Robin Windsor

Robin Windsor (born 15 September 1979; age 34), is a British professional Latin and ballroom dancer, best known for his appearances in the BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing.

Personal life

Windsor was born in Ipswich, Suffolk, and grew up in the Spring Road area. He attended Clifford Road Primary and Copleston High School. He has been dancing since he was three, when his parents took him to the Ipswich School of Dancing.^[1] At age 15 he moved to London to pursue his career as a dancer.^[2] Windsor lives in London with his partner Davide Cini, to whom he announced his engagement on 21 August 2013.^[3]

Competitive career

Windsor competed successfully in the juvenile and junior ballroom dancer categories. He represented England in the World Championships.

Theatre

From 2003 to summer 2010 Windsor was part of the cast of Burn the Floor,^[4] one of the leading ballroom based shows in the world. Two tours with Burn the Floor (2003, 2004) and three with FloorPlay (2006 to 2008) took him several times around the world, leading up to the highlights being a stint on Broadway (2009) and in the London West End (2010). In his last season with Burn the Floor in London Robin Windsor was engaged in the role of Swing having to learn all male dancers' parts in all dances in order to step in for any dancer unable to perform in any of the shows.

Strictly Come Dancing

Series 8

In September 2010, Windsor joined the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing as one of the three new male professional dancers.^[5] His first series (series 8) saw him partnered with actress Patsy Kensit with whom he reached week 9.

On 17 December 2010 Robin Windsor won the Grand Piano Pro Challenge on Strictly Come Dancing's sister programme It Takes Two with 3548 points in front of Brendan Cole (1907) and Natalie Lowe (1091).^[6]

Robin Windsor and Patsy Kensit also took part in the Strictly Come Dancing pro/celeb tour in January and February 2011 dancing the Salsa and the Viennese Waltz and reaching respectable scores of between 46 and 53 out of 60 (including a few 10s for their Viennese Waltz towards the end of the tour).^[7]

After the end of the tour Robin Windsor started a series of performances with his new professional partner Kristina Rihanoff.

Series 9

On 15 June 2011 the BBC announced that Robin Windsor will again be one of the professional dancers training a celebrity in the 2011 series of Strictly Come Dancing.^[8] In the launch show for Strictly Come Dancing Series 9 on 10 September 2011 Robin Windsor was paired with actress Anita Dobson,^[9] with the couple being named "Team Dobbin" by Robin Windsor on Twitter.^[10] They were eliminated on 27 November 2011 after Robin Windsor had been unable to dance for a week due to an injury. Anita Dobson therefore rehearsed and danced the Cha Cha Cha and the Swingathon with Brendan Cole ^[11] Robin also won this year's Children in need special and was partnered with BBC Breakfast's Susanna Reid

• In Week 6 Jennifer Grey guest judged for Goodman.^[12]

Series 10

In June 2012, it was announced that Windsor would return to be a professional dancer for his third series. His celebrity partner was announced as actress and presenter, Lisa Riley.

Series 11

In June 2013 Windsor confirmed his returning comeback as one of the male professional dancers for the current eleventh series of the show. His celebrity partner was Dragon's Den panellist, businesswoman and entrepreneur Deborah Meaden. The couple were eliminated in week 5.

Charity

Together with fellow SCD dancer Artem Chigvintsev, Windsor posed for the Cosmopolitan December 2010 Centerfold Raising Awareness for Male Cancer.^[13] In January 2011 he took part in the Greater Manchester Police's campaign against Domestic Violence,^[14] together with the cast of the SCD Tour 2011.

References