STRICTLY Come Dancing stars Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe are Christchurch bound with a dazzling dance spectacular.

Best loved for their high-intensity performances on the hit BBC show, Ian and Natalie have become family favourites. And they are planning to push the boundaries further in A Touch of Class at the Regent Centre on Tuesday, May 10 with a sizzling blend of Latin and Ballroom.

Ian’s dance career started at the age of ten when he accompanied his younger brother to Saturday dance lessons and was enticed onto the dance floor for the first time. It was clear to all that, despite being in his school rugby and football teams, Ian was a born performer and dancer.

He went on to compete internationally on the open circuit where he won the European Youth Latin American Champion title.

With this accolade under his belt, Ian partnered with Melanie Walker. This began a ten-year relationship that saw the duo compete all over the world, representing England in many World and European championships. The rest, Ian says, is history.

Australian-born Natalie was first encouraged by her neighbours to start ballroom dancing. She went on to win numerous titles before joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars in her native Australia.

In 2009, Natalie was invited to be resident choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance before competing as a professional on the seventh series of BBC’s Strictly where she was partnered up with Hollyoaks actor Ricky Whittle. Over the years she has been teamed up with the likes of Olympic boxing champion Audley Harrison and Tim Wonnacott.

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