Superstars of Dance

Superstars of Dance was an American reality television show, first broadcast on January 4, 2009, on NBC. The show featured dance routines from eight countries from six continents. It was hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of Riverdance and creator of Lord of the Dance, and was co-hosted by former Miss USA title holder Susie Castillo. It was created by executive producers Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller, co-producers of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol. Background On November 17, 2008 NBC announced it had ordered a new reality program titled Superstar Dancers of the World, which would feature competitors from eight international teams and would be produced by Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe of American Idol fame. NBC billed the show as "equal parts sporting event, rock concert, and artistic exhibition" and Lythgoe called it "the most challenging and exhilarating project I've ever done." Superstars of Dance differed from similar TV dance competitions by featuring professionals instead of amateurs, including several world champions. The contestants were chosen by their respective countries, rather than by the show's producers. Flatley compared the show to a sporting competition such as the Olympic Games. The winners were decided by a panel of eight judges, as the producers felt it would be unfair to decide the winner by phone-in votes, assuming the American public would probably just vote for the American team.