Aliona Valeriya Kavanagh (née Vilani on 1 May 1984; ), also known by her stage name Aliona Vilani, is a Russian-Kazakh TV personality and was a professional dancer in the BBC TV series Strictly Come Dancing.
Biography
Vilani started learning ballet when she was five years old. She moved to Russia with her parents at age 9 and started ballroom dancing at age 11, continuing ballet. In 1997, aged 13, she moved to the United States and joined the Kaiser Dance Academy in Brooklyn, New York. In 2001 she was part of the US Ballroom team for the National Dance Congress that won the Amateur Ballroom category.
Vilani turned professional at the age of 17. Since 2006 she has lived in Los Angeles where she competed, performed and coached. Her speciality is 10 Dance, she is also skilled in Salsa, Hip Hop and Jazz. In 2008–2009 she appeared in Dancing with the Stars Arena Tour in the U.S. In 2009 she appeared three times as a guest professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars in Hollywood.
In 2014 Vilani was featured in theatre show Licence to Thrill as the lead female dancer.
In June 2017 Vilani gave birth to a daughter named Bella.
Strictly Come Dancing Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Harry Judd39 Matt Baker33 Argentine Tango40 Jay McGuinessMatt Baker34 Cha-Cha-Cha Matt Baker31 Gregg Wallace18 Charleston Harry Judd39 Tony Jacklin13 Foxtrot Matt Baker31 Harry Judd26 Jive Jay McGuiness3733 Paso Doble39 Jay McGuiness Quickstep Harry Judd40 Rav Wilding20 Rumba Jay McGuiness 39 22 Salsa 36 Matt Baker 28 Samba Matt Baker 38 Harry Judd 34 Showdance Harry Judd 37 Matt Baker Tango Jay McGuinessMatt Baker 38 Rav Wilding 19 Viennese Waltz Harry Judd 39 Jay McGuiness 34 Waltz 35 Tony Jacklin 16 Vilani first participated in series 7 in 2009, where she partnered Rav Wilding: they were eliminated in week 3 following a dance-off with actress Lynda Bellingham and her dance partner Darren Bennett.
In 2010 she appeared for the first time on the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour where she partnered actor Ricky Groves. They danced the American Smooth and the Paso Doble. She also partnered Matthew Cutler in the professional dances. In April 2010 rehearsals started for the Strictly Come Dancing Professionals Tour in which she partnered Matthew Cutler & two weeks later the opening night started the 12-week tour.
Vilani was runner up in the 2010 series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Matt Baker. Vilani and Baker then went on to compete and win the 2011 Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour.
She returned in 2011 for the 9th series of the show, where she and partner Harry Judd of pop-rock band McFly went on to win the competition, beating Chelsee Healey in the public vote and coming top in the final judges leader-board. Vilani and Judd then went on to compete and win the 2012 Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour.
Vilani returned for the 2012 series of Strictly Come Dancing, where she was paired with television presenter Johnny Ball. A training accident in the three-week interval resulted in torn ligaments for Vilani, causing her to retire at least temporarily from the show. She was replaced by Iveta Lukošiūtė who, with Ball, went on to be eliminated in the first week. Vilani did however return in the final group dance alongside Ball, and later took part in the 2012 Christmas Special, partnering Fabrice Muamba. In a TV interview in October 2017, Ball claimed Vilani faked the injury, with Vilani denying the allegation and saying she would take legal advice over Ball's comments.'Strictly Come Dancing': Aliona Vilani 'Taking Legal Advice' As She Denies Johnny Ball's Claims Huffington Post, 17 October 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
In June 2013 it was announced that Vilani would not be competing in series 11. However, she reportedly reacted angrily, stating that it was "not her decision to leave, and I had planned to be on the show and now I have to make new plans". However, on 2 September 2013 it was further reported that professional dancer Natalie Lowe had a foot injury and that she would be replaced by Vilani. Her partner for series 11 was championship golfer Tony Jacklin but the couple were the first to be eliminated (in week 2).
Vilani appeared in a short special edition of Strictly Come Dancing featuring Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, filmed in support of the BBC Children in Need charity in November 2013. She also appeared on the 2013 Christmas Special, partnering Matt Goss; they scored 35 for their American Smooth.
Vilani returned for the 12th series of Strictly in 2014; she and her partner Gregg Wallace were voted off in round two, making Vilani the first dancer to be voted off first in two consecutive years.
