Bio
Khutso Khunou is a South African dancer and dance teacher specialising in Latin and Ballroom best known for partnering actress Hlubi Mboya on the fifth season of the SABC2 reality dance competition Strictly Come Dancing, in 2008.
He has been dancing professionally with Seipati Nthoesane since 1998.
Strictly Come Dancing
Khutso was the professional dance coach and partner to actress Hlubi Mboya in the fifth season of SABC2's Strictly Come Dancing reality competition, in 2008.
The first two weeks of the competition were non-elimination rounds, with the judges scoring dances by the male celebrities in Week 1 and the female celebrities in Week 2.
In Episode 3 - the first elimination episode - Hlubi admitted to being disappointed and nervous after failing to impress during the first two episodes, but once again her spirited performance left the judges lukewarm.
After her Rumba to Celine Dion's "My heart will go on", Dave Campbell thought that although she was "sultry, sexy and silky", her footwork was largely unsuccessful. Tyrone Watkins thought the couple went down with the Titanic.
The couple scored 25/40 from the judges, placing them fourth. Combined with viewer voting they were safe from the dance-off that week.
In Episode 4 they performed the Tango. Lilian Phororo thought that the dance suited Hlubi well, but noted that the passion should be evident in every movement, as opposed to just in the temperament.
Salome Sechele remarked that Hlubi's head was obviously in the right place, after her somewhat unsatisfying first performances. The couple were clearly starting to get into the groove.
They went one better than the previous week, scoring 26/40, which was only good enough for 5th place as the competition got tougher.
Once again they were safe from the dance-off when viewer votes were added.
In the fifth episode Hlubi and Khutso shone with an inspired shot at the Paso Doble. Dressed in a fiery orange and red gown, the petite actress was dramatically thrown around with skirt flying – ideal moves to “become” the cape she is supposed to embody.
Salome reminded her that the female dancer is supposed to use her arms to frame her man in this style. Tyrone applauded the beautiful body shapes.
It was their best score of the series, with 29/40 placing them in joint second place with Cindy Nell and Johnathan Broadway, one point behind leaders Tessa van Duuren and Grant Esterhuizen.
The following week - in Episode 6 - disaster struck.
Dazzling in a yellow mini dress, Hlubi - all smiles and with fabulous glittery make-up - presented a competent routine with Khutso.
Tyrone complimented their choice of music, but found all the shaking a bit much. He thought their performance lacked quality and that her spine didn’t work at all.
For all Dave cared, Hlubi could have “shaken herself into a coma”. He noticed small technical faults and was delighted with the freshness she brings to the stage.
Lilian enjoyed her good arms and suggested work “on taking her lines right through her body”.
Despite the generally positive feedback Hlubi and Khutso only scored 26/40, which placed them in second-last place.
In a shock, dramatic moment of SCD history, racing driver Gugu Zulu - who scored the least points that week and had looked a dead certainty to end up in the Bottom 2 - was saved by viewer voting, bumping Tessa and Grant down into the Bottom 2 with Hlubi and Khutso.
The infuriated judges were forced to choose between Tessa and Hlubi, and although Salome voted to keep Hlubi, the other three judges all voted to keep Tessa.
Hlubi and Khutso thus became the fourth couple voted out of the competition, on 6 November, 2008.
STRICTLY COME DANCING 5 GALLERY
