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Strictly Come Dancing isn’t just a popular TV show in the UK. There are versions of the dance contest made all over the world, from Ireland to India and the USA to Ukraine.

While UK viewers have become used to seeing the Argentine tango, cha cha cha and American Smooth performed in the show’s many series since its 2004 debut, it’s not unusual for other countries to showcase different dances - especially if they’re rooted in that nation’s culture.

To mark the beginning of another series of Strictly, ����ý Bitesize takes a look at four dances performed in the contest’s sister shows around the world - and the stories behind them.

India: Bollywood hits the ballroom

When fans settle down to watch Strictly in India, it goes out under the name Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa (Give Me A Glimpse). Contestants can be seen performing dances UK viewers have become accustomed to over the past 20 years, such as the paso doble and waltz, but one style that dominates in this version is Bollywood.

A familiar sight on screens across the world thanks to India’s successful film industry, Bollywood dancing involves gestures and footwork that carry symbolic meanings as well as a captivating energy. Neck movement plays a big part in the dramatic dances, moving the head from side to side and back and forth.

India has a rich and diverse dance culture, which Bollywood brings together in many of its performances. Bharatanatyam and Kathak are classical styles, and folk dances such as Bhangra can also play a part. The dances may be different in style, but they can share meanings through certain hand movements.

Bharatanatyam has hand gestures that can tell a story through the performance, these are called hastas. Another set of movements are called mudras, used across a number of Indian dance styles. There are more than 100 mudras and anyone wishing to be a successful dancer is expected to know them all as they are important in the art of storytelling.

Other traditional dances performed in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa include garba, from Gujarat, usually performed around a lamp or a representation of the Hindu goddess Durga.

Sweden: Digging the dancing bugg

Swing and jive music performed by big bands were so big in the USA, they and their accompanying dance moves tip-tapped and two-stepped their way around the world.

In the dance halls of Sweden, a combination of swing, rock’n’roll and a move called the Lindy Hop led to the creation of a dance - usually for two people, but occasionally three - that became known as the bugg. Credit for developing the dance has gone to Nils-Håkan Carlzon, who comes from the Swedish city of Örebro. His connections with the Swedish dance world go back to the 1960s and he has been both a teacher and a competition judge in that time. His reputation grew internationally, even serving as president of the World Artistic Dance Federation.

Bugg hasn’t been ignored by Sweden’s version of Strictly, known as Let’s Dance. In 2011, it was performed in the competition by Alexander Rybak - who won Eurovision for Norway in 2009 - with his professional partner Malin Johansson.

Greece: A taste of the Dominican bachata

Dancing With the Stars is a popular title for the international versions of Strictly - it’s how it is known in the USA, for example. It was also the name adopted for the Greek version of the competition which began in 2010.

The bachata was performed across several series of the show in Greece. It’s not a traditional Greek dance, however. It originated in the Dominican Republic where it is a celebrated part of the culture. In 2019, bachata was included in UNESCO’s list that represents the “intangible cultural heritage of humanity” due to its importance to the country.

Bachata is a type of music, as well as a dance - dating back to the 1960s. At first, it was not viewed positively by some sections of Dominican society, with bachata’s links to the lower classes meaning it could not be performed on TV or over the radio. Over time, the more positive, musical, meaning appears to have eclipsed that early negativity.

Bachata music is traditionally performed by a small group of musicians, two of which play guitar as the lead instruments, with percussion from other instruments such as bongos and maracas. One of the musicians will also act as the band’s lead singer.

Bachata dancing is described by UNESCO as “equally passionate” and involves many hip movements. It is performed at many celebrations throughout the Dominican Republic with citizens learning the dance informally from a young age - but there are many academies offering lessons and classes, including some overseas.

USA: Shoot to the top with the Lindy Hop

Music and movement born in the dance halls of African American culture have had a massive influence on life in the USA. The Lindy Hop is just one example.

It originated in Harlem, New York, in the late 1930s and early 1940s and became known for its fast, energetic pace, in keeping with other swing dances such as the jive and the jitterbug.

Although the Lindy Hop rarely features in Strictly Come Dancing - there was a memorable Lindy Hop marathon in 2018 which saw all the competing couples on the dance floor at once - it is a regular fixture in the American version of the show. One high-scoring example was performed in 2009 by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Melissa Rycroft with her partner Tony Dovolani. They earned 29 points, just one away from the US version’s maximum score of 30.

Strictly Come Dancing returns this autumn and is available to watch on ����ý One and ����ý iPlayer.

This article was published in August 2024