In December 2014, Aliona Vilani won the Christmas Special partnering Louis Smith. They earned a perfect score of 40 from the judges for their quickstep to "Jingle Bells" and won after the judges' and studio audience's scores were combined.
In September 2015, Vilani returned for the thirteenth series of the show and partnered singer from The Wanted, Jay McGuiness. In December 2015 they won the Strictly Come Dancing final, making her the first professional to win the show twice. A few days following their win Vilani announced she would not be returning to the series. Vilani and McGuiness then went on to compete and win the 2016 Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour.
Series performances and results
Series Partner Place AverageScore7Rav Wilding14th20.38Matt Baker2nd34.39Harry Judd1st35.611Tony Jacklin15th14.512Gregg Wallace18.013Jay McGuiness1st34.1
Series 7: with celebrity partner Rav Wilding Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultRevel HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Tango / "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing"365519Bottom TwoRumba / "Temptation"4657223Quickstep / "We Go Together"365620Eliminated
Series 8: with celebrity partner Matt Baker Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultRevel HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"7888No Elimination2Foxtrot / "She Said"788831Safe3Quickstep / "Dreaming of You"878831Safe4Charleston / "42nd Street"9998Safe5Argentine Tango / "Bat Out of Hell"889934Safe6Viennese Waltz / "Where the Wild Roses Grow"899935Safe7Rumba / "Too Lost in You"899935Safe8Samba / "Young Hearts Run Free"991010Safe9American Smooth / "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down"888933Safe10Jive / "Soul Bossa Nova"899935Safe11Salsa / "Spinning Around"777728SafeSwing Marathon / "In the Mood"Judges Awarded 4 Points32Tango / "Hung Up"9101093812Samba / "Young Hearts Run Free" 9 9 10 10 SafeShowdance / "I Like the Way (You Move)"7999Paso Doble / "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"9899Runner-upViennese Waltz / "Where the Wild Roses Grow"9910937
Series 9: with celebrity partner Harry Judd
Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresResultRevel HorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioliTotal1Cha-cha-cha / "Moves Like Jagger"678728No elimination2Foxtrot / "Just the Way You Are"667726Safe3Jive / "Greased Lightnin'"889833Safe4Waltz / "Come Away with Me"8810935Safe5Tango / "Psycho Killer"8710934Safe6Samba / "I Wish"88833Safe7Argentine tango / "Asi se Baila el Tango"981010Safe8Salsa / "I'm Still Standing"889934Safe9Quickstep / "Don't Get Me Wrong"9101010SafeSwing Marathon / "Chattanooga Choo Choo"Awarded7extrapoints10Rumba / "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"999936Safe11Viennese waltz / "This Year's Love"Charleston / "I'm Just Wild About Harry"9910101010101039Safe12Quickstep / "Don't Get Me Wrong"Showdance / "Great Balls of Fire"American Smooth / "Can't Help Falling in Love"Argentine tango / "Asi se Baila el Tango" 109910 1091010 10101010 1091010 37Winner
score from American season 11 winner Jennifer Grey, who replaced Goodman.
Series 11: with celebrity partner Tony Jacklin Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultRevel HorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "What'll I Do"2554No Elimination2Charleston / "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"2443Eliminated
Series 12: with celebrity partner Gregg Wallace Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultRevel HorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Hot n Cold"355518No Elimination2Charleston / "Hey, Good Lookin'"355518Eliminated
Series 13: with celebrity partner Jay McGuiness Week #Dance/SongJudges' scoresTotalResultRevel HorwoodBussellGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Reach Out, I'll Be There"587727No Elimination2Waltz / "See the Day"7888Safe3Jive / "Misirlou/You Never Can Tell"99910Safe4Quickstep / "My Generation"576725Safe5Paso Doble / "It's My Life"898833Safe6American Smooth / "Li'l Red Riding Hood"898934Safe7Argentine Tango / "Diferente"898934Safe8Foxtrot / "Lay Me Down"688830Safe9Salsa / "Cuba" (Gibson Brothers song)999936Safe10Tango / "When Doves Cry"91091038SafeQuickstep-athon / "Sing, Sing, Sing" Awarded 3ExtraPoints4111Rumba / "Falling Slowly" 9101010Safe12Viennese Waltz / "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"8989SafeCharleston / "Doctor Jazz"999103713Quickstep / "My Generation"999936WinnerShowdance / "Can't Feel My Face"899935Paso Doble / "It's My Life"9101010
References