or


[12/29/08 - 04:15 PM]
NBC Announces Eight International Teams to Compete in Anticipated Dance Competition Series 'Superstars of Dance' Premiering Sunday, January 4
Argentina, Australia, China, India, Ireland, Russia, South Africa and the United States are among the participating teams.

[via press release from NBC]

NBC ANNOUNCES EIGHT INTERNATIONAL TEAMS TO COMPETE IN ANTICIPATED DANCE COMPETITION SERIES 'SUPERSTARS OF DANCE' PREMIERING SUNDAY, JANUARY 4

International Flavor Abounds As Countries Perform A Variety of Authentic Dance Genres

BURBANK - December 29, 2008 - "Superstars of Dance," premiering Sunday, January 4 (9:00-11:00p.m. ET/PT), welcomes the world's greatest dancers from Argentina, Australia, China, India, Ireland, Russia, South Africa and The United States to compete in an exhilarating international dance competition. Each country will showcase dance genres unique to their nation such as the Shaolin Monks from China, Russian Cossack dancers and Bhangra dancers from India.

Hosted by Michael Flatley ("Lord of the Dance") and co-hosted by Susie Castillo ("House of Payne"), "Superstars of Dance" is a breathtaking international dance competition led by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, two of the masterminds behind "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

The unique series pits the masters of various dance genres from eight countries against each other. Equal parts sporting event, rock concert and artistic exhibition, "Superstars of Dance" is poised to become the greatest spectacle of dance performances ever seen on television.

Eight countries will participate in the competition with each team comprised of two soloists, one duo and one larger group. Viewers will get to know the competitors and the coaches through the trials and tribulations, both behind the scenes and on the stage. The stakes are high for these artists, as they are not only representing themselves, but also their dance form and their entire nation.

A list of each of the countries, judges, coaches and the genres each act will perform is listed below.

ARGENTINA

Sandar serves as coach for team Argentina. Sandar is a Tony-nominated choreographer and principal dancer in the original cast of "Forever Tango." The judge for team Argentina is Maria Pogee. Pogee attended the world-famous school of the Theater Colon. She has directed, staged and choreographed dance productions throughout the world. Performing for team Argentina is a sensual cabaret artiste soloist, a contemporary Tango dancer soloist, an Argentinian Tango duo and a group performing Gaucho style dance in which the Gaucho's use their bolas' to produce intricate rhythms.

AUSTRALIA

Jason Gilkison serves as coach for team Australia. Gilkison is an international ballroom champion who currently oversees choreography and artistic direction for the FloorPlay version of "Burn the Floor." The judge for team Australia is Kelley Abbey. Abbey is Australia's most outstanding dancer, actor, singer and choreographer. She has choreographed for Savion Glover and 1,000 animated penguins in the movie "Happy Feet." Performing for team Australia are a tap dance soloist, a contemporary dancer soloist, a Latin ballroom duo and a group performing contemporary dance.

CHINA

Matthew Ahmet of Britain serves as Coach for team China. As a troubled teen Ahmet went to China and found his way by becoming a Shaolin Monk. The Judge for team China is Master Haiyang Wang. Master Wang is the natural successor to become the next Abbott of the Shaolin Temple and a senior Buddhist in China. Performing for team China are a traditional Chinese ribbon dancer soloist, a double whip soloist, an acrobatic ballet duo and the Shaolin Monks Kung Fu group "Shaolin: Wheel of Life"-known as the greatest performers of Kung Fu for over 15 years who have performed in over 40 countries.

IRELAND

Marie Duffy Pask serves as Coach for team Ireland. Pask currently serves as Dance Director, Associate choreographer, for "Lord of the Dance" and "Feet of Flames." The judge for team Ireland is Daire Nolan. Nolan is most famous for his role as "Dark Lord" in Michael Flatley's "Lord Of The Dance." Performing for team Ireland are Irish Step Dancers. This team is assembled from different groups currently performing all over the globe. They will perform for the first time together on "Superstars of Dance" as team Ireland.

INDIA

Nakul Dev Mahajan serves as coach for team India. Mahajan is the founder and artistic director of the premiere Bollywood dance company in the United States. The judge for team India is Shirish Dayal. Dayal has been producing, directing and choreographing stage shows for the past 15 years. Performing for team India are a Bharantanyam dancer soloist, a Kathak soloist, a Bollywood duo and a group performing Bhangra style of dance.

RUSSIA

Stanislav Issaev serves as coach for team Russia. Issaev was a principle dancer for many years with the Moscow Ballet Theater and was named People's artist of Russia, the highest artistic honor anyone can receive in the country. The judge for team Russia is Mikhail Smirnov. Smirnov is director and founder of Barynya, a hugely successful Russian folk dancing company. Performing for team Russia are a ballet dancer soloist from the world famous Bolshoi Ballet, a contemporary dancer soloist from the world famous Bolshoi Ballet, a ballroom duo and a group performing Cossak style of dance.

SOUTH AFRICA

Tandi Bhengu serves as coach for team South Africa. Bhengu has been a dancer and singer her entire life and has founded a program and dance troupe called S.A.G.A. (South African Girls Abroad). The judge for team South Africa is Harold Van Buuren. Van Buuren has won numerous titles as a Ballroom and Latin American championship dancer, representing South Africa internationally on numerous occasions. Performing for team South Africa are a hip/hop dance soloist, an Afrofusion dance soloist, World Champion jive-inspired dance duo and a group performing Gumboot, a style of dance that was born in the gold mines of South Africa.

