Dancers of all ages compete to become ‘The Greatest Dancer’ on BBC One

Mollie King and Jordan Banjo present The Greatest Dancer podcast on BBC Sounds

BBC Arts present host of top live performances and talks from leading dance companies throughout the UK in first #DancePassion day

BBC Young Dancer returns to provide a platform for exceptional young talent

From entertainment through to specialist arts and digital programmes, the BBC will give an unrivalled platform for new talent and demonstrate the power of dance to move us like no other.

Starting in January on BBC One, new primetime talent show The Greatest Dancer will invite dancers of any age and dance style to compete to be the ‘Greatest Dancer’. The programme is presented by Alesha Dixon and Jordan Banjo and features dance captains Cheryl, Oti Mabuse and Matthew Morrison. Following a successful season of ever-popular Strictly Come Dancing, the series will explore how dance makes us feel, both as a viewer and as a dancer, as well as the art-form’s all-pervading power to entertain. The programme is a Syco Entertainment and Thames co-production for BBC One. The series starts 5 Jan 2019 at 8pm on BBC One and will be available on BBC iPlayer

Alongside The Greatest Dancer television programme, BBC Sounds will unveil a podcast presented by BBC Radio 1’s Mollie King and TGD’s Jorden Banjo which will get behind the scenes of the new entertainment programme with special guests, exclusive backstage access and all the gossip from the show. Episode one will be available to download on Friday 4 January with subsequent episodes available the day after the show on BBC One. The Greatest Dancer Podcast will be the first stop for all the reactions from the Dance Captains and the contestants.

Elsewhere, BBC Arts will launch the first ever #DancePassion digital dance festival in collaboration with One Dance UK, the dance sector support organisation, from 1-6 April 2019, with a live-streaming day on 5 April. Featuring more than 50 dance companies from across the country, #DancePassion will showcase this country’s vibrant dance sector in all its variety. In addition to live performances online, audiences can expect exclusive behind-the-scenes access into parts of the off-stage dance world they may otherwise not have the chance to see, with insights into the wider benefits of dance on health and well-being.

The digital festival will transport audiences to every corner of the UK, allowing unique insight and access to dance from around the country and styles of dance from around the globe. From ballet to bhangra, swing to street, viewers will have the opportunity to experience and enjoy dance in its many forms. #DancePassion’s aim will be to demystify the art-form for the uninitiated, whilst giving dance lovers an opportunity to share and celebrate their passion.

DancePassion follows on from the BBC’s successful #OperaPassion day in 2017 which saw BBC Arts Digital collaborate with eight leading opera companies and major cultural institutions for an unprecedented day of live streaming.

BBC Young Dancer returns for its third series in 2019 with the Category Finals on BBC Four towards the end of April and the Grand Final live on BBC Two in May. Since its launch in 2015, BBC Young Dancer has established its place in the dance calendar as a highly valued talent search showcasing exceptional dancers in four categories: Ballet, Contemporary, South Asian Dance and Street Dance. Working in collaboration with Sadler’s Wells, the competition provides a platform for UK dancers aged 16-21 to demonstrate their dance abilities through four competitive rounds designed to highlight their technical command, creative ability and expressive capability and seeking those who have the potential to pursue a career in the UK’s world class dance industry. An exciting line up of celebrated talent from across the UK’s dance sector are set to appear on the series as either judges, mentors or choreographers. A companion programme to BBC Young Musician, BBC Young Dancer is managed and produced by BBC Studios Entertainment and Music Wales.

BBC Arts invests in new talent through BBC Young Dancer, supporting and showcasing emerging dancers.

On BBC Radio 3 Katie Derham will return with another series of Sound of Dance in which she explores the relationship between music and dance in a variety of genres.

Full details of #DancePassion and BBC Young Dancer will be announced in due course.

Jonty Claypole, BBC Director of Arts, says: “Dance truly is a powerful and transformative art form; whether with friends on a night out or through viewing extraordinary feats of art from the UK’s many professional dance companies. In the UK we are lucky to have one of the most thriving dance scenes in the world, and in 2019 we will open the doors to audiences everywhere via entertainment, specialist arts and digital programmes. We want to bring the nation together around a love of dance and showcase the extraordinary artistry in the UK.”

Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content, says: “Dance is a natural partner for television - it’s both visually exciting and powerfully dramatic - and this year, with another popular series of Strictly Come Dancing, we’ve seen the way in which it catapults the nation together in moments of great joy. I’m delighted that we’re able to offer these new programmes across BBC television, delivering life-changing experiences to dancers both young and old.”