Karen Hauer reflects on one of the most challenging dances on Strictly Come Dancing...

Karen Hauer, a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, reflects briefly on what she describes as one of her most challenging performances: a Remembrance Day routine staged shortly before the end of a relationship. She describes the narrative of the dance in concrete terms, saying her partner portrayed a soldier and she danced with his jacket, returning it to a table at the end as the story signalled loss. Hauer says the choreography involved her partner returning to dance with her and then leaving again, which she frames as echoing a relationship that was slipping away.

She also gives a short glimpse into Strictly’s recording conditions, saying the show is performed in front of an audience and that dancers are typically given only “one or two takes”, increasing the pressure to deliver the intended emotional “sentiment” with little margin for error. Hauer says the emotion was accessible because she felt she was “experiencing it” in real time, describing herself as “losing him” during that period.

In response to a question about what a performer allows in or blocks out while on stage, Hauer says she frequently draws on her own experiences to “pull out the emotion”, adding that much of this material comes from her love life and personal history. She suggests that this openness makes her more vulnerable and helps her connect with the audience.

• Hauer recalls a Remembrance Day Strictly routine performed shortly before a breakup.
• She describes the dance’s story: a soldier figure, a jacket used as a prop, and a sense of loss at the ending.
• Hauer says Strictly recordings in front of an audience typically allow only “one or two takes”.
• She says the routine’s emotion was easier to reach because it mirrored what she was living privately.
• Hauer says she often uses personal experiences—particularly from her love life—to access emotion on stage.