Happy Dance Friday #123 - SYTYCD Season 10 Finale

Have to say, this wasn't a big surprise to me; Fik-Shun and Amy (who reminds me much of Sabra from season three; that's for a later post) stood out to me from the very beginning. Aaron and Jasmine are worthy competitors, so this year wasn't as much "who's going to win" as "let's savor the overabundance of awesome dancing." Which is, I think, what we got.

Mary and Nigel served heaping portions of entertainment and fun, and when I thought it couldn't get any better...dance bomb by Adam Shankman. Loved this. More, please.

One of my favorite parts of SYTYCD finales is the command performances, where guests (and dancers) get to pick their favorite routine to see again. I loved that we got to see two Travis Wall routines, which were both amazing, but if I'd been able to pick one encore performance, it would have been Jasmine Mason and Alan's blindfolded contemporary. Travis Wall tapped into something deeply emotional here, taking the visual away from the dancers, and giving it all to the audience. I can't say that I've ever seen anything like that before, and when I see choreography, when I see dancing that makes me want to be a better writer, that has to get the nod. So, my pick:



How did you like the finale, dance fans?

Happy Dance Friday #122 - Get Lucky Supercut Driveby post

Entering the writing cave for a big chunk of the day, so will wax eloquent on SYTYCD semifinals later. With so much talent, this is going to be one phenomenal finale, and while I'm going to miss Paul (I always have a thing for the ballroom boys) mightily, this is going to be a battle of champions, guys and girls both. I do want to talk about the gals as well, but I can see my story people tapping their feet and staring at me, so that's later.

I found this extremely creative supercut of movie dances set to Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" while searching the interwebs. Wow, did somebody ever put a ton of work into getting this all together:



Did you catch all the movies represented here? What's your favorite movie dance scene?

Happy Dance Friday #121: Tuckered out and the Brothers Tidwall

Yep, this is my reaction to most eliminations at this stage of the game, because let's face it, when we get down to the top eight out of how many thousands of dancers who auditioned, everybody's good, and saying goodbye to anybody hurts. Given my druthers, I'd keep everybody and form a dance company, but A) I am not yet a billionaire and B) SYTYCD is a contest. Even so, this one, well, this one hurt.

I knew it was going to be hard when my brain "got" it that Fik-Shun and Tucker were in the bottom two for the men. First, there was the surge of "Do not make me choose, people" and then the solos. I loved them both. I want them both. As I've said to DH, if I had a production company and asked a talent agency to send me a male dancer, I'd be thrilled if either of those gentlemen walked through the door. So, either way, it was going to hurt.

Tucker Knox, whose name I would totally steal if I were writing contemporary romance, who waxed eloquent about knowing how fortunate he was to have a father who supported his dance career when many other male dancers do not have that help, who won my creative affection forever in this cha cha:



...I am going to miss your weekly presence.

Even so, it's not goodbye-goodbye, thanks to the magic of YouTube, which is a good thing. There are those moments that I dearly wish every creative person could have, where art and life transcend the boundaries and make something that is beautiful and true and has a life of its own. Which is where we get to the Brothers Tidwall.



Normally, portmanteau names make me itchy, but I'm going with this one, because the sheer poignant beauty of the routine Travis Wall choreographed for Tucker and all star Robert, of one brother helping another up from rock bottom, pierced right to the heart. Though Travis has other brothers, the fact that this story was told in dance told me immediately it was probably Danny Tidwell who inspired the brother's character.



Mr. Tidwell, (as apparently, I am addressing dancers directly today) I don't know what challenges you've faced, but know that watching you dance live on the SYTYCD tour was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in my life, and was a special treat during a very dark and trying period of mine. Such is the power of story and dance.

