Is ABC & FOX Building a Portfolio of Choreographers?

Val Chmerkovisky on the set of 'Flirty Dancing.' Photo credit: Instagram/Valentin

This article was updated on Jan. 6, 2020.

As we round into 2020 and the first anniversary of the Disney-FOX merger, it's important to see how this is affecting the dance shows run by ABC and FOX. There is a pattern that is running through the dance series owned by the corporation — Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance and Flirty Dancing.

The network appears to be building a portfolio of choreographers it can use throughout all three shows and the Dancing with the Stars – Live Tour 2020. While they haven't commented officially that this is their strategy, take a look at the crossover we are now seeing.

(Note: I am only listing the choreographers who are currently crossing over between shows since the merger.)

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So You Think You Can Dance, Season 16 Choreographers:

Jonathan Redavid

Travis Wall

Tyce Diorio

Ray Leeper

Sharna Burgess

Emma Slater & Sasha Farber

Dancing with the Stars, Season 28 Choreographers:

Ray Leeper

Kathryn Burns

Mandy Moore

Val Chmerkovskiy

Emma Slater

Sasha Farber

More: Here's What We Know So Far About 'Flirty Dancing'

Flirty Dancing, Season 1 Choreographers:

Tyce Diorio

Travis Wall

Kathryn Burns

Sharna Burgess

Val Chmerkovskiy

Dancing with the Stars – Live Tour 2020 Choreographers

Mandy Moore

Jonathan Redavid

Ray Leeper

Kathryn Burns

More: When Will 'Dancing with the Stars' Have a Same-Sex Couple?

This is a smart course of action because it keeps the choreographers employed for various stints throughout the entire year across two networks. These choreographers become familiar to viewers, who often tune in specifically to see their work. It's something ABC should have done a long time ago when DWTS was a powerhouse in the ratings. They let several of their superstar dancer/choreographers, Derek and Julianne Hough, slip away to NBC.

Even though we are only taking a look at the most recent seasons of the dance shows, there is a pattern in using tried and true talent from the dance shows. Chloe Arnold crosses over from SYTYCD to Flirty Dancing. Christopher Scott is a veteran of SYTYCD, DWTS and is doing a piece for the DWTS Tour.

If all of this crossover is unplanned, then it's a wonderful series of events to capitalize on. If it's planned, someone deserves kudos for making dance a priority and having seamless threads of work and familiar faces crossover between the two networks and the three shows.

It's something to keep our eyes on in 2020.

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