Karen Hauer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Karen Vanessa Girez Kardenez Andreas (1982-04-20)20 April 1982 (age 42) Valencia, Venezuela |
| Occupation | Professional dancer |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Television | So You Think You Can Dance Strictly Come Dancing |
| Spouses | |
Karen Hauer (formerlyClifton; born 20 April 1982) is aVenezuelan-American professionalLatin dance specialist and WorldMambo Champion, best known for her appearances on the British television seriesStrictly Come Dancing. She is currently the longest-serving professional dancer on the show, having joined in 2012. She also featured on the American TV seriesSo You Think You Can Dance, and was a principal dancer in the touring live dance showBurn the Floor.
In 2009, Hauer auditioned forseason 6 of the US reality showSo You Think You Can Dance. She originally auditioned with her husband at the time, Matthew Hauer, but he was eliminated during Vegas week while Karen moved on to the top 20.[1]
| Week | Partner | Style | Music | Choreographer(s) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Hunte | Cha-Cha | "Push It"—Glee Cast | Tony Meredith andMelanie LaPatin | Safe |
| 2 | Hip-Hop | "Ice Cream Paint Job"—Dorrough | Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo | Safe | |
| 3 | Hustle | "Come To Me"—France Joli | Maria Torres | Bottom 3 | |
| 4 | Broadway | "If My Friends Could See Me Now"—Christina Applegate | Spencer Liff | Bottom 3 | |
| 5 | Victor Smalley | Tango | "Montserrat"— Orquesta del Plata | Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin | Eliminated |
| Hip-Hop | "Moving Mountains"—Usher | Laurie Ann Gibson | Eliminated |
Hauer joinedStrictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2012, partneringWestlife singerNicky Byrne. They reached the quarter-finals in week 10, before losing the dance-off toDenise van Outen and her partnerJames Jordan.[2]
Hauer returned for series 11 in 2013 to partner television chefDave Myers; they were voted out of the competition in week 7, after losing the dance-off toMark Benton and Iveta Lukosiute.[3]
In series 12, she was paired with television personalityMark Wright; they made it to the final, coming in 4th place.[4]
In series 13, she was partnered with broadcasterJeremy Vine; they were eliminated in Week 8 after losing a dance-off withJamelia andTristan MacManus.[5]
For the fourteenth series in 2016, Hauer was paired with the singerWill Young, who withdrew from the competition after the third week.[6]
In 2016, Hauer won the Children in Need Special with the taekwondo athleteLutalo Muhammad.[7] She danced with the celebrity chefAinsley Harriott for the 2016 Christmas special.[8]
In the fifteenth series in 2017, Hauer partnered television chefSimon Rimmer; they were eliminated in 11th place.[9]
She was paired with actorCharles Venn for the sixteenth series in 2018; they reached the quarter-finals.[10]
During the seventeenth series in 2019, Hauer was partnered with comedianChris Ramsey; they reached the semi-final.[11]
In the eighteenth series in 2020, she was partnered withMade in Chelsea starJamie Laing, who returned after injuring his foot in the previous series. With Laing, Hauer reached the final for the second time.[12]
For the nineteenth series in 2021, she was partnered with actorGreg Wise. The couple were eliminated in Week 4. With Hauer returning for her eleventh series, she would now serve as the longest-serving female professional dancer in the history ofStrictly Come Dancing.
For the twentieth series in 2022, she was partnered with comedienneJayde Adams. The couple were eliminated in Week 5 after losing the dance off toMolly Rainford andCarlos Gu.
For the 21st series in 2023, she was partnered with comedian and DJEddie Kadi. The couple were eliminated in Week 5 after losing the dance off toZara McDermott andGraziano Di Prima.
