Caffeine pills are dangerous, kids. Now that that's out of our systems. ...

DANCING TO THE MAX!

Likely, you'll remember this first-season* episode as "The Sprain." Oh yes, that's the one:

A dance contest is hosted by famed Casey Kasem and held at the Max. Zack and Slater both try to obtain Kelly as a dance partner but Slater wins the honor. Zack goes with Jessie. Lisa has someone all lined up for the dance as well, but when she sprains her ankle he backs out. Screech agrees to dance with her in the contest even still.

Firstly, this episode fully establishes and illustrates the themes at the very core of SbtB.

Let us count:

1. Zack and Slater love/hate each other, and when it's hate, it's because of that Soffe-shorted Bayside Tigrrr: Kelly Kapowski.
2. In this chapter of "Jessie Is Deathly Afraid of Imperfection," Miss Spano** finds herself No-Doz-jitterishly worried that it's her height (not her resounding bitchiness) that keeps her from getting all the sweet, pubescent menfolk; and not to harp on "Jessie's Song" — I'm so excited! — but it's another dance-related storyline***.
3. Samuel 'Screech' Powers harbors a deep, unrequited love for Lisa Turtle, and he will go to great, great, bust-a-move lengths to bring her joy — a joy not to be reciprocated fully.
4. Belding's a kind-hearted, but sad-eyed, hasbeen-neverwas, with a fondness for reliving his 'wild' youth, hence the fact that he follows these kids around for at least the next decade**** of their lives.
5. All teachers are oblivious/incompetent (see: that deaf, old lady who taught Shakespeare), douchey (see: whoever that Micromachine guy played), or some combination thereof (see: this episode's music teacher).
6. The Bayside student body consists exclusively of Nerds, Jocks, random guests (Soleil Moon Frye, Leah Remini, Tori Spelling, etc.), and the main cast (Zack, A.C., Jessie, Kelly, Lisa, Screech, and sometimes Tori), who always have classes together.
7. Any big deal event (in this case, the dance-off), which will likely take place at the Max, centers on the main cast. Here, we see Slater and Kelly perform as The Spandex Twins; Zack and Jessie perform as The Powerhouse Preppies; and Lisa and Screech, while not introduced with a fun team name, introduce Bayside to the Sprain, sending the Applause Meter (read: a large thermometer-like cutout and a hat with Max-powered clapping hands) soaring. There are no other contestants.

In addition to solidifying the central themes of SbtB so early on in the series, 'Dancing to the Max' features so many quintessentially Baysidian moment of humor:

• The entire group is in music class, playing Bach's Minuet in G, in typical beginning band atonality and discord ... that is until the music teacher steps outside for a moment, at which point the Minuet goes all Lover's-Concerto-by-the-Toys-on-speed, and Jessie busts out with some dance moves in the middle of the classroom ... which, of course, comes to a complete halt as soon as the conductor reenters. Zack Morris blows a pink bubble gum balloon of musical distress out of his trombone, back to pubescent-screech music again. The scene ends with (what else?) physical comedy.
• Zackary Morris cannot dance. I once read a very old review of Double Fantasy, in which Yoko Ono's solo pieces were likened to "the sound of a severely retarded child being beaten," and that is the only level of awkward painfulness that comes to mind when watching Zack shuffle and snap his fingers around the place. Sorry.
• At one point, Screech wears a tuxedo t-shirt. Hott.
• Kelly: What happened to you?
  Lisa: I kicked the TV and sprained my ankle.
  Jessie: Why?
  Lisa: I was watching the new Revlon commercial and they discontinued my nail polish.
• Max. Prop comedy. There you go.
• Casey Kasem makes his first SbtB cameo appearance*****, in a Cosby sweater that rivals Belding's own Cosby sweater in such a way that makes me wonder: Is the dance-off really the main competition here? Furthermore, I don't even know if it's actually possible to butcher "the Sprain," but Mr. Kasem may be doing just that as the episode fades out.

