Shall we Dance?
Why yes, I do believe we shall.
As soon as those credits start up, there's a classic pavlovian reaction as the squeeing fangirl in my soul starts up with the krumping and pirouetteing... I really am a sad case, and am petrified that the aus version is going to suck.
But for the time being I am going to reserve judgement... and just laugh at the new judges. They are:
Jason Coleman, who is supposedly awesomely amazing and has choreographed the Olympics and like, everything. But seeing as all the footage consisted of people standing around waving their arms in a meaningful fashion, I'm not sold - I mean even I could have done that...
Also - distracted. So so distracted. By the hair - the Brian Mannix hair. I just can't take him seriously. Although he does give good shirt, I'll give him that - I'm coveting the blue one with the flowers...
Bonnie Lythgoe, ex of the lovely Nigel Lythgoe, and proving true the maxim that the longer you're married to someone, the more you grow to look like them. Which is really quite unfortunate for poor Bonnie...
I also suspect that I am going to have as much fun with her wardrobe as I had with Mary Murphy's - although it seems that Bonnie's stylist can't be arsed with approaching designers and just heads straight to the local Noni B.
Matt Lee looks 12. He sounds 12. And when he says 'hot hot hot' and 'you're beautiful' it sounds wrong. so so wrong. Because he's 12 and therefore should be more interested in his bmx bike.
Apparently he's another super-dooper choreographer, but again the footage doesn't inspire confidence as all I got was a B*witched vibe, and that ain't good choreography.
ok... and we're into it.
read the rest
Perth auditions - there's the requisite line of overly-excited contestants plus the new overly-short host. I am glaring at Miss Bassingthwaite, narrowing my eyes... she'd better be good. Coz I'm missing my Cat like crazy.
I watched the first 15 minutes of this at about 11:30 on sunday night, and all I got was 'hat' 'poser' 'hat' 'poser with hat' so I figured Perth was going to give us lots of hip hop...
So I'm pleasantly surpirsed that the first couple sent to 'Sydney' (which SO doesn't have the same ring as 'Las Vegas') is a ballroom couple - Brendan and Gemma. Pleasant that is, if you overlook the 16 year age difference. I'm hearing rumours that he's a DWtS alummni, and he is very good, but I'm more impressed with Gemma, who's 19 and just sashays all over that stage. She's going to be interesting to watch...
And then the Very! Next! Audition! is Lambchop who does a bit of this, does a bit of that... takes her shoes off halfway through, does a bit more of something else... Jason is impressed by her versatility - because nothing shows versatility like a vibe-killing unshodding - but I thought she was a little lumpy and blah. She gets a ticket to Sydney and I'm thinking 'shit shit shit, this IS going to be crap'.
That feeling is strengthened by our next tryhard, sorry, try-out - Angel. She's a model and dances with emotion, as a model.. hmmm.. she also speaks with the emotion of a model. And the clarity of a model. She's crap - giving off a space age Olivia Newtown John vibe - and unfortunately I just realised that's exactly how I dance, which probably just ruined all my credibility... but hey, at least I don't wear sparkley pants... I dance coz I like it too, but at least I can pronounce the word 'choreography'.
Morning dawns brightly, bring Stephanie, who wants to work withthe moulin rouge. I get the love of the headdress and the ruffled skirt. And the can-can... she probably saw some of the awesome dresses Anya got to wear in the US version and wanted in on that pretty pretty action. And I don't blame her one little bit.
Luckily she can dance too ... and with feeling!
Sermsah was up next, covered with body paint and dancing an amazingly strong indigenous-flavoured routine. He got through to Sydney, but I hope it wasn't just because he adds 'diversity' thanks Jason...
We get some more hip hop, some questionable music choices (NIN anyone?) and then wer'e back at the choreo round with Matt Lee. Ah, finally I'm getting some Dan Karaty from him. He can stay.
