A Very Special Moment - Issue #11: A Piece of Chalk

Someone posted this video on Facebook last week, and I wanted to use it for this segment.  

What makes this piece "A Very Special Moment" is it's inspiring message through dance.  Much like musicians or anyone who loves to sing, dancing gives you a place to go, a place to find solace and comfort when we need it most.  Whether it's helping us overcome challenges or relieving stress, singing and dancing are mediums that impact our lives.  The video is a little over 3 mintues long and was produced by four young filmmakers from Germany (see Mashable.com).

Justen Beer, the protagonist in the video, plays a boy facing challenges at home, as his parents argue all the time and is faced with classmates bullying and harassing him at school.  

Justen takes a "Piece of Chalk" and the story commences.  I won't say more, but I promise you, it's absolutely amazing and heart-felt.  You Must Watch!

What a Hot Mess: Slippery When Wet

LMAO, and this is why you don't "Drop It Like It's Hot" on a wet sink. OMG, What a hot mess!

Must Watch: Set Fire To The Rain

Some of us get married thinking it will change who we are.  Some of us date girls or boys in high school to make our parents proud, or we don't want them finding out we're gay. Gay people often find themselves in this situation, and the fact that we're so afraid to come out - we hurt a lot of people in the process.  Straight and Gays alike should see this video, especially if you like music and dance.

I know that everyone is tired of hearing about Adele and Whitney, but this is not about them. 

Ryan shared this video with me this morning and asked if I had ever posted it on one of my blogs.  I hadn't, so I'm doing it now.  In the music video you have an Adele impersonator, 3 dancers, and a story of a man struggling with his sexuality, while a girl who thought she had everything, is now facing a struggle of her own.  It truly sets fire to the rain.

YouTube: The music video portrays a man struggling with his sexuality, while the girl in love with him fights to hold on as everything she thought she knew comes crashing down before her. The song speaks of a foolish love that's so hard to let go. This theme is not uncommon, most of us have been subjected to this type of unrequited love in some way, shape, or form. Whether gay or straight, single or taken, if you have not experienced this kind of pain, consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

Sunday Funday: Dancing Video of the Day - Part III

Man, I'm on a roll with these Sunday Funday videos.  I've seen several pop-up on Facebook this week alone.  Here's one of my favorites. :-)

Let's me just say, hot, hot, and hot!  I could have easily posted this under Treasure Trail Fridays too!

Without further ado, here's your Sunday Funday hottie dancing to Nelly Furtado's, "Glow".

Sunday Funday: Dancing Video of the Day - Part II

Since we had Sunday Funday last week, why not have another one this week? :-)

This week's international music hails from Bulgaria.  And it comes courtesy of a guy dancing his little heart away.

Sunday Funday: Dancing Video of the Day

Because we all know how much fun it is to watch a hot guy dance in a hallway full of mirrors.  Actually, the music isn't bad, I like it.

He's Hot, He's Asian, He's Harry Shum Jr. - Part Quattro

You knew I couldn't keep you waiting any longer.  Here's a very hot video of the beautiful Harry Shum, Jr., dancing his way through a photo shoot.  

Last month we saw his gorgeous, shirtless body in DAMAN magazine, and this month I bring you this video courtesy of GQ magazine.  Check it out, he's pretty darn amazing.

The Joys of Being a Parent: Thrilling Dance by Thriller Kid at a Baseball Game

In recent weeks, I have been posting video segments on the "The Joys of Being a Parent," and today is no exception.  I bet this kid's parents were either surprised their kid could dance like this, or they're extremely proud he's so talented. Regardless, this is what being a parent is all about.

The video you're about to see was recently shot on a Jumbo-Tron at a recent Seattle Mariners game.  The boy is dancing to Michael Jackson's, "Thriller."

From you tube page:

this kid is just too fresh... thats all that can be said here. Also, the dudes screaming and stuff are not my friends haha and the swag bro swag... it was " in the momment" saying i hate the word swag but this kid for sure has it!

