Hello captain!

Brian and Kristina look mighty fetching in their military outfits in the Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals tour which opened last night in Brighton.
The two-hour event features professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing and has been choreographed by the dancers themselves to showcase their best talents. Here is a review from Brighton magazine Gscene.
The tour will travel across the UK and also to Dublin, ending in Bournemouth on 17 July.
For more information about dates and venues, click on the link on the right.
Facebook pics by Alfie Hitchcock and Liverpool Empire.

I was fortunate enough to see Brian and Kristina perform in a sold-out show in Yeovil in March - the dancing was simply stunning and it was a wonderful evening.
So I can understand why the cancellation of several Brian and Kristina shows because of contractual problems with the pro tour has left some fans upset and disappointed.
It must also be incredibly difficult for Brian and Kristina to be forced to cancel shows knowing the disappointment that will cause to fans whose support they have worked so hard to earn.
I hope those fans will be able to see Brian and Kristina, or Brian and Ali, at another event in the year. Hopefully, new events can be arranged once the contractual problems have been sorted out.
I was not able to see the Strictly tour and I don't know if I will get to see the pro tour or Burn the Floor. But even so, I am still inspired by the qualities that Ali and Brian showed during Strictly last year - grace, elegance, commitment, consideration for others, and a striving for excellence.
I hope Brian and Kristina will not be too downhearted - this too shall pass, as they say, and the Fortuna Fantastics and Team Awesomers will still be queueing up to see Brian, Ali and Kristina in whatever shows they perform in the future - and bringing their banners, pompoms and watermelons along too.
As Brian says, go big or go home.

Brian and Kristina shows cancelled

Several of Brian and Kristina's shows taking place during the run of the Strictly Come Dancing The Professional tour have been cancelled due to contractual problems. These include events in Dunfermline, Arbroath and Dumfries in May, although dancers Katya and Klaus will replace Brian and Kristina at the event in the DG One in Dumfries.
Katya and Klaus will also replace Brian and Kristina at the show in the Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton on Sea in Norfolk on 6th June.
Other Brian and Kristina events during the pro tour may be in question so please check with venues.

Extra show at Towngate Theatre

Owing to high demand for tickets, Brian and Kristina will be doing two shows at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon, Essex, on Sunday 25th April. There will now be a matinee performance starting at 2.30pm as well as the evening performance which starts at 7.30pm. Tickets on sale online and by telephone booking from the Box Office on 01268 465 465.

Ali and Brian to star in West End show Burn the Floor

Ali and Brian will be appearing as guest stars at Burn The Floor which is at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, in London from 21 July to 4th September.
The Broadway production is a Latin and Ballroom dance spectacular that has toured around the world.
Ali and Brian are scheduled to appear at every show throughout the run.
Tickets go on sale on Monday 19th April by phone from 10.00am on 020 7379 5399 or online from 9.00am: www.shaftesburytheatre.com. More information from http://www.burnthefloor.com/.

Ola talks about the pro tour

Brian and Kristina will be taking part in the Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals Tour with other professional dancers who appear on Strictly. The tour will travel nationwide, starting in Brighton on 29th April and Plymouth Pavilions in June.
As well as Brian and Kristina, the show will include Ola and James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, Matthew Cutler, Ian Waite, and this season's new faces, Aliona Vilani and Natalie Lowe.
In an interview with the Express & Echo newspaper in Devon, Ola Jordan talked about what the show will involve: "It's a very different show to what people will have seen on television," Ola said.
"We are going to do a two-hour show with fantastic dancing and choreography. People will get a chance to see all different dances.
"There's going to be lots of single and couple slots as well as some group dances. It's going to be great, although it is a lot of hard work for us."

Brian and Kristina's show at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock on 20th June has been cancelled, according to the hall's box office.
However, the show at Ferneham Hall on 5 July has been confirmed as going ahead by the box office at that venue.

Ali is supporting Rock Your Shades, asking people to wear their shades with attitude on Friday 14 May and donate £1 to the Teenage Cancer Trust to support its work helping teenagers who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Brian is currently in rehearsals for the Strictly Come Dancing Professionals Pro Tour which starts on Thursday 29th April at the Brighton Centre.

Ali is speaking today on behalf of the mental health charity Mind's Get Moving campaign which promotes the benefits of dance and exercise for mental wellbeing.