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 #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."

Happy Dance Friday #108b Dueling "Mercy" 2/8

When I decided to compare this week's performances to the originals, my first question was which to look at first. Not as easy a task as it seems. For most of us, the original performances are what we know, unless, like the week's guest judges, the ballet boys, they had not seen the original and then the new performance is all they know. There's also the fact that Mia choreographs for the original dancers, and stepping into someone else's role has an added challenge.

Still, I want to look at the new performance in its own merits. What do these dancers bring to the performance? Are their characters unique while still maintaining the flavor of the piece? making something the same but different is a tough challenge, and one writers of genre fiction face on a regular basis. Reach happily ever after, solve the crime, save the world, come of age, etc, but in a different way with each new story. It's all in the details, and that's what makes comparing the same dances with different dancers this much fun for me.

That said, it's time to get down to business. For ease of writing, each dance story will have two characters, the Woman and the Man. tWitch and Katee's original performance has a definite dynamic to it. I get the craziness of the relationship, the Man's easy swagger, his cooler demeanor contrasted with the woman's perpetual and prickly determination. I imagine the man has been through this scenario before. He's doing what a man does in his own home, and then she's baaaaack. He opens the door, there's the kiss and it's on.



All wrapped up with that achingly vulnerable look on the woman's face when the door closes with her on the outside yet again.

Love tWitch, love Katee, so I was curious who they'd put in this version. Cyrus and Eliana definitely put their own spin on things. Cyrus' interpretation of the man seems younger (understandably) and Eliana's woman strikes me as less deranged and more aggressive. What stands out to me most for the flavor of the new performance is at about fifty seconds in, where the man puts the woman outside the door. The man flat out grins. (Yes, tWitch's character grinned as well, but this has a different feel.) I like the way that fits in with Cyrus' looser movements, giving, to me, a more humorous take on this scenario. I don't think the man minds the woman's actions as much as the previous incarnation, and when the woman finds herself shut out at the end, I would suspect she'd be back before too long. Like Nigel, I would not have been surprised if the woman had been the one to shut the man out this time.



I don't know if anything like this exists for the other performances, but I found an interesting split screen of both versions here:



Okay, dance fans, which version did you prefer? Apples and oranges? Mix and match? Are there any other dancers you'd want to see perform this routine? If you were/are a dancer, would you ever want a crack at such choreography?

Happy Dance Friday #108a - SYTYCD Mia Michaels week 1/8

Well.

Ahem.

You may have noted the "a" at the end of the post number, and there's a reason for that. The reason being that my birthday and Christmas seem to have come early this year and at the same time, with the first ever SYTYCD episode devoted to one choreographer, Mia Michaels, who happens to be my favorite contemporary choreographer (Travis Wall a close second, but more on him later.) Those who also read the Saturday at the Movies posts know that I like to compare remakes to the original, (as in post #39, Dueling Alfies) so when the top fourteen dancers get to recreate some of Mia Michaels' classic routines, there is only one thing this blogger can do.

Individual recaps. Yes, you read it right. This is a seven part Happy Dance Friday. Considering that real life things are happening at Stately Bowling Manor, Sunday is double booked (most likely) with committments, and other things are on Schroedinger's schedule (must plan to both do X and not do X until I know which way things go) more than usual, this does pose a challenge, but I think it's worth it. I tried condensing things into a single post and it couldn't be done.

So. We'll start with the opening group number. Nigel called this the Fifty Shades of Grey dance. I didn't make that connection, but then again, I haven't read the book (bailed out of the Masters of the Universe version at chapter five, for full disclosure)but if Nigel Lythgoe ever wants to name one of my titles on national TV, he can apply it to any choreography he wants. Mia looked a bit befuddled by the connection, so I'm guessing it's not on her nightstand.

I'm not familiar with Active Child or "Hanging On," but I know Mia Michaels always provides something special, so when I saw the combination of formalwear, birdcage skirts, the black/white/red color scheme, and cables coming from the ceiling, I knew we were going to see something out of the ordinary. Then we have flying dancers, roses flung about, amazing music, and it's bliss. YouTube is not liking me at the moment, and I'm getting long-winded, so clip posted by IdolXFactor2, here:



Best viewed fullscreen, because there is so much going on. I'm going to have to view this one a couple more times before I can comment more, but it definitely made me sit up and take notice, and whetted my appetite for what's to come.