For the 22nd series in 2024, she was partnered with footballer and punditPaul Merson. The couple were eliminated in Week 5 after losing in the dance-off toJB Gill andAmy Dowden with all judges voting against them. She appeared in the 2024 Christmas special, dancing acharleston withJosh Widdicombe to the song "Let It Snow" while dressed as a penguin.[13]
Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance
| Dance | Partner | Highest | Partner | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Smooth | Jayde Adams | 31 | Simon Rimmer | 16 |
| Argentine Tango | Nicky Byrne | 30 | ||
| Cha Cha Cha | Mark Wright | 35 | Chris Ramsey | 13 |
| Charleston | Nicky Byrne Mark Wright | 36 | Simon Rimmer | 21 |
| Couple's Choice | Jamie Laing (Street) | 39 | Greg Wise | 23 |
| Foxtrot | Mark Wright | 35 | Chris Ramsey | 28 |
| Jive | Mark Wright | 35 | Dave Myers | 19 |
| Paso Doble | Chris Ramsey | 31 | Dave Myers | 16 |
| Quickstep | Jamie Laing | 32 | Simon Rimmer | 19 |
| Rumba | Charles Venn | 35 | Nicky Byrne | 25 |
| Salsa | Chris Ramsey | 33 | Paul Merson | 15 |
| Samba | Charles Venn | 38 | Greg Wise Simon Rimmer Paul Merson | 19 |
| Showdance | Jamie Laing | 39 | Mark Wright | 35 |
| Something-athon | Charles Venn | 3 | Mark Wright | 2 |
| Tango | Mark Wright Jamie Laing | 32 | Dave Myers | 20 |
| Viennese Waltz | Mark Wright | 33 | Chris Ramsey | 26 |
| Waltz | Mark Wright | 31 | Nicky Byrne | 17 |
Jeremy Vine andWill Young are the only celebrities not to appear on this list.
| Series | Partner | Place | Average Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Nicky Byrne | 6th | 26.6 |
| 11 | Dave Myers | 10th | 18.3 |
| 12 | Mark Wright | 4th | 31.7 |
| 13 | Jeremy Vine | 9th | 20.3 |
| 14 | Will Young | 13th | 29.3 |
| 15 | Simon Rimmer | 11th | 18.5 |
| 16 | Charles Venn | 6th | 29.7 |
| 17 | Chris Ramsey | 4th | 26.2 |
| 18 | Jamie Laing | 2nd | 32.0 |
| 19 | Greg Wise | 12th | 23.0 |
| 20 | Jayde Adams | 27.4 | |
| 21 | Eddie Kadi | 25.0 | |
| 22 | Paul Merson | 18.6 |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Waltz / "I Wonder Why" | 2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 17 | No elimination |
| 2 | Cha Cha Cha / "Dynamite" | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 18 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "Hey Pachuco" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 4 | Tango / "Weird Science" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 5 | Rumba / "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 25 | Safe |
| 6 | Foxtrot / "The Best Is Yet to Come" | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Safe |
| 7 | Jive / "Jailhouse Rock" | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 30 | Bottom two |
| 8 | Charleston / "Doop" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 9 | Argentine Tango / "Skyfall" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 30 | Bottom two |
| 10 | American Smooth Samba / "Troublemaker" | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 27 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha Cha Cha / "Moves Like Jagger" | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | No elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "How D'Ya Like Your Eggs in the Morning?" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | Safe |
| 4 | Waltz / "Take It to the Limit" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 5 | Salsa / "Cuban Pete" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Monster Mash" | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 19 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 20 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | ||||
| Horwood | Bussell | Osmond | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha Cha Cha / "I'm Your Man" | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | 6 | 24 | No elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "I'm Yours" | 6 | 7 | – | 7 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "Superman Theme" | 6 | 6 | 9* | 7 | 7 | 35 | Safe |
| 4 | Quickstep / "Tiger Feet" | 7 | 7 | – | 7 | 8 | 29 | Bottom two |
| 5 | Samba / "That's the Way (I Like It)" | 8 | 9 | – | 8 | 8 | 33 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Prologue (Little Shop of Horrors)" | 8 | 9 | – | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 7 | Waltz / "Weekend In New England" | 7 | 8 | – | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 8 | Charleston / "We No Speak Americano" | 9 | 9 | – | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 9 | Tango / "Love Runs Out" | 8 | 8 | – | 8 | 8 | 32 | Safe |
| 10 | Salsa / "Viva Las Vegas" | 7 | 8 | – | 9 | 8 | 32 | Bottom two |
| 11 | Foxtrot / "L-O-V-E" Waltz-a-thon / "The Last Waltz" | 8 Awarded | 9 2 | – | 9 extra | 9 points | 35 37 | Safe |
| 12 | Viennese Waltz / "I Got You Babe" Rumba / "Fields of Gold" | 8 9 | 8 8 | – | 9 8 | 8 8 | 33 33 | Bottom two |
| 13 | Cha Cha Cha / "I'm Your Man" Showdance / "Don't Stop Me Now" | 8 8 | 9 9 | – | 9 9 | 9 9 | 35 35 | Eliminated |
In 2015 she partneredBBC Radio 2 presenterJeremy Vine, for the thirteenth series of the show.
