So You Think You Can Dance chatter

I'm a pretty active reader (but not poster) over at the Television Without Pity forums which is where I generally gauge other viewers' reactions to the shows I watch. I realize though, that TWOP isn't always the best representation of American viewership, especially when it comes to pop reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance. But anyway, here are the two hot topics that have been floating around the TWOP boards and my take on them.

1. Danny. There was actually a New York Times article on him this week. Read it and take what you will from it, but it basically talks about Danny's background as a classical ballet dancer and how his talent and skill is kind of working against him on the show because he's being perceived by some as arrogant. The judges debated this on this week's show too. My take is that yeah, I'm not really a huge fan. I recognize that he's a really beautiful dancer but I don't think it works on this show. Danny, like all ballet dancers, has this certain posture and elegance and seriousness that isn't necessarily entertaining, and when put next to more outwardly joyful or emotional contemporary or ballroom or hip hop dancing...it just doesn't get received by the general public as well. Watching ballet, to me, is more about appreciating the art than being entertained. And in this contest to find "America's Favorite Dancer"...judging by how much last season's winner Benji was about his personality, I'm not sure how Danny can survive. And honestly, I'm kind of confused as to what he's really doing on this show. Exposure, I suppose, but winning SYTYCD isn't like winning American Idol...there are no record deals or evidence of success because of it. I mean, I don't even remember who won Season 1...
   
   
2. Lauren and Neil. People on TWOP really hate them, and honestly I'm not entirely sure why. No, their performances haven't been that great but I'm not sure what's spawning all this hate, especially for Neil. I kind of do feel like Lauren's somewhat weak, but I kind of like Neil. I feel like with a different partner he could be really good. Which brings me to another point...sometimes it seems like these random pairings are dooming some of the dancers from the start. Maybe good dancers are supposed to be able to adapt to any new partner or something, but I mean, if the chemistry isn't there, it just isn't there. I felt really bad for Shauna this week because I really think she's a great dancer, but she's been saddled with some difficult partners which I think prevented her from the "growth" that the judges claimed she hadn't had. And on the flip side, some of the dancers have been coasting a bit because of their partners, namely Kameron. He's probably the most forgettable dancer for me right now...obviously he's not horrible but he's been overshadowed by Lacey every week and since we haven't seen him do a solo yet, I can't really comment on his talent at all. Soo...I don't know. And with both Shauna and Cedric having been eliminated this week all the couples are remaining the same for the next show...