How about you, dance fans? Are single-themed weeks a good idea for SYTYCD? If you could get Mia Michaels to choreograph any dancers to any music what would you pick?

Happy Dance Friday #107 - SYTYCD Romance Anthology?

Season nine of SYTYCD is not disappointing, and while we're on a two week break from my favorite summer show due to that sporting event, what we got on the most recent episode gives us a lot to feast off in the meantime. Seeing as how I'm one week behind, I'm counting that as very considerate of them. More details will follow later, as I like playing armchair judge, but on a tight schedule today, so hitting the high points.



Witney and Chehon's Mandy Moore contemporary had Anna bait smeared all over it. Let's take stock: ballroom dancer and ballet dancer tackling contemporary, classic song written by Dolly Parton, sung by Whitney Houston, angsty romantic storyline...stunning.

Lindsay and Cole also impressed and good mercy, the lighting in this one made me want to go play with my mixed media art. Or maybe Photoshop Elements. Okay, probably both in the end, but the shadows, people. Gorgeous.



No wonder at all why Amber and Brandon's Ray Leeper jazz routine got such a reaction. Baby making performance indeed. This felt like the sticky, steamy South, a peek back in history (which naturally got my attention) and two characters whose love for each other is stronger than the challenges life throws in their way. Hm, kinda like a romance novel when one comes to think of it.



Come to think of it, a little tweaking here and there, and there could be a darned good romance anthology in these routines. What stories do you see in this week's performances? What author(s) do you think could tell them best? Hint: it's okay to put your own name in there. Inspiration is for everybody.

Happy Dance Friday #106 - SYTYCD epsiode 7 and Step Up Revolution preview

Note: I wrote this post before learning of the Colorado theater shooting, a cruel and traumatic event. Not a happy day to be sure, especially for those directly affected. Posting anyway because I do believe dance can heal and make a statement. Thoughts and prayers with Colorado.

SYTYCD:
Excited as I am about Step Up Revolution, especially with all the familiar faces -tWitch! Mia Michaels! Travis Wall! Philip Chbeeb!- and the focus on flash mobs, which I find fascinating, especially with all the sharp choreography and the costumes (I could stare at the suits and fedoras mob for ages, seriously)and to get a live number on the show, I could have gone for a bit more tWitch (okay, I have favorites, I'll admit.) Then again, not everybody can be the star of everything every time (they'd be tired!) and there were so many wonderful dancers that I can't complain. Really good to see Phillip Chbeeb again and having the dancers behind the judges as well got the energy up even higher. Also, I want Kathryn's dress.



All in all, really looking forward to this movie.

I do miss the result show, but the new format is fun, too. Less fun was having to bid farewell to Janaya, Alexa, Daniel and Nick. Hate to lose all of them, but competition is tough this year. Very pleased to have Chehon (aka "that guy who was really really good, according to DH, and yes, I will keep mentioning that b/c DH insists he doesn't like "the dancing show." I love him anyway.) and Witney still with us, especially after their amazing Bollywood display:



Love the speed, the precision, the sheer variety of movements that I'm guessing are not second nature to either ballet or ballroom dancers (at least not on this continent) and Nakul Dev Mahajan's choreography always shines. Loved this.

Other standout for the night for me was Amelia and Will's Sonya Tayeh routine. Softer side of Sonya? Who knew? Loved the lighting, loved the music, loved the acting from both dancers, and the whole bleak but hopeful feel.



What about you, dance fans? Any favorites so far?

Happy Dance Friday #105 - SYTYCD top twenty and post #600

So much stuff in the first competition episode of SYTYCD season nine that I'm going to have to resort to bullet points.

*Openng number involving Christopher Scott choreography and furniture!

*NappyTabs bebeh on the way! I am going to imagine that this is the sonogram:

*I know they said other stuff about the National Day of Dance, but I could not hear any of it over my own squee-ing upon hearing that Travis Wall will be performing the Mia Michaels bench routine with Allison Holker. I hope Heidi G is well and happy but Travis and Allison!

*Amelia as a kitty!

*Cyrus does Broadway choreography!

*Ballroom dancers drawing their own style! Paso doble and Viennese Waltz - my two favorite ballroom dances in the same show!

*Audrey and Matthew in Travis Wall routine with chaise lounge that they really need to return to my office. Loved the turn of the century setting and the use of "Unchained Melody," but Titanic the greatest love story? Oh Travis, Travis, Travis, I'll give you some romance novels when you drop the chaise off. Love stories are better when nobody dies, but more on that later.



