The touring stage show, “Ballroom with a Twist” has been criss-crossing the country for several years now. But it looks like the BBC, the producers of Dancing with the Stars, have had enough. They are suing Scott Stander & Associates, the production company which puts on the show, for infringement on their trademark.
“Ballroom with a Twist” is choreographed by former DWTS pro, Louis Van Amstel. Several of the DWTS dancers have appeared in the production. American Idol alums such as Gina Glocksen and David Hernandez have toured with the production. From The Hollywood Reporter:
BBC and co-plaintiff DWTS Productions have a problem with the defendant’s advertising, asserting that “Ballroom with a Twist” is written in the same color, font and design in promotional materials as DWTS. The plaintiffs have also flagged advertisements on the websites of theaters describing the show as “a non-competitive spinoff of Dancing with the Stars, featur[ing] sizzling performances by jaw-dropping ‘DWTS’ celebrity pros.”
The lawsuit alleges unfair competition and trademark claims, raising the theory that by using DWTS in this manner, Standler will be “likely to cause confusion among ordinary consumers as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or approval of the BWAT show, and to dilute the value of the DWTS Mark.”
Unfortunately for “Ballroom with the Twist,” the plaintiffs note that they have locked up contracts with all of its DWTS dancers including Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Emma Slater, Sharna Burgess, Peta Murgatroyd, and Jenna Johnson. They “shall not not render services or appear in any other dance related program in any medium, or authorize the use of the DWTS Dancer’s name, voice, or likeness in connection with an endorsement for any such program,” the lawsuit asserts.
“Despite knowing that each of the DWTS Dancers were under contract with DWTS Productions… SS&A nevertheless approached the DWTS Dancers and induced them to perform in and promote the BWAT show, thus breaching their agreements with DWTS Productions,” states the complaint.
Any pro who hopes to appear on DWTS would probably be wise to stay away from “Ballroom with a Twist.” It will be interesting to see how the lawsuit affect the upcoming production, set to hit the tour circuit in 2015. It stars season 1 winner, Alec Mazo and DWTS pro, Edyta Sliwinska. So You Think You Can Dance alum, Randi Lynn Strong, plus Gina and David are also set for the production.