Meet Your Season 8, So You Think You Can Dance Top 20

I haven't been blogging about this year's So You Think You Can Dance, because I didn't feel the need to waste my time writing about the auditions.  Ryan and I saw them, and nothing's different.  Well, the hot tamale train a.k.a. Mary Murphy was back, but other than that it was the same routine, as it is year after year.  There were a few we had hoped would make it, but nothing too earth shattering.  Then again, I would have been pissed if little Jess Leprotto would not have made it through - he's adorable.

This year's top 20 were chosen a wee differently this year, instead of choosing them, and waiting to the following week to see them perform, they actually revealed the contestants a handful at a time, then cut to a live studio audience on their new stage.  It was pretty spectacular way of introducing the contestants - Kudos to the producers of the show!

The first four dancers to be chosen were Melanie Moore, Sasha Mallory, Miranda Maleski, and Ricky Jamie (The Contemporary Group).  They performed to a fabulous song I never heard before, "In This Shirt" by The Irrepressibles.  Choreographing this performance was Stacey Tookey.  I absolutely loved this piece!  I'm a big fan of contemporary dancing, so this, along with a couple others, was my favorite tonight.

Next up were Chris Cole, Tadd Gadduang, Robert Taylor Jr., and Wadi Jones (The Hip Hop Group).  They performed to, "Everyday (Coolin')" by Swizz Beatz feat. Eve.  Choreographing this performance was Dave Scott.  Another excellent performance, not to mention two of my favorite boys, Tadd and Wadi were in this bunch.

Another one of my favorites of the night, Iveta Lukosiute, who had auditioned before, but never made it, finally got her chance.  She performed a ballroom number with season 3 hottie, Pasha!  They danced to Ven a Bailar (On The Floor) by Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull.  I actually like this version better than the one currently playing on the radio.

Jordan Casanova, Marko Germar, Missy Morelli, and Clarice Ordaz (The Jazz Group), danced to, "Vanguardian" by Steed Lord.  Choreographing the performance was Sonya Tayeh.  This performance had Sonya written all over it, and rightly so - it was utterly amazing.

The next two contestants I'm in love with.  It's okay Ryan knows this. :))  Jess Leprotto (Broadway) and Nick Young (Tapper) were next to learn they made it to the top 20.  They performed to "Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter" by Nina Simone - never heard of it.  This performance was choreographed by Christopher Scott.  While I love the two boys, I'm not a fan of broadway or tap, but they did make it really fun - Nick is a really good Tapper.

The final 5, Caitlyn Lawson, Ryan Ramirez, Mitchell Kelly, Ashley Rich, and Alexander Fost (Another Contemporary Group), took to the stage dancing to, "Moth's Wings" by Passion Pit.  The performance was choreographed by season 2 alumni, Travis Wall - he has truly made a name for himself with the extraordinary performances he creates.

You can catch 3 more performances after the jump...

Where is Mia Michaels from SYTYCD?

Whatever happened to Mia Michaels? Was she fired? Was she let go?

Actually, these are the many questions people have been asking me recently.  At least the fans, and my friends who love So You Think You Can Dance.  

According to E online, before you start thinking there was some huge drama backstage or in the dressing room, Mia left at her own accord.  Looking upon the years ahead, she will be starring in her own Bravo reality show, writing a book, and is currently developing a Broadway show.  As people in this industry know, we all have dreams we wish to fulfill, and I'm sure others will agree.

"Last year when I was sitting on the [judges] panel, I knew it wasn't the right fit because I felt too glossy sitting on the panel," she exclusively tells us. "People were so focused on what I wore and my hair. I wanted to get dirty and back to the work. I am an artist and I'm a visionary. I need to paint my world now and not be constantly linked to So You think You Can Dance."

Not that she doesn't appreciate what SYTYCD has done for her. "It's been a great platform," Michaels says. "It was a wonderful platform. I'm staring at [my] two Emmys right now. It was an amazing, amazing thing for me but I feel like I have to fly. I have to now focus on Mia's world."

