Got to Dance Season 1 & 2

Chat about Got to Dance here

Kimberly Wyatt is certainly no stranger to the stage. She's been dancing since she was 7 years old and spent six years as part of one of the world's biggest pop groups. Last year she added yet another string to her dance bow by taking a judging spot on Sky's Got To Dance, where we loved her tough-but-fair critiques. We caught up with the former Pussycat Doll at the Edinburgh Television Festival to chat about the second series, her current music projects and tweeting with Davina.

Are you excited to be back on the road with Got to Dance?
"I am so excited! I got to see Ashley and Adam today and it was like a reunion. We've become quite the family through the first season and now I can't wait for the second season - it's exciting. We know what we're getting into and the contenders have been pouring in wanting to audition. I think we're going to get a lot of great talent this year."

Are you expecting an even higher standard from the contestants this time?
"I think the contestants will be of a higher standard, just because they know what to expect and that I can sometimes be kind of harsh! [laughs] I think they'll definitely bring their best. Plus it's a £250,000 prize - who's not going to work hard for that?"

Are you going to be just as tough on anyone who doesn't meet the standard this year?
"The thing with me is that when I am put on the spot as a judge and asked to tell my opinion, all I can rely on is my truth and honesty. My judging ability really came from the way that I was judged as a kid through competitions. I feel that the more critiques that I give, the more growth they can have as long as they take the criticisms to heart and really work hard at becoming better."

Are you hoping for a winner who isn't a street dance act this time?
"I'm always partial to the contemporary dancers just because I know how hard it is to be good at contemporary. There's so many rules and stipulations about turnout and point and how it's done. It takes many years to be good at it so I'm really hoping that we get some good contemporary dancers in this season and maybe even some fusions of street and contemporary together - that would be cool."

Did you, Ashley and Adam keep in touch between series?
"We did actually - we didn't see each other on a daily basis like we will now, but I found two really great friends through the whole experience and we definitely keep in touch. And Davina and I are always tweeting and direct messaging each other and keeping in touch. I've got a little London family out here and it's amazing."

Do you think you've made some friends for life?
"Yes - you know, I do feel that way."

Why do you think the show has been so successful?
"I think it's a big success because dance is so entertaining to watch and I think by having all ages and all styles of dance it can connect with anybody who's watching. We had Akai win who's only danced for a year and was 10 years old and you could just see that he was so passionate about it and just put his all into it. You get swept away with the contestants. The great thing is that the show's more about the contestants and their journey than anything, instead of anything else."

Have you kept in contact with any of the dancers from the first series?
"You know what, through Facebook I've actually kept in touch with a few of them and all of them are doing very well and continuing to dance. Some are doing shows here and some have entered ballet schools and some are still doing competition - it's good to keep in touch. It feels pretty cool."

All the judges performed on the show last year. Do you have anything up your sleeve for this series?
"I have my new music coming out with Her Majesty And The Wolves. We're taking a nice spin on the music industry, and I'm able to put some contemporary style dancing in there that I grew up with and trained my whole life for, so I'm hoping to blend it all together and come up with something very exciting to watch - that's the plan, anyway!"

Do you think any other reality shows would benefit from the judges performing?
"I don't know. I'm thinking about a lot of judges and I don't know that I can see very many of them get up on stage ,but Cheryl Cole can get up there and hang and put on an incredible show."

You wouldn't want to hear Simon Cowell belting out a classic?
"I don't think I would - I think I'd rather just watch him do what he does best!"

Would you consider judging on another reality show if they asked you?
"I've never really thought about it. I think this was the perfect place for me to be. The dance world is where I feel the most comfortable."

How does the standard of UK dance compare to the US?
"Depending on what type of dance there's definitely some differences. There are some incredible dancers in the States because it's such a huge country, and there's such a lot of competition in life in general because so many people are trying to get to the top and there's not so many opportunities. At the same time the creativity I think is what I'm really inspired by here in the UK. The stories behind the dancers, especially street is pretty incredible. That's not to take away from the States, I think dancers on both continents are fantastic but I am inspired by the creativity behind the street dancers here."

Can you tell us a bit more about the Her Majesty And The Wolves project?
"Ever since the 'Dolls chapter ended I was recording music a lot trying to figure out what was next for me. After almost a year recording trying to figure it out and having an idea of the kind of music I loved and wanted to make, I worked with a lot of producers and I met up with my friend Spencer. He blew me away - he's super-talented and we would speak the same language when it comes to influences and likes within music. We just decided it would be a cool thing to partner up and dream big! Since then, we created Her Majesty and The Wolves and we've just been doing this huge conceptual music fun thing."

Are there any current artists that you could compare Her Majesty And The Wolves to?
"I can't really compare it to another artist out there but you know what, we were talking about this the other day and it's kind of like The Eurythmics."

What have you guys come up with so far?
"Now we've got half an album recorded and 'Glaciers' came out today. We'll have a first single late October - it's organically becoming what it is."

Are you considering a solo album as well?
"I don't really want to do a solo album right now in my life - I love collaborating with great people. I think you get the best work that way and this feels right."

Got To Dance returns to Sky1 HD in January 2011.

Are you excited about the second series of Got To Dance? Post your opinions below

Digital Spy

The Got To Dance series two auditions have been getting underway around the UK and following the success of the first run, the contestants are expected to be of an even higher standard second time around.

We spoke to the number one judge Kimberly Wyatt last week and she revealed that top quality acts were "pouring" into the studios. We'll have to wait a while to see whether that's true, but in the meanwhile, here are some top secret photos taken from the set of the auditions.





Digital Spy

Admin wrote:

Backstage: 'Got To Dance' auditions

The Got To Dance series two auditions have been getting underway around the UK and following the success of the first run, the contestants are expected to be of an even higher standard second time around.

We spoke to the number one judge Kimberly Wyatt last week and she revealed that top quality acts were "pouring" into the studios. We'll have to wait a while to see whether that's true, but in the meanwhile, here are some top secret photos taken from the set of the auditions.





Digital Spy

thank for this photo so much!! Waiting for 2nd Season of Got to Dance! It will be amazing!!
- Love her looks here hairstyle is amazing