Dancing with the Stars in Myanmar

Published: Nov. 5, 2019, 1 a.m.

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Known in the UK as Strictly Come Dancing and across the globe as Dancing with the Stars, this BBC brand is known for pairing celebrities with professional dancers, having their performances scrutinised by a panel of judges and allowing the public to vote for their favourite. This autumn the show is being created for the first time in Myanmar. What does it take to bring this format to a new audience and create the programme from scratch?

The venture is the passion project of French brothers Henri and Benoit de Lorme. They\\u2019ve already brought formats like Masterchef to the country. But dancing is a very different proposition, and in Myanmar there are many cultural sensitivities to be aware of. One is around the design of the costumes, where the need to create something flamboyant which works for camera also needs to take into account local sensitivities around how much flesh can be exposed.

It\\u2019s also a challenging country to work in as the media companies are still in their infancy and there are shortages of people with the necessary skills to realise these big projects.

In addition there is the deadline to build the set, the process of getting the celebrities and new judges trained and the last minute cast changes. With so much to do in a short space of time, it\\u2019s going to be a challenge to get everything in place by the first broadcast.

Ali Fowle follows the show as it evolves and finds out how the de Lorme brothers work together - and what legacy they plan to create.

This is an updated version of the podcast - edited to correct a minor factual error.

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