Ola Jordan

Ola Jordan
Born	Aleksandra Grabowska 30 September 1982 (1982-09-30) (age 29) Nasielsk, People's Republic of Poland
Occupation	Dancer
Spouse	James Jordan (2003-present)

Aleksandra "Ola" Jordan (née Grabowska; born 30 September 1982,^[1]) is a professional Latin dance specialist best known for her appearances on the British TV show Strictly Come Dancing. After winning a championship event in Poland she moved to England and began a new partnership with James Jordan. She married him in 2003.^[2]

Dancing career

Jordan has been dancing since the age of twelve when her school advertised for a dance club. Before dancing with James Jordan, she had danced with Przemek Lowicki in Poland. She won Poland’s Open Championships in 1999 and went on to take 12th place in the following year’s World Championships.^[2]

The first recorded dance by Ola Grabowska and James Jordan as a partnership was in the Dutch Open in 2000, ^[3] though they did not turn professional until 2003. The couple withdrew for a while to teach Latin American dancing in Hong Kong, though they turned professional again in 2005, after missing competing.^[4][5] In May 2006, the couple came second in the Blackpool Professional Rising Stars Latin event,^[6] and in November they came third in the British Championships for Professional Latin.^[7]

Strictly Come Dancing

Jordan first appeared on Strictly Come Dancing during the show's fourth series in 2006, partnering DJ Spoony. They were eliminated in the third round, a result which disappointed some of the audience. In series five she danced with Scottish rugby player Kenny Logan while her husband James danced with Kenny's wife, TV presenter Gabby Logan. Kenny Logan was voted out of the show on the ninth week^[8] while Gabby Logan was voted out earlier, in the fourth week.^[9] Jordan was knocked out of series 6 in week seven of the competition, with her partner GMTV presenter Andrew Castle.

In January–February 2009 Jordan danced with Kenny Logan on the Strictly Come Dancing Tour and in series 7, she partnered reporter Chris Hollins, reaching the final and beating rivals Ricky Whittle and Natalie Lowe to become the 2009 champions. Their prize was a Strictly Come Dancing glitter ball. Jordan and Hollins became affectionately known as "Team Cola" by viewers and on the show, with Cola being a portmanteau of "Chris" and "Ola".^[10] Jordan partnered magician Paul Daniels in the eighth season of the show; they were the second couple to be voted off. For Children in Need 2010, Jordan partnered Harry Judd from McFly for a one-off Strictly special, dancing a Paso Doble. The couple won, beating Rochelle Wiseman of The Saturdays and her partner.

In the ninth series of the show she has been partenered with former Wales international footballer Robbie Savage.

Other television appearances

Ola and James Jordan took part in a celebrity version of television programme Total Wipeout which was broadcast on 26 December 2009. She and Strictly Come Dancing head judge Len Goodman appeared as a team in BBC TV's Bargain Hunt in 2010 for the benefit of the Children in Need appeal.

References

1. ^ "Ola Jordan Biography". http://www.jamesandolajordan.co.uk/dancers/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3&Itemid=17. 
2. ^ ^{a b} The News. "Strictly Come Pole Dancing". http://www.thenews.pl/international/artykul122345_strictly-come-pole-dancing-.html. Retrieved 2009-12-21. 
3. ^ Dance Plaza. "Dutch Open". http://www.danceplaza.com/index.tpl?style=results&action=couple&what=6417. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
4. ^ BBC. "Withdrawal from Professional Dancing". http://www.myparkmag.co.uk/articles/strictly-come-dancing-james-jordan.html. Retrieved 2009-05-31. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ James and Ola Jordan (dance couple WS). "Partnership news". http://www.jamesandolajordan.co.uk/dancers/. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
6. ^ Dance Sport Info (network). "Partnership news cont'd". http://dancesportinfo.net/Couple/James_Jordan_and_Aleksandra_Grabowska_3585/Details.aspx. Retrieved 2009-05-31. 
7. ^ http://www.danceplaza.com/index.tpl?style=results&action=couple&what=6417
8. ^ "Kenny Logan foxtrots off Strictly". BBC News. 2007-12-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7123984.stm. 
9. ^ "Gabby Logan sambas off dance show". BBC News. 2007-10-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7066335.stm. 
10. ^ BBC. "Team Cola - Your true fans messages". http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/strictlycomedancing/F14488480?thread=7148183. Retrieved 2011-01-15. 

External links

• James and Ola Jordan – official website
• Ola Jordan at the Internet Movie Database
• BBC - Strictly Come Dancing series 4

Preceded by Tom Chambers and Camilla Dallerup

Strictly Come Dancing Champion (with partner Chris Hollins) Series 7 (2009)

Succeeded by Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev

Persondata
Name	Jordan, Ola
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1982-09-30
Place of birth	Nasielsk, Poland
Date of death
Place of death