By Abbey Tinker

If you have been flipping through the channels lately you might have noticed one reality TV trend that has caught on quickly and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. This trend is reality dance shows.

Reality dance shows are on almost every channel from BRAVO to Lifetime. There are several types of dance shows, each with twists and surprises which make them unique. And unlike other reality shows, they are not scripted or forced.

Each show features a wide range of dance styles from ballroom to street, which the dancers must learn (quickly) and impress the judges with their skills in order to become the best of the bunch. The setup includes professional dancers teaching novices, like celebrities or their parents, professional dancers vying for a huge dance contract, or those with a passion for dancing who want to break out into the world of professional dance.

With so many choices, how do you know what reality dance show to watch? To help you decide which show best suits your interests, here is some information on five of the most popular dance shows on TV.

Probably the most popular, which is due to its celebrity casting, is Dancing with the Stars on ABC. Celebrities are paired up with professional ballroom dancers and taught several styles of dancing in short amounts of time. They must compete before three expert judges, a studio audience and viewers from home. One of the unique features about Dancing with the Stars is that the viewers get to help decide who stays and who goes home; also, the elaborate costumes, live music and behind-the-scenes footage makes it a hard show to turn off.

One of the newest and most original dance shows is Randy Jackson Presents: America's Best Dance Crew on MTV. This show doesn't involve professional dancers, just 12 of the best street and studio crews to compete for cash prizes. Instead of learning a particular dance style such as the mamba, the crews are asked to reenact movie scenes and recreate moves from music videos. Much like Dancing with the Stars, the audience and viewer at home also get to vote for their favorite helping one dance crew to make it to the end.

Another new reality dance show to hit your TVs is Step it up and Dance on Bravo. The ultimate brain behind this show is Jerry Mitchell, choreographer extraordinaire, who will teach the 12 dancers every style of dance imaginable such as Broadway, burlesque and ballet. The only judges in this show are choreographers who have worked with the likes of Madonna and Hannah Montana; they get to decide who has the best moves and versatility to make it to the end.

Reality dance show Your Momma Don't Dance on Lifetime is exactly what you think it would be, people who don't know how to dance trying to learn. Ten Professional dancers are paired up with their opposite-sex parent to see who can get along the best with their parents and teach them how to dance like a pro. The couples' fates, and $100,000 in cash and prizes, lie in the hands of a panel of three judges and America's votes.

Another audience-based voting show, which seems to be a theme, is So you Think you can Dance on FOX. Some of the best dancers compete for fabulous prizes like a contract with a Vegas show for Celine Dion, $100,000 and a new car. They perform intricate dances with a partner every week while America votes on their favorite couples. The couples with the least votes must perform solo dances for the judges to improve their chances of staying.