Some time last fall I caught a glimpse of a few minutes of a So You Think You Can Dance episode for the first time. (Yes, I pretty much live under a rock as far as TV is concerned. We use an antenna!) It caught my interest enough that I started watching the show. Right away, I was hooked: the talent of the contestants, even the ones who don’t make it all the way through, is astonishing, and the format means there’s always a variety of music and choreography.

One of the things I loved seeing the most was the chemistry developing between the pairs who continued to work together over the course of the first several episodes (something that’s sadly been missing from this season with the new format). It’s amazing, and I think useful as a writer, to see how much personality and emotion can come across without anything being said. My favorite pair, by far, was Legacy and Kathryn, especially after this routine which still gives me chills:

Also amazing is seeing dancers with no previous training, or training only in one style, completely absorb something totally different from anything they’ve ever done. Sadly, the video won’t let me embed it, but you really should check out Alex the ballet dancer proving he can hip hop with the best of them. Just goes to show you never know what hidden depths you might find if you push your characters–or yourself–out of the comfort zone!

And it’s probably because of this show that one of the characters in THE WAY WE FALL turned out to be a dancer. 🙂

Any other SYTYCD fans out there? Who are your faves this season?