STRICTLY Come Dancing star Giovanni Pernice is taking his trademark moves on the road as he embarks on a UK-wide tour this summer.
The TV heartthrob will visit 31 towns and cities across the country with his Il Ballo è Vita tour which opens on 26 April in Coventry.
He will be joined by Strictly troupe dancer Luba Mushtuk and a team of fellow dancing professionals in the show, which has been directed and choreographed by BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing creative director, Jason Gilkison.
Il Ballo è Vita – Italian for Dance is Life – is a love story set in a Sicilian café bar. Leading man Giovanni thinks he has found love, but not everything is as easy as it first appears.
It features classic dances like the Quickstep, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Argentine Tango, along with Giovanni’s signature move, the Jive.
“I’m very excited about my first ever tour, it’s incredible to be able to do what I love and take it around the UK for audiences to enjoy,” he said. “The title translates as ‘dance is life’ which is an expression I have always believed in.
“Dancing is my life, and with the help of some very talented people we have created this story filled with some of my all-time favourite dance styles. The show is not just a dance performance, but also a beautiful love story.”
Sicily-born Giovanni rose to fame when he joined the hit BBC show in 2015 as dance partner to Coronation Street actress Georgia May Foote.
The pair went all the way to the grand final, and he returned for last year’s series with Laura Whitmore, getting as far as week seven.
He also holds a Guinness World Record after achieving 55 jive kicks and flicks in 30 seconds last December.
“Working on Strictly is very different to working on my own tour, but it is all dancing, and it is what I love more than anything,” he said
“I really hope audiences will enjoy my show, and I hope we can inspire more people to embrace and love dance as much as I do.”
Il Ballo è Vita opens on 26 April at Coventry’s Albany Theatre and will visit 25 towns and cities across the UK before closing at the Marina Theatre in Lowestoft on 23 July.
Tickets are available to purchase now, with prices starting at £27.To book or for further information, visit www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/giovanni-pernice