Image from tvguide.com
This summer has already seen a cornucopia of brand new must watch television, whether it be the ludicrous drama of “reality” or an endearing hour of fictional fluff. I’ve recently begun to notice a pattern with the blurbs that advertise the next visual craze, and it seems to me that viewers are becoming more and more intrigued by the magical, mystical world of dance. This is not a new-found fascination for most people seeing as Dancing with the Stars has just seen its 14th season. I do not view this as a problem, because I am capable of appreciating dance for the art form that it is. I was lucky enough to partake in the grueling hours, sore muscles, and itchy but gorgeous costumes for 9 years, so I am able to relate to what I have seen on the television screen lately.
In the dance realm of reality TV, currently in its first season, Breaking Pointe is a show on the CW that follows the lives of professional dancers at Ballet West, a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Viewers get a glimpse into the day-to-day trials of dancers as they fight to become the best in their field while clinging to their dwindling personal lives. Another very popular choice for a reality fix is Lifetime’s Dance Moms. I am not ashamed to say that I have personally fallen victim to the addicting effect this show can have. Abby Lee Miller owns her own dance studio where she instructs young girls and they compete in competitions all throughout the nation. Miller has a short fuse when it comes to losing and even more so when it comes to the mothers of her dancers. The girls are constantly caught between a rock and a hard place as they are exposed to the violent outbursts of bickering from Miller and the moms, and also as they are pitted against each other for a top spot on Abby Lee’s “pyramid”.
If reality television is not appealing, then the new ABC Family show Bunheads is a quirky comedy that may interest fans of Gilmore Girls, since both programs share the same creator. The show is about a Vegas showgirl who marries on a whim and then moves to her husband’s home town to teach ballet alongside her new mother-in-law at the Paradise Dance Academy.
The shows listed above are only a few of many programs, new and old, that have given viewers dancing fever. While getting dressed up in fancy clothes and making a trip to the city to see the ballet is still an interesting and romantic outing that every dance lover should make, viewers always have the option to be content vicariously living out their fantasies of becoming a ballerina without ever leaving the comfort of their sofa.