*

It is important to note that this is an episode from a kinder, gentler, more innocent era: When Max was still around, spreading his magic-fueled joy; before Buddy Bands threatened this ideal friendship; before Johnny Dakota left a "roach" in the boys' bathroom, imploring Brandon Tartakoff to decry, "There's no hope with dope!"; when Zack was still crawling through Jessie's bedroom window to visit; before Kelly got involved with that creep, Professor Lasky; before the ::shudder:: wedding in Las Vegas. ...

And in conclusion, "Dancing to the Max" is the Greatest Epsiode of SbtB of all time. I dare you to rebut.

* Peter Engel's notorious revisionist history is at work here. I do not suggest that this episode exists outside the Saved By The Bell Canon Proper (but to the short-lived Good Morning, Miss Bliss!, set in Indiana with only some of the same cast, plus Hayley Mills, which later was recycled in the Saturday morning slot as SBTB: The Junior High Years, each episode prefaced by a "Remember when?" intro by Mr. Morris himself), as it is indeed a full-fledged SbtB unit; however, it is not, as listed on the complete Season 1 DVDs, the very first episode. (That distinction belongs to "King of the Hill," wherein Albert Clifford Slater and Zachary Morris meet for the first time, thus defining their long-lasting 'frenemy' relationship.) SbtB has a serious problem with chronology, of course. (The Tori Paradox, anyone? The fact that they graduated twice?)

** Now, this doesn't detract from my belief that 'Dancing to the Max' is the quintessential SbtB experience, but it's a quibble with Jessie's character as a whole: As such a crunchy, Earth-Shoe-wearing feminist, why is she always so, "OMG, my grades! My height!". Wouldn't she be all, "I am woman; hear me roar"? Or does she only really bust that out when Slater calls her "mama"?

*** Foreshadowing Elizabeth Berkley's later dubious career moves, as star of Showgirls and, presently, as host of Bravo's Step It Up and Dance.

**** I imagine he's still up in their pieces. ... Anyone for a reunion movie??

***** His second and final cameo occurs in the fantasy episode "Rockumentary," in which he chronicles The Zack Attack's rise to fame ... and fall from grace.

You know this made me dance.

My Stuff for First Year Revision! :)

AM RELIEVED! amazed, bewildered happy, astonishment, bubbling, grateful, thankful, that...............

EXAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMS

are over.

1/5 of becoming a doctor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:) Will keep you posted :)

Coming up... Memoirs of a First Year Med!
 

And a really exciting and funny movie coming up!

This is soooo funny! :)

Inolvidables años e inolvidables bailes.. eso era el baile disco que al final lo toman en cuenta hasta en los concursos de baile, eso significa que no pasó desapercibido y que perdurará por siempre. Quién no lo bailó en esos tiempos? yo creo que todos teníamos la ilusión de no quebrarnos la pata en uno de sus maravillosos pasos..

Aunque este grupo se formo a mediados de los setentas.. en los ochentas al menos es cuando los escuché en la radio día y noche. Siempre se me viene a la cabeza la canción Soup for One cuando escucho la canción Lady de Modjo.. seguro que tiene algún ritmo como base, no en balde muchos han utilizado en su base instrumental canciones de Chic.

Esta música también es muy nostálgica para mí porque me recuerda lo distanciados que estamos los amigos que tenía en esa época, el como han cambiado nuestros destinos.. nuestras vidas pero que una vez más se demuestra que con la música que hemos escuchado se nos vienen los recuerdos y la memoria empieza a mandarnos imágenes y películas que habíamos dejado aparcados en algún oscuro lado de nuestro laberinto cerebral.

Aprovecho a poner aquellas canciones las cuales me han hecho una regresión a mi pasado hoy.. a esos años maravillosos. Espero que a los que lean y escuchen..también!!!!

Escucha: I want your love

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/17dcf3318f01c7dca9a7a217fb939b01.mp3"]

Escucha: Le Freak

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/fb90d67833ec080f4a9302f8f7604465.mp3"]

Escucha: Good Times

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/fd61879e71ad407eb491e51d971dfb62.mp3"]

Good times
These are the good times
Leave your cares behind
These are the good times
Good times
These are the good times
Our new state of mind
These are the good times

Happy days are here again
The time is right
For makin' friends
Let's get together
How 'bout a quarter to ten
Come tomorrow
Let's all do it again

continúa....

