●●●●○
The Greatest Dancer, by all appearances, is a generic televised talent competition. Currently airing on the BBC, it’s set up as a panel of four judges positioned against an elaborately lit stage, reminiscent of the glory days of X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. What it does, however, is completely reinvigorate a dying TV genre by re-emphasising the spirit of undiscovered talent which made formulaic shows so popular and their memories so enduring.
The judging panel for this season is Oti, one of the professionals from Strictly, Matthew Morrison (Glee, Hairspray), former Girls Aloud member Cheryl and Todrick Hall, a choreographer with a large social media following, previously seen on Ru Paul’s Drag Race.The variety of styles exhibited by the show’s judges similarly reflects the diversity of its performers. The show offers a more accessible alternative to cultural hit Strictly Come Dancing; acts on offer include some exceptional contemporary performances, as well as ballroom, Latin, street, acrobatic fusions as well as lesser known styles such as waacking. This versatility services any veteran dance fans while also entertaining and educating anyone with more limited subject knowledge.
The formula of The Greatest Dancer belies the conventional impression offered by the BBC’s advertising campaign. The ‘auditions’ portion of the show is a composite of interviews with people connected to the upcoming performer, which help to compassionately contextualise each act. While the concept in general harks back to an era of X Factor sob stories, the interviewee discussions remain relevant, centred around why the individual deserves to be The Greatest Dancer. The reformulation of the sob-story interview clip into one explaining the personal qualities and strengths of each contestant is refreshing, and grounds the show in the talent of the group or the individual. Following this, the acts receive a warm reception from Curtis Pritchard (of Love Island fame), who is surprisingly warm and likeable in this role. The new receptionist, someone I admit to finding previously rude and distrustful, is well-equipped to making the contestants feel safe, providing laughter as well as offering a genuinely valuable dance perspective. Pritchard offers calming chit chat in the secluded waiting room which, for the participants, is a far less volatile environment than the long queuing areas glimpsed at in X Factor auditions.The Greatest Dancer, without a doubt, benefits from years of formula perfection by other successful talent programmes, combining the element of nostalgia missing from modernised talent contests and the relatively untapped market of danced-based programming.
The setup also marks another take on existing formulae – in a Voice-like system of mirrors, the audience watch the dancers perform through two-way glass and, if 75% of the audience approves of the act by turning on their lights, the mirror opens to allow the dancers to finish their routines in front of the live audience. The format balances public choice and professional input, with the panel of judges choosing one dancer at the end of the day to go through to the live shows to compete as part of their final team.
The show, for one still in the infancy of its second season, has already managed to skilfully balance its emotional components – essential for the success of shows in this genre – with dance content. The show evenly blends funny interview moments, judge rapport, insight into the dancers personalities and audience reaction with technical commentary and actual performer stage-time. Throughout we are given glimpses of audience commentary in a rather Gogglebox-like experience. This importantly eases the transitions between some of the more tense moments during performances, and the suspense before the judge’s response. The audience – which are otherwise homogenised by the flashy voting system – provides insight into the general public’s opinion, something previously unseen in this genre. Given that these programmes are televised for the benefit of the general public, The Greatest Dancer shows an obvious appreciation of the audience which has not only made this genre so successful, but reverts attention to the everyday people whose auditions are a linchpin of the show’s formula and the legacy of public participation talent contests.
The next episode of The Greatest Dancer will air at 18:30 GMT on BBC one, Saturday 29th February.
