DANCE stars AJ and Curtis Pritchard have performed all over the country but both now fancy cracking the US. The brothers, who found fame as pro dancers on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With The Stars Ireland, are hoping to get a shot on the stateside version of the show.
Curtis, 28, said: “We would like to be pro dancers on Dancing with the Stars in the States. It would be a first for siblings to be pros on the same show. Traitors USA would also be fun to do together.” And the pair are coming to Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on October 17 in new musical show Come What May.
The siblings, who grew up in Whitchurch, Shropshire, where their parents still run a dance school, said their most memorable trip north was to surprise the late Lily Douglas with her Pride of Scotland Teenager of Courage Award in 2021. The Pritchards jumped out and started grooving to Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger while Lily was enjoying afternoon tea with her mum Jane at the Kimpton Hotel in Edinburgh.
AJ and Curtis said they will never forget the brave little dancer, from Perth, who lost her long battle with a rare form of cancer two years ago aged just 14. AJ, 29, said: “Lily was such a star and her smile lit up the room. Throughout her battle she never gave up. After we surprised her we invited her and her mum to have lunch with us in London. She was truly special.”
The ballroom dancers, who starred as brothers Jacob and Marco in Hollyoaks, are looking forward to being on stage together during Come What May, which features the hits from the movie musical Moulin Rouge. AJ, said: “Come What May is going to get Curtis and I back onstage performing together and that is exactly what we love doing.
“For the last four years we have been doing panto together and it’s been a blast so to be doing a full-on musical with him is just brilliant. It’s definitely a must-see when it hits Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on October 17.”
Curtis, a judge on BBC1’s The Greatest Dancer, said: “I’ve loved performing and entertaining an audience since my Ballroom and Latin dancing days, so this is the perfect tour for me – singing and dancing. Having gone through the full show I know that you will be entertained start to finish.” The brothers can’t wait to perform in Scotland again. AJ said: “I love the audiences. I love their mentality. When they come to see the show they are there to entertain as well as being entertained.
“They just don’t sit there quietly, they get involved and become a huge part of the show – there’s no such thing as a dull night or performance in Scotland.”
Curtis, who has appeared on Love Island, added: “It has been lively to say the least. I’ve also never tried a fried Mars bar and that is on the bucket list even though AJ says he prefers a battered sausage.”
AJ quit Strictly in 2019 to pursue a presenting career with his brother. He said: “For now we are just concentrating on this tour and learning our lines for panto. This year we are playing Prince Charming and Dandini in Cinderella which will be a great round off to 2024.”
Tickets are available from the theatre box office and CuffeandTaylor.com
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