Aljaž Skorjanec
Aljaž Škorjanec (born 19 February 1990) is a Slovenian dancer and choreographer who has appeared on the BBC series Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer.
Aljaž Škorjanec | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 February 1990 Ptuj, Slovenia |
| Nationality | Slovenian |
| Occupation | Dancer and choreographer |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Partner(s) | Valerija Rahle Mbanwi (2000–2008) |
Career
Aljaž Škorjanec was born in Ptuj, Slovenia. He is a 19-time Slovenian champion in Ballroom, Latin and Ten Dance.[1] Between 2000 and 2008 his professional partner was Valerija Rahle Mbanwi.[2]
Strictly Come Dancing
In September 2013, Skorjanec became a professional dancer on the eleventh series of the British television show, Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with model Abbey Clancy. On 21 December, they won the series. He was the fourth professional to win in his first series of the show.
The following year, he returned for the show's twelfth series, where he was partnered with This Morning presenter, Alison Hammond. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated from the competition.
For the show's thirteenth series, he was partnered with Call the Midwife actress, Helen George. They were eliminated on Week 11 of the competition, leaving in sixth place.
For the show's fourteenth series, he was partnered with model Daisy Lowe. They were the seventh couple to be eliminated from the competition, leaving in eighth place.
For the show's fifteenth series, he was partnered with actress and former model, Gemma Atkinson.[3] The couple reached the finals, but on the 16 December, they finished as joint runners-up, behind winners Joe McFadden and his professional dance partner, Katya Jones.[4]
For the show's sixteenth series, he was partnered with BBC newsreader and journalist Kate Silverton. The couple were eliminated on week 9 in Blackpool, leaving in eighth place.
For the seventeenth series, he was partnered with socialite and chef, Emma Weymouth. the billionaire's daughter also is the richest person to do Strictly. They were eliminated on week 7, leaving in ninth place. [5]
| Series | Partner | Place | Average Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Abbey Clancy | 1st | 35.6 |
| 12 | Alison Hammond | 10th | 24.6 |
| 13 | Helen George | 6th | 33.0 |
| 14 | Daisy Lowe | 8th | 31.8 |
| 15 | Gemma Atkinson | 2nd | 31.0 |
| 16 | Kate Silverton | 8th | 25.0 |
| 17 | Emma Weymouth | 9th | 27.0 |
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Abbey Clancy Gemma Atkinson |
39 | Alison Hammond | 26 |
| Argentine Tango | Kate Silverton | 23 | ||
| Cha-Cha-Cha | Daisy Lowe Abbey Clancy |
30 | Emma Weymouth | 19 |
| Charleston | Abbey Clancy | 36 | Alison Hammond | 27 |
| Foxtrot | Abbey Clancy | 35 | Alison Hammond | 22 |
| Jive | Gemma Atkinson | 30 | Alison Hammond | 21 |
| Paso Doble | Gemma Atkinson | 38 | Abbey Clancy | 32 |
| Quickstep | Abbey Clancy | 38 | Gemma Atkinson | 29 |
| Rumba | Abbey Clancy | 34 | Kate Silverton | 20 |
| Salsa | Abbey Clancy | 40 | Gemma Atkinson | 26 |
| Samba | Abbey Clancy | 39 | Kate Silverton | 20 |
| Showdance | Abbey Clancy | 38 | Gemma Atkinson | 37 |
| Something-athon | Helen George | 7 | Abbey Clancy Gemma Atkinson |
3 |
| Tango | Abbey Clancy | 35 | Emma Weymouth | 22 |
| Viennese Waltz | Helen George | 39 | Kate Silverton | 26 |
| Waltz | Abbey Clancy | 40 | Gemma Atkinson | 26 |
Abbey Clancy
On the eleventh series Skorjanec was partnered with model Abbey Clancy.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "Kissing You" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | None |
| 2 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Let's Get Loud" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Can't Buy Me Love" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Spectrum" | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Dear Darlin'" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 6 | Rumba / "Stay" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Bottom two |
| 7 | Charleston / "Cabaret" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Walking on Sunshine" | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| 9 | Paso Doble / "You Got the Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 10 | Salsa / "You Should Be Dancing" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Safe |
| 11 | Viennese Waltz / "Delilah" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 37 | Safe |
| Swing-a-thon / "Do You Love Me" | Awarded | 3 | extra | points | 40 | ||
| 12 | Samba / "Faith" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| American Smooth / "Sweet Caroline" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | ||
| 13 | Waltz / "Kissing You" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 40 | Winners |
| Showdance / "Sweet Child o' Mine" | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 38 | ||
| Quickstep / "Walking on Sunshine" | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 38 | ||
Alison Hammond
On the twelfth series Skorjanec was partnered with Alison Hammond.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Result | |||||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Osmond | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "I'm Every Woman" | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | 7 | 26 | None |
| 2 | Foxtrot / "I Just Want to Make Love to You" | 5 | 5 | – | 6 | 6 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive / "Footloose" | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 28 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba / "Bootylicious" | 6 | 7 | – | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Addicted to You" | 5 | 6 | – | 6 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 6 | American Smooth / "Wuthering Heights" | 5 | 7 | – | 7 | 7 | 26 | Bottom two |
| 7 | Charleston / "Friend Like Me" | 6 | 7 | – | 7 | 7 | 27 | Eliminated |
- Note: Donny Osmond was a guest judge for the third week
Helen George
On the thirteenth series Skorjanec was partnered with model Helen George.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "With You I'm Born Again" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 29 | None |
