Dance shows find their groove with viewers
18 August 2009
When Christjohn Batters looks around the dance studio where he works in Atlanta, Georgia, he notices something different these days.
Dance shows are sparking interest in events like this one at Stepping Out Studios in New York.
1 of 2 "I've been at this studio for eight years, and I would definitely say that there has been a steady increase and an influx of people wanting to learn how to dance," said Batters, an instructor and assistant manager at the Ballroom Dance Clubs of Atlanta.
"People see dance on TV, and they see people learning to dance ... and they think, 'OK, this is something I could learn to do.' "
Shows like ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance," MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" and Oxygen's "Dance Your Ass Off" are drawing millions of viewers and helping expose audiences to the art of dance.
Be it hip-hop, salsa, tango or ballet, viewers are learning that dancing is no longer just for the enjoyment of the Lawrence Welk set.
Batters said a lot more younger couples -- and men -- are venturing to his studio to kick up their heels.
He also said he's tickled that professional ballroom dancers such as "Stars' " Julianne Hough, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Karina Smirnoff are staring out from magazine covers usually dominated by celebrities.
"Professional ballroom dancers, we were always like an underground club for a long time," Batters said. "Now, all of a sudden, ballroom dancers are household names."
"DWTS" has proven to be the most popular of TV's dance shows. Its two weekly episodes finished third and fourth in the year-end ratings, after "American Idol's" two weekly episodes. The show links celebrities with professional ballroom dancers who put them through their paces in a weekly competition.
On "SYTYCD," a summer hit, amateur and professional dancers perform in pairs and compete for the title.
"America's Best Dance Crew," which premiered its new season on Sunday, pits dance crews from across the world against each other, performing in various styles. source: cnn.com