I have finally finished watching all the audition segments - whew, that was exhausting just to watch! First, I'd like to thank the show's producers for truly minimizing the amount of time spent on the loonies and clueless who just embarrass themselves on the stage, either by virtue of their unrealistic assessment of their own talent or their sheer desire to get their 15 minutes of TV fame. I appreciate that some stories really just beg to be aired (although I couldn't watch all of it, even I had to admit the "Lady Gaga Twin" and her, um, "famous" father were morbid curiosities that just *had* to be shared), but not all of us like to watch people make fools of themselves in front of millions of viewers. Thank you for keeping the focus on the cream of the crop, rather than the crap of the cream.
As for that cream, I must say I can hardly wait for this season, because the talent has gone up another notch. But I'm a little nervous about Vegas, I gotta say, because it seems to be there are an awful lot of folks going. And I'm not sure all of them necessarily deserve to be there.
Look, I thought Patty-Ann the tomboy pop-and-locker was awesome. I'm even willing to bet that, given what we saw, her body is capable of many other moves beyond her own style of dance. But does that mean she's ready for primetime? Hm. I fear that she--and several others of similarly fantastic but potentially singular capabilities--will find themselves a little lost amid choreographers, highly-trained dancers who've already been exposed to ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. Can you see Patty-Ann doing Latin Ballroom? Again: hm... I'm not sayin' she can't, I'm just sayin' it makes me a little nervous that they've set a few people up for failure, however inadvertently.
I love that they are giving a wide range of dance styles the opportunity to be seen and highlighted, and allowing their dancers to prove that they are not necessarily limited to that particular box. And yes, I get that the premise of the show is "America's Favorite Dancer," which requires a certain charisma and entertainment value beyond pure dance skills (believe me, I am still reeling from Jacob "Rocked Every Number He Was Given" losing to Russell "Kicked Ass at Ballroom for a Krumper" a couple seasons ago). BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean we've done a good thing by sending a bunch of street performers straight through without testing them in choreography first. What happens when they get to Vegas and can't keep up in the first hour? Have we inspired them to learn more and whet their appetite for what they might someday be able to do, or have we just embarrassed and discouraged them from even continuing to enjoy their own original form of dance? We shall see.
I'm certainly on pins-and-needles for this Vegas round, because there is so much potential in the bunch. I just hope the collateral damage doesn't spoil the fun.
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