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Hi Aaron, Interesting site! I've only just found this, and haven't read through much, but your take on popular culture is certainly different and offers something worthwhile in comparison to what's out there/ I'm actually a dance teacher, and one of my pupils alerted me to to your article on that ridiculous show. If anything, you're being too kind. A "performance" for people on their couches it might very well be, but "dancing" it isn't. Those choreographed routines weren't in any way true to the styles, the music was inappropriate, and their dancing ability nothing more than a few acrobatic tricks. This show reduces dance to rubble. Around those tricks, their lines were shocking, their technique completely absent, and most of them couldn't even dance on the beat. These are basic principles that were completely non-evident in the show. You are right about the state of dance in this country in comparison to America, and in terms of students learning outside of styles. However, there is still a large enough pool of actual dance students out there, and I know for a fact that many of them who would wipe the floor with this bunch, went to the auditions and didn't get through. I suppose their stories weren't compelling enough or maybe they weren't pretty enough, but dance seems not what they're looking for, despite the title of the show. But you're closer to the mark than anyone else writing about this show, and you are indeed a clever boy, so I'm not criticising you, please don't take that the wrong way. You're cultural analysis of dance in the 80's is brilliant, I've recomended my other students read this article. I look forward to reading more of your work. Steven Thanks, Steven, Always great to hear from those who have valid, "inside" angles on these shows, etc, so thanks for your letter, it's worth remembering. Of course, this is still a TV show, and no commercial TV show will reach beyond the contrived (which makes money) to value sincerity and authenticity. And you'e right about the songs, actually, I forgot to mention that in my article. One of the problems with Australian TV, inparticular, is that we sell off so much of our productions - you'd think America would be worse at that, but no. So, the music is actually based on cross-promotion deals with Sony, and this is what chooses the music, not what suits the style or story. I thought the samba (or was it salsa?) to an electro-tech pop tune was pretty silly. But you can buy that song on itunes, and everyone makes another dollar, you know?! What was even more indicative was that I can tell you that in those audition shows, they were overdubbing the music, and what we were watching wasn't necessarliy what they chose to dance to. The refugee girl (Deni, is it?) did not dance to the Michael Jackson remix we saw, because Sony were due to release it the following week (it's being advertised, now, during the show), and I very much doubt she would have a copy of a song not even commercially released (or, let's be frank, dance to a Michael Jackson number). What a coincidence! So, the music has nothing to do with the dance, you're quite right. Again, in the American show, this was not the case. A samba was to samba music, not what's hot in the early 20's dance charts. Thanks again for your letter. I'll be commenting on the show again, throughout the series, so feel free to write in with your angles, you can obviously offer a perspective I can't. Cheers, Aaron
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