Fox’s new series, Flirty Dancing, has just taken off and Dancing with the Stars vet and choreographer Sharna Burgess said that she thinks the dancing and no talking type of first date would be more effective than a traditional first date. She even revealed that she’d even considered going on the show herself.
Flirting Dancing, hosted by actress and dancer Jenna Dewan, showcases singles who learn half of a dance routine. One single will be matched with two possible partners and will learn a different dance to perform with each of them. The first time they see each other will be the moment they start dancing. After both dances are performed, the person chooses whom he or she would like to go out on a second date with. This is a twist that was not included in the original UK series. In the original series, the two singles dance together and then go on a date afterward, but since America loves losers, one contestant will be stood up.
Sharna is a professional dancer and choreographer for ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and she’s now going to be featured on the new blind dating dance competition series Flirty Dancing as a guest choreographer. The 34-year-old dance pro revealed that she thinks that connecting through dance is actually a more natural way to date and thinks it has a better chance of matching the right people. She explained to Us Weekly, “These people are truly looking for love, this was a beautiful experience of taking these people that are truly looking for love and understanding what their dating life has been, what they’re looking for and what hasn’t worked for them, and trying to put that into a dance.” Sharna continued, revealing that not having to worry about the conversation on a first date is much more freeing.
The Flirty Dancing choreographer explained, “Simply being in someone’s presence, taking in their energy and seeing that chemistry through dance, it’s such a special thing.” Sharna explained that the proof is in the contestants, who are the type of people fed up with traditional dating and are looking for a different way to connect. She said, “People’s real [side] comes out in these dances because they’re not worried about anything but connecting with this other human.” More than bringing out people’s authenticity, it also requires complete (and immediate) trust, saying, “Traditionally, you practice lifts and tricks a lot with your partner before you perform. Here, dance is the vessel for them to get to know each other. If they mess up, how do they get through that together? It kind of imitates life.” Sharna addressed the skeptics, saying, “Chemistry is chemistry. Sometimes you can’t pick where it lands.” She also said that maybe she should have been dating through dance all along, saying, “It certainly made me even want to get out there and see if I could have chemistry with a person like that.”
It seems that while it’s normal for a society that focuses so much on job titles, achievements, past relationships, and income to be skeptical of Flirty Dancing’s method. It also feels like a perfect way for two humans to connect without any dialogue, preconceived notions about the person, or judgments based on all of that, creating space to just being present in the moment. Fans will have to wait and see if couples are able to pick up on chemistry and dance into each other’s hearts.
Flirty Dancing airs Wednesdays at 8pm EST on Fox.
Source: Us
