You get what you pay for.....

Between "Dancing with the Stars" and "So You Think You Can Dance," we (and by we I mean me and the kids, not Glenn) have gotten into dance a little bit. So when I saw that Playhouse Square was having a free dance showcase on Friday night, I thought we could make a girls' night out of it. Who can pass up an opportunity to go downtown for a night of culture for just the price of gas? (Don't answer that, Dad.)

The girls, both old and young, were excited--we got gussied up and with open seating, were only a few rows from the stage. We were told by someone important to Playhouse Square that this was a juried selection of performers, that 13 professional companies had auditioned to be part of the showcase, and only six got to perform. Surely this was going to be good. The house lights went down, and the dancers took the stage. Except that this pair was--how do I put this delicately--old. It was like watching my parents. Except not my dad. Because there is no way in H-E-double-you-know-what he'd ever be up there. Hey, I have nothing against those of an older generation cutting a rug. I liked me some Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour. But there has to be something there. A sparkly costume, a cute partner, some upbeat music. And no rolling around on the floor. Please. Leave that to the kids.

After that, it could only get better, right? Well, after the male topless acrobatics duet (Dad would have walked out at this point) and the Russian-looking bird lady rolling around on some boxes and a couple other forgettable acts, we ended up with African Soul. They brought the house down. Finally, some people who looked like they were excited to be dancing, and not tortured by pyschosis (yes, one dance was based entirely on somebody's mental instabilities).

Now in my defense, I have learned to be very opened-minded by dance. I can appreciate (even though I may not fully understand) a Mia Michaels routine on any given day. And, every so often, a lyrical or contemporary routine can bring a tear to my eye. I may not understand exactly what it means to dance "organically," but I definitely have gained more respect for more kinds of dancing. But really, Friday night, I had nothin'. Oh, I put on a good face for the kids, because we do have to be respectful, but really. Is that all you could come up with? Was that really the best of the best? Why do I think there won't be any SYTYCD auditions in these parts any time soon? And this, in the lobby as we exited......

.....just sealed the deal.