Television: So You Think You Can Dance?

I've been wanting to write something about the TV shows that I watch, even though some of the shows I watch happen to be a few years old. So I'll start off with my current indulgence, So You Think You Can Dance? a reality show where the they aim to find the country's best dancer

So you think you can dance?
A question that hits you from the get go. simple to answer, hard to prove. In a nutshell, yes. Everybody can dance, does it mean that they can make the show? Not really. In order to get in, you have to prove to the judges. In order to stay in, you have to prove to the audience. 


The show starts of with auditions to see if dancers worthy of a plane ticket to Vegas. If they're good, they get a ticket to Vegas. If they're okay, then they have to take a choreography class. And if they're bad, its a no (after some harsh verbal abuse called "criticism"). After auditions, is Vegas Week where all the 200+ dancers compete for the Top 20 spot. After that, it's a competition until America's Favorite Dancer is crowned. 


Starting from season one, I've watched the hit reality TV take its baby steps and slowly mature with each every season that follows. No surprise, every season manages to get better and better, unlike some other show that involves singing. It's evident that the cities are rich in talent. And while there is no shortage of contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, salsa, and break-dancing, there are tons of dance styles to encounter, from Tapping to Krump, even unrecognized, self-invented styles that obviously don't even exist in the first place (What the hell is Jumpstep?). Sure, good dancers receive good criticism but the real pleasure is listening to the judges, especially Nigel Lithgoe, laud contestants with words that sting more than that of Simon Cowell. Honestly, I do believe telling a dancer "You can't dance" is much worst criticism one can receive. But at least the brilliance outshines the terrible. 


Come Vegas Week, is where you start to see blood, sweat, and tears. Imagine starting off with 200+ dancers, all on an inadequately sized stage with one hour to learn a routine before performing in a smaller group for the judges. Expecting around 50 to be cut, the remaining dancers learn a different routine before performing again. Learn, Perform, Cut, better said than done. There's a usual staple of Hiphop, Ballroom and the dealbreaker, Contemporary. The week ends with the selection of the top 20, then off to the competition.


The first few episodes after Vegas week are a bit on the weak side seeing as I barely know who they are, except for early audition favorites that made it. But as the show goes on, the Top 20 dwindle by two, The performances get better and better. I start of with a preference to some dancers, expecting a spectacular performance every time. But once the number of finalists are down to single digits, I can't anymore, all of them just become bloody fantastic!


As of this writing, I happen to finish Season 5. I've seen through tons of performances of the many different styles. I have to say, my dance vocabulary has increased, though I still don't know what a "jete" is. And during or after watching each episode, I do have a tendency to pull a face, mimicking the seriousness of some dances. That and/or a futile attempt to do a hip-hop move, knowing that who I saw on TV have been practicing dance for years. So while the moves are just out of my league, right now, the show serves as inspiration for the time being.