ABC apparently can't get enough of dance-themed reality competition shows.
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Dancing with the Stars judges Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba will serve as coaches and choreographers for a new reality competition series based on the U.K.'s recently premiered BBC show Dance X, Daily Variety reported Wednesday.
Following an initial round of auditions, Tonioli and Inaba will each choose contestants who can both dance and sing to join their respective teams, and then teach them new routines from numerous dance styles, Variety reported. Once the teams start performing, home viewers will have the opportunity to vote whether Tonioli or Inaba's Dance X team did better each week, after which the losing coach will have to eliminate a member of his or her troupe, according to Variety.
The U.K. version of Dance X premiered on BBC1 on July 14, with Tonioli serving as a coach and choreographer for the British version alongside Arlene Phillips -- who like Tonioli, also serves as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, the original U.K. version of Dancing with the Stars. According to Variety, the most recent episode of Dance X drew "nearly 5 million" viewers, making it an "instant hit" in a country that has a population that's only one-fifth the size of the United States.
"[Dance X] is nothing like Strictly Come Dancing," Tonioli told Britain's The Sun newspaper on July 7. "This is young and sexy. Strictly is all about ballroom dancing, but Dance X is about creating a whole new group of dancers who can also sing. We are really looking for the rough diamonds who are ready to be polished and made into this great group."
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ABC has ordered six episodes of Dance X, according to Variety, which added that instead of airing weekly performance and results shows, the series will -- similar to how ABC handled Dancing with the Stars' first season -- broadcast voting results at the beginning of each week's episode. While its premiere date is still up in the air, Variety reported ABC is "aiming" to debut Dance X in January between its Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 editions of Dancing with the Stars.
ABC's version of Dance X will share the same production company -- BBC Worldwide America -- as Dancing with the Stars, according to Variety.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio