Emmy Award-Nominated Laurieann Gibson Draws in 1.2 Million Viewers With Her Hot Moves for the Debut of "BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON" on BET

For 2011, Every Series Premiere On BET Has Averaged More Than 1 Million Viewers

BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON Top 20 Contestants Revealed!

NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2011 -- More than one million dance fans tuned in to watch the premiere episode of BET's BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON on Tuesday, August 2 at 10:00 p.m.* According to The Nielsen Company, 1.2 Million viewers and 923,000 households tuned in to watch the Emmy-nominated choreographer and creative director kickoff one of the most exciting dance competitions ever. The BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON series premiere telecast also posted double digit gains versus BET's season to date weeknight primetime average (up 54%). For 2011, every series premiere on BET to date has averaged more than 1 million viewers.

In last night's series premiere, BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON gave viewers a front row seat to witness the enthralling audition process and revealed this season's top 20 contestants. Thousands of hopefuls showed up for auditions in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles, but only the best were given the opportunity to move to a loft in Atlanta to work closely with Emmy Award-nominee choreographer and creative director to the stars Laurieann Gibson and get one step closer to their dreams.

Below are the Top 20:

Alexandra Rae Yeado - Dallas, TX

Andrea Gilmore - Van Nuys, CA

Christina Elese Webber - Memphis, TN

Endya Lauren Riley - Cincinnati, OH

Hennessy Rubio - Reseda, CA

Jahleeka Shakii Morris - Decatur, GA

Jessica Shull - Canyon Country, CA

Kaleila Jordon - North Hollywood, CA

Keisha Nicole Hughes - Charlotte, NC

Kristen Michelle Massenburg, Atlanta, GA

Kristina Castellano - Brooklyn, NY

Latasha Renee Bryant - Greensboro, NC

Latonya Swann - District Heights, MD

Lydia Sims - Detroit, MI

Neidra Danielle Lemon - Killeen, TX

Quiana Atherly - Laurel, MD

Sarah Mahmoodzaidehkhoei-Mundo - Katy, TX

Shannon Berry - Canoga Park, CA

Theresa Patterson - Jacksonville, FL

Theresa Stone - Manorville, NY

Over the course of eight weeks Gibson will unleash her hottest choreography and signature tough love to give these 20 aspiring young dancers the tools they need to take their careers to the next level and battle it out for the number one spot and the ultimate prize of $50,000. From week to week, they dance their way through a variety of creative challenges including: a music video competition, a commercial, and ultimately the chance to perform live with Lady Gaga in front of a packed arena in The Monster Ball Tour.

BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON is produced by BET Networks with executive producers Laurieann Gibson and The Ted & Perry Company.

For more information on BORN TO DANCE: LAURIEANN GIBSON, please visit www.bet.com.

*All times are ET/PT.

About BET Networks

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.