Let the fun and... mindgames begin
Fake tan Sequins Dancing shoes Stars, judges
THE glitterball is up, the fake-tan spray guns are at the ready, and the countdown is on until our sizzling celebrities are hot enough to foxtrot across our TV screens for Ireland’s answer to Strictly – our first ever Dancing With The Stars.
Sunday nights have been hit with the glitterstick and given a shiny, sparkly makeover and for the next 12 weeks, our 12 sequin-soaked stars will salsa and tango their way into our sitting rooms – and our hearts – on the arms of some of the best professional dancers in the world.
Every week, the public will vote off dancers until only one remains in the centre of the floor.
But before we get ready to rumba, here’s the inside track on all the razzmatazz...
THE PROFESSIONALS
Each celeb is partnered with a professional dancer with whom they will rehearse for the week and stay with for the duration of the show until they are eliminated. The calibre of the pros is second to none, among them Shauna Finn from Tallaght, the reigning Irish Show Dance Champion and AllIreland Champion, along with Curtis Pritchard who is only 20 but has toured the world and won a clutch of major competitions. His brother Al recently came fourth in Strictly Come Dancing with Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapane. Also coaching stars is Kai Widdrington, 21, who was only dancing five years when he was crowned World Junior Latin American Champion. His prowess got him to the final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2012.
There’s also Italian Guilia Dotta who has appeared on So You Think You Can Dance Australia and Dancing With The Stars Australia and starred in David Gilmour from Pink Floyd’s music video The Girl In The Yellow Dress.
Emily Barker has packed a lot into her 19 years. The former Ballroom and Latin Junior Champion has represented the UK on the world and European stages and has also toured with the show Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Kilkenny’s John Nolan was Irish dancing, ballet dancing and set dancing by the time he was three and by six he’d taken up ballroom, going on to represent Ireland at world and European level.
Ryan McShane from Lurgan is the reigning UK and British Latin Professional Champion and British Show Dance Champion, with his partner and fellow DWTS pro, Ksenia Zsikhotska, from the Ukraine.
MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR
Our poor celebs were very well aware any Christmas bulges would be a hindrance on the dancefloor, so they had to cool the jets over the party season. Dancers sign up to rehearse a minimum of 12 hours a week but most of them were doing at least four hours a day this week at the Liffey Trust Centre Dance Studios in Dublin. Rumour has it some were so dedicated they had to be told to go home… Mmm, wonder who? And once the live shows begin, it’ll likely be a round-the-clock job.
FILMING
The shows will be filmed and broadcast live from the Ardmore Film Factory near Bray.
THE GLAM
A glam hit squad of 20 hairdressers, make-up artists and wardrobe people will be working all God’s hours keeping our celebs suitably sparkly, coiffed and tanned.
MUSIC
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional winners Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova are in charge of the music and choreography. Organisers are keeping schtum but we’re told there’ll be mystery guest music acts.
FORMAT
Everyone will dance each week until they are eliminated. Celebrities and their professional ballroom partners have a week to practise a dance routine, following an agreed theme, before performing it live on Sunday night. Dancers are first scored by the judges before the phonelines open for viewers to cast their vote. The couple with the lowest combined score is eliminated and couples are whittled down like this every week until there are two or three pairs left for the grand final on Sunday, March 26.
THE VOTING
There are two weeks’ grace for contestants but after that second week one celebrity will be given their cha-cha orders each week until the late March final. Public voting starts after the third show. Each duo will have a different dancing genre each week, with just seven days to perfect their routine before dancing live.
GOD FORBID!
Injured dancers get a one-week pass. If it’s more serious the celebrity must pull out.
WHO DECIDES?
Decisions are 50:50, from the judges and the public vote. There will be no dance-offs.
THE JUDGES
Judges, like the viewers, will see the stars’ moves for the first time on opening night and the self-proclaimed ‘People’s Judge’, Aussie Julian Benson says there’ll be no ‘Nice McNice’. He’s demanding the three Ps from the stars – passion, performance and personality. The multi-feathered choreographer, director, producer and talent agent won’t shy away from shooting from the hip. Brian Redmond performed his first foxtrot at 11 and went on to win eight All Ireland Ballroom, Latin and Showdance titles. He is one of the finest ballroom dancers to come out of this little island in 30 years and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
500 Rehearsal hours put in by our celebrities 250 Glitzy costumes being shipped from London
He and Julian Benson have been known to lock horns on occasion.
Joining the lads is Ireland’s Queen of Ballroom, Dubliner Loraine Barry – the most successful ballroom dancer we’ve ever produced. Loraine has no less than 50 national and international gongs to her name. She is fair but firm and shaping up to referee her two co-judges.
HOSTS
Amanda Byram and Nicky Byrne will make an entertaining pair. Nicky in particular knows how it’s done, having competed in the UK’s Strictly, where he made it to week 10. Amanda said the duo were so keen not to mimic Claudia and Tess, that they stopped watching the hit UK show and insists RTÉ’s version will be a knockout.
WHO’S LEADING WHOM?
Whether they ooze chemistry is yet to be seen but we found out on last night’s Late Late that Teresa Mannion is partnered with John Nolan, Des Cahill is with Karen Byrne and Hughie Maughan’s partner is Emily Barker.