Is this the reason for the secret block booking on F&V webpage? Just the pro dancers, no “celebs”. I heard rumbles sometime ago and it has just hit the glad rags..... Truth or pre new series rumour...... Probably using this as the ultimate carrot to shut the pro dancers up and get them on side, plus the bonus of all the merchandising – assuming they get a slice of the pie – would be a disgrace if they don’t. If this is a genuine goer the venues must have been sorted; come on all your Ms Maples out there..... get digging......

Now, about Jay Hunt........ ops, wrong thread....... the sooner that woman goes the better. She could be a runner for the pro dancers on the tour, as long as she kept her mouth shut.

I’ve been up since 3.30am (the joy of a sporting teen that trains in London), so have eaten too many doughnuts to keep my sugar up, so my teeth hurt and I feel sick, thought I’d share!

oh intriguing...

where have you seen this??

I think its possible...

Hopefully this will go ahead. A pro dancers tour would be brilliant.

I think theres a mention of it in this weeks Womans Own, but I've not seen it myself.

I'm surprised in a way if it's true. That means some of the pro dancers will effectively be working for the BBC and nothing else- the series, the pro/celeb tour and the pro tour.

All three together would presumably be a tidy income, but I would have thought it would be a bit constraining depending how much creative input they have into the tour.

I'm inclined to believe it to be true Katie, and would account for the 'block booking' thats been on V & F website lately.

Strictly Gossip in Womens Own magazine

There are secret plans for 2 Strictly tours next year! There will be 1 in January with celebs and professionals, and a Summer tour with only pros.

I do think it's true too, just a bit surprised!

I think it will be fab, really something I'd rather see than the pro/celeb tour. I'll be going multiple times I imagine!

Yeah, I would too. Unless my favourite celeb was taking part which is extremely doubtful, then I'd prefer to go watch the pro dancers more too.

I only hope they do still get to do some of their own private events too though, and arent just solely SCD employees.

Yeah, me too. Like I was kind of hoping Latin Fever would go on tour next year, but if D&L do this I'm not sure they'd have time.

Theres a post regarding them doing their own work as well on Flavias thread if you havent seen it yet and want a look.

Noooooo way! That would rock my socks!
Of course, as I'm going to the Strictly tour twice in February, I feel it would only be fair to do the same if the pros tour in the Summer.

It's an interesting idea......maybe the "block" summer tour would only run for say 4-6 weeks June/July (there is April/May/June/July "free" to fit it into to) and the pro's could then maybe do their other private demo's if they choose or not choose as the case may be.

I can imagine having another 4-6 weeks or so of guaranteed income would be an attractive proposition and maybe not having to spend hours driving up and down the country themselves and organising their own schedules would also be attractive.......

I'd like to think they would have more creative input (as you say katie ) and choice over partners (the ones that immediately spring to mind are Matt/Nicole and Ian/Camilla).......and more say and control than they have on the current pro/celeb tour.

Is it defo the BBC that would organise it ??.........i thought the company responsible for the pro/celeb tour were seperate to the BBC......

In theory could the pro's not organise their own tour ?? which has nothing to do with the BBC........Anton/Erin have done it........same Lilia/Darren so why not ALL the pro's together

Vincent and Flavia's block booking is for their "Fantasia" tour, aka their version of Cheek to Cheek/Latin Fever. Details of one of their shows is here - http://www.holidays4dancers.com/venu...t_fantasia.php

Brendan's doing his own tour next year too, and there was talk of Ian and Camilla doing something similar, so I'm not sure I can see all the pros doing a single tour.

NO its not... they changed around the dates of their Fanstasia holidays to the four weekends in March.... in different venues.

If you check out the holidays4dancers website now that particular weekend is now just a Latin Dance holiday but still in Southport.

so the mystery continues. I think there must be some credible truth to the rumour... just depends on how much is true.

Thanks

I guess in a recession some of them might want the security of a year's worth of contracts all settled, but I'm a little disappointed if that post is true (and I guess it might be since it emerged separately from these latest rumours).

I don't like the fact that Nicole and Camilla will definitely not be taking part, as those two partnerships are still operating outside Strictly. It pushes them out of the picture or forces Ian or Matt to make some tough choices. I'd so love to see Matt and Nicole dancing together on tour as well.

I'm also unsure about the idea of the pros basically being BBC employees and nothing else. I suppose they had a lot of creative input into the first two tours and hopefully they would have more or less total control over this. I don't like the idea of the BBC dictating music choices etc.

What made Latin Fever such a joy for me was that it was entirely the creation of D&L. As a fan of theirs it was so amazing to be able to watch their own choreography, music and costume choices as well as them dancing. I'd so much rather see that than them dancing to the BBC's tune- literally and figuratively!

Also on a selfish note I really was hoping that Latin Fever would go on tour next year as there were rumours it was going to.

I wonder how many of the pro couples would actually be taking part.
Probably not Anton, Erin, Brendan or Karen.
So with the line up just now there might only be the usual tour dancers.

Vincent and Flavia
Darren and Lilia
James and Ola
Brian and Kristina

Ian
Matthew

I stand corrected!

Don't much like the idea of a pros only tour myself. It eats into their schedule for private shows (well, public ones run by small local event promoters) which are vastly more personal and immediate than anything on a stage where people don't get to meet them.

I'm far from being an expert on these shows considering I've only been to one V & F event, but that was a point i was making a few weeks back when there was suggestions of a V & F stage show. I prefer the intimacy of the smaller venues to the larger arenas of the strictly tours etc. and dont fancy the idea of losing that altogether.

I ditto that....

I like the intimate shows too... where you can feel you are feet or inches away from the dancers... rather than being in an arena when if you want to get up close and personal you need to take binnoculars...

i need to get tickets for this pro tour if its true