First, let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of So You Think You Can Dance. As a two-left-feet fan of dance, I have thoroughly enjoyed all three seasons of that show and look forward to more. Even with its unavoidable flaws, like the very nature of competition among dancers of vastly different styles and training, the unfortunate elimination of very skilled dancers who drew less exciting styles, etc., SYTYCD has remained a thrilling show that has showcased so many dancing genres and allowed us viewers to watch dancers push their own boundaries. So, when Superstars was promoted, and with SYTYCD producers at the helm, I expected the same greatness on an even larger scale. Wow, what a disappointment! First, the show bites off more than any show could chew. By trying to capitalize on the "international" element, it loses the most important quality of SYTYCD... connecting the audience to the dancers. Instead, it throws a bevy of dancers at us in a pretty ridiculous team-combined-scores format. I spent more time wondering how the competition and scores worked, exactly, than getting excited about the scores or the competition itself. Just as well, since the whole judging thing is pretty ridiculous anyway. As others have pointed out, how do you score and compare such different types of dance? I ended up entertaining myself by trying to remember how to say "seven," "eight" and "nine" in each represented language.
The second flaw is, in my opinion, less-than-amazing dancers. I expected the best of the best... honestly, I've been more awed at local dance recitals. Yes, there are a few that were amazing, like the Aussie contemporary dancer, but just not that many. It's sad knowing we have talent like Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall, then seeing the US soloists competing on this show.
Since So You Think You Can Dance has versions in many countries now, a better show would have been an international version of that, with some of the top competitors from each country. Are you listening, Nigel? So, three stars. I give it one star because it's that bad, but add two stars because Daire Nolan (the Irish judge) is hot, and Mikhail Smirnov (Russian judge) is so darn corny and cute.
The second flaw is, in my opinion, less-than-amazing dancers. I expected the best of the best... honestly, I've been more awed at local dance recitals. Yes, there are a few that were amazing, like the Aussie contemporary dancer, but just not that many. It's sad knowing we have talent like Danny Tidwell and Travis Wall, then seeing the US soloists competing on this show.
Since So You Think You Can Dance has versions in many countries now, a better show would have been an international version of that, with some of the top competitors from each country. Are you listening, Nigel? So, three stars. I give it one star because it's that bad, but add two stars because Daire Nolan (the Irish judge) is hot, and Mikhail Smirnov (Russian judge) is so darn corny and cute.