Shake It Up (American TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shake It Up
Created by	Chris Thompson
Starring	Bella Thorne Zendaya Davis Cleveland Roshon Fegan Adam Irigoyen Kenton Duty Caroline Sunshine
Theme music composer	Jeanne Lurie, Aris Archontis and Chen Neeman
Opening theme	"Shake It Up", performed by Selena Gomez
Ending theme	"Shake It Up" (second verse)
Composer(s)	Eric Goldman Zed Kelley Ken Lofkoll Michael Corcoran
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	75 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Rob Lotterstein Chris Thompson (season 1) Jeff Strauss (season 2) Eileen Conn (episode 49-season 3)
Producer(s)	Frank Pace
Cinematography	Bryan Hays Bill Berner Wayne Kennan John Simmons
Camera setup	Videotape (filmized); Multi-camera
Running time	23 minutes, one 66 minute special
Production company(s)	It's a Laugh Productions
Distributor	Disney–ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network	Disney Channel
Picture format	480i 720p (HDTV)
Original release	November 7, 2010 (2010-11-07) – November 10, 2013 (2013-11-10)
Chronology
Related shows	Shake It Up (Indian TV series)

Shake It Up is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel. It ran from November 7, 2010, to November 10, 2013. The show was created by Chris Thompson. It stars Bella Thorne as CeCe Jones and Zendaya as Rocky Blue.

The story follows CeCe and Rocky as they become background dancers on a TV show called Shake It Up Chicago. The series also shows their funny adventures. It covers their challenges both on and off the set. It also shows how they deal with their growing popularity at school. Other main actors in the show include Davis Cleveland, Roshon Fegan, Adam Irigoyen, Kenton Duty, and Caroline Sunshine. Disney Channel wanted to create a show about two female best friends who love to dance.

On September 29, 2011, Disney Channel announced that Shake It Up would have more episodes for its second season. A special 90-minute episode called Made In Japan aired on August 17, 2012. This episode was the finale for season two. On June 4, 2012, Disney Channel said that Shake It Up would have a third season. They also announced that Kenton Duty would not be a regular actor in season 3. He was supposed to make special guest appearances, but he did not appear in any episodes.

On July 25, 2013, Disney Channel confirmed that Shake It Up would end after its third season. The very last episode of the series aired on November 10, 2013.

What the Show is About

Shake It Up tells the story of best friends CeCe Jones (Bella Thorne) and Rocky Blue (Zendaya). They dream of becoming professional dancers. Their dreams come true when they get jobs as dancers on a local TV show called "Shake It Up, Chicago!".

CeCe and Rocky learn to handle their new lives. They try to keep their social status at school. They also look after CeCe's younger brother, Flynn (Davis Cleveland). The show features funny moments from their TV show. They also try to keep up with other talented dancers like Gunther and Tinka (Kenton Duty and Caroline Sunshine). Rocky's brother, Ty (Roshon Fegan), who is good at dancing and rapping, also has his own storylines. The famous singer Selena Gomez performs the show's theme song, "Shake It Up." This song was also on the Shake It Up: Break It Down soundtrack.

Main Characters

• Bella Thorne as CeCe Jones
• Zendaya as Rocky Blue
• Davis Cleveland as Flynn Jones
• Roshon Fegan as Ty Blue
• Adam Irigoyen as Deuce Martinez
• Kenton Duty as Gunther Hessenheffer (seasons 1–2)
• Caroline Sunshine as Tinka Hessenheffer (recurring, season 1; main, seasons 2–3)

How the Show Was Made

Disney wanted to create a show about two best friends. This show would also have a lot of dancing. The first name for the show was Dance, Dance Chicago. The idea was to show the journey of two kids on a dance show, like a modern American Bandstand.

Experienced TV producers Chris Thompson and Rob Lotterstein worked on the story. They started looking for actors in October 2009. Bella Thorne and Zendaya were chosen as the two main girls. Roshon Fegan, who was in Camp Rock, also got a main role.

On May 21, 2010, the show's name was changed to Shake It Up. They announced that filming would start in July. The show was expected to premiere in the fall of 2010. Gary Marsh, who was in charge of Disney Entertainment, said that Bella Thorne and Zendaya were the most charming best friends they had seen. He also said that while shows about friends have always existed, this was the first time dancing was a main part of a sitcom.

People noticed that Shake It Up was similar to another Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana. Both shows had a "show-within-a-show" idea. This means the characters are on a TV show within the TV show you are watching. Chuck Barney from the Contra Costa Times said the show's plots were typical for Disney Channel. They had simple stories, funny jokes, and taught good lessons. Bella Thorne said that the show was about teens dealing with everyday problems. She felt the writing was very realistic. Rosero McCoy, a choreographer for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, helped create the dances for the show. The series was filmed at Los Angeles Center Studios.