Happy Dance Friday #120 - Precious Jade and Paso Fik-Shun

I knew something was up when the opening number was a man down on this week's SYTYCD, and when Cat Deely announced it was Jade who was injured, please refer to gif above. Before last year brought the guys from Dragon House to my attention, I didn't know animation was a dance style, but the precision, the technicality, the unusualness of it all drew me in. When Vegas week came down to a battle between Jade and fellow animator Blu-Print, I watched with the attention of an avid sports fan (and this coming from a woman whose first trip to a major leage baseball game was spent regretting the book she'd left in the car) because I didn't want to see either of them out of the competition. I cheered when Stacey Tookey (who is amazing) decided that the show needed both dancers, because I did and do agree, and losing one to injury, well, it stinks.



Jade, we're going to miss you. Stay strong, get better, dance another day.

SYTYCD knows how to soothe disappointed fans, though, especially since I'd been wanting to see Fik-Shun draw ballroom. Not only did he draw ballroom, but Paso Doble, my favorite Latin dance. The dance of the bullfight, known in some ballroom circles as the man's dance; dark, dramatic, life or death, carried out with a sense of showmanship. In short, this dance always makes me happy, and to see it carried out that well by a favorite contestant, that's a happy dance for sure.



On the off chance that I do have some mystical tie to the selection process (hey, I do write fiction, so allow me the possibility)I would love to see this gent matched with some Travis Wall choreography. Just saying. Putting it out there. What about you, dance fans?

Happy Dance Friday #119 - Pure Fik-Shun

Is there any way I could resist a dancer whose professional moniker is Fik-Shun? Well, no, and when he dances like this young man, it's like capturing the essence of a happy dance in a bottle. I love the joy and the energy radiating from every move, so couldn't keep it down to only one clip.

One of my favorite parts of the cattle call auditions is watching the reactions of the judges when one of the really great dancers takes the stage. tWitch's reaction says it all, and the fact that Adam Shankman didn't wait until the audition was over to get on his feet...oh, there is promise there.



I'm always interested to see if the self taught dancers can take the professional choreography, especially in genres extremely different from their usual, and have to say I wasn't at all suprised that Fik-Shun was nothing short of amazing in his first Sonya Tayeh routine. Gorgeous.



Oddly enough, I'm reminded here of my father's favorite quote from Pablo Picasso, "Painting is a lie that helps us see the truth." While I wouldn't call any of the arts a lie, for me, there's a lot of truth to be found in fiction, and I think in Fik-Shun as well. Can't wait until he pulls ballroom. Fingers crossed for next week.

How about you, dance fans? Any early favorites, or too soon to call?

Happy Dance Friday #118, Everything's Better With Monkees

Meant to post this bright and early, but then I opened a Word file, and well, :shifty eyes: I found I'd spent most of the day in England after an outbreak of the Black Death. Writing life will do that to a person. I regret nothing.

Only when I opened this file did I remember I hadn't blogged about the SYTYCD auditions or the first week of competition, (or blogged at all for roughly a month, eep,) so stay tuned. This looks like a really interesting year, but for now, this Monkees classic fits:

Happy Dance Friday #117: Aaninka

Only on the interwebs could we get a viral Korean pop video reinterpreted by an African dance troupe from Cote Divoire, but one look at the dance troupe, Aaninka's, take on the infamous Gangnam Style (blame my DH, who finds Psy very entertaining) and I had to share. Love the attitude and originality here.



Need more happy? Call Aaninka, maybe...



Or check out their YouTube channel here for music, dance and a darned good show every time:

Aaninka's YouTube Channel

Hm, wonder what it would take for them to interpret some Monkees tunes...

Happy Dance Friday #116/Son of Saturday at the Movies #3 - Wreck-it Ralph

Cool and rainy here in Albany today, which is perfect happy dance weather for me. Good writing weather as well, and definitely good reading weather for later in the day. Not good walking in the park weather, so must do without my daily duck fix for the time being.

Since I do live under a rock, I haven't seen Wreck-it Ralph yet (looks really fun, though, and do I spot an inter-game romantic subplot in there? Because if so, I am all over that) but Owl City is always good for some bouncy fun, so here we go:





Okay, I'm spotting some fun graphics, a hero's journey, and gaming. Yep, I'm in. Must add to the library list.

Who's going to the movies this weekend? What are you seeing?

