Thaindian News

LONDON (BNO NEWS) — The winner of the BBC’s forthcoming series “Move Like Michael Jackson” will win a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at the star’s official tribute concert next year, the broadcaster said on Tuesday.

Jackson’s tribute concert is scheduled to take place in London next June and will be hosted by Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson, and the rest of the Jackson family. An unknown number of global superstars are also said to attend.

The six-part dance series called “Move Like Michael Jackson” will be hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Reggie Yates and air on BBC Three later this year. The show will prompt a nationwide search to find Britain’s most talented and original dancers who can demonstrate they have the spirit, showmanship and technical ability of Michael Jackson, who passed away earlier this year.

Open auditions are scheduled to take place in Manchester on October 17 and in London on October 24 and will be judged by dance agent supremo Mark Summers, who was most recently responsible for finding the world’s most talented dancers for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour. Besides the open auditions, Summers will also search the streets of Newcastle, Cardiff and Glasgow between October 19 and October 30 to search for any other potential candidates.

Out of all the candidates, 16 of them will be chosen to go through to the studio shows where they will be judged by Jermaine Jackson, Mark Summers and one other person. “Jermaine and the rest of the panel will be seeing who can put their true versatility and ingenuity to the test as they perform to classic Michael Jackson tracks,” the BBC said. The panel of three judges will then reduce the number of candidates to six, who will then take part in the live final.

The six finalists will be guided through their studio performances by multi-award winning choreographer and dancer Lavelle Smith Junio, who worked on Michael Jackson’s Bad, Dangerous and History tours plus numerous videos including “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Black And White” and “Scream.”

“Aimed at finding dancers who best embody the spirit of Michael Jackson on stage, the show will include competitors from all backgrounds, individuals and group performances,” a statement from the BBC read. “The winner won’t necessarily be the dancer who simply mimics Jackson’s choreography, but rather someone who can move like him, creating and inventing their own iconic steps and styles to most impress the judges and viewers.”

“Michael was a superb dancer who inspired people across the world to master his moves and create their own unique routines,” Jermaine Jackson said. “I’m really excited and delighted to be part of this show and look forward to finding the UK’s most talented and inspiring dancers.”

BBC Three’s show was commissioned by Karl Warner and will be made by Gogglebox Entertainment and Fever Media. The executive producers are Karl Warner for the BBC, Adam Wood and Mat Steiner for Gogglebox Entertainment and Richard Hopkins and Louise Rainbow for Fever Media.

Auditions will be open to anyone aged 16 and over, and those who wish to participate can register at www.bbc.co.uk/tv/comingup/movelikemichaeljackson. The auditions will take place at the Triange Shopping Centre in Manchester from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. London auditions will take place at the Westfield Shopping Centre from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

“Move Like Michael Jackson” will air at a date later this year, and all episodes will premiere across one week.