How Strictly Come Dancing plans its themed weeks and beyond – from flying producers to fighting for fairness

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As a longtime viewer and critic of dance competition shows, I’ve seen Strictly Come Dancing‘s format pop up all over the globe – it’s licensed in 61 countries now, which is incredible! While the core idea remains the same everywhere, each local version definitely has its own unique flavor. And honestly, keeping all these international editions running smoothly year after year? It’s a huge undertaking, and far from easy.

As a huge fan of dance and reality TV, I always find it fascinating to learn about the origins of shows like Strictly Come Dancing. It started over at the BBC back in May 2004, and it was such a hit that Australia quickly picked it up later that year. Now, it’s incredible – there are around 20 different versions of the show airing globally every year! It just proves how popular the format is.

It’s no surprise a dedicated team works hard to make sure the series run smoothly – and Sumi Connock, Global Creative Lead at BBC Studios, is a key part of that effort.

They’ve divided up the areas of responsibility, and will collaborate closely with their new partner – potentially the production company – and the broadcaster.

They’ll collaborate with the team from the beginning to ensure everyone deeply understands the show’s core elements and how to bring them to life. They’ll also help find creative solutions to any challenges that arise.

Production costs vary significantly. Not everyone has the same financial resources as the US or UK versions, or even larger markets – some productions operate with much smaller budgets.

I believe facing limitations can actually spark creativity. We’ve often seen incredible work emerge from places with fewer resources, where people collaborate very closely to make the most of what they have.

I was fascinated to learn they then carefully consider how long the show should be – it’s either two or three hours – and after that, they start deciding which dances will make the cut. It’s amazing how much thought goes into every detail!

What sets ‘Strictly’ apart from other dance competitions on TV is its dedication to Ballroom and Latin styles. This allows the production team to concentrate on perfecting the ten core dances: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Cha-cha-cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive.

Connock explained that while they’re open to incorporating local styles or traditional dances, they usually wait a few weeks before doing so. This is because what makes their show unique is its focus on Ballroom and Latin dance, and on showcasing the celebrities’ progress and personal development. They want to keep the emphasis on the celebrities and their journeys.

We prioritize creating content that’s enjoyable, humorous, and uplifting, and we always aim to give viewers something valuable to take away. This is a key element we emphasize in everything we produce.

Judges play a key role in explaining what’s happening to the audience. Before each season, producers meet with the judges to help them discuss creativity, posture, and how to give helpful feedback. There’s one main principle they all follow…

Connock explained that they want to see improvement in scores throughout the season. Starting with perfect scores isn’t ideal, as the dancers need room to grow and demonstrate progress – they aren’t professionals yet, so a clear upward trend is important. However, they also don’t want to see any extremely low scores, like zeros.

Look, I never give a performance a flat-out zero. There’s always something positive, even if it’s small. You might see me give a one, but even then, I’m looking for something the performer can build on and improve for next time. It’s about finding that little spark of potential, you know?

Judges should also be honest, open, and impartial when casting their votes.

And then it’s time for the music, which must be “unashamedly mainstream”.

You know, it’s amazing how much atmosphere that creates. It really opens the door to putting your own spin on a song and doing something truly unique with it.

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Every year, Strictly Come Dancing consistently features certain themes. While Halloween, Movie Week, and Musicals Week are long-standing favorites on the BBC show, a new theme – Icons Week – has recently been added.

And it’s not as straightforward as it may seem to put on a themed night, or even a themed dance.

Connock pointed out that if you’re planning a themed event or dance, you’ll likely need to obtain the necessary licenses and permissions first, depending on the theme.

If you’re using music in your event, you’ll need the proper licenses. For larger, themed events – like one based on a show like ‘Wicked’ – you’ll need to collaborate with the copyright holder to develop everything. We often see different locations inspiring each other with their events, but the key elements are the costumes, the music selection, and finding dances that fit each song.

If a show like Wicked features different types of dance, it’s important to coordinate the timing of each style. It’s also crucial to give every dancer enough time to perform. They’ll collaborate with the musical director to create music that includes familiar and popular sections.

The song has a consistent structure with both a chorus and a verse, and everyone dances for the same amount of time – whether the song is about a minute and a half or a minute fifty – to keep things fair.

As viewers of Strictly Come Dancing are aware, special themed weeks usually start a bit later in the season. The American version, Dancing with the Stars, is different – it features a themed night every week after the first episode.

We generally do that in most places, and then we add different themes. You can also expand on those themes over time by including more props, dancers, and complex moves like lifts. This creates a sense of progression, both in what the audience sees around the dance and in the dancers’ skill level.

Across the Atlantic, themed episodes are popular, and the US version of Dancing with the Stars has recently been making news with nights focused on dedication and TikTok trends. The show’s use of TikTok themes could be expanded to other platforms in the future.

We’re always looking for fresh ideas to bring to each location every year. We’ve done themed nights around big artists like Prince and Taylor Swift, or sometimes we highlight local talent that really resonates with the community. This year, though, was the first time we tried a TikTok-themed night, and it was a fun experiment!

“And I think that might be something that we see more of within that as well.”

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 6th December at 6:50pm.

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2025-12-05 10:09