What, you say? You know about dance because you watch "Dancing With the Stars"? Well, not quite. There is, indeed, some overlap: Three former "SYTYCD" contestants have gone on to be staff dancers on the popular ABC contest, teaching tango to the likes of Steve-o, the guy from "Jackass." They do an admirable job with their often-uncoordinated charges. But they're slumming, and they know it.
"Dancing With the Stars" is pure Velveeta, a cheery Vegas show awash in sequins and lamé. "So You Think You Can Dance" is the real competition. These dancers aren't learning how to hold their arms or trying to extend careers in reality TV; they're all trained, at least to some extent, with admirable technique and commitment to the craft. The choreography, complex and demanding, ranges from standard ballroom fare - the quickstep, the Viennese waltz - to hip-hop and modern dance.
The dances are often stories. Last season, we saw a hip-hop number about a workaholic and his suffering wife, a modern routine that had its dancers leaping on a mattress, another that made use of a freestanding doorframe and a swinging door. They're always provocative; one of last summer's winning routines was a pas de deux with barely clothed dancers. On "Dancing With the Stars," sexy is defined by the size of a bikini top. On "SYTYCD," the movement itself is erotic. How it has managed to air, consistently, on a network show remains one of TV's great and happy mysteries.
For quality control, meanwhile, we can thank executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, a former "American Idol" bigwig who left that show this season to concentrate on his international "SYTYCD" empire. He's a veteran hoofer himself; last season, he revealed that he had danced with Cyd Charisse. And as an on-air judge - the requisite British voice - he's Simon Cowell with value added. He doesn't mince words, but he harps on technique, and he's never afraid to laugh at himself.
