Dressed in a winter scarf with his training bag slung over one shoulder, 20-year-old Andreas Hiim walked straight from parket rehearsal into the freezing November air to speak with Dagbladet.
The debutant and youngest professional dancer in the current season of TV 2’s hit program faced an unexpected reality check just weeks before the Saturday night broadcasts began. Stepping onto the national stage alongside partner Leah Behn, Hiim admitted he went into the production entirely blind.
- Andreas Hiim is the youngest professional dancer and a debutant in the current season of TV 2’s prime-time hit.
- The 20-year-old transitioned from childhood football to competitive sports dancing at approximately eleven years old.
- Following the launch in August, Hiim and Leah Behn faced a period of uncertainty after the death of Kong Harald.
“I actually started by playing football, and then I danced a little once a week,” Hiim told Dagbladet, recalling how his mother steered him toward the dance floor around age eleven. That pivot led to competitive sports dancing both nationally and internationally. When TV 2 extended the invitation, the Stavanger native accepted without hesitation despite having no prior competitive history with the show’s older generation of professional dancers.
“I had no idea what I was getting into or how much contact we were allowed to have before the launch,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
With only one rehearsal completed, the partnership’s future hung in the balance.
“At first I thought it was sort of the worst possible timing. All my thoughts went of course to her, and I hoped she was doing well,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
“I got a little stressed, because we didn’t know what was going to happen next. But when it became clear that she came back, the focus was on making sure she had the best possible time,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
The pair subsequently delivered deeply personal routines, notably dedicating a modern dance to Leah’s late father, Ari Behn, during the fourth program. Hiim emphasized that his primary responsibility centers on translating her personal narrative into a universal experience through choreography and costumes.
“My most important role is to take her story and make it something that she can be proud of,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
| Participant | Role | Key Season Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Andreas Hiim | Professional Dancer (Debutant) | Youngest pro in the current season |
| Leah Behn | Celebrity Contestant | Performed dedicated tribute dance to Ari Behn |
The transition from regional obscurity to nationwide recognition brought stark lifestyle changes for the young performer. Where he once strolled through Stavanger seeing familiar faces, weekends in Oslo now involve impromptu fan interactions and photo requests.
“It has been a very fun transition,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
Meanwhile, the studio audiences feature consistent support from Behn’s family, including Crown Princess Märtha Louise and sisters Maud Angelica and Emma Tallulah. Hiim said that getting to know the family away from television screens has been an overwhelmingly positive experience.
“I have so much respect for everyone, and it’s super cool to meet them every Saturday and talk to them,” Hiim told Dagbladet.
