or


[08/28/15 - 04:35 PM]
"#DanceBattle America," ABC's New Dance Competition Special, Premieres Monday, September 14
Alfonso Ribeiro and Jordin Sparks host the one-hour special, which will follow the season premiere of "Dancing with the Stars."

[via press release from ABC]

"#DANCEBATTLE AMERICA," ABC'S NEW DANCE COMPETITION SPECIAL, PREMIERES MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Julianne Hough and Maria Menounos to Executive Produce Alfonso Ribeiro and Jordin Sparks to Co-Host

From Executive Producers Julianne Hough (Actress and "Dancing with the Stars" judge and two-time champion), Maria Menounos ("E! News" Host, "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity dancer) and Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz of Magical Elves ("Project Greenlight," "Top Chef") comes ABC's dance special "#DanceBattle America," airing MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), following the premiere of "Dancing with the Stars" Season 21.

Hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro ("Americas Funniest Home Videos", "DWTS" Champion) and Jordin Sparks (Actress, Recording Artist, "American Idol" Winner), the hour-long network special was inspired by Hough and Menounos after the two engaged in a now famous dance battle via social media during the 2013 holiday season. The battle went viral and inspired other celebrities including Kate Hudson, Kristi Yamaguchi, Amber Riley and their families to join in the fun. Due to the huge popular response, Hough and Menounos challenged everyone in America to submit their own epic dance moves via social media for a chance to compete in "#DanceBattle America."

"I love that my family and friends coming together to challenge the Houghs on social media turned into a chance for America to dance!" said Menounos. "Ever since I left DWTS, I've always wanted to find a way to give others the magical experience I had. Watching the submissions for this show had me laughing, dancing or crying. It's so inspirational and uplifting."

"The number one question I get from fans is 'when are they going to make a Dancing with the Stars for the average Joe,' so the idea behind this is that these families, friends and co-workers get to come to L.A. to work with a choreographer and go through a small version of the transformation that the celebrities go through on DWTS" stated Hough.

After an incredible nationwide response, eight teams were chosen to battle it out in Los Angeles on September 14. The teams will go through a week of intense training with some of the country's best choreographers to create a routine for their chosen song. Each team will battle against another team in four rounds of competition. At the completion of the battle rounds, the winning team will be selected by the studio audience and will receive a trophy and prize.

"#DanceBattle America is a show that was borne out by the popularity of social media and its ability to showcase people in their everyday lives. Most of our contestants have no desire to become professional dancers, but they're taking this opportunity to show us their moves and remind us why we dance in the first place: because it's fun" said Lipsitz.

"#DanceBattle America" is Produced by Magical Elves with Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Julianne Hough, Maria Menounos and James Sunderland serving as executive producers. Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon as co-executive producers.

About Alfonso Ribeiro

Alfonso Ribeiro is an actor, director, Broadway star and award-winning dancer. He is currently set to host the upcoming season of ABC's "America's Funniest Home Videos" this October. He is also the host of "Unwrapped 2.0" on the Food Network. Alfonso has played a multitude of roles on both the stage and screen, including the memorable character 'Carlton Banks' from the popular TV series "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," among many other roles. He is also an accomplished TV director and dancer, having won Season 19 of "Dancing with the Stars."

About Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks is a Grammy nominated multi-platinum global superstar who has sold over 11 million units since her career launch in 2007 when she won American Idol at the young age of 17. Jordin has also appeared in numerous films including starring alongside Whitney Houston in her final film "Sparkle" in addition to starring on Broadway. On August 21st, Sparks released her highly anticipated third studio album, RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW, via Sony Music / 19 / Louder Than Life.

About Magical Elves

Magical Elves is the award winning production team behind some of the highest quality documentary and reality programming on television. Since the company was founded in 2001, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz have been nominated for numerous Emmys, culminating in a win in 2010 for Outstanding Reality Program or Competition for "Top Chef". Other credits include; "Last Comic Standing", "Fashion Star" (NBC), "Project Runway" (Bravo), "Cold Justice", "Step it up and Dance" (Bravo) "Dance on Sunset" (Nickelodeon), "Dance Your Ass Off" (Oxygen). Magical Elves joined forces with international media producer and distributor The Tinopolis Group in 2014.





  [august 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
      


· DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC)





[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM]
Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC
The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.

[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host
Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.

[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.