*Not pleased that we're going to lose four dancers next week, as I still love everybody, but such is the nature of the beast. Couldn't vote this time, as I had to watch this on the DVR, so will feel slight twinge of guilt for whoever gets cut. I may have to come back for a more specific recap later.

What I am pleased about is that this makes post number six hundred for Typing With Wet Nails. Still rather impressed with myself that this has been going that long, and ready for more. I'd give you all cookies if I could for sticking with me, but since I can't find the cookie port on my laptop, here's Cookie Monster:

Happy Dance Friday #104 - SYTYCD Top 20 and Anna Finally Gets to Watch Bunheads

see more Gifs

TV's summer cornucopia of dance programming continues with SYTYCD's top twenty reveal, and I finally get to watch the first two episodes of Bunheads. Let's take them one at a time.

SYTYCD: Oh the pretty. Where to start, where to start? The Top Twenty episode can be a mixed bag. There's the excitement of finding out who made the cut and who we hope will try again next year. It's an emotional time for everyone, but since there are only twenty spots and thousands of applicants, as it were, not everybody is going to get the nod. Not sure what dance credentials Zooey Deschanel has, apart from the New Girl interactive video, blogged about here, but if someone can educate me, that would be appreciated. Still, she's fun and enthusiastic, so I won't complain. We get two winners this year, one male and one female.

I'm happy with this year's top twenty. Very excited to see ballroom dancers Witney, Nick and Lindsey, as well as the classically trained Eliana, Daniel and Chehon (aka "that guy who was really really good," as my DH calls him.) Amelia has been a favorite of mine ever since her first audition, and I'm thrilled to see Cyrus from Dragon House will be getting a chance to compete. With these two as finely tuned as they are in their preferred styles, it's going to be interesting to see how they tackle the wide variety of choreography inherent in the show. Season nine brings, IIRC, the first belly dancer and the first stepper to make the top twenty, and even a gent who likes to blend dance with martial arts. Best of all, the group as a whole marked the return of Mia Michaels' choreography, which made me a very, very happy camper:



Did your favorites make the cut?

Bunheads: This went in a direction I definitely didn't expect. Not as much dance content as I'd thought there would be, though I've only seen up to episode two, and it's a lot of worldbuilding, as it were, getting us used to the people and places. Lead character Michelle is a dancer, working as a showgirl when we meet her, though I'm guessing she'd class her preferred style as Broadway. Even so when she ends up in the tiny town of Paradise, sans the only person she kindasorta knew there, she gets dropped into a ballet studio filled with teen girls (and a couple of guys; would love to see more there)and a former ballerina mother-in-law, Fanny, whose career ended with her first pregnancy. Tragedy strikes, the girls rally, there's a lovely spur of the moment ballet performance, and...the jury's still out. This may be more about fish out of water Michelle than anybody's drive to dance, but time will tell.

In the meantime, we are less than a month from National Day of Dance. How will you be observing? This clip of 200 SYTYCD moves in 200 second should give some good ideas.

Happy Dance Friday #103 - SYTYCD Vegas Week, Breaking Pointe and Where The H*ll Is Matt 2012

One of the reasons I love historical and time travel romance is that, no matter where or when we are, people are people and have the same needs. Matt Harding, of the viral "Where the Hell is Matt?" videos, understands this. Traversing the world to do his own happy dance, first solo, and then roping in volunteers of all ages and abilities, Matt reminds us that dance is a universal language that comes from the heart. My favorite locations from this 2012 version? Have to say a tie between Vienna, Austria and Edinburgh, Scotland. Honorable mention to San Diego, USA, because come on, dancing seal.

SYTYCD Vegas Week

Vegas week is one of my favorite parts of the competition, because that's when the dancers get worked over, hard. Sure, they're great in their own style, with their own music and choreography, but now they get tossed into the fire. They're up against a rapidly shrinking cadre of other fabulous dancers, have to learn a new style every day, and then let's jump in the deep end of the group round. Random music, may have to work with complete strangers, and that's after a full day of competition...and then compete first thing in the morning.

It's no wonder the mighty fall, and even before the first round, hip hop, was over, we started to lose such amazing dancers as Hampton "the Exorcist" Williams. Two of the Dragon House guys departed, one without even trying the choreography, though Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer gets my nod for A) doing his best to convince a friend not to drop out, B) responding to Sonya Tayeh's critique with respect and class, and C) his calm reply of "I would love to dance for my life" when asked to do so. Plus this:



DH will always claim not to want to watch SYTYCD, but then he does, and has already dubbed Chehon Wespi-Tschopp "that guy who was really good." Then admitted he mentally adds in the sound of ripping fabric during the leaps.