Happy Dance Friday #115 - Rita Hayworth, the Bee Gees and a snow day in March

Last night, I stayed up far too late, talking books with a reader friend :waves hi to Carolina: and woke to a gorgeous sight. More than the single inch of snow we'd been forecast, everything was blanketed under a stunning blanket of white, bare tree branches blanketed, and even more drifting down. It's still coming. DH ambled out of the kitchen, asking if anybody wanted French toast and bacon. As it turns out, it was cinnamon French toast, which makes it even better. That made it official. Snow day.

Our household contains only adults, and DH still had to go in, but it still counts. Still counts as well even though I'm heading down to the coffee house for a writing session, because that's what I want to do. So what's the difference? By my standards, a lifting of the normal restritions or regulations. The chance to breathe and step back from the every day and ask what would be the best thing for this moment. What would give pleasure? What would get us ready for the return to normal life, stronger, more rested and refreshed?

For me, the answer was immediate. I stayed in my pajamaas slightly longer than usual, because eating surprise cinnamon French toast should not be done while wearing regular clothes. My brain meandered back to the conversation of the night before, of the many things I love about historical romance; the mental journey to another time and place, the chance to climb in the skins of hero and heroine and live not only through the time but through the love story. Which is a good place for a writer of historical romance to be.

Which is also a good place for a happy dance. Bee Gees make me happy and heroines who make history make me happy, so finding the two mushed together is even more fitting for the specialness of a snow day.



What makes a snow day or other found day extra special for you?

Happy Dance Friday #114 -zomg, pony!

Weird, weird week at Stately Bowling Manor, and I have no idea how it got to be March already. Not sure I'm ready for spring, winter girl that I am, but I'll give it a fair shake. I'm looking forward to seeing what spring looks like in our new environ Good things should be coming. In the meantime, here's a dancing pony I found:

Happy Dance Friday #114 & Son of Saturday at the Movies #3: Smash

I've been a snow bunny as long as I can remember, and according to family, even before that. My mother used to have to make me come inside and change snowsuits after a couple of hours because I'd soak the first one through; snowy days were the only ones where I insisted on playing outside all day long. There are many pictures of a very young me with snowmen, on sleds, etc. In short, snow always makes me want to happy dance.

As does the return of Smash for a second season, so that made picking this week's happy dance easy. No snow in this one, but we do have a full on Bollywood explosion of opulence, gorgeous costuming, a great set, plus choreography that makes me want to jump to my feet and join in.



This is another clip I've watched countless times, because there's so much to see - the colors, the huge ensemble, the character tableaux that say quite a lot in a very small frame, and above all, the storytelling. Which is also a huge part of Smash.

A drama about putting together a Broadway musical? Sold. With Katharine McPhee? Sold again; I remember watching her when she was on American Idol and hoping I'd get to see more of her work. Debra Messing is in it, too? Triple sold. I am also weak, weak, weak for British characters in NYC (I thank a friend of my mom's when I was tiny for giving me this bent; Mrs. Bloomer, did you know the seed you planted?) Quadruple sold. Drama and intrigue surrounding the audition process? Ah, they know how to sink their hooks into my very heart. I love, love, love the audition process. In college, I would audition for parts I had no chance of ever getting (including musicals, and I freely admit to having been kicked out of high school robe choir for having a bad voice - teacher's own words, in front of everyone) as well as the ones I could and did get, all because of the rush of standing on that stage and having the full attention of whoever was in those seats, watching to see if I had what they were looking for, feeling the give and take of creative energy.

Then the rehearsals begin, and things get crazy. Though I like Raz Jeffrey's character, Dev, and hope to see more of him in season two (don't burst my bubble yet if you have spoilers, please) I had to sypmathize with Ms. McPhee's Karen, who responded to Dev's proposal with "I'm in tech! Even the financial backing can get insane and everybody has an angle. For some, chaos. For me, bliss.

