SUPERSTARS OF DANCE Misses the Point

I’ll admit it – I was really amped up for the premiere of SUPERSTARS OF DANCE. I think by now most of you know my obsession with SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, and since this new show was being produced by the same team, I thought I would just love it. I was wrong. But maybe the issue was me. Maybe it was my constant comparison with SYTYCD that led to my dislike of the show. Maybe…but probably not.

The show wasn’t an epic fail, but the approach was so empty that I’m not sure I’ll be tuning in tonight.

SUPERSTARS OF DANCE is essentially an international dance competition. Eight countries – Argentina, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Russia, USA, China, and India – compete in group numbers, duets and solo routines and then are scored by judges representing each of the countries. The scores are tabulated over the course of the competition and in the end there will be a winner in each of the categories and one overall country winner.

Unfortunately it’s the competition aspect where it all goes wrong. The dancers dance. Each routine is scored on a scale of 1-10, and the scores are tallied. At no point are the judges allowed to weigh in and provide critique of the routine or any explanation as to why they gave their scores. It all seems very arbitrary. And because of this the viewer at home loses out on what is essentially the point of the entire show – to learn about other cultures through the common language of dance.

That is disappointing.

I’m not a dancer. Never have been and I never will be. But I have come to appreciate the art of dance so much through my experience of watching SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. And I’ve learned a lot too. Through the pre-performance video and post-performance judges critique the viewer at home better understands what technically and emotionally makes a routine stand out. I’ve learned about lines and angles, and characteristics that are inherent to certain dances like the Argentine Tango and the Quick Step. And after years of watching the show, I can now sit at home and play amateur judge because I know what to look for. Armed with that (very little) knowledge I can better understand and appreciate the judges commentary and ultimately their decisions when it came to the competition aspects. And again all this has led to a greater understand and appreciation of dance. And THAT is what is missing from SUPERSTARS OF DANCE.

I also took issue with some of the dancers that performed. These were billed as the best of the best from each country. I beg to differ. I saw a lot of sloppy dancing last night. I mean Katee & Joshua’s ‘Bollywood’ routine from last season’s SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE was world’s better than last night’s performance by the two women representing India; and Katee & Joshua had less than a week to learn the routine.

And as a flag waving American I have to wonder if contortionist Robert Muraine is the best we have to offer. Really? He’s great at what he does, don’t get me wrong, but we have dance companies all over this country filled with beautiful dancers. Were they all busy? I mean if we were going to have a dancer from SYTYCD couldn’t have it been one of the winners? I’m thinking Benji would have been a better representative than Muraine. I mean that guy didn’t even make the show…he quit.

Some of the routines were just magnificent. The Irish step dancers, the Argentine Tango, the lifts & leaps by the American team, and especially the powerful group routine by the Chinese monks. That dance was spectacular. And of course I was super excited to see SYTYCD alums Pasha and Anya representing Russia. YAY! But in general the level of performance was not what I expected given these are the “best” dancers in the world.