Fox’s Flirty Dancing can only be described as a performance-based dating show the likes of which we’ve never seen before (unless you’ve watched the British version). In this show, host Jenna Dewan takes a lonely single who’s been struggling with all the trappings of the modern dating scene, and chooses two potential suitors for them that she believes checks many of their boxes. The two potential suitors then learn one-half of a dance duet to different songs that Jenna has picked to match their personalities while the initial lonely single is forced to learn two routines in preparation for a dance with both suitors.
Afterward, they must choose which person they want to continue seeing based on the chemistry of the dance alone. While this interesting premise deserves a watch, there are some things everyone should be aware of going into the show.
It’s An Attempt To Get Back To An Earlier Time
In a world where there’s an app for everything, with a handful of apps for the sole purpose of dating, Flirty Dancing makes a conscious attempt to simulate an earlier time where people fell in love without meeting one another through a screen.
According to showrunner Mike Yurchuk, “Dance was a tried and true way of finding out if there was any chemistry there.” He couldn’t be further from the truth, since many of our parents and grandparents most likely have stories about how it all began after they locked eyes on the dance floor.
Based On A British Show
For many viewers, their first experience with Flirty Dancing may have come from a viral video clip featuring two men who fell in love at first sight during a passion-filled duet that left us just as speechless as it left them. The American adaptation of Flirty Dancing is drastically different, essentially becoming a competition in which one person must choose between two potential suitors.
While it’s great to see that the producers put a different spin on the show for a different audience, we can’t help but wonder what turning a show that was previously focused on chemistry and connection into a competition says about Americans as a whole.
Filmed Around Los Angeles
Each dance duet takes place at an iconic location in the Los Angeles area, including Grand Park, the Santa Monica Pier, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
They even filmed a dance at the New York Backlot in Los Angeles, which gives us an indication that they have no desire to leave the sunny West Coast anytime soon, especially since LA has no shortage of sets that resemble other places in the world.
Who’s The Host?
With a show so focused on dancing, it only makes sense that the host boasts an impressive dance-filled track record herself. Jenna Dewan, the host of the American version of the show, has danced background for icons on the dancefloor like Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Christina Aguilera, and P!nk.
She was also the host for the first two seasons of the NBC show World of Dance, which means that she’s no stranger to hosting a dance-based TV show. Cinephiles may immediately recognize her as Nora from the movie Step Up, a film centered around dancing. With so much dancing experience, potential viewers should rest assured that Fox chose the right host. On Supergirl, she played Lois Lane’s sister Lucy Lane.
The Choreographers
Despite Jenna’s impressive track record, she’s not the one doing the teaching; instead, she’s enlisted the help of talented choreographers to help contestants master their moves. For the first two episodes, she brought out the big guns, enlisting the help of three Emmy Award-winning choreographers.
The contestants only have less than a week to learn these intricate dances, so it makes sense that she would choose the best of the best to teach them.
All Of The Contestants Are Normal People
While the contestants featured on Flirty Dancing are all pretty photogenic, there is some comfort in knowing that they’re real people with actual jobs in fields like finance, writing, or education, and not fields that we typically associate with LA like acting, film, and modeling. They span in age just as much as profession, with the youngest so far being 21 and the oldest being 68. While their experience with dancing differs from person to person, none of the contestants are experienced dancers.
To even the most casual viewers, a few missteps during their big duets can be glimpsed here and there, so make sure to go into this knowing that these people aren’t pros, but judging from what we’ve seen so far, they could all get to that level given a few more months of practice.
The Duets
Perhaps the biggest thing viewers should mentally (and emotionally) prepare themselves for are the duets between two total strangers who don’t even exchange a single word. The duets range in style, from sultry and romantic to jazzy and energetic, and the songs vary from modern hits like the Jonas Brothers’ 2019 song “Sucker” to decades-old classics like Bobby Darin’s 1958 slow-jam “Beyond the Sea”, giving each one its own unique feel.
But perhaps our favorite thing about these duets is how they’re shot. Right before the music starts, the color sharpens and the screen narrows as the dancers make their silent approach before a number that looks like it was ripped straight from a La La Land sequel.
Deeper Than Dance
While Flirty Dancing already piqued our interest from the get-go with its unique dance-based premise, we’re often surprised at how much deeper the show goes than just dance and romance. Many of the contestants are in the midst of an internal battle of some sort and feel like the show can not only help them find love, but overcome something they’ve been struggling for a while, whether it’s been a difficulty navigating the modern dating landscape or a fear of being vulnerable to someone new.
Jenna often finds herself playing therapist just as much as she finds herself playing matchmaker, and after watching a few episodes, you’ll see how good she is at both.
Lots of Cringe…
The contestants aren’t professionals, so there’s bound to be a few instances where their nerves get the better of them, both during the performance and rehearsals. We expect this, so that’s where the least bit of cringe comes from while watching Flirty Dancing.
Instead, the most cringeworthy moment of each episode comes when the main contestant has to choose between their two dance partners. In a dramatic presentation, the contestant is shown walking to a date venue with each potential suitor waiting in separate venues themselves, hoping that they’ll be joined.
The sad thing is that only one of them gets that second date, but the episodes make it look as if someone got stood up. What follows is the “loser’s” attempt to make the best out of being turned down after having just expressed their desire to get to know the contestant. Although everyone’s been good sports this far, it’s pretty awkward to see someone get turned down after investing so much effort into these dances.
Season One Is Only 6 Episodes
At the time of this article’s publication, Flirty Dancing has currently aired 4 episodes, with the final two confirmed to drop January 25th on Fox and Hulu.
Unfortunately, this will be the end of the show’s first season, and we’ll have to wait until Fox gives the final verdict as to whether or not the show will return. Fans sure hope it does. A show this different deserves to stick around for just a little longer.
