As a lifelong fan of the Eurovision Song Contest, I have long been sceptical of so called imposter shows. The Junior Eurovision is not really my thing, but then again, it's not really aimed at me. Now the Eurovision Dance Contest? I was more sceptical than ever but having just sat through the first dress rehearsal, I can't wait for tomorrow night.
Some Eurovision dreams will come true tomorrow. Who has dreamed of hearing Madonna at the Eurovision Song Contest? Well, that dream to life tomorrow with some Hanky Panky on stage…for Portugal!
Cyprusare neither participating nor broadcasting the show, leaving Greece free to give 12 points to the Ukraine for their dance to the song Istanbul, not Constantinople. Swedish rock fans will hear Europe for their first dance as many television viewers will enjoy the range of classic dance songs, modern pop and all time classics from the 60s during the dances.
The Scoreboard may have a lesson or two for the next Eurovision Song Contest too. The votes are cast from 1-7 without positions on the scoreboard moving. They then rebalance the scores in order of points before the 8, 10 and 12 points are awarded, making it much easier to see where the points are going and how they effect the results with each round of voting.
Some of the freestyle dances are going to provide some interest as well as some seriously good television entertainment. The freestyle dances should reflect national culture in some way, so why Austria, a landlocked country, is dancing to the music of Pirates of the Carribean is anyone's guess. Two acts may be looking to Eurovision Song Contest winners for inspiration. Russia goes barefoot hoping to emulate Sandy Shaw's United Kingdom victory in 1967, whilst the winning hat trick (Latvia 2002, Finland 2006) is being mimicked by Denmark.
All in all, the rehearsal revealed a highly entertaining show. The dances are strong and professional, the postcards are fun, with participants talking to the audience and explaining why people should vote for them. Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman are about the best pairing for Eurovision hosts and the first Eurovision Dance Contest is certain not to be the last.
The only question now is who will win!
