A DORSET dancer will star in a new X Factor-style show that has rivalled American Idol in the United States.

Chris Piper was brought up in Blandford and went to school in Wimborne and is one of the 14-finalists on So You Think You Can Dance?

The 26-year-old is entering as Jazz specialist and will have to win over judges including “Nasty” Nigel Lythgoe and Arlene Philips from Strictly Come Dancing.

He hits our screens tomorrow when the BBC 1 show kicks off with a round-up of the gruelling audition process.

Chris, who started his training with Bournemouth’s Big Little Theatre Company, seems relatively unfazed by the prospect of becoming a household name.

Like all the contestants he is already a professional dancer and his career has included performing in New York with the Michael Flatley show, Celtic Tiger, and in West End shows We Will Rock You and Fame.

Chris, a former Queen Elizabeth’s School pupil, who now lives in Clapham, London, said: “It’s quite daunting. I just don’t want to fall over in front of millions of people! But I’m used to performing and I have to think of the live audience instead of the people watching on TV.” He added: “The show is very popular in America and has been getting more public phone votes than American Idol.”

The contestants do an opening group number then a dance with a partner before the public votes and the judges eliminate someone from the bottom two.

The winner gets £100,000 and is taken to Hollywood to appear on the American version of the show.

Chris hopes winning would give him the chance to land a dream role in a dance-orientated film, or to set up his own dance company.

He added: “It would be great if people from Dorset could support me.