You probably haven’t heard of “Flirty Dancing” before, and neither had I. Until Esquire writer Justin Kirkland did the Lord’s work and posted the following clip:
And, of course, the reactions are overwhelmingly on the same page: Everyone thinks this concept is brilliant, adorable and insanely romantic.
But what, pray tell, is this wonderful show?! According to those in the know on Twitter, “Flirty Dancing” teaches two strangers separate choreography to the same dance, so that upon their first ever meeting, they perform the dance together.
The show is a reality program that currently airs on Channel 4 in the U.K. It’s in its second season across the pond, but not to worry -- it’s about to make its debut stateside. Let’s be honest, we love British shows over here. “Love Island,” “Derry Girls,” “The Great British Bake-Off”?! Brilliant, all of them, so I expect “Flirty Dancing” to be the next “The X Factor.”
Choreographer Ashley Banjo is behind the routines, and from someone who’s watched many a season of “Dancing With the Stars,” these dances are on point. Banjo’s dance troupe Diversity won the third season of “Britain’s Got Talent,” and he's currently a judge on “Dancing on Ice.” Plus, he’s a new dad and is certifiably adorable.
Now, the show won’t do well just because it’s reality television -- it is beyond precious. Dating shows in general are cringey, so let’s just skip right past that “criticism” and think about how genius this idea is. Blind dates are nerve-wracking already, but if you’re going on a dating show I would assume that isn’t a problem. And learning a kick-*ss dance has to boost your confidence a bit; dancing, and knowing you’re owning it, is super empowering, so heading into a blind date with the assurance that you’re going to rock it has to feel courageous.
Plus, think about how intimate partner dancing like this is! You have to trust your partner, look deep into their eyes and get all up in their faces and hold them close. How wouldn’t sparks fly in that situation?!
Because sometimes the world isn’t terrible, “Flirty Dancing” premieres on FOX on Dec. 29 -- you don’t even need a subscription streaming service for it!
All in all, we’re absolutely *jazz fingers* that we’ll soon be able to tune in.