passion for teaching will inspire and guide them as they prepare to take their first professional steps.’

Kevin Emerton said of his appointment:

‘I am thrilled to be returning to The Royal Ballet School as a teacher.  I am truly looking forward to guiding, nurturing and collaborating with the next generation of young dancers.’

This announcement follows the news that Stuart Cassidy will leave the School in January to return to The Royal Ballet as Répétiteur to the Principal Artists. 

While with The Royal Ballet, Kevin has performed in a diverse array of the company’s heritage, classical and contemporary repertoire. He has also created roles in new productions for The Royal Ballet with renowned choreographers, including Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Crystal Pite and Liam Scarlett as well as performing many revivals of works by Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan and George Balanchine.