It took the show’s third season to do it, but I’m officially hooked on So You Think You Can Dance. I sat glued to the screen on Wednesday evening, watching the dancers and their dances and feeling really impressed. For those of you who haven’t watched the show before, the premise is simple, but elegant.
Dancers from around the country compete to be in the top 20 dancers. If they make it to the top 20, there are 10 girls and 10 guys. The dancers are partnered up and then they draw a dance style from a hat. They then have a week with choreographer to put together a dance piece before they have to present their piece to the judges.
The evening they present their pieces, viewers can vote for their favorite couple or dance performance via 1-866 numbers. The three couples who receive the lowest votes will then have to ‘dance for their lives’ in the follow-up show – strutting their individual stuff in order to remain in the competition. Two dancers will be cut every week – 1 girl and 1 guy.
Dancers & Exhaustion
While the performances were spectacular, there was a bit of a surprise at the end. One of the couples (Pasha and Jessie) would not be able to perform the dance they had practiced all week because Jessie was in the hospital. Apparently, she felt weak, short of breath and experienced chest pains during dress rehearsal and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
The judges then did something that seemed rather cruel, they told Pasha that if he performed well and the voters kept him out of the bottom three, he would be safe – but Jessie would need to ‘dance for her life’ the next night. Considering the girl was hooked up to an EKG, I think calling it dancing for her life was a bit crass.
As it turns out though, Jessie was able to perform the next night. She and Pasha got to strut their stuff and the audience got to see the dance she would have done the night before. They were great. But when it came to getting Jessie, was asked to leave along with the male dancer Jesus.
So why was Jessie in the hospital? Apparently dehydration was the cause. The rigorous dance schedule and the pressure combined with not drinking enough water and the dehydration caused an irregular EKG. She looked great and had a doctor’s release to perform. Here’s hoping Jessie doesn’t give up on her dance career – I think it’s a crying shame the judges’ cut her especially since she’d been in the hospital, but as they say – the show must go on.