Still crazy about Super Girls and My Hero?

That's oh-so-last year. The current rage is shaking your body along with stars on Friday nights.

"Dancing Together" similar to US TV network ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" is now the hippest TV show in town.

Hong Kong actor Ng Kai Wa does a waltz in the "Dancing Together" show. [China Daily]

Its debut on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival swept away many specials scheduled that day on other provincial TV networks. According to latest figures, more than 11.3 per cent of Shanghai's population are fans.

Also, more and more stars are applying to take part, pushing Shanghai-based Dragon TV to think of increasing the number of contestants and rounds.

Star contestants and their charisma are the main reasons why so many are swooning in front of their TVs.

Gao Qinfang, 24, is a big fan. The young editor spends two exciting hours each Friday doing passionate samba or graceful rumba in tandem with the stars on TV. She has even changed her MSN nickname into "I Love 'Dancing Together'."

And she said her practice in front of TV has helped in the dancing class she joined after watching the show.

"I watch the show to see stars, dancing, and stars dancing," she said. "Dancing is elegant, and it is something everyone can learn a bit. As for the stars, they are always appealing."

Others watch the show to catch seldom-seen aspects of stars with perfect images like awkward and vulnerable moments.

"I used to think dancing for a few minutes would be a piece of cake for the stars," said Ma Xiaohui, a 24-year-old accountant. "But from the behind-the-scene montages, I find they, too, have to practice hard; they, too, cry when they lose; and most importantly, I just love to see how they react to the close-up scrutiny of the judges."

A film actress is believed to have quit the show in October immediately after the judges criticized her performance; weeks later, a talkshow hostess tried to rebut the judges by saying her mixed-style dancing was like blueberries dotted on a cake; and another actress became the focus the same night, crying after judges slated her poor steps.

The fans love it, though. Ratings have been surging partly because they want more of the same.

Xu Xiangdong, the show's director, said in an interview that if the show came across as too emotional, it was not what he intended.

"It is, after all, an entertainment programme; I, personally, don't want to see anyone cry in the show.

"I think it is because the stars are serious about the competition, so they really care about the result."

Of course, there are many who don't care much for the show mainly, they say, because of amateur dancing and the stars using it as a platform for promoting themselves.

"I don't think the show will last long, for we don't see quality dancing in a dancing show at all," said Chen Shihao, a 23-year-old interpreter.

Miao Kai, a 25-year-old legal assistant, agrees. "Most contestants are out-of-date celebrities. I don't think Jackie Chan or Maggie Cheung will take part. Some just want to stand in front of the camera because they have long lost its favour."

There is more than some truth to his observations. A Hong Kong actor proposed to his fiance after a performance, a Taiwan singer talks about her requirements for a husband, and an actor expressed his gratitude to the audience by going down on his knees.

But Shao Bing, a middle-aged Chinese mainland actor who took part in the show, said the quality of dancing should not matter that much.

"I'm not a dancer. So it is impossible for me to master dancing in such a short time. It's OK as long as I have tried my best."

And Xie Na, a popular talk show hostess on the Chinese mainland, acknowledged in an interview that she learned some dancing that might be useful for the promotion of her new album at the end of this year.

The producers of the show have a different spin. That fact that every contestant should arrive three days ahead of the show and make sure they show up in the following rounds if they win is difficult for those with busy schedules, they contend.

"It's hard to invite superstars to join in a long-term show," said Bao Xiaoqun, one of the initiators of the show and an official of SMG, the parent company of Dragon TV.

"You don't know whether you just appear in one round or dance all the following weeks. Maybe some contestants are not that popular, but they are dedicated. On the other hand, stars are only part of the appeal; if they cannot guarantee their attendance, we will not invite them however popular they are."

That has not stopped them, though, from inviting Jolin Tsai and Nicolas Tse both teenage icons to demonstrate some steps, according to the show's official website.

After 13 weekly rounds maybe more with the growing popularity the show will reach its climax in the final. The results are based half on viewers' votes and the other half on judges' scoring.