Just for Fun

April 21, 2009 in Entertainment | 6 comments

Here are a couple of neat dance routines to get you in the mood for the premier of So You Think You Can Dance on May 21. 

If you take your eyes off of this for just a second, any second, you’ll miss something wonderful. I love the interpretation of the music – Coldplay’s Viva la Vida – especially the spins through the break at 1:40 in the video:

This one is just smoooooooth:

  1. Larry on April 21, 2009 at 1:40 pm

    Glad you put that up! Jordan and Tatiana are in my two or three top favorite WCS swing dancing couples and WCS is my favorite dance.

    I’ve got links to lots of good WCS here, if you’re interested: http://www.youtube.com/user/lgs8818, although there are plenty out there on YouTube that I see and forget to “favorite”!

    I also have to make particular note of http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb3N1iWIHZc, which is the first time Jordan and Tatiana hit big time competition as “young adult” competitors (about a decade ago..ish). Hold on to that one as a reminder of what joy in the face of an optimistic future looks like.

  2. Amy on April 21, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Larry – When Adam and I watched this, he mentioned that you loved WCS. I’m not a huge fan of actually swing dancing myself, but I do like to watch it. Thanks for the links – I’ll go watch them now. Do you watch SYTYCD on TV? I love it! I used to dance ballet when I was young and I find good dancing to be very moving. It can be art to me, as I wrote about
    here.

  3. Larry on April 21, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    I’ve been addicted to DWS since the first season, but have only watched a couple seasons of SYTYCD. Judge Mary is too much for me (and yet I’ve occasionally taken lessons at her studio here in San Diego). I suppose I love watching swing, too, more than dancing it, since I’m well toward the awful side of the swing dancer spectrum despite enough lessons. I lack musicality: it took a long, long time of listening purposely to music even for me to discriminate rhythm let alone move in an integrated manner. I’m still young enough and in no hurry, so I’ll just keep working at it. ;)

    I enjoy other swing styles, but WCS is my favorite. The fact that it’s now dominated by contemporary music probably has me listening to more Top 40 and R&B/hip-hop than I might care to admit, but among its virtues in my opinion is the range of music that can be used.

  4. Larry on April 21, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    If you’re watching, I should mention that “classic” competitions means choreographed; “strictly” competitons means you enter with a known partner, but the music is selected by a DJ and it’s lead and follow; and “jack and jill” means both the music and your partner are picked at random. It may heightend your appreciation to recognize the context of the dance. I find it nearly impossible to believe that many of the nonchoreographed dances are not so–but almost all the champion level dancing is done by professionals who specialize in the style. I’ve seen many of the professionals dance live, so I can attest that they really do make the things up on the fly.

    Enjoy!

  5. Amy on April 21, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    Larry: How can you watch DWTS if you like dancing? I tried two episodes in two separate seasons. One time was in the middle of the night when I was nursing Sam and bored out of my mind and I still found it revolting! The dancing is just so bad, and of course, it’s totally corny just like all of these shows. You’re right, though – Mary on SYTYCD is very irritating. But I don’t let Paula Abdul stop me from watching Idol either, even though I want to curl up in a ball of embarrassment every time she speaks.

    I loved the Jordan and Tat one you recommended. That was amazing and you are so right – joyous! I had no idea about the terminology. I just watched one labeled “improv” so I guess it was Jack and Jill, with Ben Morris and Tat. I just can’t believe it was improvised. So cool! Thank you so much for the links.

    You MUST watch SYTYCD this year.

  6. Larry on April 21, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    Well, I enjoy watching the DWTS folks learn over time–but I take your point. I’ll give SYTYCD one more try. On another note, Lacey Schwimmer is now one of the pros on DWS. Both she and Benji (also from SYTYCD fame) have roots in WCS, with Benji being a champion WCS dancer for years before the show. A couple Pre-SYTYCD Benji videos (with Tatiana), if you liked him:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrBZ2dRNGP; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIzqw4clcHk

    Ok, I’m off to play Xbox and get ready for my business trip to Florida tomorrow, so no more on this thread. See you at OCON in July (?).