Dancing On Wheels - Episode 1

Dancing On Wheels - Episode 1 of 6
Thursday 11th February
21:00 - 22:00
BBC THREE

It's ballroom dancing like you've never seen before as Strictly Come Dancing's Brian Fortuna trains six wheelchair-users and their celebrity partners in the art of wheelchair ballroom dancing. The pairs have just five weeks to train for a series of weekly competitions before a panel of judges. Then, week by week, one couple will be eliminated with the winning duo going on to represent the UK in an International Wheelchair Dancing Competition in Tel Aviv. Over six programmes full of the glitz, glamour, tears and tantrums of competitive dance, Dancing On Wheels proves wheelchair ballroom dancing is just as graceful, glamorous and entertaining as able-bodied dancing. In the opening episode, the six meet their celebrity partners for the first time. They are briefed by choreographer Brian and make their first tentative moves on the dance floor. Three couples must learn the Cha Cha Cha while the others take on the Tango. Brian faces a monumental challenge. None of the wheelchair-users have ballroom danced before and while the celebrities either have experience from Strictly Come Dancing or dance training in their background, they are completely new to wheelchair ballroom dancing. And with the first performance just four weeks away, the pressure is on.

The celebrity dancers are M People's Heather Small, world champion swimmer Mark Foster, TV presenter Caroline Flack, Hollyoaks actor Kevin Sacre, actress and singer Michelle Gayle and rugby league legend Martin Offiah. After a month of training, throwing wheelies, pulling spins, running over toes and falling out of chairs, it's time to compete in front of the panel of judges for the first time. The judges are reigning Strictly Come Dancing champion, Ola Jordan, her husband, James Jordan (also from Strictly) and paralympic athlete Ade Adepitan.

In an emotional climax to the first episode, one couple is sent home as the others are left to battle it out in the following weeks to represent the UK at the European Championship of Wheelchair Dance Sport in Tel Aviv.

Dancing On Wheels - Press Release

Dancing On Wheels



Wheelchair Dance Sport is something few Britons have heard of, even though it originated here. BBC Three aims to change all that with Dancing On Wheels, a glitzy and ground-breaking new series in which celebrities partner wheelchair users for a dance competition with a difference.

The couples must learn from scratch the art of Wheelchair Dance Sport. Although it started in Britain in the Sixties it never really caught on here, instead becoming popular internationally with competitions and championships held around the world. This series aims to put the sport back on the UK map with the eventual winners going forward to represent the UK at the Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships.

Coached and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Brian Fortuna with help from his professional partner Kristina Rihanoff, the celebrity dancers – Heather Small, Mark Foster, Caroline Flack, Martin Offiah, Michelle Gayle and Kevin Sacre – partner wheelchair users from around the country, none of whom have ever attempted wheelchair dancing before.

Their dances, which include the waltz, cha cha cha, tango and rhumba, are judged by Strictly’s James and Ola Jordan and Paralympian Ade Adepitan who must choose which couple to eliminate from the competition each week.

The Dancing On Wheels website features information about the sport, while the exciting interactive You Be The Judge application allows users to test how well they can judge the skills and compare their views with choreographer Brian Fortuna. There will also be videos and updates on all those involved in the show and the opportunity for discussion and debate on the BBC Ouch! website.

KA

A Fever Media production

Head over the the BBC website to watch a preview video.

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Heather on the Alan Titchmarsh show.

Heather performed Proud on the Alan Titchmarsh show today in promotion for her upcoming tour. You can watch it again for a limited time on the ITV Player.

Heather to appear on "Millionare - Celeb Special" Tuesday, 8th September 09

Heather Small will appear in a celebrity charity version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" this Tuesday (8th September) partnered with Mark Foster. It will be aired at 8pm on ITV.

Regarding the show, Chris Tarrant said: "I always think that the celebrities who come on the show are incredibly brave and my heart is usually in my mouth for them! It's bad enough when you're gambling with your own money but when the money at stake is for charity it's terrifying. It's never as easy when you get out there as it looks at home."

[Watch it again]
part 1

Part 2

Heather on "The Wright Stuff" all week!

"The Wright Stuff
Matthew Wright presents the debate show, in which chef John Torode joins panellists David Bull and Heather Small for more topical debates
Category Talk Show
Series Editor Tim Cunningham
five 9:15am-10:45am (1 hour 30 minutes)"

Heather was a panelist on the show from Monday 8th until Friday 12th June 2009.

Here is a video montage thanks to Graham incase you missed it!


Video Montage 2


Video Montage 3


Video Montage 4

Heather appears on The Weakest Link - Strictly Special

Heather made an appearance on The Weakest Link - Strictly Come Dancing Special on December 28th 2008.

[Watch again]
Part 1

Part 2

Heather Small on Songs of Praise July 1st 2007

Gorton 1
Sun 1 July, 17:05-17:40, BBC TWO
Aled Jones visits East Manchester to tell the story of Gorton Monastery - a masterpiece of Catholic architecture which was very nearly lost forever.
Aled meets the local people who have battled for 11 years to save their Monastery from dereliction and who are now seeing their efforts rewarded in a multi-million pound restoration scheme.
Music from Heather Small and the Manchester University Chamber Choir includes the hymns Angel Voices Ever Singing and Come Down O Love Divine and a performance of God So Loved the World.