Just Dance for Pudsey goes live for BBC Children in Need

Last week, we travelled to Media City in Salford to witness the launch of an exciting collaboration between Digital Schoolhouse, BBC Children in Need and Ubisoft UK, encouraging students across the country to dance for charity as part of this year’s Game to Give campaign.

It was an early start to get on site for the recording of the launch of BBC Children in Need’s Just Dance for Pudsey, a unique initiative seeking to bring children together through dance to help raise money for an incredible cause. Due to be broadcast on BBC Morning Live, there was an air of anticipation as the TV crews started to appear and the giant screen was turned on to reveal Just Dance Now, ready for the live dance-along.

BBC Children in Need have selected two of Pudsey’s favourite songs for teams to practice their moves to – Eye of the Tiger by Survivor and Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Both songs are featured in Pudsey’s Playlist, which is free to download now on the Just Dance Now app.

Everyone jumped straight into practicing their best dance moves ahead of the live show and as the crowds started to gather, we caught sight of mascots representing some iconic sports teams in the plaza, dancers cosplaying as characters from Just Dance and the one-and-only Pudsey himself!

Students from across the Greater Manchester area were treated to an incredible experience before the cameras even started rolling, as they got to witness all the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes to bring these events to our TV screens. And of course, they had plenty of opportunities to get on screen themselves.

Before we got to the dancing, we came across one of our local Lead Teachers, Jon Samuel (sporting a perfectly-themed Pudsey shirt) from Primrose Hill Primary School and a few students being interviewed for BBC Radio 5 Live, alongside Strictly Come Dancing star, Aljaz Skorjanec. What a rush to see our Schoolhouses representing the positive impact of video games and their benefits being advocated for by such a recognisable celebrity in the world of dance.

"Video games get bigger and bigger every year, and people don't always realise how much good they actually do"

Schools and families hoping to get involved can download our tailored resources on how to host a tournament. All you need to take part is a smartphone, an internet-connected screen and a Wifi connection.

To get involved, you can run a competition and whittle down your top players who can compete as a single team. These teams can then be entered into a ballot for a chance to dance live on the ‘Game to Give (working title)’ TV show, taking place on Friday 10th November live from Confetti X in Nottingham. This special broadcast will raise money for charities all over the UK, as well as raising awareness about the benefits of video games and their power to unite people through play.

The ballot closes on Monday 9th October at 2pm so enter here for your chance to take part!