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha Cha Cha / "September" | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 19 | No elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "Happy Together" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17 | Safe |
| 3 | Charleston / "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive / "Splish Splash" | 3 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 20 | Safe |
| 5 | Waltz/ "She" | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 18 | Safe |
| 6 | Salsa / "Thriller" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | Safe |
| 7 | Tango / "Go West" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 21 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep / "Going Underground" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 21 | Eliminated |
She partnered singerWill Young, for the fourteenth series of the show.
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Goodman | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Tango / "Let's Dance" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 30 | No elimination |
| 2 | Jive / "Rock Around the Clock" | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 27 | Safe |
| 3 | Salsa / "Jai Ho" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 4 | Viennese Waltz / "Say Something" | – | – | – | – | – | Withdrew |
She partnered chefSimon Rimmer, for the fifteenth series of the show.
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Paso Doble / "Song 2" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 17 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Waltz / "You'll Never Walk Alone" | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 19 | Safe |
| 3 | Quickstep / "You've Got a Friend in Me" | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 19 | Bottom two |
| 4 | Samba / "Copacabana" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 | Safe |
| 5 | Charleston / "Fit as a Fiddle (And Ready for Love)" | 5 | 5 | 6 | – | 16 | Bottom two |
| 6 | American Smooth / "Delilah" | 2 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 16 | Eliminated |
She partnered actorCharles Venn, for the sixteenth series of the show.
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Bussell | Ballas | Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha / "Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use)" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Quickstep / "Sir Duke" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 25 | Safe |
| 3 | American Smooth / "Up Where We Belong" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Bottom Two |
| 4 | Salsa / "Use It Up and Wear It Out" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Bottom Two |
| 5 | Street / "Get Up Offa That Thing" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9* | 36 | Safe |
| 6 | Jive / "Time Warp" | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 25 | Safe |
| 7 | Viennese Waltz / "Piano Man" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | Bottom Two |
| 8 | Charleston / "No Diggity" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 9 | Samba / "La Bamba" | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 38 | Safe |
| 10 | Tango / "Eleanor Rigby" Lindy Hop-a-thon / "Do Your Thing" | 6 Awarded | 8 3 | 8 extra | 8 points | 30 33 | Safe |
| 11 | Rumba / "Maria" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Eliminated |
She was partnered with comedianChris Ramsey, for theseventeenth series. The couple reached the semi-final and finished fourth.
