#ian eastwood and the young lions

[fiercedancers]

Wow wow wow this is beautiful

[ificanthaveu]

i am so FRICKEN PISSED. ian eastwood is the future of dance and they just completely disrespected everything he’s done and will do. all swing latino does is some dumb ass tricks. TRICKS IS NOT DANCE. this show sucks. i’m pissed. ian eastwood deserves better.

[dwtsfun]

World of Dance- Judges’ Cuts 2: Rankings

Hello everyone. And welcome back for another rankings post for WOD. As those of you who read my WOD posts know, I’m becoming increasingly more frustrated with the show. I think it reached its peak last night. This frustration doesn’t exactly come from the dancers. It does come from how the show is run and how poorly production did with planning this season. I understand that the show is in its first season, so there are going to be issues that arise no matter what. But there had to be people in the meetings that raised their hand at some point and been like “maybe we shouldn’t show an act if we’re only gonna put them onscreen for a couple of seconds” or “how about we don’t put through as many acts so that we can give everyone an equal share of TV time. I mean we only have one hour.” Those are the conversations that I feel like should have taken place to alleviate some of the problems that we saw. There is no reason why Pasion, ImmBEAST and Chapkis Dance Family should have made it to the judges’ cuts and we only saw them onscreen for a total of 1 minute for each. That doesn’t make sense to me, ya know. Now besides the production piece, the judges were on something else last night. Some of those scores were so outlandish and made absolutely no sense with the dance that we saw and the critique that was given. It makes me wonder if they’re told to score acts a certain way. Because it just felt really off. And last night really tipped me off. Anyway, let me get the actual ranking underway.

1. Kinjaz- In a perfect world, these guys would win hands down. In my opinion,  no one else that is left on the show, comes close to their level of creativity, innovation, cleanliness, precision and tightness as a unit. And beyond that, their performance level is out of this world. They have yet to give a meh performance. They always bring it and up their game each and every week. I don’t think they’re going to be the overall winners (I still think it’s going to be Eva), but they are definitely making people take notice of them.

2. Fik-Shun- I loved this dance. Maybe it’s because I kind of understood the whole story of feeling like you’re growing up too fast and you kinda wanna go back and experience the simpler times in life. I’m only a year older than him, so I got exactly where he was coming from. I loved his use of the umbrella as a prop. He really used it to his full advantage and it never felt out of place or like it overstayed its welcome. Now the judges were really bugging me out with their scores and comments. I’m not sure exactly what the heck Ne-Yo was talking about. And the scores were bull. He should’ve been closer to Keone and Mari and Les Twins. And to be honest, he could have knocked either one out and I wouldn’t have had issue with it. I think he deserved it just as much as either one of them. So the blatant underscore was odd to me.

3. The Young Lions- Yes I am still shortening up their name. Sue me. Anyway, I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this dance. I thought it was their best dance of the season and under normal circumstances, I think they would have been through. However, nothing about what Swing Latino and Kinjaz does is normal. It’s unfortunate for them but I think this is going to open up a lot more doors and opportunities for these guys, specifically Ian as a choreographer. He’s got a great eye for what looks good and what is fresh.

4. Luka and Jenalyn- I have a huge gripe with the judges about these two. The first is that Cabaret Ballroom focuses on lifts, tricks and other things that are not actually dancing (source: http://www.pbs.org/americas-ballroom-challenge/ballroom-dance-styles/). So the comment about wanting them to dance more was kind of ignorant and shows that the judges don’t know much about the style. And I wish they had went to do their homework and researched the style. That score was low low low. And totally uncalled for. I personally thought it was about an 86/87 performance. It wasn’t perfect, but it was really good. What those two were doing was amazing.

5. Keone and Mari- So I’m going to preface this by saying the dancing itself was incredible. However, I just didn’t care for it. And I finally know why I don’t care for their dances. They are super talented but their dances are about their relationship and marriage and all of that. I am not at that point in my life, so I can’t really relate. And I’ve never been one to be super emotional or things like that (friends used to joke around and say that I have a cold, black). So I’m always baffled by the response to their dances because I just don’t get it. But it’s not really for me to get. And that’s okay. I do think that they deserved to make it through to the divisional finals though.

6. Les Twins- I didn’t like this at all. It’s really the reason why I never liked them when they danced with Beyonce. They’re so talented and obviously amazing dancers. But they do way too much and are so extra for no reason. They constantly move and I wish they’d take a breather for like 5 seconds. They easily made it through though and I fully expect them to be one of the three acts left with Kinjaz and Eva in the grand finale.

