Jason Gilkison: Choreographer for Strictly Come Dancing

10:44Katie Derham:Maybe, maybe. What was really funny was it was so close to the truth.

10:54Jason Gilkison:from cult dance hero to international choreographer how did that happen i'm much more of a studier and a learner he was just a natural creator i was lucky because he wanted to create on me when we

11:08Katie Derham:were competing and if he felt like i wasn't being myself he would make me do it till i could find myself. I mean, I was in the best position ever. Keep your mouth closed and do what he wants, you know.

11:23Jason Gilkison:So when was the first sort of toe being dipped in the water choreography?

11:28Nikki Parsons:I tend to think that it was always there because I had to. In Perth, there weren't choreographers. We'd have to like get on a plane to Sydney or get on a plane to London where all the choreographers were, or we'd copy it off a Super 8, you know, movie that we'd seen. So it wasn't until I joined Burn the Floor as a dancer, and that was directed at the time by Anthony Van Last. And he said, can I see you at the end of the rehearsal? I thought, oh God, what have I done? He said, I think you could do this. Can you do the eight minute finale for me? And I said, when would you like it? And he said, by tomorrow.

12:08Nikki Parsons:And I was like, oh my God.

12:13Katie Derham:I'm Sam Peranti, and for the past seven years, I've been granted access to a team of US special agents. Their job? To track down those who create and trade in sickening images on the dark web. When I hug my kids, that's your fuel. That's your why. From the BBC World Service, World of Secrets, the darkest web tells their story. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

13:07Katie Derham:Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

13:36Katie Derham:winning actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins. The interview from the BBC World Service. Listen now wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

13:50Jason Gilkison:You're listening to the documentary In the Studio from the BBC World Service. I'm Katie Derham and I'm following choreographer extraordinaire Jason Gilkisson as he prepares for the finale of Strictly Come Dancing.

14:06Nikki Parsons:One, two, three, four, and five.

14:09Jason Gilkison:We're at the world-famous Elstree Studios, where Strictly is filmed. Jason has just one day to rehearse the big number with the professionals before the final itself, and he's invited us to watch.

14:21Nikki Parsons:So, Louvre. Sorry, let's try that one more time.

14:25Jason Gilkison:It's been ten years since I've walked into the Elstree studio on a rehearsal day. The lights aren't on, it's not looking shiny. In fact, it looks very workaday and quite drab. There's lots of scenery stacked and everything's a bit dusty around the back. But my goodness, I feel a bit sort of butterfly-y coming back in here, actually, into this space where this extraordinary creative process comes to life, and especially seeing the dancers rehearsing and hearing Jason putting through their paces. And just to be reminded of the athletes, the artists they are, how quickly they pick it up. It's intimidating and beautiful in equal measure.

15:03Let's do that one more time.

15:04Nikki Parsons:That pace then we'll do some music.

15:06Jason Gilkison:He's got the routine nailed, but now he needs to teach it to the pros.

15:11Nikki Parsons:I have to get it into them quite quickly. So I always start with the most difficult things first. I sort of break it down and I write down, OK, they've got 24 bars of this, and then they've got 12 bars of this, and they've got six bars of that. So let's start with the 24 bars. I'll get it into their bodies really, really quickly, and I'll keep repeating it over and over.

15:33Jason Gilkison:The professionals who dance on Strictly are some of the best athletes and dancers and artists in the world. They are stars in their own right. They work incredibly hard to give the celebrities their pair with an amazing adventure and an amazing experience. There are some huge personalities. They have enormous fan clubs. They work so hard and Jason has to try and corral all that talent and energy and personalities of these professionals who are exquisite athletes. But they're a handful.

16:08Jason Gilkison:The pressure is building. The dancers are hot and tired. Jason's working them hard. One man who knows Jason better than anyone else in the show is Strictly Come Dancing judge and legendary pro Anton Dubeck. He was my partner when I was a contestant, and I have heard a lot of stories. Let me tell you about him. They used to compete against each other, and they have decades of mutual affection and respect. But it's clear that Jason is known for putting the strict into Strictly.

