if you feel like dancing
Anyone wanna talk SYTYCD Season 7? First (competitive) performances were tonight, and I have things to say!
Well. That went about how I expected. I understand why they wanted to change things up and try an all-star version. And absolutely I'm thrilled to have some of my favorite dancers back on TV! And it definitely sets the stage for some truly amazing performances (witness Alex and Allison this week).
But-- each dance ended, and the dancers hugged each other...and the all-star waved and ran off the stage. And the dancer faced the judges alone (except for Cat, of course). And every time it happened, it made me sad.
One of the things I love most about SYTYCD is the way partnerships develop between the dancers in the first five weeks. I didn't get into it so much when I first watched the show, but then Marksie happened in Season 4 and I suddenly understood why people had freaked out so much about Benji/Donyelle and Lacey/Kameron in previous years. (In hindsight, watching old videos: awesome.) There's something really wonderful about watching the couples come to trust each other and tackle new things together, and then when the Top 10 comes around you're horribly sad to see them break up but eager to see what amazingness will happen when they team up with someone new. And of course there's the chance that if they last long enough, they'll get to dance with their old partner and you'll see the magic again.
We don't get any of that this time around. No partnerships get the chance to grow-- it's a new person every week. And while that could make for some great dancing, it makes me less emotionally invested in the show. I'm guessing that when we get to Top 6 or Top 5 and go to two dances a week, they'll be with a different all-star for each dance. Will any of the Top 11 ever get to dance with each other, outside of group numbers?
There were some upsides, of course. Not only the return of old favorites and the chance for great dances, but each dancer gets a *lot* more individual feedback. I was unsure about Mia as a permanent judge-- she can be really mean-- but it was Nice Mia tonight, and all three judges had very constructive, helpful things to say to the contestants. A lot of other reality shows love their mean-spirited judging, where it seems like the judges are more interested in coming up with snappy sound bites that make them look clever than in actually providing helpful feedback. I really, really appreciate that SYTYCD generally doesn't do that. (Tyce being the obnoxious exception, and Nigel an occasional violator.)
As for the actual dancing:
- Alex and Allison, as mentioned, were great. I'm glad Alex got to be on the show; I do love to watch him dance. I wouldn't call it the greatest SYTYCD dance ever, like Mia did-- I didn't really *feel* it viscerally, the way I did with, say, "Gravity" or "No Air" or "Bleeding Love."
- Speaking of NappyTabs, boy, they did two amazing dances when they first started choreographing for the show and since then it's been mostly blah. Show, please get some more hip-hop choreographers. These ones are overworked.
- Jose is too nice! He has to figure out how to hit harder in his dancing.
- Loved Adam's comparison of Kent to Gev and Dom-- notably, both b-boys, as opposed to Kent's contemporary background. But that was exactly what his cha-cha felt like to me. Contrast it with Danny's Week One jive with Anya back in S3, which was much less puppy-dog-ish. And Kent's arms and hands were *really* lazy, which is my #1 skating/dancing pet peeve. I still love him though! I just wish the show would stop flogging the whole Wapakoneta small-town-boy thing.
- I am distinctly underwhelmed by our Top 5 girls and I won't be at all surprised if the boy-girl contestant ratio becomes further unbalanced. Lauren and Alexie are way too cutesy. (I liked Alexie in auditions and hold out hope that she can transcend her cuteness, like Kathryn did.) Melinda seems awfully arrogant and hasn't yet shown that she can back it up in anything but tap. Cristina lacks fire (which sounds crazy, considering she's a salsa dancer). And...uh...who's the fifth girl? (Exactly.) How about a little less of Nigel lost in Ohio and a little more background on our actual Top 11, hey?
- TOO MANY CONTEMPORARY BOYS. I liked Robert, though. I hope he stays.
Well. That went about how I expected. I understand why they wanted to change things up and try an all-star version. And absolutely I'm thrilled to have some of my favorite dancers back on TV! And it definitely sets the stage for some truly amazing performances (witness Alex and Allison this week).
But-- each dance ended, and the dancers hugged each other...and the all-star waved and ran off the stage. And the dancer faced the judges alone (except for Cat, of course). And every time it happened, it made me sad.
One of the things I love most about SYTYCD is the way partnerships develop between the dancers in the first five weeks. I didn't get into it so much when I first watched the show, but then Marksie happened in Season 4 and I suddenly understood why people had freaked out so much about Benji/Donyelle and Lacey/Kameron in previous years. (In hindsight, watching old videos: awesome.) There's something really wonderful about watching the couples come to trust each other and tackle new things together, and then when the Top 10 comes around you're horribly sad to see them break up but eager to see what amazingness will happen when they team up with someone new. And of course there's the chance that if they last long enough, they'll get to dance with their old partner and you'll see the magic again.
We don't get any of that this time around. No partnerships get the chance to grow-- it's a new person every week. And while that could make for some great dancing, it makes me less emotionally invested in the show. I'm guessing that when we get to Top 6 or Top 5 and go to two dances a week, they'll be with a different all-star for each dance. Will any of the Top 11 ever get to dance with each other, outside of group numbers?
There were some upsides, of course. Not only the return of old favorites and the chance for great dances, but each dancer gets a *lot* more individual feedback. I was unsure about Mia as a permanent judge-- she can be really mean-- but it was Nice Mia tonight, and all three judges had very constructive, helpful things to say to the contestants. A lot of other reality shows love their mean-spirited judging, where it seems like the judges are more interested in coming up with snappy sound bites that make them look clever than in actually providing helpful feedback. I really, really appreciate that SYTYCD generally doesn't do that. (Tyce being the obnoxious exception, and Nigel an occasional violator.)
As for the actual dancing:
- Alex and Allison, as mentioned, were great. I'm glad Alex got to be on the show; I do love to watch him dance. I wouldn't call it the greatest SYTYCD dance ever, like Mia did-- I didn't really *feel* it viscerally, the way I did with, say, "Gravity" or "No Air" or "Bleeding Love."
- Speaking of NappyTabs, boy, they did two amazing dances when they first started choreographing for the show and since then it's been mostly blah. Show, please get some more hip-hop choreographers. These ones are overworked.
- Jose is too nice! He has to figure out how to hit harder in his dancing.
- Loved Adam's comparison of Kent to Gev and Dom-- notably, both b-boys, as opposed to Kent's contemporary background. But that was exactly what his cha-cha felt like to me. Contrast it with Danny's Week One jive with Anya back in S3, which was much less puppy-dog-ish. And Kent's arms and hands were *really* lazy, which is my #1 skating/dancing pet peeve. I still love him though! I just wish the show would stop flogging the whole Wapakoneta small-town-boy thing.
- I am distinctly underwhelmed by our Top 5 girls and I won't be at all surprised if the boy-girl contestant ratio becomes further unbalanced. Lauren and Alexie are way too cutesy. (I liked Alexie in auditions and hold out hope that she can transcend her cuteness, like Kathryn did.) Melinda seems awfully arrogant and hasn't yet shown that she can back it up in anything but tap. Cristina lacks fire (which sounds crazy, considering she's a salsa dancer). And...uh...who's the fifth girl? (Exactly.) How about a little less of Nigel lost in Ohio and a little more background on our actual Top 11, hey?
- TOO MANY CONTEMPORARY BOYS. I liked Robert, though. I hope he stays.