''Dance on Sunset'' is an American dance and music series hosted by
Quddus (Benjamin Quddus Philippe) on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
that featured dance routines, called the "Fresh-Squeezed Dance", designed to be performed by its preteen and teenage viewers. Choreographer Tony Testa and the show's dance troupe, the Nick 6, demonstrated each routine slowly, repeating it several times during the episode. An "advanced" version of each routine was featured on the show's website. Episodes featured musical guests, which included
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Akon Thiam (; born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon, is a Senegalese-American singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of " Locked Up" (featuring Styles P) ...
,
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
,
Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Taylor Cosgrove (born May 14, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She was the highest-paid child actor in 2012 and was included on ''Forbes'' magazine's " 30 Under 30" list in 2022. She is known for her career on television, parti ...
,
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
,
Fergie,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
,
Sean Kingston
Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is an American-Jamaican singer and rapper. He is known for his hit songs " Beautiful Girls", "Fire Burning", " Take You There", and his collaboration wit ...
,
Lil' Mama
Niatia Jessica Kirkland (born October 4, 1989), better known by her stage name Lil Mama, is an American rapper, singer, actress and television presenter from Brooklyn, New York and Harlem, New York. She experienced top 10 ''Billboard'' placemen ...
,
Jesse McCartney
Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo mus ...
,
Menudo,
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the e ...
,
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
and
Ashlee Simpson
Ashley Nicolle Ross ( Simpson; born October 3, 1984), known professionally as Ashlee Simpson, is an American singer and actress. The younger sister of singer and actress Jessica Simpson, she began her career as a back-up dancer for her sister ...
, as well as dancing by a studio audience. The show premiered on March 29, 2008, immediately after the
2008 Kids' Choice Awards
The 21st Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 29, 2008, at the Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. The show was the first live-action/animated Kids Choice Awards show. The event was hosted by Jack Black. Voting began Ma ...
.
The name 'On Sunset' came from the production location
Nickelodeon on Sunset
The Earl Carroll Theatre was a historic stage facility located at 6230 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built by showman Earl Carroll and designed in the Streamline Moderne style by architect Gordon Kaufmann in 1938. The theatre ...
on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The show was canceled due to low viewership. The series finale aired on June 21, 2008. The website has been discontinued & shut down as of December 21, 2017.
[http://www.nick.com/danceonsunset/index.jhtml]
Dancers
Members of the show's dance troupe, at the time of the show's debut, ranged in age from 15 to 22. They were directed by
Tony Testa
Anthony Joseph Testa (born 31 March 1987) is an American choreographer, creative director, educator and dancer.
Early life
Testa started dancing at age eight in his hometown of Fort Collins, Colorado at Westin Arts Academy & Artistic Fusion Dan ...
, a former choreographer of
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
. The group consisted of
Karen Chuang, Johnny Erasme, Ashley Galvan,
Shane Harper
Shane Steven Harper (born February 14, 1993) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is known for playing Spencer on ''Good Luck Charlie'' as well as Josh Wheaton in the independent Christian film '' God's Not Dead''. His self-titled d ...
, Aubree Storm and
Hefa Tuita
Hefa Tuita (born June 18, 1991) is an American dancer. He danced on the Nickelodeon T.V. show ''Dance on Sunset'' and appeared in the film ''Unaccompanied Minors''. He also danced in the movie ''High School Musical 2'' and in Alexis Jordan's "G ...
; the group was chosen with an eye for
diversity
Diversity, diversify, or diverse may refer to:
Business
*Diversity (business), the inclusion of people of different identities (ethnicity, gender, age) in the workforce
*Diversity marketing, marketing communication targeting diverse customers
* ...
and differing backgrounds.
Karen Chuang
Karen Chuang was born on March 26, 1990, in San Jose, California. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in business economics from UCLA, where she was the executive director for its premiere hip-hop team, NSU Modern. She is now pursuing a career as a professional dancer and is represented by Clear Talent Group. Her credits include ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
'', ''
Glee
Glee means delight, a form of happiness.
