Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off
From a recent string of tween-friendly musical series, it’s clear that the Disney Channel loves music stars. First there was Hannah Montana, then Jonas L.A., and the cast of I’m In the Band (not to mention made-for-TV movies Lemonade Mouth, Camp Rock, and the High School Musical franchise). But the Disney Channel’s recent foray into the world of popular music, Shake It Up, is the first to focus on dancing rather than singing.
Promotional image for Disney Channel's Shake It Up, copyright Disney
Shake It Up is a sitcom that follows the adventures of best friends CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue (played by stars Bella Thorne and Zendaya) who pursue their dreams of becoming professional dancers when they land dancing roles on a local series, Shake It Up Chicago.
And now the Disney Channel is offering an opportunity for other aspiring young dancers to follow in the footsteps of CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue by launching a kid/tween talent competition, Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off ‘Shake It Up’ Edition. The winner of the competition will appear on an episode of Shake It Up which has just begun production on its second season.
From Friday, July 1st through Wednesday, August 3rd, aspiring dancers aged 8-16 (with parental permission) can go to MakeYourMark.disney.go.com/ to create and submit a 45 second dance video featuring up to five performers showing off their choreographed or freestyle dance moves. Other kids will be able to “like” their favorite videos with the most popular being featured weekly online and on TV.
The five-city talent search for dancers for the series begins in LA (on July 7th) and then heads to Chicago (July 9th), San Francisco (July 16th), Atlanta (July 23rd), and Detroit (July 30th). In August, six finalists will be announced on the Disney Channel and those finalists will compete head-to-head in front of celebrity judges when Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off premieres in October. Viewers will be able to vote on the winner from the three final contestants.
The Make Your Mark site hasn’t officially launched yet, but in the meantime, dancers can practice their moves with online step-by-step instructional dance videos from the Shake It Up choreographer. There are already ten instructional videos online, with new videos posted on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
“Watch Me”, a new music video featuring Shake It Up stars Bella Thorne and Zendaya, will premiere on the Disney Channel on Friday, June 17th, with the digital single becoming available for purchase the following Tuesday. The Shake It Up: Break It Down CD and DVD combo pack which includes the first series soundtrack, the “Watch Me” music video, and a series of instructional dance videos, will be released on July 12th.
Screenshot from the Shake It Up website, image copyright Disney
The online Shake It Up Dance Video Creator lets players create their own music videos by setting character dance sequences, backgrounds, and special effects to songs from the series. The controls aren’t very sophisticated and there’s only a handful of dance sequences and backgrounds to choose from, but it’s a fun diversion to try along with the Dance Burst (aka: “click the glowing squares”) game.
And even if dancing’s not your thing, it’s all but impossible to watch the Shake It Up cast having a blast, without wanting to groove along with them.
Hi nutan it is possible that your daughter could be chosen,but it isn’t likeley.Many people have auditioned do not get your hopes up.Disney channel judges are the ones that choose the semi finalists it all just depends on what they are looking for.
When I uploaded my video youll get an email that your video has uploaded then if you wanna see your video google it it may take a day or two to upload but like the Disney blogger said you may have to upload a different video
Is being in the most liked of all time videos good?
my daughter {shweta} has been waiting and waiting for a chance to do this sort of thing and now that shes done the contest she and her friend {cheyenne} are wondering if they could make it to the big time can they?
my daughter {shweta} really wants to be a semi finalist and so does her friend is there any chance she could make the big time?
@Vanessa (above) YES Jen 13 from MA is really good!!! They should definetly win!! You can tell they worked really hard and it payed off!!!
A few people above said that Jen 13 from MA was good. I totally agree. They perform the kind of dancing that is hard to create and fun to watch, not that stupid gymnastics stuff that people try to put off as dancing. Jen 13 from MA and her friends really have talent!!!!!!
Hey I followed what that girl Megan and through a friend saw Jen 13 from MA ‘s video. They might not have great gymnastics skills but they DANCE!! this is not a gymnastics contest! These girls are all in sync, the moves are very sharp, they did some moves that flexibility is very much needed, and they made this whole dance themselves. These girls deserve to win, and I don’t even really know them. I would very much enjoy watching these girls on “shake it up”.