But it's at this point that I realise that Nat is just doing it for me... she's VO-ing like this is 'Saving Babies'... so breathless and intense. She just isn't bringing the fun, the lightness, of Cat Deeley. It's about dancers for goodness sakes! It's not an undercover operation with the guerillas in West Papua... Failing the choreo round is NOT going to kill them.
Another random observation - the aus judges have nice little coffee cups rather than Big Gulps - I think that says all that needs to be said about cross-cultural assimilation...
Brisbane.
First up is Camilla - she's been dancing since she was 3, her mum being some whizz-bang tap dancer... so here I am expecting some tap and then was wondering how the hell she's gonna do it in cons... All these 'Alternative' dancing costumes are going to do my head in - a tutu and a pair of sneakers doesn't make you cutting edge babe...
The 365 crew do their thang - cutely coordinated with dinner jackets and a striped trilby that Miss M is not-so-quietly coveting - it's OK I guess, but then the judges get all cut-throat and only give one of them a pass through to Sydney... ohhhh. drama! intrigue! Pshaw... we all know they're ALL going after choreo so stop trying to dick me around show...
I do believe it might be time for some eye candy - I'm starting to feel a little jaded. Anthony is apparently a *snort* national aerobics champion. And his brother is some NRL star, but don't ask me who because that's not my code peoples. His upper body strength is, um, impressive... and his grace and poise knocked me sideways - not what I was expecting when I heard 'aerobics'. He looks the total package... until he opens his mouth and his voice is pure country Qld which just kills the effect. Dead.
We move into the 'pity the poor ballarina' phase of the show now - as Emma, Australian Ballet School trained, but now wanting to experience 'life' has her go. She's ballet-y, but you can tell she's losing it... she breaks into huge sobs, but isn't clued in enough to tell the judges that Dance is her Life. More sobs then she leaves the stage, having been declared 'too fragile' for this vicious cut-throat competition. Ha!
Luckily Jack - who wants to make it Broadway, (and is possible any of us missed the subtext there? nope, didn't think so...) steps up to the plate and gives an amazing bouncy high energy jazz performance which wipes all those tears away...
I love the juxtaposition that Carl presents us with - he's been dancing fulltime for 18 months and yet rocks up to audition in footy shorts and flanno. He does a nuryev cover that Jason writes off and then makes him go to choreo - obviously not taking his Dance seriously enough...
Still with the sobbing is Bessy from El Salvador, a completely untrained, i dunno? B-girl? I was distracted by the boxing boots... She delivers a sob story to rule them all - being abandonded by her mother, escaping civil war, learning to dance on the streets... and yeah, jaded though I may be, and I'm so blaming the wine, but I was sobbing along with the rest of them...
For some odd reason they've decided to let Caleb from FNQ dance - even though he's only 15 and therefore too young to enter the competition. He does dance beautifully, but I still don't get the point of this bit... maybe someone could enlighten me..?
After choreo, and boy am I going to get sick of that track, Bessy and Carl get through. To no-one's surprise whatsoever.
Verdict: Episode one was less crap than I was expecting, dreading... But it was precisely 58.7% crapper than the US version. Due mainly to the absence of Cat.
As soon as those credits start up, there's a classic pavlovian reaction as the squeeing fangirl in my soul starts up with the krumping and pirouetteing... I really am a sad case, and am petrified that the aus version is going to suck.
But for the time being I am going to reserve judgement... and just laugh at the new judges. They are:
Jason Coleman, who is supposedly awesomely amazing and has choreographed the Olympics and like, everything. But seeing as all the footage consisted of people standing around waving their arms in a meaningful fashion, I'm not sold - I mean even I could have done that...
Also - distracted. So so distracted. By the hair - the Brian Mannix hair. I just can't take him seriously. Although he does give good shirt, I'll give him that - I'm coveting the blue one with the flowers...
Bonnie Lythgoe, ex of the lovely Nigel Lythgoe, and proving true the maxim that the longer you're married to someone, the more you grow to look like them. Which is really quite unfortunate for poor Bonnie...
