Participants
According to the 2007 rules Section 2.2 on the official website, all entrants in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007 agreed to take part in 2008 when signing up for the first contest. However, Switzerland and Germany announced their withdrawals from 2008 edition of the contest due to low ratings and poor results in 2007.
The Spanish broadcaster announced its withdrawal on 20 August, just days before the contest took place. In July they held a national selection show Quiero Bailar and named singer Rosa López and dancer Nieto as their representatives in the contest. According to the draw they were supposed to be 15th couple to perform.
As the number of dances was reduced, with each couple performing once instead of twice, new countries were allowed to enter the competition, but the only new country to enter the contest was Azerbaijan.
Among the countries that broadcast the event without sending representatives were: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, FYR Macedonia, Iceland, Israel, Malta and Spain. Australia also broadcast the contest on 6 May 2009, as a lead up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, on SBS. This was the first time Australia has ever broadcast the Eurovision Dance Contest, after failing to broadcast the Eurovision Dance Contest 2007, and was aired without any commentary.
Read more about this topic: Eurovision Dance Contest 2008
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“A civilization which leaves so large a number of its participants unsatisfied and drives them into revolt neither has nor deserves the prospect of a lasting existence.”
—Sigmund Freud (1856–1939)