Congratulations to the new semi-finalists!
Casey, 16, WA and Sam, 16, CA – http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/7090p3
Amir, 13, VA – http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/2j5rid
Will you be notified by email if you are a potenial semi finialist? thats what i read in the audition procedures. It said you will be notified by September 2011 if you are a potenial semi finialist. I STILL WILL HOPE I WIN!!! 🙂 <3
Who were the next semi finalist
Who Won? It’s Aug. 26th
Good Luck Everyone!!
Watch Please and vote!! we both want this so bad!! :-)but im happy with whoever wins :-)) Thx!!!!
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/7308dh
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/6174rb
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/5pop5c
Omg I hope Mia 10 NJ wins her and her friend are so good I didn’t get time to make a video but they so deserve it they worked really hard and at the end you can tell that theyre best friends
Who won i really want to know this would be a dream come true if it was me!!!!
hope everyone likes this video by Mia 10 NJ
hey hannah i agree with u
plz ohhh plz go on google and type in Mia 10 Nj make your mark shake it up plz like it as many times as possible and plz comment i found them there not on top yet but they should be there amazing thnxx so much!!!!!???
vote for mia 10 nj!!!!!!!!
hey, the semi-finalist jade wasn’t even that good except for her turns!! it should be based on skill, coordination, and talent, not just one move that is almost good for a twelve year old!!! jen, 13, from MA should win!!!!
And Disney blogger how do you decide who will win
Hey Disney Blogger,
Could you give us a hint of who’s gonna be the next semi finalists?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!
Luis what do you mean
Hello…would my daughter be disqualifed if she wore a mask?
i didnt get to make one it was to late
Vote for mia 10 nj
Vote For Me!!!
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/6nnbg5
who are first two finalists? i cant find them anywhere on google!
Vote for me!!!
Jade 12, Florida! I’m towards the back of all the videos.
The first two finalists have been announced! Check out their audition videos below:
Arjang, 12, CA – http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/2qlk9a
Jade, 12, IL – http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/74gna
Anyone Like My videos????
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/2lc5g8
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/5ik126
Who were the first two semi finalists?!??!?!?
how are the first to that made the contest i whont to now pleas tell me
who won the contest ?
Hope Everyone Likes My Videos
Please Vote For Us
Congrats to the 1st 2 winners I cant wait for Augest 26th I hope my video wins
Please Look
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/5ik126
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/2lc5g8
Good Luck Everyone
WHY AREN’T THE WINNERS UP YET…THEY SAID AUGUST 19TH????
TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!! I AM SOOOO SUPER EXCITED!!!!! 🙂
i hate when they do this
aww but i have TALENT i can sing and dance
i hope im not to late to enter
Hi Aaliyah,
Yes, it is too late to enter. The contest officially ended on August 3rd, but you can still watch and vote for all of your favorite videos on the website. http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/ The semi-finalists will start being announced on August 19th.
is it to late to enteer
I tried over and over again to upload my video before the deadline and it didnt work. I adventually sent it in an email to disney at 4:57. I kept trying till the last minute but the disney site keept freezing everytime I would hit upload. Here is my video on youtube, I keep hoping somehow it made it through to the web site in time. If anyone sees it on disneys site please let me know. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgC-lOpdS4Q
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/5no2fr?cmp=Dcom_emc_MYM_vidview_ready_u13_extl
Look @ my video!like and comment as much as possible!
THANKS!!
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/5no2fr?cmp=Dcom_emc_MYM_vidview_ready_u13_extl
Hey everyone please watch my videos if you get the chance and like and comment please!
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/6el6ir?cmp=Dcom_emc_MYM_vidview_ready_o13_extl
http://makeyourmark.disney.go.com/s/64f1km?cmp=Dcom_emc_MYM_vidview_ready_o13_extl
i hope u like my video and please please please like i hope u enjoy it like it please well i hope u enjoy it bye
hey i already enterd my video but please please look at it and i think u will like it enjoy oh and please like my video and p.s. imani, 11, AZ
Check out these moves
Yeah it is.
I sent in my video like 2 days ago and they still haven’t sent me a confirmation email yet! Is that bad?? Will I still be accepted in the contest???
Please tell me today is not the last day to enter?