I can't let this go without mentioning Megan Hilty's character, Ivy. One of the first characters I ever created, back when my day still involved homework and catching a big yellow bus, was named Ivy Lynn, and yes, she was a singer. Bit of a moment there when I first heard Ms. Hilty's character introduce herself. While I'd assumed I'd be rooting for Karen to get the role, then I saw all the work Ivy put into the workshop, and my head did more flip-flopping than a bin of rubber sandals on opening day at the beach. Karen, no, Ivy, no, Karen, no, wait, they're bringing in someone else? Then multiple Marilyns in the shadow selves, then the show's off, then it's on, and now a rival musical may be in the works.

Have you been watching Smash? Who's your favorite Marilyn? Favorite new twist/cast addition? Share in comments, and if Nemo's finding you this weekend, stay safe.

Happy Dance Friday #113: Right Said Fred and some rambling on writing...

We have entered that part of the year known as "butt cold." The kind of weather that is the real reason sweatshirts have hoods and is perfect for staying inside with a good sized supply of reading material...and/or computer games, hence the snowy Sims picture.

I'd first intended to post a traditional (if there is such a thing) Happy Dance Friday post, then decided I'd ramble instead, but the rambling reminded me of a bit of happy-dance-inspiring music, which ties in nicely with said rambling, so you get both. These guys have the right perspective on the creative life in today's tune:



2012 was not my best creative year, and far from the most stress-free. For 2013, I'd like to flip that coin over and have the opposite. Which takes some work, some faith, some trial, some error, and the resiliency of a SuperBall (I once dropped one out of a third story dormitory window to see if it would bounce back up all the way. It did. Many thanks to my friend, Diana R, who waited on the ground to make sure she caught any stray balls before they could meet car windows. Yes, she did, and no, they didn't.)but eventually, one gets there.

Like today. I'm reading straight through the ms formerly titled "Draperwood" which is now "Ravenwood," which makes more sense as a place name, and making revisions. You know it's a good day when you're driving your characters through a plague-decimated England and chair dancing as you do because it's fun to do so. I bought a book of stamps, earmarked for good old fashioned snail mail letters, because one dear friend gave me a fountain pen for Christmas and the lure of sitting at my antique secretary desk and writing letters the old-fashioned way is too much for a writer of historical romance to resist. Besides, who doesn't want something in one's mailbox that is not a bill or junk mail? The letter writer in me announced that she is done being quiet, and I have learned it's useless to oppose her. Hence the stamps.

Yesterday, Housemate Linda and I made purchases at two local small bookstores. Between those, the two libraries within walking distance, and my electronic reading devices, the TBR pile is shaping up quite nicely. Tomorrow's plans involve much reading, the baking of cookies, and messing about with some arty things because A) I have stamps and that means mail art, and B) the art supply store had free samples and the girls in my basement (borrowing term from Barbara Samuels, from her book, The Care and Feeding of the Girls in the Basement - highly recommended reading for writers, IMO)want to play with paint. I think I'm going to let them.

What weekend plans make you want to happy dance?

Happy Dance Friday #112 - Sovereign Light Cafe

I'm going back to a time when we owned this town
Down Powdermill lane in the battlegrounds
We were friends and lovers and clueless clowns

- Sovereign Light Cafe, Keane

Do not ask me how many times I've seen this video, because I can't count that high. The name of the song drew me in at first - could this be about a place that's a character in itself? (It is, and it's a real place, though the website is still under construction, it would seem.) One of my favorite tropes right there, and with such an evocative name, I couldn't resist.

Every time I watch this, I find new things - the Union Jack flag on the parked bicycle at 1:57 and hey, where did the guy in the beanie at 2:39 come from? I'd kept all my attention on the couple with the ice cream in that shot the last dozen times. There are two gentlemen practicing martial arts, but one wears a black belt (high level of achievement) and the other a white belt (beginner) - are they teacher and student?

The melody is lovely, gently upbeat and hopeful, the lyrics implying both a troubled past and a homecoming with good intent, but it's the varied characters that catch my attention the most. The stern, intense concentration of a young male gymnast. A ballerina poised against the grey of sea and sky. Trick bicycle riders and acrobats doing somersaults through the air. A line of costumed belly dancers in front of changing cabanas wave their brilliantly covered scarves. The dancer who gets the closeup? A woman of experience, shall we say? I think she's gorgeous. Rock on, madam.

