Wednesday, May 31, 2006

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN D-A-N-C-E: It's astonishing how quickly one can switch gears into summer TV mode. Just a week ago, I was enjoying a wide array of two-hour finales, and now I'm taping heretofore-unseen-by-me episodes of CSI and settling in for a nice long summer of 19 Entertainment's other show: So You Think You Can Dance.

A few things have changed since last year's maiden voyage of the little show that isn't quite American Idol -- mostly for the better. First of all, the audition rounds are being judged by some of the choreographers we remember from last season along with producer Nigel Lythgoe. This is a dramatic improvement over last year's mealy-mouthed audition-round judges, who seemed to have been placed in the room just so Nigel would have companions for afternoon tea between auditions. Anyone who watched last season will remember Mia Michaels ("I'm so over the leg, Melody"), Brian Friedman (the hip-hop guy with the long curly blonde hair), Dan Karaty (the other hip-hop guy, with Extra Snark), and Mary Murphy (the squealing ballroom choreographer). We've got them right from the get-go this time, judging the auditioners and teaching choreography to those who seem to have a special something but whose dancing abilities beyond their little areas of expertise seem to be in doubt. (Those who are obviously Blessed With Talent receive an automatic ticket to Vegas.)

The prizes have improved this season as well. Last year's winner, Nick Lazzarini, got $100k and an apartment in New York for a year -- basically, a year to screw around in Manhattan. This year, the person who thinks s/he can dance will get $100k, a car, and a year's contract with Celine Dion’s current show in Vegas -- a show that was conveniently choreographed by Mia Michaels. Good to see that the prize this year somehow involves dancing.

Other reported changes: apparently the Vegas round (the SYTYCD version of the Hollywood round) will involve semi-permanent dance partnerships, and when we get to the finals, America will vote for their favorites, but the judges will decide who goes home among the bottom votegetters. Oh, and we have a new host as well -- Lauren "See Ya" Sanchez is off on maternity leave, and has been replaced by the UK's Cat Deeley. Deeley seems to know about as much about dancing as I do (which ain't much), but she's cute and perky and has a British accent.

Detailed commentary on the substance of the audition rounds is, of course, a waste of time, as it's the customary AI formula of showing a whole lot of ridiculously untalented people combined with the occasional ringer just to keep it interesting. I'll have more when the dancers arrive in Vegas to get belittled and have their ranks whittled down to 20.

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