The styles performed in So You Think You Can Dance are not pure. Each style has elements of current popular culture infused into the presentation in one way or another, either by the choice of music, the choice of costume or by the steps themselves. The effect is an evening of commercial popular dance cooked up with various flavors.
So when Jonathan and Karla selected contemporary style, for instance, we didn't get the bizarre, artistic, highbrow interpretive expression that you might expect from a downtown theater, but rather, we enjoyed an easy to digest bare foot number sprinkled with a tilt or two. And when Philip & Jeanine selected the Tango as a style, we saw two young American dancers flavored with elements of the Tango.
First on the menu for the evening was Randi and Evan, who filled the stage with an energetic jive piece choreographed by Lee Van Amstile. The operative word is fun. It was fun, bright and exciting. Evan did a spectacular split jump over Randi as she leaned back and he continued to dance with his mouth wide open. Although the judges rejected the minutia of Evan's jive basic, he was smooth and smooth goes down so well. This jive was an excellent appetizer to the evening.
Next to dance was Melissa, with her nymphy lines, strong feet and energy that shot like darts from her legs along with her partner, the the understated, but deep Ade. Their flavor was jazz, a recipe created by choreographer Sonya Teyah. This was not Fosse-style jazz. It was not West Side Story. It was current and hip, ranging from the robotic to the savage and tribal. Melissa in her pink pants and Ade in his matching pink gloves – this was the cream of the crop for the evening. If you transplanted this number into a Britiny Spear's music video, it would still make your mouth water.
Then came Jason and Caitlin in hip hop to choreography by Shane Sparks. The two performed it with convincing conviction – he was hitting it and she was sexy. If anything, Caitlin had some slight musical misinterpretations that caused the dancers, momentarily, to appear out-of-sync and the judges disapproved. Or maybe it was the authentic hip hop choreography, nothing really surprising or new, which left us hungry for something else.
That's when Janette and Brandon served a spicy disco piece by Doriana Sanchez. The tempo was fast and the dance packed with elements like flips, an impressive pencil lift, partnering that twisted Janette like a pretzel and a split lift that bent Janette beyond the limits of normal flexibility. The dance was showy, wild and, dare I say, so fast that it appeared spazzy at times? The dancers catching up to the music, it ended after the music stopped. Maybe the choreographer bit off more than any dancer could chew. The judges and audience, however, ate it up.
Asuka and Vitolio danced a contemporary waltz by Louie Van Amstel. It was a lyrical modern waltz tha, at times, suspended and, at other times, lacked the suspense and smoothness that the choreography called for. A judge called it choppy, at times, for him. Asuka slid like an apparition around the stage and created the illusion of weightlessness. Vitolio had moments of great intent, which gave added meaning to the performance.
Max & Kayla performed a pop jazz flavor in a decadent theatrical number. The music had a slight Arabian flair. With her long legs and feet, Kayla was a freaky exotic bird in her lavish colorful costume. Max's baggy genie pants and leather collar evoked the slave boy like Le Corsair or Spartacus. He was well worth his salt. This piece, like all the others, could be part of almost any pop music video. Excellently done, this was commercial dance at it's best.
Then came Jonathan and Karla with the bare footed contemporary number to popular music by Stacy Tookey. Jonathan showed some maturity this week, centered and strong. Karla threw herself at the steps with emotion and intent. They were both lifted by the meaning behind the moves and the compelling stories they were telling.
Philip and Jeanine danced the tango by Tony Meridith. Jeanine was sultry and slinky and Philip was elegant and strong. The performance was sharp and intense. His ballroom technique was off, according to judge Mary Murphy, but the performance was hot on. Another judge, Lil C, criticized Philip for dancing with bent legs, but Lil C was corrected by the choreographer who said the style required his legs to be bent at all times. Lil C was also out to lunch about Philips alleged lack of confidence. In fact, his calm confidence carried the piece.
Ashly and Kupono closed the evening with some innovative hip hop by Shane Sparks. The robotic intro released into a fast, synchronized display. Hats and jackets came off and Ashly performed a wildy syncopated flip over Kane. His long body didn't always arrive on the beat, however.
Connoisseurs of dance who watch the show will quickly realize that these performers are not always the seasoned artists that they’re used to seeing at the Metropolitan Opera House or BAM, but any one will certainly enjoy watching these kids who have cooked up delightful contemporary combos done in the flavors that were randomly selected. Even though nothing is perfect, each dancer certainly demonstrated moments of magic.
Eric Wolfram appeared on renowned stages like the Paris Opera in Paris, The Kirov in St. Petersburg, Lincoln Center in New York, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. while performing with the critically-acclaimed Royal Winnipeg Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Today he films dance in New York City.
*Disclaimer: The views of Eric Wolfram are not necessarily the views of Voice of Dance*