16:40Katie Derham:When he came on to Strictly, having been involved with Burn the Floor for many years, man, it was tricky. The room starts to wander off with focus. And then that's really irritating. And in the old days, in fairness to him, it was impossible. It was an impossible room to control.

16:59Jason Gilkison:Because of the characters?

17:01Katie Derham:Egos, yeah, massive egos. Wow, OK. Impossible. So I thought it was marvellous. You actually should tell these other guys off because they're rubbish and they're spoiling this dance for you. But he was tough.

17:13Jason Gilkison:Dance partner Peter again. He knows what he wants.

17:16Katie Derham:He knows how it's going to be placed. He'd remember everything if you're on the left foot or the right foot. And it's just instant for him. He has a vision and he's quite solo on that.

17:26Jason Gilkison:And when you say solo, you mean kind of single-minded and kind of strict, right? He knows what he wants and he will get it. Fair enough. I mean, as I say, he gets the results, right? You know, he's a lovely guy, but you know, you can't be a pussycat, can you? Do you ever have to really kind of get cross?

17:42Nikki Parsons:I feel like they know when I'm disappointed because I expect them to not let themselves down as dancers because I know what they can do. We're so lucky to be in a position where they do what they love on television every week. That's a really fortunate position to be in.

18:04Katie Derham:There are very, very few who would have been able to do what Jason has done. Firstly, to go from one world to another. So go from the sort of composition world of ball and dancing and teaching into the televisual world. It could only have been Jason, really, because he has such a brilliant vision of what he's trying to create.

18:27Jason Gilkison:Back to the rehearsal room. The professionals who Jason is drilling today are the absolute stars of the show. They're household names in the UK. Karen Hauer, Kai Woodrington, Johannes Rudebi, Katya Jones. and I had to ask them, how would they describe the Jason Gilkerson magic? First up, Karen. Like that.

18:54Jason Gilkison:My body feels, oh, wow. Next we've got Kai.

18:59Katie Derham:In the nicest way possible, organised chaos. It looks like there's so much going on, but everything is thought out to within the nth degree and he puts a lot of trust in us dancers. He gives us freer moments where he wants us to put our six eggs in. Always energetic, but always a good payoff.

19:13Jason Gilkison:I have to say, you are both looking, you're glowing, should I say, after the rehearsal. Johannes, what's your take on his choreographic style, if you like?

19:21Katie Derham:I'm going to have to say organized, precise and inspiring. We have had the honor of working with him for a couple of years now. Like he said, when it starts off, it's all chaos. But when you see the end results, then you're like, oh, this is what's happening in that brain. And it's just been so lovely to be in the same room with him and learn from him. Katya. Chaotic genius. Or beautiful chaos. That's how Jason is. If you can look past and survive the chaos, you will have a product worth living for.

19:56Jason Gilkison:The last word goes to Anton.

19:59Katie Derham:If you asked Jason if he was in control all the time, and if he said to you, yes, I was, they'd be telling you a slight untruth. But out of that chaos comes the brilliance that he produces every week.

20:14Jason Gilkison:Jason's influence actually goes much further than the dance floor. When he started out, ballroom dancing meant a man dancing with a woman. But thanks to Jason, when it comes to ballroom dancing on television, that's no longer the case.

20:27Nikki Parsons:We grow up dancing with same sex in the ballroom schools from a very young age because there's not enough partners. So, oh, I'll do the girl's part, you do the boy's part. So it's always been that. So it's taken a while for people to be able to digest what it is and how it looks. I think it's really lovely when you see it work. It doesn't really matter who is making up that partnership. I mean, you know, so Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dancing together was one of the best things I've ever seen.

