Smashing through Dancing Stereotypes and Creating Interest in Dance

Recent television shows, such as So You Think You Can Dance! and Dancing with the Stars, have triggered an increase in public interest in the dance world. Viewers were lured in with celebrity dancers & hosts, as well as the enticing chance to vote for the winners. By creating these reality shows, dancers and choreographers were able to show the world what they can do.

Ballroom dance is no longer deemed stuffy. Ballet is no longer thought of as boring or conservative, and hip hop is certainly not thought of as ghetto or mere street dancing. The charismatic judges of both shows help the viewer to understand how each style of dance should be done and what the dancers can do to improve upon it.

So You Think You Can Dance! showcases as many styles of dance as possible- disco, contemporary, Bollywood, hip-hop, ballet, etc. Bringing international dance to the stage on national television, allows the world to see that across the board we all have at least one thing in common-dance. Showcasing all these styles of dance also allows the viewers to see the talented, amazing choreographers that are behind all of these amazing dances. While these choreographers are famous and appreciated in the dance world, they now gain worldwide recognition by the masses. Names like Wade Robson, Napoleon & Tabitha, Mia Michaels, and Tyce Diorio have become common household names.

Napoleon & Tabitha, who first came from behind the scenes on So You Think You Can Dance, now have their own show on TLC called Rock the Reception. This is a reality show in which Napoleon & Tabitha teach a bride & groom to be a dance that they will perform at their wedding as a surprise to their guests. The show is a lot of fun and very entertaining, and further shows the newfound excitement for dance.

The enthusiasm for dance can also be seen in how quickly tickets sell out for the live tour of So You Think You Can Dance. The top 10 dancers (this season the top 11 will perform) travel the country performing some of the favorite dances of the season. Tickets for these shows sell out faster than some of the hottest concerts of the year, sometimes causing them to add additional performances at some of the venues. While most reality shows do little more than provide mindless entertainment, this is not the case with the dance shows. They provide exposure to different cultures, arts and music. Hopefully these reality shows are here to stay!

Scott Jenkins is owner and webmaster of Find Dance Costumes. 'Find Dance Costumes' is building the largest dancing costume resource on the web starting with hip hop costumes.