So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Alright, I've taped the episode, which will be my first ever. I'm holding you responsible for my enjoyment.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Mia Michaels' Freudian slip was pretty priceless.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

One thing I love about So You Think You Can Dance is that unlike the rambling incoherence of the American Idol judges, the Dance judges actually give good, useful, constructive criticism. I like Nigel in particular because while he can be blunt, he is honest and makes sense.

I also really admire Mia Michaels. Her choreography of some of last season's dance routines were just astounding.The segment last night with the blind girl was incredibly moving and emotional--and this was just the auditions!

You know, a lot of times, especially this season, after I watch Idol, I just feel frustrated because it's such a grind to get through. With Dance, after watching, I feel really great, like I watched something rewarding and entertaining in that put-a-smile-on-your-face kind of way.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

MSNBC has an article on So You Think You Can Dance vs American Idol.

The contortionist at the end of the episode was simply excellent TV. And seeing the one judge jumble up "sex" and "success" was just priceless.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

We love this show. The popper at the end was amazing, loved the slo-mo ticket grab-hug. And while Nigel does the "Simon" bit some, unlike Simon he truly seems to enjoy himself.

One FYI, it appears that Monday's show is just a repeat of the 2 hour premier, which is good for those that missed it.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

We watched some of the auditions last year, but never got into the show itself. I plan on watching again, based on your suggestion. So far the first episode was decent I relaly did enjoy the break dancers and of course I got a big kick out of "Sex".

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Just as I would have expected. The movie Breakin' touched on that a bit. In some ways, so did the movie White Nights. I've casually watched break dancing since the early days, and I've also seen what is taught in "Hip Hop" dancing in performing arts schools (think Justin Timberlake). It's all interesting to me. At the very least, break dancers watching the show should learn more of what it takes over time. Also, the ones that don't advance will grow even through rejection.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

I gave this a try & will keep watching, at least for now.

The idea that there's more talent than on Idol is laughable. It's totally different stuff- how can you compare them?

I don't see the praise for Nigel. What are his qualifications to judge dancers? Does he have a dance background? At least Simon has experience in signing artists, so he is qualified to judge singers, even though he isn't one himself.

Who are the female judges? Are they so famous they need no introduction, because I had no idea who they are?

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

They did a small intro of the female judges in the first episode last week.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Nigel Lythgoe is both an accomplished dancer and choreographer, both on stage as well as on television. I wouldn't trust the wikipedia article on him for accuracy (of course), but his actual resume is pretty impressive.

Mary Murphy (the brunette judge) is the other permanant judge (barring the odd episode due to emergency, etc), and is a famous (champion) ballroom dancer, and choreographer. I think she also runs a dance studio in the US.

Mia Michaels was the other female judge from the first episode this season, and is one of the "big name" choreographers on the show. They generally have one of the choreographers also act as the third judge during the performance shows, and cycle through them seemingly at random (based on availability I assume) during the auditions.

Other third judges include Shane Sparks, who does mostly hip-hop and the like, Alex Da Silva, who appears rarely but does Salsa etc, and my personal favourite choreographer on the show, Wade Robson. Robson's routines are generally held up, along with Michaels', as the best of the show, and I agree.

Of course there are numerous other choreographers, but that gives you the gist

cheers!

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Ok, just so this thread is not a complete love fest I want to post my opinion after watching the show for the first time last night.

Personally, I don't get it. The very best performances, that I saw (including the one linked to above) are entertaining, but no more than a good street performance, or for entertaining at a birthday party. Maybe, I just am not into dance, but I just didn't find any of it that interesting, and most of it downright awful.

As for the judges, between the one lady sobbing, and the other one screeching constantly, I couldn't watch this show, even if I found the performances enthralling. I swear, that middle brunette judge is the most annoying person I have ever seen, her constant cackling is enough to drive anyone insane.

Sorry to thread crap, but I would take AI over this stuff any day, from the performances, to the judges. Hanson has certainly posted enough derogatory remarks about AI that I think I am entitled to post my feelings here.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Randy Jackson played with Journey and worked with Mariah, dawg.


> Personally, I don't get it. The very best performances, that I saw (including the one linked to above) are entertaining, but no more than a good street performance, or for entertaining at a birthday party. Maybe, I just am not into dance, but I just didn't find any of it that interesting, and most of it downright awful.

I think it's like Idol, where in early episodes they deliberately show some of the bad performances.

Also some stuff that's considered dance now isn't vary dance-like in the traditional sense. Imagine if people 100 years ago saw someone break dance, rolling on the floor, etc.- they probably wouldn't have thought of that as dancing.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

What do they mean by lines, as in "You have great lines"?

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Nigel is an executive producer of Idol too.

Between Idol and Dance I prefer Dance as a show by a long shot.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Hanson,

will we get a separated @ birth for SYTYCD?

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Is there an age limit? I thought Nigel said 30, but in an earlier episode there was someone in her 40s according to the caption on the screen.

