Usually, I set my DVR to record an awards show, start in an hour or so late, and fast-forward all of the long-winded, boring blah blah blah to get to the good stuff. For the Emmys? Best actor, actress, supporting, best comedy, best drama, and…scene! This year, though, I’m making sure to pay attention to the Outstanding Choreography category — since the five nominees include some spectacular routines from High School Musical 2, Dancing With the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance.
First up among the nominees are High School Musical 2’s Kenny Ortega, Charles Kapow, and Bonnie Story — SYTYCD fans out there, you might remember Story’s daughter Kelli Baker, who tried out this season but didn’t make the Top 20 — for the routines "What Time Is It?" (embedded below) "Fabulous," "Work This Out," "I Don’tDance," "You Are the Music in Me," and "For One." While I’m really only into HSMto indulge in my barely legal love of Zac Efron, I have to admit thatthe part with the basketball balancing is pretty fancy.
Check out the four dance numbers attempting to stop the HSM2 juggernaut — then declare your favorite — after the jump!
At the opposite end of HSM’s demographic spectrum, Dancing With the Stars’Julianne Hough was nominated for her "Para los Rumberos" mambo withpartner Helio Castroneves. This one was good, but I prefer Hough’sroutines with unicyclesand funnyman partners. Maybe next year they’ll give her a sympathy nodfor pulling Adam Carolla around the floor in the sixth season.
So You Think You Can Dance dominatesthe rest of the category with a lineup of routines that still manage to give me the chills the second (okay, um third… or fifteenth) time around, and even in grainy YouTube form. It’s hard to pick my favorite of these three, but this ShaneSparks hip-hop routine was easily the most fun! Sparks played into lastyear’s Transformers hype, and literally turned Lauren and ballroom-trained Pasha into dancing machines to the tune of Pitbull’s "Fuego."
SYTYCD’s second nod goes to choreographer (not ’90s pop star and occasionalactress) Mandy Moore, who created a surprisingly steamy jazz routine for Sabra and Neil using the Eurythmics’ "Sweet Dreams"and a simple table.
My vote, though, goes to the following Wade Robson piece, which used "The Chairman’s Waltz" from Memoirs of a Geisha to truly moving effect. Watch the metamorphosis as B-boy Hokturns into a prettily popping/locking hummingbird and Jaimie into ablooming flower.
One name noticeably missing from the list this year is So You Think You Can Dance’s Mia Michaels. She’s a force on the show whether she’s molding the contestants for her beautiful routines or bestowing harsh criticism or quirky compliments alongside Nigel. Maybe we should add the contemporary choreographer to our list of Emmy snubs?
Who do you think deserves the Emmy?
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I think Wade deserve to win because his routine was just so poetic and beyond dance itself. However, my favorite is the table by Mandy Moore, it was just so HOT!!
wade’s routine, i am a big sytycd fan and watch all the episodes, but that hummingbird routine has been the ONLY routine i have ever rewound and watched repeatedly in 4 years of the show. it was fantastic
I adore Julianne and that mambo was amazing!
My vote goes to MAndy Moore for her table routine! I LOVE it I could watch it over and over again,everytime I hear the song on the radio all I can picture is the dance! Great athletics, great musicality!
“Fuego” was by far my favorite last year until “the Table Dance.” So either one could win and I would be happy!
MANDY MOORE FTW
Excellent, exciting, and happily non-artsy-fartsy routine.
And if Neil and Sabra can dance it again live… pure icing.
I go with Mandy Moore’s first and then HSM next. I didn’t ever like Wade Robson’s hummingbird routine…
I LOVE that the Emmy’s have a category for best choreography because the choreographers on SYTYCD consistently put out brilliant work. Are they going to show the dances during the telecast? That would be freaking brilliant!
i was expecting alot more from HSM2 but jeez SYTYCD is just amazing… i dont even watch the show but maybe i should…
I loved Wade’s routine. The movements were so odd and out there but somehow they all fit with the idea and music. It was something different and new.
The “Table Dance” by far. It was just one of those outright “wow” moments. I’ve been watching the show since the second season, and if you asked me to name one single definining move from the show, Neil’s “plancha” over the table would be it.
I don’t even watch SYTYCD, but I saw that table routine when it first aired, and I was blown away. Coolest thing EVER. And besides, Zac’s dancing in HSM2 was way too gay.
I nominate Bret McKenzie’s “Angry Dance” from “The Third Conchord” episode of Flight of the Conchords.
I second Bret McKenzie.
Wade’s routine by far. That was just freaking brilliant.
Gotta go with Wade because it was gorgeous and only used the dancers. I loved Mandy Moore’s routine but it will always be about the table, whereas Wade’s piece was stunning using only two bodies. Hok really shined in that piece.
I am fascinated by Zac Efron’s perfect eyebrows – but that’s just me.
I dearly hope, like DRS, that they let the original dancers from all the nominated dances do their thing live on the Emmy broadcast
Wade’s Hummingbird although I wouldn’t be diappointed if Mandy won for the table dance. I felt embarrassed to even be watching HSM, although the basketball thing looked pretty cool.
Mandy Moore’s routine was pretty fantastic. Simple and sexy. Perfectly performed too. All that and the Eurythmics’debut single? Winner!
Wade’s Hummingbird
TABLE DANCE. Knew that the second I saw the list last Thursday. Victory for Mandy!
Neil & Sabra’s Table Dance was one of my Top 10 Moments On TV In 2008. Absolutely amazing. When Neil hung in the air, I was mesmerized …
Was it the best choreography of the year? Not sure. Was it the best performance? Hellz yeah!
Seeing them all live (the SYTYCD ones…only ones that matter), I think the Transformers routine comes off the best. It’s exciting and entertaining. I wish it were about 10 minutes longer!
Table Dance FTW! And then maybe Shane #2 – looking back at that now, this season is really feeling the loss of Shane. Tabpoleon only shine with their “lyrical” routines. The Transformers routine was fun AND hard-hitting.
All the SYTYCD routines were cool, but the hummingbird dance went a bit beyond. The only Mia Michaels routine from last season that deserved some recognition was the group number to “The Moment I Said It” by Imogen Heap.
SYTYCD — Mandy Moore — great routine, maybe one of the reasons Sabra won the contest. Terrific show, terrific moment.
They usually give the award for Best Choreography at the Technical Emmy Awards, one week prior to the live broadcast, so I doubt there’ll be any live performances. Would be nice!
By the way, both Mia Michaels and Wade Robson won Emmys last year — it was a tie!
I think Wade deserves to win again this year — would love another tie, this time with Mandy Moore.
My vote is for the table dance from SYTYCD. It was amazing!!!
I love Wade’s hummingbird/flower routine, it’s gorgeous, sensual, and quite possibly brilliant. But I give the edge to Mandy Moore’s table dance, because it works better both conceptually AND as entertainment. The way she expressed a business meeting/deal-making session and also left room for some crowd-pleasing moments (the planche) is what takes it above and beyond for me.
So happy that it was Julianne to get the nomination for dwts. SYTYCD is so far better than dwts though, much more pro and a lot of hard work from the dancers…no messing around with them-so refreshing compared to the other show.