Monday, February 01, 2010

Dear Sweet Jesus, Thank You



So pretty much the best thing that ever happened to me is back. Taking The Stage, my fave show EVER (after the Wonder Years, come on, that show was awesome) is in season two.

Hallelujah!

You might remember I recapped every episode last season except for the finale. Why not the finale? Cause I was so in love with the show I refused to watch it. It was like admitting it was... over. (*sobs)

But that didn't stop me from totally stalking, er... casually running into the cast at the Southgate House last May while MTV cameras filmed one of Mia's shows. That's the night I completely lost my shiz and told Tyler, 'I love you... But not in a weird way.' (My dude calls this incident "the time you gushed all over Tyler like a crazy person.")

So anyhoo, last month I learned Taking the Stage was finally coming back for season two, and even though I kinda already know what has happened to these kids (cause I follow them on Twitter... what? Is that weird?) I still freaked at my desk a little bit.

Omg omg omg, thank you, Jesus!

*climbs onto the couch holding her remote and pressing the DVR record button

I would like to take a moment here to thank all of my friends and colleagues who so generously supported me during this exciting time, with links to the story that the show was coming back and kind words such as, 'In case you don't already know... even though you totally do, you crazy stalker freak-a-zoid.')

But now I'm back to bid'ness. The season one finale (a really, really, really late) recap:

• Jasmine's mom, looooove her. The sweetest most generously encouraging woman on the planet. Elodie, should anything happen to my mom, would you please adopt me? Oh, and Jasmine moves to NYC to dance for Ailey in Harlem, which is a pretty big deal. Except she only stays the summer then goes to school in Texas on scholarship. Eh, whatever.

• Malik get cuts from the Bloc audition. He tears up and tells his mom he's just "going to settle for some office job." His mom grabs him, hugs him and with such sweet conviction says, "don't talk like that Malik, you're going to be a phenomenal dancer on Broadway" that I halfway believe I'm going to be a phenomenal dancer on Broadway. Thanks Malik's mom!

• Tyler brings the house down at the Bloc audition, location: Cincinnati Ballet studio. (Not bragging here, but Tyler auditioned in the same room where I occasionally take dance classes, which means our sweat has probably intermingled. Dreamy.)

• Tyler and Mia agree to go on a date but we know what happens here, folks, cause your girl stalked accidentally ran into them at the Southgate House. You're welcome.

I don't know if I'll do a recap of the new season. I'm still into it, but less so. The new crop of kids are mostly suburban white kids and you can read about them anywhere. (One of the girls is recovering from an eating disorder. Another girl has a steel rod in her back. Another girl is built like a normal girl rather than a lithe ballerina. Eh, kinda boring.) The great thing about the first season of Taking the Stage is we got to see urban black kids doing some pretty incredible things. And we didn't have to hear them whine about how they overcame their circumstances either. They just danced and sang and struggled with their art and had normal high school kid drama.

It sounds callous but tales of anorexia and back surgeries and thick ballet dancers is far less compelling to me than the gay black dancer/choreographer from Walnut Hills who wants to be on Broadway, yet who never once mentions how being gay and black and male affects him. It was refreshing. Now we have to endure post-scene interviews about they will not be limited by their eating disorder/back pain/previous home-schooling/ blah blah blah.

But anyway, it's still a great show and these kids are all legitimately talented and I admire their pursuit. And besides that, Tyler is back for season II. Swoon. Here's a photo of us destiny.

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