Joanne Clifton

Last updated

Joanne Clifton
Born
Joanne Kirsty Clifton

(1983-10-24) 24 October 1983 (age 40)
Waltham, Lincolnshire, England
NationalityBritish
Education Caistor Grammar School
Occupation(s)Dancer, presenter, actress, singer
Years active1987–present
Relatives Kevin Clifton (brother)

Joanne Kirsty Clifton (born 24 October 1983) is an English professional dancer, presenter, actress, and singer. She won the World Ballroom Showdance Championship in 2014, [1] and won the European Professional Ballroom Championship and World Dancesport Games. [2] She was a professional dancer on the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing from 2014 to 2016, winning the Christmas Special in 2015 with Harry Judd who was series 9 champion and the fourteenth series in 2016 with Ore Oduba. She also appeared as an expert presenter on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two in 2015 and 2019. [3]

Contents

Clifton played the title role of Millie Dillmount in the UK tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2017. She starred as the lead role of Janet Weiss in the UK tour of The Rocky Horror Show . In 2021, she starred as Morticia Addams in the 2nd UK Tour of The Addams Family . In 2023 she is touring with Shrek The Musical, in the role of Princess Fiona.

Dancing career

Clifton started dancing ballroom and Latin as a child in her home village of Waltham, taught by her parents, former world number ones Keith and Judy Clifton. [4] She competed nationally and internationally as a child, initially partnering her brother Kevin. [5] Later, she chose to specialise in ballroom so as not to directly compete against her brother. [6] She has competed in both ballroom and Latin since the age of 4. She has been a British Champion five times and Italian Champion three times, and was Professional Ballroom European Champion in 2012 and Professional World Dancesport Games Champion in 2013. [7]

In 2000, Clifton moved to Bologna, Italy, to train with Team Diablo, the biggest dance school in Europe. She was initially partnered with Marco Cavallaro, reaching sixth in the world in amateur rankings with him. [8] She moved to professional competition when she was chosen to partner Paolo Bosco in 2011. [9] In 2013, they were amongst ten other professional dancing couples to be invited to perform at the Kremlin. [10] She and her partner became champions of the World Dancesport Games in Taiwan in 2013 [11] and won the World Professional Ballroom Showdance Championships in Merano, Italy, later that year. [12] Clifton danced with Bosco competitively until his retirement on 15 December 2013. [13] She retired from competitive dancing on 19 December 2013.

From April to May 2014, she joined her brother as a dancer in the Burn the Floor Dance Company, performing in the show's tour of Australia and Japan.

In 2015, Clifton appeared in her first musical production, Face the Music at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, playing Street Walker for which she received an Offie nomination for her role. In 2016, she appeared in Norma Jean The Musical, playing the title character, Marilyn Monroe.

In early 2017, Clifton appeared as the lead role of Millie Dillmount, in the UK Tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie . She will play the lead role of Alex Owens in the UK Tour of Flashdance the Musical . [14]

Between December 2017 and January 2018, Clifton played the role of Dale Tremont in the musical Top Hat [15]

Strictly Come Dancing

In 2014, Clifton was confirmed as a professional dancer on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing . She was partnered with the DJ Scott Mills. [16] They made it through to week six but were eliminated in the Halloween show. [17] On 6 November 2014, Clifton appeared on BBC Radio 1's Innuendo Bingo. [18] Clifton remained part of the professional line up for the following series but was not given a partner for the main show. She did, however, compete in the Children in Need special with the actor Stephen McGann and went on to win the Christmas Special with the series 9 winner Harry Judd. Clifton returned full-time to the main show for the fourteenth series and was paired with the TV presenter Ore Oduba. On 17 December they were crowned the winners, giving her her first win of the main series.

It was announced on 21 June 2017 that Clifton was to leave Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer after three years, due to wanting to progress in her musical theatre career. [19]

SeriesPartnerPlaceAverage
Score
12 Scott Mills 11th18.2
14 Ore Oduba 1st35.7

Performances

Series 12 with Scott Mills

Series 14 with Ore Oduba

Personal life

Clifton grew up in the small North East Lincolnshire village of Waltham with her older brother, Kevin Clifton, mother, Judy Clifton and father Keith Clifton. She attended East Ravendale Primary School and Caistor Grammar School. [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> British television series

Strictly Come Dancing is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly ballroom and Latin dance. Each couple is scored by a panel of judges. The title of the show is a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing. The format has been exported to 60 other countries under the title Dancing with the Stars, licensed by BBC Worldwide, and led to a modern dance-themed spin-off Strictly Dance Fever. The Guinness World Records named Strictly as the world's most successful reality television format in 2010. The series is currently presented by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Bruce Forsyth co-presented the series with Daly until 2014.

Paul Killick is a British professional ballroom dancer and an International Latin American Dance Champion. He appeared in the first two series of the television show Strictly Come Dancing. Killick specialize in Latin dance and has won The World Cup, World Trophy, World Masters, World Series, Universal and British Professional Latin American DanceSport Championships.

Vincent Simone is an Italian professional dancer, who has appeared on Strictly Come Dancing from 2006 until 2012. He moved to Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom when he was 17. Simone and his professional partner Flavia Cacace, perform under the brand name Vincent and Flavia.

<i>Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two</i> Companion weeknight show on BBC Two

Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. First aired on 25 October 2004, it is broadcast from Monday to Friday during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30 pm.

Pavel "Pasha" Kovalev is a Russian professional Latin and ballroom dancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Mac</span> English actor (b. 1988)

Danny Mac is an English actor, best known for playing the role of Dodger Savage in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks from 2011 to 2015.

