CelebMix
Robin Windsor, a professional dancer formerly seen on Strictly Come Dancing has given us his professional opinion on the BBC shows season so far. Robin has shared his expert insider knowledge about showbiz, dance, choreography and got to chat to us about a few charity projects he’s throwing himself into at the moment.
Thanks for chatting with CelebMix, we’re excited to have a preview into the life of a Strictly dancer!
No problem at all. Lovely to chat with you guys!
The Strictly series has been going on for a while, what do you think people love about it so much?
It’s just such a wonderful show, for the viewers at home as well as everyone involved in taking part, I think that it’s really become a staple of the Saturday evening at home for millions of houses across the country!
There really is something for everyone with Strictly, all the wonderful performances, and the individual journeys that the celebs go on throughout each series. As a professional dancer I love watching the celebs improve week on week and by this stage of the competition it’s always a phenomenal level of talent, and whoever wins will really deserve it!
What did you find most difficult about being on Strictly?
I’ve got to be honest I always loved every minute of being on Strictly, and I’m a big fan of the show. The world of showbiz and professional dance is always gruelling when it comes to rehearsals and choreography and so on, and the days that all the guys have to put it are very long and tiring. It’s absolutely worth every second though on the Saturday night when you and your celeb partner get to put it into practice on the floor!
Which celebrity dancing partner has surprised you the most with their skill on the show this season?
As always, the standard has been so good amongst the celebrities and all the guys that are left are such strong competitors.
I think people love the fact that Strictly combines the seriousness with a bit of light-entertainment too, and I think Ed Balls was such a good sport and certainly brought his own sparkle to the ballroom!
Judge Rinder was fab-u-lous too! I really enjoyed watching his performance each week and thought he deserved to last a bit longer in the show.
Are there any challenges that the professional dancers have to overcome tutoring and training a non-professional to compete in such a short amount of time?
I think it really depends each year on who you’re paired up with, and how much of a base-level of dance experience they have. The timeframes are short and there is an awful lot to learn each week, and it’s all about building the bond and trust with your partner and reaching the point where you know how hard to push and the best way of them learning as you go along.
Since moving on from Strictly, what have you been up to?
I’m always so busy with my tour and various TV/media commitments and my private dance school which always keeps me on my toes.
I’m so grateful to be able to do what I love each day, and I’m currently flat out rehearsing and performing my new show Keep Dancing – which features a number of wonderful dancers and famous celeb faces from the last few years of Strictly! Coming soon to a town near you!
The Strictly final is coming and songs have been revealed, who are you rooting for and who do you feel has the best chance at grabbing the Strictly crown?
I’m always so excited for the Strictly final, and this year is no different. Nothing quite confirms that Christmas is here, than seeing the winning couple lifting the Glitterball trophy!
I’d really have loved for Judge Rinder to still be there, but whoever comes out on top this weekend will truly deserve it. It’s such a huge effort that they’ve all put in to get this far and the standard is going to be through the roof. I expect it to be raining 10’s from the Judges and it’s so tough to pick a winner. I just have a sneaking feeling that Ore and Joanne may do it, but it’s really all down to how they do on the night now. Danny, Louise and Ore are all more than capable of pulling a sensational routine out of the bag to win it!
We hear you’re doing some charity work? Tell us about it! Which charity are you supporting and what projects are you doing?
Omg I’m so busy with a couple of my charities at the moment, which is something I always love to do! I’ve just done a lovely arts festival in London for the amazing charity Hearts in Harmony, run by my inspiring friend Shan Liew. www.heartsinharmony.co.uk
I’ve also taken part in this year’s Celebrity Paws by Cats Protection, alongside 17 other celebs, and people can bid on my drawing, or any others, until the auction closes soon! http://www.cats.org.uk/get-involved/celebrity-paws/meet-celebrities
I’m also going to make 2017 my most environmentally friendly year yet, after being inspired after seeing the WWF and People’s Post Code Lottery Earth Hour Heroes campaign, where everyday people who do extraordinary things for the planet are recognised. There’s still chance to nominate people for this year’s awards too, so if a reader knows someone then they should nominate!
http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/earth-hour-heroes/#.WFLG-oHfWaM
Thanks for talking with us, Robin!
No problem, thanks for having me! Have a wonderful Christmas darlings!
Are you excited for the Strictly Come Dancing final? Who do you think is going to be the winner of the precious Glitterball Trophy? Let us know by commenting on our Facebook wall or by Tweeting us @CelebMix
