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Janette Manrara Škorjanec | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1983-11-16)16 November 1983 (age 41) |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Presenter, professional dancer and choreographer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Janette Manrara Škorjanec (born November 16, 1983) is an American singer, television presenter, choreographer and professional dancer fromMiami,Florida, US. Born to her Cuban parents, Luis and Maritza, Janette is the oldest of three.[1] Originally a singer, learning from her Cuban family, she formally studied dance from the age of 19. Manrara is best known for her appearances on the US seriesSo You Think You Can Dance and British dance reality television competition,Strictly Come Dancing (the original version ofDancing with the Stars). She is married to Slovenian dancer and co-starAljaž Škorjanec. In June 2021, it was announced that Manrara would co hostStrictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two withRylan Clark and laterFleur East.
Manrara began performing inmusical theatre at age 12, and started her formal dance training at 19, studyingballroom,ballet,pointe,jazz andhip-hop. Manrara studied finance atFlorida International University whilst completing her dance training.[2]
Manrara originally auditioned forSo You Think You Can Dance but failed to make it through to the top 20. She auditioned again inseason 5, performing a lap dance and made it through to the top 20, where she was paired with contemporary contestant Brandon Bryant. Like Manrara, Bryant had come through Las Vegas week during Season 4 only to be cut during the Top 20 selection. During her time on the show, Janette received much praise from the judges; bothMia Michaels andNigel Lythgoe said Janette was their favorite female dancer that season and Lythgoe went on to say he hoped she would win the entire competition.[3] AnArgentine Tango she performed with Bryant was the first dance on Season 5 to receive a standing ovation from the judges.[citation needed] However, Manrara was eliminated during week 7 along with contemporary contestant Jason Glover.
During the show'seighth season, Manrara returned as an All Star to perform a Paso Doble with contestantMarko Germar.
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | HRVY | 40 | Dr.Ranj Singh | 25 |
| Argentine Tango | Jake Wood | 29 | ||
| Cha Cha Cha | Aston Merrygold | 35 | Julien Macdonald | 20 |
| Charleston | HRVY | 40 | Jake Wood Peter Andre | 38 |
| Couples Choice | HRVY | 40 | Will Bayley | 32 |
| Foxtrot | Aston Merrygold | 31 | Will Bayley | 24 |
| Jive | HRVY | 39 | Dr.Ranj Singh | 20 |
| Paso Doble | Aston Merrygold | 38 | Will Bayley | 23 |
| Quickstep | Aston Merrygold | 32 | Dr. Ranj Singh | 20 |
| Rumba | HRVY | 31 | Jake Wood | 27 |
| Salsa | HRVY | 36 | Julien Macdonald | 23 |
| Samba | Jake Wood | 38 | Dr.Ranj Singh | 27 |
| Showdance | HRVY | 39 | - | - |
| Dance-athon | Jake Wood Peter Andre | 1 | - | - |
| Tango | HRVY | 35 | Julien Macdonald | 18 |
| Viennese Waltz | Peter Andre | 34 | Aston Merrygold | 25 |
| Waltz | Jake Wood Aston Merrygold | 32 | - | - |
Melvin Odoom is the only celebrity not to appear on this list.
In 2013 Manrara became a professional dancer on British TV showStrictly Come Dancing. Her first celebrity partner inthe 11th series was fashion designerJulien Macdonald; they were the third couple to be eliminated. She returned forthe 12th series and partnered actorJake Wood, with whom she made it to the Semi-Finals and finished in 5th place overall. Forthe 13th series, she was paired with TV personalityPeter Andre; they were the 9th couple to be eliminated. As well as her main series appearances Manrara has also taken part in one-off specials of the show. In 2013 she performed aQuickstep with actorRicky Norwood on theChristmas special. In 2014 Manrara scored a maximum of 40 points in 'The People's Strictly forComic Relief' for anAmerican Smooth 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. Forseries 14, she was partnered with radio DJMelvin Odoom. They were the first couple to be eliminated after receiving the fewest public votes, there was no dance off due to fellow competitorAnastacia's injury. Odoom and Manrara reprised their partnership in the 2016Christmas special, she also danced with canoeistJoe Clarke in the 2016Children in Need special. Forseries 15, she was partnered with formerJLS singerAston Merrygold. They were the sixth couple eliminated in week 7, losing the dance-off toMollie King and her partnerAJ Pritchard. Forseries 16, she was partnered with children's television andThis Morning doctorDr. 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, where she reached the final for the first time and came runner-up. WithHRVY, she also holds the record for the earliest perfect score for their Street/Commercial routine in week 6.
On 10 June 2021, it was announced that Manrara would become the new presenter ofStrictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two, taking over fromZoe Ball who stepped down from the series earlier in the year. Manrara therefore did not continue as a professional dancer on the show.
