“Dancing Fools” is feeling the love on an all new episode of the hit ABC Family comedy airing Friday, June 28th (9:00PM-9:30PM ET/PT).
A romantic fool earns the Hall of Fools award for his live lip synching proposal to his girlfriend-accompanied by a flash mob. The adorable couple update Melissa on their wedding plans and make Guy tear up.
Plus, a family (aka “Grits N Gravy”) from Clanton, Alabama squares off against buddies (aka “Simply Fearless”) from Ft. Worth, Texas for the $10,000 prize. And, Melissa struts her stuff in her best 80’s-era spandex, much to Guy’s delight.
Dancing Fools features the best, funniest, most outrageous and memorable user-generated dances caught on camera and presented in front of a live studio audience. Hosted by Melissa Peterman (“Baby Daddy”) with help from VJ Guy Torrey, each week features a dance-off between competitors for a $10,000 prize. Created and executive-produced by Phil Gurin, “Dancing Fools” is produced by The Gurin Company (“The Singing Bee,” “Oh Sit!”). It is hosted by Melissa Peterman and features VJ Guy Torry.
CelebSecrets4U chatted with Guy Torry to get all the details on what goes on behind-the-scenes details on Dancing Fools. Check out the Q&A below and don’t forget to tune in TONIGHT at 9:00PM on ABC Family!
What made you decide to be a part of this show?
G. Torry: “Well, it was a different type of a show for me. I’m a standup comic who is usually late-night, after dark comedy, but I love dancing and I love watching dance clips on the internet all day so this was a perfect marriage between me and the show. It opened me up to a whole new audience actually.”
How close do you get with the contestants; do you get pretty familiar with them?
G. Torry: “I try to. I usually see them during the show, and then after the show just to get a little bit more about them, but before the show I really don’t interact with them at all. I don’t think it’s fair to actually because we do have the studio audience who votes. It’s a real vote and I know people out in the world or Viewerland, they always think that shows are rigged or things like that, but no we actually have a live studio audience and their decision determines who wins the show. Just to put the dancers at ease I just don’t interact with them before the show because I don’t want them to think that there’s any bias.”
How would you describe Dancing Fools as different from other dance competition shows?
G. Torry: “It’s fun. It’s more interactive. Even on Dancing with the Stars they’re professional dancers mixed with celebreties. These are people like everyday people, real people out in the world who just do it for fun. They don’t really put their videos on the internet to win money. They just do it because it’s fun, and we select them, and I think that’s what makes it different. But it makes people who are not in the entertainment industry and out there in the real world just say, “Hey, you know what? I have a chance to be on that show,” and they have their 5-minutes of fame or 15-minutes of fame or turn it in to a career. I think it makes it different that way because it relates to everybody. Everybody loves to dance, and most of us are fools.”
What’s your favorite part of working on the show?
G. Torry: “Working with [host] Melissa [Peterman]. I mean she is really talented. I had no idea how talented she was, how funny she is, how quick-witted she is, and how generous she is. You know we have the four really good dancers on the show and their job really was just to dance us in and out of break. It was Melissa’s idea to really include them in to the show so America could know who they are. They have names and they’re professionals and the skits that they do were really all Melissa’s idea. She’s a very generous and gracious host, and you don’t find that a lot in Hollywood. It’s all about me, me, me, me and nobody wanting to share the spotlight, but she was really generous and to see that was just great. Working with her was really a treat.”
Is there anything special that you do to prepare yourself before an episode of Dancing Fools?
G. Torry: “I dance myself, man, in my dressing room. I listen to my playlist and I just kind of get in to the groove. I have these videos of some DJs of mine out of St. Louis. They’re VJs actually, and I kind of put those on and kind of get revved up and kind of get in to it in my dressing room before we go out and tape. Just to get my energy up and so I can be festive when I hit the stage.”
Do you find that you still get nervous in front of a live audience?
G. Torry: “Always; even in my standup. I’ve been doing standup for 20 years, going on 21 years this September, but I’m always nervous because I believe in this. I’ve turned negatives in to positives but nervous energy is as good if you use it the right way. I feel like this: if you stop getting nervous then you don’t care anymore. When you’re nervous then you care about the small details. You care about what you’re doing, and you love what you’re doing. When you’re not nervous then I think you just meld in. You’re dialed in and you don’t really care. Nervous energy for me is great energy.”
Can you tell us a little bit about the content and who it is for? Is it more for adults or children or is it all-around family friendly?
G. Torry: “It’s on ABC Family and that’s who it’s for to me; it’s for everyone, but I think the audience of ABC Family is good [all] around family. I think adults can watch it with their kids, and they don’t have to worry about any content that they don’t want them to see. It’s a fun viral video show that puts the everyday American or someone abroad in to your living room and just acting a fool. I’m so glad that people love to dance, people love to act a fool, and we have technology to share with the world. We put it all in one cute show, and we have a beautiful tall blonde to introduce the clips and a crazy VJ who plays the videos, and it’s just fun. It’s a party. It’s a family party.”
