It's Glasgow calling!

Europe's best dancers gather for Eurovision Dance Contest

Glasgow, 3 September 2008 - Yesterday, the 14 couples taking part in the Eurovision Dance Contest gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, to make final preparations for Saturday night's live show. Viewers from the 14 represented countries as well as Albania, Armenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belarus, Cyprus, Iceland, Israel, FYR Macedonia and Spain are expected to tune in.

Kick-off press conference
Each couple introduced themselves yesterday at a kick-off press conference at the BBC Scotland premises in Glasgow. All couples comprise one professional and one non-professional dancer. The winning couple will be chosen by a professional jury and by viewers in the participating countries by televoting.

During the show
During the show, each couple will perform for two minutes maximum. Each performance is freestyle, but has to include (standard) ballroom or Latin elements, as well as a national flavor in terms of music, style or costumes. The show features couples from Austria, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Tickets still available
The 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest, the second running since 2007, takes place on the 6th of September in Glasgow, Scotland, at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). The show will be hosted by TV personalities Graham Norton and Claudia Winkleman. The cast of the West End hit musical Carousel will be performing an exclusive medley as interval act. A limited number of tickets are still available at www.eurovisiondance.tv.

Eurovision TV is a brand of the EBU – the European Broadcasting Union. The Geneva-based EBU is the largest professional association of national broadcasters in the world. It serves 75 active members in 56 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East together with 43 associate Members around the world. 

The Eurovision Dance Contest is a European co-production, organised by the EBU, hosted by its British Member, BBC Scotland, and produced by two UK production companies, Splash Media and Sunset+Vine, with assistance from the International Dance Sport Federation (IDSF). 

The Eurovision Dance Contest is part of the Eurovision Family of Events. Other major events co-produced by the EBU and its Members are the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. More at: www.eurovision.tv

For further information, please contact

Eurovision Family of Events Communications & PR Team:
Sietse Bakker, Manager Communications & PR
Tel: +372 712 0020
E-mail: sietse.bakker@eurovision.tv

Jarmo Siim, Communications & PR Officer, 
E-mail: jarmo.siim@eurovision.tv
High resolution, royalty free photo material is available at press.eurovisiondance.tv