Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off

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.

340 Responses to “Make Your Mark: Ultimate Dance Off”

  1. Tyler says:

    jade deserved to win

  2. Tyler says:

    i really want to have another one i coulda won so pless make anther

  3. Tyler says:

    i really hope there is the only reason i whsent in is because i didint have a camra at the time so pleas make anthore one thank you raply yes no

  4. Tyler says:

    is there gonna be a nother make your mark

  5. Sela says:

    Is Disney channel making another make your mark I have been inproving my dancing and I want to try to win and I want to make a video and have fun please make another please reply yes or no

  6. jade says:

    i think ak sqaured should win and im happy they did win because i would like to meet them someday.

  7. ashley says:

    yay aksquared

  8. aksquaredfan57 says:

    WOO HOO!!!!! I LOVE AK SQUARED AND IM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY THEY WON!!!! IM EVEN FRIENDS WITH TWO OF THEM ON ANIMAL JAM!!!!!!!! WE MET ON WEDNESDAY THE 25 IN OCTOBER!!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!!!1 😀

  9. kalani says:

    AKsquared Won!WOO HOO!!!!

  10. ivy says:

    Aksquare are the winners I wanted them to win the whole time they were the best dancers between all of them.

  11. Becca says:

    AK2 won??!?!?!?!!!???! Awesome I loved them!!!!!! I totally forgot to watch the results! but yay!

  12. chamcham says:

    jade you also rock

  13. chamcham says:

    dejha, hi you dont know me but aksquared won yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  14. dejha says:

    tell me who won the dance off?

  15. Robert says:

    arjang

  16. karina says:

    aksquare won

  17. smiley:) says:

    Sad face. I thought that Amir would win. But Jade is awesome, and my age so……….. yeah

  18. jordan kelley says:

    Arjang rocks

  19. Gaby says:

    Yay!!:):):):):):):):):):):):):) AK-squared won! I kinda didn’t think that they would win, I thought Arajang would but i wanted the two girls 2 win.AHHHH! i forgot their names someone tell or I’ll go look it up. I liked them though 2.I’m talking 2 much :P!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  20. me says:

    you know who won AKsquared

  21. Taylor says:

    And Amir! Amir deserved it more than everybody else,he worked so hard like Jade! I thought they were going to be the top finalists

  22. Taylor says:

    oh I really wanted Jade to win!!!! ): (: good luck everybody!

  23. Taylor says:

    Omg!This competition is going good and I have no clue who is going to win! They’re all so good!

  24. Taylor says:

    I really want either Jade or Amir to win because Jade is like me and I’d be happy if I want and I like when other people would be happy!Amir is so fashionable and such a good dancer!I think he should win!It seems like he really wants to and so does Jade!

  25. Jessica says:

    Competition dancers would know the Casey and Sam were sooo much better than everyone else

  26. Karlee says:

    I hoped kristine and June would win or arjang or ak squared or jade or xmcasey and Sam or Amirbut mostly Kristine and June

  27. Karlee says:

    Tese were my choices for what people won. 1. Kristine and june. 2.ak squared 3. Jade. 4.arjang. 5.Casey and Sam 6.amir. I thought everyone did an awesome job and out of every video I saw you guys were my top 6!! Congratulations ak squared! Go Kristine and june!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  28. Cassie says:

    YAY! AKSQUARED WON! IM SO EXCITED!!! THEY WERE MY FAVORITE!!!!!!

  29. Renee says:

    The dudes Awesome

  30. Renee says:

    WHAT???!!! AK SQUARE WON????? Amir so deserved it more he was Beast dancer

  31. Dion says:

    Aksquares won!!!!!! Good job I wish I could dance like you girls

  32. Dion says:

    Aksquares awesome you won I was shocked when I saw you win

  33. Jillahrensss says:

    aksquared won!!!!!

  34. Cassie says:

    i wanted AKsquared or Christine&June to win! I dont no who one, SOMEONE TELL ME!

  35. Cassie says:

    did aksquared win?

  36. JoJo says:

    Who won?

  37. Cassie says:

    wait who won i missed it?

  38. Carter says:

    Christine and June, I was really rooting for you! AK Squared were good but you and Arjange where the best. YOU ROCK! KEEP DANCING! They dont realize your talent. I’m your biggest fan. I’m with you all the way. I hope opportunity knocks many more times. I really want to seee you live your dreams again.

  39. Sela says:

    Is Disney Making Another?

  40. ally says:

    ARJANG WILL WIN!!!!!! HE WILL!

  41. jordan says:

    go aksquare i hope you guys win and go be the one and have to win you guys hope you guys win go you guys good luck

  42. josette says:

    go aksquare go win and be the next filist i hope you guys win

  43. mae says:

    Amir is really fashionable and can come up with great dance moves. Go go go go go go go go go win win win win win win win win win Amir

  44. mae says:

    Hey don’t leave Amir out.I think he is an awesome dancer.AKsquared and Jade is good too.GO AMIR,JADE,AKSQUARED.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

  45. brooke says:

    i lov u, arjang and all of the judges. i vote 4 arjang

  46. brooke says:

    if arjang wins, he will hav good surprises 4 him lik spotlight dance on shake it up.
    and i lov u and selena gomez

  47. brooke says:

    i want 2 vote 4 arjang. GO ARJANG!

  48. brooke says:

    arjang! arjang!

  49. janyah ellis howard says:

    Go job to all the kids that trided out I love to dance but never had a chance great job

  50. hammy says:

    if you were a dancer you would understand how AMAZING casey and sam are <3