The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Thursday, September 25, 2008 - 5B
A televised dance
dance revolution
COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS SKG
"Are you sure you want that keg tap back?"
H1OLLYWOOD' S
CHIAML\ELEON
Billy Bob Thornton reflects on his diverse career.
By Sheri Jankelovitz I Daily Arts Writer
By TRINA MANNINO
DailyArts Writer
Reality TV isn't all bad. Sure,
it's gimmicky and the contestants
are usually attention whores in
desperate need of a comeback, but
reality TV has seen an increase
in dance shows that have helped
to correct its bad image. Though
these shows often cheat - by fea-
turingburlesque dancingor B-list
celebrities - to nab high ratings,
they often feature talented danc-
ers who manage to thrive in a
struggling business.
With the rising popularity of
dance shows, ordinary Ameri-
cans - not just the cultural elite
- can be exposed to the art form.
Prior to shows like "So You Think
You Can Dance" and "Dancing
with the Stars," people with low
incomes or living in rural areas
had few opportunities to attend
dance performances. In spite of
some of their gimmicks, dance
shows are a positive addition to
television as well as the dance
world. Because they're meant to
entertain a varied audience, they
have to show what most people
find entertaining. However, that
doesn't mean classical ballet and
modern dance should go unrec-
ognized or ignored. Dance on
TV isn't a replacement for live
theater dance but does provide
additional ways for people to
experience it.
The current crop of dance
shows differ in how seriously they
approach the discipline. Fox's
"So You Think You Can Dance"
has a more professional and less
campy approach than others like
Bravo's "Step It Up and Dance."
"So You Think" is a competition
between 20 dancers contending
for the title of "America's Favor-
ite Dancer" in many disciplines,
from Broadway jazz to Argentin-
ean tango. "Step It Up" is also a
competition but contestants com-
pete in novelty acts like dance-
offs and exotic dancing. It isn't
often t
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hat a professional dancer in the TV world, shows have
pole dance unless that begun taking more artistic risks.
ional dancer is actually a Instead of having musical guests
r, which isn't usually the every week, "So You Think" fea-
ot all of the shows present tured professional dance compa-
astefully; shows like "Step nies such as Alvin Ailey American
are riding on the coattails Dance Theater and the Los Ange-
ir successful contempo- les Ballet. World dance forms also
without incorporating any earn prominence on mainstream
elements. TV; an ensemble number choreo-
e "So You Think" and graphed for the cast of "So You
ng With the Stars" pre- Think" incorporated elements of
, numerous networks like Bollywood and traditional Indian
nd Lifetime have jumped dances. Integrating high art with
dance-reality-show band- entertainment is not as threaten-
Dance shows range from ing to the audience and the fans
ng underground hip-hop will more likely be receptive to
to paired father-daughter foreign and classical styles.
Elitists may argue that Dance reality shows creatively
dance shows compromise bring the art form to the forg-
egrity of dance as an art front of American entertain-
o receive high ratings by ment. Most people don't realize
Top 40 music and putting that popular dances featured on
s in revealing costumes. In the shows - like jazz, contem-
or dance to succeed on TV, porary and even hip hop - are
have to include things the derived from classical ballet and
ream public finds appeal- modern dance. Both mainstream
that so bad? and theater dance require great
ce shows aren't entirely technical ability and contain
"So You Think You Can magnetic performance qualities.
This past season, the two camps
began to bridge the gap between
ance 101 for classical and mainstream forms.
Not only did "So You Think" fea-
:he average ture theater dance companies,
but Atlanta Ballet and Big Boi of
American. Outkast collaborated on a ballet
concert set to a hip-hop score.
Everyone doesn't enjoy sym-
phony orchestras but people can
still listen to mainstream music;
and "Dancing With the why can't people watch popular
were nominated for Emmy dance? It's time that high and
s for outstanding choreog- popular cultures cohabit peace-
Nominees like choreogra- fully.
Mia Michaels (Celine Dion Five years ago, dance had a
Concert) and Wade Rob- small following comprised most-
Cirque De Soleil") created ly of "cultured adults." With 10
that are technically dif- dance shows on TV today, enthu-
nd innovative yet appeal siasts have grown exponentially
masses. For the first time and its audience ranges from hip
Fred Astaire and Ginger teens to macho guys; the skilled
, dancers and dance cho- art is no longer just for stuffy
phers have become house- -old people. Just when the dance
aies. world was looking bleak, it's hit-
ance has secured its place ting an upswing.
Billy Bob Thornton's down-
home Southern accent and
stereotypically redneck
name don't belie the sharp-witted,
elusive actor he truly is. He is not
the typical movie star in any sense
of the word. There is no role that
anyone could categorize as a "Billy
Bob Thornton role." It's almost
impossible to pin him down to one
type of character or film. A quick
glance at his resume reveals his
range, with everything from vul-
gar comedies like "Bad Santa" to
dramas like "Sling Blade" and big-
budget action films like "Armaged-
don." His elusiveness lends itself
handily to the films he appears in,
as he can easily slip into the skin
and mindset of each character he
plays.
Thornton accepts his role as Hol-
lywood's chameleon, flaunting the
fact that he has played just about
every kind of role out there. Plushe
has a great time doing it, too.
"I liketo play different things all
the time and I've liked pretty much
everything," Thornton said in an
interview last week. "I've mostly
done a lot of dramatic roles in my
past, and in the recent years I've
started doing a lot of comedies. You
try to put yourself into every char-
acter you play, as if you were one of
those guys."
This time around, Thornton
tried hiis hand at action in "Eagle
Eye," also starring Shia LaBeouf
("Transformers") and Michelle
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Monaghan ("Gone Baby Gone").
It's produced by Steven Spielberg
and is one of the fall's most antici-
pated thrillers. "Eagle Eye" asks
the question "How would you, as
an ordinary person, react if you
suddenly and inexplicably received
a call ensnaring you in a terrorist
plot?"
"Eagle Eye" is clearly different
from many of the films that Thorn-
ton is used to making.
"I do a lot of character-based
movies, and this is a big movie, an
action movie," Thornton said. "I do
a lot more running around with a
gun, that kind of thing."
It would be foolish to assume
that Thornton would accept just
any action role, and "Eagle Eye"
won't be a typical action flick, if
Thornton is tobe believed.
"A lot of action movie scripts
are pretty standard. But this script
was actually very sound, and very
See THORNTON, Page 6B
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