Twist and Pulse
Encyclopedia
Twist and Pulse are an English
street dance
duo based in London
. They are best known for being the runners-up of the fourth series
of Britain's Got Talent
, famously coming in second to Spelbound
in the live final.
Ashley Glazebrook (Twist) and Glen Murphy(Pulse) met at the BRIT School
of performing arts and technology where they were both studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Dance, where the duo trained in Ballet
, Tap dance
, contemporary and Jazz dance
. They discovered they had an equally wacky sense of humour and quickly became best friends. With college coming to an end, Glen and Ashley formed a duo initially called The Cheeky Boiz, and began rehearsing. Their resulting ‘Streetomedy’ performances - a blend of streetdance and comedy - went down a storm and led to the duo reaching the finals of BGT in 2010. They performed on the morning show on ITV
, Daybreak, in the week leading up to the 2011 Britain's Got Talent.
theme and The Cheeky Girls' "Touch My Bum", their act billed as "streetomedy", was met with much support at their London audition.
Declan "Dec" Donnelly
is quoted saying: "These two guys come on and dance to the EastEnders theme tune
. That's clever and new." Anthony "Ant" McPartlin
laughed: "It took me back 15 years ago to when me and Dec were PJ and Duncan... but they could actually dance!" Dec chimed in: "If they can present a TV show we're screwed!"
Ant and Dec were heard to say: "With their bright hip hop outfits and body popping moves, they reminded us of ourselves back in our P J & Duncan days with one small difference, they could actually dance, and we... um... couldn't."
where they were watched by 20,000 fans. They did a summer tour of all three Butlins
holiday camps. They have also been booked for big celebrity weddings and private parties.
Twist and Pulse TV performance included ITV's Magic Numbers
where they did a dance that was made up from music from blockbuster films such as The Matrix
, Titanic
and Pirate of the Caribbean
to name a few. They have also appeared on The Five O’Clock Show (C4), GMTV
(ITV1), This Morning
, Teen Nick continuity (Nickolodeon UK), The Seven Thirty Show (UTV).
In December BBC NI invited Twist and Pulse to perform live on Children in Need 2010
in front of a large crowd at the Odyssey (Belfast)
ITV2
Celebrity Juice
, which happened to be its biggest ever watched episode.
In June, Twist and Pulse performed at many schools around England to promote their new single "Jump" and helped the charity Fairbridge
raise money with two flash mobs at St Katharine Docks
and Marble Arch
.
They then supported Jedward
on their fourth Irish tour in August, called 'The Carnival Tour'. This included ten dates all around Ireland.
. It was at The Bexley Business Academy Secondary School that Ash began to show an interest in dance and joined a local street dance group, performing at events such as The Streetdance Weekend UK Championships and The World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas. He then went on to study dance at The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, where he is about to finish his final year.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
street dance
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
duo based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They are best known for being the runners-up of the fourth series
Britain's Got Talent (series 4)
The fourth series of Britain's Got Talent was broadcast on ITV from 17 April 2010 to 5 June 2010. It was presented by Ant & Dec and won by gymnastic troupe Spelbound. Judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden returned for the televised auditions on 18 January at the Clyde Auditorium in...
of Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, famously coming in second to Spelbound
Spelbound
Spelbound are a gymnastic troupe from the United Kingdom who rose to fame in 2010, winning the fourth series of Britain's Got Talent. The prize was £100,000 and the opportunity to appear at the 2010 Royal Variety Performance. They also performed in the Britain's Got Talent Live tour...
in the live final.
Ashley Glazebrook (Twist) and Glen Murphy(Pulse) met at the BRIT School
BRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
of performing arts and technology where they were both studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Dance, where the duo trained in Ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, Tap dance
Tap dance
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...
, contemporary and Jazz dance
Jazz dance
Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance...
. They discovered they had an equally wacky sense of humour and quickly became best friends. With college coming to an end, Glen and Ashley formed a duo initially called The Cheeky Boiz, and began rehearsing. Their resulting ‘Streetomedy’ performances - a blend of streetdance and comedy - went down a storm and led to the duo reaching the finals of BGT in 2010. They performed on the morning show on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, Daybreak, in the week leading up to the 2011 Britain's Got Talent.
Britain's Got Talent
The pair - who got three "Yes" votes from the judges, who were much amused by the duo dancing to the EastEndersEastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
theme and The Cheeky Girls' "Touch My Bum", their act billed as "streetomedy", was met with much support at their London audition.
Declan "Dec" Donnelly
Declan Donnelly
Declan Joseph Oliver "Dec" Donnelly is one half of the English acting and TV presenting duo Ant & Dec, with the other being Anthony McPartlin. He came to prominence in the children's drama series Byker Grove and as one half of the pop music duo PJ & Duncan...
is quoted saying: "These two guys come on and dance to the EastEnders theme tune
EastEnders theme tune
The EastEnders theme tune was composed by Simon May in 1984. He was assisted by Leslie Osborne.The theme is largely based upon percussion, strings and the piano, it is widely known for its dramatic use of sound, particularly the drums that begin at the end of an episode – which adds a sense...
