DanceX
Contents |
Host
Co-hosts
Mentors: Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli
Arlene's Panel: Ashley Wallen (choreographer) and Joshua Alamu (vocal coach)
Bruno's Panel: Derek Hough (choreographer) and CeCe Sammy (vocal coach)
BBC Three coverage (Dance Xtra): Angellica Bell and Rufus Hound
Broadcast
BBC One, 14 July to 25 August 2007 (7 episodes in 1 series)
Synopsis
Strictly Dance Fever meets Popstars in a collision of formats that looked on paper like it might work, as the Beeb attempted to put together a new dance troupe in the weekly-vote-off fashion. It was a nice idea, but executed poorly: a seven-member troupe possibly being reduced to a six-member troupe was hardly a thrilling level of jeopardy, and with the two teams already formed in the second week, the rest of the series just felt like it was going through the motions, not helped by a feeling that the result was a foregone conclusion anyway.
Champions
Team Bruno (Claire Mealor, Marie McGonigle, Marcquelle Ward, Rana Roy and Phoenix). After the series, they became Pulse (a name chosen by Sun readers) and released a single which reached the all-important number 91 position in the charts. Marcquelle Ward and Rana Roy went on to star in ITV drama series Britannia High, created by Arlene Phillips and How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? judge David Ian.
Trivia
Money raised from the phone lines went to the Fame Academy bursary fund. How lovely to hear from that after all this time.
The format was also done in the USA as Dance War, with Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba replacing Arlene Phillips. That version flopped, too, and the recording contract "prize" for the winners (Team Bruno) fell through.
Inventor
Format credited to Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli.