"So You Think You Can Dance": The judges not doing their happy dance

While the judges on "So You Think You Can Dance" tend to be more straightforward, optimistic and knowledgeable about the subject matter than those on that other, more famous reality competition on Fox, it doesn't mean that they don't get crabby from time to time, and plenty of dancers on Wednesday night's audition episode tested their patience. Subpar dancers with subpar attitudes were accused of wasting everyone's time, of not really dancing, of executing a joke merely by being there.  And on "SYTYCD" it's not just the British chap who delivers the bad news: Mary Murphy was quite sharp-tongued on the episode, even having to be covered up by the censor's blue button. 

It seems like there are a great deal fewer contestants who try out for "SYTYCD" than for "American Idol" and even a smaller percentage of joke contestants, so why the bluntness and exasperation?  Perhaps it's not just because the judges don't feel like watching inferior dancing, but also it's out of respect for the other, serious dancers, dancers who try out not just because it "might be fun."  Even the best singers on "Idol" don't strain themselves the way the majority of the contestants do on "SYTYCD," so the Sexes of the world truly do waste the time of those dancers such Gev Manoukian, the ice-skating hip-hop dancer who tried out two seasons ago and came back for a second shot.  The judges even gave Paige Jones, the eerie "Stepford dancer" beauty contestant, a hard time for not putting her heart out on the stage, and she actually did have some talent and clearly took competition seriously.  It's for seriously serious performers like Joshua Allen, the hip-hop dancer who clearly has a few other genres inside him who made it through after auditions (like Jones). 

Plus, Nigel Lythgoe, Murphy and the guest judge, unlike Simon, Randy and Paula, all have hands-on dancing and choreographing experience, so perhaps it does pain them, too, to have to sit through bad, halfhearted dancing. 

While the bad auditions on "Idol" have something of a freak-show quality to them, the TV isn't as good when the losers appear on "SYTYCD."  It's better, more compelling viewing when a dancer with potential and a professional attitude just doesn't make the cut for whatever reason, like John Dix, the skilled, strong partner of the gymnastic Arielle Coker.  Here's hoping that Thursday night's episode will provide more dance and less duds.

-- Claire Zulkey

Comments

[Simon Says]

Hello,
The reason I'm writing is that I'm hoping maybe you might do the right thing and expose American Idol for what they've done to the American people. (Over $250,000.00 last year

alone) American Idol has held a songwriting contest 2 years in a row. Last year 25,000 people entered the contest at $10.00 each for a chance at fame and fortune, and thousands

and thousands more entered this year. (At $10.00 each) The problem is.......

1. It was advertised as an amateur songwriting contest. (The winner is a pro, with several #1 hits including having a one of his songs on the NEW Clay Aiken CD) 2. The contest was

rigged from day one. How do I know this? Easy....Out of tens of thousands of entries only 20 are chosen for an online vote. But out of the top 20 you have....
1. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Finalist (Andy Zulla) is an engineer on Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Diana DeGarmo CD's.
2. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Finalist (Windy Wagner) is a backup singer on the NEW Clay Aiken CD.
3. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Finalist (Ryan Gillmor) wrote the theme song for the Fox television show "Unhitched".
4. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Finalist (Dan Yessian) wrote jingles for Ford Motors.
5. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Finalist (Luke Ebbin) is a producer on Austalian Idol 1st place runner-up Shannon Noll's CD.
6. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Winner (Regie Hamm) is a co-writer on the NEW Clay Aiken CD
7. Top 20 American Idol Songwriting Winner (Regie Hamm) is a co-writer of the Winner of 2007's American Idol Songwriting Contest Scott Krippayne.

So we have 3 out 20 Top 20 Songwriting Finalist on Clay Aiken CD's. We also have the winner of this year and the winner of last years songwriting contest are good friends and co-

writers on several songs. You get better odds of getting struck by lightning while buying a winning lottery ticket. What you see above is just the tip of the iceburg, and only deals with

this years contest, last year's contest is even worse. (10 of the 2007 Top 20 Finalist had working relationships with Judge Paula Abdul, Judge Randy Jackson, Host Ryan Seacreast,

Bandleader Rickey Minor, Idol Producer Clive Davis, American Idol, Fox Television ...... IF someone will only check out my webpage you would find everything I'm saying has links

to prove it. Please do something about this. Thank you, Simon

http://americanidolexposed.weebly.com

[callie]

That's not correct. Randy Jackson was a back up singer for years and years. Paula Abdul has also had her share of recording success, not to mention choreographing numerous dances for videos.

I think a lot of Nigel Lythgoe's indignance is pure bluff. He's doing it in part to make good TV, when actually a cold "that's enough, good bye" would suffice. But they can't do it because you can't forget that what they're filming is a reality TV show, where they need these kinds of conflicts, put downs, and worse --the overt attempts to get our sympathies when they have someone who seems to have a "human interest" story.

I say less fluff and puff and more dancing.

[Benjamin]

I enjoy SYTYCD much more than AI. It requires so much more physicality and talent than that other show.