TV Dance Shows & Competitions

[doodler]

Well, Dancing/Stars is mostly discussed from an entertainment point of view and on the "good/bad/sucky" thread as often as here. In my opinion, since it is audience participation, it is not a serious DANCE competition.

[bubba]

It just isn't - I agree - and I use to love it, i did...   SYTYCD tonight!

[jack]

finally... some dancing!

i'm a bit peevish though.  i came up with this DREAM set up, already knowing jason gilkison was choreographing tonight, and that chehon, the swiss ballet guy, was paired with my pick for favorite, witney, i posited a gilkison paso doble on that couple.  the ballet background would have stood him in good stead with the bullfighter attitude, but, NO, they got a van amstel samba, which more or less sucked, because they don't teach you to use your hips in ballet, and it showed.

so, the OTHER blonde ballroom girl, lindsay, paired with the martial arts guy that has background in several styles including ballroom, and knows where his hips are, THEY get gilkison, AND the effing paso.  now, since he isn't much on partnering wasn't able to muster more than pose, move, pose.  had they been switched, both routines would have been so much better.  damn.

they had a previously filmed full cast opening number by chris scott, who just excels at these giant pieces, and it was very cool.  video exists if anyone is interested and missed it.  video exists for all of it in fact, but i'm not going to post all the links, but if asked i will point the way.

i don't think any one dance stood me on my ear or raised the hair on my neck, but they were all damn good.  and none stunk, but a few were weaker than others.

this year they are voting for individual dancers rather than pairs, and that means two things in my mind.  one, one partner can't drag the other down(in theory) and by the same token, partners can't cover for a partners weakness.

it also means its damn confusing to vote.  how do you pick from 20 dancers?  i have decided to trust the audience to sort it out and pray the fan girls and utahns don't rig the game.  silly me.

[jack]

oh c'mon now, i can't be the only one watching sytycd?  the show has been so chopped by the olympic coverage and double eliminations and day changes its hard for all but the most obsessed to follow.  the season kicks off for real this weds (unless they have changed the day again) with a top ten and the "all stars", ie members of former casts who were well received and are available.  that usually elevates the level of dance and challenges the choreographers to do their best work.  it should make for some great dancing.
 

[jack]

oh, and while we are at it, its dwts time very soon.  anybody else thinking of ignoring it until palin gets cut?  last time she was mostly getting a bad rap based on her family activity.  now she has pissed off a lot of people in her own right.  stupid trailer trash bitch...

[doodler]

 
Now THAT made me laugh. Depending on what is on opposite, I'll probably watch, especially if Carson becomes the final member of the cast. Palin doesn't bother me any more than a couple others I'm not a fan of, but I AM looking forward to Kirsty, Giles, Helio, Apollo... can't think of anyone else of hand.

[jack]

i'm kind of hoping that sabrina bryan gets to come back.  she was out of this world, but got chopped shockingly soon thanks to a smaller fan base.  i will probably watch the pairs on youtube until palin is gone.  the sight of her giggling while her kiddie called her a faggot as a bad name makes my skin crawl, as another generation of haters is groomed.  trailer trash, no other word for it.

[jack]

and last night was the first night of dancing with the all star dancers, and they had some good ones.  it really does elevate the quality of the routines.  nothing that will crack too many people's top ten of all times, but definitely sorting out which dancers had more to learn and grow, and which had peaked already.  the highlight of the evening was the solo of one of the bottom guys.  they both turned it on, but the swiss ballet guy tore up the floor, sometimes without even moving.
check it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMPg1RPRaH0

[jack]

i watch a whole season of SYTYCD to see one minute and a half performance like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHMea7rqcKQ&hd=1

this takes a bit to upload as this particular upload is in 1080 hd.  its worth it, absolutely breathtaking, and over far too soon...

[suelyblu]

                                                               ^^^^


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFZevKzdcSI&feature=related

Great dancing Jack....but I always think the "ballroom Tango" is a world away from the real thing . There is a world of difference. I wish to God I could do it as good as these two. Enjoy.

[doodler]

Dancing/Stars is back and returning dancers are so much more fun than newbies. The judging is rachetted up as well.
My choices, already!, are Gilles, Emmit and Helio... probably in that order
followed by Kelly, Kirstie and Shawn, NOT in any order as yet.
The other 7 can just go home, starting with Pam Anderson, then Bristol and Drew... in that order.

[doodler]

As usual, DWTS got it absolutely right!

[jack]

i don't know about as usual, but they certainly got it right this time.  i didn't even manage to find pam's performance, but she looked bored and stoned as they were reading the announcements.

and you forgot my favorite performer, do good she has been taken for a pro on a number of occasions,  the unfairly deposed sabrina bryan.  the public didn't get it right that time.  sadly, her fan base at the time, and possibly still, is mostly too young to be watching this show.  she will have to activate them or make a new one.  they must exist, as she beat out two other previous performers for the slot.  she was going hot and heavy with mark ballas on her season, and for her at least, it wasn't just a showmance.  they split up after 6 or 8 months mostly due to career conflict.  it will be interesting to look for undercurrents to tryto beat him out.  can the house eunuch get as much performance out of her as the house stud?

[jack]

in other dance news, if travis wall and his crew are any example, professional dancers are whiny bitches.  i compared them elsewhere too peacocks, beautiful to look at, but you wouldn't want to live with one.  and that's my summation of ALL THE RIGHT MOVES, buried on the oxygen network, and a more interesting if artificially challenging, and even MORE buried show, A CHANCE TO DANCE, on the ovation? network.  two justifiably famous premiere dancer with the royal ballet often called the ballet boys, are to find and recruit a company of dancers and create a piece to be completed within one month and premiered on the SYTYCD tour.  the fine hand of nigel lythgoe is behind this.

it is indubitably more interesting than the drama, artificial and natural, generated by travis et al.

dancing is certainly out of the closet for a generation or better.  it may soon jump the shark for tv purposes, but it is enthralling 2 or more generations of young dancers who want to be kent boyd, travis wall, or any of a number of successful b-boys.  contemporary dance and ballet are the biggest beneficiaries of this heightened interest, as neither was on the radar of any but the most immersed of dance kids, and have now been shown to provide the language and skills necessary to take on any form of dance .

as an enthralled dance fan from the days of the rko and warner musical  movies, i couldn't be happier.  can you say 7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS?

[doodler]

i don't know about as usual, but they certainly got it right this time.  i didn't even manage to find pam's performance, but she looked bored and stoned as they were reading the announcements.

and you forgot my favorite performer, do good she has been taken for a pro on a number of occasions,  the unfairly deposed sabrina bryan.  the public didn't get it right that time.  sadly, her fan base at the time, and possibly still, is mostly too young to be watching this show.  she will have to activate them or make a new one.  they must exist, as she beat out two other previous performers for the slot.  she was going hot and heavy with mark ballas on her season, and for her at least, it wasn't just a showmance.  they split up after 6 or 8 months mostly due to career conflict.  it will be interesting to look for undercurrents to tryto beat him out.  can the house eunuch get as much performance out of her as the house stud?

I don't care for her... so I didn't forget. She's just not on my list.