Finales - SYTYCD and otherwise

I can't really give a full report on tonight's SYTYCD performance finale. I'm currently in Austin, Texas with my family, and we were at dinner for most of the show tonight. I'm trying to download videos from Rickey.org, but the internet here at the hotel is ridiculously slow. So, let me recap a bit:

• I'm glad they kept Billy around a second week, because I loved his dances during the second top 6 performance week.
• Jose was on the show for way too long.
• I still miss Alex, but I'm following him on Twitter (@alexdwong), so that helps a little.
• I love all-star Allison Holker. I like all of the all-stars, but she's my favorite and I'm so glad she's going to be on the tour.
• Cat Deeley has had a pretty good clothing/hair run this season. Only a couple of truly wacky nights.
• I'm glad Mia and Adam are permanent judges. I thought I would miss Mary, but I really don't.
• I am thrilled Adechike was sent home last week. I've been hoping that would happen for a LONG time.
• Such an AWESOME top three! I saw the final number and the recaps, and I really can't wait to watch the whole thing. I hope I get to see the finale tomorrow night.

The end of SYTYCD means the end of the summer. Which usually means I should be getting ready for school. Except, I'm not. Instead of that typical beginning, we have another finale coming up in our family's life. Which is why we're in Austin, Texas. We're moving here next month. I'm excited for a new adventure, but I'm really going to miss New England. I'll try to get through it by blogging some of the things I'm going to miss over the next little while.

We do have one more finale in our family - the finale of G-Man being the youngest in our family. We're having a baby in January. And we get to find out what we are having in just a couple weeks. Can't wait! If you haven't seen the video we sent out as an announcement, click here.

SYTYCD Top 8 Results

• I love Cat's headband.
• I'm still so depressed about Alex's injury. SO depressed. Poor kid.
• Go, Emmy nominations for SYTYCD! (And Glee!! 19 Nominations!! And Modern Family!)
• Loved the opening group number. And I knew it was Mia's piece before Cat told me. Not so much because of the choreography, but because Ade was filling in for Alex. She choreographs so much in mathematical patterns for her group numbers, I knew she couldn't have Alex missing. Go, me.
  

Results:
Alex is already in the bottom. So sad.
Billy is also in the bottom. Why do you hate Billy, America?
Lauren, Kent, Robert, and Jose are safe.
Ashley is in the bottom 3, and Adechike is safe. WHY?!?!?!? Adechike needs to be in the bottom 3. He. bugs. me.

• Dear Anya & Pasha - I love you both. Please dance together always. Love, Me.
• Dear Cast of In The Heights and Lin Manuel Miranda - I love all of you too. I promise to come see you in person some day. I love this song and I wish you had time to do the whole thing. If you want to see this entire song, please watch this video from the George Lopez show.

Billy and Ashley are going to dance for their lives. And I just realized, Nigel hasn't said a thing about Alex's MRI from yesterday. And if his Achilles tendon is truly ruptured, he won't be dancing next week or anytime soon. If that is the case, they'll cut him loose now rather than lose an able bodied dancer.

• Natasha Bedingfield dancing with all-stars! I really do love this new component. And awesome for their resumes. Awesome choreography. I want to know who did this. And Natasha is singing quite well. I'm glad I watched that.

And I was right. Alex has a lacerated Achilles tendon and needs an operation and at least 3 months of rest. I'm a little teary right now. Not gonna lie. Sounds like he gets to come back because he's injured though.

So sad.

SYTYCD Top 8 Performance

First, an update from last week -

Alex and Twitch were my favorite. I've watched it 5 or 6 times since last week.
SO glad Melinda is gone.
And Cat had two fabulous hair/dress nights in a row!

And now, tonight -

• Good hair and dress again for Cat!
• New format this week - the kids dance with an all-star they haven't danced with, and then dance with a fellow contestant. I like it.
• Alex Wong may have ruptured his Achilles tendon?!?!?! NOOOOOO!!!!!! Also, OUCH!!!!

Lauren and Pasha - Cha Cha
Lauren is dressed in a piece of fringe. Just one piece.
I think they took the fabric from Lauren's dress and gave Pasha a full shirt.
Wow! Lauren is kind of awesome at ballroom!
I liked Lauren, so here is Lauren's number: 1-888-6-BEST-01

Jose and Lauren - Contemporary
That was really great. Most connected partnership I think I've seen this season.
Lauren is such a great partner and is really bringing out a great performance.
Cool, cool lift in the middle. You go, Mandy Moore.
I also liked Jose, so you get Jose's number too: 1-888-6-BEST-02

Kent and Comfort - Hip Hop
Kent is not keeping up. And though he said in the rehearsal package that his face would match Comfort's...I still felt like he was overacting at points. I tire of him.
Also, I don't love Comfort.

Adechike and Courtney - Jazz
That wasn't my favorite. I really didn't connect to it, and I kind of quit watching part way through.
Totally in agreement with Mia.

Billy and Allison - Broadway
Wait! Not Allison, Katee!!! So sad that Allison is hurt, but I love Katee.
Ugh. My least favorite musical. I'm liking the dance so far though. And grateful I didn't have to suffer through Tyce in the rehearsal package. Spencer Liff is great.
Billy really did well tonight. Such a huge difference.
Go, Billy! 1-888-6-BEST-06

Ashley and Dominic - Hip Hop
That was really fun. I am continually amazed by Tabitha and Napoleon. So creative.
The fall into the splits was sick. So cool.
Hurray, Ashley! 1-888-6-BEST-07

Robert and Katherine - Jazz
SUCH a fun concept and routine. I really liked that. Very, very cute.
Danced well and it's so fun to see something new and creative.

And now, they dance with the fellow contestants!

Adechike and Alex - Bollywood
So sad that Alex is hurt. SO sad.
Bollywood is so happy. If you don't smile when watching a Bollywood routine, you might be dead inside. Just sayin...
I feel like his movement wasn't as sharp as it should have been, but I could be wrong. It was on the verge of African movement. (Woo!! Mia agrees!)

Kent and Lauren - Contemporary
This is a perfect fit and concept for the two of them.
Lots of pretty pictures. And Kent wasn't doing the hungry jazz face and actually connected with Lauren. I liked that.

