Comments on: SYTYCD. So farewell then, Twitch and Courtney.

By: jude

jude — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:58:02 +0000

dammit! don’t care who gets it at this point. i love the 2 dudes but KATEE is the best dancer. i wonder if she even knows it? i think the judges do. but joshua’s athleticism and charisma are compelling.

By: Judy C

Judy C — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:16:39 +0000

Don’t apologize for humor, Pond, especially in this case. In my opinion Hairspray was an abomination of a movie in every sense of the word, and joke worthy if ever a movie was.

I admit, Joanna (if you’re still with us) that I know little about ballroom dancing, and you obviously know a lot. And thanks, by the way, for sharing your knowledge.

What I notice, tho, is that all ballroomies do the same boring, twisting two-step in their solos, over and over, exhibiting very little diversity or originality, and few classic dance moves. Unless they are strictly choreographed they seem to fade really fast, leading one to believe they are not very highly trained. If Chelsea had ballet or other training why then did she not show it in her solos? Seems to me that’s where she and other BR’s always lose the vote, for the very reason that other than specific ballroom dance steps, they “got no game”.

By: thespine11

thespine11 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:34:57 +0000

Oh, Lordy, Joanna. I know you were kidding. So was I.

Sigh.

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:16:58 +0000

Hi, Jude.
FYI, your grandparents are social ballroom dancers. Benji (that west coast swing guy who won), his cousin Heidi, Lacey, Anya, Pasha, Dmitri, and Chelsie are all ballroom competitors, superb atheletes and dancers, and if you have never seen ballroom dancing on a competitive level, then I can understand why you might think that BR dancing is not “real” dancing. I assure you, ballroom dancers are as fit, limber, and masters of as much “technique” as modern, jazz, tap, ballet, or any other kind of dancers, in their genre. Champion ballroom dancers have trained as long and as hard as any ballet dancer, and quite often have taken ballet classes. As far as endurance goes, what ballroomd dancers do in day of a dance competition is the equivalent of running several heats of the 100 meters in 20 minutes, wearing heels and a lot of make-up. You can’t do what Chelsie can do by dancing on the weekends; she competed at Blackpool. I really don’t mean to sound huffy. I invite you to learn more about ballroom dancing.

Pond, I guess I’m not as good at making jokes as I thought. Won’t be back.

By: thespine11

thespine11 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:56:32 +0000

That’s OK, Jude.

You may be right about ballroom dancers in general.

I just thought Chelsie was really rather good.

I am sorry about Mark. Perhaps he can move somewhere near Jason Castro and they can tour together?

By: Judy C

Judy C — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:22:05 +0000

Er….Sorry, that actually sounded mean, (and sorta dumb if you count the typos) which I certainly didn’t intend. I’m just bitter that Mark is gone I guess.

I admit to sour grapes.

By: Judy C

Judy C — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:35:18 +0000

Pond, you need to go back and check out the footage of the real dancers vs the ballroom types. Other than Year One of SYTYCD when the amazing Western Swing guy (can’t recall his name) won due to his ability to dance with charm and gusto every different style thrown at him, plus be in possession of a lovely, funny, sweet and infectious persoality that totally connected with the viewers and ultimately won the contest for him, only trained dancers have or will win. (watch now, this year Josh will probaby win)

Too many pros out there can instantly spot the difference. You’ve got the ballroomies who go once a week after work and dance the cha-cha or rhumba for fun, then you’ve got the real dancers who from a very early age spend every waking hour at the bar grinding out exercises and body stretching routines over and over till their knees creak and their toes bleed, under the tutelage of a pro instructor.

Could some of the better BR’s become real dancers? Absolutely, with years of training and dediction.

Really, Pond, (ahem, pontification begins here) I realize your blog is from a non dancer point of view, but get a clue. While many BR dancers are charming and often flexible they just don’t have the knowledge, control nor endurance of trained dancers.

By: thespine11

thespine11 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:45:03 +0000

I’m sorry, Joanna, WE saw in the movie Hairspray?

No, no. John Travolta and I parted company decades ago…

As for Courtney, I TIVO past all the chat and just watch the dancing (naive, I know).

However, I am so sorry that you have to put up with your mother’s family.

I spent a couple of years in NY and found it rather dull. I didn’t see much of the opinionated stuff. In fact, I found rather the opposite.

In fact, do you have to put up with your mother’s family? Why don’t you just tell them what you think?

By: Joanna

Joanna — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:38:12 +0000

The judges refer to us as “Ameriker” and we are frequently told we got it wrong, except on those occasions when we get it right. Twitch was more popular among those who managed to vote more often than Mark fans (who mobilized in force and are now in deep dark mourning). Unless you subscribe to the view from the grassy knoll which has it that the whole thing is rigged, as we saw in the movie Hairspray, with the judges dumping votes to make things come out as scripted, since this is a reality show, and we know that means it is not real.
I also liked Chelsie’s midwestern deadpan. And just as many people have called Courtney “stuck up” because she’s so New Yawk and opinionated, but she reminds me of my mother’s family.

By: thespine11

thespine11 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:22:34 +0000

Oh, T.

Josh. Hmm. Well, maybe. But I think it should be a girl. The girls have been far more inspiring.