Gays make up a large fraction of people who watch Dancing with the Stars that's why it's no surprise that ABC has come up with a show where gay stars are the main attraction.

Beginning Monday, Dancing with the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli will host the program called Show and Tell, an original series composed of weekly webisodes in which participants learn dances like the waltz, rumba, cha cha and foxtrot. The shows will appear on several websites, including Out.com and ABC.com, and continue through mid-September, when Dancing with the Stars returns to ABC.



Aside from Dancing with the Stars, Tonioli also serves as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing for BBC TV and is known for his work on DanceX and its American adaptation, Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann.

Show and Tell features openly gay actors, including Chad Allen (Save Me) and Robert Gant (Queer as Folk), drag legend Lady Bunny, the transgender actress Candis Cayne (Dirty Sexy Money) and the actress Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray).

In the premiere webisode, Tonioli familiarizes Winokur with the dance of romance - the waltz. The dance lessons were filmed at Balliamos Dance Studio in West Hollywood, California, where same-sex couples dance along with mixed-sex couples.

The idea for Show and Tell, according to Out editor Aaron Hicklin, began with a profile of Tonioli which he wrote last year for the magazine. This led him to believe that online video clips on learning to dance would be "of editorial value for our audience" as part of a series that offers Out and out.com readers lifestyle tips in areas like fashion and martini-making.

Meanwhile, Dancing with the Stars' ninth season is scheduled to kick off on Monday, September 21 at 8PM ET/PT.



-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Out.com, New York Times
(Image courtesy of Out)