Ashley and Robert - Quickstep
I never know if people are doing a good job on quickstep or not. And now that Mary is gone, I really don't know. Though Robert seemed bouncy. I have no idea...

• New Old Spice commercial!!! Well done. I watched an entire behind the scenes podcast on how they filmed the first one in one continuous take. Now I want to see how they did that one. Awesome.

Billy and Jose - African Jazz
So fascinating to watch how the choreographer played to their individual strengths. Billy's plies were crazy low.
I really like Adam's critiques. He does such a great job of explaining very clearly what the other two judges mean. I think that is what makes him a good director. Just my opinion...

Please, please let's get Adechike in the bottom 3. We know Alex has to be there. I'm assuming the third will be Robert because of the quickstep.

SYTYCD - Top 10 Performance & Results

First, I promise that I will get back to posting about my family. We've done a lot of wonderful things this spring, and it's just silly that I haven't been posting.

But until then, the recap:

Performance Show & Results:

*Cat's Hair & Dresses - Loved the hair last night, hate it tonight. Hated the dress last night, love it tonight.

*Fun change for this week - I like that the all-stars are staying on stage for the critique. I think that is a good thing.

Kent & Courtney - I thought Tyce was totally trying to rip off a Sonya routine with that choreography. Maybe it's just me. Or maybe it's because I'm not a huge Tyce fan. Kent gave it a good shot, but he really couldn't keep up with Courtney even though she stuck up for him.
Kent is safe.

Adechike & Allison - I love Allison. Love, love, love. I want her to dance with Billy or with Alex again. Adechike was better this week, but he still has lots of work to do.
But he's still safe.

Cristina & Pasha - Pasha was amazing, and I think Cristina did a pretty good job of keeping up with him. She's not my favorite, but she sure works hard.
And she's the first in the bottom 3.

* Adam mentions that people thought they were too harsh in their criticisms last night. I have to disagree. One of the things I love about SYTYCD is that they are always constructive in their criticism. The judges aren't mean, but they do give their honest opinion. And frankly, dancers are used to that type of criticism. Your toes are either pointed correctly, or they aren't. It's not subjective.

Alex & Lauren - Interesting that Tyce choreographed in the Fosse style, but didn't use a known Fosse song. I didn't love the whole thing, but I completely agreed with the critique the judges gave to Alex. If you watch Lauren on the parts of the dance they are doing in unison, Lauren is doing it correctly. I can't explain it very well in words, but there's a huge difference in the quality of their movement. Just go back and watch.
Alex is safe, so that is wonderful.

Jose & Kathryn - I also love Kathryn. She's a doll. And Jose was adorable and trying his hardest. I'm always happy when I see a Bollywood number because I know my friend Annie is going to be so excited. *grin*
And Jose is safe, of course. Which means another girl is in the bottom 3. America - why do you hate the girls?

Ashley & Mark - I thought this was a little frantic, choreography wise. I wanted to like it more, because I like these two dancers a lot. Some very cool moments, but frantic. And though I'm not sure what Nigel's exact definition of "jazz" is, I think he was right in saying that the choreography was more contemporary.
Ashley is safe.

Melinda & Ade - I HATED Melinda's costume. It was completely distracting. The judges were pretty nice to her. I didn't love this one. Favorite new Mia word = gorgewah (phonetic spelling)
Melinda is in the bottom 3 again. I don't think people like her very much.

Lauren & Dominic - I love the idea behind this and I thought Dominic was great. This new choreographer is awesome. I can't remember which judge said it, but I would have loved to see more realism in the fighting parts.
Lauren is safe. So it's down to Robert and Billy. That's nerve wracking...

Billy & Comfort - This was just uncomfortable. Yeeikes. He just can't pull the attitude off. That was scary.
Billy is safe - luckily the fan base pulled him through.

Robert & Anya - Anya is one of those dancers that will always make the boys look bad. In order to match up to her, they are really, really, going to have to bring it. I don't think Robert quite succeeded, and I was surprised that Nigel thought he did.
And sadly, he's our final person in the bottom 3. At least one of the guys is in the bottom 3 this week...

* Brian Gaynor (awesome guy with scoliosis who has auditioned for the show twice) is performing with his crew. Pretty cool.

SOLOS:
Cristina - meh. I feel badly for her having to do the same thing every week.
Melinda - I wish I liked her personality more, because she's one of the most interesting tappers I've seen in a while.
Robert - Mildly interesting. I'm not sure if that will be enough for him to be kept in it.

* Someone named Debbie Nova is performing. I'm just excited she is being backed up by some all-stars. I don't hate this song, which is new for me with the musical performances. CONFETTI CANNON!! Woo hoo!!

Robert is safe.
Melinda is safe, though Nigel wanted to send her home because the audience isn't connecting with her. (In my opinion, it's because she does that stupid genie bow when she wants to thank the judges instead of doing something normal. Also, she talks a little bit too much about herself and what she has done when she has the opportunity to talk. Maybe it's just me responding to her that way...)
Cristina is going home. No more ballroom contestants. I think that was a good choice.

Next week is going to be brutal. I like almost everyone that is still here.


P.S. I've become a total Bravo reality show junkie this week. I can't sleep lately, and there's nothing else on. Admission is the first step to recovery.

Though, Work of Art is a really cool show. I mocked it when I saw the commercial, but I'm really loving it. It's fascinating to watch the creative process for these people.

SYTYCD - Top 11 Performance & Results

So, I did watch the show last night. But I was in bed and I was too tired to walk downstairs and get my computer. My apologies.

Performance Show:

• I'm not in love with Cat's dress or hair.
  
• That was some AWFUL camera work during the intros. Worst I've seen on the show. And we all know I've seen some awful camera work. Not a great way to start our first live performance show.

Billy & Lauren – Tyce Diorio – Broadway – “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins
I never love Tyce's Broadway routines. They really need some new blood for the Broadway stuff. This routine wasn't completely horrible, and thankfully Billy was able to dance with Lauren. It was cute. I didn't mind it. I thought the feedback they gave Billy about inhabiting the character and filling in the space between the steps was right on.

Cristina & Mark – Sonya Tayeh – Jazz – “Starstruck” by Santogold
I felt sorry for Cristina throughout this routine. I never watched her. I was completely glued on Mark. He owns this style, and he's always brilliant in Sonya's pieces. I thought Cristina was fine, but I didn't think she deserved the high praise she got.

Jose & Comfort – Napoleon and Tabitha – Hip Hop – “Beautiful Monster” by Ne-Yo
I like Jose. I don't like Comfort, though she didn't annoy me as much as she used to when she was dancing something besides hip hop. This dance was great. Love NappyTabs.

Adechike & Kathryn – Travis Wall – Contemporary – “Addicted to Love” by Florence + The Machine
I LOVE Kathryn. She's just amazing. She completely outshone Adechike. It's been interesting to see some of the contestants step up and match the all-stars, and seeing that some of them just pale in comparison. He didn't even belong on the stage with Kathryn. She was dancing her face off.

Melinda & Pasha – Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin – Jive – “L.O.V.E” by V.V Brown
I was watching Pasha and his feet. He just looked so much more polished. Melinda had a lot of charisma, but I didn't love her performance.

Alex & Allison – Sonya Tayeh – Jazz – “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
That was amazing. I love Allison, so I was expecting to like it, but it was just beautiful. What a combination of music and talent. And Alex got some high, high praise.

Alexie & Twitch – Napoleon and Tabitha – Hip Hop – “Butterfly” by Jason Mraz
I really wanted to like this more. I like Twitch a lot, and I love NappyTabs. And a hip hop routine to a Jason Mraz song? Awesome! But Alexie really didn't bring a lot to the routine. The judges repeatedly accused her of being just cute. Very true.

Lauren & Ade – Mandy Moore – Pop Jazz – “Oh Yeah” by Yello
I love a good Mandy Moore routine to an 80s song with a piece of furniture on stage! And I really like Lauren, but she just didn't do a great job of interacting with Ade.

Kent & Anya – Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin – Ballroom – “Lady Marmalade” by Diva Invasion
Clearly, they love Kent. Poor little kid tried his hardest, but Anya completely dominated him. She's so amazing. Kent is kind of lucky that they weren't doing a waltz, or a different dance that wouldn't have allowed for his personality to come through the steps. He's hard not to like though.

Ashley & Neil – Tyce Diorio – Contemporary – “For All We Know” by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack
This should have been better. The steps were there, but I didn't feel much watching them. It was interesting to see Ashley break down when Nigel was trying to critique her and asked her if she'd ever been in love. Clearly, she needs to learn how to channel her emotion into her dance.

Robert and Courtney - Sean Cheeseman – African – “Norweg” Cirque Du Soleil’s Saltimbanco Soundtrack
I didn't think I liked Robert very much, but after that routine, I think I do. He was great, and really kept up with Courtney, who I think is a rockstar.

--------------------------------

Results Show: (SPOILER ALERT!)

• Opening number was pretty fun. I liked last week's better. A new choreographer - I didn't catch her name.
• Another bad wardrobe and hair night for Cat. The lipstick is pretty terrible too.

Alex is safe! All-stars watching from the audience. I like that! (Go Allison!)
Robert is safe.
Kent is safe!
Lauren is safe!
Melinda is in the bottom 3.
Billy is safe.
Ashley is safe. (kind of surprised)
Alexie is in the bottom 3.
Jose is safe.
And it's down to Adechike and Cristina. And Cristina is in the bottom 3. That's a shame. It should be Adechike. All girls in the bottom 3. Poor girls. They never get the votes.

• Performance from the two lead dancers in the new Frank Sinatra tribute dance show by Twyla Tharp. The show is called "Come Fly Away." I loved what Twyla did with Billy Joel's catalog in "Movin' Out," and apparently she did another show that didn't go so well. This new show seems to be going well. I liked their performances on the Tony Awards last Sunday night, and they flew in Karine Plantadit and Keith Roberts (two of the leads and both Tony nominees) to perform tonight. Fantastic performance.

Bottom 3 Performances -
Melinda - I have to say, she's a far better tapper than the girl that was on last fall. Loved the rhythms in that routine.
Alexie - She's adorable, but she's expendable. I'm not sure that performance is going to keep her here.
Cristina - That was fun. Ballroom solos are tough, and I'm not sure salsa steps are very difficult compared to other ballroom steps, but she's such a doll.

• Judges are deciding who is going home. I'm pretty sure it's going to be Alexie. Unless they feel like they can get rid of their only tapper or their only ballroom dancer.
• Usher's had a busy week in LA. Diggity saw him perform a couple days ago at a video game publisher party. It was kind of an amazing party. (Video here, if you're interested.) I actually watched Usher's performance tonight. I like this song, and he's pretty impressive as a performer.
• Justin Bieber's new video!?!? AAAAAAHHHH! (Don't hate. I'm only partially kidding. He's a talented kid. And that was a pretty fun video with lots of fabulous dancers.)

Final Results -
This is going to be rough. We usually have a few more people to let go as cannon fodder here at the beginning. But since they're starting with so few people, good people are already going home.

And I was right - Alexie is going home tonight. Cut to the sobbing dancers stage right.

So, friends, did you agree with the judges and I? What did you think of the routines last night?

SYTYCD - Top 11 Intro Show

I really loved the opening number. Costuming, movement, all of it. The formation changes were astounding. Moving that many people around a stage and making them look good is no small feat. I'm so very happy right now...

Since tonight is an introduction show of sorts, I'm going to give some basic thoughts on each dance. The contestants and all-stars are dancing together, so the names of the top 11 are in bold.

Lauren, Kent, Kathryn & Mark
Jazz/Contemporary - Choreography by Travis Wall
I really liked this one. I have to say though, I was watching Mark and Kathryn a lot. Especially Mark. He's just great with that type of movement. He's been dancing for Lady Gaga for so long now, he just owns that quirky stuff.

Melinda, Alexi, Alison & Lauren
Broadway - Choreography by Tyce Diorio
So cute. Again, I was watching Alison and Lauren a lot because I just love those two. I do like Alexi and Melinda though.

Wow - Cat is so tall. And those little dancer girls are so short.

Jose, Dominic, Twitch & Comfort
Hip Hop - Choreography by Tabitha & Napoleon
I really like the way Tabitha & Napoleon tell stories. This was fun.

I'm really liking how the All-Stars seem to be going out of their way to make sure attention is paid to the contestants. They're all really supportive as they are listening to comments and giving props to the contestants as they leave the stage. Very cool.

Cristina, Anya & Pasha
Latin Ballroom - Choreography by Jason Gilkerson
Okay, I know next to nothing about ballroom, but I don't think Cristina did very well on that. Especially next to Anya. Cristina was too stiff in her upper arms or something. Can anyone help me here? Am I wrong? Usually the ballroom contestants are so strong, and she just doesn't seem to be.

Billy, Alex & Ade
Contemporary - Choreography by Mia Michaels
I love Mia. So glad she's back. That was just beautiful.

Adechike, Ashley, Robert, Neil (Dana's favorite! ;) ) and Courtney
Jazz - Choreography by Sonya Tayeh
I never love Sonya's pieces on the first viewing. I'm not sure about that one either. She definitely has signature movement.

I still hate this new studio stage. Hate it.

I just watched the opening number again. Wade Robson makes me happy.

I was trying to decide if I have an early favorite. I really like Lauren and Alexi. And the boys - Robert, Alex and Billy are just amazing. It will be interesting to see the talent vs. personality thing play out this season.

*sigh* I love this show.

Na, na, na, na....

Dear Nigel,

Thank you for such a short, lovely audition process! I couldn't be more thrilled that the Top 11 (you tricky guy, you. Telling all of us that either Alex Wong or Billy Bell wouldn't make the Top 10 and then making a Top 11. So tricksy!) are all picked and ready to dance their faces off for us tonight! And the All-Stars! I'm so excited for the All-Stars next week!



(For those of you who haven't heard about this new little twist, instead of the dancers picking a partner and a style each week, they'll pick an All-Star and will dance in that All-Star's style. So, for example, if Billy Bell picks Comfort out of the hat, they'll dance a hip-hop routine.)

Congrats, Nigel. I think these changes will energize an already fantastic show. I'm only sorry you aren't involved with American Idol anymore. Maybe if you were, you could fix the atrocity that's going on over there...

Best,
Macy

P.S. Will the All-Stars be going on tour? Because that would be AWESOME.

Boo....

No season 6 SYTYCD tour. Booo.

Here's the link.
http://www.sytycdism.com/2009/12/22/sytycd6-tour-update/

Lame. That's really lame. Yet another reason to abandon this whole fall season business.

SYTYCD Top 10 & Top 8 Recap - Slacker Edition

Top 10 -
• How much did you love Jakob and Ellenore's routine last week? I don't think I loved it as much as Shankman, but I did love it and it was a Sonja piece, so that's saying a lot.
• Love, love, loved Kathryn in the Broadway routine. She's becoming a favorite of mine.
• The samba that Anya & Pasha choreographed was SO amazing.

Results
• Loved the super hero routine. And I really liked the Snoop Dogg number with Qwest Crew.
• Super glad about the results last week. Nathan and Noelle were the two that needed to go. Because of Nathan's "fan base" I thought he's stay longer, but I guess the fans turned on him.

Top 8 -
• Liked the Travis Wall routine with Legacy and Ellenore. That was crazy.
• Jakob and Mollee's waltz was just beautiful and it made me smile. I think that is my favorite of the night.
• Russell's solo in the Santa suit was awesome.
• Ryan and Kathryn's disco was kind of boring for me, but I thought the cha cha was fantastic. It makes me want to go to NYC and see "Burn the Floor" if that's the type of choreography Jason Gilkerson creates.
• Could Tabitha & Napoleon be any cuter?
• Ryan's plea for Ashleigh may have been one of the sweetest things ever.
• GO Russell on the Bollywood number! That was just fun to watch.

Top 8 Results
• Not loving the opening number. Kind of crazy. Another Sonya routine.
• Also not loving the results. But I rarely love the results at this point. I think Ashleigh was lucky her husband pleaded for her. It was also good they showed her rehearsal footage. I think Ryan was a bit lucky too. I'm just glad Russel, Jakob, Kathryn and Ellenore are in the finale. They're my favorites.



Interesting that next week's finale has a top 6. It's going to be a bit odd. I'm not feeling the buildup and excitement like in past seasons.

What do you think? Did you like the results?

SYTYCD Top 12 Performance & Results Shows

Performance Show:
Ummm....Cat's shoes are weird.

Some brief notes since I watched the show tonight instead of last night:
Ashleigh & Jakob - LOVED both numbers. The jazz routine was great, and I really loved the cha cha.
Karen & Victor - Their hip hop was awful. We need to maybe not have Laurie Ann Gibson choreograph anymore...The tango was pretty good.
Legacy & Kathryn - I really liked their jazz routine. Very cool choreography, and they danced it so well. I didn't love the waltz. I loved Kathryn in the waltz, but Legacy struggled. Since he cried, I'm sure they got lots of votes.
Molly & Nathan - The hip hop was kind of ill conceived and not danced well. And can-can? Seriously? Didn't love it.
Noelle & Russell - I liked the contemporary routine, though I was a little distracted by Diana Krall's man-voice. Emily was highly disturbed by the samba. Especially the ending. I swear they missed a step.
Ellenore & Ryan - I really liked both of their routines as well. I thought that Lindy hop was so, so cute, and this is one of the first Broadway pieces where I liked the choreography and the performance. This new choreographer is great.

Results Show:
Cat's outfit & hair - love the dress and hair, a bit heavy on the eye makeup.

Group Dance -
This has GOT to be a Sonya dance. Has to be. It's just too bizarre. Okay. Wrong again. Tabitha & Napoleon? Wow.

Emily when she saw Mary's dress: "Her dress looks like Ella's (my 10 week old niece) poop."

Bottom 3 Couples:
Victor & Karen
Molly & Nathan
Ryan & Ellenore (What?! That one surprises me.)

Ballerina - beautiful, beautiful work

Karen - I'm not sure about it. Lots of hair flipping.
Victor - He's very angry. I don't love him. Technically great, but I don't love him.
Mollee - Nope. Too frantic. Too much tumbling.
Nathan - Cool spin on the floor.
Ellenore - I really like her. I think she's my favorite girl right now.
Ryan - Not a fan of the shirt. And we universally hate ballroom solos.

Not watching Shakira, but as I'm fast forwarding, I feel like she's channeling (copying) Beyonce right now.

Results:
Karen is going home. I think that is a great choice, actually. I might have sent Mollee home because I really hated her solo.

