SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE...

I must admit, I love dance shows. When I was a little kid, I remember the show "Dance Fever" with Denny Terrio. It was a half hour show where three couples would dance to disco/dance music and be judged by a panel of three guests each week. I vaguely remember much else, but I recall just loving that show in the early to mid 80's.

Then about two or three years ago I caught the FOX hit show "So You Think You Can Dance" and fell in love with this show, although I couldn't catch every episode. I love the dance numbers and the outfits the male and female dancers put on each week. My favorite styles of dance include of course disco, jazz, hip-hop and anything "street" oriented, though I do like the traditional and expressive dance routines as well. This season's edition has captivated me from the get go, and the one girl and guy I really liked made it to the finale...more on that in a moment...

While "Dancing with The Stars" has been good, I haven't gotten into that one as much as "SYTYCD"...one reason is that the dancers are all virtual unknowns and must go through a rigorous process to get to the finale, with two (a girl and a guy) being cut each week until there is just ONE winner. I like that concept, rather than a professional dancer being pared up with a B or C list celebrity. "Stars" is alright, and it depends on which celebrities get asked on. If it is someone I really like, chances are that I'll feel more compelled to watch. If not, then I don't. But the reason "SYTYCD" draws me in more is because they feature more styles of dance with the actual music playing...real songs by the original artists...not an orchestra as they have on "Stars"...but anyhoo, FOX has scored a fave hit with me with this show, and I plan to continue watching it again this fall.

Oh and BTW, the girl I wanted to win from the get-go won, congrats to Jeanine Mason!! I thought she had what it took from the start and she did it! Sweet. Yep. I know talent when I see it and I have a knack at picking winners. Maybe I should go into stock brokering. Hmmmm...

More to come on this show...

Dance on,

JD

MJ: THE THRILLER IS GONE...

08.29.1958 - 06.25.2009

I thought of posting this up the day of, but I wanted to wait until the media frenzy calmed down a bit before I spoke my peace. I'm not going to be long with this but to the point. I am still and always will be an MJ fan...all the way. I have his CD's. I play his music on my annual Old Skool Jamzfests every year. He is the icon of the 80's and early 90's and dominated music since before I was born, and was primed for a comeback this year at the ripe young age of 50!. But on June 25, 2009, as I was heading home, I had on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee for news and updates as I usually do each day, and then they broke in and said paramedics were at MJ's home tryng to revive him. Revive him? I thought...WTF is going on here?? ... and as I drove home trying to watch the road and listen in to the minute by-minute details, it became apparent after about 20 minutes of non-stop coverage: the icon of my childhood/adolescence had just passed away from cardiac arrest. Shocked as I was it was a double whammy following Ms. Fawcett's passing earlier that day (RIP, FF). I cannot describe it, but that day was really BIZARRE. I had the strangest tinge of fear and anxiety go through me, the same thing that I felt when I realized my dad had passed away unexpectedly in 1999.

So I just want to say that MJ, your music lives on and has forever changed popular music. You broke down the barriers of black and white, soul and rock and made he world a better place. I just want to say "thank you" and you will truly be missed. This one's hard to deal with still and my heart still aches, as it does for my dad to this day...

But life goes on... It must. We can and must never forget those who went before us.

RIP Michael. You are now at peace and away from this cruel and wacky world.

JD