20:55Jason Gilkison:So far, I've been immersed with Jason and the dancers, but that is just the tip of the technical iceberg. His dance has to work on the small screen, and that means a huge team of collaborators. He's in constant conversation with Strictly's many creative departments. Cameras, lights, costumes, the list is endless, and they're under just as much pressure. I storyboard like pages.

21:19Nikki Parsons:I like to send a lot of information. All my ideas I collect, I just put in a little folder and just send it to all the creatives, because I think if they know where I'm coming from...

21:30Jason Gilkison:So that's hair and makeup, that's props. I'll have everything.

21:34Nikki Parsons:I'll have a picture of a cup. I'll have the craziest thing sometimes. It might be a colour. I send all the creatives everything because then I like them to also find their way of interpreting what I'm feeling as well rather than dictating too much. I think there has to be movement so we're not feeling regimented while we're being creative as well. The first thing I do is as soon as I've got dance breaks, even if it's a week out, I'll send those very small dance breaks to Vicky Gill.

22:03Jason Gilkison:Vicky Gill is the lead costume designer.

22:06Nikki Parsons:She can start going, ah, I can see they're moving their hips more in this, so maybe they need more fabric or this is a floaty number. It can be all in chiffon. We spoke to Vicky.

22:15Katie Derham:As we move towards the final, everything is really, really close to the wire. It's a big jigsaw of what elements do we have and what can we achieve. We've had our ideas, we've been speaking about colours, we've been speaking about shape. but what are we actually going with? And so last Saturday night we were, okay, this is it. This is our colour palette. These are the silhouettes we're going for so that Monday morning we were ready to roll. And this group number, the celebrity costumes, were the first costumes that we started to make because they are very heavily embellished and it would take at least probably two days for just one of those costumes.

22:56Jason Gilkison:So describe the colour palette and the kind of vibe that you're working with for this?

23:01Katie Derham:We're using really hot colours. So we've got a mango, a fuchsia, a flame red. I'm looking for people's positions, what couples we have together, because that often is apparent for, say, eight bars. But then when they disperse onto the floor, they may have a different partner. So I'm just clocking where everybody is, how they're moving, how the choreography is working. Do I need lots of movement? Do I need to calm down? So it's just a real firework of thought of what we need to achieve.

23:32Jason Gilkison:While the sequins are being sewn on, the TV crew are working out how on earth to film it. Over to long-time Strictly Come Dancing TV director, Nicky Parsons. So I normally come on board when they've got a solid idea.

23:47Katie Derham:So it's quite early stages we get together and have a chat because unless I can make it work on camera for him, then the idea doesn't develop properly. So I really try my best to get inside his head in those early stages so I know what his vision is.

24:02Jason Gilkison:Nicky's team and the lighting department don't get many practice runs. They work from a film of the rehearsal, the one we've been watching, which is recorded three days before the real deal.

24:12Nikki Parsons:Probably about 5pm today I will do a director's tape and that we will send to Nicky and then so we'll be on and off the phone the next two days.

24:21Katie Derham:It's like a choreography for the cameras. So I kind of take his choreography, which is incredible, and his overall creative vision, and then I try and bring out the best of it, make sure the angles are right, tell the story.

24:35Nikki Parsons:It shoots very easily from the front, which means we don't have a lot of steadicam in this particular number. It makes full use of our crane, all our cameras right at the front. This is where you'll get the look of the number the best. And so that means probably less fiddly for Nicky, more about timings of things.

24:54Jason Gilkison:How would you describe the inside of his head then as a choreographer?

24:58Katie Derham:Inside Jason's head is colour and vision and sparkle and drama and creative genius, I would say, inside his head. He's always pushing the boundaries, coming up with something new, trying a different angle on a different story. Do you ever say no to him? There's no reason to say no. I'll say no, but I can do it this way instead. I'll never say no because of a creative difference.

25:28Jason Gilkison:Jason, you've still got a smile on your face.

