So You Think You Can Dance seems to have some really good ballet dancers that end up on the show, Danny Tidwell being the most memorable in a recent season. I used to see Danny Tidwell dance with the American Ballet Theater, but sadly for us ballet fans, he left the company, and I was glad to have more chances to see him dance on TV during season three of the TV show.
So when I heard Alex Wong was in the audition footage of this season’s So You Think You Can Dance, I remember being confused. Similarly with Danny Tidwell, I had the privilege of seeing Alex dance with the American Ballet Theater, and then he moved on to Miami City Ballet, one of the U.S. premiere dance companies. About a month ago, he was also promoted to soloist, a huge achievement for Alex, and well deserved. But unlike Danny, Alex is still currently working with a professional company, so I wondered how he even came to audition for the TV show. It was oh-so-dramatic when Alex was eliminated due to his professional obligations, but what great exposure for Alex and the Miami City Ballet; I hope that viewers will realize that there are many, many, really talented dancers in professional ballet companies all around the U.S. who do amazing things artistically and athletically, just like Alex.
Either way, I’m so glad to see Alex getting recognition and giving some credibility to ballet dancers who are extremely gifted and versatile.
Attached is one of my favorite videos of Alex: dressed as a Sancho Panza, a character in the ballet Don Quixote, you won’t have to guess how he spends his downtime backstage. (Seen here with principal soloist Jeremy Cox from Miami City Ballet.)
