Dancing Through The Generations with Keith and Judy Clifton! – Part 2
One of the most popular interview requests from listeners and Kevin’s followers on social media, has been this week’s very special guests: Keith and Judy Clifton!
As well as having raised Kevin and his sister Joanne to become two of the nation’s most recognised and well-loved dancers, Keith and Judy are legends in their own right, having conquered the world of Latin American dance as champions, and having founded a highly influential and well-respected dance school, The Clifton Dance Academy.
It’s a family affair this week then, as Keith and Judy talk about their own careers in the world of dance, their own love story (and maybe even spill the beans slightly on Kevin’s upbringing…) in this second part of a fascinating insight into the multi-talented Clifton family!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Keith and Judy credit Strictly Come Dancing with re-introducing the entertainment element into the world of competitive dance. For a while, many saw dance as a closed group, and somewhat highbrow, instead of the fun, inclusive activity that it began life as. Parents who truly know their children, and who are mentoring them in any way, instinctively know when to push harder and when to pull back. Throughout Kevin’s youth, he was struck by a deep sense of guilt over letting people down when it came to his dancing. This led to several episodes of doubt and anxiety, which he has had to struggle against ever since. Half the battle, when teaching a child any kind of skill, is to prepare them mentally; to teach them to be mentally strong as well as physically. Having two children as competitors in Strictly Come Dancing has thrown up some interesting paradoxes; most notably when Joanne and Kevin were facing off in the final. Their reaction to Joanne’s victory was fascinating in that they both instantly commiserated with Kevin’s loss. One of the major downsides of having such a high-profile son and daughter, is that Keith and Judy have to watch the media’s sometimes unfair stories about their children. For Judy’s part, this is particularly difficult, and has been greatly upsetting at times.BEST MOMENTS
‘Have I got the ability to make these people laugh? Have I got the ability to put this audience in the palm of my hand?’
‘It wasn’t validated. You’d won the competition, but you couldn’t put your finger on why’
‘It became slightly odd that you were dancing a sexy rumba with your sister!’
‘You have to be totally mentally strong in a competition'
‘I don’t know how I didn’t have a nervous breakdown - thank you!'
ABOUT THE HOST
Kevin Clifton is a professional dancer who has been performing & competing at the highest level for over a decade. Kevin has worked on shows like 'Burn the floor' & 'Rock of Ages' to 'Strictly Come Dancing' one of the biggest TV shows in the UK which Kevin won in 2018.
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