Shane Cortese and partner Nerida Lister are dusting off their dancing shoes to perform in the final of So You Think You Can Dance, which will be aired on Sunday.
Cortese, who has hosted the entertainment series, is excited about returning to the dance-floor alongside Lister after being finalists on
the hit series Dancing With the Stars that aired last year.
The pair finished second behind former All Black Norm Hewitt and Carol-Anne Hickmore.
"It's been a year now and we are dancing on a show where real dancers have been strutting their stuff. I asked Harry Raiend not to judge me but he reminded me that I am an actor making an effort at dancing, which made me feel a lot better."
Professional dancer Lister has carefully choreographed a routine that combines elements of the Paso Doble and Tango. The two will perform the dance to a piece of music by Brian Setzer.
"Nerida is really meticulous and sits up writing the moves down on a pad using little stick figures," Cortese said.
In Sunday night's episode finalists Justin Haiu, a hip-hop dancer from Auckland, Anita Hutchins, a Wellington contemporary dancer, Sharnika Robson, a jazz and funk dancer from Auckland, and Daniel Sintes, a tap and hip-hop dancer from Christchurch, will perform in front of the live studio audience.
The winner will be revealed at the end of the episode.
The lucky dancer will then be flown to Los Angeles to receive one-on-one tutoring from some of the world's top choreographers, and will also receive a talent agreement with BLOC agency, a top American dance organisation.
- NZPA
