We've been waiting a long time for a young actor or actress to step up to the plate as a singer, dancer, and thespian. In the early to mid 20th century, we had Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly along with ladies like Ginger Rogers and Cyd Charisse leading the way. The hip hop scene hasn't seen someone like that at all, even with dance superstars like Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers performing in films, stage shows, and commercials. Often, street dancers are only featured for their dance skills. But now, there's an interesting scenario developing on Fox's TV show Glee, which we've previously featured. On that show, actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr is gradually emerging as a more visible cast member during Glee's second season. He's displaying some acting chops while getting his moments to dance in front of the camera. Is he our new Fred Astaire?
Check out Harry with Matthew Morrison in an homage sequence to Singin' In The Rain in this episode of Fox's Glee:
We don't mean to put any pressure on Harry or dancers like him who may have these acting opportunities. We're just excited for them. Harry has said in a Hulu interview for The LXD that he doesn't bill himself as a popper but that he embraces elements of many different styles and fuses them into his own flavor. He's shown this sensibility in his featured dancing moments on Glee. His career is escalating. He started out as a bit part and is reportedly going to become a cast regular in the coming year after the Superbowl episode in 2011. That's big news because he's made bigger professional strides into acting in television and film than any other featured dancer from the Step Up 3D and LXD camp. And he's got a fan following. If you run a search for Harry on Twitter, you will find many fans praising him for his good looks and dance moves.
It would be exciting to see where Harry's career takes him next, especially if he decides to step behind the camera and direct or produce. Already we've seen him credited as a choreographer for The LXD with Christopher Scott. If he takes on directorial duties, he could be one of several dancers who might lead a new revolution of dance in mainstream media (his LXD cohort Christopher Scott has directed one of the LXD's second season episodes). And this isn't necessarily just for hip hop, but for all dance styles. The difference here compared to the slew of reality shows out there is that dancers would be in top creative positions to influence and create stories. Their unique tastes and aesthetics would bring a breath of fresh air to our current climate.
We don't pretend to be giving advice to Harry or other dancers in his position. We don't have the answers. But we are cheering them on as they continue to make their mark in the media world. We hope that he and other professional dancers will make wise, saavy decisions as they chart their careers. The world is ready for dancers who shine in front of the camera with their movement but also as thespians who can make us laugh and cry.
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