7. Chapkis Dance Family and Pasion- We didn’t get to see a full routine for either. So I can’t say much. I will say that I hate that we don’t actually get to see what went so wrong for the judges to give Pasion a 78.8. The fact that they show these acts getting low scores but not show the actual dance and the comments to let us know why the score was received, also bothers me.

So that’s it for this week. Let me know your thoughts and I will talk to you all soon! 

PS I’m still working on the last posts about race and DWTS. I’m gonna shoot to get one up in two weeks.

[dwtspd]

World of Dance - the Cut pt 2

Team Division (continued)

As of last week, Swing Latino are currently in first place with Super Cr3w a few points behind.

Kinjaz - They want to show that Asian Americans can be sexy. I won’t say this routine was sexy, but it was suave. A little different from what they usually do, music and setting wise, but still with all the intricacies and cleanliness that makes them great. Average=93.5. They take first place and eliminate Super Cr3w. I’m not surprised.

Chapkis Dance Family - They’ve only gotten montage shots so far and I still don’t really know what their “thing” is. Seems to be hip hop and jazz funk. They danced to Britney Spear’s Work Bitch and that song is one of my guilty pleasures so I wish they at least showed us their full routine. They tore off their suits halfway through to reveal braided hair, white T-shirts and shorts. I think it was meant to be funny but the judges didn’t respond well. Average=85.8

Ian Eastwood and the Young Lions - They are wearing loose white shirts and light-coloured plain pants so you know it’s gonna be at least somewhat emotional. Ian says it’s about his journey through dance and life in general. Ne-Yo makes a very good point about how the story must be comprehensible by the audience. Technically this was a relatively simple dance, but visually it was effective. Better use of the smoke machine, some floating umbrellas. Ne-Yo had some doubts, and JLo says their dance style is kinda repetitive and needs to change. I don’t think it’s thaaaat repetitive. Average=89. Not enough to make the cut. I didn’t expect them to make it but it was a valiant effort on their part, and as a new group, they’ve gotten their name out there.

Upper Division - mentored by Derek

Luka and Jenalyn - Having ballroom backgrounds, they were thrilled to meet Derek. JLo still wants more dancing and I agree. Misty says Jenalyn is connecting to the audience more than Luka, which is a bit unfair to him since he is kinda a prop for Jenalyn. Derek says they need to work on connecting to each other, and Luka says something like “yeah, maybe it’s because we’re too busy doing tricks, we don’t really have time to interact with each other.” By the way, their costumes look like they are made of duct tape. Average=80.5. It wasn’t that bad. I don’t think they made any progress from their last dance but it’s not like this dance was a huge step backward for them.

Fik-shun - The fact that he is going second has me nervous for him. He is using a bench and an umbrella. Lucky for him, Derek LOVES dancing with furniture (so much that I complain about it when I talk about DWTS). Ne-Yo said it was a bit safe, not his best, and he could have incorporated the props better and Derek gives a "Whaaaaat??” expression on the spot. I must say I like how his actions were linked to the lyrics of the song (even though I don’t really like this song). And when he rolled under the bench and folded his arms...that moment just sticks out to me. Like, I could see him making his character ‘age’ throughout the dance but that part just hit me. I’m happy he did a more lighthearted routine after two angsty dances without losing the emotion in the dance. Average=84.2. I thought he deserved a bit more.

Pasion - The flamenco troupe. Why couldn’t we see Derek talking to them why??? Another group that’s only been shown in montages so far. I don’t think Livin the Vida Loca was the best song choice given their style. Hardly any of their dance is shown, so I can’t really judge though. Average=78.8.

Les Twins - They looked very very tame in the rehearsal, but ultimately came out with more dynamism. I saw them go out of sync a lot of times throughout the whole dance which is unlike them. The judges raved but I personally wasn’t wowed. It was quite underwhelming. Like, their first routine had some emotion, and their second one had some vague story going on plus an impactful ending, but this dance was average. Average=93.5 I don’t think they should have been scored THAT high. I would have scored it around the same as Fik-shun, and no way were they equal to Kinjaz.

Keone and Mari - They don’t want to just be known as the happy couple so this dance was about challenges in relationships. I was quite thrown by the song change and the screaming. I thought they used the band really well, but I don’t understand the point of the streamers falling at the end. That aside, this dance was very well-thought out and I thought it was the best dance in the division for this round. Average=93.2. Very very close to beating out Les Twins.

I’m gonna miss you Fik-shun! Good thing I still get to see you on SYTYCD.

Funny how the two Upper finalists are both duos...

What did you think of the Cut round in general. Was the outcome what you wanted/thought it should be? My inbox is always open.