Para recordar los vinilos!

]]> http://st3fani3.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/i-so-wanna-dance/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 19:15:37 +0000 st3fani3 http://st3fani3.wordpress.com/2008/04/24/i-so-wanna-dance/ This is so cool!!!!!

Jabbawockeez!

and it gets better~

+

?

I refuse to be alone in this. Does this teen hip-hop sensation not remind you of a Lil Kim/Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes hybrid?

As I've stated before in this blog, I've developed a bit of a Chris Brown obsession over the past several weeks. One of the ten thousand songs by or featuring Chris Brown that are in circulation right now (okay, I'm exaggerating ... It's only nine thousand.) is one titled "Shawty Get Loose" by Lil Mama. The song also includes T-Pain, who is also featured on literally every single song in existence right now. I swear, I could probably turn on the country radio station and find some T-Pain remix to a Reba McIntire song ... But hey, that's neither here nor there.

I purchased the video to the aforementioned song on iTunes to further satiate my never ending addiction to dance/hip-hop videos, regardless of the quality/cheese factor. My initial reaction to the first ten or so seconds was that it strongly resembles the video for Michael & Janet Jackson's "Scream," which, in my opinion, got wayyyyy too much hype when it was made. I mean, MTV devoted what felt like an entire month of programming to hype it up, and I remember finally watching it and saying to my dad, "That was it? They spent $7 million on that?" ... All things aside, both Lil Mama and Chris Brown are excellent dancers, like Michael and Janet, so I suppose it is a fitting tribute. As I continued to watch it, something kept nagging at me. The changing wigs, the black vinyl suit, the high-pitched voice ... I knew I'd seen it (or heard it) somewhere before.

To start things off, the wig variety is classic Lil Kim. I mean, come on, who doesn't remember the "Crush On You" video where she had pleather/vinyl outfits in five or six different colors with matching hair? I have never seen someone pull of a neon green bob like Lil Kim can. In fact, the purple wig Lil Mama wears in the "Shawty Get Loose" video reminds me of the one Lil Kim wore to the 1999 Video Music Awards. You know, the one where Diana Ross felt her up? The color's a bit different, but there's still a distinct similarity. Thankfully, Lil Mama doesn't dress anything like Lil Kim. I don't think anyone in this universe can dress like Lil Kim ... Hell, Lil Kim can't even dress like Lil Kim. Additionally, to bring up another glaringly obvious similarity between the two women, they both have the word "Lil" in their respective names. And they're both, in fact, short, thus making the fact that they're called "Lil" appropriate. Call it a cop out if you will, but I calls 'em like I sees 'em!

So what about Left Eye, then? Though Lil Mama has the hair and non-boob-bearing wardrobe to get the essence of Lil Kim in that particular video, I think she has a bit more to offer the world than that. Honestly, I'm not familiar with any of her other videos (though I might change that fairly soon ... Damn it, I like her! She's got sass!); however, I have been watching my fair share of the MTV show America's Best Dance Crew, where she is a judge along with JC Chasez and Shane Sparks. The way she talks/acts when she's not performing, whether it's on stage or in a video, has something so very Left Eye about her. I noted immediately that her speaking voice is distinctly lower than her rapping voice, which is something that makes me think of Left Eye right away. Her sense of style, in that she's typically been wearing some sort of athletic wear with her own personalized touch (rhinestones, airbrushing, etc), also brings Left Eye to mind. Both can/could wear clothes that are perceived as traditionally masculine, put a bit of a feminine spin on them, and make them not only work, but, to borrow a term from both Tyra Banks and Christian Siriano, look FIERCE. Not everyone can wear a fully bedazzled Yankees hat and make it look not only completely natural, but amazing. Hell, I know I sure as hell can't. But Lil Mama can and I know Left Eye could have, too.

Though both Lil Kim and Left Eye took many respective rides on the crazy train, as rappers and musicians, they are/were two of the most talented in the game. Thumbs up on picking your inpirations, Lil Mama.

