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.
please bless me i want to win badly
VOTE FOR ME
IM DOIN
DONT PUSH ME
IM 11 YEARS OLD
SOLO
ITS MY DREAM
i voted for aksqaured and jade last year and i was to afraid to do it last year but im am doing it this year it always my dream to be 1 of the 6 finalist this year (2012) so please vote im doin DON’T PUSH ME by my self PLEASE VOTE 4 ME ITS MY DREAM <3333
Please like us the most we really wont to win sssssssssoooooooooo ppppppppppppppppppplllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I WISH ALL THE COMPETITORS GOOD LUCK!LETS SHAKE IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi everyone,
I’ve posted an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about the 2012 edition of Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off. I hope this answers some of your questions! http://disney-blog.com/2012/06/make-your-mark-2012-faq/
More information coming soon.
shake it up is great but the show need to change its always the same theres a problem then in the end everyone is happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: (
I’m going to dance to TTYLXOX in make your mark. 🙂
Good luck to all of u:) I am sending in a video as well! I will be hoping 1 of all of you guys will win!
i saw that you are having a dance off i can not wait u grils rock .i always wanted to meet u.i love dance like u dance is my thing.
Im gonna get a group of girls and dance to ttylxox for the 2012 make your mark contest hope we get picked
I cant wait for make your mark!!! I was woundering can u only send in one video? I Love shake it up <3
hi me Tasha I do it now rocky Cece good girl by carrie underwood going down
Good luck every body me and my best friends are gonna make a dance and were good but I know we might not win but good luck to you and us
i got some new moves peoples we in for a cool break-dancer and hip pop dancer and that me don’t mean to brag or anything but good luck people break a leg
ok we r the most awesome dancers this year meanine 2012 we r GOING to WIN!!!
I’m just letting u know that if u don’t win, it’s because some people just may be older or better than you.
Me and my friends are planing r routine and it rocks 🙂
Well Beastly,
I hope you know your going down. Not trying to be rude or anything. Oh and before i forget to ask, how many of you are gonna audition? i want to know what i’m up against
when do we upload our videos
Actually after I read some of these letting u guys know I’m gonna kick all of your buts and I’m not trying to be rude or anything but I know some AWSOME dance moves. So bring on the competition guys…………..
Hey, can u dance to whatever song you want or is there a list to choose from? Respond soon!
Ok, i’m sorry for being rude. I am just an AWESOME dancer who wants her dreams come true. And i appreciate your good sportsmen ship Karleigh. I don’t take classes, but i’m naturally awesome at it. But some of these girls are just asking for Competition by their comments, i mean seriously. Read them.
my life goal dream was to be on t.v. and and i thank shake it up and Disney Channel for giving me another chance to reach it and if i don’t win i hope the other dancers will win and i’ll try again someday.
they should sara im with you girl tyler they were good but not as good as aka
squared.doses
come on guys ak squared was awesome so stop being rude but i will beat u all! 🙂
come on guys be nice ak squared was awesome but i will be better than all of u people 🙂
YOU GUYS ARE GOIN DOWN THIS YEAR!! I watched the videos, i am perfecting them, and me and my friends are gonna crush you!
I can dance because I had to practice on t.v with dance central 2 I’m really good
I really hope I can make my dreams happen.I growed up dancing even tho I’m not in a fancy dance class or dance group.I am just another teen trying to follow my dreams.I think I am a good dancer and hope you do to.I watch shake it up Chicago and I love this show my favorite show is the one when they sneak on Taylors set.
:)))))
Be prepared im ganna rock this
Im ready to throw down with my besy friend miracle.
im gonna rock that dance cuz iim in a dance group
I’m giving 10000000000000 percent and I’m going to rock the video and win this thing ak squared has nothing compared to me
I do have to say aksquared was good but I am going to submit my video and I am working hard on it this is all I want to do is dance and I hope I get my dream….
You are totally right Arjang and Jade should have won
I GOT MY DANCE OUT THIS YEAR
WE WILL BE THE BEST
I WATCH ALL THE VIDEO WHEN THEY CAME OUT
IIIIIIIIII LLLLLLOOOOVVVVVEEEEE SHAKE IT UP
I WATCH ALL THE TIME
:-);-):-);-)
I can’t wait for the dance off I am already starting with my dance :):):)
aksquraded was so cool i wish i could be on make your mark
Omg I want to try out so bad me and my friends are awesome at dancing I really hope we can try out does it cause money to go to all the places?
Hopefully I will be able to try out!!!!!!!!!!
c est trop cool shak it up vous parler francais???
I wish to be in make your mark!! Please, make another one so I can do it please..
Will there be another make your mark ultimate dance off?!?!?! I didn’t get a chance to enter it last year and was hopinh there would be another one REPLY SOON!
i really hope you have another make your mark ultimate dance off i want to try out this time and get to be in the competition
AKsqurade was amzing. Jade was too.
i luv shake it up and im watching the new shake it up with aka squared i luv aka squared omg yay
Is Disney Channel going to have another season of Make your Mark?
I think they should because I bet you a lot of people will sign up this time, even me.
So if you can. please have another season of Make your Mark
aksquraded was pereety good but arjang or jade deserved to win