Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life is a British reality dance competition produced by Living TV as a tribute to Dirty Dancing's 20th anniversary in 2007, in which dancers from all over Britain compete for a dance contract with Los Angeles-based dance agency BLOC.
The series premiered in the UK on Living TV on 17 October, 2007. There are 20 hour-long episodes in two seasons to date.
Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life premiered in South Africa on DStv's M-Net Series channel on Friday 1 May 2009, at 22h00. There are 10 episodes in the first season.
Repeats
Saturdays: 04h00, 10h00, 16h00
Season 1
Get down and dirty as UK dance divas take to the Mountain Lake Resort, aka Kellermans, for Dirty Dancing: The Time of Your Life.
The show is judged by Royal Ballet-trained dancer and actress Jennifer Ellison, choreographer to the stars Sean Cheesman and Miranda Garrison, who starred as Vivian Pressman in the original movie.
Which of our rumba rivals will mamba their way to victory and who will be left in the corner?
Set in the very grounds in which the iconic movie Dirty Dancing was made, the show will see 16 of the best up-and-coming dance prodigies from all over the UK come together for a dancefloor duel.
As they set about replicating the memorable union made famous by Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, they will be accompanied by some of the dancing industry’s most successful experts, who put them through their paces every week.
Whichever couple is deemed weakest will then say goodbye, missing out on a chance to secure the year long contract with acclaimed global dance agency BLOC, whose alumni include singer/dancers Justin Timberlake, Madonna and Christina Aguilera.
Each episode will look to push the dancers with a punishing dance challenge, with all of the action taking place in the very surroundings that played host to the film’s most iconic moments; the lake in which they practice the lift, the Gazebo in which Baby treads some questionable dance steps, and the suspended log where Baby learns about balance.
Embarking on this true test of physical and emotional endurance, Jennifer, Sean and Miranda follow the 10 couples as they each try to emulate the passion, desires and chemistry of Hollywood superstars Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, both of whom remain best known for these roles 20 years on.
Adding to the dance, drama and desire to win, the weekly partner pick is guaranteed to cause conflicts and clashes a plenty within the dance troupe.
The rivals have the opportunity to snatch one partner away from the perfect pairing depending on how well they have done in the previous week’s challenge; the prospect of manipulating the pairings serving as a potential to strengthen their own chances and weaken their opponents.
Drawing the competition to a close the finalists will re-create the moves to the nostalgic and timeless (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life, providing an exhilarating climax to the competition.
But only one couple can emerge victorious and fulfill their dance destiny, winning the time of their lives.