UNITED STATES

Marguerite Derricks serves as coach for team USA. Derricks is an Emmy-Award winning choreographer. She choreographed all of the "Austin Powers" movies and is currently choreographing the new version of "Fame." The judge for team USA is Tony Selznick who has danced with greats such as Gene Kelly. He is also the founder and senior agent at McDonald Selznick and Associates where he represents the biggest names in American dance. Performing for team USA are a popping dancer soloist, a tap dancer soloist, World Champion cabaret style ballroom duo and a group performing hip hop.

"Superstars of Dance" is a Big Red 2 Entertainment production. Nigel Lythgoe ("American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance") and Simon Fuller ("American Idol," "So You Think You Can Dance") serve as executive producers on the series.

About Big Red 2 Entertainment

Big Red 2 Entertainment is a joint venture production company from Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller. Lythgoe, who served as executive producer of "American Idol" for seven seasons, is a co-creator and executive producer of "So You Think you Can Dance" and "Superstars of Dance." Fuller, 19 Entertainment Founder/CEO, is the creator and executive producer of "American Idol," and co-creator and executive producer of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Superstars of Dance." Their work together has garnered 43 Emmy nominations, 5 Emmy Awards and the prestigious Governor's Award at the Primetime Emmys. Big Red 2 Entertainment is inspired by the two producers' favorite soccer teams, which both use red as their team color.





  [december 2008]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)
· HOUSE OF PAYNE (BET)
· SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (FOX)
· SUPERSTARS OF DANCE (NBC)





[05/21/24 - 09:02 AM]
BritBox Unveils Compelling Programming Slate with Premiere Date Announcements and First Looks for Exciting New and Celebrated Returning Series
Summer will see the powerful return of gritty, impactful crime dramas, starting with the June 13 return of "Blue Lights."

[05/21/24 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Sweet Tooth" - Final Season Official Trailer - Netflix
In this final chapter, Gus and his friends embark on a harrowing journey in hopes of curing the Sick - and finally discovering the truth about hybrids.

[05/21/24 - 09:00 AM]
Season Three of the HBO Original Drama Series "Industry" Debuts August 11
The series gives an insider's view of the blackbox of high finance following a group of young bankers as they forge their identities within the pressure cooker environment and sex and drug fueled blitz of international bank Pierpoint & Co's London office.

[05/21/24 - 08:06 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Docuseries "How Music Got Free" to Premiere June 11
Directed by Alexandria Stapleton, the series made its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.

[05/21/24 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Trigger Warning" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A Special Forces commando uncovers a dangerous conspiracy when she returns to her hometown looking for answers into her beloved father's death.

[05/21/24 - 08:01 AM]
Apple TV+ Announces Season Two of Hit Drama "Drops of God" Starring Fleur Geffrier and Tomohisa Yamashita
In season two of "Drops of God," Camille (Geffrier) and Issei (Yamashita) once again face a nearly impossible challenge: to uncover the origin of the world's most wonderful wine, a secret that even Alexandre Léger failed to unlock.

[05/21/24 - 07:32 AM]
ESPN+ Original Series "Up for Debate: The Evolution of Sports Media," Executive Produced by Stephen A. Smith, Now Available to Stream on ESPN+
The series delves into the evolution of sports talk debate programming across seven decades-from Howard Cosell to Stephen A. Smith to Cam'Ron-and explores how sports discourse arrived at this moment, why it's here now, and where it's going next.

[05/21/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "The Marlow Murder Club" Trailer
Samantha Bond, Jo Martin, Cara Horgan and Natalie Dew star in "The Marlow Murder Club" adapted by Robert Thorogood from his best-selling novels and premiering on "Masterpiece Mystery!" on Sunday, October 27.

[05/21/24 - 07:00 AM]
"The 67th Annual Grammy Awards" to Air Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, on CBS
This year's nominees will be announced on Friday, November 8, 2024.

[05/21/24 - 07:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Official Trailer for "My Lady Jane"
All eight episodes will premiere on Thursday, June 27 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[05/21/24 - 06:31 AM]
Max Is Now Live and Available to Stream in Europe
The countries include Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

[05/21/24 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Perfect Match" Season 2 - Official Trailer - Netflix
Netflix reality show alumni look for lasting love and test their connections in a dating competition - but only one pair will be named the perfect match.

[05/21/24 - 05:00 AM]
"Walt Disney: Behind the Magic" Celebrates the Pioneer Who Created an Entertainment Empire in Documentary Special That Tops June 2024 Premieres
Reelz's June premieres also include new episodes of hit original documentary series "On Patrol: Live" every Friday and Saturday night at 9pm ET/6pm PT.

[05/20/24 - 08:01 PM]
Crime Thriller "The Victims' Game" Returns with a Brand New Season on June 21
The compelling series explores the complex yet highly relatable themes in human relationships, including the importance of belonging and the value of life.

[05/20/24 - 05:01 PM]
Korean Unscripted Series "Agents of Mystery" by the Producer of "The Devil's Plan" Premieres June 18
Set to premiere on June 18, this show is all about mystery in detailed large-scale set designs.