I was late to the game; I’ll admit it. I had no interest in watching a bunch of people who thought they could dance flail around the stage in shiny costumes while a second-rate Simon Cowell (or maybe first-rate Simon Cowell; I don’t really think much of Simon Cowell) tells them they’re whatever the dance equivalent of “pitchy” is. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you at this point how I finally started watching So You Think You Can Dance in season 5, which is, coincidentally, the same season I started watching American Idol; all I can tell you is that now that I’ve hopped on the hot tamale train, I’ll never go back.
For those who’ve never seen the show before, it’s a lot like other competition shows in its format: A zillion hopefuls try out. A bunch move on to the next phase. A precious few (in this case, 20) are chosen. The chosen compete, performing both within their genres and without, to varied results. The winner gets a prize and fades into obscurity to everyone but the watchers of the show. Fin.
So what makes this show stand out from the rest? Its host, for one thing–the impossibly leggy Cat Deeley has such an engaging and up-for-anything attitude that you can almost look past how ridiculously hot she is and think of her as a cool British chick you’d like to get a beer with. Almost.
Its judges, for another. Sure, Nigel Lythgoe can be super pervy, Mary Murphy can be super grating, and Tyce Diorio can be super bitchy, but if there’s one thing that must be said about these judges, it’s that they seriously know their stuff. Sure, Mary Murphy may sound like she takes coke in her coffee, but that doesn’t mean she can’t analyze every step of the contestants’ dances like the pro that she is. My favorite thing about the judges, however, is that despite all they’ve seen in the world of dance, they still have the power to be impressed, amazed, and even brought to tears. Compare that to a show where judges flirt with each other by writing on each other’s faces during a performance and you can see why SYTYCD’s panel–which also rotates in choreographers Adam Shankman, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen, and Lil C–stands head and shoulders above the rest.
But, of course, this is a show about dance, and nothing says more about its greatness than the talent captured within, whether displayed by a primo ballerino-turned-hip hop savant or an homage to victims and survivors of breast cancer. Whether you’re a new initiate, an old fan, or just experimenting, here are just a few of the performances that show that yeah, they know they can dance:
From a cynical new watcher’s perspective, this Mia Michaels-choreographed contemporary performance about addiction was one of my absolute favorites, because it actually proved that no matter how little you know about dance, and now matter how little you expect to be touched by it, the right mix of talent (in this case, completely unexpected acting skills by the usually sweet-and-goofy Kupono and the apparently boneless Kayla), choreography, and music can bring anyone to tears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_48OKZqYzHM&feature=related
Possibly the most famous dance to emerge from the show, “The Bench Dance,” starring season 2’s Heidi and Travis is not only beautiful but it went on to win its choreographer, Mia Michaels, an Emmy. As a bonus, Travis has also gone on to become my favorite choreographer on the show.
Another example of how the obvious emotion behind a dance can grip just about anyone, season 4’s Chelsie and Mark performed one of the show’s most gripping and heartbreaking dances in history… by showing your average struggling marriage in a hip hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon, who go by NappyTabs in the dance community.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emy9R7zxAlg
Tonight marks the first time the top 20 contestants of this newest season will take the stage to compete against each other. So You Think You Can Watch?