I also suspect that I am going to have as much fun with her wardrobe as I had with Mary Murphy's - although it seems that Bonnie's stylist can't be arsed with approaching designers and just heads straight to the local Noni B.
Matt Lee looks 12. He sounds 12. And when he says 'hot hot hot' and 'you're beautiful' it sounds wrong. so so wrong. Because he's 12 and therefore should be more interested in his bmx bike.
Apparently he's another super-dooper choreographer, but again the footage doesn't inspire confidence as all I got was a B*witched vibe, and that ain't good choreography.
ok... and we're into it.
read the rest
Perth auditions - there's the requisite line of overly-excited contestants plus the new overly-short host. I am glaring at Miss Bassingthwaite, narrowing my eyes... she'd better be good. Coz I'm missing my Cat like crazy.
I watched the first 15 minutes of this at about 11:30 on sunday night, and all I got was 'hat' 'poser' 'hat' 'poser with hat' so I figured Perth was going to give us lots of hip hop...
So I'm pleasantly surpirsed that the first couple sent to 'Sydney' (which SO doesn't have the same ring as 'Las Vegas') is a ballroom couple - Brendan and Gemma. Pleasant that is, if you overlook the 16 year age difference. I'm hearing rumours that he's a DWtS alummni, and he is very good, but I'm more impressed with Gemma, who's 19 and just sashays all over that stage. She's going to be interesting to watch...
And then the Very! Next! Audition! is Lambchop who does a bit of this, does a bit of that... takes her shoes off halfway through, does a bit more of something else... Jason is impressed by her versatility - because nothing shows versatility like a vibe-killing unshodding - but I thought she was a little lumpy and blah. She gets a ticket to Sydney and I'm thinking 'shit shit shit, this IS going to be crap'.
That feeling is strengthened by our next tryhard, sorry, try-out - Angel. She's a model and dances with emotion, as a model.. hmmm.. she also speaks with the emotion of a model. And the clarity of a model. She's crap - giving off a space age Olivia Newtown John vibe - and unfortunately I just realised that's exactly how I dance, which probably just ruined all my credibility... but hey, at least I don't wear sparkley pants... I dance coz I like it too, but at least I can pronounce the word 'choreography'.
Morning dawns brightly, bring Stephanie, who wants to work withthe moulin rouge. I get the love of the headdress and the ruffled skirt. And the can-can... she probably saw some of the awesome dresses Anya got to wear in the US version and wanted in on that pretty pretty action. And I don't blame her one little bit.
Luckily she can dance too ... and with feeling!
Sermsah was up next, covered with body paint and dancing an amazingly strong indigenous-flavoured routine. He got through to Sydney, but I hope it wasn't just because he adds 'diversity' thanks Jason...
We get some more hip hop, some questionable music choices (NIN anyone?) and then wer'e back at the choreo round with Matt Lee. Ah, finally I'm getting some Dan Karaty from him. He can stay.
But it's at this point that I realise that Nat is just doing it for me... she's VO-ing like this is 'Saving Babies'... so breathless and intense. She just isn't bringing the fun, the lightness, of Cat Deeley. It's about dancers for goodness sakes! It's not an undercover operation with the guerillas in West Papua... Failing the choreo round is NOT going to kill them.
Another random observation - the aus judges have nice little coffee cups rather than Big Gulps - I think that says all that needs to be said about cross-cultural assimilation...
Brisbane.
First up is Camilla - she's been dancing since she was 3, her mum being some whizz-bang tap dancer... so here I am expecting some tap and then was wondering how the hell she's gonna do it in cons... All these 'Alternative' dancing costumes are going to do my head in - a tutu and a pair of sneakers doesn't make you cutting edge babe...
The 365 crew do their thang - cutely coordinated with dinner jackets and a striped trilby that Miss M is not-so-quietly coveting - it's OK I guess, but then the judges get all cut-throat and only give one of them a pass through to Sydney... ohhhh. drama! intrigue! Pshaw... we all know they're ALL going after choreo so stop trying to dick me around show...
