Janette Manrara Škorjanec (born November 16, 1983) is an American singer, choreographer and professional dancer, and television presenter. She is best known for her appearances on the US series '' So You Think You Can Dance'' and British dance reality television competition, ''

Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...

'' (the original version of ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...

''). She is married to Slovenian dancer and co-star Aljaž Škorjanec. In June 2021, she quit being a dancer to co host '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' with

Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the The X Factor (British series 9), ninth series of the television talent s ...

, and later

Fleur East Fleur East (born 29 October 1987) is an English singer, songwriter, rapper and presenter. East competed on the second series of ''The X Factor'' in 2005 as part of the girl group Addictiv Ladies but was unsuccessful. In 2012, she signed with ...

Early life

Manrara is from

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, US. Born to her Cuban parents, Luis and Maritza, Janette is the oldest of three. Originally a singer, learning from her Cuban family, she formally studied dance from the age of 19. She began performing in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

at age 12, and started her formal dance training at 19, studying

ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called ''balls''. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially histori ...

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

pointe Pointe technique ( ) is part of classical ballet involving a technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet when wearing pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en po ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

. Manrara studied finance at

Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Florida, United States. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened to students in 1972. FIU is the third-largest univ ...

, and worked in a bank for seven years, as a senior loan processor, all whilst completing her dance training in

Ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called ''balls''. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially histori ...

Ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

Pointe Pointe technique ( ) is part of classical ballet involving a technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet when wearing pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en po ...

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

Hip Hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, and Salsa.

''So You Think You Can Dance''

Manrara made it through her audition to be selected for season 5, where she was paired with Brandon Bryant. During their time on the show, Janette received much praise from the judges; both

Mia Michaels Mia Michaels Melchiona (known professionally as Mia Michaels; born February 22, 1966) is an American choreographer and judge on the television show '' So You Think You Can Dance''. She has worked with Tom Cruise, Celine Dion, Gloria Estefan, Mado ...

and

Nigel Lythgoe Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949) is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the shows ''Pop Idol'' and ''Ame ...

said Janette was their favorite female dancer that season and Lythgoe went on to say he hoped she would win the entire competition. However, she was eliminated during week 7 along with contemporary contestant Jason Glover. During the show's eighth season, Manrara returned as an All Star to perform a Paso Doble with contestant Marko Germar.

''Strictly Come Dancing'' and ''It Takes Two''

Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance

Melvin Odoom Melvin Kuuku Odoom (born 30 July 1980) is a British radio DJ and television presenter. Alongside Rickie Haywood-Williams and Charlie Hedges, he presented the Kiss (UK radio station), Kiss FM breakfast show (2009–2018) and since then, on BBC R ...

is the only celebrity not to appear on this list. In 2013 Manrara became a professional dancer on British TV show ''

''. Her first celebrity partner in the 11th series was fashion designer Julien Macdonald; they were the third couple to be eliminated. She returned for the 12th series and partnered actor

Jake Wood Jake Dylan Wood (born 12 July 1972) is a British actor and podcaster from Westminster, known for his role as Max Branning in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He has also made guest appearances in series including ''Only Fools and Horses'' a ...

, with whom she made it to the Semi-Finals and finished in 5th place overall. For the 13th series, she was paired with TV personality

Peter Andre Peter Andre (born Peter James Andrea; 27 February 1973) is a British-Australian singer, songwriter, and media personality. Born in England to Cypriot parents and raised in Australia, Andre achieved success in the mid-1990s as a singer, topping ...

; they were the 9th couple to be eliminated. Manrara has also taken part in one-off specials of the show: In 2013 she performed a

Quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal ...

with actor Ricky Norwood on the ''Christmas special''. In 2014 Manrara scored a maximum of 40 points in 'T''he People's Strictly for

Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

''' for an

American Smooth This is a list of dance terms that are not names of dances or types of dances. See List of dances and List of dance style categories for those. This glossary lists terms used in various types of ballroom partner dances, leaving out terms of hig ...

with, '''Kidz R us''' founder, Phillip Barnett. Manrara took part in the 2016 '''Strictly Come dancing Live tour with her series 12 partner Jake Wood. For series 14, she was partnered with radio DJ

, andwere the first couple to be eliminated after receiving the fewest public votes. Odoom and Manrara reprised their partnership in the 2016 ''Christmas special'', she also danced with canoeist Joe Clarke in the 2016

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

special. For series 15, she was partnered with former JLS singer Aston Merrygold. They were the sixth couple eliminated in week 7, losing the dance-off to

