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Strictly African Dancing - biographies
Presenters
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Natasha Kaplinsky
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Presenter of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳'s Breakfast as well as past winner of Strictly Come Dancing, Natasha'sÌýfather was an anti-apartheid campaignerÌýin South AfricaÌýwho sought political asylumÌýinÌýthe UK.
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The family eventually settledÌýin KenyaÌýwhere Natasha spent her early years.
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Natasha is also presenting ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Breakfast from Kenya on the week of 4 July.
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On presenting Strictly African Dancing Natasha said: "I'm delighted to be involved with Africa Lives on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ and to be presenting this special edition of Strictly Come Dancing.
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"Having grown up in Africa, I've always loved the wealth and variety of African music and dance, so it's great to be involved with something that celebrates African culture and brings it to the widest possible audience."
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Martin Offiah
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A Rugby League and Union legend, Martin has won every medal Rugby League has to offer.
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Martin's family are of Nigerian origin. Martin also featured as one of the dancers in the first series of Strictly Come Dancing.
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Martin said: "I'm really looking forward to it. I do have some experience of my own of African dance from when I was younger in Nigeria, so I can appreciate what our six celebrities will be training for."
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Celebrity Dancers
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Robbie Earle
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Former footballer turned broadcaster and presenter Robbie Earle scored more than 100 goals in his career, at both Port Vale and later as a member of the legendary Nineties Wimbledon FC side known as the Crazy Gang.
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Robbie was awarded an MBE in 1999 and also captained Jamaica's national side for two years.
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Robbie will be learning the Zulu Warrior Dance from South Africa.
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Energetic and intimidating, the Zulu is performed to celebrate victory or to prepare for battle. The dance depicts modes of attack, and boasts of male prowess - moves simulate the dodging and attacking associated with facing an enemy.
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The dance features props that conjure images of battle, attack and defence.
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On learning the Zulu Warrior Dance, Robbie says: "I've absolutely no dancing experience, apart from in my Wimbledon days when we used to do a bit of aerobics.
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"When I first saw the costume I would be wearing I thought 'oh no' but once you start the moves you really get into the spirit of the dance."
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Louis Emerick
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Actor Louis is most well-known for his roles in Casualty, Last of the Summer Wine, Ball Trap on the Cote Sauvage and Brookside, but is also an experienced theatre and radio actor.
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Louis will be learning the Adzogbo Dance from Ghana.
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Acrobatic and impressive, the Adzogbo dance is normally performed in two parts. One part is for the woman and serves as a curtain raiser for the more acrobatic and exciting male section.
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Atisa (the man's section) is performed as a way of showing off their agility, toughness and virtuosity. A very masculine dance, it is full of 'male' movements including boxing, wrestling and bayonet charging.
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Travelling to Africa holds a special significance to Louis, as his Liberian-born father died in 2001.
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Says Louis: "My dad had always wanted to take us over to Liberia, so this trip is going to be a bit like a pilgrimage for me.
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"I think he'll be up there smiling, that his son has finally made it over to Africa!"
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Tunde Baiyewu
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Tunde is the vocalist, guitarist and front man of The Lighthouse Family.
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Tunde was born in the UK but moved to Nigeria when he was four and spent some of his childhood there.
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His stepfather is President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, who ended 16 years of military rule by being voted into power in 1999.
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Tunde will be learning the Bata Dance from Nigeria. Graceful but quite energetic, the Bata is performed at a medium pace.
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It originates from the Yoruba people (the president's tribe). It's a worship dance to the god of thunder and lightning in which the arms and legs mimic the claps of thunder and forks of lightning.
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On returning to Nigeria, Tunde says: "Although in recent years I've visited Nigeria regularly, the region that I will be travelling to is one I haven't visited, and that injects new impetus.
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"It'll be really interesting to see how competitive everyone gets through the whole thing.
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"The minute they all come back from the trips to Africa, they will be instilled with the vibe of the place, and that's when it will get competitive."
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Tessa Sanderson
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A former Olympic champion, Tessa won a gold medal in the javelin at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
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She is also a three times Commonwealth gold medallist and European silver medallist.
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Tessa will be learning the Gome Dance from Ghana.
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An exciting celebration dance, the Gome is a social dance performed at funerals, wedding ceremonies and festivals.
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It has been danced in Ghana from the 18th century, brought in by the Congolese fisher folk - the dance first being performed for the fisherman on their return.
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On travelling to Africa, Tessa said: "It will be a real experience as I've never been to Ghana before.
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"There are some similarities between training as an athlete and training for this dance - there's a huge element of control for one.
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"I think I'm going to come out of it with a huge appreciation for African dance."
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Antonia Okonma
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Actress Antonia is best known for her role as Darlene from Bad Girls.
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Although Antonia's parents met in the UK, they are both from Nigeria and she travels to Africa every year to visit friends and family.
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Antonia will be learning the Kuku Dance from Senegal.
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A wild, stamina based dance mirroring the movements of the birds, this is a dance of celebration, normally performed at the end of the harvest.
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The moves imitate those of the birds, with arms literally flapping, and the dancers appearing to fly.
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She says: "I'm very nervous, but excited about the dance. My costume is fantastic, but it's quite revealing.
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"The girls from Bad Girls are really excited about it. I might even get them doing some of the moves on set."
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Tupele Dorgu
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Actress Tupele plays Kelly Crabtree in Coronation Street and has had past roles including Doctors and Merseybeat.
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Hailing from Preston originally, Tupele's father is of Nigerian origin.
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Tupele will be dancing the Koroso Dance from Nigeria.
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Originating from the Fulani of Northern Nigeria, the dance is performed with rattles on the dancers' feet. It starts slow and graceful and builds to a medium pace.
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The Koroso Dance is about the beauty of the woman and the way in which they attract the men.
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She says: "I did train in dance when I was younger so do have some experience, although I've never done any African dancing.
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"I'm really excited about going to Africa, as it's somewhere I've never been too.
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"I don't have any preconceived ideas about what it will be like but it'll be great to find out the origins of where the dance originally comes from."
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Consultant
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Peter Badejo
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Peter Badejo OBE is one of the world's leading teachers and choreographers of African dance.
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Peter has been choreographer in residence and taught at the Centre for Nigerian Cultural Studies, Abu, Zaria, 1972; State University, Northridge, 1980; University of California, Los Angeles, 1980; Performance International School, LA, 1980; African Humanities Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 1979/80; national Seminar on Dance and Music: Essential Elements of Bori Survival, Ibadan, 1986 and taught the Creative Arts - NCE Course ATC, Zaria, 1983.
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After a distinguished career in Nigeria and the United States as a performer, director, teacher and academic, Peter moved to Britain in 1990 and has been involved with numerous productions and institutions, including currently sitting as a panel member on the Arts Council of Great Britain.
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On his involvement in Strictly African Dancing Peter says: "I think this programme is essential to help people see Africa from another point of view.
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"By sending the celebrities to the source of the dances they see it not just in the physical sense but find out the meaning behind it."
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