ABC Announces Dancing With the Stars Road Trip  3/6/07

GET YOUR KICKS ON THE "DANCING WITH THE STARS ROAD TRIP"

To celebrate the return of the hit series "Dancing with the Stars" (March 19, 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET), ABC is announcing the "Dancing with the Stars Road Trip," a busload of professional dancers and a live party band that will be hitting the road for a two-week cross-country tour beginning Monday, March 5.

Fourteen professional dancers - the men dressed in giant gold star costumes, the women in custom-made dresses - and a six-piece band will begin a 3,000 mile adventure, starting in New York City and ending at ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" studio on March 19.

The troupe will stage dance parties, offer free dance lessons and host a seven-city Road Trip Dance Contest*, which will give fans of the show an opportunity to show off their moves for a chance to win a trip for two to Los Angeles and tickets to see a live episode of "Dancing with the Stars!"

Auditions (open to the public) will be held in each Road Trip city, and then, similarly to the show's format, select dance contest participants will be paired up with the Road Trip's professional dancers, taught a short dance routine and then perform for a panel of judges. The judges, who will include notable dance personalities and local celebrities, will select a winner in each city and the winner's dance video will be posted on ABC.com, where viewers can vote for their favorite participant to win the grand prize trip to Los Angeles.

With dance credits including the Radio City Rockettes, "A Chorus Line," "Chicago," "Beauty and the Beast" and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, the dancers will visit major league sporting events, city landmarks, and even a St. Patrick's Day parade. Road Trip stops include New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

All of the Road Trip's adventures will be captured on www.DancingwiththeStarsRoadTrip.com, which will feature fun photos, videos and dancer diaries, along with general information and the Road Trip schedule.

"Dancing with the Stars Road Trip" Dance Contest Schedule (subject to change) New York: Monday, March 5 Location: Madison Square Garden (Seventh Ave & 33rd Street) Times: 4:30PM - 7:30PM

Philadelphia: Tuesday, March 6 Location: Shops at Liberty Place (1625 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA, 19103) Times: 11:30AM - 2:00PM

Washington, DC: Wednesday, March 7 Location: Union Station (40 Massachusetts Ave N.E., Washington D.C. 20002) Times: 11:30AM - 2:00PM

Atlanta: Friday, March 9 Location: Lenox Square Mall (3393 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326) Times: 11:30AM - 2:00PM

Dallas: Tuesday, March 13 Location: Southbriar Centre (2601 Preston Road, Frisco, Texas75034) Time: 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Phoenix: Saturday, March 17 Location: Irish Faire (Hance Park, west side of Central Ave. at Culver St., Phoenix, AZ) Times: 12:30PM - 3:30PM

Los Angeles: Monday, March 19 Location: Town Square at The Grove (189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90036) Times: 12:00PM - 3:00PM

*No Purchase Necessary. Contest ends March 26, 2007. Open to legal residents of the U.S. and D.C., 18 years of age or older. Void where prohibited by law. Go to www.dancingwiththestars.abc.com for complete rules, beginning on March 5, 2007.

About "Dancing with the Stars" "Dancing with the Stars'" fourth season will premiere Monday, March 19 with a two-hour premiere (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET). Hosted by Tom Bergeron ("America's Funniest Home Videos") and Samantha Harris ("E! Entertainment"), the celebrities will perform choreographed dance routines which will be judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

"Dancing with the Stars" is the U.S. version of the international smash hit series, "Strictly Come Dancing." This version is produced in America by BBC Worldwide. Conrad Green and Richad Hopkins are executive producers and Izzie Pick is co-executive producer. Rob Wade and Matilda Zoltowski are supervising producers. Alex Rudzinski directs.

Source: ABC Press Release