And Victor. Kind of surprised at that one. I thought they were going to send Ryan home for a minute. And I really think they've given Nathan too many chances.

Top 10!
Jakob, Ashleigh, Legacy, Kathryn, Noelle, Russell, Ryan, Nathan, Mollee, and Ellenore

SYTYCD - Top 14 Results Show

Group Number - I'm guessing Sonja choreographed this. However, I like it. Don't usually love her. It's very cool with the sheets coming off and all the jerky movement. And lots of fantastic pictures all over the stage. Very interesting.

Oooh. I'm totally wrong. Wade and Amanda Robson. We usually don't see Wade so often. He's got kind of an art theme going this season. I should have known from the costumes that it was Wade and Amanda. And I think it's great that Adam always remembers to give praise and comments to the choreographers.

RESULTS:
Jakob & Ashleigh - safe
Karyn & Kevin - bottom 3
Ryan & Ellenore - safe (good job, America!)
Noelle & Russell - safe
Victor & Channing - bottom 3

I'm doing quite well so far!

Legacy & Kathryn - safe
Mollie & Nathan - bottom 3

I'm three for three. I can't remember the last time that happened. Go, me! *grin*

Guest Dancers - The SYTCYD Bollywood choreographer guy and a bunch of other people in beautiful clothing. (Annie - are you DYING?!?!) I defy you to watch a Bollywood dance like this and not be completely grinning at some point. It's way too fun and happy. (Cat! Get out of my head! I totally typed that before you said the same thing!)


Does anyone want to go see New Moon? I'm pretty sure Diggity won't go with me. *grin* As a Jacob fan, I feel obligated to see this one, even though this book is the one that made me so crazy I almost threw it out a window and never picked up another Stefanie Meyer book again. I've since read all of them. Including The Host, which I started and then also wanted to throw out a window. It's much better as an audio book, by the way.


SOLOS:
Karyn - not sure if that's going to help her much
Kevin - same as Karyn
Channing - lots of kicks and frantic movement. It kind of worked. She seemed more motivated
Victor - great turns. Lots of turns though. They are amazing though. (Cat! Seriously!)
Mollee - I don't think that was choreographed very well. No routine requires more than one tumbling run. run-kick-run-arabesque-arial...
Nathan - Wow. His turns and the control he had coming out of them. Holy cow. That was great.

Fast forwarding through the girl with heavy eyeliner that is singing a song...

FINAL RESULTS:
Mollee is safe. So is Karyn. Channing is going home. I'm a little surprised. I'm sure that is why Nigel gave his speech about basing the eliminations on everything up to this point.

Nathan is safe. Victor is safe, but is warned about the turning. Kevin is going home. Bummer. I liked him too. Not as much as Russell, but I like him.

Well, do we agree? Are we happy?

SYTYCD - Top 14 Performance Show

Cat! Working the big hair, silver dress and backlight! Rawr! She's hosting SYTYCD in the UK as well right now. I can't believe she's even awake.

Aside - Ryan is becoming Dmitry with the shirtlessness and open shirts. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying...

Excellent Botox joke, Adam. Well done.

Ashleigh & Jakob - Hip Hop (choreography by Tabitha & Napoleon)
Oooh. I like this one. Good acting, great choreography. Loved the flip. I thought the text thing on the screen behind actually added something. They've been a little gimmicky with that screen, but that worked. Raves from the judges. Well deserved. I liked that.

Karyn & Kevin - Broadway (choreography by Spencer Liff)
Spencer Liff is a Broadway performer turned choreographer. I think he choreographed that pretty well. Very traditional Broadway stuff. But, I don't think they are performing very well. It's kind of boring. Also, I'm slightly surprised that Christina Applegate can sing. I was annoyed she was given a starring role on Broadway. I think they're going to be in the bottom 3 again. Poor kids.

Noelle & Russell - Foxtrot (choreography by Eddie Simon)
Again? Poor things. I hope Russell does a better job. That was a really cute routine. Noelle seems to be doing extremely well. Great music choice. (The new Michael Buble album is fabulous.) I thought they did really well with that routine. Judges agree. I think the thing that bothers me most about the foxtrot is that it sounds like it should be a fast dance like the jive and it's so SLOW.

Aside - Why is Nigel starting the comments tonight?

Channing & Victor - Jazz (choreography by Tyce Diorio)
I have it on good authority that Tyce is not a very nice person. I think knowing that makes me more annoyed when I watch him in introduction packages. I love this music. Bobby McFerrin is a genius. The cage is cool. I really liked that routine. They need to let Tyce do jazz and contemporary and keep him away from Broadway.

Kathryn & Legacy - Paso Doble (choreography by Tony Meredith)
I'm skeptical about this one. It was pretty good. The ending was a little rough, it seemed. That little arm gesture Legacy did as they went to break was annoying. The judges agree they did a good job on the routine.

Ellenore & Ryan - Contemporary (choreography by Travis Wall)
Loved that. That Travis can put a dance together. Loved the running jump into the turn. That was great. They danced it so beautifully. Raves from the judges. Well deserved raves. I'm glad Mary explained her Grandma's quote to Nigel. I was very confused. The judges LOVED it.

Just saw the Glee preview. VERY excited that Matthew Morrison is singing.

Mollee & Nathan - Pop/Jazz (choreography by Laurie Ann Gibson)
Sorry, Laurie. No chills here. I think it was the music. I also think that they may not practice enough. When they have unison moments, they are not exactly together. I think it is a maturity thing.

My bottom 3:
Karyn & Kevin
Channing & Victor
Mollee & Nathan

I'm sure that won't be the way it goes, but they were my least favorite three dances. What were your favorites? Least favorites?

SYTYCD - Top 16 Performance/Results

I realize I'm days late and dollars short in posting this blog, and I've tried to watch SYTYCD without writing, and I just can't do it. I had determined that I really don't have time to blog about the show, but I just can't help it. I will strive to write the blogs on the nights the shows air, but I can't promise anything...

How's that for commitment to excellence in SYTYCD blogging? *grin*
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Performance Show:

Fancy, severe hair and dress from Cat this evening. Not sure yet how I feel about it.

Karyn & Kevin - Hustle
I really like the two of them. Karyn is one of my favorites. Don't know much about the hustle, but they seem to be doing a good job.

Ashleigh & Jakob - Jazz
Mandy Moore is awesome. This dance was right up there with the Neil and Sabra table dance for me. Very, very cool. And I loved seeing the BYU carillon in Ashleigh's graduation picture

Peter & Pauline - Quickstep
I really think the only reason that wasn't a complete hot mess was because of that little story they added on. It was adorable performance wise, but from what I could see, their technical dancing was awful.

Aside - Are the dances longer this season? I feel like they might be. I have no proof. They just feel longer. Not necessarily in a bad way.

Kathryn & Legacy - Broadway
Excellent. A new choreographer. I really like Andy B. He's a great choreographer. Cute routine too.

Another aside - I'm loving seeing the Season 5 kids behind the choreographers tonight. I loved that live tour show so much this season.

Channing & Victor - Contemporary
That was pretty powerful. I love Stacey Tookey so far. I liked the routine more than the judges did, I think.

Ellenore & Ryan - Hip Hop
Lil C. I love Lil C. The only downside (and it's a small downside) to Adam being here every week is that we don't get Lil C to judge this season. Ryan seems to be doing well with this. I'm kind of surprised that he seems to have picked up the style. I don't love the choreography or music. It seems like a difficult song to get inside the pocket and really move. (Yes, Dana, that was for you. *grin*)

Dear Mary,
That was an awkward Hot Tamale announcement/scream for Ellenore. Let's step up our judging game, shall we?
Thanks,
Macy

Mollee & Nathan - Salsa
I would hate to have to do this dance with Janette in the audience. Janette would have completely killed that dance. They were awful, from what I can tell. Judges agree. That was really one of the worst performances I've seen in a while.

Noelle & Russell - Afro Jazz
First, I love this music. I have one of these Mickey Hart/Planet Drum CDs and I just love it. One of my favorite dances tonight. (Other favorite - Jakob & Ashleigh) Russell was fantastic. Those back walkovers were awesome. Great routine.

Cat's outfit and hair grew on me about halfway through the show. I knew you were wondering.

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Results Show:

Group Dance - Warrior Dance
Interesting. Not my favorite. Some cool moments, but overall, not loving it. Dave Scott is hit or miss for me.

Cat, you're so pretty. I love that dress. Legs for miles. Good grief.

Bottom 3 Couples:
Ellenore & Ryan
Peter & Pauline
Karyn & Kevin

Hello, Dominic!

Nathan and Mollee should have been in the bottom. They were awful. Ah, the power of the 15 year old girl...I feel sorry for Nathan getting raked over the coals for Nigel's point, but the point needed to be made.

Alvin Ailey Dance. So amazing. I love to stand outside their studios in Midtown Manhattan and just watch the beautiful people dance. It's such a great space. Floor to ceiling windows on every floor so you can watch from outside. That was a fantastic piece.

Ellenore - She's such a creative dancer. I really liked that.
Ryan - He almost missed that tumbling run. Holy cow. That was pretty good for a ballroom solo until he nearly face planted.
Pauline - That was cute. Holy crap, she's tiny. She could fit in my pocket.
Peter - Acappella tap solo. Interesting. He's a good tapper though.
Karen - Awesome. And I really detest the ballroom solos. She's fabulous.
Kevin - That lay down on the floor was sick. Very, very cool. I'm sad they were in the bottom, but I loved both of their solos.

Nigel is a cranky old man tonight. Good gravy.

Pauline & Peter are going home. That's the right decision. I like them both, but I think they were the weakest two.

I know I say this a lot, but I just adore Cat.

I'm done now.

Except...wasn't Glee awesome this week? Loved it. I laughed, I cried a couple times. Excellent episode.

Okay. Now I'm done.

SYTYCD - Top 18 Performance/Results Show

First, a Top 20 Recap -

Intro Show:
They really need to do this every season. I loved it. The Wade Robson dance that opened the show was so fantastic that the rest of the show was almost a letdown.



Billy Bell is a glorious dancer. Glorious. And I loved this contemporary piece by Mandy Moore. So joyful, so fun. I'm glad to have seen Billy in such a great piece before he got sick.



I also liked the ballroom piece. I don't like Ashleigh very much at this point. People are going to vote her off if she keeps telling the audience that Ryan is HER man when they cheer for him. I'm just sayin'...

The rest of the pieces...meh.

Top 20 Performance/Results Show:
- No, Cat, I do not like the new set. And I don't like your dress much tonight either.
- I love Russell.
- I LOVE Adam Shankman. He gives great critiques, he's funny and even when he's being critical, he's giving them something to improve on.
- I also love Ryan.
- Mollie, Ashleigh...not so much. If they dance well, I'll vote for them because they are Utah girls, but that's the only reason.
- I love, love, LOVE Jakob.

Top 18 Performance/Results Show:
- Cat's dress and hair were fabulous. Cat, you're so pretty!
- Billy Bell can start at the Top 100, and Brandon can re-audition again if he wants. I think that's fair.

Russell & Noelle - Hip Hop
Tennis!?! Yes! Okay. I loved that. They even switched sides mid-dance. Not sure what happened to Noelle's arial near the end. That was frightful.

Ashleigh & Jacob - Viennese Waltz
I think this may be my favorite waltz I've ever seen. Love the concept. Love the dancers. That was beautiful. Ashleigh is still a little presentational for me. I know that comes from the Latin ballroom stuff. I hope she can break through it. Never heard a judge give notes to the choreographers like Adam did. Needed to be said though.

Victor & Bianca - Broadway
This song is from "The Color Purple" and I'm not sure if it's going to work. It didn't. Victor is lame. And that was kind of boring for me. And I'm glad Adam mentioned Alvin Ailey's "Revelations," as I think Tyce may have been heavily inspired by (or may have actually lifted) some sections of that piece. I could be wrong. I've only seen "Revelations" a couple times.

Mollie & Nathan - Bollywood
I don't think Mollie should be allowed to speak. I much prefer when she just dances. she makes me a little crazy. Okay. That dance was awesome. I don't always love the Bollywood and I really liked that.

Channing & Phillip - Samba
Okay, I know nothing about ballroom, but I'm pretty sure Mary's going to say something about Channing and the hip action stuff. She's still a bit stiff. And STRUGGLES on some of the lifts. Awkward ending.

