The Wish Swap: Is Dance Your Heart Out a Real Reality Show?

‘The Wish Swap’ follows the unlikely love story of two people who find their way to each other when the universe fatefully mixes up their birthday wishes. Casey and Henry are two strangers who happen to end up in the same restaurant on their birthday. However, the coincidence leads to outlandish routes as the pair realize that the wishes they made when they blew out their candles have come true—but for the other person. As such, Casey becomes the owner of a farm overnight, and Henry finds a ticket to the popular reality TV show “Dance Your Heart Out.”

Thus, the only solution remains for the duo to work together and help each other accomplish their own aspirations. Naturally, this journey paves the way for a budding romance—best explored through Casey and Henry’s surprisingly successful stint on the dance show. However, does this reality show have any relevance outside of the Hallmark film?

Dance Your Heart Out is Not a Real Show

Unfortunately, for fans who enjoyed Casey and Henry’s run in the competitive reality TV show, “Dance Your Heart Out” is not actually a real thing. Like most of the elements within this rom-com, in which the premise operates on a touch of magic, the reality show is also a work of fiction. As Casey explains it, Dance Your Heart Out is like a version of the beloved show ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but with ordinary people. It’s a short and simple three-tier show, where a few contestants compete every few weeks until one pair of winners takes the trophy home. For the most part, the show’s appeal seems to come from its refreshingly laid-back approach to dancing.

In real life, there are many similar dancing reality shows—including the long-running ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ However, Dance Your Heart Out remains unique to ‘The Wish Swap’ and finds no direct counterparts in reality. Interestingly enough, there are a number of other media with the same name. Most notably, actress/dancer Maddie Ziegler’s young adult novel series sports the same name. Similarly, fans will be able to find a dance program helmed by Nicole McCall in Beaverton, Oregon, under the same name. Nonetheless, none of these media or companies have any relation to the on-screen similarly christened dance reality show. Ultimately, the dance competition for regular people that becomes the backdrop for Casey and Henry’s budding romance is confined to the fictionality of David I. Strasser’s film.