Kevin Clifton

Kevin Clifton
Born Kevin Clifton
(1982-10-13) 13 October 1982
Waltham, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
Nationality English
Education Caistor Grammar School
Occupation Dancer, choreographer
Spouse(s) Clare Craze (divorced)
Karen Clifton (m. 2015–2018)
Family Joanne Clifton (sister)

Kevin Clifton (born 13 October 1982) is an English professional dancer born in Waltham, near Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He is a professional dancer on the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing, having previously worked as an assistant choreographer.[1] He has also featured on Burn the Floor. He was given the nickname called "Kevin from Grimsby".[2][3]

Early life

Clifton started dancing ballroom and Latin as a child in his home village of Waltham near Grimsby taught by his parents, former World Champions Keith and Judy Clifton.[4] He competed nationally and internationally as a child initially partnering his sister Joanne.[5] Later, when they both chose to move on to different partners he chose Latin as his primary dance style so as not to directly compete against his sister.[6] He was a Youth World Number 1 and four time British Latin Champion and won International Open titles in Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Belgium. At the time of his retirement from competitive dancing in 2007, he was ranked 7th in the world.

Career

In 2010 Clifton made his musical theatre debut in Dirty Dancing The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End, where he partnered BBC1′s So You Think You Can Dance winner, Charlie Bruce. From January 2008 to June 2013, Clifton and his wife Karen Hauer were principal dancers of the Burn The Floor Dance Company, performing in the show’s record breaking Broadway run as well as starring at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End. He also performed with the show in Japan, Australia, South Africa and the United States, as well as making guest appearances on Dancing with the Stars in the United States and So You Think You Can Dance in the Netherlands.[7] They rejoined Burn The Floor as principal dancers for a short tour of Australia and Japan in Spring 2014.

He appeared on Series 5 of Hacker Time.[8]

Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance

In 2013, Clifton appeared on series 11 of Strictly Come Dancing and was partnered with Susanna Reid. He had previously auditioned for the show with his partner Karen Hauer but they had only needed a female dancer at the time, so he was instead employed as a choreographer for the show in 2012. In the 2013 Blackpool performance of the show he was joined in the opening dance by his family.[9] On the same show, Reid and Clifton scored 39/40 for their paso doble, putting them at the top of the leaderboard. He won the 2013 Strictly Come Dancing Pro Challenge[10] becoming the Guinness World Records holder for most Drunken Sailors in 30 seconds[11] The couple's popularity ensured they reached the final,[12] on 21 December, where they finished as runners up with Natalie Gumede behind model Abbey Clancy.[13]

In 2014's series 12 of Strictly Come Dancing Clifton was paired with popstar Frankie Bridge.[14] They were declared the runners-up with Simon Webbe, beaten by Caroline Flack and Pasha Kovalev. In 2015, Clifton, recently married to co-professional dancer Karen Hauer, returned for the thirteenth series of the show and was partnered up with EastEnders actress Kellie Bright. Bright and Clifton scored a perfect 40 for their Tango and Showdance and eventually finished as joint runners up with Georgia May Foote and Giovanni Pernice.[15]

Clifton has also taken part in the 'Strictly live tour'. For the 2014 tour he continued his partnership with, series 11 partner, Susanna Reid. He was due to dance with Frankie Bridge again for the 2015 tour however she had to pull out, due to her pregnancy, and he instead danced with, series 6 contestant, Rachel Stevens. Clifton and Bridge were however, reunited for the 2016 tour.

In 2016 Clifton again took part Strictly Come Dancing where he partnered singer and media personality Louise Redknapp, on 17 December 2016 Clifton became the first professional dancer in the shows history to compete in four consecutive finals, he was also the only professional dancer not to be in the dance-off, for the fourth time Clifton finished as the series runner-up with Redknapp after losing out in the final result to Ore Oduba and his sister Joanne.

For series 15, in 2017, Clifton was partnered with Scottish comedian Susan Calman.[16] Calman expressed her great delight at the partnering with Clifton, of whom she is a fan.[17]

For series 16, in 2018, Clifton was partnered with English television presenter and journalist, Stacey Dooley.

