So You Think You Can Dance

I look forward every week to watch the show on FOX, So You Think You Can Dance. It's become my favorite show right now. I love to see these talented young people stretch and learn new types of dances. I've learned a few myself that I didn't know about. I'd never heard of krumping and I didn't know anything about popping.

My favorites last night were Heidi and Ryan, Martha and Travis, Donyelle and Benji, Allison and Ivan. But then there's the electricity of Natalie and Musa dancing together and it's always fun to watch Dimetry. Everyone's amazingly talented.

During the commercials, I watched American Idol Taylor Hicks dancing and singing for Ford Motor Company. I'd like to buy one of his CD's and see him live in concert.

One of my favorite judges, Dan Karaty was up last night and it's always a pleasure to see Nigel Lithgoe. Again Cat Deeley went over the top with fashion. I'm seeing new designs each week that I haven't seen before. Just who is her designer?

After watching this exciting show, I turned to my mail and opened the July issue of National Geographic. As I was flipping through the pages, I found the article, "Shall we dance?" with some great quotes about dancing.

"Dance is bodies sounding off. We pour out love and hate, joy and sorrow; appeal to the spirits, gods, and nature; flirt, seduce, court; celebrate birth, death, and everything in between....Dance is so profane, some religions ban it; so sacred, others claim it." --Judith Lynne Hanna, an anthropologist at the University of Maryland.

"We dance out of anguish, to attain solace, and, sometimes, in an attempt to heal." --Cathy Newman, author of article.

Then Tommy Johnson, the Hip-Hop Clown talks about krumping. "Krumping is a creative alternative to gang fighting. It's how you take out aggressions without violence." That is certainly is positive to the alternative.

A photo taken in Albany, Oregon of square dancing made me wonder why the Hope Grange in Alsea doesn't have weekly dances. We need a polka band and dancing right here in Alsea. That shouldn't be contraversial or objectionable to anyone.

I certainly hope that the need and desire to dance spreads. It's a great way to expend energy, keep fit, and use your time.