Kevin & Karen - Hip Hop
That was a fun routine. Adam falling out of his chair made me howl out loud. That was hilarious. But again, Cat's "Big, old drama queen" comment that was completely missed was even more funny.

Legacy & Kathryn - Contemporary
I'm worried that this will be a little like Mia's addiction dance. I love Stacey Tookey though. I liked that a lot, actually. Like that she faced the fear and conquered it at the end. That was great. Really, great. Raves from the judges. A double positive from Mary!

Peter & Pauline - Jazz
Wade & Amanda Robson! Yes! What an awesome concept. I hope it's cool. That was fun. I love that Wade's pieces are a whole experience. Props, costumes, everything.

Ryan & Ellenore - Argentine Tango
I'm pretty sure this is going to be awesome. Ummm...yes. And how awesome is Ellenore for dancing with her dress caught on her heel and never missing a step.

Bottom Four:
Noelle
Victor
Bianca
Phillip

Bianca is going home. I'm kind of surprised by that one. All the kids look devastated. And Phillip too. Two tappers. I didn't think Nigel would let that happen in the same night. Those are the two eliminations I would have made based on their dances and solos tonight. I think Bianca in particular was hurt by people not getting to vote because of the World Series. It's a little unfair, really. The judges still choose at the beginning, so she may have gone home depending on votes, but I think she had a pretty solid following.

But I digress...

We get to vote next week. Hurray!

TV Night!

It's the "Green Mile" episode of SYTYCD tonight. I love that dancers handle themselves so well in situations like this. Of course they're disappointed, but they don't act like the AI singers when some of them get cut.

Loved the new credits with the Season 5 kids! Awesome.

I'm really glad they are showing some of the dancers that weren't profiled during the auditions. And hooray! Bianca the Tapper! And three kids from Utah! (Mollee, Ashleigh and Ryan) Looks like a great Top 20.

And Glee was so cute tonight. I would really like Matthew Morrisson to do more singing than rapping, but I loved all the dancing. And I'm thrilled the wife was no where to be seen in tonight's episode.

It's Wednesday!

AKA...best night of TV, EVER.

No SYTYCD recap. I typically don't recap the audition shows. I don't like getting emotionally attached to people who are going to get cut in Vegas. As such, I don't start full recaps until the first top 20 show.

Though...

Adam Shankman is my favorite.

Mollee Gray was great - complete with her Utah spelling of her first name. Go Utah!

I knew Bianca would be back. I love Ryan. Loved the tap trading. Such cool stuff.

Lots of great people coming from the L.A. audition. Great city to start with.

And Glee...

"Golddigger" was awesome. Still have a crush on Matthew Morrison. Going to break out my Hairspray and Light in the Piazza soundtracks this week. The principal and the cheer advisor crack me up. I'm not comfortable with the Will/Emma/Will's wife storyline right now.

And the school assembly performance choreography!?! Yeeeikes!

Best Quote:
That was the most offensive thing I have seen in 20 years of education, and that includes an elementary school production of "Hair."

Not a fan of Will's wife.

Loved the sequence with Rachel singing "Take a Bow." Girl's got pipes. I like the way the music is weaving in with the storyline.

SYTYCD Season 5 Cast on Ellen

I saw this on another blog. To say it completely made my day is understating it a bit.



Awesome and so funny. Go Ellen!

And I get to see these cute SYTYCD kids 2 WEEKS FROM TONIGHT!!!

To say I'm excited is understating it a bit.

SYTYCD - Top 15 Dances

There was a really great SYTYCD special on last night. The Top 15 dances from the five seasons of SYTYCD. Nigel hosted, and it was really great to see some of the dances he chose.

SEASON 1

Jamile and Destini Rogers – Hip Hop - I wouldn't necessarily classify this as one of the top 15 dances of all time. I guess it was a harmless way to start this show. There were quite a few dances from season 1 that I thought were better.

Nick Lazzarini and Melody Lacayanga – Broadway - I loved this routine when it was originally performed. It's kind of a Fosse ripoff, but I loved Nick and Melody, so I was willing to forgive. Can that Nick bust out a pirouette, or what?!

SEASON 2

Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz – Black Mambo - This routine is AMAZING. I think it was part of the top 4 show that season. I just remember it being the end of the season. They didn't let Benji and Heidi dance together until the end, since they were cousins and had been ballroom partners for years. The drop at the beginning is fabulous. Love, love, love it.

Ivan Kournev and Allison Holker – Contemporary - I had forgotten about this one. I really loved Ivan and Allison and was very upset when Allison went home. Ivan is a hip hop dancer, for heaven's sake. It's a beautiful routine.

Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz – Contemporary (Bench Dance) I never tire of this one. The hand part when she's on the floor and he's on the bench. When she grabs the flower with her foot. When he collapses down the bench. I love it.

SEASON 3

Hok Konishi and Jaimie Goodwin – Contemporary (Humming Bird and the Flower) Go Wade Robson. This is a great routine as well. I love how he used their movement strengths to make this routine so beautiful. They both went home after performing this routine, as I recall. It was such a strong season.

Neil Haskell and Sabra Johnson – Contemporary (Boardroom) When BFF Dana and I went to the tour this year, we were very excited to see this dance in person. It's fantastic. So creative. Mandy Moore at her best.

Danny Tidwell and Lacey Schwimmer – Samba As I recall, this is Dana's favorite dance. Dmitry from season 2 choreographed it, and you can see Heidi assisting in the rehearsal package. It's a fun, intense, killer dance.

Pasha Kovalev and Lauren Gottleib – Hip Hop (Transformers) Not my favorite hip hop, but it's fun. It's classic Shane Sparks.

SEASON 4

Mark Kanemura and Courtney Galiano – Jazz (The Garden) — The beginning of my love/hate relationship with Sonja. I HATED this routine when I saw it the first few times. Now, I can appreciate it. But not my favorite, and wouldn't be in my top 15 of all time.

Mark Kanemura and Chelsie Hightower – Lyrical Hip Hop (Bleeding Love) - This is Super Kimmie's favorite dance. I can always watch this one too. Such great performances from both dancers.

Joshua Allen and Katee Shean – Contemporary - Of all the stellar Joshua/Katee performances from Season 4, they chose this one? This one? That's kind of ridiculous. It's a great routine, don't get me wrong. But the two of them did some amazing stuff that season and I'm a little disappointed a different routine wasn't chosen.