As a parting gift, I have not one but two videos for you to enjoy! For some reason the embedding code won't work, so I'm stuck with cruddy links. Nevertheless, the first is Lil Mama's "Shawty Get Loose" video so you can see the wigs and the amazing Chris Brown in action. The second is Michael & Janet Jackson's "Scream" for comparison purposes. Do you see the similarities? Can you figure out why it cost them $7 million to make "Scream?" These are burning questions I have!

Lil Mama, Chris Brown, T-Pain - Shawty Get Loose

Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson - Scream

]]> http://puffery.wordpress.com/?p=21 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:02:42 +0000 Puff http://puffery.wordpress.com/?p=21 The amount of Chris Brown I've been listening to lately is, frankly, quite obscene. It's a bizarre obsession that's caught me completely by surprise over the past several weeks, and I can't even begin to explain where it came from. But hey, that's never stopped me from trying before, right?

I suppose it could have started with my love of watching large choreographed dance sequences. From music videos to movies to live performances, it's extremely visually stimulating when done well. When I was younger and had the house to myself, I used to watch The Box (before it got bought my MTV to be turned into MTV2 ... I still miss The Box) ALL DAY just waiting for 'N Sync, Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, or any other pop/r&b group of the day's videos to try to learn their dance moves. As a side note, I still maintain that I had "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Oops I Did It Again" down to a freaking SCIENCE. But that's neither here nor there.

Since the boy bands and pop princesses of the late '90s and early 2000s have either died out or gone on to make music that's nothing like the gloriously delicious bubblegum they once knew, the only place to go for a nice, large dance sequence is the R&B/hip-hop world. As it turns out, that's where I should have been looking all along. While AJ McLean went to rehab and Jessica Simpson got even more famous for being a dipshit, the likes of Usher, B2K, Aaliyah, Destiny's Child 2.0 (after Michelle Williams joined, natch) and Ginuwine still found places in their music videos and performances for synchronized dance movements. The dancing associated with this genre is typically a hell of a lot bigger, better, and badder (shut up, it's totally a word) than anything Darrin Henson or Wade Robson ever made up for Britney or 'N Sync.

The past three or so years have given way to a new generation of ultra-talented dance gurus, with the aforementioned Chris Brown leading the pack. I've found that as I've gotten older, my love of watching large choreographed ensembles has not faded at all. It makes me very thankful that music videos these days are a hell of a lot more accessible than they used to me. At $1.99 a pop on iTunes, I've acquired quite a collection of videos from artists such as Beyoncé, Ciara, Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Cherish, Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, Lil Mama, Omarion, and, yes, Chris Brown. In most of these cases, I bought the video first, ended up liking the song, and bought that as well. Which leads me back to where I started -- I'm listening to a hell of a lot of Chris Brown. I started with "Kiss Kiss," moved on to "Wall to Wall" and now find myself not wanting to listen to anything else (literally) than his slower songs, including "With You" and "No Air," which is a duet with American Idol-winner Jordin Sparks. And I swear to you, the day Chris Brown does a duet with Beyoncé ('cause come on, you know it's only a matter of time), I will be ALL OVER THAT.

In closing, I feel I should also add that this dance obsession I have going here definitely applies to all of the ten thousand movies that have been made about dancing. While the plot and general dialogue are usually fairly heinous (though this isn't the case in all of them), the talent and general visual stimulation of the dancers more than makes up for poor scriptwriting. I could go on and on about these movies and their individual pluses and minuses, so I think I'll save that for a sequel post.

Links, etc.

• America's Best Dance Crew on MTV. Though Mario Lopez is kind of a tool, the show is really freaking addictive. My favorites right now are JabbaWockeeZ and Kaba Modern.
• Hustling 2.0: Soulja Boy and the Crank Dat Phenomenon. An academic article from the MIT Comparative Media Studies program about Soulja Boy, of all things. Amazing.
• If you've seen You Got Served, She's The Man, or Step Up 2 the Streets, you'll know Robert Hoffman III. This video of "The Yes Dance," performed at a choreography show in LA last year, seriously almost killed me.

Sometimes, i feel like im not improving in dance at all. Its kinda like a stagnant feeling. But yet sometimes, people say i improve but i dont really see it leh ~o~ And at times, im low on form then i cant seem to be myself that day and i cant catch steps as fast as i usually do. What the hell right..

