LXD

March 11, 2010 8:04 AM

Violins + Dance = LXD The LXD (the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers) electrify the TED2010 stage with an emerging global street-dance culture, revved up by the Internet. SYTYCD
posted by MechEng (15 comments total)

Very cool. Here is a much higher quality version of the first link on youtube. Much easier on the eyes...

Violins + Dance = LXD
posted by cosmac at 8:25 AM on March 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

On one level I was absolutely floored by the LXD's appearance on the Oscars. They're incredible dancers, and when you see a group of skilled artists performing at that high a level you can't help but be awed. There were several points during their performance where my wife and I actually said "wow" out loud.

It's unfortunate that the concept behind the whole thing was so incredibly stupid (interpretive dance based on Sherlock Holmes?)
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:29 AM on March 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

Man, when those people finally get together with the LXSLT -- Legion of Extraordinary Stage Lighting Technicians -- they'll really start to go places! (I think... or at least, based on what I could -- sort of -- see.)
posted by Mike D at 8:42 AM on March 11, 2010

Oh, they were the ones at the Oscars? That was terrible. Great dancing, bad interpretation of the music.
posted by gonna get a dog at 8:56 AM on March 11, 2010

I'm a huge fan of the Pilobolus dance Symbiosis from a previous TED. It's a slower dance, but fascinating in its progression.
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:57 AM on March 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

It fills my heart and quiets my mind to see people who love what they're doing so much. Thanks for sharing.
posted by lagreen at 9:09 AM on March 11, 2010

At 1:44 of cosmac's link, I actually said "holy shit"
posted by desjardins at 9:17 AM on March 11, 2010 [1 favorite]

I'll bite, what is a(n) "SYTYCD"?
posted by Antidisestablishmentarianist at 10:48 AM on March 11, 2010

so you think you can dance
posted by empath at 11:24 AM on March 11, 2010

What desjardins said. How is that even possible?
posted by flippant at 11:37 AM on March 11, 2010

I think the smartest thing they've done to date has been dancing to orchestral pieces. I think it really showcases the artistry and beauty in their movement.
posted by dnesan at 1:05 PM on March 11, 2010

Fucking... spiderman...
posted by greekphilosophy at 1:32 PM on March 11, 2010

I saw these guys on SYTYCD and was immediately impressed by the innovation of doing hip-hop dancing to music that wasn't hip-hop. Moves like that really lift the form to a much more universal audience, and it goes to show that you don't need music with hard stops in it to dance like that. Just amazing.
posted by KathrynT at 5:21 PM on March 11, 2010

I agree with dnesan. Who knew hip hop dancing went so well with violin and keyboard?

I've only seen LXD at the Oscars and now here, but I'm struck by how quiet their act is. The technicians have taken care to mic the musicians and the crowd so that you can hear every gasp, but you never hear a single foot drop on stage no matter how big the backflip. It's disconcerting and awesome.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:30 PM on March 11, 2010

Direct link to their great performance at the Oscars.
posted by khedron at 10:34 AM on March 12, 2010