Last night's So You Think You Can Dance finale was fraught with drama, and not only in the usual ways.

About an hour into the finale, when the Top 6 were called to the stage to find out the first of the evening's results, Russell Ferguson came hobbling out onto the stage supported by Ryan, and crying in apparent pain.

He said he had busted his knee, and he didn't end up performing for the rest of the episode.

We didn't end up getting more information than that, so it was really confusing when Russell was able to walk around again at the end of the show.

Russell spoke with a number of TV writers by phone a bit ago, and here's some more insight:

"At the end I was pretty much running off of adrenaline," he said. He hurt himself during the hip-hop routine with Kevin and Legacy. "The way I injured it, when I jumped off the stage to krump, then Kevin and Legacy pulled me back on the stage ... I came down wrong. ... Something swelled up in my ankle."

He apparently became very upset, and his father was brought back to talk with him while he was assessed. "It was very stressful after the injury because I wasn't able to do the final performance. My dad came backstage and was talking to me and calming me down and said everything was going to be OK, so I went out with my head held high." He answered later to a follow-up question that he had been given a shot of medication backstage, so it wasn't only adrenaline allowing him to celebrate.

Russell also clarified some his dance background. Though the show usually just said he didn't have training and made it sound like he went from a street dancer to the SYTYCD stage, he did have some schooling.

"I've been doing hip-hop all my life, and I figured if I was ever going to take on a big dance project, I would have to learn other things to be well-rounded. I did four years at Boston Arts. I did a year at [an arts university]." But, unlike many of the other dancers on the show, he did not do a number of years of training in one style.

Asked if he'd been inspired to pursue more dance training in any of the fields he learned on the show, Russell said, "If anything comes my way that requires me to do that, I will do it. But I'm glad I got my foot in the door to spread krump the way it was meant to be done. ... I would love to come back and choreograph and krump routine or a hip-hop routine," he added.

Next up, he's preparing for the tour and hoping to look into some movie parts. 

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So who's going to win this season of So You Think You Can Dance?

Tonight's finale opens with a group dance featuring the Top 18 and spotlighting the Top 6. It still think it's so odd that we are having a finale with a Top 6. It's like they didn't quite calculate things right when they started the season.

We'll see reprises of the best dances of the season, lots of guest musical performances, and eventually, the answer of who is the winner. 

Lil C's favorite dance of the season is the hip-hop routine with Legacy, Russell and Kevin from the intro to the Top 20 episode. I LOVE this. I have watched it about 900 times, and I have had this song in my head since that episode and listen to it almost daily. So yes, I am with Lil C on this one. 

Adam Shankman's favorite is Sonya Tayeh's routine with Ellenore and Jakob. Another favorite of mine, as well.

Nigel Lythgoe's fave is Phillip, Peter and Bianca's tap-dance routine. Aww, yay, I miss them. Yet another good one -- that intro to the Top 20 episode was amazingly good, wasn't it?

Mary Murphy wants to see the ballroom couple dance their actual style, so it's Ashleigh and Ryan, with a routine they choreographed themselves. It's fun, but I really liked seeing them do new things. Still, they're entertaining, no doubt.

Next is a performance by Leona Lewis, then a dance routine by the Groovaloos.

Nigel's request for a reprisal is Kathryn and Jakob's contemporary routine from last night. Gorgeous!

Tyce DiOrio requests Nathan and Mollee's Bollywood routine. This was one of their strongest moments as a couple. 

Then, Cat has no audio, and it's time to have the finalists join her on stage. They play music and it kind of sounds like they are going to commercial, but someone brings Cat a microphone. Three of the finalists make it on stage, but then everyone else is not there, and something is going on. Ryan and Ellenore come out, helping Russell to the stage. Russell is crying and says he just "busted my leg up." ACK! What is going on?

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': And the winner is ... " »

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John-John William IV saves the day and comes through with a recap of last night's SYTYCD:

Am I the only person who was not that impressed with the first part of the “So You Think You Can Dance” season finale?

I thought it was lacking and bloated all at once. It definitely felt rushed trying to cram an unprecedented six contestants into the finale. It kind of went by like a blur of shirtless men, sparkly dresses and plenty of tears from resident drama queen judge Mary Murphy. There were no solos and no group dances. And the routines that were showcased were kind of blah. It was like many of the choreographers were out of fresh, new routines. Sure, the judges – especially Mary – were hamming it up with the over-the-top emotions. (I swear I’ve never seen her start to cry as much as she did last night!) But I wasn’t drinking the Kool-Aid. Last night simply did not cut the mustard for me.

The evening starts off with a dramatic montage of the six finalists sharing their hopes while walking onto the stage. (Yawn.) Host Cat Deeley, dressed in a fantastic Athena-looking red dress, introduces the judges and quickly kicks things off.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' Finale: Part I" »

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Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance results show opens with a Sonya Tayeh group number that is ... typical her. Colorful outfits, wacky moves, etc. Ashleigh is still not dancing, which is not a good sign.

Then there is a segment where Samantha Ronson, the DJ who did a bunch of the remixes for last night's dances and today's group dance, met the dancers a few weeks ago. She is a well-known DJ, but she's probably best known for being Lindsay Lohan's ex-girlfriend. Strike that "probably."

Results time comes quickly. Russell is safe. Legacy is in danger. Jakob joins Russell in the safe zone, and Ryan learns he is in danger.

Then, it's the women's turn. Kathryn is the first to learn she's safe. Ellenore, however, is in danger. (Anybody else thinking her and Legacy's fate here tonight is Nappytabs' fault?)  Ashleigh, despite having not been able to perform last night, is safe, and Mollee is in danger. That is pretty shocking, since, as Adam Shankman points out, last night featured her best performances ever. Then he talks a lot and Cat eventually has to tell him to stop talking.

While the folks in danger prepare for their solos (the solos that don't mean anything), we see a performance from "Asia's No. 1 Pop Group," the Wonder Girls.

Legacy's solo is much better than last night's -- and doesn't feature the joke about America calling on the phone he used as a prop, which I think didn't make him look that great. The other soloists perform, too. I don't get why some do different solos on results night and some don't. 

Before we hear the final results, Kris Allen (remember? The guy who actually won the last season of American Idol?) performs. He's pretty good, but I don't think people are going to be talking about it like they are about Adam Lambert. Kris is probably OK with that.

Ellenore is safe, and Mollee is cut. Poor Mollee. I thought she was finally looking like a grown-up dancer! She cries, but she is going to be just fine, career-wise, I think. Then it's the guys' turn. Ryan is going on to the final, and Legacy is cut. Sad, but he's going to be just fine, too. 

What do you think about the results?

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At the top of tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, we learn that Ashleigh popped her shoulder out of joint today. But she isn't cleared to dance today, though she's upset about it. Viewers can vote for her tonight even though she won't be performing. That sucks for her, but it's kind of a weird way to handle it.

Kathryn and Ryan have disco with Doriana Sanchez as their first dance. We're back to normal in terms of having a segment from rehearsal with the choreographers. Whew! I didn't like that about last week. Their performance is fast and furious, lots of fun, and Kathryn mostly seems to have gotten over her hesitation in the lifts. At a few points, they don't seem totally in sync, but it feels minor. Adam Shankman says that really put a smile on his face. He says Ryan proved that real men can wear sequins and that this style suited both of them. Mary Murphy says if they keep dancing like that, it sure won't be their last dance. Nigel says he doesn't necessarily agree. At least, he doesn't agree about the sequins. Oh, and he thinks everything was a little stiff and not enough "give" or bounce. But he enjoyed it.

Mollee and Jakob are doing Viennese waltz with Jason Gilkison. He says it's about a woman who has lost her mojo, and her friend is trying to help her find it.  As much as they said last week that Nathan needed a new partner who would lift his maturity level, I think that's what happens this week with Mollee -- she finally seems like a grownup to me! And it's gorgeous! Adam says he could have watched that for two more hours. Mary says they made this work even though this wasn't anywhere close to his style. Nigel says they maintained their flow and did a great job.

Ashleigh comes out because it's the time when she would have danced solo. They show her phone number.

Next up are Ellenore and Legacy, who are dancing a contemporary routine with Travis Wall. Ooooh, this is a combination that has a lot of potential. The story is they are hired assassins, hired to kill each other, and they are married. Sounds like a movie I have heard of ... Anyway, it's good, but I kind of wanted more. I think because of the music, maybe, not them at all. Adam says he likes any choreographer who understands how closely dancing is related to murder. And, he adds, they MURDERED IT! He means that in the best way. Mary says it was so strong and tailor-made for the two of them. Nigel says he loved how dangerous it was -- Travis pushed them very far, and anything could have gone wrong. He adds that he thinks this could get Travis an Emmy nomination. Travis looks flabbergasted.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 8 perform" »

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Tonight's results show on So You Think You Can Dance starts out with a fantastic Tyce DiOrio routine by the Top 10 to Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." (Though I could have done without Ryan and Ashleigh full making out in the middle of it. We get it! Yer married!) This makes me sad again that I missed the tour, but I am not missing the next one!

Right off the bat, Cat reveals the two women in the bottom two. All five come forward, still in their costumes from the opening number. Cat says they look like a punk-rock girl group, and she's not wrong about that! Ellenore is safe, as is Mollee. Noelle, however is in danger, as is Kathryn, meaning that Ashleigh is safe as well.

Then it's the guys' turn. Ryan is in danger, Russell is safe, and Jakob is safe. Nathan is in the bottom two, and Legacy joins the safe group. 

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers take the stage next. They are pretty extraordinary. You could tell if you were watching with me because I keep saying "WHOA!" 

Then the dancers in danger dance solos that won't make a whit of difference in the results.

Snoop Dogg performs next, and among the dancers on dstage during the performance are Hok, Dominic and Ryan from previous seasons. Woo!

Then, results: Noelle is going home, and so is Nathan.

That was a tough cut, but I guess I'm not that surprised. I think Kathryn and Noelle were similar in some ways (looks and style), which might have split the votes between them. And I think Nathan had put people off a little a few weeks ago, which can be tough to recover from.

What do you think about the results?

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Tonight, the Top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance get new partners, new dances and voted on solely by the viewers. It's a whole new ball game, is what I'm saying.

The first couple (no intros!) is Ryan and Noelle with a Napoleon and Tabitha hip-hop routine around a desk, and they are in business wear, of a sort (Noelle's in a corset). It's interesting, but parts, especially at the beginning, evoke the Sabra and Neil negotiation dance from a couple of seasons ago, and, yes, that's still a favorite of mine, and this doesn't quite get there. I think it's a little off-putting, too, that this is a new couple and we don't get any sort of transition or segment showing them working together or anything. It's just poof, they're on the floor dancing! Right now! So that might be playing into my reaction some, too. Nigel Lythgoe says it was a good, fun routine and they had good chemistry. Mary Murphy agrees that their chemistry was fab, and adds that Noelle seemed like a different dancer, totally in the character and that Ryan had it all going on. Adam Shankman says Noelle was smokin' and that Ryan was a great partner and a great moment.

Next up are Ashleigh and Legacy with a contemporary routine. It's very acrobatic, and they are performing so hard, but it seems very ... labored. I kind of feel, though, like it's the routine's fault, not theirs. The final move is cool, unbelievable, with Legacy standing on his head. The routine is Gary Stewart -- do we know him? This is weird, still, with no intro. I don't like it! Nigel says Gary's style requires you to defy gravity, and that it's impossible to learn in three days, but for the time they had, the effort they put in was fantastic. "I don't think you'll ever be asked to do anything as difficult in your entire career," he says. Mary says their last move was phenomenal and that the whole thing required so much strength. She congratulates them on their effort.  Adam says the best thing was they didn't look afraid at all. Nigel says they didn't even have time to be afraid.

I guess they feel like they need to remind us who the Top 10 are because tonight, each dancer is performing a solo, but first, they get a biographical segment. First is Mollee. We're reminded that she's from Utah and had featured dancer roles in High School Musical and its two sequels. And hey, there's her family. They are proud. I think this will probably be a theme of these bits tonight. Her solo's a little chaotic -- run around the floor, jump! jump! Run some more! It doesn't really have much flow.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 10 perform" »

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I'm still burned out from the DWTS finale, so this is going to be fairly minimalist today.

The couples in danger on this So You Think You Can Dance results show are Karen and Victor, Mollee and Nathan and Ellenore and Ryan. The third announcement actually shocks me. I thought they were golden after last night.

First, Nigel announces that Karen is leaving the show, adding that while she brought a lot to the competition, her solo felt like she was waving the surrender flag.

Then he shares that the decision on the guys is not unanimous. Randomly, Nigel says that Victor has grown as a person and a dancer in a way that reminds him of Kelly Osbourne on Dancing With the Stars. Victor is leaving, but Nigel tells Nathan that he voted for him to leave instead. 

I'm sad about Victor, but not that sad to see Karen leave. 

How about you?

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Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, the Top 12 are fighting to make the Top 10 (and thus the tour). Also, this is the last time they'll definitely be dancing in these couples because next week they draw partners and styles out of a hat.

Ellenore and Ryan prepare for the Lindy hop with new choreographer Carla Heiney. Their performance is charming, retro, fun, full of lifts and tricks. I like the whole feel of it, and I really love Ellenore's outfit. (These dancing outfits can go wrong so quickly.) Adam Shankman says it was a fantastic start to the show and that they look "cute as all get out. ... I sound like my grandmother!" He mentions that Ryan has an injured back and handled everything well. Mary Murphy says she thought it was tremendous and a stunning routine. Nigel Lythgoe says, "I thought it was terrible ... that we haven't had Lindy hop on this season." Hardy-har-har.

Kathryn and Legacy are doing a jazz routine with Sonia Tayeh. It's wacky, as Sonia's routines always are, but it really uses Legacy's skills to his advantage -- there are a lot of moves that only he could have pulled off. The whole thing is sexy in a very weird way; I think this was a good draw of choreographer for the couple and vice versa. Adam immediately praises Sonia for the routine and for showcasing Legacy's bboy skills (see?). He says if they keep dancing like this, "you're going all the way!" Mary Murphy loves Legacy's crabwalks and the showcased moves, but she thinks the movements in between were pretty great, too, as were Kathryn's lines and movements. Nigel says that's one of his favorite routines of the season. He says Kathryn was sexy "without pushing anything" and that Legacy proved his musicality was amazing, better than anything he showed in Vegas. He agrees with Mary on the idea that these two are in the Top 10 for sure.

... OK, so a little bit off-topic, at least in terms of this just being a recap. But another fan of the show and I were talking about Legacy and how no matter what they've thrown at him this season, he's just grasped it, even when it's way outside his experience level or comfort zone. My friend's theory is that some dancers are just freaks of nature (that was his term) who can just be told and shown what to do and they automatically know exactly what to do with their bodies to make it happen. This is not to say he isn't working hard and practicing, too. His work ethic seems to be pretty high up there. This is a separate issue. I think most dancers have a really good sense of how to move their bodies in particular ways, but some people just seem to be preternaturally good at it, and I think Legacy is one of those people. I, on the other hand, have virtually no sense of myself in space, so I'm constantly running into things in rather spectacular ways. I'm jealous of the freaks of nature, it's true.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 12 perform" »

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Wade and Amanda Robson are, of course, responsible for the drop-dead amazing group number that opens tonight's So You Think You Can Dance results show. It's awesome -- the dancers portray statues in a museum who go a little bananas. Love it!

Abruptly, it's time for some results: Ashleigh and Jakob are, duh, safe. Kevin and Karen are, duh, in danger. Ryan and Ellenore are also safe, and so are Russell and Noelle. Channing and Victor are, however, in the bottom three. This leaves Mollee and Nathan and Kathryn and Legacy. Kathryn and Legacy are safe, so Mollee and Nathan are the third couple in danger.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' results: Top 12 revealed" »

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Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with childhood pictures of the judges -- "in the interest of fairness" -- because we're going to see childhood videos of the contestants tonight. Fun! Embarrassing, but fun!

The first couple of the night is Ashleigh and Jakob with a hip-hop routine by Tabitha and Napoleon. In the story of the dance, they're a couple and she's discovered that he cheated. I'm not always a fan of T&N's routines, but Ashleigh and Jakob perform it really well, including the acting part. The only thing I hate is Ashleigh's pants. Nigel Lythgoe says he loved their "gimmick," adding that Jakob is stepping up to choreographic challenges every single week and that he will make it to the Top 10. He says he originally thought Ashleigh had the potential for growth and would ride Jakob's coattails into the Top 10, but that she has grown far beyond his expectations. Mary Murphy says she was spellbound Ashleigh's passion was and that Jakob was totally on point. Adam Shankman Jakob is the biggest shoo-in for the Top 10 they've ever had. He also says he was one of the people who didn't believe in Ashleigh and that now he's a believer.

Karen and Kevin are doing Broadway with Spencer Liff. In rehearsal, they talk about how this routine is so difficult and complex and what trouble they're having with it. Liff interviews that he frankly thought it was going to be a cakewalk, and he was wrong. The performance is OK, but with all that buildup about how hard it was, it seems somewhat subdued. Still entertaining, though. Nigel welcomes Spencer to the show. He says it was a style that required humor in their performance. He says this was the first time she wasn't supposed to be sexual, and she didn't bring that humor or personality to it in that place. Yet, Nigel thinks Kevin brought even less to the stage, character-wise. Mary agrees that it needed to be so much more. "The whole thing seemed nice, and safe," she says. Adam says it was a challenging blend of movements and that it was amazing to watch Kevin get through it so well. He adds that he liked seeing Karen having to perform without being in "tigress" mode. He says it was a bump, but they are great.

Russell and Noelle are working with Eddie Simon on a second foxtrot, only this time, Noelle gets to perform it (she was injured last week, if you've lost track). Their dance is somehow smooth and groovy, and they're engaging with the audience more, too. Nigel says this was a whole new foxtrotting Russell, so much better than week one. He says Russell is a star and never ceases to amaze him. To Noelle, he says that she fights to get out of Russell's shadow, and she's getting there. Mary says Russell is so far outside his style, but he didn't look worried at all. She goes on to praise Noelle's technique and movement, saying how proud she is of them. Adam says the performance was exuding joy and confidence. He says it was fantastic and he loves them.

Continue reading "'So You Think You can Dance' recap: Top 14 perform" »

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Finally, now that we're past the problematic baseball part of the So You Think You Can Dance season, viewer votes are playing a role in who goes home tonight.

The first real results show of the season opens with a crazy group number by choreographer Dave Scott featuring the Top 16. It's intense; that's all I'm saying.

After some babble with the judges, it's results time, and the first three couples come to the stage. Ellenore and Ryan are in the bottom three, we learn right off the bat. Victor and Channing are safe, and so are Legacy and Kathryn.

There's a segment that's like Jaywalking crossed with product placement. Goofy.

Then, more results: Ashleigh and Jakob are safe. Peter and Pauline are in danger, and Noelle and Russell are safe. Commercials, then more. Karen and Kevin learn that they're in the bottom three, and Mollie and Nathan find out that they're safe.

Nigel makes it known that he didn't like Nathan's immature response to judging last night (when he said, "I though it was hoooooooot!").

Dancers from Alvin Ailey perform, and duh, they are amazing.

Then, it's solo time. Ellenore reminds us of how quirky she is in hers. Ryan goes crazy on the floor, but he ends with a backflip that he almost doesn't make. Pauline's solo is OK, but it has a lot of walking for as short as it is. (Speaking of short, when she's next to Cat in her crazy heels, Pauline looks like she's about three feet tall.) Peter's tap footwork is amazing, but it does seem a little restrained compared to the rest. Still, he uses as much of the floor and engages the audience as much as he can. Karen gyrates and hip-shakes as much as she can in the time frame. Kevin's style is so interesting, but he has a relatively long stint that is all arms and hands, which feels a tad static. But then he does this crazy move where he basically falls backward that leaves me stunned.

Nigel tells all the dancers that ever single solos were lackluster. While he lectures them, the camera cuts back to the women, and Karen is standing there in a pageant stance. After some notes, Nigel tells Pauline that she is cut. Same thing with the guys, and Peter finds out he's cut, too. Sorry, tap dancers!

What do you think about the results? I'm not that surprised because they had a rough time last night.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Finally, it's in the voters' hands on So You Think You Can Dance, now that pesky baseball is out of the way.

(Just a quick technical note, to get it out of the way: The blogs will be down for maintenance starting around 10 p.m., so while you might be able to read, you won't be able to comment during the downtime. Sorry for the difficulty; it sure wasn't my choice of times!)

The stars from last season, who are on tour right now, are in the audience tonight. The tour already stopped in Baltimore, but you can relive the experience in our photo gallery. 

They spend some time pimping the big fund-raiser for the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which you can read more about here. 

Karen and Kevin are first. Karen shares that she tried out with her husband, but he got cut in Vegas. Shortly thereafter, they decided to get a divorce. Ouch. Awkward to have to go public with that already. They're working on the Hustle with Maria Torres. As usual, it kind of feels like Karen is dancing circles around Kevin, though he is definitely there for her on some lifts and tricks. Adam Shankman says they made it work for them, and he disagrees with me and says he noticed Kevin for the first time in this competition. He says he could see their partnership growing. He adds that Karen performed with "wonderful restraint." Mary Murphy calls it a "Sadie Hawkins Hustle, with the lady leading from beginning to end." She credits Kevin with his performance. They're both still on the train. (You know the one.) Nigel Lythgoe says his friends back home must be absolutely shocked and that he himself is absolutely delighted. 

Ashleigh and Jakob share things people don't know about them. Ashleigh says she is a "book nerd" because she got good grades and interned for a congressperson. I find this annoying; real nerds own it, thank you very much. Jakob is really good friends with Jeannine Mason, last season's winner. They are doing jazz with Mandy Moore, and a cane. I want to like this. Really I do. But the prop usage is just really overwrought and labored. Not like they are having trouble with it, but the way the dance is structured. Adam says Ashleigh absolutely deserves to be on this show, and that it's been great watching their partnership grow. He found it to be a mature, studied and fiery performance. Mary agrees that it's a perfect partnership. She, unlike me, loved the prop usage. She calls Ashleigh a chameleon who is getting better every week and says that Jakob is brilliant. Nigel says this comes up to the standard of the table routine with Neil and Sabra. Mmmm ... I don't know about that. That's my all-time favorite, and this just isn't.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 16 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
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I thought we were getting back to normal on So You Think You Can Dance this week, but no, the judges are making the cuts again tonight, and viewer voting doesn't start until next week. Oh, well.

The first thing I notice is that Noelle, who was injured last week and couldn't compete, dances during the intro. I'm relieved for her, but I don't really know her style that well yet. But we'll see soon.

Have we mentioned yet that during the intro segment, when the tappers do their solos, they turn on the audio for a few seconds? It's ... necessary, but a little awkward. Maybe a little too loud or something.

Nigel Lythgoe makes a couple of announcements: First, Billy Bell, who had to drop out due to illness, can rejoin at the Top 100 in Vegas next season, and Brandon, who replaced him and then was immediately cut, can reapply next season. Both of those things are good news.

First up are Russell and Noelle. They're working with new choreographer Jamal Sims on a routine in which a lovey-dovey couple goes into a death match ... with tennis racquets. Intriguing. The performance is pretty fun and super-crazy-fast, but dance with tennis raquets is kind of odd. They have fun, though, which is fun for the viewer as well. The only thing that jumps out at me is that Noelle's still looks pretty happy and cutesy during some of the parts that are supposed to be death match. Adam Shankman says Jamal does a lot with character and that he felt like they were a little overwhelmed by the character and the speed a bit. Mary Murphy says Russell won the match, but yes, it is his style. She credits Noelle for showing no weakness despite her injury. Nigel says it was so fast that they didn't really "get hold of it." He also said he liked the Matrix slo-mo (which amuses me a little because I was thinking, "Hey, um, how long ago did The Matrix come out?" It was 1999, by the way).

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 18 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Do you think that after realizing that baseball is going to mess up their schedule so much that the producers of So You Think You Can Dance are regretting this whole fall season thing?

It sure messed me up. I was still out of town (but that vacation is over now, and I am back, readers!) and didn't even realize they were doing that special episode on Monday or that there wasn't a results show this week until I was catching up on the DVR yesterday. (Bad blogger, BAD!)

But now I am all caught up, and all I can say is: Wow. I loved the show introducing the Top 20 and giving them all a chance to dance in their style before the votes start coming in. The big group performance and all of the genre performances were fabulous and finally got me pumped about this season.

And the first competition show was pretty excellent, too. But again, what drama! I was so sad to hear that Billy Bell is out of the competition -- he was already one of my favorites, and I hope he's doing OK with whatever illness he is fighting. Noelle Marsh was also sidelined -- she injured her knee and was unable to compete, sitting on the sidelines with her leg in a giant brace.

I won't go one by one through the performances (though I will be back with that next week), but some of them were spectacular. I loved the goofy Dave Scott hip-hop routine with the caveman theme and the Sonya Tayeh fallen angel routine, in particular. I felt bad for Russell, who had to perform his foxtrot with the co-choreographyer, Melanie LaPlatin, instead of Noelle. Here's hoping she's well enough to return next week.

I'm hoping, too, that Nigel doesn't keep up with the whole "this empty chair is for Paula Abdul" thing for the rest of the season. I assume he's being so public about it because she really is coming to the show in one capacity or another, but who knows.

Besides Billy Bell, the person I felt the worst for was Brandon -- he doesn't make the Top 20, he watches the episode  in which he gets cut, he gets a phone call that he's in, rallies and learns a ballroom dance with a new partner in very little time, performs and then gets cut. What a roller coaster. Interesting that Nigel says they are going to try to change the rules to let him in the Top 20 in the future if he makes the cut since he kind of got screwed over by all this madness. Along with Brandon, dancer Ariana Dubose was also cut.

What did you think about this crazy week on SYTYCD?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 1:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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This is probably a first, but I actually missed the reveal of the Top 20 on So You Think You Can Dance last night. (What can I say? I am taking this vacation seriously.)

People.com's TV Watch column has the rundown on the folks who made the cut, which you can read here.

I was glad to see that tap dancer Bianca and krumper Russell made the finals. Hoping for good things from b-boy Legacy, but I'm kind of worried he won't get far.

Did you watch? What did you think of the choices?

(Photo of SYTYCD host Cat Deeley at the D.C. auditions in 2008, taken by me)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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It's the best part of the So You Think You Can Dance auditions -- VEGAS!

152 finalists are facing off, taking on all kinds of challenges from the choreographers, to make the Top 20 and the live show.

Up first, each contestants takes to the stage for a solo.

Nathan Trasoras, who was too young to compete in season five, got his chance to come to Vegas this time around. The judges don't give any feedback for this round.

Ellenore Scott  gives a wacky, amusing, but still very technically sound, audition and gets a standing O from the judges.

Then we get a montage of a bunch of auditions at once, but no names. After the first 10 dance, they are called forward and two are cut. Brutal. (By the way, I can't list all the names because they're not all ending up on screen, and some of these are just not guessable.)

Shelby "Skip" Skipper, the New Orleans "bounce" dancer, gets to show his solo on screen, and there's good reason -- he's fab. 

Allison Becker, who is hearing-impaired, got cut, but we didn't get to hear much about that.

Thomas Hamilton, whom we met in the Atlanta auditions, is trying to better his life. He tries to climb the scaffolding in his audition, and Nigel stops him. He ends up getting cut.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Vegas callbacks, baby!" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Have you been watching the audition rounds on this season of So You Think You Can Dance?

I have, but I've been so busy I haven't had much time to post. It feels like it's been a little quieter than past audition rounds, but maybe I'm just a little burned out since the show has barely been off the air.

I do like that they've been focusing mostly on the folks who actually can dance. I enjoyed the turnabout a while ago with the kid in the wacky golf pants -- you could just tell that they thought he was going to be terrible and then ... no, turns out he's really compelling on stage.

Tell me your thoughts on these past few episodes. I've enjoyed them, but I am looking forward to really getting started when they go to Vegas.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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It's barely been a month since the end of last season of So You Think You Can Dance. I love this show, but it really feels like we aren't getting any break from it this time. You know what they say about absence and the heart and ... well, you know the rest.

But see, I say that, and then even though I didn't plan to live-blog this audition episode, I can't help myself.

The first contestant in the L.A. auditions is a guy with a half-shaved, half-fauxhawked hairdo who says that he is a trend-setter. He runs around the stage with no music and then stops, yelling "Shatter!" over and over. The judges -- Nigel, Mary and Adam -- can't contain themselves and just crack up. It's a no.

Mollee Gray, who was a principal dancer in High School Musical 1, 2 and 3, hasn't gotten a lot of auditions since then, so her family packed up in Utah and moved to L.A. She's so excited. She's so through. In fact, Adam says to his fellow judges while Mollee is dancing, "She is so this show." She gets a standing ovation from the crowd. She gets a ticket to Vegas, of course.

After the break, we get a montage of goodness. I love those!

Season 5 contestants Ryan Kasprzak and Bianca Revels are back to try again. Bianca said in interviews right after being cut last season, but she has re-evaluated and changed her mind. There's no drama for Ryan because they revealed weeks ago on SYTYCD that he's going straight to Vegas. Adam to Ryan: "You are an artist. That's the best audition I've ever seen on this show." Mary and Nigel loved it, too. Nigel says he has grown "in himself" since last season and gives him his Vegas ticket. Then, Ryan and Bianca have a tap battle. Oh my gosh, I love them. They should have their own show! Bianca gets her ticket, too. Duh.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' back again" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance special is revisiting the 15 best dances of the show's history. I'm super excited to see what they come up with and also interested to see if their faves line up with mine.

Here's their list:

-- Destini and Jamile's hip-hop routine to "Shake" choreographed by Shane Spark. That was a good one, but what I realize now that I didn't realize then was that about half of the lyrics were bleeped out.

-- Nick and Melody's Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to "All That Jazz," Tyce's first routine on the show, and a good showing by all three of them.

-- Benji and Heidi's "Black Mambo" dance, which was a lot of fun, but slightly awkward when it was supposed to be sexy, since they're related.

-- Ivan and Allison's contemporary routine to Annie Lennox's "Why" choreographed by Tyce. This one, I recall, brought a lot new out of Ivan.

-- Mia Michaels' Emmy-winning bench routine with Heidi and Travis, which is definitely one of the most memorable moments of the series for me.

-- Speaking of most memorable moments, next is Hok and Jamie's "Hummingbird and the Flower" dance by Wade Robson. This is so unique and playing to these dancers' strengths, I just knew this would be on the list. Also, Nigel Lythgoe's intro segment that recapped season three reminded me just how amazing that whole season was.

-- Next is my favorite ever-ever, Sabra and Neil's "Sweet Dreams" dance by Mandy Moore, in which they are business people doing a negotiation around a table. I can't tell you how many times I've watched this. I just love it. I watched it twice just now.

-- Lacey and Danny's "Hip Hip Chin Chin," choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin. To get all Randy Jackson on you, that was a hot one.

-- Pasha and Lauren's Transformer dance by Shane Sparks. That one was cool. Also, as Nigel points out, it was very SYTYCD, with it being so far outside the comfort zones of its performers, and yet they totally shine.

-- Mark and Courtney's "Garden" dance from Sonya Tayeh. I don't always love Sonya's routines, especially on first viewing, but this one really worked with the quirky personalities of the dancers, particularly Mark.

-- Mark and Chelsie's "Bleeding Love" dance by Napoleon and Tabitha. I really liked this routine, but I'm still bothered by Chelsie's wardrobe -- she is supposed to be Mark-the-businessman's girlfriend, but I think she looks more like his daughter, which is a little odd. Still like the performance, though.

-- Joshua and Katee's Mia Michaels routine to "Hometown Glory." How could I have forgotten how much I liked these two together? Re-watching that literally just made me cry.

-- Brandon and Janette's Doriana Sanchez disco routine from last season. This one is unbelievably nonstop. 

-- Kayla and Kupono's Mia Michaels addiction dance, which a shining moment for both of them. 

-- Jeanine and Jason's dance by Travis Wall. This was a good performance, and another good moment for the show -- a strong routine choreographed by an alum. 

-- Last is Nigel's all-time favorite, the Tyce DiOrio breast-cancer-themed dance performed by Melissa and Ade. This is a very moving piece, and I'm not at all surprised to see it on this list. 

One I am surprised isn't on the list is the piece that Mia Michaels choreographed to honor her father. What else would you have put on your favorites list?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Tonight there is a special episode of So You Think You Can Dance, featuring the 15 best performances from the show's first five seasons. It airs at 8 p.m. on WBFF. I'm excited to see what routines make the cut!

Next Wednesday, the fall season makes its debut. I can't believe it's time for that already.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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A number of commenters are reporting that when they tried to vote for Brandon after the finale of So You Think You Can Dance on Wednesday, that his line was closed as of 10:30 p.m. (It was, as we heard again and again, supposed to be open "for at least two hours after the show.")

Anyone else have this problem, and did anyone run across that in trying to vote for any of the rest of the Top 4?

Just curious.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

It's finale night on So You Think You Can Dance, which, of course, means soon(ish) we'll know who the winner is.

The show opens with the Top 20 reprising the group dance to "Brand New Day," with more focus put on Kayla, Brandon, Evan and Jeanine. There will be more season highlights to come in this two-hour extravaganza.

Host Cat Deeley reveals that 21.6 million votes were cast last night. The judges' table is packed with choreographers: Lil C, Mia Michaels, Tyce DiOrio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.

The finale is two hours, so there is a lot of revisiting going on -- first of the whole season, then of last night's performances. 

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': And the winner is ..." »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)
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Posted by Carla Correa at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Remember! At noon today, Reality Check will host a live chat about last night's So You Think You Can Dance finale and tonight's results. It's a chance for anyone out there to speak out about this season's performances, dances and judges. Make sure to head back to the blog today around 11:30 a.m., when you can begin submitting questions and comments, and tell us who be America's best dancer. Look forward to chatting with you!

Posted by Carla Correa at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

There are four dancers left tonight, the first part of the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. They have to dance in every permutation possible, do solos, perform a group dance and keep their cool as they do all this in front of a live audience of 3,000 people in the Kodak Theatre.

The judges' panel for the evening is head judge Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and guest judge Adam Shankman. I'm thrilled to see Adam, who is funny, gives good and helpful feedback and is way more coherent than Lil C. (Sorry, dude, but alliteration doesn't equal deep meaning.)

The first dance of the night is the aforementioned group dance. All four of them are working with Wade and Amanda Robson on a dance about jocks and cheerleaders that looks insanely fast. Well, it does in rehearsal anyway. The actual dance isn't quite what I expected. It's cute, but not the challenge or the memorable moment that a Wade dance usually entails.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Final 4 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Host Cat Deeley is looking a little Dynasty in a glittery green, shoulder-pad-clad dress on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance. The show begins with a surreal routine to "Send in the Clowns" choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. Hope you aren't scared of clowns!!

Results come quickly: Jeanine is safe and competing in the finale. Melissa and Kayla have to perform solos and wait it out.

Tonight's bonus is that we get to see the Emmy-nominated dances from last season, the first of which is a Tyce routine by Jessica and Will that is low-key, powerful and gorgeous. And it's nice to see both of them again.

Then more results, this time the guys: Brandon is through to the finale, and the other two look genuinely happy for him. 

After that news, it's time for another reprisal, Mia Michaels' Emmy-winning routine to "Mercy" and danced by Katee and Twitch. This is the one where they dance around a door -- it's awesome. I've been listening to the Duffy album lately, and every time that song comes on, I think of that performance. 

Then Joshua and Chelsie reprise Dmitry Chaplin's dance from last season. I miss them, too. Is it just me, or are these reprisals making anyone else miss the 2008 season.

Speaking of reprisals, after that, Melissa has to do her solo from last night over again even though it doesn't make a difference in the results. I still don't really understand why they make them do that. Then Ade repeats his.

The guest dancers of the evening are the Jabbawockeez, who won the first season of America's Next Dance Crew. They are so good that I want the performance to keep on going.

Chelsie is back again, this time with Mark, for their dance to "Bleeding Love" by Napoleon and Tabitha. 

Kayla and Evan dance their solos again, too, followed by a performance by Sean Paul.

Then, finally, the rest of the results: Kayla is in the finale, and Melissa is out, and on the guy's side, Evan is in the finale, and Ade is out. I think the second result is somewhat surprising, but I am not that shocked by Melissa's ouster. Everyone in the Top 6 is pretty good, though, and as Nigel pointed out, once you make it to the Top 20, good things happen.

So that leaves a Top 4, in case you have lost track, of Jeanine, Brandon, Kayla and Evan. What do you think about that?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
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Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, the Top 6 perform -- and it's even more pressure than usual because those who make tomorrow's cut get to the finale.

They draw names for new partners and two random dance styles, so things are pretty mixed up tonight.

Interestingly, Nigel Lythgoe says that he thinks the public has been voting on the routines rather than the dancers because no one has been really standing out that much this season. That's a good point, I think.

For the first dance of the night, the men work with Sonya Tayeh on a group dance that she describes as "Willy Wonka-ish." It's pretty wacky, with the boys in purple-and-black checkered pants and neon accents on their hands. The moves are very hard-hitting and intense, though Brandon seems to be the only one who maintains that intensity throughout the entire routine. Lil C says he is living vicariously through Sonya because he has wanted to work with Ade and Brandon in the same routine. He loved them and commends Evan for "not getting swallowed by the dominant excellence of Brandon and Ade." He adds that Evan stayed "very visible" through the whole routine. Mary Murphy shrieks that she just loved it -- she points out particularly how amazing their syncronized kicks and standing backflips were. Nigel says Evan stood out to him tonight because we've never seen him do that sort of moves before. Also, he loved it.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 6 dance for spots in the finale" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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 It's a Very Special Episode of So You Think You Can Dance tonight -- the show's 100th, and it's supposed to be a pretty big party, with special performances and all kinds of fun stuff.

It starts out with a futuristic Broadway number by the Top 8 to "One" from A Chorus Line that gives me chills. The dancers start out working with mirrors, though they are quickly moved to the back of the stage. But for the rest of the routine, the mirrors make it look like the dancers have multiplied, which is a cool effect that magnifies the impact of the choreography. Way cool. Cat Deeley hits the stage and points out that Mia Michaels was the choreographer for the dance.

It's also, coincidentally, Nigel Lythgoe's birthday.

We get a montage of awesomeness from all the seasons thus far, reminding me why it's my favorite reality show.

The the results part of the program begins, with the women. Melissa is safe, and, shockingly, Kayla is in the bottom two. Janette is also in the bottom two, which means Jeanine is safe.

The 100th episode celebration continues with a reprise of the Hummingbird and the Flower routine from Wade Robson, featuring Hok and Jamie. So good. Sooooo good, and wonderful to see again.

Back to the results: Jason is in the bottom two, and Ade is safe. Brandon is in the bottom two (again, shockingly), and Evan is safe.

Another reprise: The Bench Routine from Travis and Heidi. Love!

After the solos, we get to see Ramalama, and this time Wade Robson is in it. I really hope that all of you are actually watching tonight instead of just reading this recap to see who is going home because it's so good seeing all these routines again, and there's not much for me to say except, "Oooh, that was good!"

Then it's the long-rumored and much-talked about performance by Katie Holmes, an homage to Judy Garland in which Katie is dancing and singing. She's doing this to promote the DizzyFeet Foundation, their new charity. She dances to a track of herself singing "Get Happy." I had this weird idea that it was going to be live, but I was wrong. But then after the break Nigel says that one of the best things about tonight was that Joey Luft, Judy Garland's son, was "here in the audience to witness that." Maybe he was there for the taping? I don't know, maybe I'm just confused.

Back to, oh yes, the results: Janette is out, and Kayla is safe. Man, the night after Mia Michaels told her she was her favorite dancer this season, too. But it would have been pretty nuts if Kayla had left, too. Nigel says that he really wanted Janette to win this season, and that this result has ruined the 100th episode celebration. Janette says the best part of her experience was that she realizes exactly how much she loves to dance. (Remember, she says, that she was studying finance and working at a bank.) 

On the guys' side, it's Jason who is out, leaving Brandon safe. I like Jason, and I think he did an amazing job last night, but I think it would have been the wrong result for Brandon to leave out of these two. Jason says it's been a great ride and thanks everyone.

What say you?

Photo by Mathieu Young/FOX

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
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Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance, the Top 8 dancers will perform -- and Ellen DeGeneres is at the judges's table.

As you might have heard, tomorrow is the 100th episode of SYTYCD, and there's going to be a big ole party. Lots of revisiting of favorite moments -- and favorite routines, and Emmy-winning routines -- and Katie Holmes will perform, which could maybe be a trainwreck or maybe awesome. If anyone has been thinking about testing the SYTYCD waters, tomorrow would be a great time to do so.

(Incidentally: Mary Murphy, please never say "off the chain" ever again.)

Choreographer (and former contestant) Travis Wall is back, working on a group dance with the Top 8. This should be good -- his first choreography experience on the show last week was great, and the group dances are typically amazing. It's an interesting and fun routine; he compares it to a rave at some point far in the future, and the dancers all have neon lights on their faces and hands. (The eye pieces are soooo Geordi La Forge.) Nigel Lythgoe tells them it makes him feel like a proud father, which is pretty sweet.

The first couple of the night (by the way, they are switching it up all the time now) is Evan and Janette, who are doing a jazz routine with Sonya Tayeh, that she is about "wanting people to shut up." I love these two, and I want to love the dance, but I don't really feel like they quite capture the "escalating frustration" that Sonya was going for. Their lifts were amazing, though. Nigel says he is finally getting more from Evan as requested and that Janette was absolutely wonderful. Ellen says it was complex and full-bodied and then she goes off about some wine. Mary says it was a lot of fun seeing them outside their category, but she thinks they could have been "a little bit more gutsier" (sigh) toward the end. Mia Michaels says she thinks Evan made a step in the right direction, that he usually is emotionally is about the same place. She adds that because he is so adorable, he is never going to be the rough, edgy, hard-hitting dancer that Sonya requires, but he was still good. Then Mia drops the bomb that Janette is her "favorite, favorite, favorite this season." Janette freaks out and starts pulling the "We're Not Worthy" move from Wayne's World.

Kayla has the first solo. I don't usually have a ton to say about the solos, but this one really jumped out at me as very strong and put-together.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 8 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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The So You Think You Can Dance tour dates have been announced, and it's coming to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena on Oct. 15. Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster on Saturday.

You going to go? I definitely want to.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

We'll be hitting the single digits in terms of competitors on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, which is chock full of info.

First, there's a wacky but intriguing group dance choroegraphed by Wade and Amanda Robson, which means these kids had to learn four routines this week -- the big group dance, the Top 5 men/women dance, the pair dance and the solo. That is a lot to ask of them, don't you think. (Edit: Wait, I forgot about tonight's solos, so make that five. Wait, no, they seem to be repeating last night's solos.)

Host Cat Deeley reports some fun Emmy news: SYTYCD choreographers got four Emmy nominations this morning: Mia Michaels for the doorway dance to "Mercy," Tabitha and Napoleon's "Bleeding Love" dance, Tyce DiOrio's dance to "Silence" and Dmitry Chaplin's tango to "A Los Amigos." How exciting it must be for Dmitry! The makeup department was also nominated.

Results time: The Top 5 women are on the stage. Janette is safe. Randi is in the bottom two. Jeanine is safe. Melissa is in the bottom two, and Kayla is safe. Then, the guys. Jason is safe (and he screams). Evan is also safe. Kupono is in the bottom two. Brandon is safe, leaving Ade in the bottom two.

After the break, it's solo time. Meh. These don't make any difference, you know, since the results are 100 percent based on last night's voting.

The Black Eyed Peas come out to perform, and Cat calls them good friends of the show because they opened their music catalog to the show in its first season. Go, BEP!

Then, at long last, the real results: Randi is cut, but she doesn't look that surprised. On the guys' side, Kupono is out, too.

Those are some fair cuts, I think. How about you?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
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The big question on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance is, how will the Top 10 be partnered up tonight and how will they deal with these new partnerships?

The first performance tonight is not from a new set of two or even a solo (we'll be seeing the solos tonight, too), but a Bollywood routine by the Top 5 women by Nakul Dev Mahajan. It is fast, joyful, complicated, intricate, and did I mention fast? Nigel Lythgoe credits Nakul for an amazing dance and then tells the women that they were all amazing and had "everything ... personality, spatial awareness. ... You are lacking nothing." Mary Murphy pulls a lame-o line: "Bolly-WOW!" Debbie Allen says they all articulated every part of the dance really well. "I think this is inarguably the best Top 5 group of ladies we've ever had."

Finally, we get to learn one of the new partnerships. It's Kayla and Evan. They are a little concerned because she is the tallest female and he's the shortest male. They will be doing the Viennese waltz with Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin. Melanie makes them trade shoes to even out their heights. Ow! They manage to work out the height differential in the dance, though, at least mostly. There was one lift where Evan looks kind of miniature, but for the rest, it's not as noticeable. They sell the relationship, too, with their facial expressions toward each other, and one of the lifts actually made me gasp out loud. I'd say not too shabby for brand-new partners. Oh, as it turns out, Kayla is in flats and Evan has heely shoes. Nigel says he didn't see as much Viennese waltz as regular waltz, but that is of course not Kayla or Evan's problem. But he thinks it was danced beautifully. Mary says Evan lacked power in some of his turns -- she says he is good, but he needs to take it to another level since it's the Top 10. She credits him on his lifts, though, and for his class and elegance. She says Kayla is taking it to that other level and is growing every week. Debbie says it is a wonderful, unexpected surprise: "Darling, you handled your big woman, baby! ... I don't care what kind of waltz it was, you were in 3/4 and you were in time." She tells Evan that they nicknamed him Gene Kelly during Vegas week, and he looks stunned and thrilled. Can you blame him?

Then it's Brandon with a solo. I never know what to say about the solos -- they are so short, I am just figuring out what I think, and it's over. Anyway, he crams a lot into that solo!

Continue reading "'So You Think Can Dance': Top 10 get new partners" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Hmm, I might have been hard on Tabitha and Napoleon last night, but their group dance that opens tonight's So You Think You Can Dance -- to White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" -- is great.

After announcing that it is Nigel's 60th birthday, host Cat Deeley asks Nigel about the rumors of a Michael Jackson tribute special. Unfortunately, the music permissions didn't come through, so it's a no. (Though I can't help but think that they are going public with that to try to make someone change their mind!)

Then Cat points out that after this week, the judges don't have a say; viewer votes will determine who goes home.

Then the results begin. The first two couples to hit the stage are Annapolis' Caitlin Kinney and her partner Jason and Brandon and Janette. I can't help but think that this means that Caitlin and Jason are in danger because Brandon and Janette had that show-stopper at the end of last night's show. And .... that's a yes. Caitlin and Jason are in the bottom three, and Brandon and Janette are in the Top 10.

The next two couples called to the stage are Randi and Evan and Jeanine and Phillip. Randi and Evan are safe; Phillip and Jeanine have to get ready for their solos.

Last up are Melissa and Ade and Kayla and Kupono. Kayla and Kupono are safe -- and totally shocked. So that leaves Melissa and Ade joining the others in the bottom three couples. 

While the bottom three couples get a change to ready for their solos, we get a preview of the fall season of SYTYCD. 

Then, solo time. Caitlin goes cutesy but still showing of a lot of technique, and hopefully some personality too. Speaking of technique, Jason shows some off, too. Last week, they said that Jeanine's solo was the strongest, and she still is pretty strong. Phillip seems much less manic and more controlled than last week's solo. Melissa goes all sporty ballerina on us. Ade's solo is to a song called "Windowdipper" that samples Windows noises (which really freaks me out for a minute). Tyce told him to bring it, and bring it he did.

Mary doesn't want to go try to figure out who is going home.

Kelly Rowland performs, but I fast-forward through most of it. Sorry, Kelly, that's not why I'm here.

I'm here for the results, and here they are. 

Nigel says everyone is a good dancer, but they need a Top 10 who are stars. They call Caitlin forward and tell her she is cut. Awww, she cries even before her highlight reel. For the guys, they call Phillip forward and tell him he is unique in what he does, but they've been somewhat disappointed with him in the other styles. He is out, but, Nigel says, "I have secured with the producers that you -- and Caitlin -- will be on the tour." Well, that is some consolation for our local dancer, at least.

What do you think of the results? I didn't envy the judges their duty tonight.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

This week on So You Think You Can Dance, the couples take on two dances per week for the first time. Well, two competition dances, since they always have to learn a group dance and they prep a solo, too.

The big question around here, though, is whether Annapolis dancer and Baltimore School for the Arts grad Caitlin Kinney will make the Top 10. Here's hoping!

The first couple is Melissa and Ade, doing disco with Doriana Sanchez. OK, first of all, those are some crazy sparkle-pants Ade's got on. Second, this is fast, and has so many spins that it's a wonder they stay on their feet. Um, well, they do until the very end, when their final move gives way somehow and Melissa stumbles. (Does Ade drop? Is her footing off? It's hard to tell.) But it's fun and energetic, for sure. Nigel Lythgoe says it was exciting and had some "tremendous stuff" in it. In the replay, it looks like both of their feet slipped, causing the fall, by the way. Mary Murphy, reference Doriana's line about praying to the disco gods: "Can I get an amen?" She adds that it was well-executed and that they were both "letting it go." Tyce DiOrio: "That was friggin' great! I mean, I want to say, I adore you, and no one would think that a ballet dancer could do that, so that's growth." He says that Ade embodied it well.

Kayla and Kupono take on a Mia Michaels contemporary routine that is about addiction. In a more revealing and emotional introductory segment than usual, Kupono discusses that he had a close friend who was almost destroyed by a drug addiction that had repercussions in his family, too, and that he almost doesn't want to portray the character of the addiction. "I just sucks having to be in it for that minute-thirty or just those two counts." Then he cries. It's pretty powerful, though there is a part toward the end where he is supposed to be guiding the addicted Kayla through some moves, and it seems like he just isn't exactly where he is supposed to be, which makes it look a little funky. Still, though, a nice piece. Nigel says it's a powerful piece for anyone who has dealt with addiction. He said that Kayla was superb as the addict and that Kupono was powerful in his role as well. Mary says Kupono stayed in character with intensity through the whole performance and that Kayla was flawless. "You guys are staying on the train; don't worry about it." Tyce says with Mia, you add a level to yourself and become an actor. He adds that Kupono could use a little more power in his body, but his acting was great. Kayla he just calls "a beast."

As a side note, can I just say, as someone with hardly any pigment, how refreshing it is to see that the stylists or whoever on this show let the pale girls be pale without feeling the need to fake-tan (or worse, real tan) them into orange oblivion? (*cough* Dancing With the Stars *cough)

Continue reading "'So You Think Can Dance': Top 12 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Mary Carole McCauley got a chance to catch up with Annapolis dancer Caitlin Kinney yesterday. The 21-year-old is in the Top 12 on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, which airs on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Here's Mary:

After portraying an alien attempting to impregnate her human prey, Caitlin Kinney fully expected to be in danger of elimination last week on Fox’s hit reality show So You Think You Can Dance.

Before Thursday night’s results show was broadcast, the lithe, 21-year-old from Annapolis rehearsed the "dance for your life" solo required of competitors who receive the fewest viewer votes.

"Honestly, I didn’t think there was any way Jason and I weren’t going to be in the bottom three," she says, referring to her partner, Jason Glover. "We’ve been hanging on by our teeth. When I found out we were safe, I was just flabbergasted."

Kinney, who studied at Baltimore School for the Arts and trained as a classical ballerina, wrapped up an intense day of practicing by chatting about the ups and downs of the competition thus far, and her future plans.

Q: None of the dance styles you’ve assigned so far play to your strengths. Has that been hard?

A: It has been frustrating. I’d love to have a chance to dance something more lyrical. Of course, we don’t choose what dance styles we’ve been given, or what we wear. I’ll be honest, I was a little jealous when Melissa [Sandvig] got to dance a pas de deux in toe shoes last week. At the same time, the harder you work, the greater your rewards. I’d rather get a style that plays to our strengths later in the competition.

Continue reading "'SYTYCD': Talking with Annapolis dancer Caitlin Kinney" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

My favorite part of the So You Think You Can Dance results show is almost always the group dance.

Tonight's number -- a Broadway routine to "Brand New Day" from The Wiz choreographed by Tyce DiOrio -- is no exception. So good, so fun, and amazing costumes. (I am, however, as usual, distracted by some of the manic camerawork that makes it tough to actually see the dancers' movements.)

Host Cat Deeley gets right to the results: Karla and Vitolio and Evan and Randi are called to the stage. The quick step still might be the kiss-of-death dance, as it turns out the Karla and Vitolio are in the bottom three couples.

After the break, three more judges are on the stage. Janette and Brandon find out they are safe. Kayla and Kupono are in the bottom three couples, and Melissa and Ade are safe. Mia Michaels says she is shocked about Kayla and Kupono because she thinks they were the best performance of the night. Kayla actually cries because she's so overcome.

That leaves two couples: Caitlin and Jason and Jeanine and Phillip. (Members of Caitlin's family, including her mom and her aunt, are there dressed similarly to her crazy costume from last night, with a sign that says "Aliens for Caitlin.") Caitlin and Jason are safe (and shocked), and Phillip and Jeanine are in the bottom three.

The evening's professional dance performance is an amazing ballet by dancers Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey from Complexions Contemporary Ballet. 

Then, solos: Karla looks remarkably comfortable and strong on stage tonight. Vitolio dances to "Here Comes Goodbye," which seems like a bad choice of song. His solo is a little disjointed and off the cuff. Kayla gives an energetic and emotional but more controlled performance than her last time in the bottom three, when she was accused (unfairly, I think) of cramming too much into the solo. Kupono exudes a lot of emotion in his solo, joy and hope and just wanting to be there, I think. Jeanine finally gets to dance her style on this stage, and she is so good. Last is Phillip, who gets to show off what he does best, his crazily unique popping and locking and limb-wrenching.

Kelly Clarkson comes out to sing "I Do Not Hook Up" while the judges deliberate. She sounds great, and she looks better than when she was on Idol last season, but she still needs her stylist to work a little bit harder on her behalf. 

The judges are back with the results, women first. Nigel tells Jeanine that she had the strongest solo of the evening and is safe. He tells Kayla that she is a favorite of the judges and the choreographers, but they found her solo to be very "static" and not dancing from the heart. They say that Karla is a very good dancer, but she hasn't quite shown the star quality they saw in her at first, so she is out. So Oxon Hill, Md., dancer Karla Garcia is going home. She says she will remember all her friends and dancing her contemporary routine.

They are unanimous with the guys, too. They tell Phillip he is unique and superb, but they thought he overworked his solo. Still, they are keeping him. Nigel says Vitolio has great presence and presents himself well, but he doesn't deliver. Kupono is told that his solo was weak and didn't show much passion, but they hope to see more from him in the future. So Vitolio is out as well.

Guess the quick step really is the kiss of death! Yikes.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

On tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, Mia Michaels is one of the guest judges. As you might recall, she was really hard on dancer Brandon, and host Cat Deeley refers to this when she asks whether her opinion on anyone had changed.

Mia says, that, without naming names, it has changed for the better. So she regrets being so horrible to Brandon? Nigel asks if she is talking about a "small, male dancer," and she says yes.

Speaking of Brandon, Janette and Brandon are first, and they relive their highs and lows, which means that they recap the past three weeks in their own words. They are doing the cha-cha with Jean-Marc Genereax. The dance is very fast and sexy and fun, and they kill it. Janette is obviously in her element, but Brandon stays right with her. Nigel Lythgoe calls it "the best damn cha-cha I have ever seen on this show ever!" He praises Brandon's articulation of his feet in particular. "I can't even begin to describe how good this was," he goes on. Mary Murphy calls Janette amazing, pointing out that salsa technique and cha-cha technique are very different, and she did a great job. And, of course, "two first-class tickets on the hot tamale train [SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH]!" Mia acknowledges that she has probably scared Brandon, but says that she is the hardest on her best students and that that's where it's coming from. She makes Brandon cry. "You are going to love me and hate me on this journey. ... You are ... you're amazing. Janette, you've been on fire since day one, and today is no exception."

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 14 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance results show opens with a verrrry sexy group number -- there's lots of writhing and undulating and even dancing on water-covered tables. It was choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin and Tabitha and Napoleon.

After the group dance, head judge Nigel Lythgoe acknowledges the tragic losses of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and, of course, Michael Jackson. He says that he himself went into dancing because of Michael Jackson, and they even air a bit of the "Thriller" video.

After the break, they get right started with results, bringing five couples to the floor. Asuka and Vitolio are first; they are in the bottom three. Brandon and Janette learn that they're safe. Randy and Evan are, too, thanks to their "cheeky" performance, as Cat puts it. Jeanine and Phillip? Also safe. In this group of five couples, that leaves Ade and Melissa, who eventually learn that they are also in the clear.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Down to 14" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, So You Think You Can Dance
        

I'm filling in for Sarah tonight, who's busy with baby and other things. It's the Top 16 on So You Think You Can Dance, which still includes Caitlin Kinney, a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Tonight's guest judge is Toni Basil (Hey Mickey!). We learn that she's receiving a Living Legends of Hip-Hop Award, following in the footsteps of performers like Boogaloo Sam and MC Hammer. Award winners! Can't touch them!

Before the contestants dance, they tell us what they'd be doing if they weren't dancing. It's pretty cheesy. Let's just get to the choreography, please.

First up are Karla and Jonathan with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine. Note: Karla says she would be a journalist if she were not a dancer. I'm gathering she hasn't read about the hard times we're going through! They dance to "By My Side" by Jadakiss, featuring Ne-Yo. It's not very memorable. I think Karla is way better than Jonathan, who, to me, just looks too ballroom-y and Broadway-ish. He does do a cool flip. Judge Nigel Lythgoe said the smooth hip-hop was ironed out so that there was no excitement. He said it was lacking "danger." He asks if Jonathan felt comfortable, and he replies no. Nigel says there was no chemistry. "Instead of gangster ... that was like a Sunday school picnic outing," he says. He bets they'll be in the bottom three (he asks if anyone wants to take bets). Ouch! Judge Mary Murphy agrees with Nigel. Things were not synchronized, she says. "It really wasn't in the right groove at all," she adds. She says the highlight was the tumbling, but they are capable. Toni says street has to have a groove and a funk. She says if you don't have that, it feels "store-bought."

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' recap: Top 16 perform" »

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

What's the best part of Thursdays? So You Think You Can Dance group performance! Tonight's results show kicks off with a powerful Mia Michaels routine to Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground." So. Good.

We're wasting little time, at least for now, and getting straight to the results. The first three couples hit the stage to find out where they stand. Ade and Melissa are first -- and they're safe. Caitlin and Jason have to wait until Cat Deeley talks to Phillip and Jeanine first. They learn that one is definitely in the bottom three, and it's Caitlin and Jason.

After the break, Janette and Brandon learn they're safe. Karla and Jonathan and Ashley and Kupono have to wait a few minutes. Ashley and Kupono are in the bottom three.

In a promo for Seaon 6, which is happening this fall, we see that Ryan Kasprzak (Evan's brother) made it through to Vegas in the L.A. round. Woot! He's great, so that's exciting.

Randi and Evan are safe, which leaves either Vitolio and Asuka or Kayla and Max as the last couple in the bottom three. Shockingly, Kayla and Max are in the bottom three.

Then it's solo time. I never really know how to describe these because they go so fast, but Kayla and Max really seem to be in another league. And usually, I feel bad for partner dancers when they have to do solos, but Max kills it.

The time-waster, uh, I mean performer while the judges deliberate is Kristinia DeBarge. She is so obviously lip-syncing that it's ridiculous. I don't know why they even bothered to put the little mike on the side of her face.

After that, Nigel says they weren't unanimous on either cut. He says Caitlin had good quality of movement and control and that she is safe. They liked Ashley's Hollywood glamour but not the lack of substance. He says that Kayla's solo was "crowded," too packed with things. So the woman being cut is Ashley.

Nigel says Jason's solo was the best on the series to date and he is safe. He says that Kupono's solo was lacking substance, too, but they like that he is unique and can take on characters. He says no one could impress as far as hard work as Max does. They cut Max. Really? I thought he was fantastic, both last night and in his solo. And I still think that Kupono really messed up last night, since why on earth would they have put a lackluster routine in the final spot?

I don't agree with this at all. I feel bad for Ashley, but her solo was simply not as good as the other two. I don't get why Kupono isn't going home. I don't have anything against him, I just feel like he didn't pull it off this week.

What do you think?

Photo: Mathieu Young/FOX

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Randi and Evan are the first couple on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, and the interview segments are pegged to "things America should know about your partner." We learn that Randi loves her dog and Evan likes cars and built his car from scratch. That's cool, but let's get to the dancing! They work with Louis Van Amstel on the jive, which he says is all about personality. I think that should work for them. And oh, yes, it does. They are SO adorable and fabulous, working the entire stage to Ray Charles' "Shake Your Tailfeather." I think, too, that Louis is glad to be freed from the no-lift bonds of choreographing for Dancing With the Stars; this performance has some simply amazing tricks. In a word: Love! Rewind/rewatch factor: Oh. Yes. Judge Lil C says they are "out the box with a bang." He says that Evan is so smooth sometimes that it seems too easy, and he should be a little more explosive. He says it was a solid beginning. They say it was "fun" about 400 times, riffing on a "fun meter" from the interview segment. Mary Murphy says the jive was built for these two, but they had a few issues, though overall she really liked it. Nigel Lythgoe credits Louis for some awesome choreography. He says he expected Evan to be better than he was, that he lost a little of the double-bounce of the dance, but that as a couple they are great.

