Where’s Blake? NBC’s ‘World of Dance’ makes flashy premiere, but local star does not
They came. They saw. They danced.
Well, some of them, at least.
Tuesday’s premiere of “World of Dance,” NBC’s new reality competition show, drew nearly 10 million viewers, the most watched summer alternative series debut on broadcast TV in nine years, according to Nielsen. But Kansas Citians may be asking: “Yeah, but where’s Blake?”
Forty-seven dancers and teams are competing for a $1 million prize and the title of “best dancer in the world.” But the hourlong show showcased only six contestants (including the night’s high scorers, Les Twins, a Parisian hip-hop duo renowned as backup dancers of choice to Beyonce).
The lineup did not, however, include Blake Piatczyc, a Lee’s Summit dancer profiled by The Star who is competing on the show as a member of the Miami All Stars Latin ballroom dance team.
Read more: An interview with Blake Piatczyc
If you’re feeling bamboozled, don’t. Even Piatczyc, who held a “World of Dance” watch party at his Lee’s Summit dance studio on Tuesday, didn’t know whether he’d be shown in this first of 10 episodes.
“I believe that we’ll be on next week,” Piatczyc says. “I hope we will, at least.”
Still, with a crowd of “about three to four hundred” showing up to his BPM Dance Complex to view the show and tour the soon-to-open studio, Piatczyc remains excited. “The watch party was amazing. It was so cool to see tons of people come together and support me and BPM,” he says. “I know we’ll be on the show, I just don’t know when.”
NBC is keeping mum. “We unfortunately are not able to share which specific date” the All Stars will appear, said Joey Levine, a senior press manager for NBC Entertainment publicity.
So in the meantime, best keep your eyes peeled for next week’s episode, airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. If you aren’t able to watch, we’ll provide a recap as soon as we see Piatczyc and his group onscreen.
Aaron Randle: 816-234-4060, @aaronronel
This story was originally published May 31, 2017 at 5:29 PM with the headline "Where’s Blake? NBC’s ‘World of Dance’ makes flashy premiere, but local star does not."