SYTYCD: This Woman's Work

We're addicted to watching the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. It's become a family affair. Every Wed. and Thurs. night, our living room transforms into a faux judge's panel, where we sit and spout our witty verdicts before each dancer finishes his or her last 8 count.

Last night was an exception to our usual. Instead of making comments like, "5th graders dance better than that," we were choking back the ginormous lump that was sitting in each of our throats. We dried our tears and crowned the dance,"This Woman's Work," as one of our all time favorites.

Today I downloaded Maxwell's song,"This Woman's Work." I rarely prefer a remake over its original, but his version outdoes Kate Bush's, in a big way. His penetrating falsetto brings tears to my eyes quicker than slicing room temperature onions.

In actuality, the movie, She's Having a Baby, gave birth to my deep connection to that song. It was my favorite chic flick during my college years (thanks to my best roommate, Kim). Do you remember the scene when Kevin Bacon is crying his brains out in the hospital waiting room, anticipating the demise of both his unborn child and wife? Colossal tears are streaming down his face and his tears are simultaneously synced, in a split screen, with a drop of his wife's blood. Who is, unbeknownst to the viewer and Kevin, having her life saved on the operating table.

While this is all going on, Bush's "This Woman's Work" is playing in the background. Her ethereal voice floats throughout the scene like a feather from a set of angel wings, mercilessly bringing its viewer to blubbering tears.

So, when Melissa and Ade began dancing, I instantly recognized the melody and my prior connections to that song, "Pray god you can cope..." My feelings, combined with the dance moves, Melissa's post chemo hairdo, and Ade's strength in carrying the burden of it all, made me, once again, resign all composure. I've watched the dance again and again, and I have to choke back tears every single time.

P.S. SYTYCD's network removed the pirated version of "This Woman's Work." I've replaced it with a pirated clip from the movie She's Having a Baby. It made me cry, yet again.