SEASON 5

Brandon Bryant and Janette Manrara – Disco - Favorite disco ever. Janette would have given Jeanine a run for her money if she'd made it further.

Kupono and Kayla Radomski – Contemporary (Addiction) Such a great combination of emotion, dance and music. It gives me chills every time.

Jason Glover and Jeanine Mason – Contemporary (If It Kills Me) I think they're dating. What do you think?

Nigel’s favorite of all time:

Ade Obayomi and Melissa Sandvig – Contemporary (This Woman’s Work)

What did you think? Were your favorites here? Which favorites of yours were missing?

Here's my favorite that was missing:

Neil & Lacey - Mia Michaels choreography. About Mia meeting her father in heaven. It makes me cry every time I see it.

Yes, I Think I Can Dance

While we wait for SYTYCD to return, I've been keeping busy. Busy DANCING!

My BFF Dana's birthday was last month and I was very excited to find these -



We each have a DVD now, and at some point in the future, we're going to switch so we know all the routines. I started with the Tone and Groove DVD and I have been working on Hip Hop with Twitch and Cha Cha with Dmitry. I just have to learn the jazz routine with Katee.

I have to say, it's more difficult and a better workout than I thought it would be. The trickiest part, obviously, is changing my style to match the style I'm performing.

Just kidding. I have no style. And you wouldn't want to watch my performances. It's been fun to try though.

In other SYTYCD news, I'm going to the tour in Boston on September 22 with Dana and her husband, Catalina and her husband and my friend Whitney is coming with me. I'm extremely excited. I'm also excited for the new season to start. The fall season premiere is on September 9. And on Wednesday, September 2, the Fox website says there will be a "Top Dances Special." Set your DVRs!

SYTYCD - FINALE!

SPOILER ALERT/DISCLAIMER
I live on the East Coast and have seen the entire show. I DO reveal the results. If you want to watch the show first, please DO NOT READ THIS POST UNTIL YOU WATCH. Sorry to yell. Thank you. As you were...

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I get to watch with Emily again. I'm excited about that. She's been my most consistent watching partner this season besides Diggity (who watched the show last night without me! Go honey!)

Group Number - "A Brand New Day" from The Wiz
Good number to start the show with. Melissa! WE miss you. And I love that this has been updated to include everyone and features the top 4 there at the end. Fantastic. I still hate Kayla's costume though.

But I LOVE Cat's dress, hair and makeup.

Dial Idol says:

1. Brandon
2. Jeanine
3. Kayla
4. Evan

Let's see if they're right after 21.6 million votes.

Recap of the season. Though it just made me miss Janette, Melissa and Jason.

Forgot we get to see the judge's favorites from the season. It gets me really excited for tour.

Adam Shankman's pick - Jeanine & Phillip's hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. I forgot that I really liked that one. I was so impressed by Jeanine at that point.

Nigel's Pick - Janette & Brandon's Argentine tango, choreographed by some people from Argentina. I love this one too. So impressed with Janette. Brandon's not so shabby either.

Debbie Allen's pick - Asuka & Vitolio's waltz - choreography by Louis van Amstel. I didn't love this one. Emily didn't either. We'll see if I like it more tonight.

An aside - I really don't think these are the judges' favorite dances from the season. I think they decide which pieces they are going to feature and they assign a judge to introduce it. I wasn't so sold, for example, that Debbie Allen loved the waltz that much.

Mary's pick - Jeanine & Jason's contemporary - choreographed by Travis Wall. We think they are in love. That is a great routine. I smell an Emmy nomination!

Mia Michael's pick - Max & Kayla's samba - choreographed by Louis Van Amstel. We forgot about Max. Kayla's doing a better job than I remember, but Emily says she's got sloppy feet in the middle.

I think the top 4 got to see Fame. THEY DID! JERKS. There's Kherington. I want to see Fame. But I want to see it now.

Debbie "picks" again. But now she's introducing a group dance. The hip hop/ballroom one. Go Brandon. He's awesome in the front of that hip hop section near the end. Sweet. Love the water.

Nigel's introducing the winner of SYTYCD Australia. Interesting.

Lil' C's pick - Caitlin & Jason's Bollywood routine. Jason's a little sloppy.

First results. The top 4 just came out. Everyone is in the outfit from the last number, except Evan. He must be doing the butt dance next. Kayla was in 4th place? Wow. Dial Idol is 0 for 1. She looks surprised.

Adam is introducing the next number. It's the butt number. I miss Randi. What a cutie. I have to say, Evan is better than he was the first time. Anyone agree?

Mary is introducing the paso doble from last night by Jeanine and Brandon. Glad to see this one again.

More results - 3rd place goes to....Evan. That's good. I'm cool with that. Congrats to Evan.

Nigel has another favorite moment - that Mary admitted to Botox. But he picks the addiction piece from Mia. I'm not going to type. Just going to watch. Love it.

Rage Boyz Crew. I love these kids. That little tiny boy is the cutest thing I've ever seen. Glad they brought them back.

Oh, Tyce. What happened to you this season? Not sure if I like this new fun & fierce side of you. If you'd been this ferosh from the start, I wouldn't have minded. It's that suddenly we have the snaps and the chin and the sassy comments. Though I'm super glad to see this disco again. This was my favorite. Go Janette & Brandon!

Glee and SYTYCD are premiering on the same night in the fall. That makes my life so much easier. Thanks, Fox.

Mia is introducing the breast cancer routine. Not nice to show Christina Applegate crying. That made me cry.

I loved this Chorus Line number. So twisted on the original. Love that the judges came out at the end. That was perfect. They all looked so nervous on their poses except for Adam and Tyce. And Adam was my favorite to watch. Mia - stop dancing. Smile and wave. Smile and wave.

We're back from commercial - they pretaped the Chorus Line number. No one can change clothes that fast.

And America's Favorite Dancer is...

JEANINE!! YES!!! I'm thrilled with that. Hurray that Dial Idol was wrong!!! HURRAY!!! So excited for her. She is just so cute. Loved what she said about giving an acceptance speech on the stage of the Kodak. Adorable. And I'm so glad they planned in time at the end for the winner to talk. Usually they announce the name, shoot off the confetti cannons and the show ends.