How Cheerleading Took Over Girls’ Sports
It is a huge part of the country’s arts scene, quietly flourishing and influencing new generations of dancers and choreographers. – The New York Times
Spread designs abstract covers for Japanese architecture magazine – Dezeen
Spread designs abstract covers for Japanese architecture magazine Dezeen
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Art that makes the heart beat faster
Museums have been getting into the surveillance game lately, and we don’t mean CCTV and enhanced security measures to pre-empt protestors. We’re thinking, instead, of the institutions turning the tables on visitors looking at the work on the walls – by looking more closely at what those visitors are seeing. Last year, for instance, researchers tracked the eye movements of viewers of The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch at the Prado and found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that hell is a much more appealing prospect. And, just the other week, the Mauritshuis in The Hague revealed the results of eye-tracking equipment connected to a brain scanner, which found – again unsurprisingly? – that people tend to look Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring in the eye, before their gaze wanders over the rest of the canvas.
Art Rate Monitor’s results are in for a painting by the Canadian artist Florence Carlyle. Photo: courtesy AGO
Now, the Art Gallery of Ontario has taken things further, in the interests of fun, with its Art Rate Monitor scheme. Since it launched in September, more than 3,000 visitors have moved round the Toronto Museum with a heartrate monitor and had the results summarised for them in an email at the end of their tours. This time the ‘findings’ are a little more unexpected. Rakewell wouldn’t quibble for a moment with the idea that Gerhard Richter is a great painter, but wouldn’t have predicted that his photo-realistic work Helga Matura (1966) would stop people in their tracks for so long – and slow the heart rates of the 20–30 age group more than that of any other group. And if viewers in the 30–40 age bracket are most stimulated by Otto Dix’s ghostly Portrait of Dr Heinrich Stadelmann (1922), is this the onset of midlife Weltschmerz?
The Heart of Mary (1759), Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz. Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City
It’s true that some general practitioners have, from time to time, prescribed cultural activities to their patients, but we are, one hopes, some way off from doctors telling us to stand in front of a Rothko to relieve stress. But while we’re thinking about the cardiac side of art, perhaps we should go straight to the heart of the matter? In a new book called The Beating Heart (Head of Zeus), Robin Choudhury, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Oxford, charts depictions of the art from ancient ayurvedic texts to Renaissance anatomical diagrams to the Surrealists and beyond. Rakewell is particularly keen on the medieval German story of Frau Minne, who in an allegory of courtly love, has power over men’s hearts – and on the wonderfully literal depictions of the sacred and immaculate heart in mid 18th-century paintings from Mexico.
But a project much closer to Rakewell’s heart is Christian Boltanski’s Les archives du coeur (Heart Archive). In 2008, the artist began asking people to record their heartbeats in booths placed at his exhibitions, all over the world. The results were then added to a collection of audio files kept in a museum on the uninhabited island of Teshima in Japan. A recording of your roving correspondent’s heartbeat is in there somewhere (made at the Grand Palais in Paris in 2010). Perhaps it’s high time for a reunion – and to see what the Art Rate Monitor would make of the encounter?
Lead image used under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC 4.0)
The Importance of Branding for Artists Online – How to Sell Art Online
If you are an artist, you should already know how difficult it is to enter the sales world. From painters and visual artists to photographers and illustrators, as well as gallerists and curators, the need for a distinct brand has never been more critical.
Branding is not just about a logo or a catchy tagline; it’s the essence of how artists present themselves to the world. In this article, we will explore the importance of branding for artists and how it can significantly influence their success across both physical and digital spaces.
Understanding Branding
At its core, branding is the process of creating a unique identity for a product or individual. For artists, this involves defining who they are, what they stand for, and how they want to be perceived by their audience. Effective branding goes beyond visual elements; it encompasses the artist’s style, message, values, and the emotional connection they create with their audience.
Why Branding Matters
Differentiation in a Crowded Market
The internet is teeming with talented artists, making it crucial to stand out. A strong brand helps artists differentiate themselves from their peers. This differentiation can come from various factors, such as unique artistic style, storytelling ability, or the themes they explore in their work. By establishing a clear brand identity, artists can carve out a niche for themselves, making it easier for people interested in their art to discover and remember them. If you’re looking for ways to build a unique artist brand, these strategies can help you stand out.
