Category Archives: Mia Michaels

Do you remember the movie Footloose? Where those evil kids won in the end? You’re going to make a mistake tonight.

Dear Tina,

This was a big week for So You Think You Can Dance? The Vegas callbacks ended successfully with a surplus of talented and personable dancers, only 10 of which would make it to the final round. I can appreciate a show revamping their format for the sake of keeping the premise fresh and drawing in new viewers. But this year with ten spots instead of the usual 20, the show is sacrificing extraordinary new talent in order to accommodate 10 “all-star” dancers that veteran audience members like myself have already seen on this stage. It would be like if next season of American Idol, the contestants performed a duet with Clay Aiken or Diana Degarmo each week. I’m wary, Nigel.

By the time they left Vegas, there were between 20 and 30 dancers competing for the ten spots. Instead of finding out their fate by waiting in a room filled with folding chairs until their name was called and they stood before the judges until they heard “yay” or “nay,” this year one judge would be flying into their hometown to deliver the news personally. Which is great if the answer is yes, not so great if you’re getting the boot. Can you imagine if that was the way your SAT scores were delivered in high school? You gathered every member of your family together in your living room and waited for an official to show up with a camera crew and reveal your cumulative score was 950? A little awkward, no?

During this process, which always takes longer than any American has the attention span for, my favorite dancer was given the bad news by Mia Michaels in his apartment. By himself. So depressing. Anthony Borelle, who outshone most of his competition throughout the Vegas callbacks despite a leg injury, was told that he didn’t make the cut because they can’t have a group entirely made up of contemporary dancers. Yes, I hear your point Mia. Except you turned the top 10 into the top 11 for the sake of having 6 boys instead of 5, 5 of which were contemporary dancers. I think it is highly likely that if Anthony auditioned again next season he would make it into the top 10 since Mia’s words of disappointment at their decision felt genuine. But the point is, he would have made it were they not making room for these “all-stars.” I don’t want to see people dance who already got a shot at this. These reality competition shows are meant to open doors for people who would never get to showcase their talent on such a public platform until an opportunity like this came along.

I watched the Thursday night episode that featured the top 11 dancing alongside the all-stars to pieces created by the show’s resident choreographers. It was fine but what I’m really interested in is seeing couples grow through this experience together, not couples that are starting out in two totally different places. One naive, the other seasoned and therefore, inevitably arrogant. Maybe they’re trying a Dancing With The Stars approach, but even that idea is a little misguided as these all-star dancers aren’t nearly the professionals you see on the opposing show. Those dancers have won national and international competitions, been the teachers to dancers that have won national and international competitions, and one has even been a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance? These all-stars only credentials (with the exception of maybe Pasha and Anya), really, are being audience favorites from the past. Er, sort of…who are you, Allison Holker?

This is not to say I won’t tune in every week and then watch the dances I will inevitably drool over (despite my criticisms here) on repeat. But I just wish they would maintain what this show is supposed to be about and that is new talent competing against equally unaware, nervous, and impressionable dancers. Consider a return to what worked for six seasons in a row next year.

Now that I’m feeling all nostalgic, here is a dance from last year featuring the excruciatingly talented Jakob. What are the chances that the first dance with my husband at our wedding could look something like this? Can I add to my list of requirements for my soulmate that he be able to do what Jakob does in the last moment of this dance (1:18)? I think that’s fair.

30 Rock Quote of the Day:

Jack: Is it the body paint? Or is Danny just glowing like a beacon of manly commodore? Oh god, I’m extremely drunk.

Leave a comment

Filed under Dancing With the Stars, Mia Michaels, Reality TV, Recaps, So You Think You Can Dance?

Jazz! Tap! Jitter Bug! Charleston! Interpretive! Twirl! Twirl again! Keep twirling!

Dear Tina,

With the start of the summer comes the return of one of my favorite reality TV competition shows, So You Think You Can Dance? (dance dance dance). You have to be familiar with the opening credits to get that joke so I apologize. The premise of this show, if you’re unfamiliar, is very similar to American Idol which should come as no surprise since the two shows share the same creator, Simon Fuller, and are produced by the same company, 19 Entertainment. Three seasons ago they even choreographed a dance to a song David Archuleta performed on American Idol. I would be more critical of this decision based on how I feel about David Archuleta but it turned out to be one of the best dances of the series so we give credit where credit is earned.

The new season started just one week ago and already we have moved past the auditions and onto the Las Vegas callbacks. In a spectacular use of their editors’ talents, the So You Think You Can Dance? team managed to turn a 12 day, 6 city audition tour into a mere five hours of exposition before we turned our attention fully to those who actually have enough talent to participate in the competition. This year they traveled to New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, and Nashville and Adam Shankman managed to wear a fitted vest for only a portion of his appearances. So already I’m seeing some character development this season. What I love about this show is the diversity in what is considered good enough to be invited to the callbacks. Sure with American Idol auditions you’ll hear a variety of tones and song choices, and some contestants are better than others, but when it comes down to it, you either sing well or you don’t. And that’s what puts you through. The standards for dance are not nearly as manicured. Those that stand out are not necessarily the ones that turn the fastest or jump the highest, but rather those who commit their bodies to telling a cohesive story between the music and the movement. With a competition like American Idol, the contestants are inherently removed from their audition piece because they’re singing a song they didn’t write, usually in a way that was predetermined for them based on the notes and lyrics. With dance, the audition is built from the ground up and relies entirely on the creativity and ability of the dancer himself.

The clip below is from this season’s auditions for So You Think You Can Dance? After making it to Las Vegas week last season, Teddy Tedholm was eliminated when he failed to meet the standards of one of the styles of dance they were presented with at callbacks. A memorable contestant despite his early dismissal, Teddy returned with an audition so brilliantly choreographed, I can think of no better example to summarize my point. And no, Adam Shankman’s heavy breathing is not lost on me.

He makes you feel something. Something more than just “I want to listen to you on my iPod!” He disturbs something with his movement that you can’t articulate, you just sense it. It is a beautiful use of talent and I love that this program gives dancers an outlet to express an art form that is so much more difficult than what those clowns are doing behind Justin Bieber.

Spoiler Alert. If you haven’t watched the second hour of the most recent episode, Teddy is eliminated during callbacks for the second year in a row. A shame, yes. But I appreciate the challenge the show presents. Sure you’re great at what you do, but can you salsa? Can you hip-hop? Can you lift a woman above your head? Because what they’re looking for is a dancer so talented and transformative that he/she can perform any style in a way that would have the audience believe they had mastered it years ago. Somedays I like to believe that I could become that dancer but then I remember that I’m nearly 24 and I barely clear a foot off the ground when I leap around my bedroom.

The producers are shaking things up this season. They’re giving the competition a Dancing With The Stars twist when they reach the top 10, introducing 10 all-star dancers from seasons past to accompany the contestants in their dances. So long as Kate Gosselin doesn’t show up in a tango costume, I’m fine with it. Also, Mia Michaels is back. This is the woman I would like to hire as my life coach so pay special attention to everything she says, and even more attention to everything she choreographs. It is outstanding.

30 Rock Quote of the Day:

Gerhardt: Knowing I have the love of a beautiful woman, has made me free!
Jenna: I think you just lost an eyebrow.

Leave a comment

Filed under Mia Michaels, Reality TV, Recaps, So You Think You Can Dance?, Summer Television, Tina Fey