Dancing On Ice: The Story of Bolero with Torvill and Dean

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“To a lot of people it’s Valentine’s Day but to us it’s Bolero day.”

Twenty five years ago to the day and almost to the hour, Torvill and Dean stepped onto the ice to create a piece of British history.

The skating stars were two exceptional people who had one single goal and, in striving to create Bolero perfection, they pushed their sport to its limit, gave viewers a fairytale romance on ice and created an unforgettable masterpiece.

Dancing On Ice: The Story of Bolero with Torvill and Dean reveals just how the skaters created that masterpiece how they first met and worked towards achieving Olympic gold.

Celebrities, friends, former coaches and colleagues talk of their memories of Bolero and Jayne and Chris go back to their home city of Nottingham to meet up with those who helped them achieve Olympic greatness.

Chris and Jayne’s Bolero at the 1984 Olympics was a moment of perfection never seen before. Their performance was rewarded with ice dancing’s first ever 12 perfect sixes and ensured gold for Great Britain

Robin Cousins explains: “Every sport has its defining moment when it shifts and Bolero was that moment for ice dance.”

Jayne says: “I think at that moment we knew we’d got the gold medal but I don’t think it really sank in for all the hours and years you work to get there that here you are finally.”

In their trip down memory lane for the documentary Chris visits the police station in Nottingham where he used to work and meets former colleagues. And Jayne goes back to her former office - even though it has now been transformed into a bar.

Jayne and Chris visit Nottingham Museum where their famous purple costumes are displayed and travel on a tram named after them.

They also meet up with their former coach Betty Callaway and perform for her at Nottingham Ice Rink.

Chris explains: “February 14th - to a lot of people it’s Valentine’s Day but to us it’s Bolero day.”

“Bolero has become like a very special thing,” says Jayne. “I think it’s become more special as the years have gone by - people are still talking about it.”

“It was a bit of a Romeo and Juliet story really,” explains Chris. “It was two people that couldn’t be together and this was their last dance.”

Their Olympic triumph gave them a piece in British history books. Half a million people lined the streets of Nottingham to welcome them home after their triumph and they were hailed national heroes.

“People know us for winning a gold medal,“ says Jayne “but they also know the music that we skated to which I find fascinating and they can’t remember my name but they say ‘Bolero, you do Bolero‘. Bolero is more famous than me so what can I say?”

Now, 25 years later, Jayne and Chris are training celebrities to skate for the hit ITV1 series Dancing On Ice which is now in its fourth year and, for those who reach the final, they get to perform the Bolero.

Chris Fountain, who came runner up in the 2008 series, said: “To be able to choreograph and perform a Bolero in front of Torvill and Dean is an absolute honour really.”

Dancing on Ice: The Story of Bolero with Torvill and Dean is an ITV Production. It is narrated by Phillip Schofield.

Last edited: Wednesday, 4 February 2009