'Blackpool has a special place in our hearts'- Diversity star Jordan Banjo ahead of Winter Gardens show
Take a look at our exclusive chat with dance star Jordan Banjo ahead of his troupe Diversity’s arrival in Lancashire.
Diversity, the UK’s most successful dance group, bring their latest show Soul to the Blackpool Winter Gardens on Saturday, April 16.
Before his arrival in the town, long term member Jordan Banjo- who’s brother Ashley founded the group- sat down for an exclusive chat us.
Find out what Jordan had to say about the show, Blackpool and what’s next for Diversity below…
How are you feeling about heading to Blackpool next month?
“Do you know what, Blackpool has a special place in our hearts, right, because I feel like so many big performances, so many tours, so many things, Blackpool has always been like the setting for it. There used to be a street dance championship called Udo, and it was held in Blackpool. This was before we done Britain’s Got Talent but if you went Blackpool and you performed there, it was a real big thing. Then obviously you’ve got Strictly and Blackpool. Dance is a real part of Blackpool, right, so for us coming back, knowing we always get such a brilliant reception there, this tour is like our 13th or 12th tour, it just means a lot to still be going back. So we're very excited.”
Have you performed at the Winter Gardens before?
“Yeah, we’ve performed at the Winter Gardens. Love the Winter Gardens as well man, it’s really, really cool.”
Can you describe your new show?
“This is what I always love, right. Ash will come up with this title, and he'll sit everyone down, and he has a notepad that I would say is the size of probably the average bungalow, right, this gigantic notepad and he's got all these xs and crosses in it, it looks like he’s a football coach right. Then he starts writing down this story so the current world that we're in, AI, what it means to be human. I was like, mate I signed up to throw a kid with an afro and glasses around, I didn't sign up to tell the human experience, but somehow, someway, through humor, heart, like how it feels emotionally as well, we pulled this story together. And I'm not just saying it but it’s by far our best show yet. As we've been running through it, there's moments when I'm genuinely laughing out loud, there's moments where I am really thinking, and then there's moments where I'm going ‘I ain't gonna lie, but honestly, we're pretty sick, we're pretty good at what we do’. Like the choreography, the tricks, that's all gone up a level as well So very excited for everyone to see it.”
Why did you want to focus on AI this time around?
“I feel like it's just a hot topic, right? Everyone always goes ‘how do you guys get inspiration to carry on doing shows? And the truth is it's like everyday life, right? Things that we see every day, things that we go through every day as people like there’s bits about our kids in this, it's about our general lives. That sort of makes the story, all melded together. Obviously, in Diversity,there's a lot of us, you know, there's 15 members, and there's a little bit of all of us in in the story which is really, really nice.
You mentioned how you first came into the public eye with Britain's Got Talent- that was in 2009 so how does it feel to 17 years later still be able to put on these huge tours?
“After 17 years to still be putting on tours, it feels incredible for the ego but terrible on the knees. I won't lie to you, Aimee, I'm battered, mate. I'm only 33 and I remember my physio said to me ‘you have the the knees of a 70 year old’. My knees are absolutely destroyed, right and this is how you know that it's something we just love to do. Look, it's dancing, there's people doing a lot harder things and a lot more difficult things nut that being said, it is a strain. And when you go on tour for four or five months at a time, and all this stuff you do, you do really feel it.
“But to experience that thing of stepping out on stage and doing what you love and people reacting well, genuinely, it's the best thing ever. Like putting on shows, seeing the reaction, hearing people talk to you about it after. Some people come up to you and they enjoyed it as a show, you know, they go ‘show was wicked’. Some people come up to you and it meant something really profound to them. It was the anniversary that their mum passed, and they used to come every year with their mom so the fact they could come and see us again, like you speak to all these different people and how they interpret it and we've got 1000s of stories after 17 years of doing it. Do you know what I mean? That's one part about it that we do really love.”
You've started mentioning it there, but I was going to say, in those 17 years, what's changed and what's stayed the same with Diversity?
“It's funny. I think back now, the very first Britain's Got Talent audition we did, I was only 15. My biggest worry was GCSEs, school and what my mates will think. Now, I'm 33 years old and married. I've got three kids, and that's the same for a lot of the boys, we've all got kids, and we've got our partners, and we're living this life, and it's hilarious to think that after all of that, we still meet up every week and go ‘should go do some street dance’ with our mates, like that still hasn't changed, which is really cool. We're all still best friends. We all still have a passion for what we do. So even though the shows have got bigger, times have got busier, we've got older, life expanded, being a big group of mates who like to dance and try new things that core component hasn't changed, which is important. I think if that had changed, that we wouldn't still be us.”
And if we go back to your Blackpool date, do you think you'll get any chance to explore the town this time around?
“Oh, I hope so, because, I know it's a bit early in the year, but we did the Blackpool illuminations Switch On a few years on the trot. We loved it. Whenever I come down, my kids love going up the tower as well. They love that. So when I say explore, it feels like a home from home, if I'm honest. But yeah, like, when we're there, if we have a couple of days off around it, I will definitely be about.”
Do you hope to bring your family to Blackpool you mean?
“100%! Yeah, my kids will come up. They love that. It's one of the places they love to come to. My oldest, he’s nearly eight, he's come to a few tours and now he insists, which is funny. I feel sorry for his mom because obviously she'll drive him up- he couldn't pick somewhere that was a little bit closer, one of his favorite places to come is Blackpool. Now we're making the four and a half hour drive up there from Essex.”
So if you've got a free day, what is the itinerary in Blackpool?
“Last time we hopped on the tram, we went up into the town center. Of course, you have to start off with a Nando’s, it's just a given. But I think last time we were there, it might have been in the Jan so it was a bit colder. It was one of the first times I've been - normally we tour towards like the summer but when we went in Jan, everything was shut along the front, and I was like ‘wow, okay’. Although it sounds silly, it kind of shocked me where as this time, hopefully in April, it’ll be a bit more open. So there will probably be a tram straight to the centre. There probably will be some Nando's. There probably will be some arcades going on, always on the donuts and stuff like that. Just a Blackpool experience, mate.”
You obviously flip upside down and do all sorts in your dance routines so are you okay on rollercoasters?
“You can't love Blackpool and not be okay with roller coasters. I mean, they go hand in hand, you know? So yeah but I am the sort of person who’s like ‘Rides! Rides! Rides!’ then I get three or four in and I need a 15 minute break, I need to sit down for a little bit, but I enjoy it. They’re good.”
And then people across Lancashire, why should they get tickets to come see Diversity in Blackpool?
“If you haven't seen Diversity, or you're not a huge fan of Diversity, on general terms the show, if I do say so myself, from like actual robots on stage, to some of the latest laser technology to the music, to the staging to the AI we've been integrating into the show, it’s just an impressive show. Like it's a great night out, even if you're not a big Diversity or dance fan, this is just wicked to watch. If you do love Diversity, or you just like dance in general, there's this sense of nostalgia to this show, especially being in Blackpool as well, which is always such a great place to perform. I would say, genuinely, this is Diversity at their best, us as people and as dancers, and then you chuck inall the extra stuff I said about how it's just got bigger and better. It really does make for a great show and a great night out. So come down.”
For youngsters in Lancashire who want to get into dancing, would you have any advice to give them?
“Yeah definitely and I'm starting to see this more, maybe because of the boom of Tiktok, but I love the fact that when I go down my for you page now I'm seeing people who don't look like dancers dancing more, right? And I think dancing is one of them things where you can be bad at it but it still feels great to do. We all see the people that have had a couple, they're on the dance floor at a wedding or whatever , they’re just letting loose. They might look not brilliant, but they feel terrific. That's that's the best thing about dancing, right? So if you've got any niggle, any notion where you're like ‘I want to give it a go’, there’s classes literally everywhere. The classes might not even be brilliant, but if you have a good time doing it. You know?
“I'm trying to say, if you want to do it, just crack on. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I think that's the one bit of advice I'd give to my kids as well. When I was learning to dance and coming up more I wish I cared less about ‘oh, is that really good?’ or ‘was that really better?’ If you want to try something, just crack on. Just do it. Because nobody cares as much as you think they do in like, a negative way. Everyone's got their own stuff going on. So if you want to have fun and try something, try it.”
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And besides this tour, is there anything else on the cards for Diversity you want to mention?
“It's a difficult one because I'm in that zone at the moment where you know, you say there's loads of things in the pipeline that I'm not allowed to say, and then you say that, and everyone thinks you’re lying. Generally, there's loads of things in the pipeline, a couple of different TV shows, some podcast related stuff as well. There's a few things happening which are really exciting, but I can't give all the specifics right now.”
Well, you've been a dance troupe for just shy of 20 years, can you see yourself doing it for another 20 years?
“Aimee, if these knees hold up, mate, I'll try my best. As long as people want to keep coming to watch us in Blackpool, I'll be there.”