Sytycd

[Kzach]

I admit it. I'm a sucker for reality shows. So You Think You Can Dance tops the list for me. The sheer skill of these people is amazing. I could never hope to move like they do. The amount of control they have over their bodies and the precision and dedication required is really awe inspiring.

And right now we have TWO SYTYCD competitions running globally. America's and Canada's. And yet, not a single thread on either of them! Come on geeks, come out of hiding and admit that you love and respect dancers. I know, I know, you don't want to get teased by your fellow nerds, but let's face it, you collect dolls and pretend to be an elf, enjoying the performances of highly skilled dancers isn't even in the top five things you should be embarrassed about.

So, I'll start the ball rolling.

Firstly, I know nothing about dance which is probably why I am in constant disagreement with the judges. Everything I think is awesome and amazing, they tend to trash, and everything I think sucks ass and is boring crud, they think is amazing. Maybe there's something lost (or gained) in the translation to TV.

Take the solos for tonight. I thought Ryan's was amazing and Caitlynn's was meh and that she also fumbled half-way through.

Then there was the performances the night before. I thought Ryan & Ricky's movie number was great and yet the judges universally canned it. Yet they found the Jordan & Tadd one fantastic whereas I fell asleep during it (literally).

And Jesse keeps getting favoured by the judges, I swear. He's so irritating. I find his facial expressions during his dancing to be completely fake and forced to the point where it distracts from everything else he does on stage. That, and he's so short. I hate short people.

Then there's the Canadian version. I can't make up my mind whether or not I think Carlena Britch is super-hot, or if she's actually a transexual young boy dressed up like a... err... boy-girl? If she makes one more extremely-exaggerated lip movement when mouthing something on stage, then I think I'm going to lean towards super-hot... best not to ask why.

 

[Umbran]

My wife's a bit of a dance geek, so I've gotten looped into watching since Season 1. It's a decent show for two basic reasons:

1) All the dancers really are pretty darned good, generally professional quality, if sometimes still a bit young. (As opposed to, say, Dancing with the Stars, where the dancers often stink).

2) It is mostly a straight competition show, and they leave the "reality" and attempts to create drama behind in favor of some awesome dancing.

This season's pretty drab, really. So far, they've had a hefty preponderance of contemporary/lyrical/jazz dance, and darned little ballroom or other forms. If you go back and check, the difference is staggering. In previous seasons you'd have one or two contemporary numbers in a night, so far this season they were often over 60% of the dances.

Up until last night, the judges critique this season hasn't been worth diddly. It isn't that Jesse's getting favored - pretty much all of the critique has been slanted to the positive, without any significant comment on technical points, or places where the dancers might improve.

 

[Kzach]

So far, they've had a hefty preponderance of contemporary/lyrical/jazz dance, and darned little ballroom or other forms. If you go back and check, the difference is staggering. In previous seasons you'd have one or two contemporary numbers in a night, so far this season they were often over 60% of the dances.

Yah, I'm not really a fan of contemporary. Too much 'interpretive' dance, like somehow you can infuse a leap with emotion or that having one leg in the air 'means' something important.

Personally I tend to favour the hip-hop routines. Especially the Nappytabs numbers. I always get a sense of what they're going for plus the moves are just more interesting and engaging to me.

I think it was a shame that they got rid of Ryan as I felt she was far more versatile than Caitlynn. But then Cait's a traditional contemporary dancer so it's almost a given that she'll be chosen over Ryan who was more experimental.

Up until last night, the judges critique this season hasn't been worth diddly.

I had forgiven that because they usually are pretty soft on the dancers until the top 10 when they start getting serious and start expecting them to be perfect. We'll see next week if they continue to be namby-pamby with their judgements. Although having said that, they were pretty harsh a couple of times this week.

 

[Umbran]

Yah, I'm not really a fan of contemporary. Too much 'interpretive' dance, like somehow you can infuse a leap with emotion or that having one leg in the air 'means' something important.

Oh, I think you can infuse a leap with emotion - I've *seen* the dancers on the show do just that. It's using the right body language while performing a major athletic feat at the same time, which is why it is impressive.

However, there's been too damn much of it. The contemporary stuff is cool when it is in contrast with other forms. With a constant diet of it, it all starts looking the same.

Personally I tend to favour the hip-hop routines. Especially the Nappytabs numbers.

Some of the hip-hip is really good. The Twitch/Alex "Get OUtta Your Mind" routine last season was phenomenal. I personally find that Napoleon and Tabitha give us interesting choreography maybe one time in three, and the rest of the time their work is kind of lackluster.

I think it was a shame that they got rid of Ryan as I felt she was far more versatile than Caitlynn. But then Cait's a traditional contemporary dancer so it's almost a given that she'll be chosen over Ryan who was more experimental.

Meh. Ryan comes across to me as just one more "floor-rolling lyrical girl". I don't find her work any more experimental than the others.

I had forgiven that because they usually are pretty soft on the dancers until the top 10 when they start getting serious and start expecting them to be perfect.

My remembrance is not the same as yours - in the earlier seasons, the critique was far more direct and technical, even early on. I think they realized that the audience responded more to hyperbole, and changed their style. And don't get me started on the "hot tamale train". Grrr.

 

[Kzach]

My remembrance is not the same as yours - in the earlier seasons, the critique was far more direct and technical, even early on. I think they realized that the audience responded more to hyperbole, and changed their style. And don't get me started on the "hot tamale train". Grrr.

I'm probably confusing my SYTYCD's. I watch the US, Aussie and Canadian versions so sometimes they blend together in my head over the years

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

My wife's a fan, so I've had to watch more episodes than I'd like.

Two observations:

(1) I severely dislike/do not understand "contemporary", and it seems to dominate the competition. Give me some hip-hop, or something unusual (tap, Irish dancing, Russian) instead.

(2) It seems there isn't much room for gifted amateurs -- the field is dominated by what I'd consider to be professionals. I find that sad.

 

[Umbran]

(2) It seems there isn't much room for gifted amateurs -- the field is dominated by what I'd consider to be professionals. I find that sad.

I don't see how it could be otherwise, though. You want a certain quality of dance, you need to have people who are wholly dedicated to it. The athleticism and technical perfection can't be attained by weekends in the garage.

 

[Kzach]

(1) I severely dislike/do not understand "contemporary", and it seems to dominate the competition. Give me some hip-hop, or something unusual (tap, Irish dancing, Russian) instead.

I think a lot of the problem with dancing is that certain moves and forms don't translate very well through the camera. I think contemporary suffers the most from that effect.

As I mentioned earlier, a lot of the time I don't like what the judges like and I like a lot of what the judges say is crap. Partly that's due to not having a clue about dance and I think the other part is that we don't see the performances like they do.

Anyhow, I thought Melanie's contemporary piece last night was awesome. I'd put odds on that she's going to win. Personally I'm hoping Sasha wins but either way, I think it will be one of them. I don't think the others bring as much to the floor as either of those two.

As long as nuke Jesse off the stage, I'll be happy.

 

[Umbran]

As long as nuke Jesse off the stage, I'll be happy.

Why? The boy dances well.

 

[Kzach]

Why? The boy dances well.

NPH summed it up for me and all the judges addressed it in his performance the other night. It was the first 'genuine' performance he's given since being there.

That and he's short. I don't like short people.