OH i wanna rant about somethin~ Early morning rush hours in trains sucks to the core man! I hate it when some ugly peeps just dun give a damn and keep on squeezing in even though theres not enough space stand. OR theres bloody plenty of space in the mid section of the train, they jus wont move their asses into the mid section of the train, always standing so near to the door. Tink this is some kind of amazing race, the one who is the last one of the mrt is a loser. OR, when you wanna alight the train, some people just stand infront of the door, and not let you first and wanna chiong into the train before u got the chance to alight the train. WTH! Cant stand man. Like what kenneth once said, i feel like shouting at to SIAM AR or MOVE YOUR ASSES IN LEH! Seriously man, some people just wont learn. ~_~ Such inconsiderate people.

Imagine you're at a bar or a club or a lounge or something. and the dj is just killin it. the room is alive. i'm not talking like "nn-t-nn-t-nn-t" house techno bullshit. music that injects generally good vibes into the atmosphere. it's lively. it's energetic. but not TOO energetic (after all, it's 11:30, entirely too early to peak.) it has an underlying groove that is absolutely irresistible. this music soaks the air with all of its delicious beats and melodies, and you're a little bit torn between continuing the conversation you're engaged in and just sitting back and immersing yourself in the music. if it were the soundtrack to a scene in a movie, it just might be the soundtrack for the tightest party ever. a party whose attendants are rich but don't flaunt it, hot but don't know it, old enough to know better, but still young enough not to care, drunk but fairly lucid...oh yea, and everyone's in their underwear. and there's lots and lots of foam. but i digress...

Ok, so you're imagining this bar with this music. Now imagine yourself in this bar with this music. Are you moving? Foot tapping? Hips swaying? Head nodding? are you full-on dancing? If you're not doing any of the above, I just don't understand you. i mean, even when there's kind of mediocre music playing, as long as it's got a beat and/or groove, i can't help it! have to have to have to move.

I'm reminded of the scene in "Dazed and Confused" where Adam Goldberg is talking about how he wants to abandon his goal of becoming a lawyer, pointing to the fact that he, in the end, really doesn't like people that much, and doesn't much want to help them. His friend asking him what he wants to do instead. "I wanna DANCE!", Goldberg replies. One of the funnier moments in a very funny movie, but also important (?) for a few reasons. First, it definitely speaks to the reality check that so many young people face as they enter into the real world. What we say we want, what we think we want, what we want in theory, so often just ends up disappointing. We romanticize the future. We project what we would want in an ideal world, and we say to ourselves, "this is what it's going to be like. it's going to be perfect and i'm going to be doing this until the unforseeable future." and then we begin our lives in the real world. and sometimes we find out that what we're actually getting into is, in fact, quite different from what we had imagined. disillusionment hits. it's a hell of a lot easier to dream something than to actually live it. (why do i keep digressing like this??)

But really, the point that I ACTUALLY want to make about this scene is that I can't even count the times when I've felt the same thing. I just wanted to DANCE. i guess it's a little different because Adam Goldberg is talking about dancing to make a living--though aren't there jobs for people to dance at clubs (not THAT kind of dancing. dirty dirty minds...) anyway, when you're in one of these moods, one of the MOST frustrating things is to not be able to. This feeling came over me on Saturday night, at a lounge that became increasingly more packed as the night went on. 12:00 (?) rolls around and we can't really move. and all my friends and i want to do is start a dance party. but there's no. fucking. room. (though the birthday boy did find room, incidentally. i believe someone has pictures of his one-man dance party as a matter of fact. would love to get my hands on those.)

 so shortly after that i put my foot down and brought a few friends down the street to one of my favorite grimy dance spots and dance dance dance danced. (80's dance rock is SUPER.) until i realized that no one i was with was dancing nearly as much as i was, so i got a little bit embarassed and wanted to sit down.

but still, my appetite was (temporarily) sated. for maybe the next day or so.

p.s. i don't understand relativity either. i mean, i guess i get the general principle, but explain this to me: i did very very very little today. and it FLEW by. last week, when i was pretty much busy all the time all week, felt eternal. i guess it's all the blog posting/reading, facebook stalking, and scrabulous playing i did.

 seriously, someone please destroy the internet before it destroys me.

