Tonya Plank's Blog, page 35

So You Think You Can Dance: Is the Show's New Format to Blame for the Loss of Viewers?

Someone at The Daily Beast sent me this post and I thought I'd pass it on to you guys. The author, Andy Dehnart, provides statistics saying the show has lost a good deal of viewers this season and argues that it's the new (and constantly changing) format that's to blame. What do you guys think? I personally think it's just that the dancers aren't as spectacular as in seasons past, particularly in ballroom and hip hop. There were too many contemporary dancers this season, and once Alex was...

Pretty Kitty I Fell For Yesterday

I totally fell in love with this kitten yesterday who I saw up for adoption on my street corner. I'd thought since she's longhaired, her fur would activate my allergies like crazy, but then I came home and read that that's not necessarily true and that in fact Siberian cats (which I think she was, at least in part) are hypoallergenic. So that wouldn't have been a problem. But since my other cat died, and I'm currently cat-less, they wouldn't let me take only one; I had to adopt two. And now i...

MELANIE LAPATIN AND BENJI SCHWIMMER STAR IN "LEADING LADIES"

So excited! I've been hearing about this ballroom-based movie Melanie LaPatin has a role in for a while now and it's finally being released. It stars SYTYCD season three winner Benji Schwimmer as well.

Here's the synopsis:

"Nothing matters more to the Campari family than ballroom dancing. When star daughter Tasi reveals she's pregnant, larger-than-life stage mom Sheri reluctantly turns to her other daughter, Toni, to win the upcoming dance competition. But Toni's a little distracted since...

MELANIE LAPATIN AND BENJI SCHWIMMER STAR IN LEADING LADIES

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So excited! I've been hearing about this ballroom-based movie Melanie LaPatin has a role in for a while now and it's finally being released. It stars SYTYCD season three winner Benji Schwimmer as well.

Here's the synopsis:

"Nothing matters more to the Campari family than ballroom dancing. When star daughter Tasi reveals she's pregnant, larger-than-life stage mom Sheri reluctantly turns to her other daughter, Toni, to win the upcoming dance competition. But Toni's a little distracted since...

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE SEMI-FINAL

So, Tyce Diorio guest judges tonight, in addition to the regular three. But the judges' opinions no longer matter this week; it's all up to the voting public.

First on is a Tyce Diorio Broadway number to Guys and Dolls involving all four finalists. I thought this was pretty fun though it didn't really blow me away. Lauren stood out the most to me; she had really beautiful form throughout and danced with a lot of spark, as usual. Kent's backflips were a trip. The other two were fine.

First on...

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE SEMI-FINALS

So, Tyce Diorio guest judges tonight, in addition to the regular three. But the judges' opinions no longer matter this week; it's all up to the voting public.

First on is a Tyce Diorio Broadway number to Guys and Dolls involving all four finalists. I thought this was pretty fun though it didn't really blow me away. Lauren stood out the most to me; she had really beautiful form throughout and danced with a lot of spark, as usual. Kent's backflips were a trip. The other two were fine.

First on...

GALLIM DANCE UPCOMING AT THE JOYCE

From August 9th through 14th, Gallim Dance (photographed above), which I highly recommend, will be performing at the Joyce Theater. I recently saw them rehearse the program they'll be performing, Wonderland, and I loved it. Young artistic director and choreographer Andrea Miller has studied dance in Israel with Ohad Naharin and has danced with his excellent company, Batsheva, and it shows. This is the kind of modern dance I most love: high energy, full of meaning, thought-provoking, and that ...

GALLIM DANCE UPCOMING AT THE JOYCE

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From August 9th through 14th, Gallim Dance (photographed above), which I highly recommend, will be performing at the Joyce Theater. I recently saw them rehearse the program they'll be performing, Wonderland, and I loved it. Young artistic director and choreographer Andrea Miller has studied dance in Israel with Ohad Naharin and has danced with his excellent company, Batsheva, and it shows. This is the kind of modern dance I most love: high energy, full of meaning, thought-provoking, and that ...

Apparently It's Update Your Headshot Season at ABT

It's happened again. I was looking through old blog posts on the test site for the new blog (just to make sure everything's transferred okay from old to new blog), when suddenly, I spy in some of my image links to ABT a different David Hallberg.

And later, ditto for Blaine Hoven. Blaine's looks rather Dashiell Hammett / Raymond Chandler-esque, no?

JENNIFER BELLE REHEARSED PROFESSIONAL LAUGHERS AT DANCE NEW AMSTERDAM

Ha, I love it when my two favorite subjects – dance and lit – collide! A favorite author of mine (ever since her Going Down days), Jennifer Belle, publicized her latest book by hiring actresses to read it in public places throughout New York and laugh hysterically while doing so. She happened to audition the actresses at Dance New Amsterdam, the large studio in lower Manhattan that's a favorite of small dance companies for inexpensive rehearsal space and that's recently been in danger of...