The Greatest Dancer
Strictly’s Oti Mabuse is out to find Britain’s hottest dancing talent…
She may not be on The X Factor judging panel any more, but Cheryl is a ‘captain’ for a new dance competition. The singer, Glee star Matthew Morrison and Strictly dancer Oti Mabuse will comment as a studio audience votes on performers in genres from ballet and hip hop to jazz and Bollywood. Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo host.
For anyone missing
Strictly Come Dancing there’s a new talent show to keep your toes tapping as BBC1 kicks off its search for The Greatest Dancer.
The show, hosted by
Alesha Dixon and Diversity’s Jordan Banjo, sees hopefuls audition in a dance studio with a difference. Behind the studio mirror sit the show’s ‘dance captains’ – Strictly professional Oti Mabuse, Broadway and Glee star Matthew Morrison and singer and former X Factor judge Cheryl – who will watch their every move.
‘This is my first time sitting on the other side, as a panellist,’ says eight-time Latin dance champion Oti. ‘However, on this show, we don’t judge these acts, we mentor them.’
An audience is watching, too, and they can vote for their favourites. If 75 per cent like what they see, that act is through to the next round.
In Saturday’s opener, hopefuls include street dance quartet Frobacks, Dee Dee Wilde, who in the 1960s and 70s was in the Top of the Pops dance group Pan’s People, and Andrew, a young dancer with Down’s syndrome.
At the callbacks later in the series, Oti, Matthew and Cheryl will each choose three acts to mentor to the final, where nine acts will compete for £50,000 and the chance to perform on Strictly.
‘For me, this show is all about positivity,’ says Oti. ‘Getting to mentor these dancers and watch their journey just fills me with pride.’