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' score | Total | Result | |||
| Craig R. Horwood | Motsi Mabuse | Shirley Ballas | Bruno Tonioli | ||||
| 1 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Juice" | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | No Elimination |
| 2 | Charleston / "Out of Our Heads" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 3 | American Smooth / "Cheek to Cheek" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | Safe |
| 4 | Jive / "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 26 | Safe |
| 5 | Quickstep / "Let's Go Crazy" | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7* | 25 | Safe |
| 6 | Samba / "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 23 | Safe |
| 7 | Street / "Let's Get Ready to Rhumble" | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| 8 | Tango / "Survivor" | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 9 | Salsa / "Uptown Funk" | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 10 | Paso Doble / "Run Boy Run" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 31 | Safe |
| 11 | Foxtrot / "Consider Yourself" | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 | Bottom Two |
| 12 | Viennese Waltz / "Somebody to Love" Rumba / "Don't Watch Me Cry" | 7 4 | 7 8 | 6 8 | 6 8 | 26 28 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | ||
| Horwood | Ballas | Mabuse | ||||
| 1 | Cha Cha Cha / "Think About Things" | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 | No elimination |
| 2 | American Smooth / "Night and Day" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 17 | Bottom Two |
| 3 | Charleston / "Zero to Hero" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba / "Bamboléo" | 8 | 8 | 9* | 25 | Safe |
| 5 | Street / "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" | 9 | 10 | 10* | 29 | Safe |
| 6 | Tango / "Tanguera" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Bottom Two |
| 7 | Jive / "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" | 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | Bottom Two |
| 8 | Salsa / "Last Dance" Quickstep / "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" | 8 8 | 8 8 | 8 8 | 24 24 | Bottom Two |
| 9 | Charleston / "Zero to Hero" Showdance / "I'm Still Standing" Street / "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" | 8 9 9 | 9 10 10 | 9 10 10 | 26 29 29 | Runner-up |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | American Smooth / "That's Life" | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 24 | No elimination |
| 2 | Couple's Choice / "If You Could Read My Mind" | 3 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 23 | Safe |
| 3 | Paso Doble / "James Bond Theme" | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 4 | Samba / "Macarena" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 19 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Samba / "Dirrty" | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 23 | No elimination |
| 2 | Tango / "Rumour Has It" | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 26 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-Cha-Cha / "Flashdance... What a Feeling" | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 29 | Safe |
| 4 | American Smooth / "Wind Beneath My Wings" | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | Safe |
| 5 | Charleston / "The Ballard of Barry & Freda (Let's Do It)" | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 28 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | Quickstep / "Two Hearts" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 22 | No elimination |
| 2 | Cha-cha-cha / "Rie y Llora" | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 21 | Safe |
| 3 | Couple's Choice / "Theme fromMen in Black" | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 34 | Safe |
| 4 | American Smooth / "Sex Bomb" | 4 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 24 | Bottom two |
| 5 | Samba / "Calm Down" | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 24 | Eliminated |
| Week | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Total | Result | |||
| Horwood | Mabuse | Ballas | Du Beke | ||||
| 1 | American Smooth / "Vindaloo" | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 17 | No elimination |
| 2 | Salsa / "Fireball" | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 15 | Safe |
| 3 | Cha-cha-cha / "The Magnificent Seven" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 19 | Bottom two |
| 4 | Quickstep / "I Won't Dance" | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 23 | Safe |
| 5 | Samba / "Car Wash" | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 19 | Eliminated |
In August 2017, Karen andKevin Clifton announced they would be touring the UK again in 2018 with their theatre tour, following the sell-out success of their first nationwide tour in 2017.[14]
In August 2023, Hauer announced that she would be teaching and performing withGorka Márquez at Donahey's 'Dancing with The Stars Weekends' in 2024.[15]
Hauer has performed on theStrictly Come Dancing Live! tour several times, either with a partner or as an additional dancer.
In 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Hauer's 'Firedance' tour with Gorka Márquez was postponed after a number of performances.[16]
Hauer was born Karen Vanessa Girez Kardenez Andreas, inValencia, Venezuela, and took up dancing after moving to New York when she was eight.[17] She studied at theMartha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and then theHigh School of Performing Arts (otherwise known as "The Fame School"), majoring in ballet and contemporary dance before going on to study Ballroom and Latin at the age of 19.[18][19]
Hauer was named WorldMambo Champion in 2008, and Professional American Rhythm Rising Star Champion in 2009.[20]
Hauer became the longest-serving female professional dancer onStrictly Come Dancing when she was confirmed to appear in her tenth series in 2021.[21]
Hauer is a certified Personal Trainer and a health and fitness enthusiast, and in 2019 she launched her online fitness programme 'Hauer Power'.[22]
Hauer has been married three times: first to former dance partner Matthew Hauer (until 2009), then to fellow professional dancerKevin Clifton (2015-2018)[23] and latterly to Jordan Wyn-Jones, whom she married atChewton Glen in 2022.[24]
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