Bruno Tonioli
Encyclopedia
Bruno Tonioli is an Italian choreographer and TV personality who appears as a judge on the television dance competition Strictly Come Dancing
for BBC TV in the UK, and its American adaptation Dancing with the Stars on ABC TV
in the US, Tonioli co-created and appeared on the BBC talent show DanceX
and its American adaptation, Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
.
Company. He worked extensively as a freelance dancer, including an appearance in Elton John
's "I'm Still Standing
" video.
Tonioli has worked in the music business as a choreographer for music videos, stage shows, and tours for artists such as Tina Turner
, Sting, Elton John
, The Rolling Stones
, Freddie Mercury
, Sinitta, Boy George
, and Duran Duran
. His close association with Bananarama
produced many videos, from "Venus" to "Movin' On". Tonioli choreographed the band Arcadia's music video for their song "Election Day" as documented in a 1980s documentary entitled The Making of Election Day.
Tonioli's motion picture credits include Ella Enchanted
, The Gathering Storm
, Little Voice
, Dancin' thru the Dark
, Enigma, The Parole Officer
, and What a Girl Wants
. His television film credits include Miss Marple
The Body in the Library
, Blonde Bombshell, Scarlet Pimpernel
and The Bare Necessities. Theatre credits include La Vie Parisienne, Godspell
, Steve Coogan
's show The Man Who Thinks He's It, and "Forbidden Love" (BBC TV trilogy in 1985) playing manservant to Oscar Wilde (Michael Gambon).
Other television credits include Absolutely Fabulous
(2003), The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon, Ghosts of Oxford Street, The BRIT Awards (1988, 1990, 1991), many Top of the Pops
, three Royal Variety Performance
shows, Miss World
(1998–1999), and the Australian edition of Dancing with the Stars
as a guest judge.
In the United States, he has appeared on numerous talk shows including Larry King Live
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Bonnie Hunt Show
, Jimmy Kimmel Live
, The View, Live with Regis & Kelly, Rachael Ray
, The Soup
, Lopez Tonight
, and Chelsea Lately
.
In January 2008, ABC premiered Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie-Ann. Tonioli's team won the viewer-voted competition, earning a contract with Hollywood Records
.
In 2009 and 2010 he was a judge on the UK tour of Strictly Come Dancing Live, appearing at 45 shows on each tour. During his time with Dancing With the Stars, Tonioli called Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan
"a little lynx on the prowl" and labeled singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus
"a crazy bear lost in a swamp".
A minor controversy arose following Tonioli's remarks to contestant Michael Bolton
and dance partner Chelsie Hightower
on the September 27, 2010 after show, when the judge called Bolton's jive
dance the worst he had seen in all 11 seasons. Bolton expressed his dissatisfaction prominently in the media afterward, prompting ABC to release a statement defending Tonioli.
he suffered in his youth.
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
for BBC TV in the UK, and its American adaptation Dancing with the Stars on ABC TV
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in the US, Tonioli co-created and appeared on the BBC talent show DanceX
DanceX
DanceX is a reality television show produced in the UK for BBC One in 2007. It is a live show, in which two teams of male and female dancers compete to form a new dance group. Team Bruno won the show on August 25.-DanceX Presenter and Team Leaders:...
and its American adaptation, Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann is an American reality TV show dance competition featuring choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, two of the three Dancing with the Stars judges. Drew Lachey, Dancing with the Stars Season Two Champion, hosted the show.The show, based on United Kingdom...
.
Career
In the early 1980s, Tonioli was a member of the Paris-based company La Grande Eugène and later joined the Lindsay KempLindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp is a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist and choreographer.Born in South Shields on May 3, 1938, Kemp's father, a seaman, was lost at sea in 1940. According to Kemp, he danced from early childhood: "I'd dance on the kitchen table to entertain the neighbours. I mean, it was a...
Company. He worked extensively as a freelance dancer, including an appearance in Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's "I'm Still Standing
I'm Still Standing
"I'm Still Standing" is a song on English pop rock performer Elton John's 1983 album, Too Low for Zero. He sings about making a comeback despite problems in daily life. The video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d'Azur in France and features the colours of the...
" video.
Tonioli has worked in the music business as a choreographer for music videos, stage shows, and tours for artists such as Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
, Sting, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, Sinitta, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, and Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
. His close association with Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
produced many videos, from "Venus" to "Movin' On". Tonioli choreographed the band Arcadia's music video for their song "Election Day" as documented in a 1980s documentary entitled The Making of Election Day.
Tonioli's motion picture credits include Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted
Ella Enchanted is a Newbery Honor book written by Gail Carson Levine and published in 1997. The story is a retelling of Cinderella featuring various mythical creatures including fairies, elves, ogres, gnomes, and giants...
