Oscar-fever is building ahead of the awards ceremony on Sunday – but Strictly Come Dancing stars Aljaž and Janette will bring a taster of that glamour and glitz to Aberdeen and Inverness.
The hugely-popular married couple will arrive at Eden Court on Wednesday March 23 and Aberdeen’s Music Hall on Thursday March 24 with their Remembering The Oscars tour – and promise a bit of red carpet excitement.
“You’re going to feel you’ve had a night at the Oscars,” said Aljaž Škorjanec. “There’s going to be all styles of dancing that even includes a little bit of Bollywood courtesy of Slumdog Millionaire.”
Janette Manrara added: “We’ll also be reflecting some of the amazing choreography featured in films like La La Land, Flashdance and Chorus Line. It can’t be long, in our opinion, until an Oscar is awarded for best choreography.”
The couple are clearly excited to be on the road again, with the tour having been twice postponed due to the pandemic. Remembering The Oscars is a follow-up to Aljaž and Janette’s previous tour, Remembering The Movies.
Aljaž and Janette take Music Hall and Eden Court shows to the next level
Aljaž said: “While we were touring the UK with Remembering The Movies, Janette and I were constantly talking about how we could evolve the show, taking it to the next level and into the West End.”
Janette said their Oscars show is their biggest and most ambitious production to date, with a hand-picked, top-flight cast.
“The Oscar-winning movies, songs and actors that have inspired us will take this tour to another level, one that we know our audiences are going to love,” she said. “To say Aljaž and I are excited about this tour is a huge understatement.”
The show promises to take the Music Hall audience from Disney family favourites, through to the Golden Ages of Hollywood and Bollywood, with songs from Lady Gaga, Adele, Prince, Queen, Eminem, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand, as well as classics from legendary songwriters such as Burt Bacharach, John Barry, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Irving Berlin.
But for all the Hollywood pizazz on display, the moments in the show Janette enjoys most are the slow romantic numbers with her husband – something which will make her the envy of many Aljaž fans. Janette, though, is comfortable with her other half being a national heartthrob courtesy of Strictly.
‘Other women might lust after Aljaž but I’m the one he comes home to!’
“Absolutely,” she said. “In fact, I find it quite complimentary. I’m very proud of him. The way I see it, I pick up some of the kudos. Other women might lust after him but I’m the one he comes home to!”
In the last outing for Strictly, Janette took on a new role away from the dance floor presenting It Takes Two, the daily Strictly spin-off show. She was also chosen to tour the Strictly UK arena tour in which Aljaž was dancing.
Janette makes no secret that she had long wanted to establish herself as a presenter – describing her role co-hosting the BBC’s Morning Live as a “pinch-me” moment. But does she miss not dancing anymore?
“A lot. Strictly was my family for so long. I’m married to someone who was still dancing on the show. I found it very hard.
“Being a dancer is who I am. I’m 38 now and my body is changing. It felt strange not being physically active anymore, not activating my endorphins on a daily basis. Now I go to the gym regularly and watch what I eat because I’m not burning off the calories through dancing every day.”
Husband Aljaž, however, says he can’t see a time he won’t be dancing, as long as his body allows.
Aljaž has his mother’s wise words tattooed on his arm
“I’ve been dancing since I was five. I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be a dancer,” he said.
Aljaž grew up in a small town in Slovenia – “There was only one set of traffic lights” – and his father had to drive an hour-and-a-half to the capital, Ljubljana and back for dancing lessons every other day. It’s a sacrifice he has never forgotten and feeds into his determination and discipline as a dancer.
He has never forgotten his mother’s watchwords either.
“‘Her favourite saying was: ‘The shortcut is the longest way.’ What she meant is that there’s no substitute for doing things properly.”
It’s not just a maxim he lives by. He has his mother’s words tattooed on his left upper forearm.
Of course, the pair are only too aware that one day their Strictly journey might come to an end, be it through the strain on their bodies or, as Aljaž puts it: “Our faces might not fit anymore.”
But they have loved every minute of their time on the show.
Janette said: “Strictly changed our lives, no question. People talk about the Strictly Curse. Well, we see it more as a blessing. It’s why we met, it’s where we fell in love and now we’re married. I think the public likes the fact that we’re a real-life couple.”
Aljaž and Janette are ‘red carpet ready’ for their Scottish fans
The pair do have a vision of what life might be like in 10 years time – with Aljaž suggesting owning a coffee shop or bar might be in his future.
Holding Janette’s hand he said: “I hope we’re just as happy then as we are now. I feel so happy and proud of everything we do every day.”
Janette added: “The more time we spend together, the more the love deepens. I think about the future a lot. In 10 years’ time, children will be part of the picture. And I hope we’ll have a beautiful home out in the country. Health and happiness – they’re the goal.”
But the more immediate goal is entertaining their fans at the Music Hall in Aberdeen on Thursday March 24 with their glittering tribute to the world of movies in Remembering The Oscars.
Aljaž said: “We will give our incredible audiences exactly what they deserve – the very best! We can’t wait to share it with you. We are red carpet ready.”
For more information and tickets for Aljaž and Janette: Remembering the Oscars at the Music Hall go to aberdeenperformingarts.com
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