so when "so you think you can dance?!" started a season or two later, i really wasn't interested. seemed to me if they were already trained dancers, what would be the point? i had no interested in another talent showcase/reality show where there would be trumped-up, behind-the-scenes back-biting. a dancing divas show? no thanks. but that was an early misjudgment on my part. SYTYCD?! could have gone in that direction, but the producers have instead crafted a show where the drama is in the challenge to the dancers-- are all talented, yes, but with different levels of training. each has a specialty--tap, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop--but each is required to show mastery of all of them, with the panel of judges assessing technique and performance, and the fans voting for their "favorite" every week.
the competition requirements are tweaked every season, but they consistently recruit some of the best choreographers, across disciplines. they try to broaden the audience's appreciation with cultural experiments, like "bollywood" and tahitian dance (to mixed result. but still, a good effort). from one short season to the next, the pool of dancers that they select from improves, and the demands are more intense--this season, they were challenged to learn anywhere from 4-6 dances each week, as part of a pair, with different partners, plus group numbers. and dancers had to be prepared to offer a choreographed solo, in case they were among the "bottom 3" in the standings for the week. whew. given the number of injuries in the past 2 seasons, they might need to ease up on them a bit.
to be a fan of the show is a 3-hour a week commitment, and i'm not always capable of that. but as i have said before, i rely on my sister's exquisite opinion to guide me toward who to watch (and when). it's amazing stuff.
my sister, my aunt and i caught the 2010 touring group's performance in newark last sunday night. not surprisingly, it was even better to see them up close, their speed and lift and loft--jesus, it's a good thing these dancers are young. i had my g10 with me. it was not easy to get stills, but i was just as interested in testing the video capabilities. these clips burn hot in some areas, and our seats were off to the side so you don't get the full gist. but, enjoy...(you will hear that the audience sure did)
ms courtney wasn't by any stretch the best dancer from season 4, but she was the favorite dancer.
as my sister noted, she's really improved...
i'm not gonna lie. i love it when she pounces on poor little kent...
love jose, love dominic. still not sure about the sword bit, but love everything else they do here.
you can hear me oohing during this one...
lauren and billy performing what i think this was the most adorable dance of the season. (choreographed by mandy moore.)
i don't love this song. at all. but the girls behind me did. i wish you could hear them singing along because that was sort of hilarious.
liked the number a lot, choreographed by the dynamic duo napoleon & tabitha dumo ("nappytabs" !) and performed by adéchiké and lauren.
i don't much like this song either--"fix you." but this is a really intricate contemporary piece, choreographed by former sytycd competitor, travis wall. watch how it picks up at the :38 mark. i "wow"ed out loud when i saw this one on tv.
ok, there's a lot of laughing this one and i swear we didn't mean it in a bad way. part of it is the costumes...
this number so cute because disco is so hard--the pace is unrelenting and unlike the disco dancing that most of us have tried in our lives, this choreography is so tight and precise.
and the girls have to do it in those heels...
i know this looks like vegas cheese, but knowing the challenge of it makes me appreciate it very much.
RUSSELL.
