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Take your partners as Strictly’s Shirley Ballas shimmies, shuffles, spins and chasses us through a selection of her favourite music.

Shirley Ballas, originally from Wallasey, has been dancing since the age of 7. She is 3 time ‘British Open to the World’ Latin American Champion, 10-time US Latin American Champion, and multiple-times British National Champion. By 21, Shirley had won nearly every major title she competed in worldwide. She is the only person to have ever won the British Open to the World Latin American Championships in Blackpool with two different partners and reached the finals an impressive 17 times. Shirley still remains the youngest ever female to reach the ‘British Open to the World’ Dance Championship finals. Shirley is now one of the top Ballroom and Latin teachers and adjudicators in the world and is delighted and honoured to now be head judge on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’S Strictly Come Dancing.

In this first Radio 2 special she plays some of her favourite music and recalls memories of her dancing career.

Now straighten that back, head up and keep your shoulders down!

First broadcast 26th December 2017