“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” – Martha Graham

Luckily, in Missouri we are have dancers with both technique and passion.

Photo Courtesy of Fox/MGM

Last week I went to see the So You Think You Can Dance live performance tour in St. Louis and I was pleasantly surprised. This is a show I’ve been wanting to go to since I was about 14, but have never had the time or money to do so.

Now don’t get me wrong, I was excited to go, but I figured the show would be something along the lines of a couple of the favorite performances I’d seen on TV before without all the the theatrics and video editing that makes it interesting.

I was proved wrong. This show rivaled shows that you would see on Broadway or by top dance companies in New York. And yet it was put together by a group of 12 dancers from around the country whose professional training together consisted of being part of a TV show.

Each dance ran into the next and there was added choreography that made them all blend together. There was a little bit of ballroom, a touch of broadway, some hip-hop and a lot of, my personal favorite, contemporary in the show.

But my favorite number (and everybody else’s) by far was Cyrus’ solo where he represented Dubstep (not sure what this is? Check out the video here to catch up), a unique style that he specializes in. He’s always been good in this style but I couldn’t believe how much cooler it was to watch in person than on TV (even if I was pretty far back). He really showcased what I think it truly means to be a dancer: passion.

Unfortunately this year’s tour is not coming back to Missouri, but the holidays are coming up so if you are traveling and interested in going to a show check out this schedule and see if you’ll be near any of the tour locations. If not there’s always next year, which is sure to be just as good.

Staying in CoMo? You’re in luck. We may not have a TV hit series coming to town but we have no shortage of talented dancers and upcoming performances.

Don’t miss these dance events in CoMo:

Parsons Dance Company: Parsons Dance is a dance company that is known internationally for being one of the best in the business. This group will come to the Missouri Theater Thursday, Nov. 14 as part of the University Concert Series.