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'So You Think You Can Dance': Why Mia Michaels is so mean
So You Think You Can Dance choreographer/Judge Mia Michaels has been on a bit of a tear this season. During rehearsel for the first week's performances she said that she didn't think dancer Mark Kanemura was turning out as well as she thought he would. Then, last week she took Jessica King to task for being "carried" through the competition so far by her much stronger partner Will Wingfield.
But according to Michaels herself, she's just misunderstood and is merely practicing her own brand of tough love.
"What America doesn't know is the relationship," she explains at the TCA Summer Press Tour, saying that what she brings to the judging table is a choreographer's perspective. "There's a beautiful, beautiful collaboration and very nurturing [atmosphere]. For me especially, I nurture them. I'm Mamma Mia and they look to me for that tough love actually.
"So, when I say it, American might go, 'Oh my God, that's so harsh.'
"[The dancers] are cool with it. They know. They know I only want them to be brilliant."
As anyone who has watched American Idol, or America's Next Top Model, or Project Runway, or Top Chef, or any reality show set in a highly competitive field knows, you have to have to work through the illnesses, the outside criticism and the self-doubt to make it to the finish line intact.
"You can't be a victim to be in the dance business," Michaels confrims. "You have to be a warrior.
"There was a time that I remember I was dancing on stage ... I broke both my toes: my big toe and the one next to it. I ran off the stage and I put them them right back in place and right back on stage and kept dancing, becasue that is wht you have to do."
So she's not taken out of context, it should be noted Michaels said the above in response to a question about popper Robert Muraine dropping out of the competition during the Las Vegas auditions ... not about Jessica Wingfield who was suddenly benched due to an injury that will have her off her feet for weeks.
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I think Mia is one of the most honest judges they have. It seems to me the guest judges are much more useful than the regulars on this show. Adam Shankman always has things for the dancers to work on, Tabitha and Nepoleon have a good mix of good and bad and Mia has her brutal honestly. Better than constant cackling and creep comment. You know who you are, Mary and Nigel.
Mandy | Jul 15, 2008 6:41:45 AM | #Mia is awful. Her attempt at wit is shallow. (her made-up words aren't any more creative than those created by 8 year-olds) Tough love? There's tough and there's respect.
Her mere presence rivals the shudders I get when Mary Murphy starts-a-cackling.
She needs to go away.
Far, far away.
Brett | Jul 15, 2008 10:22:29 AM | #Since I have been one of the people beating up on Mia I have to say that I am not entirely sold. If she wants to be mama bear, as she says than perhaps as some have pointed out she should have addressed her comments about Jessica TO Jessica rather than to Will with Jessica standing there being hung out to dry. Art is a brutal business for sure, but being taken to task in a studio or even in a newspaper's art section is very different from being utterly disrespected on television in front of millions of television viewers. I am sure the sensibility for the people being criticized in this medium is very different from a playwright reading a bad review or a choreographer in a studio criticizing your movements BEFORE a live performance. I do have to say though that I have seen Mia's sensitive "mama" side at times (particularly this season) which is why I was so shocked to see her long claws.
Joe S | Jul 15, 2008 10:59:40 AM | #Mia is all about Mia. The best judge--the most perfect judge--is Debbie. So positive, so constructive...
Chris | Jul 15, 2008 11:38:24 AM | #I love Mia. she gives honest HEARTFELT criticism and is a very emotional person and that comes thru with her choreography. Yes Debbie Allen is kind but she sugar coats things and does not give constructive criticism.
katie | Jul 15, 2008 12:08:31 PM | #"Yes Debbie Allen is kind but she sugar coats things and does not give constructive criticism."
It must work...look at her students. Actually, she is very strict and stern..just does it in a positive manner.
Mia is one cold "B". There's something going on with her, other than "tough love" when it comes to Jessica. There's no love there. I've seen her be blunt and honest with other contestants. That's fine, professionals need to know what's real. Talking to Will about Jessica and putting him on the spot crossed the line. Jessica didn't even exist. Mia has issues. She can say she's a big old "care bear", but what she did was mean for the sake of mean.
Lee | Jul 15, 2008 12:52:39 PM | #Mia is one cold "B". There's something going on with her, other than "tough love" when it comes to Jessica. There's no love there. I've seen her be blunt and honest with other contestants. That's fine, professionals need to know what's real. Talking to Will about Jessica and putting him on the spot crossed the line. Jessica didn't even exist. Mia has issues. She can say she's a big old "care bear", but what she did was mean for the sake of mean.
Lee | Jul 15, 2008 12:52:46 PM | #Mia is one cold "B". There's something going on with her, other than "tough love" when it comes to Jessica. There's no love there. I've seen her be blunt and honest with other contestants. That's fine, professionals need to know what's real. Talking to Will about Jessica and putting him on the spot crossed the line. Jessica didn't even exist. Mia has issues. She can say she's a big old "care bear", but what she did was mean for the sake of mean.
Lee | Jul 15, 2008 12:52:53 PM | #Mia is basically saying that Jessica should dance with broken ribs because she once danced with broken toes. Jessica is a warrior honey.
Lee | Jul 15, 2008 12:56:59 PM | #Lee--TOUCHE'--well said!