25:29Nikki Parsons:I have. I feel I can see it now. I can see what it's going to look like.

25:35Jason Gilkison:It's a smile, not a grimace. And in a flash, it's showtime.

25:41Katie Derham:Back in September, 15 celebrities took to the dance floor.

25:44Jason Gilkison:Strictly Come Dancing is a live TV show, but the big group numbers are pre-recorded about an hour before broadcast, just in case there's a technical hitch, which, with a production of this scale, is a very real possibility. Time to take my seat.

25:59Katie Derham:Please welcome the judges!

26:05Jason Gilkison:And so it begins at last, the colour, the noise, the energy, the pyros. it's so much more when you see it all together. Let me try to give you a flavour of what we experienced over the next three and a half minutes. 18 world-class pros in hot pink suits and orange ruffled skirts.

26:28Nikki Parsons:We want it to be a warm feeling of excitement.

26:33Jason Gilkison:Effortlessly hitting their marks in deceptively complex tableau.

26:36Nikki Parsons:We just want songs that make us feel euphoric and happy and excited.

26:42Jason Gilkison:Hips shaking, feet flying, huge smiles

26:45Nikki Parsons:What will set this number alight is if they feel good

26:48Jason Gilkison:Lights flashing, glitter ball turning And atop it all, the three celebrity finalists Descending from high above the dance floor With a waterfall of fireworks trailing behind

26:59Nikki Parsons:The whole energy of the whole place is just going to soar

27:03Jason Gilkison:And soar it did The room was electric with what Jason had created

27:13Jason Gilkison:So, it's in the can.

27:15Nikki Parsons:Yes.

27:16Jason Gilkison:First thoughts, feelings?

27:17Nikki Parsons:Oh my gosh, I'm just over the moon. I couldn't have gone better. Everyone upped their game from rehearsal. The audience was spectacular. The reaction from the celebs was fantastic. So I'm just so happy.

27:29Jason Gilkison:But it was recorded twice. And so why would that have happened?

27:33Nikki Parsons:The first one was great. And the gallery were really happy. But when they do it the second time, they're just enjoying it much more. And of course the audience were even better on the second one as well.

27:43Jason Gilkison:And the celebs looked all right up on that flying saucer coming down?

27:47Nikki Parsons:It was higher than I thought. It was really high, Jason. It was so high that when they got to a certain point, they said they couldn't actually feel the height anymore.

27:53Jason Gilkison:But no, the way, the sort of the tableau at the beginning looked gorgeous when it came to life.

27:58Nikki Parsons:Yeah, I think that those bright pop of red and orange and pink on that sapphire blue was just really magical.

28:06Jason Gilkison:I mean, I don't want to jinx anything because you've still got a whole live show. Yes.

28:10Nikki Parsons:You're about to record another one. I know, I know, but you're feeling OK.

28:14Jason Gilkison:Yes, feeling really comfortable

28:15Nikki Parsons:and really excited about the final now. And I think now that we've got the opening number out of the way, we can just settle down and let the evening play out.

28:23Jason Gilkison:Amazing. Amazing.

28:28Jason Gilkison:So many people worked their glittery socks off to bring that colourful showstopper to millions and millions of viewers at home. It's easy to overlook the enormity of what Jason and the whole Strictly crew achieves every week. Each dance may only last a few minutes, but add together every dance that's been created in the last 20 years on this enduringly popular show, and you realise that one dance step at a time, Jason and his team have actually reinvigorated, if not saved, Borum dancing forever. You've been listening to the documentary In the Studio from the BBC World Service It was presented by me, Katie Derham And produced by Belinda Naylor

29:17Katie Derham:I'm Samparanti And for the past seven years I've been granted access to a team of US special agents Their job? To track down those who create and trade In sickening images on the dark web When I hug my kids, that's your fuel. That's your why. From the BBC World Service, World of Secrets, the darkest web tells their story. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.