Building Trust and Credibility
Branding fosters trust. When artists consistently present themselves in a professional manner, they build credibility with their audience. For more on enhancing your professional image, check out how to create a Facebook page for your art. This is especially important in an age where audiences are bombarded with content and seek authenticity in the artists they support. A well-defined brand can reassure potential art buyers that they are engaging with a serious artist rather than just another fleeting online presence.
Creating Emotional Connections
Branding is about storytelling. It allows artists to share their creative journey, artistic values, and the inspiration behind their work. When artists share their stories, they create emotional connections with their audience. Learn how to use storytelling to sell your art and deepen these connections. People interested in your artworks are more likely to support artists whose stories resonate with them. This emotional bond can lead to increased loyalty, engagement, and ultimately, sales.
Enhancing Marketing Efforts
A strong brand makes marketing more effective. Artists can leverage their branding across various platforms, ensuring a consistent message that resonates with their target audience. Whether it’s through social media, email newsletters, or a personal website, a cohesive brand presence can streamline marketing efforts and improve overall visibility. Consider these tips on email marketing for artists to further enhance your outreach. When your audience recognizes an artist’s brand, they are more likely to engage with their content and share it with others.
Key Elements of Effective Branding for Artists
Visual Identity
The visual aspects of branding, including logos, color schemes, and typography, play a vital role in establishing an artist’s presence. These elements should reflect the artist’s personality and artistic style. For example, a painter specializing in vibrant landscapes might choose a palette of bright colors and flowing, natural shapes that reflect the essence of their work. Consistency in visual identity across all platforms strengthens brand recognition.
Artistic Voice and Style
An artist’s voice is an integral part of their brand. This encompasses the themes, messages, and emotions that resonate in their work. Explore more on developing a unique artistic style and how it can define your brand. Artists should strive to develop a unique style that sets them apart from others. This may involve experimenting with different mediums, techniques, or narratives. A distinct artistic voice helps in attracting the right audience and establishing a loyal following of people interested in their work.
Online Presence and Engagement
In the digital age, an artist’s presence across digital platforms is crucial. This includes having a professional website, active social media accounts, and a portfolio that showcases their work. Engaging with fans and followers is also vital. Artists should respond to comments, share behind-the-scenes content, and create a dialogue with their audience. This interaction not only humanizes the artist but also fosters a sense of community.
Storytelling
Effective branding involves compelling storytelling. Artists should share their journey, inspirations, and the process behind their work. This not only makes the artist relatable but also enriches the audience’s experience. Stories can be shared through blog posts, social media updates, or video content. By weaving narratives into their branding, artists can captivate their audience and encourage them to invest in their journey.
Consistency Across Platforms
Consistency is key in branding. Artists should ensure that their branding is cohesive across all platforms, from social media and their personal website to physical promotional materials used in galleries and art shows. This consistency helps reinforce their identity and makes it easier for their audience to recognize them. Additionally, a cohesive brand presence builds trust and professionalism, further solidifying the artist’s reputation in the online space.
The Impact of Branding on Sales and Opportunities
A well-established brand can significantly impact an artist’s ability to sell their work and attract opportunities. When people interested in your artworks feel a connection to an artist’s brand, they are more likely to purchase artwork, prints, or commissioned pieces. Additionally, a strong brand can lead to collaboration opportunities, sponsorships, and even gallery shows. For personalized support in growing your art business, explore our business coaching for artists services. Artists who effectively leverage their branding can expand their reach and create multiple income streams.
Branding is an essential aspect of success for online artists. It serves as the foundation for differentiation, trust-building, emotional connection, and effective marketing. By understanding and investing in their brand, artists can create a unique identity that resonates with their audience and propels their careers forward in both physical and digital realms. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, those who prioritize branding will be better positioned to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and leave a lasting impact on the art world.
