So You Think You Can Dance…but not like Desmond, sorry.
I have a bone to pick, I’m afraid, with Mia Michaels.
It’s not a big bone, it’s just a little one, an accusation of hyperbole and misleading compliments. It’s simply this: she recently compared Will’s rendition of Tyce Diorio’s contemporary dance piece to something approaching the skill of Desmond Richardson.
I almost hesitate to bring it up, simply because it seems a bit like sour grapes. It’s not, really; it’s more a cautionary word to people who may think that because they watch shows such as SYTYCD, they aren’t missing anything when they fail to buy tickets for their local ballet or contemporary dance company.
A Talented Beginning…but a Beginning, Nonetheless
Let’s not forget something: the dancers you see on the screen, pouring their hearts on the stage, are at the start of their dance careers. As Sabra showed last year, sometimes a loud scream of passion at the right time can move an audience like nothing else…but that energy of youth only goes so far. These are Dancers in the Rough, diamonds waiting to be cut and polished and then take their place in the great tiara of dance…ok, so that metaphor may be a little stoned. But do you see what I mean?
You Ain’t Seen Nuthin’ Yet
What makes it even worse, in my opinion, is that Mia’s comment may have just gone unnoticed by most. People will just shrug and say, “Desmond who? I dunno, he’s some guy who dances like Will…” They won’t realize they’ve seen him in movies like Chicago and Across the Universe, or was part of the OBC of Fosse, where sure, he got the Tony nod, but more than that he helped shape the vocabulary of modern movement for an entire culture.
This man is important. This man is more than talented, this man is not a Mozart of Dance, he’s a Leonardo Da Vinci of Dance. And Will is…talented. He has a beautiful body, and grace and expression and he and Jess did a fine, fine job.
But compare the dances - watch Desmond, first, then watch Will. And tell me if that’s really a fair comparison for anything other than the most superficial of reasons.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: SYTYCD, So You Think You Can Dance
3 opinions for So You Think You Can Dance…but not like Desmond, sorry.
Dana
Jul 10, 2008 at 7:24 pm
The marked difference between someone who is a dancer verses someone who moves well. You cannot compare most “dancers” to Desmond. The muscle control, the steady presice movement, the inventive ways he uses his body defy the simple choreography that anyone from SYTYCD could even dream of coming up with much less execute. I think the judge saw a black man with muscles doing a “modern dance” and made a reference. Silly if you ask me.
SYTYCD Season 4 | Dancing in the Rain
Jul 11, 2008 at 6:14 am
[...] opinions about SYTYCD Season 4: 1 , 2 , 3 addthis_url = [...]
jolene
Jul 11, 2008 at 10:45 am
I guess it’s too tempting to think that your TV show features dancers on par with one of the best in the dance world. I totally agree with your sentiments.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: