***The end of So You Think You Can Dance is near! :( Our newest guest columnist snagged an interview with the jidges to give us just a little more happy happy before the beginning of a long, hard, wait until next season. Thanks, and welcome, MK!!
by Marjorie Kase
As a resident of the Bay Area, I've found it's pretty much considered uncool to admit to watching TV, let alone reality TV. But that hasn't stop me from evangelizing one of my favorite reality shows of all time; right up there with Project Runway. So You Think You Can Dance has reinvigorated this country's love of an art form that has long been forgotten by mainstream consumers of pop culture. Moms in Iowa not only know what pop and lockin' is, they know how to critique it as well. This is due primarily in part to the show's judges, an expert group of seasoned choreographers who aren't shy about speaking their minds. Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy's constructive, yet kind-hearted criticism is what elevates this show above its brethren. It's not about stirring up drama, nor playing up to their assigned roles, it's about education and a real devotion to improving dancers' performance. I had the fortunate opportunity to speak with Nigel, Mary and Mia Michaels last month at the TCA press tour. Here's what they had to say about krumping, pop-hop, and jumping on the "Hot Tamale Train".
Crazy Train
MARJORIE KASE: Nigel, there are so many different styles of dance on the show. Were you were familiar with all of them before it started, because hearing the words "krumping" out of your mouth is one of the most bizarre...
(laughter)
NIGEL LYTHGOE: I've used quite a few more words than I've ever said. "You're a gangsta" is another one. No, listen, krumping has really only just begun in, I'd say, the last four years in South Central L.A. It came out of clowning. Never heard of it before in my life. But that -- you know, I've never heard of worship before, and there's a whole new sort of praise dance coming through.
MK: I noticed you were doing a lot more Hip-Hop this year. Is that because it's so popular with the audience?
NIGEL: I don't think we have done more. We've always done a Hip-Hop or Pop-Hop. We do more [Pop-Hop] than Hip-Hop, in truth. So what I think about all of those is, the more they are incorporated by choreographers into other forms of dance, then they'll get more
interesting. But if you deny them, say, "No, we don't want that," you're shutting something else out, and that's wrong. If Mia could do all of that, she'd be putting it in her routines.
MK: Would you consider trying other forms of dance on the show?
NIGEL: Anything that can be classed as dance, for me, that is easy to learn in five-and-a-half hours, I'm very happy to put on the show and test out and look at. If we say that we are trying to show every different style of dance that is possible, then we've got to do that. And I'm sure at some point we'll see praise.
MK: What kinds won't we see?
NIGEL: The things that are really difficult to do are tap, because it just takes so long to get the ankles right for tap. We're just not going to do it in the amount of time that there is. And really, the heavily classical stuff because we're just not going to get the technique.
MK: Mary, your signature scream, where did that come from? Do you kind of feel like you're the Randy of the show, "you know, dawg?"
MARY MURPHY: (Laughing) Oh, it's kind of funny. It just came out one day. I think it was Nick and Melody in the first season. And then, right after that, that's all I heard every single day, everywhere I went. "Are you going to scream next week? Are you going to scream next week?" I try to reserve it for some routine that has really, truly touched me and I felt like is just on top and out of sight.
« Recap: Real World: Imaginary Boyfriends and Really Bad Teeth | | Reacap: Scott Baio is 45...and Single: Hold Me »
Comments (1)
MK - Great interview! Lucky duck - I would have loved to ask them about some of the personalities off screen.
1 of 1 | Posted by TinkerbellAPixie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tvgasm.com/shows/nav-commenters.gif)
|
Posted on August 15, 2007 5:39 PM