Aljaž Leaves Strictly

Aljaž Škorjanec has announced that he has decided to leave Strictly Come Dancing.

The news was announced by the BBC, followed by a personal post by Aljaž on Instagram:

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A post shared by Aljaž Škorjanec (@aljazskorjanec)

It's not a huge surprise that Aljaž has decided to move on. He has competed for nine years, won on his first attempt with Abby and also reached the final with Gemma. I'm sure the fact that Janette moved out of the competition to It Takes Two also made the experience during the last series different to previous years.

I had Aljaž pegged to be the new Anton, likely getting paired with the older participants due to his warm and caring nature, as well as his mature attitude and experience. So perhaps it's a shrewd move to leave now.

Aljaž seems to be happy not to be in the limelight. He enjoyed a social media break during the first lockdown while most of the other pros filled their days with live streams. 

Aljaž & Janette are heading out on another Remembering... tour soon, and he'll be a part of the Burn The Floor reunion as well. I'm sure there will be plenty of other dance and media work available to him if he wants it.

Aljaž is one of the most popular pros, and we'll definitely miss him. Especially when he reads the It Takes Two captions.

There have been so many great Aljaž routines over the years. Aljaž getting lost in Alison Hammond's sleeve during their American Smooth was nothing short of iconic. But his quickstep with Abby is probably my favourite:

Vote For Rose & Giovanni

The BAFTA nominees for TV Moment of the Year have been announced, and Rose & Giovanni's couple's choice routine has been nominated.

This is the only award in which the general public can vote.

There are some other worthy moments nominated, but I don't think any of them had as big an impact on the nation as Rose & Giovanni's incredible routine.

You can cast your vote on the Virgin Media website.

If you're still in any doubt that they should get your vote, just remind yourself...

Theatre Review: Firedance

Gorka Marquez & Karen Hauer had prepared their Firedance show to tour in early 2020, but after just a handful of dates the nation went into lockdown. But now Firedance is finally back on the road, and I saw the show at Wycombe Swan last week.

The show is a feast of moody routines in a selection of styles including paso, Argentine tango, flamenco and contemporary. The mood is set through costumes in mostly black and red tones. And, yes, there is actual fire provided by the company's talented fire artists Lex and Teta.

The show doesn't have a narrative, but few shows of this type need one. You can just immerse yourself in the numbers for what they are, a series of fantastic performances. And it's all accompanied by an excellent live band.

While the show's Strictly stars have equal billing and equal stage time, including a solo each, it really is Karen who captures your attention. She has strength and softness. Her performances have such light and shade, and she is really captivating. It's hard to watch anyone else in the company when she is on stage.

There were a couple of clichés I could have lived without - a contemporary number where the women all dressed in boy shorts and oversize white shirts, a dance to Peggy Lee's Fever - but the show was unique enough in other ways that this was forgivable. There have been so many live tours featuring Strictly alums that finding a new angle must be tough.

On a practical note, I really liked the announcement at the start of the show that photo-taking and recording is prohibited except for during the finale number. Despite reminders about not taking photos at other shows, patrons often ignore this instruction. By giving the audience permission to take a snaps at a designated moment, the request was followed by everyone as far as I could see. I wish more shows would set expectations in this way, as not all theatregoers understand that the theatre is not a place for photography.

The show still has a few performances remaining. You can book tickets via firedancelive.co.uk.

Disclosure:  I was invited to attend a performance of Firedance by Chuff Media.