I thought the housewife (who didn't make it) with 4 young kids was pretty good, considering how little time she would have to practice dancing.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

If you are to win the competition, you can't be over 30 by some cut-off date for each season, but you can be as old as you want to be to show up and become cannon fodder for the audition shows, just like on American Idol's audition shows where they have older people shows up and "audition" for the judges just to pad the audition episodes.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

I think this show is much better than Idol for several reasons:

1) They temper the audition aspect by showing a lot more good/entertaining auditions vs bad ones. It also doesn't last 6 weeks.

2) Dancing is much harder than singing someone else's song, especially if you're a break dancer and you have to complete a contemporary dance or ballroom.

3) They always pick at least 3 or 4 hot female dancers who get hotter as the season progresses. They pick at least 2 with a certain look that can be summed up as "girl next door cute and/or sexy."

4) The judges are much better, too. The guest judges really are experts.

5) Cat Deely is a better host than Ryan Seacrest. He is a creepy dolt.

The only place the show lacks is the musical guests.

Anyway, I'm hooked.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Yes - Randy Jackson is an accomplished Bass player and producer - this is from an article in Bass Player Magazine (I'll include the entire link if you are interested in more...)

"Playing bass is my core,” says Randy Jackson, mindful that his chief notoriety is as a judge alongside Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell on TV’s American Idol. However, dig this dawg’s bass pedigree: Housebroken as a pup by Chuck Rainey, groomed among the greats of ’70s fusion, unleashed as a first-call session bassist on loads of ’80s and ’90s radio hits, road-dog with Journey and Mariah Carey."

Randy Jackson!

Selected Discography
Solo
Randy Jackson’s Music Club, Vol. 1, Concord

With Boyz II Men
Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville U.S.A., Decca

With Jean-Luc Ponty (all on Atlantic)
Individual Choice
Civilized Evil
Mystical Adventures

With Journey
Raised on Radio, Columbia

With Aretha Franklin
Who’s Zoomin’ Who?, Arista

With Mariah Carey
Charmbracelet, Mercury;
MTV Unplugged, Sony

With Billy Cobham (both on Columbia)
Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought
Magic

With Sam Moore
Overnight Sensational, Rhino

With Stacy Lattisaw
Perfect Combination, Cotillion
With You, Atlantic

With Narada Michael
Walden Ecstasy’s Dance, Rhino

With the Divinyls
Divinyls, Virgin

With Bruce Springsteen (both on Columbia)
Lucky Town
Human Touch

With Whitney Houston (both on Arista)
Whitney
Whitney Houston

With Maze
Silky Soul, Warner Bros

With Bon Jovi
Blaze of Glory, Polygram

With Madonna
Like a Prayer, Sire

With Bob Dylan
Under the Red Sky, Columbia

With Herbie Hancock
Lite Me Up, Columbia

With Billy Joel
Greatest Hits, Vol. 3, Columbia

With Elton John
To Be Continued...., MCA

With Richard Marx
Repeat Offender, Capitol

With Zucchero
The Best of Zucchero, Polygram

With N’Sync
Celebrity, Jive

With Imogen Heap
Megaphone, Almo Sounds

With Travis Tritt
The Storm, Category 5

With Various Artists
Different Strokes by Different Folks, Sony Legacy
American Idol: Greatest Moments, RCA

Instructional Video/DVD
Randy Jackson: Mastering the Groove, Warner Bros.


As far as this show, I'm just not too into dancing enough to watch.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

I'm well aware of the dogg's pedigree. If it was called "American Bassist," the above would matter. Thanks for making my point.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

Jackson became vice president of A&R at Columbia Records, a position he held for eight years. At Columbia, Jackson produced and co-produced a number of albums, including Eddie Money's Right Here, Trisha Covington's Slow Down, and Flesh and Bone by Richard Marx. He also worked on a number of soundtracks and compilations, including First Wives' Club and The Truth About Cats & Dogs. He subsequently spent four years at MCA Records as senior vice president of A&R, producing Rahsaan Patterson's Love in Stereo, Gladys Knight's At Last, and Jesse Powell's 2001 album, JP.

At Columbia Records, he had met and worked with Mariah Carey, who asked him to write and produce two songs, "Fireworks" and "I Know," for her 2001 film, Glitter. He also co-wrote two songs on Carey's 2003 album, CharmBracelet, "My Saving Grace" and "Irresistible."

There ya go, dawg. I'd say he's qualified to judge musical talent.

Re: So You Think You Can Dance: Season 4

This is the year of the very flexable people. Even the gals are getting into the bending body parts in ways that God didn't intend for them to be bent.

I agree that the one gal that said she was 25 that showed up with her friend both looked much older than 25.

I just wish we got to see more of the dancers that they show at the end that make it through to Vegas. I know they have to show us some of the really bad dancers but I want to see maybe one or two a show instead of every other one.