Erin Boag

Dance Star, presenter, compere.  

Born in New Zealand, Erin started dancing at the tender age of 3. At 15 she visited Australia to watch a big ballroom competition and the dye was cast – three years later she became New Zealand Ballroom and Latin 10 Dance Amateur Champion. In 1994 Erin decided to move to Australia to progress her career, moving to London 18 months later.  She started dancing with Anton in 1997 and within a year they were winning international competitions, both as amateurs and professionals, including titles in the UK, New Zealand and Canada and taking them way up in the world rankings.

Erin is the only female professional to have appeared in all seven series of Strictly Come Dancing and in the 7^th she partnered ex Eastender Ricky Groves. Her partners in the first three series were rugby player Martin Offiah, comedian Julian Clary (3rd place), athlete Colin Jackson (2^nd place). Her TV relationship with Colin earned Erin the nickname ‘Miss Whiplash’ and together they won the 2006 Christmas Day special.  In the fourth series her partner was ex Manchester United goal keeper Peter Schmeichel, the fifh series champion snooker player Willie Thorne and in the 6^th series with Austin Healey gaining the first 10 score of the series.  Erin is delighted to have be asked to compete in the 8^th series.

2010 has been a really great year so far.  Along wth her dance partner Anton Du Beke, she spent January and February touring UK and Ireland with their sell-out show ‘Anton and Erin Steppin’ Out’.  Erin became the first ever ‘dance ambassador’ for the hugely successful ‘Move It’ exhibition, taught Alan Titmarsh to dance the charleston for his every popular chat show, appeared on the Piers Morgan Show chatting about Bruce Forsyth, performed at dance breaks for Warners Hotels and Wroxall Abbey and danced in numerous corporate events and private parties – including an appearance at Buckingham Palace for the ‘Not Forgotten Associaton’. Erin also took the ‘celebrity dance experience’ to a special project that has taken all sorts of dance to all ages to the remoter areas of West Scotland called ‘Body Currents’ sponsored by Eden Court and the Arts Council where she is giving guest classes to participants from all over the region.

This followed a very busy 2009.  In January 2009 Erin embarked on her first headlining tour of the UK in Anton and Erin Cheek to Cheek taking in over 30 dates at concert halls throughout the UK and culminating in a run at the London Coliseum as part of the Sadlers Wells Spring Dance Season.

In March 2009 Erin filmed a 2 part series called Ballroom High for Twenty Twenty shown on Sky 1 in May in which she into a comprehensive school in Eltham South London and took 12 young people between the ages of 12 and 14 and trained them in just one month to perform at a gala show at the mecca of Ballroom Dancing – Blackpool Tower.  It was an extremely tough challenge, however Erin believes that it is one of the most fulfilling projects she has ever worked on and truly reflects her love of passing on her skills to the next generation of dancers and working with absolute beginners.  

Other TV appearances include regular guest dancer and coach on “Strictly Dance Fever”, presenting an award to the National TV Awards,  fronting the ballroom dancing team on “Celebrity Star Spell, Test the Nation”, guesting in Million Dollar Mansion on ‘The National Lottery’, dancing in Trafalgar Square in the BBC’s ‘Dancing in the Streets Ballroom Blitz’ project, talking about the psychology of dance with Colin Jackson on the BBC science programme ‘Truth about You’ and having the honour of performing in the 2004 Royal Variety Performance.

Further career highlights include choreographing and designing costumes for the stage show ‘Simply Ballroom’ which has toured all over the UK, the USA, South Africa and the UAE, dancing at 10^th Anniversary of Sadlers Wells Theatre and hosting The Big Dance 2008 live in Trafalgar Square. Erin also is in great demand as an after dinner and motivational speaker. Erin also performs at countless charity and corporate events throughout the year. 

Erin is also very honoured to have been asked to front the 2009 Playtex Moonwalk Marathon in aid of Breast Cancer and will tell you that distance walking takes far more effort than one would ever think.  She completed the ‘Half Moon’ in a none too shabby 3¾ hours.  She wore a bra especially created by the designers of her wonderful dance dresses Dancesport International.

The 2007/8 DVD ‘Simply Come Dancersize’ produced by 2Entertain that Erin co-presented, devised and choreographed with Karen Hardy reached no 1 in the fitness DVD lists in 2008 outselling all its rivals by 10s of thousands.

Things you didn’t know about Erin – she trained for a degree in travel and tourism before deciding to concentrate on dancing full time!

She also is a property wiz and has built herself a portfolio of property which she develops and rents.

Last updated: 15th Jun 2010

Anton Du Beke  

The Partnership