"Step Up" or Step Down?

Capturing dance on film is always a tricky endeavor. There are important factors to incorporate in order to please the eye and grasp the entire essence of the movement being performed. You can't zoom in when there's a soloist dancing, because you lose the big picture of his or her movements. You can't pan across a stage or set, because the dancers will run out of frame. So, yes it's certainly a task to film dance, but under the direction of Scott Speer, "Step Up Revolution" succeeded with the filming aspect.  However, the plot seemed so similar to previous "Step Up" films: there's a love interest and there's a controversial fighting basis. The best aspect of this film, was the camera work with great angles of the dancers from which viewers can appreciate and feel connected to the movement. And of course, the dancing and choreography was unbelievably impressive.

Photo credited to moviefanatic.com

Getting into the plot, we are introduced to the infamous, traffic-stopping, high-thrilling energy of the flashmob dance crew known as "the MOB" in the streets of Miami. The opening dance sequence was packed with dynamic hip-hop choreography that included dancing on cars, flipping on stilts, and really utilizing the environment of the street scene. On a personal note, I loved the diversity of dancers used in the scene. I am a supporter of different body types, heights, hair texture, skin color, and more when it comes to dancers. All that matters is how they move, and I was sold by the way the dancers moved. Leader of "the MOB", Sean, played by Ryan Guzman, meets Emily, played by Kathryn McCormick. With her beautiful dance technique and excellent training, she strives to become a professional dancer but seems to lack the extra character and drive the director of the company she wants to join expects from her. Emily's father threatens to destroy the historic neighborhood for his hotel expansion and ultimately displace thousands of people. Emily teams up with "the MOB" to voice their disagreement against her father through the means of dance. Without giving away the ending of the film, I will simply say, the plot is very predictable and is jam-packed with diverse dance sequences: from hip-hop, to contemporary, to tutting and locking. And along with great dancers came familiar faces throughout the film.

There were cameos by Mia Michaels, Stephen "Twitch" Boss and of course Kathryn McCormick from "So You Think You Can Dance", Adam Sevani, and choreographer/dancer Luam Keflezgy. It was great to see so many familiar faces of the dance world in one film! I could not help but smile at every familiar face I saw. Overall, it was a pretty good film with a lot of great dance flare. Kudos to choreographers: Christopher Scott, Jamal Sims, Chuck Maldonado, and Travis Wall for capturing the spirit of dance and life on film. Am I hoping there will be another "Step Up" film? Not at all, but these dancers are greatly talented and did a superb job with the film. I will leave with this statement: It may be time for "Step Up" to just "step down".

*mypointetaken*

So People Vote for the Wrong Reasons (SYTYCD Top 20)

Last week's results of "So You Think You Can Dance" were quite interesting. After Tabitha and Napoleon's group piece, choreographed to "Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson, they announced 4 dancers would be going home:  2 male, 2 female. It sounds like a harsh number, but after all, this was the 2nd week the top 20 performed without elimination. Though I had a few favorites of the night, this post is really about covering my pros and cons of the show, which might make sense for why there are "favorites" and why those who get eliminated REALLY get eliminated.

pictured: Alexa & Daniel
photo credited to realitynation.com

Pros of "So You Think You Can Dance"
1. A variety of dance genres on the show educates the public of different styles.
     -Having different genres allows for different tastes and promotes that one style isn't necessarily "better" than another, but simply different!
2. There is great exposure to great choreographers.
3. The show helps flourish dancers in all genres, which develops well-rounded dancers.
4. Honest opinions and feedback from professionals in the dance world allows for constructive criticism from which to grow for dancers and choreographers on the show.
5. This season, dancers are being "saved" by judges, rather than voted off for "not being good enough".

Cons of "So You Think You Can Dance"
1. Dancers are getting voted off by people who are voting for looks, personalities, and tricks in the choreography!
     - Non-dancers are easily impressed by dance pieces that are flashy and have tricks. They may not appreciate the beauty of a piece with simplistic character, movement, or emotional commitment, nor understand different types of dance with different means of technique and standards for that specific style. Therefore, if a choreographer on the show isn't showcasing "wow" turn-sequences, "bam" leg extensions, and "uhhh-mazing" flips and lifts, voters don't "like" the piece and won't vote.

The beauty of dance is the array of styles, choice of music or use of silence, different body types, and the list goes on and on. But I feel like viewers are instantly connected to dancers on the show who have an interesting life-story and are emotionally drawn to them. Or they are attracted to the personality of a dancer who is funny, outgoing, and is handsome or pretty with a nice physique. Agreed, this might enhance a dancer's overall persona, but I feel like voters are forgetting about dance ability and are giving up too quickly on well-trained dancers with mounds of potential. Opinions are opinions, so I'm not mad at those who vote: I just wish they were more aware of what factors to consider when they pick up the phone, text, or click online for the dancers they want to stay in the competition. Granted, all the dancers on the show have talent and deserve growth and exposure, but there's a lot more to the dance world outside "So You Think You Can Dance" that most people may not be aware of.

With that said, the pros clearly outweigh the single con! So, yes the show is definitely still worth watching, but for all the voters out there: know WHO you are voting for and WHY.

I thought the results of last week's episode were quite interesting, because I was surprised at the dancers who were sent home. There were 4 great, strong, technical dancers that were the first to be eliminated, despite the fact a few of the remaining dancers had weaker performances but prevailed on the show. The dancers sent home were two girls, Janaya and Alexa, and two boys Nick and Daniel. I wish them nothing but the best with their dance careers. So for all the voters out there, don't vote for the wrong reasons for upcoming episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance". Your vote affects the future of talented dance hopefuls: it's no game show, it's the epitome of "live, laugh, & dance"!

photo credited to: ohyeahsytycd.tumblr.com

*mypointetaken*