Strictly Speaking: Finding The Rockstar Moment – with Janette Manrara

In the ninth part of his mini-series entitled ’Strictly Speaking’, Kevin invites you into the conversation around some of the greatest dances, partners and moments throughout his Strictly Come Dancing journey!

This week, Kevin talks to fellow Strictly professional, Janette Manrara, about her incredible run of success in the 2014 series of the show, in which she was partnered with Eastenders star, Jake Wood!

You can follow along with Janette and Jake’s story by watching each dance using the links provided in the show notes of this episode!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sometimes the preconceptions of not just the celebrity, but the image they generally portray on screens, is taken into account when selecting music and performance concepts.
• The job of a professional is not just to choreograph the dances, but also to investigate and familiarise themselves with their partner, exploring the many different ways in which their image can be matched, or indeed subverted, against audience expectations.
• There’s a delicate balancing act between inspiring your partner and instructing them to the point of fatigue and disillusionment. Being a dancer and being a mentor are two very distinct arts.
• By the time the halfway mark arrives in a series, there’s a sense that people have selected their favourites, and will continue to vote for them. Therefore it’s important to mark yourself out in the first half of the series.

BEST MOMENTS

’What?! You’re the voice of the GEICO Gecko!’ - Approx 5 mins in

‘You don’t know from that first moment, what kind of energy they’re going to give you’ - 25:40

‘I was like oh my God, I think we’ve done something pretty amazing here!’ - 42:10

‘I always feel that it’s important to get out there early with some bangers!’ - 46:30

‘It was kind of a rock-star moment’ - 1:04:05

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Janette Manrara Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jmanrara/?hl=en

Week 1 - Tango - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FphIj3lUfI0

Week 2 - Salsa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPj2Kk2TaTE

Week 3 - Waltz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNaLLFnpCdA

Week 4 - Jive - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9-p7xOXkDk

Week 5 - Quickstep - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdCb0npx1Bo

The Kevin Clifton Show - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-kevin-clifton-show/id1475650764

ABOUT THE HOST

Kevin Clifton is a professional dancer who has been performing & competing at the highest level for over a decade. Kevin has worked on shows like 'Burn the floor' & 'Rock of Ages' to 'Strictly Come Dancing' one of the biggest TV shows in the UK which Kevin won in 2018.

CONTACT METHOD

Kevin Clifton Instagram

Kevin Clifton Facebook

Kevin Clifton YouTube