“We’ve had to think about that for a while,” laughs Steenbergse Monique de Groot (26), who runs her own dance school Sjappoo. “Crazy and bad for our body, was our first thought.” But eventually the itching started, says her friend Nick Sebrechts, 22, from Hogerheide. “As dancers, we’ve been sitting motionless for the past year and a half. And with that we can finally show ourselves again. And frankly: it happens once in a lifetime.”

In fact, this dance marathon is very unique to the Netherlands. For those who haven’t heard it before, presenter Jan Verstige explains: “A hundred couples – from hip-hop players to old-fashioned rockabilly – go to the dance floor for a total of fifty hours. And they can take a total of 300 minutes of rest. Leave the grounds. , for example to have a nap or to eat something, the counter starts running.”

Whoever remains after fifty hours and takes the least minutes of rest, wins. According to Verstig, this promises a physical battle but also a mental one. “You two are totally dependent on each other. And then some long-term inconveniences can arise.”

Choosing the right strategy can sometimes be the deciding factor. “We’ve been talking about it for a while,” Monique admits. “We expect many couples to want the first night. We thought it might be smart to get some rest at first. Everyone expects the second night to be very difficult. Then you better make sure you have some energy left.”

Toine Schoutens specializes in curating special duration shows. Previously he helped Jill Belen during his radio world record setting and advised Martin van der Wejden when he swam the Elfstedentocht.

His job would soon be to guide the candidates through the battle in a responsible manner. “I lead a team of about fifty people. We constantly monitor how people move and whether they have healthy skin. In addition, private watches constantly monitor various bodily functions, such as heart rate and temperature.”

But the quality of the dance is also critically examined. “In America you’re used to seeing people really lean on each other after a while. Or sometimes they just lean on each other themselves. That’s not allowed here,” Scotts says. “We have referees walking around. If they see you’re not dancing, you get a yellow card. And the third is the end of the story. So sad, but those are the rules.”

The Dance Marathon will be broadcast live on SBS. According to Versteegh, this makes her even more special. “It’s going to be one big party. Every artist represents something in Holland, they almost pass by for a show. And then there’s also that huge main prize at the end.”

However, the presenter himself did not want to participate for anything. “Even if you can win a million…Fifty hours of dancing isn’t for me. The only thing I can do is ‘click-out’. It’s great for a pub, but you’re not going to go very far with De Dansmarathon that.”