Mollie King Mollie Elizabeth King (born 4 June 1987) is an English pop singer, songwriter, radio presenter and a member of girl group The Saturdays. As part of The Saturdays, King has had 13 Top 10 and eight Top 5 singles, including the UK number-one hit ...

and her partner AJ Pritchard. For series 16, she was partnered with children's television and This Morning doctor Dr. Ranj Singh. They were the sixth couple to be eliminated. During her seventh series on the show, in 2019, she was partnered with paralympian, Will Bayley. They had to withdraw from the competition on week 7, after Will sustained a knee injury in rehearsals the previous week. For her eighth series, she was partnered with pop singer, HRVY, and made the earliest perfect score for their Street/Commercial routine in week 6. They reached the final, her first final, and they were runners-up. On 10 June 2021, it was announced that Manrara would become the new presenter of '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'', taking over from Zoe Ball who stepped down from the series earlier in the year. Manrara therefore did not continue as a professional dancer on the show.

''Strictly Come Dancing'' performances

Series 11

For series 11, Manrara was paired with Julien Macdonald.

Series 12

For series 12, Manrara was paired with

. *In week three Guest Judge,

Donny Osmond Donald Clark Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host and former teen idol. He gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and gold albums. In the ...

, gave Jake and Janette 8 extra points

Series 13

For series 13, Manrara was paired with

Series 14

For series 14, Manrara was paired with

Series 15

For series 15, Manrara was paired with Aston Merrygold. *In week 5,

Bruno Tonioli Bruno Tonioli (; born 25 November 1955) is a British-Italian television personality, choreographer and dancer. He has judged on the British television talent shows ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2004–2019), ''DanceX'' (2007) and ''Britain's Got Ta ...

was not present, so scores were out of 30

Series 16

For series 16, Manrara was paired with Dr. Ranj Singh.

Series 17

For series 17, Manrara was paired with Paralympic table tennis player Will Bayley. The couple's

Contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of Concert dance, dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly stron ...

, to Lukas Graham's song " 7 Years", was dedicated to the patients and staff at

Great Ormond Street Hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS F ...

, where Bayley had been treated for cancer, aged seven. Michael Hogan of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' said the pair "... didn't leave a dry eye in the house after their beautiful, barefoot contemporary dance." Due to a knee injury sustained during studio rehearsals, Bayley was unable to perform in week 6 (Halloween Week). On 30 October it was confirmed that he had withdrawn from the competition. : Alfonso Ribeiro filled in for Tonioli

Series 18

For series 18, Manrara was paired with HRVY. Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

all scores are out of 30 as

could not participate due to travel restrictions. This was the first series that Manrara got her first ever perfect score, also the first perfect score in Week 6. Plus, it was her first ever Final since she first joined the show in 2013. * During Weeks 4 and 5, Anton Du Beke replaced Mabuse.

Dance tours and other professional engagements

Manrara took part in the national ''Strictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour'' in 2017. In 2018, Manrara & Aljaž Škorjanec announced dates for their 2019 UK Tour 'Remembering The Movies'. In 2020 Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec announced dates for their 2021 UK Tour "Remembering The Oscars" In August 2024, Manrara announced she would be teaching & performing with Aljaž Škorjanec at Donahey's ''Dancing with the Stars'' weekends in 2025.

Other projects

Following her appearance on ''So You Think You Can Dance'', Manrara joined musical TV series, ''

Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...

'' as a principal dancer. She also made her ''"

Burn the Floor Burn the Floor is a live dance show which has performed around the world, including on Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in New York City and the West End of London, West End in London. Since 1997, Burn the Floor has performed in over 130 countries ...

- West End"'' debut at the Shaftesbury Theatre in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

on 21 July 2010. Additionally, she was part of the ''Burn the Floor'' US cast, which toured the United States from late 2010 through May 2011. She also appears on the BBC One show '' Morning Live'' doing a fitness workout. She has also co presented the show. On 12 September 2024, Manrara's first book titled ''Tiny Dancer, Big World'' was published.

Personal life

In 2015, Manrara became engaged to long-time partner ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and ''

'' co-star Aljaž Škorjanec. They were married on 15 July 2017. In February 2023, Janette and Aljaž announced that they were expecting their first child in late summer 2023. Their child, a girl, Lyra Rose was born on 28 July 2023.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manrara, Janette 1983 births Living people So You Think You Can Dance (American TV series) contestants 21st-century American dancers Dancers from Florida American people of Cuban descent American expatriates in England Hispanic and Latino American dancers