A Wonderful Summer of Dance

I just finished watching the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. It was a great show. I thought I had watched every episode this summer but I must have missed a few numbers because there were a few I had seen before. So, it was really wonderful that they did a reprise of the judges' favorite dance numbers.
I am glad that Melanie won this season. She is a wonderful dancer and it was always a joy to see her on the stage. She definitely that spark.
I was just looking at the concert tour website and see that they will be making a stop in Cincinnati in October. I would love to go. It's a little pricey so I'm not sure but it sure is something to think about.
It has a been a great summer of dance. I'm grateful for the gift that these extremely talented people bring to all of us who watch them.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

A Moment of Grace

I watched the results show of So You Think You Can Dance tonight. It was awesome as usual. I do sometimes which there would be less recapping and more explanation of why the judges choose to send home the people they send home. I loved Kristin Chenoweth as a judge. She was entertaining and had a lot of what I would call color commentary about the dancers and dances.
One of my favorite parts of each results show is the opening dance number. It's always amazing to me to see what the group of dancers is going to do. The choreographers always seem to push the dancers in new ways.
Tonight's results show was a special treat for me. Dancers from the AXIS Dance Company performed. AXIS' mission is:

• to create and perform contemporary dance that is developed through the collaboration of dancers with and without disabilities
• to teach dance and educate about collaboration and disability through community education and outreach programs
• to promote and support physically integrated dance locally, nationally and internationally

I have never seen anything like this before. It was absolutely beautiful. I could not believe that the dancer in the wheelchair was doing what he was doing with such grace and strength. It stretched my understanding of dance and broadened my understanding of dance.
For me, this was a moment of grace. God both allowed me to see this beautiful dance and celebrate it as art. God also pushed me outside my pre-conceived notions of who can and cannot dance. I've always loved the way Glee has integrated the character of Artie, who is in a wheelchair, on the show in their dance numbers. However, watching the AXIS dancers moved my heart and spoke to my soul in deep and abiding ways. I am grateful that the producers of So You Think You Can Dance allowed these dancers to share their performance with the world.
To learn more about AXIS, check out their website at: http://www.axisdance.org/index.php
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Looks Like a Wonderful Summer of Dance

Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp!

- Psalm 149:3, KJV

Wow! I just finished watching the performance show of So You Think You Can Dance. It was wonderful! This group of contestants are really strong. It seems like the entire show has stepped up a notch. The dancers are extremely talented as are the choreographers.
Tonight was pure entertainment. I was seriously thinking about voting since you can vote online now. However, I'm not sure for whom I would vote. Each couple was really strong and it was truly amazing to see them dance tonight. I love it that some of the folks drew their personal style. That allowed some of the strongest dancing I've seen this early in the season since I've been watching the show.
Some of my favorite dances tonight were the "statues" contemporary dance, the quick step, and the Broadway routine. However, each dance was wonderful in its own unique way.
I only wish that I could be half as graceful as this year's So You Think You Can Dance contestants. If you like dance, I hope you get a chance to watch this wonderful show this summer.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

So You Think You Can Dance Off to a Great Start

I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance tonight and it is wonderfully entertaining. This year looks like it's going to be a very strong group of contestants. I am glad that they decided to have a top twenty again this year. They are going to bring back the all star previous contestants when they narrow the top twenty down to ten. It's like getting the best of both worlds.
I am also glad that they did away with going to people's homes to give them the news if they made the top twenty or not. That was both lame and awkward and didn't make for good television. I love the way that they have instead announced the top twenty dancers in groups and then let them dance in their various styles. So instead of seeing the judges going into dancers' homes, we got to see the dancers dance. There were nine incredible dance routines on tonight's show. It gave just a taste of what is to come. I am exciting and ready to see what these dancers can do individually and together.
So I think I am really going to enjoy my summer television guilty pleasure. It's going to be a great summer of sizzling dance and entertainment.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

