Dancing With The Stars

http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/dancing-with-the-stars

Premiered in 2005 and just finished with its 14th season, Dancing With The Stars (DWTS) is a hit reality television show where celebrities team up with established dancers to compete against other couples until one couple wins and claims the Mirrorball Trophy. Each couple performs predetermined dances and competes against the others for judges' points and audience votes. The couple receiving the lowest combined total of judges' points and audience votes is eliminated each week until only the champion dance pair remains. The show also utilizes a American Idol-esque voting system, where success of the couples depend on a combination of the judges' votes and the viewers' phone-in votes.

Dancing With The Stars was one of the shows to capitalize on the era of reality television shows that emerged with the introduction of American Idol and other similar shows. Achieving some of the highest television ratings of the last decade, Dancing With The Stars has found a way to engage mass audiences and showcase various styles of dancing, from classic swing to passionate salsa.

Tony Tran

May 18, 2012