Strictly Star Neil Jones Tells Us About His Stunning New Show for Lichfield Festival
Strictly Come Dancing star and World Champion dancer Neil Jones has created a brand new spectacular dance show, exclusively for Lichfield Festival. Neil tells us about Gingerland – his second show for Lichfield – which plays for two nights in the Cathedral on 10 & 11 July.
With stunning choreography, a cast of world-class dancers, original music, glamorous costumes and set, Gingerland is a family-friendly, comic tale as Neil – a famous red-head himself – explains: “It’s a world where ‘Gingers’ are discriminated against. There’s a whole storyline that helps us understand the myths and history around being ginger, and in the end hopefully people can see that we should be accepted for who we are.
“During the show, I’m the narrator and I have a super-power – I’m in control of time. And there are characters including a General who’s against ‘Gingers’, and the Ginger Resistance fighting against him.”
The multi-award winning dancer has been part of the BBC’s mega-hit show Strictly Come Dancing since 2016 as choreographer and pro dancer, partnering with celebrities including Alex Scott and Toyah Willcox.
His first show for Lichfield Festival, back in 2018 – Somnium: A Dancer’s Dream – was so successful that it transferred to London’s famous Sadler’s Wells. “It was the first ever Latin and Ballroom show to be performed at Sadler’s Wells and an honour to get it accepted,” Neil says.
Born in the British Army Camp in Münster, in Germany, Neil’s competitive streak was evident from a very early age. “When I was 3 or 4, my sister was dancing and I used to go along to the classes to watch. She’d come home every week with trophies and I just got really jealous. So I got into dancing and through my time became quite successful at winning.”
Which is something of an understatement! He holds 45 dance championship titles including eight British National and European, and four World Latin Championship wins.
“I just love the look of the cathedral, it’s so beautiful,” says Neil, and he’ll use it to stunning effect as the backdrop to Gingerland. Expect Latin, hip-hop, ballroom, contemporary and street styles, along with mind-bending effects and slow-motion sequences, in this heart-warming show about being different.
A longer version of this feature appeared in the May 2025 issue of Live 24/7