SYTYCD

With the arrival of summer comes one of my favorite summer guilty pleasures: So You Think You Can Dance. I don't have cable. I rarely watch local television. However, now that So You Think You Can Dance is back, I will be tuning in every Wednesday and Thursday evening to watch.
I have shared with you on this blog in the past that I love to watch dancers. I love the grace, skill, and athletic ability that they bring to their art. I love it when a dancer can tell a story through movement. I love it when I am taken away for just a brief moment to a different time or a more graceful place by watching people dance.
I don't really like the audition episodes as much as the actual competition but it's still fun to watch. I like seeing people who share their talents with great energy and joy. I am glad to know that there are people in the world who move with grace and help to express the human experience in deeply profound ways.
So, the television is fired up and write this and I am ready to see some dancing. I know it's going to be a good summer.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

So You Think You Can Dance Finale

Tonight was the So You Think You Can Dance finale. Lauren won. While I was pulling for Kent because he's from my new home state of Ohio, I can't say that I'm disappointed that Lauren won. She was wonderful. All of the final dancers were great. They were truly amazing to watch. I must say that I was also thrilled to see Ellen do a hip-hop routine with Twitch. She was great and made it really fun.
I am so grateful for the art of dance. What a wonderful gift from God it is. It entertains and inspires me in life.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

I Love Dance!

I have this dream that I am graceful and have a sense of rhythm. Of course, then reality sets in and I realize that I am awkward and trapped in the body that looks nothing like that of a dancer.
I watched So You Think You Can Dance again tonight. It was great! The final four dancers are wonderful and incredibly talented. They do move with grace and skill that inspires me. They leap and glide and spin with power that points to heaven.
I am hoping that Kent wins because I think he is the best dancer on the show this season. However, I really would be happy if any of them wins. It has been a wonderful journey with all of the contestants this summer. I'm feeling very grateful to God for the gift of dance tonight.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

So You Think You Can Dance Final Four

Tonight they sent two dancers home on So You Think You Can Dance: Jose and Billy. I really thought Billy would make it through to the final four dancers but I never bothered to vote so I guess I can't be too disappointed. I really like Kent and Lauren. I'm hoping that one them wins the competition. AdeChike and Robert are very good dancers but I Kent and Lauren are the best dancers.
This has been a really challenging season to watch. There have been a lot of people eliminated because of injuries. I can't decide if I really like the new format with only ten dancers. I do like seeing the All Star Dancers from previous seasons. I wish they could start out with 20 dancers and have the All Star Dancers. I guess then the season would last until Christmas. Of course, this would be fine with me. However, no television producers ever consult me about any of this.
I'm ready for the weekend. The week has flown by and at the same time I'm ready to veg out and do not much of anything this weekend.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

Alexie Goes Home

Tonight was the last night for Alexie as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance. I was a little surprised that it was her. I thought that it was going to be Melinda. I didn't think her tap dancing was all that good tonight. Of course, I'm no dance expert. Evidently the judges thought otherwise and I will trust their expertise in these things.
I also got to watch a rerun tonight of Glee. It's the episode with Josh Groban's first appearance on the show. He is great. Also, the guy who plays Sandy is absolutely hilarious. Watching this episode reminded me again of why I like the show so much. It was entertaining and brought a smile to my face.
It was an evening of good entertainment. Now, I'm headed to bed. I'm pooped again tonight. I can't seem to get enough sleep this week. I am really grateful tomorrow is Friday.
Thanks for being a part of my journey!

So You Think You Can Dance

I'm really excited about So You Think You Can Dance this summer. I love it that they have brought back former contestants to partner with this season's contestants. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't start with 20 contestants. I always like the variety of dancers that make it to the top 20. However, seeing familiar faces from past seasons and seeing them dance is a wonderful treat. I also think that having the "all star dancers" will help the contestants be better in the long run.
As I watch each of these dance numbers tonight, I am reminded again of how much I really enjoy dance. There is something magical and in many ways holy about dance. It is such a wonderful gift that humans have been given to express our humanity and our human spirit. It is a powerful tool that we can use to praise the Creator and to tell our life story.
If you can't tell, I'm addicted once again this summer to So You Think You Can Dance.
I hope you are having a great week. My work week is now half over. Only two more days to go before the weekend. Thanks for being a part of my journey!