Personally, I didn't think she fit at the judge's table - I'll be the first to admit it.  

If you know Mia, or get to know her,  she's a very talented and active artist; Sitting down was not her forte, and everyone knew that. Hell, I read about it in the morning papers, and online blog sites.    Before the interview was finished, she did manage to say this, "I heard they're bringing Mary Murphy back and I'm really happy for her," Michaels says. "I've sat in that chair, but I feel like that was Mary's chair."

And it's true, it did feel odd without Mary Murphy there; I constantly brought it up, and so did the rest of the world. Who knows? Maybe she'll choreograph a dance routine this season, and we'll get to see her creative talent once again.  

If not... we wish you luck, Mia.  Good Luck, and God Bless you and your endeavours - you'll truly be missed.

Mark Kanemura: Lady GaGa Gave MeThe Courage To Be Myself

If you watched "Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden" on HBO last weekend you may have noticed this gorgeous fellow right here >>>>>>>>>>>>

His name is Mark Kanemura; Most recognize him from Season 4's So You Think You Can Dance.  I totally loved him during that season and felt he deserved the win, more-so than Joshua or Twitch.  I mean look at him, he's absolutely beautiful.

And for those who never knew, Mark was a part of Lady Gaga's entourage during the Monster Ball Tour.  I knew it was him dancing up there, but of course I had my skeptics. Well in June of last year, Mark had an interview with PopWatch from The New York Post, where he stated that Lady Gaga gave him the courage to be himself.  Here is part of that awesome interview...

PW: It kind of foreshadowed your work on the Lady GaGa tour. What has that been like?
Mark: It’s been a dream come true. It sounds so generic to say that, but at the same time, people who know me know that working with her was so specific to me. That was the one job I put out into the universe. I just had to, had to, had to dance with this amazing artist. There’s just something about her that I need to be around and experience. 

PW: I'd imagine it's a very surreal existence on tour with GaGa.
Mark: It is. You wake up, go throughout your day and end up on stage with this incredible freak. I could not believe that I was doing that. I was so drawn to her was because I felt the way that she viewed art was relatable to me. She gave me courage to be who I was, and who I wanted to be and sometimes it’s hard to wear that freaky self that I am. She’s really inspirational. The journey itself has been incredible. 

PW: How has working with her changed your dancing?
Mark: They way that she is with her music and her fashion is the way that she is with her dance. When she’s performing, she holds nothing back. She lays it out there for you. To be around someone like that, who encourages you to go there, is incredible. Plus the choreographers – Laurie Ann Gibson and Richie Jackson – do an incredible job of not only choreographing, but encouraging the dancers to put ourselves in the dance. And that’s rare in the industry. They don’t want robots on there. 

PW: How did you get hired, an open call?
Mark: The story itself is crazy because I couldn’t go to the audition. I was in Nebraska teaching, so it was a huge gamble not going to the audition for an artist I really wanted to work with. But I had worked with the choreographers before somehow they remembered me from this past job, so they hired me.

PW: So you got the news in Nebraska?
Mark: When my agent told me I literally started crying my eyes out. I was running around with crazy eyes and people were scared. And on top of that I had just had this large cup of extremely large coffee, so those two together weren’t a great combination. I was bouncing off the walls, crying, screaming. It was the most ridiculous thing. I lost my marbles.

PW: Can you pinpoint a most memorable moment with her?
Mark: [laughs] It would have to be my first [performance with GaGa], the VMA’s doing "Paparazzi." Although, when I first met her, that was crazy too. She came in and we showed her the routine and I was like, “ok Mark, this is your opportunity” so danced harder than I ever had before. And I almost had an asthma attack [laughs].

And for those who question his homosexuality, I'll let the following pictures answer that for you.  The pictures feature another Lady Gaga dancer, Jeremy Hudson, who's appeared in her music videos, Telephone, Alejandro, and Born This Way.

More pics, and a very hot video after the jump...