That's what makes this song worthy of the happy dance title. A wide variety of people, each doing their own thing. Antique cars drive along the same beach where a white horse gallops. Antique big wheeled bicycles traverse the sidewalk. Old friends need to say nothing, only be there for each other. Members of the band pose on benches or against walls, solo, while the singer, our narrator, strolls the seaside, eventually leading a scarlet-coated marching band to the cafe. There, everybody can gather at the end of the day; teens and pensioners, singers and athletes coming together to watch the night settle. Add to that our narrator coming home to those who know him -possibly to reunite with a long lost love?- and will presumably take him as he is? Bliss, and definitely something for the idea file.

Happy Dance Friday #111: You're The Best Thing About Christmas

Celebrating the return of Happy Dance Friday with something that's been on my wish list for some time now - a Christmas single from Right Said Fred. In collaboration with Mr Weebl (who is new to me) this is fun, upbeat and full of holiday spirit.

Happy holidays to all, and if you're holiday-free, then Happy Friday.

Happy Dance Friday #110: LMAFO and character theme songs

Quick drive-by post this time, but rest assured I haven't forgotten about dueling "Addictions" and I haven't even started to blabber about All The Right Moves.

LMAFO's "Sexy and I Know It" is on my WIP playlist, as it's pretty much the song playing in my heroine's ex's head at all times, and the current scene is is his first appearance. A past-his-peak dancer, this guy is more in love with himself than he ever could be with anyone else. It fits, and it puts me in the right frame of mind to know where his head is in this scene.



As an aside, would this not make an awesome flash mob idea? Have to admit the initial shot of a whole horde of black-clad dancers taking the floor at once makes quite an impression. May have to file that away for later.



LMAFO's song bumped the previous choice of theme song for this character out of the playlist. (Sense a theme here?):



How about you, writers? Do your characters get theme songs? Readers, do you assign theme songs to your favorites?

Happy Dance Friday #109 - SYTYCD Season 9 Finale and Hypothetical Publishing Ramblings

If I ever come into possession of a publishing house (and in this day of digital publishing, I can't gaurantee that will never happen; no plans in the works, just saying) I already know what the first anthology would be. Bad Boys of Dance. Or Bad Boys Who Dance, if Brava owns the Bad Boys of... thing.

It's all built in right there; passion, music, the physical, emotional and spiritual natures of dance, which, in itself requires a connection between partners, as does romance. Which is one of the reasons that, when a dancer clicks with my creative mind, they really click. Which is one of the reasons I was, to put it mildly, pleased with the results of SYTYCD season nine. Loved that there were both male and female winners, and Eliana absolutely deserves a post of her own, but we'll stay with Chehon, aka "that guy who was really really good" according to my DH (who insists he doesn't like watching dance, but asked if the town to which we are moving has a ballet company as we watched Chehon's final solo -it does- and came out of another room when I alerted him to the Cyrus/tWitch animation routine, which is for another post. No, I have not learned my lesson from the Mia Michaels theme week and have not forgotten about the final part of that.)



But I digress. There really was no bad way for the vote to go with the final two guys, and I would have been happy with a Cyrus win. The inherent conflict of classically trained vs never took a class in his life prior to the audition, that's compelling viewing.



Still, there was part of me that really wanted to see a ballet dancer win, so double the pleasure with Team Ballet.



What about you, faithful readers? Are you satisfied with the SYTYCD winners this year? Romance readers, would you like to read a book with a dancer hero or heroine? Dancers, why is your dance form perfect for inclusion in a romance novel? Leave a note and weigh in.

Happy Dance Friday #108g - Dueling Benches

Happy Dance Friday comes early this week, as I'll be away from keyboard for most of the day tomorrow. This entry could almost stand on its own, because both performances affected me very deeply, but each has their own unique flavor, so onward we go.

