SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE–SEASON 12
This is actually my 1,200th column, so I originally had something special planned for it. But everyone keeps asking me why I haven’t written about this current, almost-over season of So You Think You Can Dance, which is one of my favorite shows; many people even want to discuss it with me in person.
So, I’m celebrating my 12(hundredth) by discussing another big 12–the 12th season of So You Think You Can Dance. I’m sorry to be weighing-in on it in public with only one competition episode to go, but better late than never.
Jim Nowakowski. This guy didn’t make it into the Top 4! I don’t get it, do you?!
Here’s the reason I haven’t written earlier, (besides that I had no free days in this e-zine for it, and no time to write it)–I thought that it was sooo obvious that Virgil should be the winner, with Jim second, that no one needed me to predict it for them. But now that Jim very erroneously got eliminated this week, one week before the final competition show, I guess I have to explain why you all should please vote for Virgil on this coming Monday night, so the right person wins.
The second I saw Virgil Gadson’s very first audition, I told Mr. X he would be the winner. And should be. I put Jim in the Top 2 that early, as well. I’ve always wanted Virgil to win, (I love that guy,) but then I’d see Jim do a solo, and in-between my sobs, I re-thought which of the two guys should be the victor. The only other performer who makes me cry like that is Adam Lambert.
Virgil Gadson, (in the big pic at the top, too,) who I’m really hoping wins this season!
But Virgil is absolutely adorable, and deserves the win! He’s uber-talented, upbeat, cute, and has the best personality on the entire show, which also comes through in his dancing. And this guy is far from being just a hip-hopper–he’s danced on Broadway! (And will continue to work there forever, if he wants, in my opinion.) I just wish my old buddy, Fayard Nicholas, (of the Nicholas Brothers,) had been around to see him. I think he would have loved Virgil (who actually reminds me a little of Fayard himself!)
Now to my other observations of this twelfth season of the So You Think You Can Dance:
I do also like female dancers Gabby and Jaja, and just this week got worried that Jaja might actually come though with the win.
Host Cat Deeley is goonier than ever. (And that’s definitely not a good thing!) I seriously can’t take her!
Conversely, Paula Abdul is actually a much better judge than anticipated. Because she’s really a dancer and choreographer (as opposed to being a singer, which supposedly is why she was a judge on American Idol,) she actually knows of what she speaks on this show.
The judging panel: Nigle Lythgoe, Paula Abdul, Jason Derulo.
And Jason Derulo isn’t a bad judge, either. The guy can dance, and has studied many more styles than just hip-hop, back in the day. He’s not great as a judge, by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s hanging in there.
I’m rarely a fan of head judge, (and, as they remind us each week, Executive Producer,) Nigel Lythgoe, and he often annoys me with his self-serving comments. But I am always grateful to him for being such a champion of dance.
I still hate the format of eliminating someone on the same night they dance, but that’s the network’s fault, not the show’s. And, sadly, all the competition shows seem to be doing that nowadays. It’s depressing, to us and to the dancers, who don’t get to revel in the triumph of the work they put in that week.
I’m definitely not a fan of this season’s stupid Stage vs. Street concept, but if they feel they needed that stupidity to attract viewers, so be it. So many of the contestants have experience in both, though. One girl, Yorelis, is actually a contemporary dancer who almost made the show once before, but the powers-that-be thought her hip-hop was weak. So, she studied that style a lot this year, to be able to advance through the preliminary rounds. And now they brought her on as a “street dancer.” Yeah, right.
One of Cat Deeley’s many goony faces, while laughing at absolutely nothing. Photo by Karen Salkin.
And the inanity of announcing which “team” got more votes, when it means less than nothing, is so very annoying. It’s just another opportunity for Cat to make goony faces and be insincere.
I’m in a charitable mood, so I won’t even name the competitors I’m not a fan of, like Megz. (Oops.)
But what I hate most is the new idiotic voting. First, you can’t vote by normal phone anymore!!! You can do it only on-line or by smart phone, via an app or a text. That eliminates most senior citizens from voting. I’m not joking. Terrible. I’m sure these kids’ grandmas, etc., would like to get in on voting for their family member.
And even worse is the new wrinkle of allowing only half the country to vote for a dancer who’s on the chopping block each week. They announce the bottom three, and then the viewers can text their vote to “save” one. That means that only the people in the Eastern and Central time zones can really participate in that vote. The show’s excuse is that the viewers in the Pacific and Mountain time zones can check on twitter to see who’s in danger, so they can vote, too. But then the drama of seeing the show in sequence is ruined for them! Only the most die-hard of fans would spend their time like that!
But forget all of that; there are only two episodes left this season. Just please remember to vote for Virgil on Monday night. (I’ll remind you that day, on twitter. @MajorCelebrity.) He’s the only one who truly deserves the victory!
