The Strictly is a signature dance routine from the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, which launched in the 13th series of the popular entertainment show. The dance was devised by Strictly Come Dancings Director of Choreography, Jason Gilkison and draws inspiration from some of the show's most iconic moves, as well as celebrating some of the show's stars.
A fragment of the dance first appeared in the professional's opening Strictly Express group number in the season premiere on 5 September 2015.[1] It was referred to explicitly for the first time by Tess Daly on 3 October 2015 after the judges danced on performing some of the signature moves[2] and discussed further the following week on the programme's sister show, .
On 9 October 2015 a tutorial appeared on the BBC's website and iPlayer platform hosted by two of Strictly's professional dancers, Natalie Lowe and Tristan MacManus.[3]
The dance is intended to be performed to the Strictly theme tune, and is made up of eight simple moves which repeat: the Samba Point, the Charleston, the Shimmy, the Lasso, the Samba Bounce, the Russell Grant, the Anton Flirt, Judy Murray, and the finale which can be either the Claudia (an embrace and a leg kick), the Tess (an embrace and a leg lift) or the Brucie (an embrace and a lean forward).[4]
Various other BBC shows and stars have performed the routine. Notable examples include the cast of EastEnders, Casualty, Holby City, Teletubbies and Danger Mouse. On 19 October, British Airways published a video featuring their staff performing The Strictly at Heathrow Airport.[5] On 28 November, a celebration film was published that highlights some key performances of the dance by TV stars and fans of the show.