In a somewhat annoying and uninformed article, the New York Times' Gia Kourlas compares Danny Tidwell to Leroy from Fame, and takes Nigel Lythgoe to task for some of his opinions:
Even more disturbing is the idea that “So You Think You Can Dance” has emerged as a viable option for real dancers, including Mr. Tidwell, who don’t have to look far to see that career options have been greatly depleted. At its best, the show provides a kind of kicky fun, the good side of cheesy. But it’s also outdated and perpetuates many stereotypes about what constitutes good dance (speed is in, subtlety is out), what language is used to describe it and how training makes boring dancers.
The biggest culprit is the show’s executive producer and judge, Nigel Lythgoe, from his implied homophobic comments (he approves of the way the show’s male performers dance like “dudes”) to his misguided criticism and declarations about what a dancer should be. His obsession with discovering and promoting the show’s “unique dancers” — conceivably someone like Leroy (played in “Fame” by Gene Anthony Ray) — must be driving hard-working dance teachers mad.
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Here's a link to our friend Beckylooo's response.