A Venn Diagram of Innovative Craftsmanship
Japan has long been revered for its deep-rooted dedication to craftsmanship, where the pursuit of perfection through repletion is not just a practice but a generational ambition. This idea is particularly familiar in Shizuoka City, a former castle town that became a vibrant hub for artisans around 400 years ago. Honoring this rich heritage, Japanese design studio UO created the bold sculpture Nakajimaya Crossing in the lobby of the century-old Nakajimaya Grand Hotel. This dramatic installation, accompanied by smaller objects and a façade design to greet visitors, visually celebrates four types of crafts, as well as innovative combinations of these techniques, all elegantly framed within elongated metal structures.
The installation features metal frames that stack and layer to form a central tower in the lobby, as well as four wall-mounted pieces behind the front desk. These frames create a series of intersecting shapes and half-moons that each highlight a different traditional craft. Where the frames intersect, unique blends of two crafts are displayed, illustrating an innovative fusion of artisanal techniques. For example, at the intersection of a frame showcasing fabric dyed with tea leaves (a technique called “ocha-zome”) and another featuring precisely arranged 2mm bamboo strips (“take-sensuji”), a three-dimensional textile emerges, intricately woven from both dyed fabric and bamboo.
This project not only showcases the merging of diverse crafts but also represents an extraordinary collaboration among four craftsmen, each typically working independently within their distinct disciplines. Facilitated by UO, these artisans were challenged to step beyond the boundaries of their individual skills, learning from one another to create new and inventive technical expressions.
Guided by Nakajimaya Crossing as the project’s centerpiece, the hotel plans to extend this concept beyond the sculpture, integrating these combined techniques into furniture, room keys, and other elements to craft a cohesive and immersive visual identity throughout the guest experience. As a permanent fixture at the Nakajimaya Grand Hotel, Nakajimaya Crossing not only redefines traditional craftsmanship but also symbolizes the hotel’s role as a gathering place for diverse skills.
To learn more about Nakajimaya Crossing by UO, visit uo-design.jp.
Photography by Keita Otsuka, featured photo by @hikimonojo639_official
On my radar: Jacques Audiard’s cultural highlights | Jacques Audiard
Jacques Audiard was born in Paris in 1952, the son of the prolific screenwriter and director Michel Audiard. He began writing films in the mid-1970s and made his directorial debut in 1994 with See How They Fall. He won Baftas for The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005) and A Prophet (2010) and the Cannes Palme d’Or with Dheepan in 2015. Audiard’s latest film, Emilia Pérez, a trans-empowerment musical set among Mexican drug cartels, won the Jury prize at Cannes and was described by Variety as “dazzling and instantly divisive”. It’s in cinemas now and will stream globally on Netflix from 13 November. Audiard lives in Paris.
1. Book
Bruno et Jean by Pauline Valade
In 1750, Bruno Lenoir and Jean Diot were strangled and burned to death in Place de Grève, Paris – the last people to be sentenced to death for homosexuality in France. Delving into the legal documents that led to the execution allows Pauline Valade to reconstruct Paris in the 1750s and its secret homosexual milieu. I’m a big fan of historical literature and I was impressed by Valade’s archival research. The novel gives life and substance to these two men whose tragic story reflects both the judicial errors of a complex society and the timeless fight for tolerance.
2. Music
When I’m working I have Apple Music on my computer set on random, and whenever I hear tracks that I like, I go over and look at the names: quite often they’re by [the Chilean-American composer and musician] Nicolas Jaar. He puts out music under his own name and also in a band called Darkside; one of my favourite tracks of theirs is The Only Shrine I’ve Seen. Jaar also made an alternative soundtrack for the Parajanov film The Colour of Pomegranates. It’s electronic music, sometimes with singing, that’s not strictly minimalist as it can resonate quite strongly. It’s really good.
3. Podcast
Milieux Bibliques by Thomas Römer
Thomas Römer is a theologian who teaches at the Collège de France, specialising in the history of the Bible. He will teach you things you might not otherwise know – for example, that the Bible has many origins, Assyrian, Babylonian and so on. He also talks about the origins of the word “Yahweh”. He’s a brilliant scholar. I’m a big podcast listener – I’m basically going back to academic studies via podcasts, and Collège de France is an excellent resource. Littérature française moderne et contemporaine by Antoine Compagnon is another series I’d recommend.
