So You Think You Can Dance!

Last night in an attempt to dispel the post-Strictly despair and disappointment, we watched the first episode of So You Think You Can Dance!: Canada. Apparently they have only just started the first season, even though America's just finished it's fourth and I'm sure Australia have had at least one season, probably more. I mean, come on Canada! Jump on the bandwagon already!

Anyway, I don't have too many comments about it right now, but I thought I would make a post about the American one. Which I LOVE LOVE LOVE. Not because it's full of awful auditions and crying and cheesiness, although it is, and I love that; not because it's full of spectacular dancing and pretty costumes, although, again, it is and I love that too; mostly I love it because it is about the most professionally made audition show I have ever, ever, seen. This is no American Idol for Dancers. This is a serious show, for dancers who want to be professional.

From here on, there is a list.

1. I Love Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe is the exective producer. You may know him from such shows as American Idol. He's also worked as a professional dancer and chreographer. And he's made a show, and mostly gone "I don't want awful back-stabbiness and celebritism, I want good dancers and good entertainment." He's not afraid to tell dancers he will overrule all the other judges if he thinks someone will screw up a live show. Or to tell them that they are not the best dancer, but they are "casting a show" and "looking for personailities." He frequently reminds us that this is NOT about the best dancer, but America's favourite dancer, because the public are voting for them.

He has his bad points; he's obsessed with male dancers being MANLY and MASCULINE, and often that crowds how he sees male dancers that might be technically brilliant, but a bit more effeminate. I suspect he has left over issues from his own dancing days. He's also quite frankly weird about fat* people; he is very supportive good dancers who are fat, until the minute they come across something they can't do so well and then it's all about their weight and how they've been hiding it up to now, but now they are looking like a lump. If he gets auditions from fat people that don't get through, even if they are not too bad, just not good enough, he's so patronising about them keeping up dancing "for their health." Even though some of these dancers are about 8 million times more flexible and fit than the average person.

(*I'm using fat to encompass anyone who is larger than the "ideal" dancer. I'm not using overweight, because I don't think they are overweight.)


2. I love Mary Murphy.
Nigel and Mary are the two permanent judges through the live shows, and through most of the audition rounds. (Before season 2, it was just Nigel and Mary rotated like the other judges/chreographers.) Mary Murphy is ridiculously American. Ridiculously. She screams and talks about people being "on the hot tamalaie train!" and has the kind of American accent I didn't think actually existed in the world. BUT. She is a ballroom dancer, and is very very technical. If she likes your dance it's all screaming and grinning and screaming, but if she doesn't... oh boy. Duck and cover. She will pick your dance apart. Especially ballroom dances. She's like a combination of Bruno and Craig with Len's technical knowledge. Sometimes she does those crazy fake outs, ("I don't want to spoil the fun... so I won't! It was great!" "I hate to agree with my fellow judge here.... but I do!) but sometimes it's not a fakeout, because sometimes she just hates it.

Also, sometimes she cries and hugs people, and can't speak because the dance was completely perfect and emotional.

3. I love all the judges.
So, with Nigel and Mary in the auditions and the live shows, there is a rotating thrid judge. They are one of the staple group of choreographers the show has, and the great thing is that it is as likely to be a woman as it is a man. So sometimes there are TWO women and only ONE man. And when they have six judges, when they pick the top 20 who go on to the live shows, they had three of each. And and and... it's just nice to see.

Also, the judges are so completely respectful of each other. No shouting and arguing and backstabbing and talking over each other... just people, giving opinions and being able to disagree with each other, while still respecting the other judges opinions and expertise. It's so refreshing to see.

4. I love Mia Michaels
Mia Michaels is one of the rotating judges, and also one of the frequent choreographers. In fact, seeing Mia on the judging panel usually brings a sigh of disappointment from us, because she is a stunning choreographer. She choreographs contempory routines, and when we see the training footage, there is alot fo emphasis on "getting in touch with their emotions," "feeling the music" "letting it just happen" and sometimes crying and things. I know, I know, it sounds all too American for words. And yet, it works. Mostly because mia is also a demanding choreographer: she wants the movement to be just like this and forces the dancers to twist their bodies into new and unexpected positions. Nearly all the dancers come out of Mia's training with a new attitude, and praising her. For many of them it's a turning point on the show, after which they become much more engaged and connected with all of their dances. It bizarre. She just breaks them and then makes them into better dancers.

5. I love Shane Sparks.
Shane Sparks is another rotating judge/choreographer, who sadly was missing from the latest season. Woe. He is a hiphop dancer, and is brilliant. During the audition rounds he'll come and sit all slumped in his chair with his hat pulled down low. If a dancer is good he'll so say, if they are not, he'll just chuckle and usually not comment further. But sometimes someone comes on who is awesome, usually in hiphop. And the other judges won't have got it, they'll think it's good but they won't have got it like Shane Sparks. At this point, Shane will stand up, and cheer and scream like Mary Murphy and usually he'll be crying, just telling these incredible street dancers, how incredible they are, and he totally sees where they are coming from and they are on the same page and it's awesome and he loves dance, just loves it, it moves him completely and it's incredible to watch.

6. I love the backstage parts
Or lack there of. We'll see their training footage, which will sometimes include some silliness, but usually it's all hard work and learning. In the recaps we'll see a snippet or two of them backstage, smiling at the camera or dancing to the theme music with everyone, but that's about it. There's no all living in the same house, backstabbing, getting drunk, bitching and fighting and bed hopping... no. On the show everyone is incredible professional... by the final, when they all learn four or five dances in a week, they just say that they are too exhausted and busy to even think about winning, let alone fight or argue or get competitive. I think it's because at the end of the day, this isn't some 'find a celebrity' competition. These people want to be professional dancers - heck, most of them are professional dancers, in that they dance for a living, though that living is usually pretty badly paid. And no matter which way it goes, they will most likely have to work with the other contestants, and choreographers and judges at some point and pissing them off it not really a good plan.

7. I love Cat Deeley
Oh Cat. She awful dresses to rival Tess'. But in the auditions she wears jeans and coats and has friendly chats in line, and sometimes tries to dance with people in the queue and is just awful but happy. She very friendly. I like her alot. Even with her ugly dresses.

8. I love seeing different dance styles.
Contempory, Ballroom, Latin, various versions of Salsa/mambo/etc, Lyrical, Jazz, Broadway, Hiphop, Krumping... this season they did Bollywood and that Russian dance where they crouch. It's exciting to see them all, and all the different styles of them all, depending on the choreographer. I might make a seperate post maybe with YouTube links to my favourite dances, if people are interested.



SYTYCD!: Canada
I like it so far. Mary Murphy turned up to judge, and next week one of the male judges is on it whose name I cna't remember. Dan something? Also, while the American version always had a refreshingly low number of truely crap auditions, Canada, in the first show, had few-to-none, if memory serves. The preview for next week showed lots though, so perhaps there just aren't any deluded dancers in Toronto?