Back Up, Dancer

"Back Up, Dancer"
Will & Grace episode
Scene where Jack (Sean Hayes; right) and Artemus (Will Arnett; left) compete in a dance-off to determine who will be Janet Jackson's fifth dancer.
Episode no.Season 7
Episode 2
Directed byJames Burrows
Written byTracy Poust
Jon Kinnally
Original air dateSeptember 23, 2004 (2004-09-23)
Guest appearances
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"Back Up, Dancer" is the second episode of the seventh season of the American television series Will & Grace. It was written by Tracy Poust and Jon Kinnally and directed by series producer James Burrows. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 23, 2004. Guest stars in "Back Up, Dancer" include Will Arnett, Bobby Cannavale, and Janet Jackson.

In the episode, Jack (Sean Hayes) auditions to be a backup dancer for singer Janet Jackson, but in order to get the job, he must compete in a dance-off with a fellow named Artemus (Arnett). Meanwhile, Will (Eric McCormack) is torn between going out with his boyfriend Vince (Cannavale) and staying in to console Grace (Debra Messing) following her failed marriage.

"Back Up, Dancer" received generally mixed reviews from television critics, some of whom disliked Jackson's appearance on the show. According to Nielsen, the episode was watched by 15.32 million households during its original broadcast, and received a 7.1 rating/19 share among viewers in the 18–49 demographic.