, The Gathering Storm
The Gathering Storm (2002 film)
The Gathering Storm is a BBC–HBO co-produced television biographical film about Winston Churchill in the years just prior to World War II...
, Little Voice
Little Voice (film)
Little Voice is a 1998 British drama film with music written and directed by Mark Herman. The screenplay is based on the play The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright.- Plot :...
, Dancin' thru the Dark
Dancin' Thru the Dark
Dancin' thru the Dark is a 1990 British film directed by Mike Ockrent and written by Willy Russell. It is based on the play Stags and Hens by the same author. The film stars Con O'Neill, Claire Hackett, Simon O'Brien, Julia Deakin and Mark Womack....
, Enigma, The Parole Officer
The Parole Officer
The Parole Officer is a 2001 film, directed by John Duigan and was the first feature film to star comedian Steve Coogan. The film follows a mismatched group of former criminals as they assist their probation officer in proving his innocence after a murder accusation.-Plot:Simon Garden is a...
, and What a Girl Wants
What a Girl Wants (film)
What a Girl Wants is a 2003 film starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth, Kelly Preston and Oliver James. Directed by Dennie Gordon, the film is a remake of the 1958 film, The Reluctant Debutante which had a screenplay by William Douglas-Home, based on his play of the same name.The title, "What a Girl...
. His television film credits include Miss Marple
Miss Marple
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous...
The Body in the Library
The Body in the Library
The Body in the Library is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1942 and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in May of the same year. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence...
, Blonde Bombshell, Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel (TV Series)
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a series of television drama programmes loosely based on Baroness Emmuska Orczy's series of novels, set during the French Revolution....
and The Bare Necessities. Theatre credits include La Vie Parisienne, Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
, Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
's show The Man Who Thinks He's It, and "Forbidden Love" (BBC TV trilogy in 1985) playing manservant to Oscar Wilde (Michael Gambon).
Other television credits include Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(2003), The Tony Ferrino Phenomenon, Ghosts of Oxford Street, The BRIT Awards (1988, 1990, 1991), many Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
, three Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
shows, Miss World
Miss World
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951...
(1998–1999), and the Australian edition of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
as a guest judge.
In the United States, he has appeared on numerous talk shows including Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show
The Bonnie Hunt Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted by Bonnie Hunt. It premiered on September 8, 2008. It is the second show featuring Bonnie Hunt to have that title. The first was a sitcom that ran for one season in 1995 and was retitled Bonnie when it returned after a mid-season hiatus...
, Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, The View, Live with Regis & Kelly, Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray
Rachael Domenica Ray is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day...
, The Soup
The Soup
The Soup is an E! Entertainment Television weekly series; it is a revamped version of Talk Soup that focuses on recaps of various pop culture and television show moments of the week...
, Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
, and Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately
Chelsea Lately is an American late night comedy talk show hosted by comedian Chelsea Handler on E!. The show debuted on July 16, 2007, and is produced by Handler's production company, Borderline Amazing Productions...
.
In January 2008, ABC premiered Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie-Ann. Tonioli's team won the viewer-voted competition, earning a contract with Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records
Hollywood Records is an American record label owned by Disney Music Group, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.-History:Hollywood Records was founded in 1989 by then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner with the idea of expanding the music operations of the company and to develop and promote...
.
In 2009 and 2010 he was a judge on the UK tour of Strictly Come Dancing Live, appearing at 45 shows on each tour. During his time with Dancing With the Stars, Tonioli called Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan
Sabrina Bryan
Reba Sabrina Hinojos , better known by her stage name Sabrina Bryan,is an American singer, actress, author, songwriter, fashion designer, choreographer, dancer, and television personality best known as a member of the girl group, The Cheetah Girls, and for starring in the Disney Channel Original...
"a little lynx on the prowl" and labeled singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist, who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon...
"a crazy bear lost in a swamp".
A minor controversy arose following Tonioli's remarks to contestant Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
and dance partner Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower
Chelsie Hightower is a Latin ballroom dancer, who is best known for being a regular dance partner, trainer, and choreographer on the ABC competition show Dancing with the Stars.-Biography:...
on the September 27, 2010 after show, when the judge called Bolton's jive
Jive (dance)
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance...
dance the worst he had seen in all 11 seasons. Bolton expressed his dissatisfaction prominently in the media afterward, prompting ABC to release a statement defending Tonioli.
Personal life
Born in Ferrara, Italy, Tonioli is fluent in Italian, English, Portuguese, Spanish, and French. Tonioli is openly gay, and has spoken of the homophobic bullyingHomophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
he suffered in his youth.