4. Art
Surrealism exhibition at Centre Pompidou, Paris
I’m not a natural fan of surrealism but I’d like to see this exhibition before it closes [on 13 January 2025] because I’d like it to convince me of the movement’s merits. Surrealist painting, by Dalí and Tanguy and so on, I find a bit facile, a bit rough around the edges, and the texts are very uneven. The movement suffers from a kind of forced unity and the big dilemma was their relationship with communism – Breton had his Stalinist period. But if anything convinces me, it’ll be this show. I’ve heard it’s very good and all the greats of surrealism are in it.
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5. Film
Diamantino (2018, dir Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt)
The directors who made this excellent and quite surreal film are more fine artists than film-makers. It’s the story of a young Portuguese footballer called Diamantino who’s brilliant but a bit stupid, and he’s starting to develop breasts. When he scores goals, loads of fluffy dogs stream on to the field. He’s full of empathy and his dream is to try to rescue African migrants drowning in the Mediterranean. It’s a beautiful film and probably one of the influences on Emilia Pérez.
6. Event
I didn’t believe in the idea behind the Paris Olympics at all. I didn’t think you could use the city the way they ended up using it, but I have to say it was fabulous, how they managed to take all the sports out of the stadiums and put them in the city. The swimming in the Seine I found amazing. And I loved what artistic director Thomas Jolly did with the opening ceremony. Everything that was triggering people, like Marie Antoinette holding her own severed head, I really enjoyed. There was an irreverence to it that I loved.
Interview interpreted from French by Abla Kandalaft
The World of Tim Burton review – a tour around a singular creative mind – The Guardian
The World of Tim Burton review – a tour around a singular creative mind The Guardian
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A Halloween dog and the Guardian of Darkness: photos of the weekend
The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world
James Graham Thinks We’re in a Crisis of Storytelling
The brutalist Royal National Theatre building, which sits aggressively on the south side of the River Thames, in London, is a “love it or loudly despise it” kind of place—all concrete edges and unwelcoming angles. King Charles III once morosely described it as “a clever way of building a nuclear power station in the middle of London.” For the playwright and screenwriter James Graham, however, it holds a certain appeal. “I think the geometry of it is fucking sexy,” he told me recently.
We were seated on a mezzanine floor in the dining room of the theatre’s upscale restaurant, Lasdun, named for the building’s architect, Denys Lasdun. Looking down through a large window, we could take in the buzzing lobby and the pre-theatre-drinks crowd. The vibe surrounding us was moody-industrial: white tablecloths and black leather seats, with spotlit concrete walls and dark flooring. The ceiling, also concrete, was coffered, like a particularly sturdy beehive.
Graham likes an Old-Fashioned at Lasdun’s bar when his plays are in tech in the theatres below, and they often are. (Once you know his name, it’s seemingly everywhere.) The restaurant was a fitting location for a playwright known for history plays that interrogate, in unsparing detail, the U.K.’s most treasured national institutions. In “This House,” his breakout work, from 2012, he explored the inner workings of Parliament and the ascent of Margaret Thatcher. “Ink,” which transferred from the West End to Broadway in 2019, followed Rupert Murdoch and the rise of tabloid journalism. Earlier this year, Graham won an Olivier Award for “Dear England,” his play about the former English soccer manager Gareth Southgate and the pressures of the game.
On the day we met, he bustled in with a backpack, apologizing profusely for being late. At forty-two, he has the bright, slightly harried air of someone who enjoys being exceptionally busy. This year, he has opened two plays in the U.K., and two more are scheduled for the spring. The second season of his BBC show, “Sherwood,” about a real-life murder in Nottinghamshire, the mining county where he grew up, premières next month. At the restaurant, Graham said he had taken the train from Liverpool, where he was speaking at the Labour Party conference. The next day, he would fly to New York, to prepare for the opening of Elton John’s splashy new Broadway musical, “Tammy Faye,” for which Graham wrote the book. (Jake Shears wrote the lyrics; previews started at the Palace Theatre on October 19th.) The show began its life at the Almeida Theatre, in London, in 2022, and has been significantly reworked. “Oh, God, it feels like a big thing,” he said, nervously. What could go wrong with a Broadway show? “They’re so cheap, and they always run for years,” he joked. He ordered a glass of Italian red.