Shake It Up followed other music-focused Disney shows like Hannah Montana and Phineas and Ferb. The show came out when other dance shows like Dancing With the Stars were very popular. The show's cast and other artists created original music for the series. Selena Gomez sang the theme song "Shake It Up."

Casting the Actors

Co-stars Bella Thorne and Zendaya at a promotional event for the show

Disney looked for two main actresses for the show. Bella Thorne had acted on TV before, including Wizards of Waverly Place. But she had never danced professionally. She took dance classes three times a week to get better. Zendaya had experience in theater. She grew up around theater because her mother worked at the California Shakespeare Theater. She got the role after many auditions, beating over 200 other hopefuls.

Judy Taylor, a Senior Vice President for Disney Channel, said Zendaya was "completely engaging" and had a "great presence." She said Thorne had "high energy" and viewers would "want to get to know her better." They wanted the two main actresses to have good chemistry. Bella Thorne said that when she and Zendaya first met, they felt a special connection.

Adam Irigoyen was cast as Deuce Martinez. He thanked his family for moving him to Los Angeles to start his acting career. Irigoyen had also worked on Wizards of Waverly Place. Davis Cleveland, who had appeared on Good Luck Charlie and Hannah Montana, was cast as CeCe's younger brother, Flynn.

Roshon Fegan, who was in both Camp Rock movies, played Rocky's older brother Ty. R. Brandon Johnson was cast as Gary Wilde the day before filming started. Kenton Duty got the role of Gunther after four auditions. Stefanie Scott was first chosen to play Gunther's twin sister Tinka. But Disney Channel decided to cast her in another show, A.N.T. Farm. So, they looked for Tinka again. Caroline Sunshine got the role after canceling a family vacation to audition. The brother and sister duo of Gunther and Tinka was inspired by Ryan and Sharpay Evans from Disney's High School Musical movies.

Many famous guest stars appeared on the show. These included Renée Taylor, Ben Savage, and Cat Deeley from So You Think You Can Dance. Also, dance groups from America's Best Dance Crew like JabbaWockeeZ and Quest Crew made appearances.

Episodes

List of Shake It Up episodes

Good Luck Charlie Crossover Episode

On June 5, 2011, a special episode of Good Luck Charlie aired. It was called "Charlie Shakes It Up". In this episode, characters from Good Luck Charlie – Teddy, Amy, and Charlie – travel to Chicago. They want to visit their great-aunt Nell to get money from her will.

When they arrive, they accidentally take the wrong car. People mistake them for the Duncan Sisters, who are two famous dancers on Shake It Up Chicago!. Rocky and CeCe soon realize they are not the real dancers. Flynn wants to get the real Duncan Sisters' autograph. After Teddy and Amy explain what happened, the real Duncan Sisters show up. Deuce locks the real dancers in a closet. Then, Teddy, Amy, and Charlie perform on the show. Only CeCe, Rocky, Deuce, Flynn, and Gary appeared in this crossover. Disney said they only needed the main characters from Shake It Up. This episode was counted as a Good Luck Charlie episode, not a Shake It Up episode.

Season 2 Special Finale

In 2011, it was announced that a Shake It Up movie was being made. The movie was titled Shake It Up: Made in Japan. It was 90 minutes long. It aired on August 17, 2012. This movie served as the extended final episode for season two.

Where the Show Aired

The series first aired in the United States on Disney Channel. It ran from November 7, 2010, to November 10, 2013. It also premiered in Canada on Family Channel on November 12, 2010. In the UK and Ireland, it started on Disney Channel (UK and Ireland) on the same day.

In Australia and New Zealand, Disney Channel (Australia and New Zealand) showed a preview on December 31, 2010. It then officially premiered on February 25, 2011. The show also aired on Disney Channel (Europe, Middle East and Africa) starting January 29, 2011.

Indian Version

An Indian version of the show, also called Shake It Up, started on Disney Channel India on March 30, 2013. However, this version focused on two teenage boys instead of two teenage girls. Like many Indian adaptations, the episodes were similar to the original show. This series only ran for one season.

Music from the Show

Soundtrack Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Singles

Promotional Singles

TV Show Ratings

The first episode of Shake It Up was very popular. It had 6.2 million viewers. This made it the highest-rated series premiere in Disney Channel's history at the time. It beat shows like Wizards of Waverly Place and Hannah Montana. The premiere was especially popular with kids aged 9 to 14 and 6 to 11. It was also the highest-rated Sunday premiere for an original series for all age groups.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Shake It Up (serie de televisión) para niños