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DANCING WITH THE STARS
Air Date: Monday, May 12, 2014
Time Slot: 8:00 PM-10:01 PM EST on ABC
Episode Title: (#1809) "Episode 1809"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER KENNY ORTEGA TO GUEST JUDGE ON THE SEMI-FINALS OF "DANCING WITH THE STARS," MONDAY, MAY 12

The Remaining Couples Dance to Music by American Icons

"Episode 1809" - Emmy Award winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega makes his "Dancing With The Stars" debut as a guest judge on American Icons Night when he sits alongside Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba, MONDAY, MAY 12 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. The semi-finals begin as the five remaining couples must rise to the challenge of performing two different routines to music by legendary and modern American Icons. The couples will perform a variety of dance styles including Foxtrot, Rumba, Jazz, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Samba, Cha Cha, and Jive. At the end of the night, one couple will face elimination leaving only four couples to move on to the Finals.

Kenny Ortega's work as a director, choreographer and producer is known and loved by millions around the world. Ortega has been the recipient of three Emmy Awards, a DGA Award, an Imagen Creative Achievement Award and an American Choreography Lifetime Achievement Award, among many others. In the arena of film, Ortega was mentored by the legendary Gene Kelly and has choreographed such landmark films such as "Dirty Dancing," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Pretty in Pink," and "To Wong Foo." He has also directed and choreographed the films "Newsies" and "Hocus Pocus." For over two decades, Ortega was Michael Jackson's director and creative partner. He directed both the "Dangerous" and "HIStory" world tours in the 1990's. Their creative partnership came to an abrupt end as they were working together on what was to be their greatest effort to date. Jackson's untimely death brought the production and the world to a stunned halt. Left with over 100 hours of rehearsal footage, Ortega, along with his close collaborators, assembled a two-hour feature film celebrating Jackson's talent. The feature film, "This Is It," was released in 2009 by Sony Pictures and received an overwhelmingly positive response worldwide. Ortega has also worked with many legendary musical artists such as Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Gloria Estefan, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler and The Pointer Sisters. Recently, Ortega directed Disney Channel's "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2," which was seen by over 17 million viewers when it premiered, making it the most watched program in cable telecast history. Ortega just completed directing a romantic comedy, "A Change of Heart" and is currently directing "Descendants" an Original Movie for the Disney Channel.

"Macy's Stars of Dance" returns for a third installment with creative oversight and choreography by Emmy(R) Award-winning Choreographer and Pro Dancer, Derek Hough and Christopher Scott from "So You Think You Can Dance." The unique performance will be a tribute to classic Hollywood featuring Hough and Disney Channel's Jessica Lee Keller from "Teen Beach" as the leads. The piece will also feature 26 additional dancers including a variety of "Dancing With The Stars" Pros.

Viewers may cast their votes for their favorite teams via phone on Monday nights during and up to 60 minutes after the end of the "Dancing with the Stars" broadcast in each time zone. Online voting at www.ABC.com and on Facebook at https://apps.facebook.com/votedwts/ is open for 24 hours, beginning from the start of each episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT on Tuesday evenings. For the final week, on Monday, May 19, online voting will open for 15 hours, beginning from the start of the episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m., ET/5:00 p.m., PT and closing at 11:00 a.m., ET/8:00 a.m., PT the next day. A custom Facebook app lets fans vote, share whom they voted for and say why, as well as see whom friends voted for.

Hosted by Emmy(R) Award-winning host Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Erin Andrews (sports host & "Dancing with the Stars" Season 10 finalist), "Dancing with the Stars" is the hit series in which celebrities perform choreographed dance routines which are judged by renowned ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

"Dancing with the Stars" is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions. Conrad Green, Ashley Edens-Shaffer and Joe Sungkur are executive producers. Alex Rudzinski directs. "Dancing with the Stars" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound. This program carries a TV-PG, L parental guideline.

About BBC Worldwide Productions

BBC Worldwide Productions is a key business under BBC Worldwide North America, the U.S. division of the main commercial arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), BBC Worldwide. Led by Jane Tranter, BBC Worldwide Productions is based in Los Angeles and develops and produces scripted and non-scripted projects for U.S. cable and broadcast networks, as well as digital platforms. The production company is responsible for various titles including the upcoming "Criminal Justice" (HBO) and "Intruders" (BBC AMERICA) as well as "Getting On" (HBO), "Top Gear" (HISTORY), "What Not to Wear" (TLC) and the cultural phenomenon, "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC).

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