a chance to dance

A Chance To Dance = A Chance To Win

September 6, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

You may have noticed by now that Nichelle from Dance Advantage and I are helping to promote Ovation TV’s show, A Chance To Dance. What you may not know is that we are also giving away free swag and holding a contest for dance bloggers. Interested? Here’s the rundown on how to get involved:

1. Trivia Swag Giveaway – win some swag by answering the weekly trivia question on Twitter (search #actdtrivia and check the date).

Look for our trivia question starting today by searching #actdtrivia on Twitter! We’ll be doing a different giveaway each week based on the upcoming episode, so this week it will be for Friday’s episode at 10 pm ET.

2. Dance Blogger Contest – Yes–we’ve extended this fun contest to give more people the chance to answer! Enter to win a $25 gift card. Watch the upcoming episode and write a blog post about it. (Details here.) We’ll choose a random winner from the entries and promote your answer on our social media accounts–think publicity!

If you haven’t yet seen the show, I’ve included a bit of video below for you, along with a blurb about the overall idea. In terms of tuning in for the next episode, there are 3 ways to watch:

1. Got Ovation? Watch it on TV.

Find Ovation In Your Area.

2) Also available On Demand as part of your paid TV subscription.

Here are the listings.

3) Watch on Facebook. Rent it Now!

About A Chance To Dance:

A Chance To Dance is an original Ovation TV series by the creators of SYTYCD. It follows Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt, two of the UK’s most prominent contemporary dancers and choreographers, in their quest to create a new dance company for Nigel Lythgoe in just 28 days.

They have auditioned dancers from dance schools in Washington D.C.; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Austin, TX. The competition and the pressure have become intense as the final group heads to the dance mecca of Jacob’s Pillow, MA, where they must eliminate half the dancers and form a company for the grand finale: an original performance in New York. A Chance To Dance airs Fridays at 10PM ET/7PM PT on Ovation.

Here’s a quick peek at the last episode to catch you up, and a preview of the next:

Preview:

Even though I have a strong ballet background, Shepherd is my favorite character on this show. He was chosen because he had some stylin’ hip hop moves and because he showed commitment by getting time off from work to get to the audition. I just think he seems like a cool guy that is really passionate about dance. After all, in the last episode, he took a ballet class and simply struggled with it the entire time. I can’t imagine what that must have felt like–but it couldn’t have been good…he’s got guts!

This show is really one of the better ones out there in terms of dance–and I’m not just saying that because I’m helping to promote it. I really think it is well-crafted, and it raises some interesting points about having ballet as a foundation for dance in general. I’d like to toss that question out to readers…

Do you think it is necessary (or at least, preferable) to have a ballet background if you want to be a dancer?

I really do. But I’m also going to pull hard for Shepherd in this next episode! After all, everybody deserves a break in life…right?

A chance…to dance.

Disclosure-4dancers receives compensation from Ovation TV for promotion of A Chance to Dance.

Dance Blog Spotlight: Swan Lake Samba Girl

August 17, 2012 by 4dancers

Today I’m excited to introduce Tonya Plank, author of one of the early dance blogs on the web (Swan Lake Samba Girl). I can remember reading it years ago, and it’s every bit as good today as it was then. Say hello to one of the early adopters, and see where her journey has taken her…

1. Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance?

As a child, I took ballet, tap dance, jazz, and acrobatics, concentrating the longest on ballet. But I gave that up once I went to college. I was just too busy. As an adult, I took up ballroom dancing – mainly to alleviate stress from my day job, as a lawyer. I ended up loving it so much, I started competing at the amateur level. That rekindled my childhood passion for ballet, and I started going to a lot of ballet performances in New York, where I lived for many years, before moving to L.A.

2. When did you begin your blog-and why did you start it?

I started my dance blog in mid-2006. I was competing in ballroom dance competitions and I’d just gone to Blackpool – the mother of all ballroom dancing comps. I started my blog to document my journey as a dancer – really, to capture the trials and tribulations of learning to dance and compete in dance as an adult. Later, I got very busy and ballroom dancing became expensive and I stopped competing so much. But then I started going to the ballet, and to other kinds of concert dance performances in NYC and my blog kind of grew into a blog about watching dance. Soon, I had a loyal following of other dance-goers, other ballet lovers.

3. What does your blog cover?

My blog now covers mainly ballet and modern dance performances.

I’ve moved to Los Angeles, so I write mainly about what’s going on in dance in Southern California. I also try to write about the TV dance shows as often as I can. I especially like to cover the new ones – like “Breaking Pointe” on CW, and now “A Chance to Dance,” which will premiere on Ovation TV in August. I also try to keep up with the ballroom dancing competitions as much as I can.

4. What has been the best part about participating in the dance community online? [Read more…]

Preview – A Chance To Dance

August 10, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

I have to say, I’m intrigued.

I have had the chance to watch some of the footage for the upcoming series, A Chance To Dance on Ovation, and I think it will be an interesting show. Putting a dance company together in just 28 days (7 episodes) seems a little over the top, but then again, it’s television.

That said, there are a few things that set this show up for a good run, and I can share them with you here without giving anything away…

The backing.

The idea for the series comes from Nigel and Simon Lythgoe, Producers of So You Think You Can Dance. Basically, these guys have an idea of what works–don’t you think?

The location.

Much of the footage here is shot in an absolutely gorgeous location which already has a rich dance history–Jacob’s Pillow in the Berkshires. The outdoor stage and natural surroundings provide a scenic backdrop, and the one-on-one interviews echo the behind the scenes drama that makes Survivor such a popular show. This helps add a visual appeal to what would otherwise be many hours of studio footage, which although realistic, is not exactly visually stimulating.

The personalities.

The two judges, Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt, both danced with The Royal Ballet in London and have staged many popular productions over the past ten years. In addition to a strong dance background, they each contribute quite a bit of charisma as well.

Trevitt is very articulate when it comes to discussing his beliefs about dance and music and Nunn has a natural grace and humor about him that transforms what could be otherwise routine studio time into something special for the screen. They were both great picks for the show.

The premise.

Even if it is a familiar premise, it’s still a good one.

The judges travel to different places, auditioning dancers for the show. They are looking for dancers who are good–12 to be specific, to form a company that will perform at a New York Gala event, then continue on to be the opening act for the SYTYCD tour.

Who doesn’t want to see talented dancers who have been overlooked for one reason or another get their shot at the big time? The idea is so often used because it feels good.

I didn’t get to see much footage of the dancers actually dancing, but I’m looking forward to that part and hoping that they will do it well. There didn’t appear to be too much snark going on (at least not that I saw), which is actually a welcome relief. The show has promise without trying to manufacture any additional drama.

With the proliferation of dance shows on television as of late, it can be hard to know which ones are worth the time and which to skip.

I, for one, am going to give this show its “chance to dance”.

A Chance To Dance premieres August 17th at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT on Ovation.

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