Like Bumper Cars With Taffeta

B-Side is still hard at work on his recap for Dancing With the Stars, but for those of you jonesing for a little ballroom dancing news, I thought I would give you a little heads up about America’s Ballroom Challenge. It’s a two part, two hour special brought to us by PBS and WGBH, who were kind enough to send us a copy. Like many other dance competitions, couples compete in several different categories. In America’s Ballroom Challenge, we start with six different couples competing in four different categories (American Rhythm, American Smooth, International Latin and International Standard). The top three from each category compete to be crowned the winner for that specific style, but unlike most competitions, those four winners compete once again to be named “America’s Best.”

While you may not recognize a lot of names (Tony Dovolani from the current DWTS does compete), the difference in skill level makes up for it. During the initial rounds, all six couples compete on the floor at once, and drama that ensues is larger than even the collagen in Lisa Rinna’s lips. And if you thought Stacy Keibler looked good with almost nothing on, you should check out the best of what Bedford Hills has to offer. The first episode airs this Wednesday, February 1st at 8PM Eastern(check local listings) and re-airs on Sunday. Yes, this may have conflicts with American Idol and the Superbowl’s 48 hour pre-show, but watching the dancers do it America’s Ballroom Challenge-style does have some bonuses, among them color commentary from Marilu Henner and Tony Meredith and the complete absence of Bruno Tonioli.