Glee may also refer to:
* Glee (music), a type of English choral music
* ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy
* ''Glee'' (Bran Van 30 ...
'', ''The White House'', ''
The Ellen Show
''The Ellen Show'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ellen DeGeneres that was broadcast during the 2001–02 season on CBS, aired from September 24, 2001, to January 11, 2002. It was DeGeneres' second attempt at a sitcom, ...
'',
Willow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000), known mononymously as Willow (stylized in all caps), is an American singer and actress. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including ...
,
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, " Swagger Jagger", was r ...
, and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
's "Pink Friday Reloaded" World Tour (2013). She has danced alongside
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
at the 2013 MTV VMAs and in her "G.U.Y." music video, and performed with Kanye West on his "Yeezus" Tour (2014). She is also a member of Entity Contemporary Dance Company. Karen's technical background and diverse training create a unique hip-hop-inspired contemporary style, which she enjoys exploring and sharing with fellow dancers. She currently subs regularly at Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, California, and Movement Lifestyle in North Hollywood, California. In addition to her artistic aspirations, Karen also has a passion for fashion and was an assistant to the PR Coordinator at Versace from 2011 to 2012.
Johnny Erasme
Johnny Erasme was born May 11, 1989, in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...
. A former member of the JammX Kids, he appeared in the JCPenney commercial "Control Freak." His family moved from
, to California after
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. He raps and plays guitar and has released a CD titled "Johnny E.".
Ashley Galvan
Ashley Galvan a high-school senior at the debut of "Dance on Sunset", is from
Visalia, California
Visalia ( ) is a city in the agricultural San Joaquin Valley of California. The population was 141,384 as per the 2020 census. Visalia is the fifth-largest city in the San Joaquin Valley, the 42nd most populous in California, and 192nd in ...
. She started dancing at 3 and is schooled in jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, contemporary, and modern dance. She received the 2007 Cover Girl Award 2007 for "Spotlight Dance Cup Comp". She has appeared in a
Keke Palmer
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer (born August 26, 1993) ( ) is an American actress, singer and television personality. Known for playing leading and character roles in comedy and drama productions, she has received a Primetime Emmy Award, five NAACP ...
dance video, on the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
KEWLopolis
Cookie Jar TV was an American children's programming block that aired on CBS, originally premiering on September 16, 2006, as the KOL Secret Slumber Party; the block was later rebranded as KEWLopolis ( ) on September 15, 2007, and then as Cookie ...
dancing competition "
Dance Revolution
''Dance Revolution'' (originally titled ''Dance, Dance, Dance!'' during planning stages) is a television series from CBS and DIC Entertainment Corporation, in association with Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., produced by Brookwell McNamara En ...
" and in commercials and was also a background dancer in the remake of the movie Fame. She even competed on
season 7
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
of ''
So You Think You Can Dance
''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and has ...
'' as one of the top 11 contestants. She also made an appearance in the ''Glee'' episode "Original Song" as one of the Aural Intensity singers.
Shane Harper
Shane Harper
Shane Steven Harper (born February 14, 1993) is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is known for playing Spencer on ''Good Luck Charlie'' as well as Josh Wheaton in the independent Christian film '' God's Not Dead''. His self-titled d ...
was born on February 14, 1993, in
La Jolla, California
La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781.
La Jolla is surrounded on ...
. He was a principal dancer in the Disney Channel's ''
High School Musical 2
''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American musical television film written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and the second insta ...
'', an extra in Nickelodeon's ''
Zoey 101
''Zoey 101'' is an American comedy drama television series created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. It aired from January 9, 2005, to May 2, 2008.
It focuses on the lives of Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears), her brother Dustin (Paul Butcher (act ...
''. He's ventured more into acting over the years, most notably as Spencer Walsh on ''
Good Luck Charlie
''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
''.
