So You Think You Can Dance on Fox

By Ally Matteodo

The Best TV Show of the Week this past week was undeniably So You Think You Can Dance.  This particular episode aired on June 18^th on Fox at 8:00 p.m. ET.  So You Think You Can Dance is hosted by the lovely and charismatic Cat Deeley.  During the primary episodes of this program producers journey across the country searching for the best dance talents.  Those who seem to have what it takes are then chosen for callbacks.  At the callbacks the dancers work with acclaimed choreographers, while judges determine who the best dancers are; these individuals make up the top 20.  The show then moves on to the performance round, where the 20 dancers compete for America’s votes.  The show is now in the performance round, and on June 18^th there were only 18 couples left.  This week six contestants -- those dancers who received the lowest number of votes from viewers -- were put in jeopardy.  The 18 couples remaining June 18^th performed a variety of different dances, ranging from jazz to Argentine tango to hip-hop. 

Dance can be a very powerful medium to express emotions, especially when paired with talented dancers, brilliant choreographers, and touching music.  The limitations of language become evident as we watch feelings crystallize through fluid motion, challenging lifts, and rousing turns.  All of the couples who make it onto So You Think You Can Dance work incredibly hard.  Through the scenes backstage and at practice it is clear that no matter what knocks they take or what kind of criticism they encounter, the dancers will not give up and will continue striving toward their goals.  The most moving and powerful performance on this particular night came from Kherington and Twitch.  Choreographer Jean Marc Genereux and his wife created the footwork for the partners.  The dance was a Viennese waltz and was set to the music of Celine Dion, “A New Day Has Come.”  Jean Marc’s only daughter suffers from a neurological disease, and lost all of her motor skills before she was a year old.  She lights up when watching people dance, and Jean Marc reflects that she speaks through her eyes.  He and his wife created this number for her.  The contours of the flowing arms and magical lifts that effortlessly fill this number are poignant and uplifting at the same time.  At the end there were tears in more then one audience member’s eyes.  More then anything this was an outward expression of sheer love, and displayed the power of what can happen when love is behind whatever you create.

Best TV Show of the Week

The Parents Television Council - www.parentstv.org