A new musical inspired by the life and legacy of rock & roll legend Ritchie Valens has just embarked on its first UK tour. La Bamba follows the journey of 17-year-old Sofia as she looks to fulfill her dream of becoming a huge musical star. The show sees dancer Pasha Kovalev make his musical theatre debut, whilst his Strictly co-star, Graziano Di Prima, is responsible for the choreography. What’s On recently caught up with ‘Italian stallion’ Graziano to find out more...

Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima is turning his hand to choreography with new musical La Bamba!.
Working in a team alongside his wife - Giada Lini - and Erica Da Silva, Graziano has been creating the dance moves for the show, which features music from Latin superstars including Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Camila Cabello. Graziano’s fellow Strictly professional, Pasha Kovalev, and Siva Kaneswaran, from boyband The Wanted, both star.

“This is my first job as a choreographer, and I couldn’t be more happy with it,” he reveals during a break in rehearsals. “I’m very lucky to be doing it, sharing this job with producers, the director and also my wife. We’re often apart through work because I do Strictly and she does Dancing With The Stars in Italy, so this is incredible.”
But, he laughs, the urge to dance can be impossible to resist.
“Sometimes I forget I’m the choreographer, and I start dancing with the guys, and my wife is like ‘You need to step out - you’re the choreographer, remember!’”

La Bamba! tells the story of 17-year-old Sofia, played by Inêz Fernandez, who dreams of becoming a Latin singing superstar. She is inspired by her father’s love for the great Latin singers, including Ritchie Valens, who famously topped the charts with a rock & roll version of Mexican folk song La Bamba.  Valens died at the age of 17 in the same airplane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Jiles Perry ‘JP’ Richardson. 

Although the story draws on the spirit of Valens, Graziano says it is very much a 21st-century tale.
“Sofia grew up with the same musical roots as her dad, and in the show she is touring her dream. She does everything to achieve it, and it’s incredible - but then her producers want to change her. They want her to sing a song which is less Latin, and they want to change her surname.

“I’m so in love with the story because it is so relatable for people today. You know, so many of us are influenced by what others think of us. Sometimes we’re led by things like social media, and we see how they can influence a 17-year-old girl. Sofia is facing all these kinds of problems, wondering ‘What is my identity? Should I listen to the people who are commenting on me, or should I trust my family?’ 

“It’s about the need for people to keep going forwards and challenging themselves. They can dream about their passion and want to fight for it, but sometimes they are insecure about it. I think each of us has some insecurity, and we live in a world where it’s so easy to judge people and comment on people. Somehow you have to stay true to your roots.”

Sicilian Graziano toured with the dance show Burn The Floor, but choreographing a musical is a new challenge for him.

“The toughest part for a choreographer is that you first of all find the idea, but you always need to be open to a plan B. If I come into the room with an idea and we have 20 minutes to make the choreography, and then I realise it doesn’t fit the dancers who are doing it, I need to change it and find something which will be effective for them. 

“I didn’t expect that choreography would be so beautiful and so deep. You have to put your person and your knowledge on the side sometimes. Instead, you need to know the person who is dancing. It’s not just telling them what to do in terms of the steps; you need to understand them.”

And the reunion with Pasha, who left Strictly in 2019 after eight years and is playing Sofia’s father, Ricardo, in La Bamba!, is also a bonus. 

“Pasha and I have been friends for ages now and have done so many jobs together and Strictly together. He’s amazing; he’s the most humble person I have ever met, but he understands the movement. He’s so professional, and because we know each other so well, he knows that everything he says to me I take on board.”

With La Bamba! now out on the road, Graziano can start thinking about the upcoming series of Strictly.
“I’m back this year - this is going to be my sixth season and I can’t believe that already. It’s such a crazy journey every year, and yet they make you feel at home. Every year it’s like you start from zero. You’re meeting a new person, so you need to challenge yourself.”

Graziano has so far partnered television presenter Vick Hope, comedian Judi Love and singer & actress Kym Marsh. He won the 2021 Christmas special, dancing with singer-songwriter Anne-Marie.

“I love the competition stuff, and that you can go as far as you can - but for me, the first thing is getting to know people and making a new friend. First of all, you have in front of you a person, and secondly, that person, for most of the time, is doing something that is completely out of their comfort zone, and they’ve got someone telling them what to do. 

“Imagine the person who joins Strictly is already scared about the whole journey and knows that on Saturday, no matter how they look or feel, they’re going to dance in front of 10 million people. It’s scary. 

“Everyone is different, and I’m very straight when I need to be, but I want to create a friendship first. So Strictly made me grow up as a dancer and as a person.”

At the time of chatting, the celebrity contestants have yet to be announced.
“It’s too early to know yet, but I don’t have any preference. As long as the person wants to learn and make a dance relationship, I’m there to help them.”

And while his next few months may be taken up on the small screen, Graziano is hoping that La Bamba! will lead to future choreography opportunities.

“I’d really like to do more. Working with the director and finding a purpose in everything is something that fascinates me. It’s about portraying everything in the choreography. 

“The dance in La Bamba! is a bit of everything, with the flavour of samba, salsa, and a flourish of tango, so this show is going to be a party for everyone. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve, and I hope the people in the audience feel as much energy as we do and are as much a part of this as we are.”

by Diane Parkes