. That's clever and new." Anthony "Ant" McPartlin
Anthony McPartlin
Anthony David "Ant" McPartlin is one half of the English comedy and television presenting duo Ant & Dec, with the other being Declan Donnelly. He came to prominence in the children's drama series Byker Grove and as one half of the pop music duo PJ & Duncan...
laughed: "It took me back 15 years ago to when me and Dec were PJ and Duncan... but they could actually dance!" Dec chimed in: "If they can present a TV show we're screwed!"
Ant and Dec were heard to say: "With their bright hip hop outfits and body popping moves, they reminded us of ourselves back in our P J & Duncan days with one small difference, they could actually dance, and we... um... couldn't."
2010
After coming runners up Twist and Pulse went on tour with BGT live, visiting over 14 cities. Since then Twist and Pulse have been all over the country performing, one of the biggest being Midlands Music FestivalMidlands Music Festival
The Midlands Music Festival is an annual festival held in the Castle Grounds, in Tamworth organised by charity Just1Life. The first show took place on 8 August 2009 and featured top acts including Lemar, Sugababes, Blue and JLS...
where they were watched by 20,000 fans. They did a summer tour of all three Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
holiday camps. They have also been booked for big celebrity weddings and private parties.
Twist and Pulse TV performance included ITV's Magic Numbers
Magic Numbers (TV series)
Magic Numbers was a British television show in which celebrity contestants answer questions to generate a sequence of 6 numbers. The show was created by CPL Productions and Paul Brassey and commissioned by John Kaye Cooper at ITV. Members of the public then call a Premium-rate telephone number if...
where they did a dance that was made up from music from blockbuster films such as The Matrix
The Matrix (franchise)
The Matrix is a science fiction action franchise created by Andy and Larry Wachowski and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series began with the 1999 film The Matrix and later spawned two sequels; The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, both released in 2003, thus forming a trilogy...
, Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
and Pirate of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean (film series)
Pirates of the Caribbean is a series of fantasy-adventure films directed by Gore Verbinski and Rob Marshall , written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
to name a few. They have also appeared on The Five O’Clock Show (C4), GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
(ITV1), This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
, Teen Nick continuity (Nickolodeon UK), The Seven Thirty Show (UTV).
In December BBC NI invited Twist and Pulse to perform live on Children in Need 2010
Children in Need 2010
Children in Need 2010 was a campaign held in the United Kingdom to raise money for Children in Need. 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the appeal which culminated in a live broadcast on BBC One which began on the evening of Friday 19th November and ran until the early hours of Saturday 20th...
in front of a large crowd at the Odyssey (Belfast)
Odyssey (Belfast)
The Odyssey Arena is a large sports and entertainment centre situated in Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was jointly funded by the Millennium Commission, the Laganside Corporation, the DCAL, the Sheridan Group and the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. The Arena opened in 2000 with...
2011
April saw Twist and Pulse as guests on Keith LemonKeith Lemon
-Background:In an interview, Francis claimed that Lemon is loosely based on his best friend. The character is easily distinguished by hiscamp demeanour, exaggerated Yorkshire accent, bleached mullet, ginger moustache and fake tan...
ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
Celebrity Juice
Celebrity Juice
Celebrity Juice is a British television comedy panel game show on ITV2 that has been airing since 24 September, 2008. The show is presented by Keith Lemon, with regular captains Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton, alongside regular panellist Rufus Hound...
, which happened to be its biggest ever watched episode.
In June, Twist and Pulse performed at many schools around England to promote their new single "Jump" and helped the charity Fairbridge
Fairbridge (charity)
Fairbridge is a UK based charity that supports young people aged 13–25, that has existed since 1987. Each year it supports around 3,700 disengaged young people who are either not in education, employment or training – or at risk of becoming so – at one of its fifteen centres around the country...
raise money with two flash mobs at St Katharine Docks
St Katharine Docks
St Katharine Docks, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, were one of the commercial docks serving London, on the north side of the river Thames just east of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge...
and Marble Arch
Marble Arch
Marble Arch is a white Carrara marble monument that now stands on a large traffic island at the junction of Oxford Street, Park Lane, and Edgware Road, almost directly opposite Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park in London, England...
.
They then supported Jedward
Jedward
John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
on their fourth Irish tour in August, called 'The Carnival Tour'. This included ten dates all around Ireland.
Recording career
Having spent a year writing and producing their own records, the duo released their first single Jump on 3 July 2011.Ashley (a.k.a. Twist)
Twist (Ashley Glazebrook) was born in 1991 in Sidcup, in a family of two brothers, four step-brothers and seventeen cousins. From a young age Ashley was known to love music, especially music performed by Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
. It was at The Bexley Business Academy Secondary School that Ash began to show an interest in dance and joined a local street dance group, performing at events such as The Streetdance Weekend UK Championships and The World Hip Hop Championships in Las Vegas. He then went on to study dance at The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, where he is about to finish his final year.