So next week will be the divisional finals. It’s Diana vs Eva, Swing Latino vs Kinjaz, and Les Twins vs Keone and Mari. I think the Team division has the most predictable outcome. Swing Latino may be fast, but they lack the cleanliness, precision and cohesiveness of Kinjaz. That said, I’m still looking forward to see what they bring. Between Diana and Eva, I feel like Diana will make it through just because JLo loves her so much, but I think Eva is a stronger and more mature dancer (not to mention she has a better choreographer behind her, whoever that might be. Or are both girls choreographing their own dances?) I’m personally rooting for Eva.

I’m don’t know how to feel about the Upper division. Neither pairs were my favourites to begin with (RIP Quick Style, I’m still not over you). The judges seem completely enamoured by Les Twins, but I think Keone and Mari put more thought into their routines and have more artistry as both choreographers and performers. K&M’s routines are also some of the most memorable throughout this competition. I guess personally I want K&M to win, but I probably care the least about this division.

[snerkweek]

Check out the turn at around 50 seconds.

Charisma to spare.  I could watch this on repeat for a long time.  Smiles.

[ellahorans]

WOW OMG!!!!!!! they were sooooo good!!! also Ian Eastwood is v cute 😏😏

[iwontdancenetwork]

“CNT U SEE” by Jamie Isaac | Choreography by Ian Eastwood and the Young Lions 

ft. dancers : Trevor Takemoto, Anthony Westlake

[eastwoodfeels]

The Young Lions CHICAGO | WOD CHICAGO '17

man, i don’t think i could be any more proud of a group of people! how this performance came together : its natural that when i come home to chicago i always want to do something for the city. but naturally when you’re never anywhere longer than two weeks at a time it can be challenging to build things in places without the proper resources. but seeing as i’ve been coming to chicago for the last 6 years several times a year since i moved at 18 i thought it was time to assemble the resources i have and build the foundation of a team. a program to help build the community back up here in chicago in a way that is pushing boundaries. Young Lions Chicago was selected based off the combination of who I’ve seen grow over time as well as who is a good fit for the hard hustle yet humble approach that i believe to be the spirit of a hungry young lion. I never thought i’d be able to create an entire solidified group of people but with the gracious help of monyett, pause, lil bit, & walter. we were able to not only create this group but also teach, stage, and clean this number in only THREE REHEARSALS. another big main point to note in this set is that i only have ONE piece of choreography and the rest of the choreo is contributed by the team itself. the concept here was to give staging/cleaning techniques that myself and The Young Lions have created over time and experience doing jobs and working together in LA over the last year. under this mindset we were able to accomplish everything you see here in such short amount of time. (LAST SPECIAL NOTE: I MADE THE JUKE MIX OUTRO FOR THE SET MYSELF! just some drums i programmed but it was pretty dope to have a brand new crew closing out a show in chicago with some juke drums i programmed over a cool kids beat haha). 

CHOREOGRAPHY : (All Midwest Artists)

 1ST SONG - JOEY PURP : “Morgan Freeman” Choreography - Walter Maybell 

2ND SONG - ERYN ALLEN KANE : “Piano Song” Choreography - Monyett Crump 

 3RD SONG - THE COOL KIDS : “Too Smooth” Choreography - Ian Eastwood 

JUKE OUTRO - PROD.: Ian Eastwood 

Choreography - Pause Eddit & Lil Bit 

 DANCERS: 

Ray nguyen, Hazael Castillo, Tristan DeVries, Kaylyn yang, Nishil Mudingonda,  Cole Nordbrock, Kendall green, Max saron, Jalyn Watson, Walter Maybell, Saadat Maksat, Chris Zarate, Enoch Kim, Alan Freitag, Terry turner, Jason Turner, Pause Eddie, Lil Bit (Donetta Johnson), Monyett Crump, Ian Eastwood 

 THANKS FOR WATCHING! STAY TUNED FOR CHARITY WORKSHOPS AND MY LAST TWO JAMS OF THE YEAR IN CHICAGO & LA IN DECEMBER! 

[kiarrawaidelich]

can I just say that Ian & YL's performance on wod tuesday night was the perfect example of a great emotional dance, without the unnecessary sob story. news flash, not all contemporary/slower dances NEED to have a dramatic story to make them emotional. it is, indeed, possible to feel something from a dance without actually knowing the story to go along with it. and If I'm being honest, talented choreographers and dancers can easily create a piece that can touch audiences without there being a sappy story with it.

[choreographique]

choreographed, directed, edited, colored, produced by : Ian Eastwood cinematography : gerald nonato producer : bong buno dancers : bong buno, trevor takemoto, hugh aparente, jordan viscomi, connor gormley, sean lew.

