"Pure ballroom heaven"

Brian and Kristina's salsa is one of the highlights of the pro tour, according to the Mail on Sunday which published a glowing review of the show when it appeared in Cardiff.
The review also described Brian as 'the most stylish of the males'.
Numbers by Brian and Kristina, Vincent and Flavia, and James and Ola were described as 'pure ballroom heaven'.
To read the review, see the Team Awesome in the News page.

Brian & Kristina event in Porthcawl postponed to autumn

The Brian and Kristina event at Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, near Bridgend, which had been due to be held on Friday 30th July will be postponed to the autumn. The new date has not been confirmed but the venue is making arrangements with Brian and Kristina.
Ticket holders will be contacted shortly and will have the option of going to the autumn event or getting a refund, according to Grand Pavilion box office staff.

Ali and Brian get it off their chests for CF

Ali and Brian are supporting a campaign to raise awareness about cystic fibrosis, the UK's most common inherited life-limiting condition, by wearing their Get It Off Your Chest T-shirts.
Brian also signed Ali's sparkly Charleston shoes which she donated to support the campaign.
Ali says that cystic fibrosis is an issue that is "very close to my heart". When she was 15, she starred in a film with Trevor Eve and Amanda Redman called Next Birthday, about teenagers with the disease.
Lorraine Barnes, who has two sons with CF, is sending out the Get It Off Your Chest T-shirts to celebrities.
To support Lorraine's campaign, you can buy T-shirts here. To see all the celebs wearing their Get It Off Your Chest gear, click here.
The Cystic Fibrosis Trust raises money for research into the disease, the search for a cure, raising awareness and providing information for those affected.

Competitions for pro tour tickets

The Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals tour is well under way, having just arrived in Cardiff after visiting Dublin last week, and the reviews have been brilliant.
Audiences are "extremely lively and always give a standing ovation at the end of each show," Brian told the Formby Times.
Kristina explained that the professionals have had a lot of input: "We’ve been able to choose the music for our solo pieces,” she said.
The Formby Times, based on Merseyside, interviewed Brian and Kristina ahead of the tour arriving in Liverpool on 21 June. The newspaper has a competition running to win four pairs of tickets - the deadline is Monday 31 May.
The Mature Times also has a pro tour ticket competition - the lucky winners will be able to see the show on Friday 9th July in London.

Don't forget to rock your shades

Ali is supporting Rock Your Shades, the first all day mass participation event by the Teenage Cancer Trust tomorrow (Friday 14th May). Wear your shades and donate £1 to this charity that aims to improve the lives of teenagers and young adults with cancer. http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/get-involved/rock-your-shades/

Dancing "fixed my brain inside"

This isn't about Team Awesome and it isn't about ballroom dancing but I was left awestruck by a recent BBC3 documentary about Jimmy Hobley, a 10-year-old disco dancer from Redcar in the north east. The film followed Jimmy and his family as he competed in national competitions and he just sparkled with natural talent and a love for dancing. Oh, and he also has autism, as do his two brothers.
Two years ago, Jimmy could not read or write, and found eye contact with others difficult. After developing a passion for dance, his reading and writing skills improved dramatically, and he also began to interact more.
His mother Sheila believes that dancing has been the key to transform her son because it required him to improve his concentration in order to master the routines.
"I think since he started dancing there's been a massive improvement. It's like someone switched the light on," she says.
"Before the dancing, I was a nobody," says Jimmy. "I was a regular school kid with special needs. Dancing makes me feel like I'm normal… like all the other kids… it's like somebody's fixed my brain inside."
But Jimmy's success has also has repercussions in his family - his twin George and older brother Alex look on as Jimmy shines in his new-found passion.
The film sees Jimmy visit a ballet school and ends with the World Disco Championships in Blackpool Tower.
For more, see links below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8660356.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bbcthree/2010/05/autism-disco-me-how-dancing-saved-my-son.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWHQa_zXEx0
On a slightly bizarre note, the documentary is narrated by Craig Kelly, the infamous celeb dancer on Strictly 2009, who was finally ditched by the public at, yes, Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Burn the Floor video

A promo video for Burn the Floor has been released featuring Ali and Brian looking gorgeous together - the pair are guest stars in the dance show which opens in London on 21 July. See the video here.

Two journalists from the Daily Mail are put through their paces on the dance floor by Kristina and Brian - and find themselves succumbing to the pair's charm and all-round gorgeousness. The story, published today, was part of publicity for Strictly Come Dancing The Professionals tour.
To see the extended pro tour trailer, click here.