Strictly Come Dancing stars Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez on touring show Firedance

As professionals on Strictly Come Dancing, Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez have inspired many a viewer to give dancing a try. For those wanting to follow in their footsteps for a career, Gorka has a simple piece of advice: “If it’s something you love, just do it.”
By Jules Boyle
Published 22nd Mar 2023, 11:50 BST

"If you are a dancer and are passionate about it, put all your effort into it 24/7,” he says. “Nothing is easy in life, but if you really want it, don’t let anyone try and take that passion away from you. Work hard and love it every day. Standards are high, so if you don’t love it, you’ll quit, but if you do…just do it.”

Karen couldn’t agree more. “It’s all about discipline. You have to be so disciplined with yourself and be very aware of all the ups and downs, as there are many. The ups are going to feel amazing though, and the downs are the things that will push you harder to feel the ups when they happen."

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The pair and a cast of talented dancers are bringing their show Firedance to Sheffield next month. They’ll be joined by mesmerising fire specialists in a dance-off inspired by movie blockbusters Romeo and Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Carmen and West Side Story.

Firedance is coming to Sheffield City Hall in April. Photo: Raymond GubbayFiredance is coming to Sheffield City Hall in April. Photo: Raymond Gubbay
Firedance is coming to Sheffield City Hall in April. Photo: Raymond Gubbay

"This is our third year doing Firedance and the first year we only got six shows in before it got stopped by the pandemic,” Karen explains. “So it still feels very new and exciting.

"It’s a show that is fresh, it’s sexy and it’s just a celebration. We have all the dances that the audiences love, like our tangos, our sambas and our salsas, so it just celebrates all the fun we have together as a friendship and everything we love to share with people.”

Karen, who was born in Venezuela, is the longest serving professional dancer on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Joining the series in 2012 she has been partnered with household names including Westlife's Nicky Byrne, comedian Chris Ramsey, The ‘Hairy Biker’ Dave Myers, Jeremy Vine, and chef Simon Rimmer.

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Gorka’s flair for dancing started from a very young age. Originally from Bilbao, Spain, aged 11 he attended ballroom and Latin dance classes and quickly became one of the top dancers representing Spain and performing across the globe. Since first gracing the Strictly dancefloor in 2016, he has been partnered with Alexandra Burke, Katie Piper and reached the final of the 2020 season with Eastenders actress Maisie Smith.

As for the show, “we like the fire dances, we like the strong, rhythmical dances that have power behind them,” Karen says.

“At the same time though, we do have some very simple, beautiful and understated numbers that people love to see, so there’s a good mix in there, but it’s all the things we love.

"The fact we have a background in different styles is a good thing, so why not put it out there and show ourselves in a different light?”

Firedance is at Sheffield City Hall on April 1. For tickets, visit firedancelive.co.uk

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