Ten years of ‘Dance’ on TV

Posted on July 22, 2015 in Dance, TV

Last night, So You Think You Can Dance celebrated ten years of incredible dancing on television. Some of the best dancers from past seasons were on hand to recreate the dances that fans and Emmy voters alike have deemed the best. While we agree that those dances and the dancers who danced them are awesome, we’d like to call out some that didn’t make the hour-long special.

“Bleeding Love” by Napoleon and Tabitha – danced by Mark and Chelsie
Napoleon and Tabitha essentially introduced the style of lyrical hip-hop to audiences and we loved it. Not to mention the song exploded after this routine. Coincidence?

“The Garden” by Sonya Tayeh – danced by Courtney and Mark
Everyone immediately fell in love with Sonya’s quirky, weird choreographic style after this routine which confirmed her spot as an in-demand choreographer on the show.

“Rama Lama” by Wade Robson – danced by the Season 2 Top 10 dancers
This is THE ROUTINE that put “So You Think You Can Dance” on the map and won Robson an Emmy. There was nothing like it before or since.

“This Woman’s Work” by Tyce DiOrio – danced by Melissa and Ade
We were all reaching for the tissues during this piece about cancer that gave DiOrio, known mostly for being a jazz and Broadway choreographer, a moment of depth and meaning.

“Gravity” by Mia Michaels – danced by Kayla and Kupono
Sometimes a piece goes beyond dancing and becomes a metaphor for life. The dance known as the “addiction dance” did and left the judges and audiences speechless.

Dance matters. Dance on television matters. We hope artists and producers will continue to fight to have dance on TV. And while we are glad So You Think You Can Dance is still inspiring people all across the world, we would be remiss if we didn’t call out what’s missing from this season. That’s right, the conductor of the ‘Hot Tamale Train” herself, Mary Murphy. For years, she’s been a constant presence on the show, cheering and screaming (literally) for dancers to be their best. She was apparently replaced on the panel in an attempt to boost ratings, but she can never be replaced in our hearts and in our eardrums. The show truly isn’t the same without her and her experienced knowledge of dance.