I love So You Think You Can Dance. I think there’s a part of me that always wanted to be a dancer. I like that the show makes dancing current, exposes us all to new forms of dance, and provides a platform for celebrating talented young dancers. Plus, it’s fun to see your favorite contestants show up on other TV shows and in movies. When I was invited to sit in on the Boston auditions, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Not only that, but we had a chance to interview the judges.
I brought another Boston Parent Blogger along with me. Gilda is a dancer and her kids are both in dance, so she also had a great time and asked some wonderful questions. When we arrived, we were escorted up into the balcony to watch the auditions. First of all, I was amazed by the talent. There were a few dancers we could see in the wings that we were sure would be “those” dancers on the show, but even they showed some serious chops. Dancer after dancer went on to choreography and a few got coveted tickets straight to Vegas. Mary Murphy even gave one of her signature screams.
Having been to television show tapings in the past, what I was most surprised by was how true to life the show is. Each dancer performs and then has plenty of thoughtful critique from the judges. The dancers cheered for each other and seemed to really enjoy the other performances. While everything was recorded, there was little “staging” for the show in the audition room. Sure, they have areas to interview contestants and families, but you could have easily pulled cameras from the room and had the same experience.
So You Think You Can Dance returns for a 10th season on May 14 at 8pm on Fox. As a countdown, I’ll share the interviews Gilda and I did with the judges. I’ve got one each for Thursday, Friday, and Monday. Mary Murphy, Nigel Lythgoe, and Adam Shankman dish on everything from “competition faces” to their thoughts on Dance Moms and Honey Boo Boo. And if you have never seen it, I’d encourage you to check out So You Think You Can Dance. It has helped revive a love for dance in the United States.
Disclosure: We were invited to view the auditions. No compensation was provided.
