By Victoria Looseleaf
Having just jetted back to the City of Angels from a quick (16 days, boo hoo), European jaunt in search of high art, culture, haute cuisine and the meeting of fabulous new peeps, preferably those who are like-minded and also in pursuit of stellar performances – notably of the terpsichorean ilk – (click here for her Los Angeles Times’ Dispatch From Amsterdam, here for Zürich, and here for Montpellier), The Leaf is still train, bus and jet-lagged. But she carries on. And has Tivoed (DVR’d or whatever the hell one calls it these days), a host of must-see shows.
The Leaf’s Hero: Tony Soprano
A great way to help with her re-entry into La La Land, chilling in front of the flat-screen helps in a bizarre kind of way (as does Tweeting, FBing, emailing, eating homemade pasta and iChatting with her father), in order to get back into some kind of metabolic, i.e., normal time zone thing. Included in said TV-viewing is, of course, Treme, reruns of The Sopranos (on demand, and yes, The Leaf still digs David Chase’s classic fare), and So You Think You Can Dance, Fox’s hit summer show that’s proven to be great exposure for dancers of all stripes. (The Leaf regularly reviewed Melissa Sandvig – lately of Helios Dance Theater, for the Los Angeles Times – who also came to be known as The Naughty Ballerina during SYTYCD season 5, when Sandvig bourréed her way to the Top 6 and was seen by millions instead of the thousands watching her perform live on the concert stage.)
Ade Obayomi and Melissa Sandvig, So You Think You Can Dance
In any case, click here for Loose’s 2007 Dance Magazine interview, her first with SYTYCD executive producer/creator Nigel Lythgoe. And click here for her latest Dance Magazine story, one that asks the big question, “What Has the So You Think You Can Dance Effect Been” on mere mortals, i.e., those people in the trenches who own and operate dance studios across the country?
Some answers are surprising, some expected, all interesting. And for those who still like the feel of paper in hand, pick up the June issue of Dance Magazine and read all about it on the printed page. However you choose, enjoy, and let us know what you think. Merci beaucoup.