Chris | Jul 15, 2008 1:36:24 PM | #i love mia. get over yourselves people. she's fair. she's right. you're tripping. she's dealing in the real world where the rest of us work and earn a living.
renee | Jul 15, 2008 2:15:25 PM | #This "real world" stuff I always hear people say is just a crock. If you want to be a nasty, improvident jackass fine, but don't pretend that that is some "real world" lesson that somehow makes a person morally stronger and more fit. I prefer to think we want to live in a civil society, but if Renee likes a world of jackasses and twits, all I can do is wish them on her as co-workers and most especially supervisors!
Joe S | Jul 15, 2008 4:32:19 PM | #I wish the interviewer would have asked Mia about her apparent problem with attractive women. She already has a pattern of being easier on the male contestants -- often offering glowing reviews -- than she is on female contestants. And if the female has the unfortunate gift of being highly attractive, she likes them even less. It's obvious, but more importantly, it's incredibly unprofessional.
TD | Jul 16, 2008 2:39:49 AM | #They need to change the choreographers for each show and not give so much power to individuals like Mia Michaels. If this show had not started, she would probably be out of the business by now. Constructive and kind criticism is fine, however, in all the years that I have observed Mia at various dance conventions and master workshops/dancers, she is far more harsh on females than males. Have you noticed that she is always selecting certain young males from the show to work with post elimination?
Gail | Jul 16, 2008 10:57:43 PM | #Gail, while I agree with you assessment of Mia's character flaws in terms of how she doles out compliments and criticisms, I disagree with your assertion that she would be out of work w/o the show. Afterall she did choreograph Celine Dion's last Las Vegas show.
Rishi | Jul 17, 2008 1:10:21 AM | #Mia's behavior is less than professional, and rude, and she looks incredibly out of shape...perhaps the saying is true that those who can't dance..choreograph. Clearly Mia suffers from low self esteem as she can't handly any female dancer succeeding at all, especially if they are physically attractive as well as talented.
Nel Smythe | Jul 18, 2008 1:00:07 PM | #I was out of the country for the last two weeks. I just got back and watched the Tivo and was horrified by what Mia did. It was incredibly rude, cruel and unprofessional to see Mia tell Will that Jessica brought him down. It was classless and added nothing of value. What she said didn't help Will and it didn't help Jessica. Mia should be ashamed of herself. I agree that the reason why she picks on the ladies is a self esteem problem. Nigel also crossed the line when he wished he could cut two girls, but normally he's fair.
I wish Will would have stood up for Jessica when Mia was talking about her to him, but he was on the spot and was caught off guard.
I would be happy if I could dance one third as good as Jessica! Best of luck to you Jessica!
Reuben | Jul 18, 2008 2:16:56 PM | #When the show first started I really liked Mia and was glad when she was a judge; I thought her judgments were constructive. Now it seems that she wants to be the star of the show. The last few weeks she has reminded me of Nora Desmond in "Sunset Blvd" in her close-ups.
You all who are hating on Mia, obviously live in a made up world, where u think everything should be sugar coated - get real!!! This is the real world people, and what Jessica heard from Mia, is not as bad as what she's going to hear out there.
Most of you seem to think Mia is cold, I guess u haven't seen Hell's Kitchen
Roxann | Jul 20, 2008 2:30:54 PM | #I think a little tough love, is better than "heart plus soul equals passion," or whatever the heck Mary says sometimes. In the artistic work, sometimes it's the harsh stuff that really brings out the talent and emotion. Always hearing your great, can stunt that. I rather hear what I'm doing wrong so I can fix, and adjust and become a better artist, than always hear the sugar candy coated critique.
T | Jul 22, 2008 3:51:21 AM | #I decided to read some of the comments posted on the web today, about Mia Michaels, so heres a real synopsis of whats going on.Is Mia the best?, no you're not looking at Tyce Dorio's work & some others, but I will say that I thought that Jessica just did'nt have that oomph to get her through to the semi finals even.
So many wrote about how she gets rid of the pretty girls but perhaps it's because of something in her past, but let me say that when I watch the show & the dancers are dancing, I'm watching their dance & not their faces until after they're standing up there with Cat.
Yes I agree Mia has a problem ,first of which is her weight, she's too fat and it's O>K> that shes not pretty as long as she's truthful, so for whatever it's worth you've got my opinion.
Carmela
Re: Mary Murphy...I CANT stand her, how the other 2 judges can bear to sit beside her is beyond all comprehension, we can do without her screaming and yelling, whenever I hear comments I turn down the sound
she is such an exabitionist and sounds almost insane.
Re: Mary Murphy...I CANT stand her, how the other 2 judges can bear to sit beside her is beyond all comprehension, we can do without her screaming and yelling, whenever I hear comments I turn down the sound
she is such an exabitionist and sounds almost insane.
Mia Michaels may be a successful choreographer but I personally find her choregoraphies, over the top, overwrought, effected and unbearable to watch. I have never really liked any of her "stuff" and when I found out on this blog that she choreographed for Celine Dion, it explained it all since Celine is the most overwrought, over the top, affected and unbearable to watch songstress today.
They are certainly a match made in heaven.
I am sick of the fawning over Mia Michaels that goes on during the show and I dislike Mia's attitude, which keeps getting worse due to all the fawning over her. Many of the other choregraphers are waaaaaay better than her but she always gets the Royal treatment. I for one will never pray at the altar of Mia Michaels. As for Mary Murphy, she is so annoying it is beyond words, I would like to see new judges in new seasons because the show is getting a bit too irritating...
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