So You Think You Can Bash Reality Television

As two beautiful youngsters step on the stage clad in Spanish-like garb, the room went silent. The pair strikes their first pose and when Juan and Gennaro’s “España Cañí” starts playing, they begin a paso doble. With the man moving as the matador and the woman flowing as his red cape, the two weave a passionate dance of give and take, push and pull. It ends with a stellar lift as he raises her above his shoulders while her body is contorted into a ring-like shape, releases her so that she free falls around his body maintaining the same position, and wears her as a belt. No, it wasn’t a scene from Cirque du Soleil but, rather, the final piece of this past Wednesday’s episode of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.” When the show premiered two summers ago, critics bashed it, calling it “the latest Fox suppository,” because it stole the structure of “American Idol” while reserving none of its appeal. Little did they know that Fox would later premiere shows such as “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader?” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics!” But two years later, and a week before the third season’s finale, I remain convinced that “So You Think You Can Dance” is misclassified as just another reality television show riding the coattails of the “Idol” phenomenon. At age 15, after 10 years of ballet, I put away my tattered pointe shoes, opened a world history textbook, and never looked back. Distracted with tests, clubs, and friends, I never attended a single dance class or performance during my high school years. Even with a deeply ingrained interest in dance, I completely lost touch with the art form. The shrinking dance world remains a hidden one, receiving little to no media attention, especially when compared to music or film. Although dance exists in all cultures and in various styles, chance encounters with dance are few and far between. Only those with adequate resources and foreknowledge can access dance culture. For instance, tickets for the Boston Ballet 2007-2008 season cost $125 for first new subscribers, but normally range from $190 to $470, depending on the quality of seats. Those without knowledge or means are left without an opportunity to develop even a slight interest or appreciation. But while many people can’t afford to see a top troupe, most can afford a cheap television set to access network programming. And among the slough of sitcoms and game shows on television stands “So You Think You Can Dance,” a program that features an interesting cross-section of today’s most skilled choreographers, dancers, and styles. There are little to no performances—even less-so, television shows—that feature hip hop and waltz in the same segment; that hold krumping and the contemporary lyrical dancing to the same artistic standards, forcing dancers and viewers to value them equally. The show tests the physical bounds of the dancers, as well as intellectual bounds of the viewers, urging them to reinterpret diverse, cultural dance forms. True, the television show does follow a similar format as “American Idol,” and the most useful function of host Cat Deeley is modeling the trendiest outfits. But looking past the at-times vapid commentary and cheap cliffhangers, “So You Think You Can Dance” is a completely different and relevant television show. Whereas “American Idol” is essentially a karaoke competition—that is, singing songs that already exist—“So You Think You Can Dance” exposes viewers to the entire process of artistic creation. It reveals the importance of choreography, struggles of rehearsal, and a finished product that is subjected to harsh critique. After two years, the show is finally receiving the acclaim it deserves for its innovative mission. Fox recently renewed its contract for a fourth season and a 50-city tour begins Sept. 21 in Albany, New York, bringing the show’s greatest strengths, the dancers, live across the country. Most exciting, choreographers Wade Robson and Mia Michaels have each received a 2007 Emmy nomination in the category of “Outstanding Choreography.” While it’s certainly a fulfilling personal achievement to win this competition, it’s ultimately irrelevant whose name is announced as the winner during the finale next Wednesday night. All of the finalists will not only have reached the end of an arduous competition but also have shed light on the veiled dance world for viewers across the country. Giselle Barcia '08, a Crimson editorial editor, is an English and American literature and language concentrator in Mather House. When she’s not pouring over 20th century multi-generational novels in the bowels of Widener (what she calls “thesis research”) or watching, discussing, and obsessing over “So You Think You Can Dance,” she edits summer postcards for The Crimson.