There's nothing like the first time, really and seriously. As soon as I saw Travis and Heidi on that bench and the first few notes of music sounded -shoot, before that- I knew this was going to be something special. I wasn't wrong. This man and this woman try to connect; she comes closer, he can't help but move farther away, though reluctantly. She leaps at him, he catches her, they spin, but there's a poignant ache.



When they touch-but-don't-touch, through the freaking bench, people, it's no wonder the audience goes crazy. This depth of emotion, this is what draws me to stories that have that beautiful heart-hurt. Gorgeous. Though this is by now a moment dance fans know well, the first time I ever saw the man walk away at the end, leaving the woman with her outstretched flower, made all the more poignant by Heidi's presentation as an ingenue, it was a powerful surprise.

Have to admit that I was excited to see Chehon and Witney would be interpreting this story. It's interesting to see that the woman would be played, again, by a blonde ballroom girl from Utah (and they do tend to rock, so no complaints) and while Travis and Chehon are very different types, nobody does those leaps and spins like the ballet boys. Can I say there was a certain European flavor to this interpretation? I think that worked favorably, both in making this a distinctly different performance while still keeping the feel of the piece, and fitting Chehon and Witney's unique stregnths. Nice acting as well, with the facial expressions. When Chehon melts off the bench, it still packs a punch, even though we know the man is going to walk off, leaving the woman alone.



Verdict: Apples and pears. Both delicious, like spending time with two members of the same delightful family. Well done.

How about you, dance fans?

Happy Dance Friday #108f - SYTYCD Dueling "Time" 6/8

First off, full disclosure. This routine, about Mia's relationship with her father, came the first time when I was caring for my father, who had Alzheimer's. That was near the end of the road for him, so that probably colored my experience. I know it's a very emotional piece for many, very close to the choreographer's heart, but I don't love it. Don't hate it either. Don't really anything about it, so this won't be the most emotional recap.

I do like the contrast of the costuming - the all white ensembles of the dancers, against the rainbow of flowers on the ground, and the emotion of the joy shared between the man and the woman -in this case, a father and his adult daughter- comes through clearly. Lacey is still a favorite of mine, so she's always fun to watch.



I was eager to see if different dancers would provide a different viewing experience for me, and went into this with an open mind. Audrey certainly fits the sweetness of the character, and if there's any dancer who should be frolicking in a field of flowers, she'd be my pick. Matthew's wistful/joyful facial expressions in his first closeup fit nicely as well, though as Nigel says, the essence of that particular character could have been a bit stronger.



Splitscreen from Jroxy13:

Verdict: It's not them, it's me. Really pretty, though.

How about you, dance fans?

Happy Dance Friday #108e - Deuling Beds 5/8

The bed dance. Three words, and a whole story is told right there. I'd never heard "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" before seeing the original performance of this, but it immediately went on the playlist I have for my I Would Know You manuscript. There's a raw, unbearable emotion that plays across the man's face as well as the movements of his body, testament to tWitch's (aka Stephen Boss) acting skill. He hits us hard with the pure, unadulterated grief too many of us know too well, capturing that moment between sleep and waking, that moment of remembering a loved one is gone. That desperate reaching. Angstbunny me clamped right onto that, and it was as pure a picture as I could see of my tormented hero, Anthony's longing for his believed-dead Christine.

This could have worked as a solo, highlighting the man's aloneness, but when the woman, the shade of his beloved, appears behind the bed, sliding into it, but still out of his reach, angh, my heart. Add to that her own frustration - does she, too, want to be next to him once more, but can only look? Then we have rose petals exploding everywhere, the lyrics with that it-makes-sense-in-grief question of the man grasping at even giving her gifts in his dream, and reality crashes in. No, she's gone. I dissolve at the sequence that starts at 1:15 below. All it takes is the eye contact to hear the entire conversation. No, she's not back. Yes, she's really gone. Yes, he has to live on without her. No, she didn't want to go. Yes, this sucks. It's raw and it's bleeding and it's gorgeous.



