Thursday, December 31, 2015

So You Think You Can Dance Update

SYTYCD Chapter Two Update on FicPad

SYTYCD Chapter Two Update on AO3

SYTYCD Chapter Two Update on FFn

SYTYCD Chapter Two Update on TWCS

A couple of days later, I walked into a dance studio. I had just come from my physical therapy session and was loose, ready to choreograph the call-back piece for the dancers who didn’t quite make the cut to go straight to Los Angeles. I was dressed in a pair of workout pants and a fleece, bundled up for the harsh Chicago winter. It hadn’t snowed, but was brutally cold. It made me miss the warmth of Los Angeles. Reaching the studio that the producers rented out, I met up with Irina Kincaide, the winner from the season just before mine. I had, during the competition, been paired up with her for a Broadway number and had gotten rave reviews. She was tall, lithe and easy to work with.
“Hey, Edward,” she chirped, giving me a warm grin as she stretched out on the floor. “I see that they got to you.”
“I’m glad. I’ve wanted to choreograph my whole life. I’ve done a few things, but this is the biggest scale thing I’ve done. Ever,” I said, tossing my bag onto a chair. “Do you not like choreographing?”
“Not really. Do you want to take the lead on this?” she asked, standing up and moving to the barre, continuing her stretches. “We could do something that incorporates both contemporary, which is my strength and Latin ballroom, which is yours. Though, you can pretty much do whatever the fuck you want. According to Alistair, you shit gold.”
“Really?” I smirked. “That’s news to me. I’d be soooooo much richer if I did.” Irina laughed. “Do we have music?”
“We have a couple of choices,” Irina said, walking over to the sound system. “’Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson, ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ by Ed Sheeran, ‘Centuries,’ by Fall Out Boy and ‘Lips are Moving’ by Meghan Trainor.”

Chicago Theater




Emmett

Peter

Alice

Alice's Dress

Jasper

Maggie

Los Angeles Auditions




Thursday, December 24, 2015

So You Think You Can Dance Teaser

“We have a couple of choices,” Irina said, walking over to the sound system. “’Uptown Funk’ by Mark Ronson, ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ by Ed Sheeran, ‘Centuries,’ by Fall Out Boy and ‘Lips are Moving’ by Meghan Trainor.”
“Let’s listen to all of them and immediately nix the one that is the most annoying,” I said. We sat down on the floor, listening to each of the songs. Almost immediately, we eliminated “Lips are Moving” and “Centuries.” Both had been overplayed and were bound to drive both of us nuts by the end of the choreography process. They were both great songs, but didn’t have the diversity for what we needed. We had to separate the strong dancers from the weak. “Thinking Out Loud” could prove to be a beautiful lyrical, contemporary piece while “Uptown Funk” lent itself to more partner work.
“I don’t know,” Irina said. “Both songs are pretty great. What do you think?”
“It depends on what they’re looking for,” I murmured. “What do they want to see? Beautiful lines and something flowy or intricate, challenging choreography?”
“I’m thinking the latter, Edward. You remember the choreography round from last season,” she shuddered.
“I was lucky. I was sent through right after my audition,” I snickered. “I heard rumors of how wicked hard it was. Almost all of the dancers who performed it messed up.”
“How about we split the difference?” Irina suggested. “I like the Mark Ronson song. I think that we could do a ton with it, making it challenging with lifts and fast footwork, but have some spots where dancers can really shine. Have a nice combination of jazz, hip hop, and ballroom.”
“Let’s put it on repeat and brain storm,” I smiled, setting up the sound system.
We spent a couple of hours just getting the ‘language’ of our dance down. It had a lot of attitude immediately. Irina and I just had fun, creating as we went. Every so often, we’d pause, jot down our movements and discussed how to teach it since we only had an hour to present it to the contestants.
I wanted to do more than just have them run through it as many times with us. I actually wanted to teach it to them as opposed to pray they got it. Irina was in agreement, saying that was why so many struggled with the choreography last year. The contestants were left to figure out lifts and twists on their own. Some contestants didn’t know the proper way to lift or to handle a partner and it was their downfall.


Thursday, December 17, 2015

So You Think You Can Dance Update!

SYTYCD Chapter One on FicPad

SYTYCD Chapter One on AO3

SYTYCD Chapter One on FFn

SYTYCD Chapter One on TWCS

It had been Bella's dream to go on the dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance. She was a contemporary dancer, going to college, trying to rebound from the death of her father. Her mother's lack of support and a significant injury forced her to forget her dreams and go to school, getting her masters, to be a teacher.

Edward Cullen had already lived the dream, being the runner up for the previous season of So You Think You Can Dance. He was a steamy, sexy Latin dancer and a fan favorite, but he came in second behind a jazz dancer, Lauren Mallory. But, in Edward's world, it worked out for the best. He now had an opportunity to be a choreographer and an All-Star for the competition.

Rosalie, Bella's best friend and fellow dancer, convinced Bella to try out during the audition tour in Portland. Bella was hesitant. It was her dreams of being a dancer that inadvertently killed her father. He was working overtime to pay for extra classes when he was murdered on the job. Rose wheedled and pleaded with her, begging her to come to the auditions. Begrudgingly, Bella agreed and she became a judge favorite, sailing through to the call-backs in Los Angeles.

The competition is fierce. Dreams are at stake and a budding romance between All-Star, Edward and contestant, Bella are the talk to of the competition. Not to mention jealousy and bitterness from fellow contestants. Will Bella's dream become a reality or will her dreams be dashed before she even gets a chance to compete? Will Edward open his heart to the sweet brunette who captured his attention at the auditions?


"And America's Favorite Dancer is..."
Banner created by Mina Rivera

Edward Cullen

Alistair Simms

Carmen Santiago

Peter

Lauren Mallory

Tanya Denali

Dr. Carlisle Cullen

Esme Cullen


Top Twenty Mansion






















View from Edward's Condo


Trump Tower, location of Edward's Condo