Eurovision Dance Contest 2008
| Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Dates | |
| Final | 6 September, 2008 |
| Host | |
| Venue | SECC[1], Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Presenter(s) | Graham Norton Claudia Winkleman [2] |
| Host broadcaster |  BBC Scotland[2] |
| Website | www |
| Participants | |
| Number of entries | 14 |
| Debuting countries |  Azerbaijan |
| Returning countries | None |
| Non-returning countries |  Germany Switzerland Spain |
| |
| Vote | |
| Voting system | Each country awards 1-8, 10, and 12 points to their 10 favourite acts, plus additional panel of experts awards maximum of 48 points to their favourites. [1] |
| Winning dancers | TBD |
The Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 will be the second Eurovision Dance Contest and will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, hosted by the BBC on 6 September.[3]
In a change to the rules, professional couples are no longer eligible to enter the contest. At least one dancer from each couple must be a local celebrity, not professionally trained to dance.[1] A further change is that each couple will only perform once. In 2007 each couple performed a ballroom or latin routine followed by a freestyle dance incorporating national flavour; in the 2008 contest, couples will only perform the latter.[1] In 2008 a panel of experts will be introduced with an approximate weight of 23% of the total outcome and the rest 77% will be determined through televoting. The highest possible points from the jury will be of 48 while the televoting will cast a maximum of 156 points. [1]
Participants
According to the 2007 rules Section 2.2[4] on the official website, all entrants in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007 agreed to take part in 2008 when signing up for the first contest. However, Switzerland and Germany have announced their withdrawals from 2008 edition of the contest due to low ratings and poor results in 2007. [1]
Spanish broadcaster has announced its withdrawal on August 20, just days before the contest takes place. In July they have conducted national selection show Quiero Bailar and named singer Rosa López and dancer Nieto as their representatives in the contest. According to the draw they were supposed to be 15th couple to perform. [5]
As the number of dances has been reduced, with each couple performing once instead of twice, new countries have been allowed to enter the competition, but the only new country confirmed to enter the contest is Azerbaijan. [1]
Participating countries
Other broadcasting countries
The following countries will broadcast the 2008 event without sending representatives:
Albania[1]
Armenia[1]
Belarus[1]
Bosnia and Herzegovina[1]
Cyprus[1]
FYR Macedonia[1]
Iceland[1]
Israel[1]- Spain
Controversy
Azerbaijan and Greece have announced professional dance couples as their representatives at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008. According to the regulations of the contest [20], professional couples are not allowed to take part in the competition. The EBU has explained this by specifying that the couple must be composed of one professional (defined as a dancer who earns his or her living through dance and dance-related activities), and one non-professional known in a field other than dance. The non-professional is not required to be a celebrity, as long as he or she is known in his field, and it is also not a requirement that the non-professional has no dance experience. Since the representatives for Azerbaijan and Greece both consist of two professional dancers, however, it is not clear how this explains the validity of their entries. [21]
Judges Votes so far in the Contest
| Country | Gladys Tay | Barbara Nagode Ambroz | Michelle Ribas | Sven Traut | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 31 |
| Austria | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Denmark | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 48 |
| Azerbaijan | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 |
| Ireland | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 29 |
| Finland | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 34 |
| the Netherlands | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 28 |
| Lithuania | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 42 |
| United Kingdom | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 34 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 information page". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ a b "The Eurovision Dance Contest Glides Into Glasgow". BBC Press office.
- ^ Eurovision... So much more!
- ^ http://www.eurovisiondance.tv/rules.pdf
- ^ "Spain at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Sweden at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Austria at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Denmark at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Azerbaijan at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Ireland at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Finland at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "The Netherlands at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Lithuania at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "UK at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Russia at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Greece at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Portugal at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Poland at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ "Ukraine at Eurovision Dance Contest 2008". ESCKaz.com.
- ^ Rules | Eurovision Dance Contest - Glasgow 2008
- ^ Eurovision Dance Contest 2008 Glasgow