Dancing On Wheels - Episode 1

Dancing On Wheels - Episode 1 of 6
Thursday 11th February
21:00 - 22:00
BBC THREE

It's ballroom dancing like you've never seen before as Strictly Come Dancing's Brian Fortuna trains six wheelchair-users and their celebrity partners in the art of wheelchair ballroom dancing. The pairs have just five weeks to train for a series of weekly competitions before a panel of judges. Then, week by week, one couple will be eliminated with the winning duo going on to represent the UK in an International Wheelchair Dancing Competition in Tel Aviv. Over six programmes full of the glitz, glamour, tears and tantrums of competitive dance, Dancing On Wheels proves wheelchair ballroom dancing is just as graceful, glamorous and entertaining as able-bodied dancing. In the opening episode, the six meet their celebrity partners for the first time. They are briefed by choreographer Brian and make their first tentative moves on the dance floor. Three couples must learn the Cha Cha Cha while the others take on the Tango. Brian faces a monumental challenge. None of the wheelchair-users have ballroom danced before and while the celebrities either have experience from Strictly Come Dancing or dance training in their background, they are completely new to wheelchair ballroom dancing. And with the first performance just four weeks away, the pressure is on.

The celebrity dancers are M People's Heather Small, world champion swimmer Mark Foster, TV presenter Caroline Flack, Hollyoaks actor Kevin Sacre, actress and singer Michelle Gayle and rugby league legend Martin Offiah. After a month of training, throwing wheelies, pulling spins, running over toes and falling out of chairs, it's time to compete in front of the panel of judges for the first time. The judges are reigning Strictly Come Dancing champion, Ola Jordan, her husband, James Jordan (also from Strictly) and paralympic athlete Ade Adepitan.

In an emotional climax to the first episode, one couple is sent home as the others are left to battle it out in the following weeks to represent the UK at the European Championship of Wheelchair Dance Sport in Tel Aviv.

Dancing On Wheels - Introducing Heather Small and Paul Jacob

Dancing On Wheels - Press Release

Dancing On Wheels



Wheelchair Dance Sport is something few Britons have heard of, even though it originated here. BBC Three aims to change all that with Dancing On Wheels, a glitzy and ground-breaking new series in which celebrities partner wheelchair users for a dance competition with a difference.

The couples must learn from scratch the art of Wheelchair Dance Sport. Although it started in Britain in the Sixties it never really caught on here, instead becoming popular internationally with competitions and championships held around the world. This series aims to put the sport back on the UK map with the eventual winners going forward to represent the UK at the Wheelchair Dance Sport European Championships.

Coached and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Brian Fortuna with help from his professional partner Kristina Rihanoff, the celebrity dancers – Heather Small, Mark Foster, Caroline Flack, Martin Offiah, Michelle Gayle and Kevin Sacre – partner wheelchair users from around the country, none of whom have ever attempted wheelchair dancing before.

Their dances, which include the waltz, cha cha cha, tango and rhumba, are judged by Strictly’s James and Ola Jordan and Paralympian Ade Adepitan who must choose which couple to eliminate from the competition each week.

The Dancing On Wheels website features information about the sport, while the exciting interactive You Be The Judge application allows users to test how well they can judge the skills and compare their views with choreographer Brian Fortuna. There will also be videos and updates on all those involved in the show and the opportunity for discussion and debate on the BBC Ouch! website.

KA

A Fever Media production

Head over the the BBC website to watch a preview video.

__

Dancing On Wheels coming January 2010

Brian Fortuna has confirmed via his Facebook that Dancing on Wheels will air on BBC3 in January 2010.

Dancing On Wheels Rehersal Photos

A group of photos of Heather rehearsing for Dancing On Wheels have been posted on Graham's fansite. They were taken by Monica Neuber and you will find them here.

Disabled Persons Railcard

Dancing on Wheels comes to Marylebone Station
Heather Small and Brian Fortuna are seen filming BBC Three's new Wheelchair Dance Sport series.

Last week rail travellers at Marylebone station witnessed a Tango with a difference. M-People singer Heather Small and her wheelchair-using partner performed a dance routine as part of their preparation for the BBC Three’s new series Dancing on Wheels.

The series, due to be screened later in the summer, unites celebrities with wheelchair users in a television dancing competition first: each pair will be learning the art of Wheelchair Dance Sport, a popular international sport where at least one dancer is a wheelchair user.

Emma Gascoigne, PR & Communications Executive of Chiltern Railways which manages Marylebone station said: “Our passengers and staff were saying that seeing the dancing at Marylebone made their day - that's exactly what we hoped for when we said we would host the dance. We are very glad that we've been a part of this programme.” One rail traveller, who asked not to be named, said: "I thought they were wheelie good."

Lead choreographer Brian Fortuna, a professional ballroom dancer who appeared in the last series of Strictly Come Dancing was also at hand to watch his prodigies performing. Brian has been teaching wheelchair dancing for the last eight years and will be putting the couples through their paces.

Under the guidance of Brian and some of the other top names in dance, the couples will be trained intensively each week to compete in a variety of challenging dance disciplines as they battle to get to the final dance-off, and the chance to represent Britain in the European Championships in October 2009.

Heather filmed in Marylebone Station for BBC3

Heather was seen today (June 18th) being filmed Dancing with a yet un-named parter in Marylebone Station. Maybe for the opening credits of the new show Dancing On Wheels?!

Dancing On Wheels

Heather Small is a contestant on "Dancing On Wheels" which will air in January 2010.

ABOUT:BBC Three has commissioned a new series which will feature wheelchair users paired with celebrities in a dance competition.
Dancing On Wheels sees couples compete in events where the standing able-bodied dancer partners a wheelchair user.
Michelle Gayle, Kevin Sacre and former Strictly Come Dancing stars Heather Small and Mark Foster are among the celebrities participating in the six-part series.
"This is a really important project for BBC Three, and underlines our commitment to covering disability in a mainstream way following the success of Britain's Missing Top Model last year," said BBC Three controller Danny Cohen.
"The series will be surprising, fun and glamorous."

Heather's partner will be Paul Jacob. Here is their introduction video:

Episode Guides:
Episode 1 - Thursday 11th February 2010, 9pm [info]
Episode 2 - Thursday 18th February 2010, 9pm

Heather signed up to BBC Wheel Chair Dance Show

According to newspaper the Sun, Heather Small is due to hit TV screens dancing again on BBC3's Dancing On Wheels.

It's Strictly with a Spin.

"STRICTLY's Heather Small and Mark Foster have signed up to another dance show - this time partnering wheelchair users.
Singer Heather and swimmer Mark will be joined on BBC3's Dancing On Wheels by soap star-turned-singer Michelle Gayle and rugby's Martin Offiah.
Kevin Sacre - boyfriend of Strictly pro Camilla Dallerup - is also lined up.
Wheelchair users include Cambridge graduate Simone, 22; Diana, 48, a magazine editor and mum; Carolyne, 27, who enjoys nothing more than a night out; James, 31, whose acrobatics put most able-bodied people to shame; and 23-year-old Harris, who recently wed a girl he met in Thailand.
The couples will learn Wheelchair Dance Sport in which at least one dancer is a wheelchair user."