Community: Dancers on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance

The phenomenon happening on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance is very similar to what's going on with MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. We're seeing a community form through an alumni network of dancers who've performed on the show. But the difference is that we're seeing more diverse interactions between dancers from different styles and worlds. Several seasons of SYTYCD have passed and we've seen many of these dancers go on to other gigs and television shows. But what makes this community so compelling?

The reason is that our dance scenes are still segregated even in this new century. It's human nature to be comfortable with people who share similar experiences, interests, and backgrounds. But it's unique television show experiences like SYTYCD that are cross-pollinating for future generations to expand their horizons. After all, the conceit of the show is to push dancers out of their comfort zones and to challenge them to embrace other dance styles.

This can only help build a unique community of professional dancers - all with individual life stories and artistic tastes. Can you imagine what would happen if we saw more fusion, genre-bending performances between SYTYCD alums outside of the show? Think of the quirky crews and dance companies that could shape the tastes of upcoming generation as well as the larger public. They could really help redefine how we see dance portrayed and choreographed on the stage and on film.

There's a lot of promise stirring within this community. But it will take proactive leaders to unite and conceive a vision using their talents. We saw glimpses of this with the SYTYCD dancers interacting with the LXD troupe. Can we see more of this in the future?