The cast of 2012 - Seven West Media

SINGER/SONGWRITER, AGE 42
DANIELLE SPENCER
PARTNER: DAMIAN WHITEWOOD
DANCING FOR: THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S MUSIC FOUNDATION
“I will work as hard as I can work to stay in and I would love to stay in
for as long as possible. I don’t know that I’m confident, but I’m hopeful.”
Danielle’s musical career was destined from an early age. “It
was a very musical household growing up so I guess that was
kind of always in my childhood.” The daughter of Don Spencer –
a respected musician and renowned TV presenter in Britain and
Australia – Danielle first started to sing and learn the piano from
her father at the age of four.
“I released an album in 2001 (White Monkey) and then I got
married off the back of touring and had two children so I had a
break from music. Then I got back to it and released an album
(Calling All Magicians) in 2010.”
With her sons with actor Russell Crowe now aged 5 and 8,
Danielle says she felt ready to make music again. “They’re a bit
older so it’s easier for me to work now and be away from home.”
But she says her musical ability doesn’t extend to the dance
floor. “I stand up for a few songs, but I’m a piano playing
songwriter so I’m not really breaking out the moves. It’s all
the technique - it looks so beautiful and effortless when you
see people doing it and doing it well. I guess that’s the big
challenge, trying to make it look effortless and graceful while
remember all of these things.”
Danielle says she first rejected the idea of competing for the
coveted mirror ball trophy. “I think initially I kind of shied away
from it, probably just out of fear. But I thought it would be fun.
Everything I do is very internal - I sit in my room writing songs and
you live in your little internal world so I thought it would be nice
to do something that’s external and physical and give myself a
challenge like that.”
She says being criticised by the judges could be tough. “You
really are putting yourself out there. You’re putting yourself
out to be judged, and that’s not a comfortable thing to
do. But the overriding thing was I thought it would be fun to
just have a new challenge. I would just like to engage with
dancing and get to a point where I’m really enjoying it.”
DAMIAN WHITEWOOD
In 2010 Damian made a guest appearance on DANCING WITH
THE STARS with Pamela Anderson who he partnered in the US
version.
For the past 11 years, Damian has performed his passion in life
to millions of people around the world and has taken what was
once a hobby and made it his career. In 2001 he joined the cast
of Burn The Floor, which has sold in excess of 4 million tickets in
over 30 countries and 160 cities worldwide.
He achieved one of his lifelong goals with the company in 2009
making his Broadway Debut as a lead dancer, which opened
to rave reviews and sold out performances. Damian made the
move to primetime television in the US as one of the professional
dancers on ABC’s top rated program, DANCING WITH THE STARS.
Partnering Pamela Anderson who he has since been working with
all around the world, Damian has guest appeared on the Israeli,
Argentinean and Mexican versions of DANCING WITH THE STARS.