Breaking Pointe In "Tempo Tantrums," we have rehearsal angst, conductor vs ballerina issues, and relationship drama between dancers Rex and Allison, who aren't on the same side of the friends/more than friends dividing line. Plus costume fittings (gorgeous) and prop hassles (fifty-foot silks, big fancy dresses on wheels) and three ballets that have to be ready at the same time, with first and second casts for both. No idle moments here, that's for sure?

What about you, dance fans? Did you have any favorites in Vegas Week? Watching Breaking Pointe? Pull up a chair and tell me all about it.

Happy Dance Friday #101 - Dragon House and TWO new dance shows on tv

It's a dance cornucopia this week. Not only did the Atlanta auditions for SYTYCD turn out some amazing talent, like the three gents from Dragon House -let's take a peek at Boris here, and learn a bit about the group:



Hip hop to piano instrumental...how original is that? I love when a dancer can impress me with something I've never seen before, and the Dragon House guys definitely did that. I love that they have a dance floor instead of a dining room and a whole bunch of dancers together in one house - can you imagine the energy? If I bring a portapotty, can I come over for dinner to observe and interview?

ABC Family's new Bunheads is headed our way on June 11th, starring Sutton Foster as a down on her luck showgirl who marries and moves to what looks like a small town. Looks like she's teaching ballet from what I've seen here. Say no more. I'm there.



Then, confirming that it must be Dancemas this week, Travis Wall has his own TV show. Do not adjust your screen; you read that right. Emmy-winning choreographer and SYTYCD alum Travis Wall has his own TV show, with SYTYCD season one winner Nick Lazzarini and friends. All The Right Moves debuts on Oxygen on July 31st. Feast your eyes on an intro here:



Loads more talent in the Atlanta auditions; all three gents from Dragon House will be making it through to Vegas, where they'll get a chance to strut their stuff along with some of these people:


Who are your favorites from the Atlanta auditions? Will you be watching Bunheads and/or All The Right Moves? For those who are having issues with the comment function, thanks for your patience; I'm looking into it.

Happy Dance Friday #99 - SYTYCD Season Nine Flexes Creative Muscles

Does my Second Life avatar think she can dance? Still too soon to tell, but So You Think You Can Dance is back for season nine, and it's got me thinking.

While watching the New York and Texas auditions last night, it hit me why I love this show with such a fierce passion. Clue is right there. Fierce passion. Australian dancer Daniel Baker fell in love with the US as a child, and became a ballet dancer so he could get a US visa (and bonus points to him for understanding that one book can change a whole life.) Another dancer confessed to training "like a lab rat" to perfect his ability to flip over objects. Yet another didn't need to tell us that his dance interpreted the poignant loss of his dear friend in the 9-11 attacks; his body told us the story in the pure language of emotion. I greatly appreciate that this season, at least so far, has been focusing on the truly excellent dancers, and their passion shines bright.



We've all seen the other kind, those who, and I'm not naming names, state that their greatest ambition is "to be a celebrity," are twentysomethings who are convinced they know more than seasoned dancers with decades of combined experience, champions in their field, and in the case of Li'l C, can honestly say that they are the co-originator of a wildly popular dance style. Ugly attitudes do not impress anybody. Phenomenal artistry does.



I love SYTYCD because it shows artists in love with their art, whether classically trained or self taught, who push themselves to the limits of their knowledge base, and in doing so, come away with a whole slew of new tools for their artistic toolbox.

My very favorites, though, are the ones who know exactly who they are and bring us into their world, like flapper-obsessed Amelia Lowe. Maybe it's the strong connection to a bygone era, maybe it's that authorial voice is big on my mind lately or that my current heroine is a dancer, but all of the really good auditions from last night sent me away from the tv with a spring in my step and that burning passion to get some sleep and then pound some keys. We writers may not get a stage and an auditorium filled with our cheering peers (but sitting across a hotel dining room table from an editor or agent is pretty sweet, too,) and I think I'm safe in saying the majority of us are not staggeringly fit twentysomethings, but other than that, it's the same. We channel our burning passion through words, while they channel through movement, and the emotions we have the privilege of being able to touch are the same.



How are you going to flex your creative muscles today?