Series Celebrity partner Place
11 Susanna Reid 2nd
12 Frankie Bridge 2nd
13 Kellie Bright 2nd
14 Louise Redknapp 2nd
15 Susan Calman 7th
16 Stacey Dooley

Series 11

Celebrity partner
Susanna Reid; Average: 33.8; placed second

Series 12

Celebrity partner
Frankie Bridge; Average: 35.1; placed second

Series 13

Celebrity partner
Kellie Bright; Average: 34.1; placed second

Series 14

Celebrity partner
Louise Redknapp; Average: 35.9; placed second

Series 15

Celebrity partner
Susan Calman; Average: 23.3; Place: 7th

Dance tours and other professional engagements

In August 2017, Kevin & Karen Clifton announced they would be touring the UK again in 2018 with their theatre tour 'Kevin and Karen Dance' following their first nationwide tour in 2017.[18]

Personal life

Clifton grew up in the small North East Lincolnshire town of Waltham attending the East Ravendale Primary school where he was notable for his Michael Jackson impressions. He later attended Caistor Grammar School doing well academically before choosing to pursue his dance career rather than attend sixth form.[19]

Clifton has been married three times.[20] His first marriage was to a dance partner at 20 years old.[20] He then married professional dancer Clare Craze,[21] splitting up in 2010 and with their divorce being finalised in 2013.He was married to fellow professional dancer Karen Clifton, having proposed to her, on her birthday, on stage during a performance of Burn the Floor. They wed on 11 July 2015. On 15 March 2018, Clifton confirmed he and Karen Clifton were no longer together romantically.[22]

Philanthropy

As well as taking part in various charity campaigns and visits in his role as a Strictly professional, Kevin is also a patron of the Wheelchair DanceSport Association[23] and the 2014 Dance Proms.[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Local Dancers set Strictly Come Dancing Return". Grimsby Telegraph. 7 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "We Need To Talk About Kevin From Grimsby". BBC. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  3. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin Clifton appears on BBC Breakfast". Grimsby Telegraph. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  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 8 September 2013.
  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. ↑ "Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton". World Dance Management. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  8. ↑ "Hacker Time – CBBC". BBC. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  9. ↑ "Kevin Clifton's family to feature in tonight's Strictly Come Dancing opening routine". Grimsby Telegraph. 16 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  10. ↑ "It Takes Two:Pro Challenge 2013". BBC. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  11. ↑ "Strictly It Takes Two Episode 54 Series 11". BBC. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Parents' pride as Kevin Clifton reaches Strictly Come Dancing final with Susanna Reid". Grimsby Telegraph. 14 December 2013. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Kevin Clifton on his way back to Grimsby after finishing as runner-up in Strictly Come Dancing final". 22 December 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Celebrity partners revealed for Strictly Come Dancing siblings Kevin and Joanne Clifton". 7 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing winner crowned". BBC. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  16. ↑ http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/everything-you-need-know-susan-451507
  17. ↑ http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/09/strictly-come-dancing-2017-susan-calman-cries-after-being-partnered-with-kevin-clifton-6915569/
  18. ↑ http://www.kevinandkarenlive.com/information
  19. ↑ "Strictly Come Dancing Final: Pupils and staff at East Ravendale and Caistor schools pledge support for Kevin Clifton and Susanna Reid". Grimsby Telegraph. 21 December 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2013.
  20. 1 2 Dear, Alice (2018-03-15). "Inside Kevin Clifton's ex marriages as he announces THIRD divorce from Karen Clifton". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  21. ↑ "Ballroom Champ makes a Blistering Broadway Debut in Burn The Floor". Broadway.com. 13 August 2009. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  22. ↑ Douglas, Nicole (2018-03-15). "Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin and Karen Clifton CONFIRM split live on the radio". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-16.
  23. ↑ "Strictly's Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer to become patrons of the Wheelchair Dance Sport Association (UK)". Dancing-times.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  24. ↑ "Patrons 2014". Dance Proms. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
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