Jessica Moe

At the behest of my buddy Kate, I have tried to catch So You Think You Can Dance whenever possible. Sometimes I can only catch one or two segments.

Tonight, though, the stars aligned and I was able to sit and watch the whole show.

I am so glad I did.

The second to last number was a piece choreographed by Mia Michaels for two of the dancers Lacey Schwimmer and Neil Haskell. The dance was a tribute (of sorts) to her father who passed away two years ago and depicted a symbolic meeting of her and her father in heaven. From the moment it began, I found myself choked with tears and by the end I was crying outright.

It was evident from the video that came on before the pair went on stage that both Lacey and Neil took the responsibility of this performance quite seriously and when they hit the stage they came through in a major way. All involved clearly gave everything they had.

Finally, I have to say–and not as an afterthought at all…but Mia Michaels is an Emmy nominee for another number she choreographed for SYTYCD contestants Heidi Groskreutz and Travis Wall. It is referred to as the bench routine although I am not certain if it has a real title…but here it is… I am sure you will agree it is deserving of such an honor.

Mia Michaels is clearly a gifted and deeply passionate woman. Her talent allows her to convey powerful human emotion and experience through art, something that has become increasing infrequent as people move further and further away from their own true nature and honest selves. Her abilities far exceed the forum of SYTYCD and yet, I am thrilled that she has chosen this venue to showcase her talent so the nation can be exposed to the true purpose of art, the thing that sets us apart from other creatures–human expression.

So, thanks Kate for encouraging me to watch this show!! I encourage you, my readers…to check it out too.