Strictly Come Dancing stars Anton du Beke returns for show in Birmingham

Strictly Come Dancing star and all-round entertainer Anton du Beke will revisit his beloved Symphony Hall, in Birmingham, tomorrow with performances during the afternoon and evening.

He’ll be joining his long-term dance partner Erin Boag for a show called Broadway to Hollywood.

Fans can look forward to a stunning new production of dance, music and song, as Broadway to Hollywood showcases the undisputed talent of the nation’s favourite ballroom couple.

There will also be a stellar supporting cast, including brilliant star vocalist Lance Ellington, six world-class Ensemble Dancers and the 25-piece London Concert Orchestra, conducted by Richard Balcombe.

Sensational choreography, sparkling costumes and a musical score to include such classics as Somewhere in Time, Cry Me a River, Mr Bojangles, Downtown, This Nearly Was Mine, New York, New York, Couple of Swells and Libertango promise a performance befitting the King and Queen of the ballroom.

The show will also feature a Q&A section, providing some fun interaction with the audience. Anton can’t wait. “It’s show time again.

“Erin and I are delighted to be back with a brand new production. This will be our tenth tour so we really hope you will be able to join us in celebrating a decade of dance.”

And is Birmingham really his favourite venue. Like, really, really really?

Anton laughs. “I love the Symphony Hall. It’s a tremendous venue.

“People think we say that for every venue. But in the case of the Symphony Hall it’s genuine. We love it because it’s such a brilliant, brilliant hall. It’s the best hall we play in the whole of the UK – don’t write that down, obviously, because everywhere else will get the hump.

“The audience are right there around the stage and, of course, the stage is flat rather than raked. It’s a lovely wooden surface, so it’s great for dancing. It’s also big, so we have space to dance. So many theatres compromise the dance with too little space. The acoustic is just brilliant.”

And, additionally, the Symphony Hall is where it all began.

The first stage show that Anton and Erin did was at the Symphony Hall. John Wilson had his orchestra there for a concert, with a big band, and the duo were special guests.

The moment their names went on the poster, the show sold an extra date. “Now, that’s not suggesting it was entirely about us, but these type of dancing shows hadn’t been done before. Now everyone is going out doing shows.

“So we were doing a couple of dances at this incredible place. It was from that point that I thought we ought to do more and make it a show. We spoke to the promoter and they were interested. It all stemmed from there. Really, the Symphony Hall is where it all began.” Anton has other connections with Britain’s Second City. “I know Birmingham very, very well. I’ve been hundreds and hundreds of times. When we were competing we used to do a ballroom contest in the Midland Championship. We’d be there every year in October on a Monday night. It was a big competition in our calendar. So I’ve been going there for years.

“I won my very first big competition at the Tower Ballroom in Birmingham, when I was 15. It was a dance school event. We went up on the coach as a dance school and it was a day of it. I won my personal section and it was the first thing I ever won. It was a national competition. I remember it being extraordinary that I’d won my bit.”

Anton has been dancing throughout his life and the 51-year-old has witnessed quantum change during his years on the dancefloor.

“Everything has become much more open. When I was first dancing, there was no crossover between different styles. You never saw ballroom of any sort on stage. The old Come Dancing show was on TV and it was a parody of itself.

“Ballroom dancing is this global thing but it was underground back then. Ballet people had their world, street dance had just started in the 1980s, it was disco before that, and everything was fragmented and in its own world. Then Strictly began and all the barriers fell away and people started to get interested in other things.

“Audiences got into dance as a whole and then started to explore different forms of dance. So the whole dance world has become as it should be. It’s inclusive. I’ve done many things with many people from different worlds. Strictly is the reason for it.”

Dance hasn’t been Anton’s only preoccupation in recent times. He released his debut CD, From The Top, at the end of last year. It was a landmark moment for him.

“It was really lovely. It was one of the things I’d always wanted to do but never thought I would. I sang on Strictly during the last series and from there the album came about. Polydor, who put the album together, were incredible. They were songs I grew up listening to through my life and career. To put them together with new arrangements was stunning.

“But as they say, variety is the spice of life. It absolutely is. I love it all. I’m so lucky. To do new and different things is wonderful. There are times when I’m rehearsing for the present tour when I feel like my brain will melt because I’m learning so much and rehearsing so hard. By 2pm in the afternoon, I can’t remember my name. But I wouldn’t change it for the world.”