I do believe it might be time for some eye candy - I'm starting to feel a little jaded. Anthony is apparently a *snort* national aerobics champion. And his brother is some NRL star, but don't ask me who because that's not my code peoples. His upper body strength is, um, impressive... and his grace and poise knocked me sideways - not what I was expecting when I heard 'aerobics'. He looks the total package... until he opens his mouth and his voice is pure country Qld which just kills the effect. Dead.
We move into the 'pity the poor ballarina' phase of the show now - as Emma, Australian Ballet School trained, but now wanting to experience 'life' has her go. She's ballet-y, but you can tell she's losing it... she breaks into huge sobs, but isn't clued in enough to tell the judges that Dance is her Life. More sobs then she leaves the stage, having been declared 'too fragile' for this vicious cut-throat competition. Ha!
Luckily Jack - who wants to make it Broadway, (and is possible any of us missed the subtext there? nope, didn't think so...) steps up to the plate and gives an amazing bouncy high energy jazz performance which wipes all those tears away...
I love the juxtaposition that Carl presents us with - he's been dancing fulltime for 18 months and yet rocks up to audition in footy shorts and flanno. He does a nuryev cover that Jason writes off and then makes him go to choreo - obviously not taking his Dance seriously enough...
Still with the sobbing is Bessy from El Salvador, a completely untrained, i dunno? B-girl? I was distracted by the boxing boots... She delivers a sob story to rule them all - being abandonded by her mother, escaping civil war, learning to dance on the streets... and yeah, jaded though I may be, and I'm so blaming the wine, but I was sobbing along with the rest of them...
For some odd reason they've decided to let Caleb from FNQ dance - even though he's only 15 and therefore too young to enter the competition. He does dance beautifully, but I still don't get the point of this bit... maybe someone could enlighten me..?
After choreo, and boy am I going to get sick of that track, Bessy and Carl get through. To no-one's surprise whatsoever.
Verdict: Episode one was less crap than I was expecting, dreading... But it was precisely 58.7% crapper than the US version. Due mainly to the absence of Cat.
Labels: SYTYCD
posted by actonb at
2:03 pm
5 Comments:
WHERE THE F*CK DID THIS BLOG COME FROM????
am SO out of the loop.
I liked the 15-year old. I thought he did lovely work - I'm not quite sure what the point is but maybe it's like when they get someone who can actually sing to perform on Idol?
Maybe?
isn't there some kind of baseball analogy about choosing people who still have room to improve, because then they'll be awesome when they do (or somesuch?).
Either way, I am disinclined to addiction in this instance.
Miss Bass irritates me. And also I'm not sure I see the point of her consoling the losers. But then perhaps I'm a coldhearted cow.
Oh, I think Nat should be okay once she warms into the role, but in these early audition rounds she has been a bit awkward. Like when some guy said to her that he was dancing for his recently dead father, and all she did was nod and sit there quietly, clearly unable to come up with something meaningful and camera-worthy.
The fifteen year old kid who did the million flawless pirouettes made me laugh when, after he was sent back because he was too young, he turned to the camera and said 'remember this face Australia!'. It wasn't a very pretty face, is what I'm getting at.
Thank god - now I know who the ferking judges' names are. Matt Lee DOES look like a 12 year old boy. I feel sorry for the contestants who are older than him. That'd suck.
I'm excited about this series, and perhaps equally excited about your recaps, actonb!
Mex - ummm... I'm going to assume it happened during your self-imposed exile.
LaRue - jury's out on Caleb. He was intense.... but? wtf?
GW - Nat was a little OTT with the empathy wasn't she?
I think you have to stick with it though - don't back out on me now!
jacob - maybe she wasn't so good with that guy because she'd just heard the same damn sob story 50 MILLION TIMES????
ahem
Caleb did have something of the hobbit about him did he not?
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