Elizabeth Berkley To Host Bravo’s ‘Project Dance-Off,’ Darlin’

We’ve got a serious case of the rainy-day, writers strike blues when not even Writer Boi’s dope rollback rhymes, the fact that it’s Friday, or the announcement that the Doggie Chow-loving star of Goddess has emerged from retirement to host a reality dance-competition on Bravo seems enough to cheer us up:

Elizabeth Berkley has been tapped to host Bravo’s new reality competition series “Step It Up and Dance” (formerly “Step It Up”), sources said.

“Step It Up” will feature contestants trying to master a range of dance styles, from ballet and ballroom to Broadway and burlesque. The winner will receive a cash prize.

The series is in production, shooting at locations in and around Los Angeles. A premiere date has not been announced.

We can’t be the only ones to feel that Berkley is a tragically underutilised talent, and only hope she can handle the rigours of a reality TV shooting schedule: The last thing Step It Up needs is for the host to freak out during the competition’s Tap Challenge, pushing amateurish contestants aside and screaming, “Step! Step! Ball change! Reverse step! Ball! Change!” before collapsing to the floor and sending dozens of Jesse’s Little Helpers flying off in all directions. That said, we’ll submit, “You don’t know shit! Please pack your Capezios and go,” as a possible kiss-off phrase, but admit that our Showgirls-quoting skills are novice at best, and open the commenting floor to other suggestions.

• Berkley, Bravo mambo combo [THR]