Superficiality and tricks in dance?[ DT NOTE P16]

So I haven't really been watching this season of JDJ...but I happened to catch the Salman-Isha horror themed performance out of curiosity. And frankly, I was pretty disgusted on many levels. I am sure this is a minority opinion, but I just have to rant out anyways because watching this performance bothered me on multiple levels. 

Firstly, I am quite sick of superficiality...especially in dance. Honestly, I just failed to see actual DANCING in this act! Where was it? It was all tricks and supposedly tricking the audience into believing that this was an act of awesome dancing when it really wasn't! Salman and Isha were hardly even listening to/moving to the music. There was no actual dance STEPS or expression of the body to the music/the emotions of the music. HECK! Even Salman and Isha had no connection with each other whatsoever. They both were just doing their own things randomly!

And random is totally the word for this act! Where was the flow? There was no story or flow to it whatsoever! Where was the thought? The creative input behind it? Doing a bunch of flexibility tricks equals dancing in our culture now? 

Yes, granted that both Isha and Salman are very flexible. Especially Isha. And the tricks they can perform are commendable no doubt...but that is NOT dancing! 

Seriously WTH was that? What was the act even trying to portray? Isha was trying to scare Salman off? Randomly? Was it a love story? There was ZERO connect for me. I was quite bored watching this to be honest. Perhaps because I was looking for dance, not tricks. If I wanted to see tricks I would watch the circus or a gymnastics performance or something. 

Like really. This bothers me while watching shows like DID as well. Just this direction dance as a culture seems to be taking in reality shows. I just fail to see the point...the art that is dance.. in these kinds of acts. I don't see much creativity either. 

 Like WHAT exactly was Isha's character even supposed to be? Seriously this act was so random...there was hardly any connect or thought put into this. 

And lastly, this act bothered me because I found it be plagiarized. From Sushant and Shampa's brilliant horror act from last season.  For any of those that have not watched this, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vOFJaSidYI

Now that one was pure genius. And ACTUAL dancing! There was a dance format here...actual salsa steps WHILE telling of a story that you could connect to. 

I find it quite amazing that Salman quite freely and fearlessly plagiarized moves and aspects of Sushant-Shampa's act and got away with it too. 😕 

Seriously, just look at the layers these guys were able to portray through their dancing. Such confident, graceful movements too. And just the idea of showing those raw, almost cannibalistic type emotions...that's the horror there. And WHILE doing something like salsa which is traditionally shown as a romantic/couple type of a dance. It was quite refreshing. It was new.

There was nothing new about Salman and Isha's act. It felt so repetitive and boring to me. And Madhuri's reaction also expressed that I felt. :P 

To give credit where it's due, yes the body formations did portray that "horror" effect. But there really wasn't much dancing in this act. That is my main problem. It was more of the tricks/the effect.

And Shampa didn't even need to intensify her makeup in order to create that effect. Her expressions...her body language, her DANCING spoke for herself. Same with Sushant. Isha was all makeup...otherwise she was still a blank face. 

Why do things have to be so in your face and obvious these days anyways? Where is the subtlety? And the interpretation in dancing? Salman's act was all OBVIOUS tricks...nothing engaging or interpretative in his choreography or his dancing. No depth really...only superficiality and tricks. 🥱

Check this thread. Obv you are entitled to your opinion, just a different pov.

Thanks so much for posting that link/sharing that thread with me. I am watching that performance on repeat now. 😆 Ahh Sonya is so brilliant! 

SEE this is EXACTLY what I mean! There is genius in that SYTYCD performance you shared. There is this poise...this grace. This patience and CONTROL in the dancing. Just look at the way these two dancers were able to HOLD their moments. It's all about the MOMENTS. The interpretation to the MUSIC after all isn't it? 

And the full body stretch...it's like their entire length of the body/that entire stretch is feeling that emotion or the music! They are INTO their performance...there are nuances in their dancing and their movements/body language is reflecting that!

There is such grace and poise to the way these two are HOLDING the movements too. Like the way they just PAUSE. 

That creativity and control is what is missing with Salman and Isha. Flexibility is one thing. Being able to dance is another. For dance requires much more creativity of the MIND. That's what I am saying. 

Salman and Isha are hardly even listening to the music. Therefore that connect is lost on me. The music and dancing has to assimilate. 

Look at the way Sonya has used the lyrics/the music...those tiny creepy movements to the tiny little beats in the song. And I loved that hold when the lyrics went "stuck on me" and the way Ellenore portrays that "stuck"...that's brilliant stuff. And the ending too...just that creepiness. This performance had layers...the sides of being creepy and sneaky...and evil...yet drawn to one another...it's cool, it's refreshing, it's raw. Just the way Jakob portrayed that torturing emotion...torturing Ellenore until he finally kills her. It was so CLEAR and convincing. Nothing was convincing or CLEAR like that with Salman-Isha's act. Jakob-Ellenore were telling their story through DANCE. And the end...I got that vampire-ish feeling on my own...it's the power of their dancing! 👏

Salman and Isha were all superficiality as I keep repeating myself here...not much depth really. And these two weren't really able to HOLD movements/moments either. 

Sushant and Shampa did a better job...although not to the level of this SYTYCD performance obviously. But even Sushant and Shampa had that poise. The ability to HOLD the moments. Make that connect and impact. And their steps/movements reflected the music completely. 

what could be a bunch of tricks for one person could be a brilliant performance for someone else... in music many purists believe that rock is just a bunch of people screeching their heads off... for others it is the only form of music they enjoy... even in case of paintings, what could be a masterpiece for one would be just a splash of different colors for someone else... i believe no art form has boundaries... different people enjoy different forms of it...

but i do agree about the sushant shampa perfomance... it certainly made a much much bigger impact on me... in case of isha and salman's act - i saw, i applauded and i moved on... but the sushant-shampa performance had me awe... i came across it on youtube only a couple of days ago... when i saw the whole performance i had goosebumps... i saw it atleast 5-6 times again and just couldn't get over it... 

 

Most of the time these two are just throwing each other around randomly. There isn't much PURPOSE in their dancing. 

And there isn't really that much thought put into this act if you really look at it. It's a very STANDARD horror act. Yes, Isha's flexibility has been put to good use by Salman, sure. 

I just fail to see it. 

I mean...look at the way Sushant had that POISE. The way he just HELD his stance and pose with his dancing. That kind of confidence and GRACE on stage. It was inspiring. Isha has none of those qualities as a dancer, honestly. 👎🏼

There are some dancers that can make an impact with just the way they stand on stage...or the most minute of details in their dancing. And then others that can do all sorts of flexible moves...all sorts of crazy/hardcore stunts/movements, yet fail to make an impact of any sort. That is the difference I think. 

And oh , I loved reading all your posts on their performances last season!! .. I still go back and read your posts on them sometimes ...

And I agree .. Sushant-shampa's performances wasnt just about (technically) good dancing ...  their concept , expressions and music n' lyrics were always so in sync with each other...

About the plagiarism .. well , if it was deliberate .. then .. I just feel sad about it ... bcuz that idea was from a short film made by sushant .. and well.. he pretty much "directed"  the dance too.. while shampa incorporated his ideas really well in the choreography!

salmans certain steps n facial movements are carbon copy sushant so as ishas one step a xerox of shampas..

js ishas flexibility tht makes it different frm sushant shampas piece..