“Tammy Faye” follows the true story of Tammy Faye Messner (formerly Bakker), the American televangelist who, in the nineteen-seventies and eighties, with her pastor husband, Jim Bakker, was adored by millions. Together, they ran a popular television show, “The PTL Club,” and a successful Christian theme park called Heritage U.S.A. That was before it emerged that Jim had been swindling money from their followers, and had covered up a sexual encounter; he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison. But Tammy Faye, with her big hair, outlandish makeup, and tendency toward bigheartedness, remained a beloved figure, embracing those whom mainstream evangelicalism shunned. Before the scandal broke, she invited a gay Christian minister with AIDS onto her show. “How sad that we as Christians—who are to be the salt of the earth, we who are supposed to be able to love everyone—are afraid so badly of an AIDS patient that we will not go up and put our arm around them and tell them that we care,” she said.
An unusually eloquent waiter—an aspiring actor—took our order and returned with the plates: pork shoulder for Graham, a hockey-puck-size fish cake with anchovy sauce for me. “I mean, their story—Jim and Tammy’s—is obviously Shakespearean,” Graham said, cutting into his food. “It’s a rise and fall from poverty, through love, success, chaos, destruction of empire, shaming, and then coming out the other side having learned a valuable lesson. Like, it’s all there.” When Graham joined the project, however, he had never heard of the Bakkers. John and Shears were both longtime Tammy fans, and had been toying with the idea of a musical for years. They had watched clip after clip of “PTL” and written a few songs, but didn’t yet have a story. “Elton really knew her to his bones, and comes from that musical tradition. The gospel South, that’s his music,” he said. And, he went on, “Jake has been obsessed with Tammy Faye since a young boy, like, seeing her as this gay icon that he knew before he knew he was gay.”
John sent a car to pick Graham up from a flat he shared with a few others. (“I was, like, Please don’t send a car! I can just take the Tube.”) They had dinner in the pop star’s house in Windsor. Once he got the job, he immersed himself in Tammy’s world, reading histories of the evangelical movement and the memoirs of the pastor Jerry Falwell, who becomes a villain-like figure in the show. Eventually, Graham told John and Shears that he wanted the musical to go beyond Tammy. (Graham told me that they said, “Make sure you keep the heart. Don’t go all cerebral.”) “I thought her story would be infinitely more powerful if it was against the backdrop of a wider exploration of that system. What is televangelism? Why did it emerge? What need did it fill?” he said. “You do say the words, quite early on, ‘I think I want to put Ronald Reagan in it.’ ”
The restaurant had filled up and grown noisier as we approached showtime. No one seemed daunted by the prospect of a nearly three-hour production of “Coriolanus” downstairs. Growing up, Graham had never heard of the National Theatre. He was a shy kid who would spend hours alone in his room making up stories, unless he was performing. He loved ice skating—not a traditional choice in his tough, post-industrial town—and appearing in school plays. (“A massive Billy Elliot cliché, I know,” he said.) He studied drama at the University of Hull, and didn’t set foot inside Lasdun’s building until he came to London, in his early twenties. The first play he saw there was David Hare’s “The Permanent Way,” a sweeping epic about the U.K.’s railway system. Sexy. “Why I love that as my first play is because it was a really big commercial, popular hit about the privatization of the railways, which has given me confidence to do, on paper, really nerdy, political plays about things that should sound unappealing.”
Ten Years After An Aborted Shutdown, San Diego Opera Announces Ambitious Five-Year Expansion Plan
“How ambitious? It will require raising an additional $10.5 million over the next five years to fund the expansion of live performances; the re-establishment of the resident artist program; the commissioning of new operas; the reimagining of its audience engagement programs, and more.” – The San Diego Union-Tribune (MSN)
Who’s Carving A Strictly Come Dancing Pumpkin Glitterball this Halloween ?
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.