This routine has alot of the 'feeling' ahhh... A lot of feeling in this dance which i like! =D

After that went to cheer on for Xiao Marc and his crew, ZILCH, at Far East Plaza for their Finalz in the Buttz Off Hip Hop Competition. Belows the video!

Well they did fairly well, could be better. But Marc was really outstanding among his crew during their performance. Better yet, he was chosen as one of the best dancers by the judges (who are Jamile and Michelle Brookes both from SYTYCD Season 1), they have to battle it out together to see whos the best! But Marc was totally stun, lol, cos he never freestyle before, but it was definitely a great achievement for a young dancer who entered his 2nd competition! Woohoo congrats and jia you Xiao Marc!

Btw, the management of this hiphop competition was really really bad... When Zilch used powder on as one of their props, they were asked by the events manager to clear the stage of their props and the powder infront of everyone... What bad management la! And say they will minus points cos they messed up the stage but we've only heard no throwing of props to the audiences. Oh well, i felt that if they wanna keep the stage clean, they should have extra people by the sides as stage crews to clear the stage and not freakin tell off the participants to clear their own mess on the stage infront of the audiences. So MALU can.. lol..

Thanks to youtuber, DenMotiga :

and the bummer re-mix, part II of "Zooby Zooby Zooby," after Sita is kidnapped! Sing along with the lyrics!

and here's a longer version of the opening scene, from youtuber ZaxarBorisych.  Beware, it's naughty:

Want to see more of the same?  Click HERE.

Radha (Smita Patil) and Ramu (Mithun Chakraborty) are siblings. Their parents Shyam and Sita (Sarla Yeolekar) are singers. Once, Shyam and Sita go to perform in Jalpaiguri to get some money, since they are in a poor status and they have to pay a monthly rent. While performing in Jalpaiguri, Sita catchs the eye of a rich and powerful man called A.M. Singh (Amrish Puri). He stops them in the mid way home, kills Shyam and rapes Sita. Radha and Ramu get the news that their parents are dead. The house proprietor banishes them and they become homeless. Years later, Radha and Ramu have achieved success and are popular singers now. Ramu falls in love with Janita (Mandakini) and Radha gets married to Resham (Shakti Kapoor), who is their troupe member. They all sing and perform together. However, Resham becomes different and strange...(wikepedia)

Watch  Mithun Chakraborty  dance here with Mandakini and his character has no idea his long lost mother, Sita, is watching from the sidelines:

and here's another video from the same movie, this time Romeo is sharabi, and there are some tight slaps to the face:

Saw this vid at Jinwen's blog. Woah, never knew hiphop can show so much 'feeling'. Shane Sparks did it again! One word, DOPE!

A comtemp piece! Check out danny's leaps and the part where he spins from the ground and come up doing a grand jette. Superb la!

Dance is an expression of the music, the soul and if possible, to show what it is to be human, which is to feel good to be alive~ (thats my take on life and dance!)

 Well i guess this shows that i really wanna make dance part of my life. Shall achieve my goals and dreams! YESH!

I came across a newly set up dance studio in JB. Saw their practice sessions in youtube, well i gotta say, they're kind of cheating people's money if they have any students. Im not saying im very good, but theres a certain standard to reach b4 becoming an instructor, apparently, this studio JB, have yet to reach that standard, and yet their taking in students. If their not taking any money from their students, then is still ok, cos everyone can still learn from eachother, but if they are taking money,  thats astrocious! I cant stand 'dancers' that cheat pple's money like that! Gawd, just like how Nigel, one of the judges from So you think you can dance, he totally despice such peeps. Well me 2. I shall not name the studio here, but jus wanna bitch inside here thats all! LOL..

 Im so into RnB these days, maybe becos im emo-ing? ^o^ Im so into Neyo's Go On Girl and Timbaland's Apologize featuring One Republic. Hmmmm, wanna make a choreo from each of these songs! Hopefully i haf the time ^o^