What do the pros do with themselves?

Natalie is touring with Ian Waite
Jo Clifton is starring as Marilyn Monroe
Pasha is touring
Karen and Kevin Clifton are hosting an Evening in Grimsby (!)
Brendon is touring
Gleb will be lighting up our screens on Masterchef
Anton is hosting dance breaks with Erin
Alijaz and Janette are going on cruises (and perpetual holidays)

I can't find much out about the others. I would have thought touring would be the most lucrative.

Oti has been tweeting a lot about football, but don't know what she is doing professionally.

I think I read something about a German dance show a while ago, although I may have imagined that!

Didn't Oti go straight back into the German version of Dancing With The Stars

I've got a German connection in my head as well! Oti doesn't have her own website which surprises me - I would have thought it well worth a pro's while to have a website for bookings and advertising etc.

Joanne and Giovanni have done a lot together . . . cruise, Donaheys Alton Towers weekend, other performance dates. Joanne teaches as well doesn't she.

It's brilliant to see her diversifying and winning excellent reviews for her personal performance as Marilyn. I hope she's at least doing one more season as a pro on Strictly (with a ringer) before she moves on. Though if she is I'll miss her on Choreography corner, much as I love Karen Hardy I prefer Joanne's 'arms in a bowl of custard' explanations

Oti has participated in a few shows a few weeks ago in south Africa ( when she was vacationing there ). Her and her partner also taught some classes there ; they also teach in Germany as well. Currently she's doing Germany let's Dance as a choreographer/dancer. She also did some dance workshops in Europe with her partner /boyfriend. A few months ago when she was in Los Angeles, she attended dancing with the stars and took even more dance classes ; she learned hip hop. This girl is constantly working and busy; just because she doesn't publicize a lot of it on her twitter, doesn't mean she's not busy. I know all of this because I follow her on Instagram . In fact, she's one of pros that I see constantly busy.

Yes. It's called "Let's Dance". She was paired with an actor/presenter who I don't think came across very well and was a rubbish dancer. Poor Oti. They were eliminated first in week 2 after their jive for which they scored 2+3+1 from the judges. (Oti's sister gave the 3 😂 )

That's interesting and quite refreshing. I really liked Oti last series, I hope she has a good partner this year.

Same here - I thought Joanne was soooo annoying in series 1 but she'd calmed down a lot last year and plenty of interesting and insightful views on ITT. I like Karen but am beginning to wonder if she's had her day a bit - I sometimes think she's recycling the same old views if you know what I mean?

Yes she's the only strictly pro I folllow lol; what I noticed is that a lot of the other pros mostly use twitter to communicate their projects and she doesn't do it as much so maybe that's why it seems like she isn't busy. That's not the case at all.

I really hope they call her back this year and that she gets a decent partner. Another thing I found refreshing is the fact that she took some dance classes a few weeks ago at Dance Millennium in LA ; that's great. A lot of pros should imo continue to hone their craft and learn; some of them don't do that.

Agree with this 100% while Strictly is not on one should take classes in Argentine Tango, Salsa, Disco etc etc etc. As that even though Disco may never be a dance on the show, putting elements of it in Salsa, Cha Cha Cha keeps choreography fresh and you can use it as a Freestyle. I would add Hip Hop and Jazz/Contemporary to this too and Flamenco lessons enriches Paso Doble (I know they are different) but putting actual Flamenco elements brings Paso Doble alive. Why the pros do not take Argentine Tango lessons is just rediculous. You know its a main dance like Salsa yet a very few pros seem at least versed in it. An easy way to do this is put dances not done on Strictly in the tours you learn the dances while performing it many times each show!

I have heard Shirley Ballas say this many times.

for the pros to do actual paso to paso music would be enough for me. As for other forms of dance many of them do take classes I know that Aljaz, Jo, Janette have been doing regular classes at pineapple for hip hop and other styles BUT I would hate to see hip hop or lyrical added to show as in USA

Shirley is such a brilliant dancer/coach/choreographer who I have known since she danced in juniors - whilst she thinks learning other forms of dance enchance performance of a dancer she is also a purist when it comes to latin especially

BIB Phoning it in some weeks. Karen still comes out with something refreshingly honest and direct every now and then though.

I've loved Joanne as a pro from when she first joined in Series 12 but I know what you mean Lou, she seems to have learnt a lot on the job about TV presenting.

Definitely Ochre. I would like to see her back this season with a decent celeb. It's getting quite late in the day for them to announce the pros isn't it. I wonder if negotiations are more complicated now that a lot of the pros are quite famous in their own right. (No doubt the Jordans would have a view on this!)

I'm certain the returning pros must know by now, I hope they have negotiated a pay rise. Not sure, harsh though it is, that even the best known, longest serving pros have a lot of bargaining power, however the info about Natalie elsewhere suggests producers have been keen to hang on to those who want to stay.

If that's the case isn't the pantomime they're making them go through in the press, denying they know if they're back, ridiculous.

Perhaps producers haven't fully decided on the new pros. Imagine the headline 'Jordan's in return to Strictly shocka' I know it won't happen

The DM would LOVE it - they are going to miss Ola's pert posterior and side boobs Yes, it is a bit ridiculous when they surely must know if they're returning or not. I know the new pros add an exciting dimension but given that quite a few of the established ones are leaving, I can see why the producers would want to hang on to Natalie et al.

Ha ha yes the DM and others will definitely be looking for a new tabloid favourite pro

So pleased Natalie's returning.

as am I

BIB wait ...how do you know that did they announce all the pros coming back

No there's been no official announcement yet unfortunately! But a poster in the 'When do we find out which pros are coming back' thread who had been to see one of Ian and Natalie's shows reported she'd confirmed her Strictly return

I can confirm the confirmation.
Saw Ian and Natalie and apparently she has a 2 year contract.

Thank you for that

Did you enjoy the show? Any other nuggets of info, what dances did they perform? Sorry for all the questions, I'm a fan of both

I tried to link to a tweet by Richard Curwen but it's about five lines long! It's a photo of Artem on a cruise running a Cha Cha masterclass. I hope those cruises are lucrative because that must be hard work.

Ah okay thanks and Yay so happy to have her back

Anton has been on Thomson Cruises surprising guests:

http://www.cruisehive.com/strictly-c...ise-ship/12215


Anton has also been helping a theater company based in Stourbridge:

http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/new..._help_Stourbri