| Series | Partner | Place | Average score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Julien Macdonald | 13th | 20.8 |
| 12 | Jake Wood | 5th | 32.1 |
| 13 | Peter Andre | 7th | 30.8 |
| 14 | Melvin Odoom | 15th | 22.5 |
| 15 | Aston Merrygold | 10th | 32.1 |
| 16 | Dr. Ranj Singh | 24.3 | |
| 17 | Will Bayley | 25.8 | |
| 18 | HRVY | 2nd | 35.9 |
Forseries 11, Manrara was paired withJulien Macdonald.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Vogue" | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 20 | No elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "Applause" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 | Bottom two |
| 3 | Jive / "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" | 4 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 22 | Bottom two |
| 4 | Salsa / "Spice Up Your Life" | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 23 | Eliminated |
Forseries 12, Manrara was paired withJake Wood.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "Toxic" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "Mambo No.5" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 3 | Waltz / "The Godfather Waltz" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | *40 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive / "All Shook Up" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "I'm Still Standing" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 6 | Paso Doble / "Black Betty" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 7 | Rumba / "Strangers in the Night" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 8 | American Smooth / "Feeling Good" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 9 | Samba / "Macarena" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 | Safe |
| 10 | Argentine Tango / "Zorbas" | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Safe |
| 11 | Charleston / "Entrance of the Gladiators" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| Waltz-a-thon / "The Last Waltz" | Awarded | 1 | extra | point | 39 | ||
| 12 | Cha-cha-cha / "Boogie Shoes" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Eliminated |
| Viennese Waltz / "When a Man Loves a Woman" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | ||
*In week three Guest Judge,Donny Osmond, gave Jake and Janette 8 extra points
Forseries 13, Manrara was paired withPeter Andre.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Ain't No Other Man" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 30 | No elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Valerie" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "He's a Pirate" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Blue Monday" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba / "Thinking Out Loud" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot / "Ghost" | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 7 | Charleston / "Do Your Thing | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 | Safe |
| 8 | Viennese Waltz / "You're My World" | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 9 | Jive / "River Deep, Mountain High" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 29 | Bottom two |
| 10 | American Smooth / "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Eliminated |
| Quickstep-a-thon / "Sing, Sing, Sing" | Awarded | 1 | extra | point | 32 | ||
Forseries 14, Manrara was paired withMelvin Odoom.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Loco in Acapulco" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | No elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "Moving on Up" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 23 | Eliminated |
Forseries 15, Manrara was paired withAston Merrygold.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Foxtrot / "It Had to Be You" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "Despacito" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-cha-cha / "Can't Stop the Feeling!" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep / "Mr. Blue Sky" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 5 | Waltz / "Can't Help Falling in Love" | 8 | 8 | 8 | N/A | *24 | Safe |
| 6 | Paso Doble / "Smells Like Teen Spirit" | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Who's Lovin' You" | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 25 | Eliminated |
*In week 5,Bruno Tonioli was not present, so scores were out of 30
Forseries 16, Manrara was paired withDr. Ranj Singh.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "How Will I Know" | 6 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 27 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "Fireball" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Prince Ali" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 20 | Safe |
| 4 | Paso Doble / "Canción del Mariachi" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 5 | American Smooth / "Wouldn't It Be Nice" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7* | 25 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Monster Mash" | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20 | Safe |
| 7 | Samba / "Freedom! '90" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Eliminated |
Forseries 17, Manrara was paired with Paralympic table tennis playerWill Bayley.[4]
The couple'sContemporary dance, to Lukas Graham's song "7 Years", was dedicated to the patients and staff atGreat Ormond Street Hospital, where Bayley had been treated for cancer, aged seven. Michael Hogan ofThe Daily Telegraph said the pair "... didn't leave a dry eye in the house after their beautiful, barefoot contemporary dance."[5]
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.[6]
| Week No. | Dance/song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Quickstep / "Pencil Full of Lead" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "1-2-3" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Gotta Catch 'Em All" | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 4 | Foxtrot / "Señorita" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | Safe |
| 5 | Contemporary / "7 Years" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 32A | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Casper The Friendly Ghost" | — | — | — | — | — | Given bye |
| 7 | Waltz / "Weekend in New England | — | — | — | — | — | Withdrew |
Forseries 18, Manrara was paired withHRVY.Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic all scores are out of 30 asBruno Tonioli 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.
| Week No. | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horwood | Ballas | Mabuse | ||||
| 1 | Jive / "Faith" | 8 | 8 | 9 | 25 | No elimination |
| 2 | Viennese Waltz / "Stuck with U" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 24 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"—fromGnomeo & Juliet" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 21 | Safe |
| 4 | Salsa / "Dynamite" | 8 | 10 | 9* | 27 | Safe |
| 5 | Tango / "Golden" | 8 | 9 | 9* | 26 | Safe |
| 6 | Street / "Sky Full of Stars" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | American Smooth / "One (A Chorus Line song)" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 | Safe |
| 8 | Rumba / "Only You"—Kylie Minogue &James Corden" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | Safe |
| Charleston / ""Another Day of Sun"—fromLa La Land" | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 | ||
| 9 | Jive / "Faith" Showdance / ""Boogie Wonderland"—Brittany Murphy" American Smooth / "One (A Chorus Line song)" | 9 9 10 | 10 10 10 | 10 10 10 | 29 29 30 | Runner-up |
Manrara took part in the nationalStrictly Come Dancing - The Live Tour in 2017.
In 2018, Manrara &Aljaž Škorjanec announced dates for their 2019 UK Tour 'Remembering The Movies'.[7]
In 2020 Manrara andAljaž Škorjanec announced dates for their 2021 UK Tour "Remembering The Oscars"[8]
In August 2024, Manrara announced she would be teaching & performing withAljaž Škorjanec at Donahey'sDancing with the Stars weekends in 2025.[9]
Following her appearance onSo You Think You Can Dance, Manrara joined musical TV series,Glee as a principal dancer. She also made her"Burn the Floor - West End" debut at theShaftesbury Theatre inLondon on 21 July 2010. Additionally, she was part of theBurn the Floor US cast, which toured the United States from late 2010 through May 2011. She also appears on the BBC One showMorning Live doing a fitness workout. She has also co presented the show.
On 12 September 2024, Manrara's first book titledTiny Dancer, Big World was published.[10]
In 2015, Manrara became engaged to long-time partnerStrictly Come Dancing andBurn the Floor co-starAljaž Škorjanec.[11] They were married on 15 July 2017.[12]
In February 2023, Janette and Aljaž announced that they were expecting their first child in late summer 2023.[13] Their child, a girl, Lyra Rose was born on 28 July 2023.[14]