Interview With Tristan - July 23, 2015

Photo Credit: J. Richman (Tristan and Dmitry Chaplin, BWAT July 18, 2015)

Despite having an insane travel schedule (and a birthday today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRISTAN!) - Tristan took time to answer more of our questions.  Who is excited to see him back on Strictly Come Dancing this fall?  We are!

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Lots of us were fortunate to see BWAT in Kentucky, California, and New Jersey and it is impressive how different pros and performers weave in and out of the cast seemingly flawlessly.  Is it as easy as it looks to change partners and performers and is it really as flawless as it seems?

It can be tricky sometimes but mainly due to logistics as opposed to difficulty level.  We all tend to live in different parts of the country or world so that stands in the way sometimes.  If you are lucky to have a couple of days before each show you can rehearse a lot but recently with a lot of the shows we have got in the night before so the day of you run it all or choreograph it all and rehearse and perform.  I don't think anything is flawless but you do the best you can with whatever you do and keep it fun.  I think that’s the goal.

For those who haven’t seen BWAT – and there have been a lot of changes from previous shows - would you mind sharing your favorite numbers from the show?

There has been a lot of cast changes the last few times I have done the show so I never know who is going to be in city to city and obviously everyone has their own particular style which for me makes the numbers different each time and what makes the show so fun.  Partners are interchangeable and roles are switched so it’s always entertaining to watch.  Kiki and Magda do a super Samba.  I love watching those guys dance.  They are unreal and another of my good mates Serge does a beautiful Rumba with Alla but again I enjoy all the numbers.  That’s just the ones I remember most from the last show.

We are calling Saturday’s BWAT show at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center the “giggle fest” because there were so many funny moments when you pros had the microphone (and you seemed to be laughing a lot yourself). Was there anything in particular that had you laughing? (any mess-ups, etc)

No, not really, to be honest.  It’s just when there are four people trying to host a show it can get a bit mental because you don't want to take over and do all the talking and some people are not always so aware and end up talking over each other.  Sometimes you just sit back and listen to the drivel some folks talk, and it’s funny to me – haha.  I’m always looking for something to jump on and I can forget to give the right info.  In the show the other day the running order changed and I announced the wrong couple but the lights were blinding me so I just kept talking while they tried to correct me from the wing.  I hadn't a clue and then I thought it was funny that we were all walking off stage in like a line so I thought I’d just turn around half way and walk off the other side of the stage.

You participated in Trio Dances and Len’s Side by Side Challenge on DWTS.  Would you ever like to see something like that on SCD or do you like the show as it is?

I don't like those trio dances or side by side dances really, no, to be honest. I think it takes the focus off the celeb and puts it onto the pro which shouldn't be the idea. I think maybe switch partners if you want to change something up and do it by random name in the hat thing.  It’s hard to have a fair switch up when it’s down to audience I think because social media dictates then and you can just ask people to give you who you want??!  I like the Strictly way when before the partners are paired we all learn group numbers together - all the pros and all the celebs - and you get to naturally bond with people similar in a way to the team dance weeks.  We all work together and then we get paired based on that - but that’s just my preference.

Tell us about the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy show you did with Lacey.  We’ve seen a few photos and a brief video, but we’re still curious.  How many dances, what BBVD songs, etc. were included?  How long did it take you and Lacey to rehearse?

We didn't do too many numbers to be honest.  They kind of just wanted to do an opening and closing of the show deal so we did a number called “Go Daddy Go” and then “Calloway Boogie.”  I loved the gig though.  Those guys are unreal musicians and put on a great show.  While we were there I’d have liked to do a few more dances but again that’s what they wanted and in reality we didn't have the time to put together much more.  I’d for sure love to do one again though.

In the event that Movie Week returns to SCD this year - and assuming you don’t have to dance to ABBA again - if you could take any character from a movie and portray that character in a dance on Strictly Come Dancing, which character would it be?

Ah sure who knows!! Still raging I couldn't do Beetlejuice – haha! 

You went right from the P&O cruises to the HAL Bermuda Cruise and then to the Canada/New England Cruise.  You told us a bit about the first 2 cruises, but what about the last one? Did you see any of the area? Were there any changes to the show from the Bermuda cruise? Any of those “fall on my arse” moments like the story you told last year when the ship shifted and you went down during a performance…..

The cruise was good fun alright.  I was training a lot so to be honest I got to see most of the places we stopped off.  I saw most of Bermuda because myself and Jason were out running every morning and then there was a few bars there that we needed to 'research'. The Canadian cruise was cool too but we had a port or two where we couldn't stop because of the weather so we spent a fair amount of time on the ship.  I got off between cruises since we had a few hours so I dropped into Boston to my local to meet my mates and watch the Ireland Scotland match.  The cruises were great fun though. I’d imagine they would have been my last at this stage and maybe be more focused on the Strictly cruises. We had a great cast and great friends on DWTS At Sea and we will be around each other for a long time to come yet but I think DWTS At Sea needs DWTS dancers now not people who used to be – haha.

So what are you doing with all of your free time this summer – all 12 minutes of it?

I'll probably just be kissing the wife for twelve minutes.

Photo Credit: J. Richman (BWAT July 18, 2015)

Photo Credit: J. Richman (BWAT July 18)