I have to admit to being really curious as to who would essay this dance in the new version. Dareian and Janelle, again, have very different physical types from Kherington and tWtich, which does help differentiate the two performances. I liked that Mia tailored the choreography to showcase the dancers. Dareian's spin at 2:40 was gorgeous, another rip my heart out moment. I do appreciate Janelle sharing that this dance came at a pertinent time in her life. Method dancing? Could be. Dance begins at 1:35:



I got a different feel from this performance, more vulnerable than raw, but still very effective. Dareian gave the male character an everyman quality. This is our brother, our friend, our neighbor, and this is one night of many he's alone with his pain. He'll get through the day all right, but the night, well, that's rough.

The female character was a bit harder for me to grasp. First, that's part of the story. She's dead, for one thing. Second, while Janelle has really gorgeous curls, for me, that obscured some of the facial expressions that convey the character and relationship. The soulful eye contact in the original becomes a gentle head shake. Still a sad "no, I'm not here," and a valid acting/choreograpic choice, but I missed the facial expression. Especially since this is far different from Janelle's usual dance persona. This couple feels younger to me, and can make it a sweeter ache.

Now for the split screen, courtesy of jroxy13:


What I found most interesting here was who I watched, and when, given the chance to see both routines at the same time. tWitch and Kherington have me one hundred percent at the eye contact, but when Dareian does his spin, then I'm there 100% as well. For me, tWitch's character was bleeding his pain, Dareian's soldiering on, and they both have me. My notes say "the original is the movie; the remake is the tv series." The same heart is there, but one is bigger, one quieter, both effective. What about you?

Happy Dance Friday #108d - Deuling Koops 4/8

Ah, the b*tt dance. "Koops" in the post title is to avoid disappointing those whose search engines were looking for posts about b*tts (same reason for asterisks) because while this is a dance focused around a b*tt, it's an artistic b*tt, not a salacious b*tt. Not that I believe for a minute that the man character doesn't have pictures of women's b*tts wherever it is he hangs that hat of his, because I'm guessing he does. Man of mature years admiring the posterior of a potential paramour several years his junior is not the highest of concepts, but (no pun intended) it packs an impact.

One of the aspects that stands out for me the most from the original Randi and Evan performance is not on the clip, that of Evan's charming apologies to Randi's husband for having to focus on Mr. Randi's wife's b*tt all week. It's that contrast between the decency of Evan-the-dancer and the character of the dirty old man in this performance that ramps the latter up a notch and makes me admire the talents of the younger Mr. Kazprzak all the more.

As for Randi, I can definitely see the Mia in her performance and the character of the woman fits in with the whole world of this story. I'm thinking 1930s, slightly seedy town, possibly by the sea, and this ain't this gal's first rodeo. She's at least willing to accomodate her companion, and the relationship is fun to speculate. Plus the look is dead-on, but enough of my blabber.



I have to admit that I actually squeed when I saw that Amelia had been cast in the new version, because honestly, is there any other choice? Her 1920s persona and look fit perfectly here, and I had to wonder if this was going to surpass the original, even as I wondered if that was possible. My Google-fu skills did not turn up a performance-only clip, so dance begins at 2:20 below:



Will's interpretation of the man struck me as both more humorous and dirtier than Evan's, though the head waggle could have been taken down a notch. Amelia's presentation gets an elebenty out of ten for capturing the look of the story. I knew she'd (and hair/makeup/wardrobe)nail that. I also want her shoes.

For me, this was more a case of apples and oranges. I like both versions, and maybe it's the different physical types of the dancers -Evan's more compact physique isn't the same as Will's tall and lanky frame, and while Randi and Amelia are both gorgeous, they have very distinctly different "types." I think that went a long way towards letting me take this new version in without constantly (only sometimes) referencing the original in my brain.

Have to say that this is the split screen I've had the most fun watching so far. It puts me in mind of two different but related stories set in the same world, and I could definitely go for that. Final verdict for me is apples and oranges; different from each other, but both delicious. Also going in the idea file.



Oh, and b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt b*tt.
Because it's fun typing "b*tt."