[here-remnant-blog]

"Have Mercy" - Eryn Allen Kane | Ian Eastwood & The Young Lions

[ificanthaveu]

Ian Eastwood deserved better.

[dwtsfun]

World of Dance- Duels Round 3: Rankings?

I’m trying to figure out the best way to go about this. I was not happy with two of the battles that we saw last night. And then we got to see 5 seconds of like three other battles. It is very irritating. Actually, I guess I’ll start with some of my gripes about the show. 

Last night was a mess. The first battle was spaced out just fine. And then we started getting wonky commercial break placement, oddly short performances from two groups that were very underwhelming, two battles that they just decided to throw in a few clips of and then a three team battle that was completely unfair to Rogue. I get that this is a first season show and that some of the kinks are still being ironed out. But a lot of these are very silly problems that could have been avoided if the production staff had actually talked to someone that knows how to put on an “Olympic” type of competition. You can’t say that this is the Olympics for dance and then drop the ball every at every turn. This stuff needed to be figured out well in advance. I also get that this is a reality TV competition show. But the same critique still stands. I’m going to hold you to a higher standard if you say you’re the Olympics. That is big. You can’t mess things up or let the hands behind the scenes, show so easily. Now that I got that out of the way, let me attempt to rank these battles.

1. Kinjaz vs. Stroll Groove- This was the only duel/battle of the night that didn’t have any issues. Both teams brought it and both teams were great. Kinjaz clearly won. That dance was the best I’ve seen all season. That choreography was super intricate and interesting. Stroll Groove was probably my second favorite team of the night and I’m actually a little bummed that can’t take the place of some of these other teams. Tbh, I think they deserve it more than a few others that have made it through.

2. Luka and Jenalyn vs. DNA- This battle had the potential to be super close and super good. The issue was DNA and specifically, Denys. After he fell out of that first spin, he just couldn’t get it back together. He was a little all over the place. They also kept in some of those really big lifts that he was definitely not comfortable with. He was struggling and at one point, I thought he was going to drop Antonina. Luka and Jenalyn weren’t as good as their qualifier round as a whole (Luka was more fluid during parts that he didn’t have to lift Jenalyn), but because they gave a solid performance with no real errors, they got in over DNA. 

3. Jabbawockeez vs. The Young Lions vs. Rogue- Mm. This battle was off. I really wish Rogue would have been able to choose a different group. It was just very clear to me that they were going to go out in 3rd. It didn’t help that some of them missed marks during the different formations. Dancing wise, they were great. But those little details got them. I personally thought it was very close between The Young Lions and the Jabbawockeez. Neither team was amazing. But I would have given the edge to the Jabbawockeez. I thought theirs was slightly more energetic and crowd pleasing than The Young Lions.

4. The Mihacevich Sisters vs. D’Angelo and Amanda- I can’t even actually critique this battle in a fair way. They only showed like 10 seconds of each on TV. Both acts moved very small and timid and to be honest, I don’t think either one truly deserved to go through. I did go on to the YouTube page and look for their dances. I found the Mihacevich Sisters’ full dance and watched it. It was still careful, but not as bad as I originally thought. They just showed the worst part on TV. I also found out that they had to completely change the routine because the middle sister got hurt. So I was able to understand why they were so lowkey. I still can’t find D’Angelo and Amanda, so I’m not sure what happened there. But something had to throw Amanda off because she made a very simple mistake and she looked distraught by the end of the performance. Does anyone know what exactly happened there?

My thoughts on the other battles: Pasion was great. I can’t say much about who they were up against. And of course, no video of them is up yet. ImmaBEAST also won? I’m not sure, but their performance was way better than any of the three other battles we saw last night. Why didn’t we see them? And why has no one even heard of their existence on the show until last night? They don’t even have a qualifier video up. And again, their opponents aren’t up yet. And the Chapkis Dance Family were really good too. And guess who doesn’t have a video uploaded? The team that they were up against, Rhythmatic. So yeah, I can’t even say much about these. I will say that I believe all three of their battles should have taken the place of my numbers 2-4. And a quick note about the audience. They were dead during these performances especially. Why is that, I wonder?

So yeah, that’s that. Last night really frustrated me. Let me know what you all thought. How do you feel about the formula? Do you think that they should have it more figured out than this? Or are we being too harsh? Let me know and I’ll talk to you all soon!

[fuckyeahianeastwood]

WOD | Ian Eastwood & The Younglions

[lucaslnclair]

Ian Eastwood and the Young Lions' "Hot in Herre" choreography is really one of the best things I've ever seen

[iwontdancenetwork]

“Drip” by Luke James | Choreography by Ian Eastwood 

at Millennium Dance Complex