Today in TV History: Celine Dion, Soundtrack to All Our Best TV Dances, Was Born

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: March 30, 1968

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: The time comes in everybody’s life when they realize that it’s useless to try to persist in the fiction that Celine Dion is too cheesy to enjoy. That day when they realize that they are free to revel in Celine’s bombastic voice and Quebecois sincerity and not have to apologize to anyone for it. Suddenly, things like Titanic become less fraught with shame.

The great thing about Celine, of course, is that she gives with both hands. You can appreciate her ironically, as a source of fun or the butt of jokes. She was one of the best celebrity impersonations of the Shannon/Oteri/Gasteyer era of Saturday Night Live. And she certainly provided for one of the best Kathy Griffin stand-up specials that ever aired on Bravo.

But then there’s that other side of the coin, where you’re allowed to enjoy Celine on a purely earnest level. Like, lock the doors, draw the shades, feel some feelings, and fire up YouTube kind of earnest. That side of Celine, I find, is best expressed through So You Think You Can Dance performance videos. Celine was a MAJOR fave of the SYTYCD choreographers over the years, in part because judge Mia Michaels choreographed Celine’s Vegas show in the early 2000s. Whatever the reason, Celine ended up being the soundtrack to some of the best routines on Dance.

Season 2, Heidi and Travis
Song: “Calling You”

Season 3, Danny and Lauren
Song: “Then You Look At Me”

Season 4, Twitch and Kherington
Song: “A New Day Has Come”

Season 4, Joshua and Katee
Song: “All By Myself”

Season 8, Caitlynn and Mitchell
Song: “To Love You More”

Season 9, Tiffany and Ade
Song: “The Power of Love”