"So you think you can dance" made me cry tonight

I heard about the Emmy. It'd be really neat for her if she won. Her work is almost always highly emotional and tells a beautiful story, about love or loss, or sometimes both. She seems to have a talent for really bringing out the best in the dancers by forcing them to move and be more than what they are. I like Neil a lot. I really enjoyed the villain/angel routine he did with Lauren a few weeks ago, and I think he has tremendous potential. I do agree with Nigel though, that the choreographers have been bringing the performances down to what the dancers can do, instead of demanding more from the dancers. I think that's why there haven't been as many memorable performances this year. I can't believe the finale is coming up already.

I'm so happy to hear that! The really does have amazing talent. I never really appreicated contempory dance before but this show and her coreography have really opened my eyes to it.

I never cared for contemporary before either, simply because it didn't move me. It was just a bunch of people dancing fruity and twirling and throwing themselves on the floor. But her pieces seem to tell a story very well, and with such depth of emotion. When the pieces are danced well, the anguish, sorrow, attraction and love displayed is palpable.

Mia Michaels choreographed it to depict the story of her and her father meeting in heaven. Her father passed away a few years ago. So she wanted to tell this story, and I think Neil and Lacey did a wonderful job of staying within the character of the piece. It was very emotional. I was bawling by the time it was over. So was Mary Murphy, who Nigel said was going through a difficult time with her own mother. Mary couldn't even comment because she was so broken up. I agree that the park bench and sunflower routine from last year was wonderful. My favorite Mia routine is still the "Why" routine with Allison and Ivan. I can't find the professional one on Youtube anymore. The only ones left are grainy ones that fans shot while in the audience. But that one was very powerful, and Ivan looks like such a man in that dance.

Oh wow....now I'm seeing it with whole new eyes. How beautiful and moving.

Isn't it? I think they danced it well. It occurs to me, though, that no matter what Lacey and Neil did, the piece was going to go over well with the judges because it was so personal to Mia. Like you said, without the story behind it, the choreography doesn't have much impact because it's out of context. Knowing the story and being able to sort of put myself in her place is what really made it get to me. In a sense, that seems a little manipulative, but on the other hand, Lacey and Neil did the piece justice. Neil portrayed the wisdom and experience of the father, and the innocence of the child. It's definitely going to go down as one of my favorites.

Hmmm..looks like some goobly-goo junk added itself to the end of my response.

I'm also rooting for Sabra. She's amazingly talented, and seems to be able to perform just about anything they throw at her. I like Neil too, but that's just because he's insanely hot..lol

I did find it on youtube but I don't know the story behind it.

You might still be able to catch it on youtube. The person who answered before you said they saw it there. Try "Lacey and Neil" and see what comes up. If you saw the beginning of it, then you probably know Mia's story behind the dance. It was a very emotional routine. I was bawling. lol.

You're right. I thought about it, and even posted in one of the threads above, that the dance was pretty manipulative. Nobody is going to put down the dance because of how much it means to Mia. Still, I think Neil and Lacey did capture the innocence and feeling of the piece (even if Lacey did blow it immediately afterward by blowing a flower out of her mouth). The dancing was weak. But in the end, the show really is a popularity contest, not a technical dancing contest. There have been some really strong dancers who have been eliminated simply because they didn't have the personality. That's why they look for America's favorite dancer, not the best dancer.

Wow. Did you see tonight's performances? I can't choose who I like most! Actually, I can. Neil and Sabra are my current favorites. If you look at this season, Neil's been in all the really memorable performances. I think maybe Danny and Lauren will go. I don't want to wait til Monday to find out!

I agree that Sarah improved the most. Considering she was a b-girl and had no experience with any other dance style and had never danced in heels before, she made it look effortless. Mia Michaels has a way of getting as much emotion into her dances as possible, and she forces the dancers to rise to her level. The look on Neil's face when he first sees Lacey in that number...that look of "I haven't seen you in so long, I'm so happy you're here" is enough to set me crying right there. I was surprised that they didn't feature the villain/angel dance last night. For me, that was one of the highlights of the season. And I'm so happy for Sabra!! I was rooting for her (and Neil lol). It's hard to believe she's only been dancing for 4 years. No matter what they threw at her, she nailed it.