Dancing With The Stars
Ballroom and Latin dancing is all the rage, thanks to a TV franchise that has swept the world. It began with the UK series Strictly Come Dancing. The format was picked up and Dancing with the Stars was born. Versions of the show are produced in 31 different countries but all have the basic premise of pairing celebrities with professional dancers. They compete against each other, performing different kinds of dance and progress through the competition by way of the panel of judges points system and the public vote.
After the success of the UK show, Australia launched its own and then various countries in Europe, in South America, The USA, Japan and South Africa followed. It was the most popular television format in the world for the years, 2006 and 2007. The current presenters of the American Dancing with the Stars is Tom Bergeron and Samantha Harris. It started in 2005 and it is hugely popular. It is also broadcast on UK television. The judges are Len Goodman (Head Judge), Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba. Goodman and Tonioli are also judges on Strictly Come Dancing and have an exhausting schedule, flying between the UK and the US every week that the two shows run together.
Celebrity contestants have to try to master two very different styles in Ballroom and Latin. Dances include the Foxtrot, Waltz, Jive, Tango, Salsa, and Paso Doble. The US Dancing with the Stars winners thus far are Kelly Monaco, Drew Lachey, Emmitt Smith, Apolo Anton Ohno, Helio Castroneves, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Brooke Burke. Other contestants include Jerry Springer and Jane Seymour. There has also been four Dancing with the Stars Stage Shows, touring across America. Apart from the show’s winners, other celebrities to take part on stage include Harry Hamlin, Joey Lawrence, Marie Osmond, and Toni Braxton.
As the show is such an international sensation, it was decided to hold a Dancing with the Stars World Championship in 2007. Mexico was the host for the competition and they were the eventual winners. The competition was very popular and it is hoped that it continues as a regular event.
The public has taken the show to their hearts and participation in this kind of dancing has soared. There is a helpful Cardio Dance DVD which features dances from the show and there is a Latin version too. A book is also available, titled Dancing with the Stars: Jive, Samba, and Tango Your Way into the Best Shape of Your Life. The book has behind the scenes stories from the shows and photographs. It’s terrific for people who want to get fit but don’t want to go to a gym. A 16-month Dancing with the Stars 2009 calendar is also available. Fans can mark off when the start of the 8th US season starts.