JOJO TO TOUR WITH OLYMPIC GYMNASTS (MTV NEWS)
Diminutive singer JoJo is about to hit the road with some similarly sized talent: the 2004 Olympic gymnasts.
The 13-year-old "America's Most Talented Kid" vet will host the 2004 Rock & Roll Gymnastics Championships Tour, which hits arenas in major U.S. cities early this fall and combines competitions with pop production.
"Being able to perform with the Olympic athletes is an amazing opportunity," JoJo said. "The marriage between great music and sport will make for an unbelievable show."
At each venue, JoJo will take the stage to belt out her hit single "Leave (Get Out)" as well as other tracks from her debut self-titled album.
Olympic silver and bronze medal-winning gymnasts from the 2004 Olympic Games, along with other champion gymnasts, will up the athletic ante by performing floor routines to the accompaniment of pop songs.
As-yet-unannounced celebrity judges will appear at the arena shows to rate the gymnasts on the entertainment aspects of their routine, as well as the athletic performance.
Headlining the men's competition will be U.S. Olympians Paul Hamm; his twin brother, Morgan Hamm; and Blaine Wilson. The women's group will be fronted by three-time world all-around champion Svetlana Khorkina, who will be joined by Shannon Miller and
Dominique Moceanu.Additional gymnasts will be added to the tour as Olympic results come in.
2004 Rock & Roll Gymnastics Championships Tour dates, according to tour producers Inversion Entertainment:
9/9 - Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
9/11 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mellon Arena
9/17 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
9/18 - Detroit, MI @ Palace at Auburn Hills
9/19 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
9/21 - Kansas City, MO @ Kemper Arena
9/23 - Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Events Center
9/24 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
9/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ Glendale Arena
10/2 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center
10/3 - Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Live Center