We put in hard work to make it look so easy

Rehearsals

ROUTINES may often look effortless but there are dozens of hours a week put into making them look that way.

Dancer AJ admits it is always incredibly busy.

After spending the first part of the week training in the dance studio, the pairs head to Elstree for rehearsals on the Strictly floor.

AJ said: “Non-stop, that’s the best way to describe Strictly. You’re always on the move.”

On Friday, the couples rehearse their routines three times in the space where the live shows are filmed.

AJ said: “After practising in the studio, it never quite feels the same when you get to rehearsals.

“Plus you’re getting used to using the props. Once, we had one chair in training as a prop and then we got to the studio on the Friday to find our actual prop and it’s like, ‘Oh wait... that’s now 6ft high’ or now we’ve got like a million chairs.”

And there is more than the pairs’ dances to think about. For the pros like AJ, there is a group dance to learn.

“Between dancing with our partners we’ll suddenly have to do the same thing with our group number,” he said.

“Sometimes you’re so focused on the dance with your partner you have forgotten the pro number.”

Whoops moments

EVERY live show has its moments and even off camera there is plenty that can go wrong with a show like Strictly.

AJ said: “There was one amazing moment with one of our lifts in the Charleston.

“I had to pop Lauren on my shoulders and do a 360-degree turn and Lauren had to go down towards the floor. I had to make sure she didn’t hit the floor.

“So I had to throw her up and put her on my shoulders. I got her in the air and then she ended up landing on my head and literally just sat there.

“I was frozen and I didn’t know what to do. Luckily, there was a crash mat – but I’ll never forget that.”