'So You Think...' will give new momentum to weekend viewing: Rajesh Iyer

&TV is gearing up to premiere its dance reality show, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, on April 24, 2016. The show will air every Saturday and Sunday at 8.30 pm. Produced by Endemol Shine India, the show that has captivated the imagination of a global audience, will witness an epic battle of Street and Stage style for the very first time on Indian television.

Globally, ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ has won 14 Emmy awards, and has had 26 localised productions representing 35 different countries.

For its Indian edition, the show will have actor Madhuri Dixit, National Award winning choreographer Bosco Martis, and Terence Lewis as the judged. While Bosco will represent the Street styles of dancing, Terence will represent the Stage styles. Mouni Roy and Rithvik Dhanjani have been roped in as the show’s hosts.

Commenting on the new show, Rajesh Iyer, Business Head, &TV, said, “Following the success of ‘The Voice India’, we are thrilled to present yet another adaptation, the Indian edition of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ - the biggest dance show in the world. The format brings forth an immersive concept, where the contestants are classified into two groups as per their style of dancing – Street and Stage. The ultimate winner from a gruelling Street v/s Stage Gala rounds will be chosen under the guidance of an esteemed jury – Madhuri Dixit, Terence Lewis and Bosco Martis. We believe that the show will give a new momentum to the weekend television viewing experience.”

Deepak Dhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Endemol Shine India, added here, “After travelling across the globe with over 26 worldwide productions, the world’s biggest dance show is finally here on Indian shores. ‘So You Think You Can Dance - Ab India Ki Baari’ promises to present dance to Indian audience in its own distinctive and inimitable style. This show will provide a platform to dancers across the country to showcase and enhance their talent under the guidance of our acclaimed judges, who will mentor the participants to ensure they put forth their best performances. Endemol Shine India is glad to have partnered with &TV for the show, aside from showcasing superlative content and talent, ‘So You Think You Can Dance - Ab India Ki Baari’, too, like all our other formats will also have its own Indian twist.”

Speaking further on the show, Iyer said that differentiation for the show had been done in two steps – content wise and market wise. “‘So You Think You Can Dance’ is making its debut in its Indian edition. The differentiating factor is that it will present the ‘Stage’ and ‘Street’ styles. Street dance is yet to be fully explored in India. And the coming together of street and stage, we believe, is going to be exciting content for viewers to watch. So that is fairly differentiated as far as any other dance show is concerned. That’s our first step.”

For the Indian edition, several nuances have been introduced such as the All Star segment, which will come in the last three weeks of the show, where the top choreographers will pair up with the contestants. This apart, some international celebrities will also be invited to appear on the show. A lot of film integrations have also been planned.

Speaking on why she chose this show, Madhuri Dixit, who has appeared as a judge in quite a few dance reality shows, said, “‘So You Think You Can Dance’ is a wonderful concept and I have been a regular viewer of the US version. It will be interesting to see two distinct styles – ‘Street’ and ‘Stage’ – battle it out on the dance floor. Personally speaking, I am a huge fan of the stage style as I am a trained Kathak dancer, but there is a street in me somewhere.”

The show will see contestants being challenged to master several dance style like Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Animation, Latin, Liquid, Tutting, Robotting, Ballroom, Lyrical Contemporary, and Flamenco, etc., among others.