TOP DANCERS FROM CHINA AND UNITED STATES
SQUARE OFF IN “SUPER DANCER BORN TONIGHT” AT
MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA FRIDAY, OCT. 18
MGM Resorts International Hosts Talent Matchup in
One-Time-Only Broadcast Special
MGM Resorts International is bringing together 20 of the best American and Chinese competitive dancers on Friday, Oct. 18 to compete on stage for the title of best overall dancer in “Super Dancer Born Tonight.” The one-time broadcast special will be filmed at MGM Grand Garden Arena and will air throughout mainland China in January. The event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hot on the heels of the successful first season of “So You Think You Can Dance China,” “Super Dancer Born Tonight” will allow dance fans to experience a wide range of high-caliber talent as these artists face off genre to genre…ballroom vs. ballroom, hip-hop vs. hip hop, modern vs. modern, etc. The competition will be intense as they battle for the ultimate title of “Super Dancer.”
“Super Dancer Born Tonight” will broadcast on China Central Television-1 (CCTV-1), the national TV network of China. Representing the largest TV audience in its country, CCTV-1 covers 98% of the Chinese population. Star TV, the production company behind the special, is an industry leader, having created entertainment brands including “So You Think You Can Dance China,” “China’s Got Talent” and “The Voice of China.”
The United States and China each will be represented by 10 of their top dancers, including these talented performers:
• Russell Ferguson – Winner of “So You Think You Can Dance – Season 6,” the first American Krump dancer to win the title
• Melanie Moore – Winner of “So You Think You Can Dance – Season 8”
• Travis Wall – Runner-up of “So You Think You Can Dance – Season 2,” choreographer for Oscars
• Sasha Mallory – Runner-up of “So You Think You Can Dance – Season 8,” current dancer for American Idol alumnus Adam Lambert
• Tiffany Maher – Runner-up of “So You Think You Can Dance – Season 9,” appeared in the feature film “Step Up Revolution”
• Aoyue Zhang – Winner of “So You Think You Can Dance China – 2013”
• Shiyi Tang – Runner-up of “So You Think You Can Dance China – 2013,” multiple gold medalist in China National Dance Competition
• Fuyang Liu – Gold medalist of the Chinese Master Grade Dance Competition, actor and choreographer
In addition to crowning the top winner, the international judging panel will name a best male dancer and a best female dancer as well. Judges include:
• Carol Walker / United States – Dean of the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College in New York since 1984. The Purchase Dance Corps has been invited to perform in France, Holland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing and Germany, often the sole representative of the United States.
• Fung Jun / China – Art director, choreographer and judge on “So You Think You Can Dance China” as well as five seasons of Dragon TV’s “Lets Shake It.” Jun has been the Owner/instructor of FANGZHAO Dance Institute in Shanghai since 2006.
• Donnie Burns MBE / United Kingdom – President of the World Dance Council and former professional ballroom dancer with the distinction of being undefeated in any competitive dance contest for nearly 20 years.
• Hanna Karttunen / Finland – Professional Latin American and Exhibition dancer also trained in ballet. Karttunen has won a variety of Latin American dance titles with former partner Paul Killick, including United Kingdom Open Champion, World Masters Champion, United Stated Open Champion, World Series Champion Asian Open Champion and British National Champion.
Tickets for this dance extravaganza are free to the public and are available only at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Box Office. The box office is open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Seating for “Super Dancer Born Tonight” is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets must be requested and picked up in person only.
On event night, the Grand Garden Arena doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, please call (866) 740-7711 or visit MGM Grand Entertainment.
About MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to annual events including Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company also owns 51% of MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino and is in the process of developing a gaming resort in Cotai, and 50% of CityCenter in Las Vegas, which features ARIA Resort & Casino. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s website at mgmresorts.com or find us on Facebook.