Today, Heather Havrilesky of Salon.com wrote about how to help Glee get it’s groove back, How to Make Glee Sing in the Second Season. Among her recommendations:
When in doubt, give Mercedes (and the cheerleading dance crew) center stage
I’d like to take it a step further. Let’s give the Cheerios and all the other talented, but largely ignored dancers on the show more screen time.
The Case for Mike Chen
This guy has almost no lines and I don’t recall a single instance of hearing him sing. I don’t even remember how I know his name. Mostly, I remember Sue Sylvester dismissively referring to him as “other Asian” during “Throwdown,” when Sue picked all of the minorities in Glee club for her “Sue’s Kids” sectionals group. One of the few times we get to see him showcase his dancing is in “Vitamin D” (a.k.a. the episode where all the kids get high on cold medicine), during the “It’s My Life/Confessions Part II” mashup. For a few seconds, he’s in the middle of the floor doing some manic and wildly entertaining breakdancing. We need to see this guy out there moving more often!
The Case For Brittany
For some reason, Brittany never gets a last name. In all fairness, I’m not sure she’d remember it if she had one. She’s known for the wide empty space between her ears and her penchant for sleeping around. What may escape the notice of viewers is that, any time they need a female dancer on the show, she’s there. Do you remember the opening sequence to the “Preggers” episode? It featured Kurt, Brittany, and Tina dancing an almost perfect imitation of the Beyonce “Single Ladies” music video. And while Kurt was front and center, it was Brittany I couldn’t take my eyes off of. This girl knows how to move. Watch for her later in the season during the “Glee: ‘Safety Dance’.” number in the “Dream On” episode.
The Case for the Cheerios
And speaking of cheerleaders who deserve more screen time, how about the Cheerios. The paltry few Glee Club/Cheerios numbers included in Season 1 are gems. Some of the most dynamic musical numbers the show has done. We all remember the car wash “Bust Your Windows” scene in “Accafellas.” It was mesmerizing.
Dance and song together is part of what we all love about broadway–and about music videos too. And it’s part of the aesthetic that makes us love Glee. I hope Glee learns to embrace it. We need more Mike Chen; more Brittany. And of course, more dancing cheerleaders wouldn’t hurt the ratings.
All She Wants To Do Is Knit 
Don’t forget Matt–the other silent football-player-turned-glee-club-member. He can cut a rug pretty well too. Though, admittedly, not up to the level of Brittany or Mike.
What I find particularly impressive about Brittany’s dancing is her chameleonic quality. Sometimes to the point that I don’t initially recognize her. But, more importantly, whatever the dance style, she makes it look natural. She mimics Beyonce and even Lady Gaga’s silly moves perfectly. When she’s doing backup for Bust a Move or acrobatics for Jump, she perfectly nails both the look of the music, and the style of dancing that was common when the song was new. Seeing her dance to songs that were hits when I was a kid is like a time machine.
Even when she’s expected to look a little bit stilted for broadway-ish choreography that was supposedly invented on the spot for sectionals, she nails it perfectly–which is to say, not *too* perfectly.
Not that others on Glee don’t dance well, too. But they look like they had to actually practice. Brittany makes it look like she can dance as easily as I can breathe–it’s automatic, no thinking required. Which is probably a good thing, because if it required thinking, I doubt she could do it.
What I find particularly impressive about Brittany’s dancing is her chameleonic quality. Sometimes to the point that I don’t initially recognize her. But, more importantly, whatever the dance style, she makes it look natural. She mimics Beyonce and even Lady Gaga’s silly moves perfectly. When she’s doing backup for Bust a Move or acrobatics for Jump, she perfectly nails both the look of the music, and the style of dancing that was common when the song was new. Seeing her dance to songs that were hits when I was a kid is like a time machine.
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