Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Dancing Fool
With Iraq on the verge of civil war, India in the thrall of terrorism, or as the New York Times would say, militancy, and Israel desperately trying to protect its citizens to the cries of “disproportionate response”, while the proximate cause is forgotten — a kidnapped Israeli; with Iran, through clients in Lebanon, proving once again it is the most dangerous state in the world, occupying Lebanon in a way few in the press deem worthy of discussion, currently driving the whole region towards war — So You Think You Can Dance was a rousing relief tonight.
These dance shows have a joyous quality that makes you feel you are in another time — one that never existed, but you wish it had. Even the judges have gotten better — more coherent and accurate in evaluating the actual performances. The judges are a study unto themselves. That woman judge has just about everything going wrong. She cries, she squawks, she wants to be liked but tell the truth as she sees it — the woman is disturbing. But she was very accurate in some of her observations nevertheless, and I guess that's why she is there. The choreography is so crucial in evaluating the dancers that it sometimes seems unfair when a couple has a great routine while another is given poor material with which to work. One of the choreographers, a ballroom dance guy who looks like the actor Peter Riegert, provided two great routines last week and the dancers looked all the better for it — it just made you smile.
Yup, dancing is a joy and a relief, but then Fred Astaire was at his peak during the Depression. Dance, it melts away the sorrow, if only temporarily, but you can't miss that the popularity of these dance shows also betrays the zeitgeist.