Lifetime Television presents Your Mama Don't Dance, a new and distinct dance competition that pairs young professional dance partners with one of their parents, with each team taking on different dancing styles in the hopes of winning $100,000 in cash and prizes.  Apart from the intense competition, the show will also explore the complicated relationship between children and their parents, with the aspiring dancers relying heavily on their parents' capability to learn different dance moves, and the parents working extremely hard so as not to let their kids down.

"Your Mama Don't Dance distinguishes itself from other dance competition shows because its point of view is truly unique,” Susanne Daniels, president of Lifetime Networks, said.  “The relationships between the dancers and their parents will evolve during the eight weeks and it will be both heartwarming and heartbreaking -- with a lot of twists and unexpected turns along the way."

Live show veteran Bob Bain executive produces the series, which tapes in front of a live studio audience under the direction of Alan Carter.

"This show is truly a testament to how far parents will go for their children," Bain said.  "These parents are picking up their lives for ten weeks, leaving their friends and families at home to come to dance on national television with their kids.  Most don't have any formal dance training whatsoever, so it is going to be really interesting to see how well they perform."

Hosting Your Mama Don't Dance is actor Ian Ziering, known most for his starring role on Beverly Hills 90210 and as a finalist during the fourth season of Dancing with the Stars.  The show's celebrity judge's panel, meanwhile, is made up of choreographer-actor Chris Judd, Tony Award-winning actor-dancer Ben Vereen and singer-actress Vitamin C.  Each week, the judges will place the teams with two lowest scores on the chopping block, leaving them at the mercy of viewers, whose votes will determine which team stays and which team goes home.

The contestants of Your Mama Don't Dance are as follows:

- Noelle Croner (19, New York) & Doug Croner (52, Gilbertsville, PA)

- Celia Merendi (23, New York) & Silvano Merendi (48, Miami, FL)

- Nicole Niestemski (24, Los Angeles) & Michael Niestemski (48, Cerritos, CA)

- Heather Phillips (22, New York) & Stephen Phillips (54, Philadelphia, PA)

- Brooke Shephard (19, New York) & Eric Shephard (43, Columbus, OH)

- Jeremy Barthel (22, Los Angeles) & Doris Barthel (50, San Diego, CA)

- Jesse Lewis (21, Los Angeles) & Rebecca Lewis (51, Birmingham, AL)

- Dante Pueleio (31, New York) & Dolores Pueleio (51, East Brunswick, NJ)

- Jonathan Silva (19, Los Angeles) & Rodilyn Woodbridge (39, Long Beach, CA)

- Erick "E-Rock" Uphoff (20, Los Angeles) & Carol Uphoff (43, Chapel Hill, NC)


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Lifetime
(Image Courtesy of Lifetime)