Main content

My real-life Cuban dance romance

JoAnn Jansen learned to dance in the arms of a revolutionary – now she teaches Hollywood film stars how to move.

JoAnn Jansen is a film choreographer, known for working with some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Part of her journey to becoming a dancer herself has even been made into a film – the sequel to the Dirty Dancing movie, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, which was based on her teenage experience in Cuba. But her dancing hopes nearly came to an abrupt end when, at 19, she found herself the single mother of a severely disabled baby. JoAnn tells Jo Fidgen that the experience eventually gave her the drive to pursue her goals.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Rebecca Vincent

(Photo: JoAnn Jansen. Credit: Michael Higgins)

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Wed 8 Dec 202112:06GMT
  • Wed 8 Dec 202118:06GMT
  • Wed 8 Dec 202123:06GMT
  • Thu 9 Dec 202103:06GMT

Watch Lives Less Ordinary on YouTube

Watch Lives Less Ordinary on YouTube

Videos from our extraordinary podcast Lives Less Ordinary.

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected