THE debonair king of the ballroom sounds a little out of sorts when I call him late on a Tuesday afternoon.

"I've been in rehearsals all day. I can barely remember my own name," Anton Du Beke laughs.

The nice guy of Strictly Come Dancing (he's been with the hit show since the first series), Anton is used to waltzing across our TV screens with a succession of memorable partners - Esther Rantzen, Jerry Hall, Katie Derham and Ann Widdecombe among them.

But, he says, there's nothing quite like watching dancing live.

"You get the energy of the whole show, rather than just bits and pieces of a routine and some fancy footwork on different cameras," he says.

"People who see us live say they never realised we moved so fast. There's that extra dimension of strength and speed when you see us cover the whole floor."

Bradford audiences can see for themselves when Anton and his longterm dance partner Erin Boag present their show Swing Time at the Alhambra.

Joined by Lance Ellington, a singer on Strictly Come Dancing for four years, and the 25-piece Manchester Concert Orchestra, the show will feature classic ballroom routines to songs such as Moondance, I Got Rhythm and I Could Have Danced All Night.

"It's fabulous, timeless music and all new choreography," says Anton.

"And it's the kind of dance you can just lose yourself in. With dances like the paso doble and the rhumba you get a narrative, but dance doesn't have to be all about storytelling. With the waltz, for example, you just watch the dance."

Anton and Erin became professional partners in 1997.

After winning several national and international dance competitions, they joined BBC’s new show, Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 and quickly became household names.

Erin reached two finals, with Julian Clary and Colin Jackson, before leaving prior to the birth of her son, while Anton has appeared in all 13 series.

"When Len [head judge Len Goodman, who stepped down last year] left we looked back at clips of the original series, I can't believe how much it's changed," says Anton. "The contestants take part in a lot more ensemble dances now, and there's much more storytelling, and props, involved.

"On Strictly we do all sorts, but ballroom is what Erin and I specialise in and for me it's what dance is all about."

Inspired by his heroes, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, he took up dancing aged 14.

"Strictly has made dance cool for boys, but it wasn't around when I was a kid. I didn't really get teased though. I get more stick at the golf club now!"

  •  Swing Time is at the Alhambra on Tuesday and Wednesday. Call 01274 432000.

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