| 2 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Uptown Girl" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot / "I Wanna Be Loved by You" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 4 | Salsa / "Dr. Beat" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "You Can't Hurry Love" | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba / "Take Your Mama" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 7 | Rumba / "Hello" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 8 | Tango / "Hold Back the River" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 9 | Charleston/ Anything Goes | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 10 | Viennese Waltz/ At Last | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| Quickstep-a-Thon / Sing, Sing, Sing | Awarded | 7 | extra | points | 46 | ||
| 11 | Paso Doble / "At The End of The Day" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Eliminated |
Daisy Lowe
On the fourteenth series Skorjanec was partnered with model Daisy Lowe.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "Unforgettable" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 32 | None |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Forget You" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "A Spoonful of Sugar" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 4 | Rumba / "Careless Whisper" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 5 | Charleston / "Happy Feet" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Bottom two |
| 6 | Paso Doble / "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 33 | Bottom two |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Daisy Bell" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 8 | Salsa / "Groove Is in the Heart" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Eliminated |
Gemma Atkinson
On the fifteenth series Skorjanec was partnered with model Gemma Atkinson.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | None |
| 2 | Waltz / "Un Giorno Per Noi (A Time for Us)" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "The Bear Necessities" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Viva la Vida" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 5 | Foxtrot / "Believe" | 8 | 8 | 8 | - | 24 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've)" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | Salsa / "Sun Comes Up" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 9 | American Smooth / "Downtown" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 10 | Samba / "The River of Dreams" Paso Doble-a-thon / "España cañí" |
6 Awarded |
6 3 |
6 extra |
7 points |
25 28 |
Safe |
| 11 | Quickstep / "Hello, Dolly!" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 12 | Rumba / "Beneath Your Beautiful" Tango / "My Sharona" |
7 8 |
8 8 |
7 8 |
8 8 |
30 32 |
Bottom Two |
| 13 | Paso Doble / "Viva la Vida" Showdance / "Show Me How You Burlesque" American Smooth / "Downtown" |
9 8 9 |
9 9 10 |
10 10 10 |
10 10 10 |
38 37 39 |
Runners-Up |
Kate Silverton
On the sixteenth series Skorjanec was partnered with journalist and newsreader Kate Silverton.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Kiss" | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 20 | None |
| 2 | Tango / "No Roots" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot / "Why Don't You Do Right" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba / "Africa" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / "Finally Mine" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8* | 26 | Safe |
| 6 | Rumba / "Skin" | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 20 | Safe |
| 7 | Argentine tango / "Assassin's Tango" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 23 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "I Want You to Want Me" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 9 | American Smooth / "Everlasting Love" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Eliminated |
- Score was awarded by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro
Emma Thynn, Viscountess Weymouth
On the seventeenth series Skorjanec was partnered with fashion model, socialite, and television personality. Emma Thynn, Viscountess Weymouth.
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Revel Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / She's a Lady" | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 19 | None |
| 2 | Tango / "Sucker" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | Safe |
| 3 | Foxtrot / "Did I Make the Most of Loving You? | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive / "Kids in America | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Bottom two |
| 5 | Viennese Waltz / “Saving All My Love For You | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9* | 36 | Safe |
| 6 | Charleston / "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | Samba / "I Don't Care" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Eliminated |
- Score was awarded by guest judge Alfonso Ribeiro
Dance tours and other professional engagements
In 2017 Skorjanec took part in the national Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour in 2017 and, with Janette Manrara, announced dates for their 2018 UK Tour "Remembering Fred"[6]
In 2018 Skorjanec and Manrara announced dates for their 2019 UK Tour "Remembering The Movies"[7] and also announced appearances at the 2019 "Dancing With The Stars Weekends".[8]
Personal life
Skorjanec loves football and is a big supporter of FC Barcelona. He also loves basketball, movies, and the TV shows Dexter and Game of Thrones. His favourite films are The Godfather and The Departed.[9] Skorjanec is married to fellow dancer Janette Manrara[10]
References
- "Aljaž Skorjanec". BBC. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- "Details of Aljaz Skorjanec - Valerija Rahle Mbanwi | World DanceSport Federation at worlddancesport.org". www.worlddancesport.org.
- "Who is Strictly Come Dancing celebrity contestant Gemma Atkinson?". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- "Strictly Come Dancing's Joe McFadden says 'never in a million years' did he think he would win show". mirror.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Pride & Prejudice: Emma Weymouth on sleeping with Longleat's lions and beating the blue-blooded bigots". Standard.
- "Remembering Fred Tour - Relive the Magic of Fred Astaire". Remembering Fred. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
- "Remembering The Movies Tour 2019". Ents24. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
- "4* Weekend Break with the stars of Strictly Come Dancing". www.donaheys.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
- "Strictly Come Dancing - Aljaž Skorjanec - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
- Henden, Amalie (2018-10-27). "Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec: When did Strictly professionals get married?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-05.