Best Friends Dance (choreographer Travis Wall)

[elliejane]

The link I have posted here is of a dance routine from So You Think You Can Dance in the States. I'm posting it more as a reminder for me, so I don't lose it! I found it surfing friends of friends, and clicked on it because they squeed about it.

It is two guys dancing contemporary style and although the title says "Best Friends" dance it reads more

Comments

[troyswann]

That was a very lovely number. Travis did some amazing work this season. He kinda wears his heart on his sleeve as a choreographer, building routines out of stuff that's going on in his life. Sometimes that can be a little uncomfortable in a competition show (like, how could you vote against a dance about his mom's illness, right?), but always, always beautiful. It makes me wish that there were more opportunities to see dance in a popular space that isn't about competition so that we could really engage with what he does

[elliejane]

I have had very little exposure to contemporary dance so this was, I think, only the second time I've really been aware of it and the style, and it was a bit of a revelation. I don't generally watch competition shows in the UK, and the only dance one I'm really aware of is our version of "Dancing with the Stars" (Strictly Come Dancing) and of course, the general talent show ones. I don't know if we even have a UK version of SYTYCD. "Strictly..." is all ballroom and latin, with a bit of swing and jive thrown in sometimes

[troyswann]

*rolls up sleeves* First, there is in fact a SYTYCD UK. I was hanging with elishavah a while ago and she showed me some numbers and there's also SYTYCD Canada (\o/) and Australia.

Second, the thing about SYTYCD is that you get dancers from all genres and one of the things that they are judged on is their versatility, and their ability to master genres other than their own. So you get to see a real variety of styles, more so in the Canadian one than the American one (I've not seen enough UK or AUS to say). The Canadian one gives us House and Dancehall and Afro-Jazz, things that are being picked up now on the US show--Bollywood is a staple now, for instance. And if you get good guest judges, they will actually explain the underlying concepts of the different dances so that you can learn stuff as well as seeing a range of styles, getting introduced to choreographers (omg, SEAN CHEESMAN ILU!), and seeing dedicated, talented, passionate young people working their asses off. (I have such a soft-spot for dedicated, talented, passionate young

[elliejane]

*rolls up sleeves*Lol! Who knew contemporary dance, of all things, would produce such lengthy postings

[troyswann]

Travis's little face reminds me of the chappy from Southland! And I am slowly catching up with Southland!Yes! I was thinking that just the other day! He does totally remind me of Ben Sherman (Ben McKenzie) on SL who also is all about the faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace and whom I also want to give soup and pet his hair. I'm glad to hear you're giving SL a try. It gets so good in S2 (see me in email if you, you know). There are three eps in a row that just rock in such a subtle and meaningful way--Cooper and Sherman ftw. I think that there's enough humanity between them to balance the angst. The angst is very lightly played and balanced by these really nice, subtle moments of trust and compassion. But I get what you mean about the way that the realness of it can sort of mess with the ability to go for it in terms of investment. I'm glad you're giving it a go

[elliejane]

I am definitely continuing with Southland. And, that being so, I'm glad it's not going to be four seasons of stomping on my heart repeatedly. I can't believe you mainlined FS in basically a month. Did you need therapy afterwards, because damn. I have trouble rewatching episodes and there are still one or two I haven't watched all the way through properly because of the annnngggst. I had to watch the Season 4 finale sitting on the floor clutching a table leg so that I didn't switch off and spare myself the potential agony.

And you'd think that after all these years I'd get some perspective, but no, John Crichton's wet eyes still try and break me.