Kylie Jones is a British professional ballroom dancer. She was the 2000 and 2001 World Ballroom Champion, the 2001 European Ballroom Champion, the 2000 and 2001 Open British Ballroom Champion, and the 2000 and 2001 United Kingdom Ballroom Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristina Rihanoff</span> Russian dancer (borh 1977)

Kristina Rihanoff is a world finalist professional ballroom dancer, instructor, choreographer and author. She has a degree in Tourism and Hospitality; after finishing public school she studied with St Petersburg Branch of Modern Humanitarian Academy which has several colleges around Russia including Vladivostok.

Shirley Annette Ballas is an English ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance adjudicator. She specialises in the International Latin division, where she won several championship titles which earned her the nickname the Queen of Latin.

Natalie Lowe is an Australian ballroom dancer. She is a four-time Australian ballroom dance champion. Lowe competed on, and won, Australia's Dancing with the Stars with celebrity partner Anthony Koutoufides. She later joined the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She competed on Strictly for seven series, leaving after the 2016 series concluded.

Karen Hauer Wyn-Jones is a Venezuelan-American professional Latin dance specialist and World Mambo Champion, best known for her appearances on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, having served as a professional dancer on the show since 2012. She is currently the longest serving professional dancer on the show. She also featured on the American TV series So You Think You Can Dance, and was a principal dancer in the touring live dance show Burn the Floor.

Kevin James Clifton is an English professional dancer and actor who was a professional dancer on the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing, having previously worked as an assistant choreographer. He has also featured on Burn the Floor. He was given the nickname "Kevin from Grimsby" by Sir Bruce Forsyth.

Emma Slater is an English-American professional dancer and choreographer. She is best known for her appearances on Dancing with the Stars.

Otlile "Oti" Mabuse is a South African talent show judge, presenter, dancer and Latin dance champion currently based in the United Kingdom. She is best known for being a professional dancer on the British television series Strictly Come Dancing, which she won in 2019 and 2020, and its German equivalent, Let's Dance. She was a Dance Captain on The Greatest Dancer. Since 2021, she has been a panellist on The Masked Dancer and became a judge on Dancing on Ice in 2022.

Giovanni Pernice is an Italian professional dancer based in the United Kingdom, best known for his appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. He is also an Italian Open Latin Dance Champion (2012), and the Guinness World Record holder for Jive kicks and flicks, as well as Charleston swivels.

Oksana (Dmytrenko) Platero is a Ukrainian ballroom and Latin dancer. She spent five seasons as a member of the troupe on Dancing with the Stars in the United States. She joined the United Kingdom's Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in series 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianne Buswell</span> Australian ballroom dancer

Dianne Claire Buswell is an Australian professional dancer. She is best known for her appearances on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing. After competing on Dancing with the Stars in Australia, she joined the British series in 2017, reaching the final in 2018 and 2023 with Joe Sugg and Bobby Brazier respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Dowden</span> Welsh dancer (born 1990)

Amy Dowden is a Welsh professional ballroom and Latin American dancer from Caerphilly, Wales, best known for her appearances on the BBC One television show Strictly Come Dancing. Dowden joined the series in 2017, and in 2019, she was a finalist in the seventeenth series with TV presenter Karim Zeroual. Dowden and her partner Ben Jones are former British National Latin Dance Champions. She has the Guinness World Record for the most back-Charleston kick-steps in 30 seconds (2022). She has a twin sister and an older brother.

Ksenia Zsikhotska is a Ukrainian dancer and choreographer. She is best known for her role as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. She, alongside professional partner, Ryan McShane, were the 2016 United Kingdom & British Latin Professional Champions & British Show Dance Champions.

Strictly Come Dancing Live! is a nationwide arena tour in the United Kingdom which was first staged in 2008 and has continued every year since. It is directed and co-choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood.

References

  1. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing: James Jordan and Artem Chigvintsev quit show as Kevin Clifton's sister Joanne joins up". Mirror. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Dancesportinfo" . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "Local Dancers set Strictly Come Dancing Return". Grimsby Telegraph. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Cliftons Dance Academy". Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Stage Star to put on Show in Grimsby". Grimsby Telegraph. 18 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing's Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton: 'If you get that one shot, you must hang on to it'". The Telegraph. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "Burn The Floor". Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  8. ↑ "It's a waltz for Joanne Clifton as she takes European Professional Ballroom Championship crown". Grimsby Telegraph. 25 October 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Local dancer chosen to be world ballroom champion's partner". Grimsby Telegraph. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  10. ↑ "Dancer Joanne Clifton performs in Grimsby". Grimsby Telegraph. 8 July 2013. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "United Agents" . Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  12. ↑ "Parents' pride as Kevin Clifton reaches Strictly Come Dancing final with Susanna Reid". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. 17 December 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  13. ↑ "World Dance Sport Federation" . Retrieved 26 June 2014.
  14. ↑ "Joanne Clifton and Ben Adams to Star in UK Tour of FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL". Broadway World. 22 June 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Full Casting Announced for TOP HAT at Upstairs at the Gatehouse". 10 November 2017.
  16. ↑ "The Mirror" . Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Mirror" . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  18. ↑ "Strictly Come Bingo: Scott & Joanne". BBC Radio 1. 6 November 2014 – via YouTube.
  19. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing: Joanne Clifton quits and new dancers revealed". BBC. 21 June 2017.
  20. ↑ "Dancing her way to the top of the world!". Grimsby Telegraph. 26 September 2008. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.