So You Think She Can't Dance?!

Dance and a sense of performance and presentation have never come naturally to Thea. But Tuesday, she received her second floor routine private with Leah Homma. And....wow! Amazing transformation happening.

Thea still doesn't look like she's "dancing" the movements (of course, part of it is that she's still just learning and acquiring the routine); but what Leah is great at is her emphasis on hitting positions and poses, which sort of masks the deficiencies.




Actually, much of what I see in women's gymnastics looks rather technically wooden and robotic to me...fake smiles and bad "acting", rather than performed expressively and effused with passion and personality. But maybe that's just me....

Oksana Omeliantchik, in my opinion, remains one of the most expressive and joyous gymnasts to watch. She sets the bar on what a floor routine could and should be like, as a performance. Especially noticeable during close-ups where you can see her facial expressions, from a raised eyebrow here and an elfin grin there.




Too bad there aren't more closeups during her dance, than what we get at the beginning of this clip.