I'd like to say that I totally loved Neil and Lauren's contemporary dance by Mia Michaels last night
on So You Think You Can Dance. I feel so compelled to blog about this because I'm having a hard time finding people who agree with me. Mostly I'm seeing the same things the judges said: "I didn't get it," "they weren't in sync," "they could've done without the hats and goggles." I wish there was a way I could tell Mia, Neil and Lauren "Don't listen to them guys!"
I liked this routine right from the beginning. The soft subtle way they just tapped their toes to the beat of the piano, the way the stage lit up when they did. When they first started skipping up and down the stairs I was convinced that the "theme" of the dance was that they were dressed like piano keys. (It reminded me of the scene in Big where they play the big piano in the toystore)
I think the moment that really blew me away with this routine was when I realized "I can't tell which one is Lauren and which one is Neil." I had to actually start looking for the taller, more muscley one to be able to tell. I think that really says something for Neil's dancing, although most of the comments I've seen have commented on how manly Lauren seemed. I think it goes both ways. A comment on another blog called it "androgynous chic" I believe, which I think is dead-on.
But that leads me to my next thought. This routine wouldn't have been nearly as captivating for me if they hadn't been wearing those black beanies and goggles. After a while not only did it not feel like I was watching a boy and a girl dance, it stopped feeling like I was watching two dancers at all. Lauren and Neil transformed into these two strange android creature-characters from a story I've never read before. I wasn't sure what they were, or what they were doing, but they seemed to have done it before. Do these strange robot people enjoy dancing? Do they even know they're dancing? All I know is it seems like they've done it many times before. One of my favorite moments was when the two of them had just stood back up, their bodies bobbing back and forth, and Neil put out his hand to the side for Lauren behind him. He didn't turn towards her, look back at her, he just knew she would come take his hand and go into the next bizarre move with him.
A lot of hip-hop routines have this same style of side-by-side, identical movements of popping and locking, but I never really like the hip-hop routines. Somehow the interaction between boy and girl that way always seems awkward, forced, and out of place. The way Lauren and Neil's characters would, instead of looking to each other and acknowledging each other's presence in the dance, simply rely on each other and instead acknowledge the audience with a vacant, bobbing head, gaping mouth stare made them seem so much more natural, real, and in sync than any of their actual movements.
As for the very last section, where they're dancing back towards the front of the stage, the part where
I liked Neil from the start, of course, as a lot of other girls did I'm sure, but it wasn't until last week's Jazz routine that he and Lauren really pulled it together and became one of my favorite couples. I feel like they've grown a lot together so far and I'm sad that we might not see them dance together again. I think after the past two weeks of what I would consider "magic" that they both deserve to move on to the next round.
But that's just my opinion on the whole thing.
12 comments:
For me, I didn't have any issues with them being in sync or not. It was just a bit distracting because Neil was dancing just a tad behind the beat. I thought their subtle asymmetric dancing really added to the overall feel and effect of the dance.
I really, really liked this dance. I usually do like the odd ones, though. But this one is making me try to do the moves and I usually don't do that. Thanks for your commentary.
Incidentally, I think they did a remarkable job staying in synch considering the goggles they were wearing.
i got to this post from the youtube page...i just wanted to drop in and say that i also love this routine. there didn't have to be an explicit story to enjoy it, and i thought their costumes were dead on for what this dance was. gender roles were just irrelevant, imo. this eccentric style of contemporary (vs. the more lyrical contemporary we see more often) has always been my favorite. anyway, great post!
Good point jwvang. I never really considered the difference between being in sync stylistically and being in sync rhythmically. That can be very distracting. Perhaps that's why, to me, this type of dance seemed more suited to the androgynous, robotic characters that Lauren and Neil played rather than hip-hop boys and girls that don't really have a reason, story-wise, to be perfectly on the beat. Even if they were a little off, it still made more sense visually.
Anonymous, I always like the odd ones too =) And I've been under stage lights just once, and they were very very bright, so goggles might have helped. But the stage last night was such a subdued shade of blue that it probably made it harder. Peripheral vision was probably completely out the door though, so I agree, well done to them for that!
Thanks so much to both of you for the comments on my new blog =)
Thanks for dropping by, mike! I think this routine probably went against what a lot of people consider to be a contemporary piece. It definitely seemed at times more like a hip-hop piece, especially with the music. I really don't know much about the boundaries between different dance styles, but I think you're right, and that the eccentric nature of the piece, from the "story" to the characters and costumes to some of the bizarre moves they did, are what really make this piece contemporary.
I did love Mia Michaels' more lyrical contemporary routine for Lacey and Kameron early on, it was one of the first times I watched this show and I'd never seen anything like it. But I feel like "contemporary" is about sort of breaking the rules and doing something different, so I'm glad Mia didn't get stuck in the contemporary-dances-are-about-relationships rut that seemed to be forming.
Thanks again!
I think Neil did an amazing job with this routine. Lauren did a good job too but I found myself watching Neil most of the time. This was the best routine of the night in my opinion. I wasn't crazy about the masks but it wouldn't be the same dance without them.
i think you are completely right about a lot of things. first off, i was hypnotized by this dance and it was so powerful i guess. I couldnt tell them apart until i looked closer and their different color gloves, i would get them mixed up a few times. but i think thats a good thing. this dance was amazing and so is neil and lauren i think theyve grew stronger through the season and i am sad as well that they'll be split up next week. you made me think about how they were not in sync and before i read ur blog i thought that that was the flaw but now that i think of it, being not in sync just made it even more different and mezmorizing. i love these types of dances and i also really liked last weeks jazz routine. they both give off some vibe thats just different and weird (but in a good way!) anyways i really enjoyed ur blog!
I really enjoyed reading your blog. I also got the feeling you did at the beginning, like they were supposed to be piano keys. like in the movie Big. I also thought the costumes and staging were right on, however weird they were. Kudos to Mia Michaels for another brilliant contemporary piece!
I agree with almost everything from your post. I was just mesmerized by the whole thing. And I had a hard time at first figuring out who was who. I didn't even notice that they weren't synchronized at first (until Mary pointed it out). I've become rather obsessed with watching it (as i have with their last week's performance but even more this week). Though even after the first time seeing it i still wonder when Lauren lifted Neil. Is it the assisted arabesque (as Mary called it)? And what moves caused Lauren to get all bruised up? The rehearsal seemed a lot different than the performance (except for the intricate close moves with head over head). I am so curious to see what it would look like with better synchronization or with different dancers.
Glad i'm not the only one, anonymous =)
And good point spark.. I'm not seeing a lot of moves where Lauren would've gotten all bruised up either! Maybe after Neil lifts her and then she falls down to her knees, or some of the other floor work. If I really had to guess though, I'd say it was just mistakes in general from getting the hang of the whole routine. When they perform it it all looks so controlled and effortless, even weightless at times. But it probably took a lot of work to get it that way, and I know I would've fallen on my butt a few times(and shins, and knees, and elbows..) if anybody asked me to do some of those moves =)
As for the Arabesque, Wikipedia describes it as "The position of the body supported on one leg with the opposite leg (with the knee straight) extended behind the body." So I think it's safe to say that when Lauren sort of pushed Neil backwards (I don't really consider it a lift?) that that was the assisted arabesque.
Thanks for the comments!
You write very well.
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