Filming of a TV reality dance show - 9 Jan 2010

9 Jan 2010 - It was an exciting day for me, as I had the honour to be the dance instructor for a TV reality dance show. The concept of the TV show is simply unique...each episode features a specific dance which the 2 lovely energetic hosts will be taught its choreography. This particular episode zooms in on Elvis' dance moves...cool.

It started with me meeting up with the hosts and the production crew at Beyoga studio in Damansara Perdana.

This is the modern & lavishly designed Beyoga studio. We occupied the studio at the ground floor. To make the reality show even more 'real', we left the window blinds up, and passer-bys from outside could see all the action.

Our dance studio for the learning sessions.

I decided to use my choreography of 'Hound Dog' for the TV show. A little background of the song...in 1956, Elvis appeared on the Milton Berle show, and did his superb rendition of 'Hound Dog'. The song ended but didn't quite end just yet...Elvis resumed the song to a slower tempo with a 'Blues' feel, while gyrating his hips in slow motion, much to the delight of the screaming ladies. However, his performance was criticized by the press, giving birth to the nickname 'Elvis the Pelvis', citing him as untalented with offensive dance moves. Understandably, this occurred in the era where people in general were more conservative, and have had no exposure to such 'out-of-this-world' gyrating dance moves. Using this 'controversial' Hound Dog choreography would be an interesting concept for the episode, as it showcases several trademark Elvis moves.

Meet my 'students'...fellow hosts for the TV show, Qi Qushairi (Qi is pronounced as 'Chee') and Julie Woon, both from the famous local TV series 'Blogger Boy'. We started from scratch, and after 4 hours of intense practice (and sweat), they were ready to showcase their newly acquired talent.

I put on a T-shirt that says 'Nobody Knows I'm Elvis' for the studio shooting part. My father-in-law bought this shirt for me, and I think it's kinda cool and really suits the occasion. :)

Meet Ninie Ahmad, the celebrity Yoga instructor, and also the owner of Beyoga studio.

The final segment of the episode was filmed in Ol' Skool pub in Jalan Gasing. This is where the hosts would showcase their dance moves to the public, entirely on their own. They were all geared up for it, dressed in Elvis costumes.

As the day before (8 Jan 2010) was the 75th birthday of Elvis, we decided to throw a mini Elvis performance that night. I started my performance with 'It's now or never', followed by other popular favourites like 'Wooden Heart' and 'Can't help falling in love'. The crowd was very pleased, and among them was Mr. & Mrs. Lim, who just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

I kept the finale with the special dance performance by our new Elvises in town - Qi & Julie. They danced very well, and the encouraging crowd clapped along with smiling faces, ending with roaring applause. Well done, guys! The crowd wanted more, so I took the lead with the same song, while Qi & Julie backed me on stage. We were all synchronized in our choreography, and the crowd went even wilder. With that I sang 2 more fast numbers, dedicated to the wonderful audience.

Me with the cast & TV crew. Next to me in red is my wife, Natalie. The lady on the left of me, that is...

Another photo with some whacky pose.


It was a fun day for me. I really enjoyed myself working with the hosts and TV crew. This programme will be aired in mid year. More announcements to come once I have the exact airing date information.

A big thank you to the Director, Brian and your excellent crew members, along with the 2 hosts.

It was a pleasure working with your team.

And not forgetting, thank you to Ninie of Beyoga studio & Calvin of Ol' Skool pub for the use of your venues for the filming.