Alright, so I know this is a blog about TV, but the Oscars ceremony has always been a big part of TV history. Maybe not as much as the Super Bowl, but I know of a lot of people who’d rather stay in to watch the Oscars or have an Oscars party rather than go to a Super Bowl party. (I did grow up in the dance/arts world, people). Needless to say, with the resurgence of dance and musicals in movies and TV over the past few years, I am super glad that dance is finding its way back onto our screens.

I started watching the Oscars every year in 1998, when Titanic was nominated for 14 awards. I taped that telecast and watched it again and again after that night, and while most people remember James Cameron’s egomania and how no other film stood a chance, I remember the dance clip that set choreography to the nominees for Best Score, Musical or Comedy.

Watching this now, it’s a little boring. Even if my 14 year old self did try to learn the Men In Black section.

Flashforward to 2009: Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Dreamgirls, High School Musical, Nine, Hairspray, Glee, Mamma Mia, The Producers. All these movies have, in 8 years, brought back a genre that’s been pretty much “dead” since the 1970s. Enter Hugh Jackman at the Oscars. He had a killer opening number, followed by a production number produced by Baz Luhrman that ended with “The Musical Is Back!” Hells yeah.

Which brings us to this year’s show. To build on the the ratings increase from last year, the Academy announced at the end of 2009 that Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic would be producing the 2010 Oscars telecast. Adam Shankman began his career as a dancer in the 1990 Oscars and has since become a multi-hypenate director/producer/choreographer in the film and TV world. Described by the New York Times as “trim, high-strung and ebullient” (which is in fact, a dead on description), I know him mainly from “So You Think You Can Dance” as a judge. And while I couldn’t care less about the latest Miley Cyrus film he’s producing, I am extremely excited to see what he’ll bring to the Oscars next month. After getting the job, he hinted at bringing lots of dance to the show, and last month, open auditions were held in Hollywood for all dancers. Many SYTYCD alumni showed up, and they’ve begun rehearsals this week for the show. There are going to be 67 dancers in the show! Including last season’s winner, Russell Ferguson who came in as a krumper and ended up winning. I’m sensing he might ended up painted in blue and dancing in front of an Avatar set. And yes, that would be awesome.

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So stay tuned and watch the 82nd Academy Awards Sunday, March 7th on ABC! I’ll be writing a follow-up/reaction post to the show later that week as well.