ABC has ordered five episodes of a new dance competition show from RDF USA.

The exact format of Dance Machine has not been revealed but it is billed as "a dance competition with real people, not professionals".

RDF USA chief executive Chris Coelen described it as: "Ordinary people, extraordinary circumstances and a whole lot of money on the line. The show embodies everything a large, network format should."

It was created by Greg Goldman, executive vice president of development, and will be produced by Coelen, Goldman and Metro Entertainment's Brian Veskosky.

The show, RDF's first original format series for ABC, will begin in January.