Aubree Storm
Aubree Storm born January 4, 1986, is an
Elburn, Illinois
Elburn is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,602 as of the 2010 census, up from 2,756 at the 2000 census. It is located at the intersection of Illinois Route 38 and Route 47. Elburn is a town situated west ...
, native who trained in ballet, jazz, tap and modern dance at St. Charles School of Dance and the Lou Conte Dance Studio of Chicago. She was a dancer in Disney's "
High School Musical
''High School Musical'' is a 2006 American musical television film directed by Kenny Ortega and written by Peter Barsocchini. The 63rd Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) and first installment of the ''High School Musical'' film series, th ...
" concert tour and was a dancer for
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...
in appearances on "
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
" and ''
Live with Regis and Kelly
''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'', and appeared as a dancer in the film ''
Step Brothers''. She was also a member of
Jin Akanishi
is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He has been active since 1998 as one of the two lead vocalists of the J-pop boy-band KAT-TUN before starting a solo career in 2009. Akanishi has also acted in several films and dramas.
Biog ...
's group of backup dancers, Jincrew, used for his concerts. She has also danced for
Willow Smith
Willow Camille Reign Smith (born October 31, 2000), known mononymously as Willow (stylized in all caps), is an American singer and actress. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she has received various accolades, including ...
,
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, " Swagger Jagger", was r ...
, and
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
as one of twelve dancers featured in his
Believe Tour
The Believe Tour was the second concert tour by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was launched in support of his third studio album, '' Believe'' (2012). Beginning in September 2012, the tour played over 150 shows in the Americas, Europe, Asia, ...
.
Hefa Tuita
Tuita was born June 18, 1991, in
Spanish Fork, Utah
Spanish Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2020 census reported a population of 42,602. Spanish Fork, Utah is the 20th largest city in Utah based on official ...
. He was a dancer in the Disney Channel's ''
High School Musical 2
''High School Musical 2'' is a 2007 American musical television film written by Peter Barsocchini and directed by Kenny Ortega. The 70th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), it is the sequel to ''High School Musical'' (2006) and the second insta ...
'' and ''
High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' appearing in various parts of the movie. He is trained in Latin and salsa dancing as well as hip-hop, jazz, ballroom international and funk. He was trained at Heart N Soul Dance Studio. He appeared in the movie ''
Unaccompanied Minors
''Unaccompanied Minors'' (also known as ''Grounded'' in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland) is a 2006 Christmas film, Christmas comedy film directed by Paul Feig and starring Lewis Black, Wilmer Valderrama, Tyler James Williams, Dyllan ...
'', danced in two Taylor Vai videos and for
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
. He's danced with multiple recording artists including
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
,
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
,
Usher,
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
, and
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
.
Episodes
Episodes broadcast have included the following. Each features a playlist of five songs and usually includes at least one special guest. Each also features a new "Fresh-Squeezed Dance."
International distribution
* Premiered in Australia and New Zealand on April 13, 2008 on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
.
* Premiered in Canada on
YTV on May 18, 2008, at 8:00 P.M. ET after the
2008 Kids' Choice Awards
The 21st Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 29, 2008, at the Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California. The show was the first live-action/animated Kids Choice Awards show. The event was hosted by Jack Black. Voting began Ma ...
.
* Premiered in South East Asia on March 9, 2009 on
Nickelodeon South East Asia
Nickelodeon is a pan-Asian pay television channel operated by Paramount Global, based in Singapore and broadcast to audiences in Southeast Asia and certain regions in Oceania like Polynesia and Papua New Guinea. The channel was launched on 16 J ...
part of
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite) is an American nighttime basic cable television channel that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon. It typically broadcasts Mondays to Thursday nights from 9 p.m. - 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET/Pac ...
.
References
External links
*
Nick busts a move with 'Dance on Sunset'*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dance On Sunset
2000s American music television series
2000s American reality television series
2008 American television series debuts
2008 American television series endings
2000s Nickelodeon original programming
Dance television shows
English-language television shows
Television series about teenagers