Season four champ Joshua cited Michael Jackson as an early inspiration. As much as he loved dancing, he could not afford to take classes growing up. He had to rely on scholarships - and even did chores around dance studios - in exchange for lessons. He felt it was hard to be taken seriously as a male dancer in Dallas because of his schoolmates' preconceived notions. The conflicts and constant fighting once led to a change of schools mid-year. Having always been athletic in school, playing sports and running track, in tenth grade he decided to focus on dance. "People that don't know it are dumbfounded by what dance is for boys, you have to go through a lot of teasing," he said.
All the training and hard work led them to the point they were at now - a cross-country U.S. tour performing in front of their most devoted fans. As I've already mentioned, my awareness of So You Think You Can Dance didn’t extend very far beyond seeing Joel McHale poking fun at boisterous judge, Mary Murphy, on The Soup.
But after only a brief time with some of the dancers, and learning about all their hard work, I was excited to see the stage show. They did not disappoint.
The show is structured perfectly for those who are newcomers to So You Think You Can Dance, or are only casual fans. Show creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe introduced the show in a special prerecorded video. Lythgoe showcased his five favorite auditions, along with a montage of the “delusional auditions.” Show host Cat Deeley had a similar video message. Throughout the show, in between routines, there were video segments from the television program and behind-the-scenes footage of the dancers.
The live show itself was spectacular. It began with a group number introducing all the dancers, and then alternated between pairs and solo performances. Group performances were scattered throughout, including a delightful interpretation of the classic "Money, Money" from Cabaret. The show was designed to highlight each dancer’s strengths, recreating favorite dance routines from the television program. One of my personal favorites was the hip-hop "escaped convict" routine with Kherington and Twitch dancing to Busta Rhymes' "Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em)." Another highlight was the somewhat comedic Broadway routine with Joshua and Katee dancing to "All For The Best" from Godspell.
Article comments
1 - Jcf
A very well-written objective review without any hype. Bravo!