America's Ballroom Challenge - coming to TV in 2009

[Bella]

How old is this "kid"?

 

[sofi]

Why do I get the feeling that the female host will be just as air-headed as the past two?

 

[dancelvr]

I guess I'll just be really suprised if I'm NOT disappointed by this year's broadcast. I liked it the way it was....showing an evening for each style. Hopefully, it will return to that format next year.

 

[GJB]

I guess I'll just be really suprised if I'm NOT disappointed by this year's broadcast. I liked it the way it was....showing an evening for each style. Hopefully, it will return to that format next year.

It was mentioned that they trimmed back from four hours because of funding issues. I'm glad were are not losing the show. There were several years that we did not have a show at all because of funding problems.

 

[latingal]

I agree with dancelvr and GJB....loved having more dancing (and more hours in shows), but am very happy we didn't lose the program all together with the economy the way that it is.

 

[danceronice]

How old is this "kid"?

A1 age group, IIRC. (Thank God I didn't have to dance against him--at this rate I'll be in C before I get to silver, never mind open.) The championship is A combined. As far as numbers I have no idea. "Younger than me" but them I'm 30 so with the As that leaves a lot of possiblities.

I really, really hope they don't just do ALL showdances with a thirty-second clip of the rounds...

 

[latingal]

And does anyone know who, if any, the pro-am show dancers are? (And if they got that kid from...oh, geez, Wednesday night? He was in a multi-dance championship, finished one routine with a drop split that had everyone gasping, and IIRC he won. A age group.)

That sounds like Hunter Stephens, he dances pro-am with Inna B. He does a drop split near the end of his jive routine. He's pretty darn awesome. Did he do a show dance on Weds. night? Pro-am latin was on Friday.

I believe that he danced Youth and Amateur latin up until 2003?

The A category for Open Latin is up to age 35, if I remember right.

 

[White Chacha]

Wow, people have been talking as if the 5 hour format has been the norm forever. It's only been that way the last couple of years. I remember one year where they had so little money, they did a single show with clips from previous ones. Let's be happy in this economy for two hours of new material, in HD no less

 

[RickRS]

Don't know which season that was, but the first season (2006?) of America's Ballroom Challenge was just two one-hour shows. I saw it in reruns recently; compared to dance on ABC, FOX, NBC, and MTV, it was very little filler and an absolute delight.

 

[syncopationator]

I actually preferred the final rounds to watching the show dances! Generally there are one or two show dances I like, a few that are ho-hum, and the rest bore me to tears.

I'm with you on this one. I prefer the final rounds way more than the show dances.

 

[dancelvr]

I'm with you on this one. I prefer the final rounds way more than the show dances.

Ditto!

 

[Merrylegs]

Don't know which season that was, but the first season (2006?) of America's Ballroom Challenge was just two one-hour shows. I saw it in reruns recently; compared to dance on ABC, FOX, NBC, and MTV, it was very little filler and an absolute delight.

The show used to be called Championship Ballroom Dancing before it was America's Ballroom Challenge.

 

[Purr]

The following appeared in my local paper about America's Ballroom Challenge:

"Season four of America's Ballroom Challenge will premiere at 9 p.m. February 25 on WOSU-TV (Channel 34).

The show was shot at a ballroom dancing contest in Columbus, with two dozen couples in competition."

Anyway, I had to laugh when I read the article. Somehow, I thought Ohio Star Ball was a little more than a "ballroom dancing contest". And, I'm pretty sure that more than two dozen couples participated.

 

[elisedance]

Well, for those of us that were there it WAS a 'ballroom dancing contest' with some (spectacular) comps and showcases thrown in Actually, the latter were contests too - though obviously they had no idea about the scope.

Why not write to the paper and clue them in? It would be more publicity...

 

[Purr]

Why not write to the paper and clue them in? It would be more publicity...

I've thought about it. However, the last time I wrote a letter to the editor (on a completely unrelated topic that makes me very, very upset even thinking about it), he printed it.