Best Friends Dance (choreographer Travis Wall)

[elliejane]

The link I have posted here is of a dance routine from So You Think You Can Dance in the States. I'm posting it more as a reminder for me, so I don't lose it! I found it surfing friends of friends, and clicked on it because they squeed about it.

It is two guys dancing contemporary style and although the title says "Best Friends" dance it reads more

Comments

[troyswann]

That was a very lovely number. Travis did some amazing work this season. He kinda wears his heart on his sleeve as a choreographer, building routines out of stuff that's going on in his life. Sometimes that can be a little uncomfortable in a competition show (like, how could you vote against a dance about his mom's illness, right?), but always, always beautiful. It makes me wish that there were more opportunities to see dance in a popular space that isn't about competition so that we could really engage with what he does

[elliejane]

I have had very little exposure to contemporary dance so this was, I think, only the second time I've really been aware of it and the style, and it was a bit of a revelation. I don't generally watch competition shows in the UK, and the only dance one I'm really aware of is our version of "Dancing with the Stars" (Strictly Come Dancing) and of course, the general talent show ones. I don't know if we even have a UK version of SYTYCD. "Strictly..." is all ballroom and latin, with a bit of swing and jive thrown in sometimes

[troyswann]

*rolls up sleeves* First, there is in fact a SYTYCD UK. I was hanging with elishavah a while ago and she showed me some numbers and there's also SYTYCD Canada (\o/) and Australia.

Second, the thing about SYTYCD is that you get dancers from all genres and one of the things that they are judged on is their versatility, and their ability to master genres other than their own. So you get to see a real variety of styles, more so in the Canadian one than the American one (I've not seen enough UK or AUS to say). The Canadian one gives us House and Dancehall and Afro-Jazz, things that are being picked up now on the US show--Bollywood is a staple now, for instance. And if you get good guest judges, they will actually explain the underlying concepts of the different dances so that you can learn stuff as well as seeing a range of styles, getting introduced to choreographers (omg, SEAN CHEESMAN ILU!), and seeing dedicated, talented, passionate young people working their asses off. (I have such a soft-spot for dedicated, talented, passionate young

[elliejane]

*rolls up sleeves*Lol! Who knew contemporary dance, of all things, would produce such lengthy postings

[troyswann]

Hi, okay, going now, but just wanted to leave you with these, one a bit heart-wrenching and one rather macabre and quirky, from SYTYCD Canada

[elliejane]

Yay, links! Have already thanked you for these above, but still, yay!!!

The way the dancers just fling themselves through the air in such a gravity defying way. It is breath taking, to see people using their whole bodies to express emotion in this way, and not just some facial expressions and hand gestures. I swear, I sort of want to draw and paint them but I don't think I could ever catch the essense of the movements.

[theplaidsheep]

Ellie love, thank you for posting that. I honestly haven't really watched contemporary dance, but this was amazing, the movement and the emotion was incredible.

But thank you Troyswann for posting the video of Tara-Jean and Vincent. My gods I've never seen a woman dance so completely into her role, I was almost weeping along with the judges, the subject matter aside, the strength of her performance was incredible and Vincent seamlessly enhanced it. Beautiful.

[elliejane]

Heya, Bec! Me, too. I don't think I had even really watched contemporary dance, and it was just astonishing to me. I keep hearing the song in my head and keep re-watching it.

And Tara-Jean and Vincent, so just.....there begin to be no words.