So You Think You Can Dance - Season 13

[Melissa25]

I waited what seemed like an eternity for one of my favorite shows to return and what do I get?  So You Think You Can Dance - The Next Generation which will showcase 8 -13 year olds.

I am so completely annoyed. I turned it off after 20 minutes.  

[ACL2006]

agreed. though you lasted longer than me.

[DottieD'Luscia]

I saw the commercial and knew I wouldn't be tuning in.

[JustAGuy]

And to make matters even worse, it has a tie-in to that god awful DANCE MOMS.   What were they thinking?

 

[dramamama611]

I've said I was uninterested since they first announced it a few months ago.  Ugh.  So sad, I so love the show. I tuned in for a few minutes, but didn't last long either.  

 

I'm guessing ratings have been slipping, so this was perhaps, a last ditch effort to change things up.  Sigh.

[Huss417]

I gave up when they brought Paula Abdul onto the panel. I have always loved the show but couldn't take it with her. Have to say over the years the show exposed me to a lot of music that I wasn't familiar with which I ended up buying.

[John Adams]

At first, I was OK with the younger contestants, but the more I think about it, the more wary I am. I'm in a "wait and see" mode right now.

In past seasons, I thought the contestants were pushed too hard; to a point that there were injuries every season. I think the production schedule is more intense that what most dancers encounter in real-world employment, and the extra intensity overtaxes their bodies which results in injury. I would hope that younger contestants won't be pushed as hard.

I feel like the choreography will need to change, to be age-appropriate for the younger contestants. I don't/won't want to watch younger contestants exploring adult concepts and themes like death, grief, sexuality, etc. through dance.

Do I want to see a 12-year-old demonstrating the "heat" of an Argentine tango? Lord knows I don't want to hear the judges even imply that any of the kids "really brought it" or were "on the hot tamale train". If not thoughtfully executed, this season could flirt with being a weird, dancing version of Toddlers and Tiaras. ...and speaking of tiaras, what about the costumes?

But if the choreography, costuming and themes are brought to a level that doesn't exploit the kids, will the show be as interesting to watch, as an adult? I'm willing to wait a few weeks to see what happens, but I'm already feeling some disappointment.

[mlsheehan]

I loved this show.  A favorite every year, even last season which many didn't like, But I made it through.  When I heard about this season, I deleted it from my DVR.  

 

I'm not really interested in watching a bunch of kids dance.   Obviously, I'm not the demographic they want.  

 

Good luck to them, and I hope some day (maybe a few years down the road) we'll meet again.

 

[EricMontreal22]

Yeah, this is SUCH a turn off for me(didn't Fox learn from when their American Junior Idols program tanked?)  To be honest I find something distateful about children's dance competitons anyway (I'm fine with watching them perform in a school recital or whatever...)  And I always assumed one of the biggest audiences of this show were teen girls--would watching dancers younger than them really hold any appeal?  I just don't get it (and I'm sorry--I understand kids start dance at a young age but I find watching little kids do latin dancing just wrong). 

[Call_me_jorge]

There was an American idol Jr?

[Call_me_jorge]

Maybe they thought since Master chef Jr. has been doing so well they would make all their shows into JR versions. Now all we have to wait for is the voice for kids.

[EricMontreal22]

Call_me_jorge said: "There was an American idol Jr?

 

"

Yep, it wAs to create a group which I think did an album (like Idol itself it was based on a uk format where I think they did have a hit but was a flop here). Of course Nigel Lythgoe was its producer too. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Juniors

[Melissa25]

I may take another peek once the all stars show up since I am more interested in them anyway.  It's just such a shame that so many dance artists lost this platform for exposure to lead to more work. 

I couldn't stomach the schlockiness of the families sitting up on stage right.  I didn't want to see the kids much less their famililies.  With Jerry Mitchell's "Gotta Dance, The Musical" coming to Broadway, I am actually surprised Lythgoe hasn't stolen a page from him.  I think I would actually tune in if there was a "So You Think You Can Dance - The Over-the-Hill Generation."   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QlK-tSSFvw&sns=em

 

 

[dramamama611]

Isn't that just Dances with the Stars?

 

I just want kids to be kids.   

[EricMontreal22]

I forgot the all=-stars will join in (are they dancing with the kids?  Odd)  But yeah maybe I'll give it a quick look then.

 

Having the parents at the auditions was awful (yes, I know they are often in the audience in the standard edition) and manipulative.  It was interesting as well how they (understandably) softened the critique.  One girl I saw who didn't get a ticket then spoke up saying "Can I just say one thing, if you let us do one more performance you'll change your mind" (or something similar) and so they did and she got in and then Nigel said how he was so proud that she spoke up and asked for a second chance because that would teach her well in the future to speak out.  Ummmm???  If one of the "adult" dancers did that--and they have before--Nigel would be offended and boot them off the stage.  Aren't you meant to be teaching these kids, in theory, how to pursue a job in the industry?

[dramamama611]

That was never the point if the show.   And yes, they are going to treat children differently...but I don't want to watch that.

[Jane2]

Plus, these shows are scripted.

[EricMontreal22]

dramamama611 said: "That was never the pint if the show.   And yes, they are going to treat children differently...but I don't want to watch that.

 

"

Hence why I said "in theory"

[John Adams]

Pointing up that one kid's muscles was kinda creepy this week. I didn't think he was all that great a dancer (are pop-n-lock and moonwalk still popular?), which made me think he was selected because of his looks, which made it even creepier.

The requisite barbs between Paula and the male judges seem very staged (and stale).

I think I'll uncheck the DVR cue until the real dancing starts. I'm still curious to see how creative (or not) the choreography will be, and how the All-Stars interact with the baby ballerinas. If the choreography is as good as previous seasons, and the dancers execute it as well, I'm still in.