TV Dance Shows
January has seen the advent of dance-fever on television: The BBC's "So You Think You Can Dance?" and Sky1's "Got To Dance". These kinds of shows would have been unthinkable 10years ago and demonstrates the rising appeal of theatrically based television show. Certainly the Maria, Joseph and Nancy shows have been incredibly popular with Saturday night audiences but for the first time dance is given the air-time to show exactly how much hard work, commitment and sweat and tears go in to become a top-class dancer.
The majority of the finalists taking part in the BBC show are, in fact, from musical theatre, rather than actual dance "companies", which only goes to show the necessary standard of dance required to make it in musical theatre today. Sky's show (in keeping with Britain's Got Talent) appears to focus on the struggles of members of the public or troupes of cute kids and seems to play to the "let's giggle at the no-hopers" of some other shows. I can see that television producers see this as "good television" from a production point of view, but those of us who appreciate a more serious look at what it takes to be a top-class dancer prefers the Beeb's approach. Only 45 minutes on the audition process and then straight to the nitty-gritty of finding and weeding out the finalists.