By the way, who dressed host Cat Deeley in this bright red dust ruffle?

Melissa and Ade are next. We learn that Melissa has been married for four years, and that her sister is married to her husband's brother. Also, Ade's real name is really long. They draw jazz and work with Sonya Tayeh on a dance about a love-hate relationship that they perform to "24 Hours" by Terry Poison. Sonya's work is always a little bit out there, and sometimes I don't totally connect with it. I feel like I have that issue with this performance, but I can't tell if it's the choreography or the dancers not quite pulling it off, so I'm curious what the judges will say. Rewind/rewatch: Yes, but maybe just to try to figure it out. Lil C liked it. He calls it "buck." He tells Ade that he is everyone's competition, and he's putting his name on the line for that. He tells Melissa that Sonya makes them search for the character and the moves and that she seemed a little timid in rehearsal, but she dove in in the performance. Mary says it's time for some tough love because ... "it was really tough to find anything I didn't love about it." Why does she do that almost every single time? Nigel says Sonya's style allows them to show off their technique and that Melissa equalled Ade's strength. So I guess it was just me, heh. I rewatch based on the judges' unanimity, and I see more of the strength and power the second time around, but I really thought I sensed a little timidity at the beginning that the judges didn't address. Am I crazy?

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 18 perform" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

 My friend Amy Watts started thinking last night that there might be some correlation between having lame choreography and going home on So You Think You Can Dance. So was it possible that being assigned a particular choreographer hurts a contestant's odds of advancing? (Yes, she was particularly wondering whether Tabitha and Napoleon are a dangerous draw after this week's Top 20 shows.)

"Bored and sleepless," as Amy described herself, she decided to start wading through the data and looking for patterns. She put together a spreadsheet that looked at each choreographer's "impact" on a dancer's chances of going home. You can see it here.

The rough, totally non-scientific conclusion?

Alex Da Silva (8.25) has the highest, Tyce Diorio has the second highest "Impact Factor" (6.625), followed very closely by Tabitha and Napoleon (6.125), and then, at a comfortable remove, Shane Sparks (4.75).

Of course, Da Silva is probably not coming anywhere near this show again, given the current charges he's facing.

But it's interesting to see how the numbers play out. I've got more from Amy on her methodology after the jump:

Continue reading "Who's the most dangerous 'SYTYCD' choreographer?" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

It's results time on So You Think You Can Dance, and we'll see, among other things, whether Annapolis dancer Caitlin Kinney and Oxon Hill dancer Karla Garcia make it to the next round.

Right off the bat, Caitlin learns that she is safe, but Karla is in the bottom three couples, along with her partner Jonathan, Asuka, Vitolio, Tony and Paris. I had predicted that Asuka and Vitolio and Tony and Paris would probably be in trouble, but I'd forgotten there would be three couples in the bottom.

After a professional tango performance, it's solo (aka "dance for your life") time.

Paris is up first, and her dance is lovely and nice, but not super energetic. She does do this impressive move where she goes from being up on one toe with her other leg extended behind her to suddenly being on the floor -- I totally gasped.

Tony is next, and he does a lot of goofy moves, but nothing really that enthralling. His strong suit is supposed to be comic hip-hop, but this was pretty boring. I predict he's out without even seeing any of the other guys.

Asuka has the disadvantage of typically being a partner dancer, which always makes for slightly odd solos, but she makes the best of it and works the whole stage with a lot of fancy -- and speedy -- footwork.

Vitolio does a solo that showcases his strength and power -- and I'll assume technique, but my forte is TV not dance. He looks pretty good to me, though.

Karla makes the bold move of dancing to Aretha, and her solo is OK, though it seems to involve a fair amount of running around the stage.

Jonathan shows off his turning action, his tumbling and his hip action in his solo. Cat seems impressed.

Cat dismisses the judges so they can decide who is out. In the meantime, Sean Kingston performs, and I get to use my fast-forward button.

Nigel Lythgoe says they were unanimous in their decision for the women. He tells Karla that her solo was strong, but she needs to make sure she doesn't do just a series of steps and to bring more personality. But she is safe. Nigel says it wasn't just based on this week, but everything they've seen from them up to this point, but also this tidbit: "... and also who else is in the competition. We always try and cast it so we have all the genres of dance in the competition being represented when we can." Ummm, interesting. He tells Asuka that she is a little star of personality, but tells Paris that she didn't bring everything she could have, and that they have enough other contemporary dancers. So wow, Nigel just laid bare a little more of the behind-the-scenes action than I would have expected.

For the guys, Nigel says that he didn't think anyone did a very good solo. He tells Vitolio that they didn't see his personality in his routines, but they are giving him another chance. He tells Jonathan that he performed a little better last night and Tony that his solo was all locking and "not particularly good" locking at that. He drags it out a little, but Tony is going home. I'm OK with that!

What do you think of the results? It's always tough this early when people we didn't really get to know go home (e.g. Paris), but I don't feel quite the same about Tony because I'm not quite sure how he ended up in the Top 20 in the first place, so I felt like this was coming.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, So You Think You Can Dance
        

No pressure, So You Think You Can Dance, but judge Adam Shankman tweeted today: "No joke: tonight is one of the best sytycd dance eps ever. The 20 brought it!"

I say: Bring it on!

Tonight's panel includes Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. 

Before the competition portion gets started, we get a montage of how the Top 20 made it through all the rounds to the finals. They were good, they cried, I get to finish my dinner because it's all rehash.

The first couple is Jeanine and Phillip. Jeanine, who we haven't seen much of before, interviews that she was a hot mess when she started dancing and that she doesn't have great legs or "turnout" but she does have passion. Phillip, on the other hand, we've seen a lot of. He's the pop-and-locker who made it to Vegas last season but had to bow out because of pneumonia. He got to come back this season and showed potential for versatility, making it to the Top 20. They'll be doing a hip-hop routine by Napoleon and Tabitha that's about "a couple who can't go to bed without resolving their issues," danced to "Mad" by Ne-Yo. T&N do take a rather literal approach to the stories of their dances sometimes, huh? This song has the lyrics: "I don't want to go to bed mad." Though Jeanine claimed to be horrible at hip-hop, I think she comported herself well; she didn't seem to be faking it to me. And N&T's style worked to Phillip's strengths, so overall, they did a great job. Adam says it was "un-freaking-real." He adds that Jeanine held her own with Phillip during the performance and that it's a joy to watch him dance and an amazing partner. Mary says she hates to disagree with Adam ... but SHE'S NOT GOING TO (*scream scream scream*). Nigel agrees that Jeanine was fantastic and says that she's made an impression that should help her catch up with Phillip and his following.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 20 dance for votes" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Tonight, the Top 32 on this season of So You Think You Can Dance will be trimmed to the Top 20, who will dance on the live show starting next week.

This is one of those episodes where half of it is going to be people walking down a hallway or agonizingly waiting to hear whether they've made the cut. Soon enough, though, we will know who the finalists are.

Janette: This salsa dancer had a rough couple of weeks going into Vegas. She was in a car accident and broke up with her boyfriend, but now good things are happening: She is in. (And unfortunately, they aren't putting the names on the screen, so I don't know if my spellings are right. Grr!)

Diana: Debbie Allen says they see a lot of potential in her, but she is not making the cut. She is sad, but she has had a great attitude. Nigel tells her that she is a better dancer now than at the beginning of Vegas week and that she should come back next season.

Vitolio gives us a little too much information about how his digestive system is handling the stress. We haven't seen much about him up till this point, but we get a little background on how he grew up partially in an orphanage in Haiti and he's been on his own since he was 15. Lil C says he started showing off his true character during the group dance. Nigel tells him he has to add his personality (which Nigel's heard about from the producers) onto stage. He is in the Top 20.

Then we get a batch of people getting cut. 

Kayla Rodomski, whom we met in Denver, along with her grandparents, learns from Mia Michaels that she is in the Top 20. Mia tells her that she loves male dancers because of their strength, and that she matches that strength and power.

Kupono chopped off his hair after Nigel made fun of his look at the Seattle auditions. He has a note of all the things he wants to accomplish, including making the Top 20. They give him the runaround, but he has made the cut. (He, by the way, was one of the dancers Mary criticized for being kind of "feminine.")

Then we just get a list of people who are in the finals: Paris Torres, Jeanine Mason, Ade, Karla Garcia and Jonathan. 

Brandon Bryant is the dancer whose audition caused Mary to say that she would "just die" if he didn't make the Top 20. Mia, however, "can't take you. ... It annoys the [deleted] out of me." She doesn't think he is amazing, but Debbie Allen begs to differ. She loves his power and manliness. Lil C says he isn't impressed, but Mary says she can't take this. She says he's fabulous. Nigel breaks down the votes and says this means he's in the Top 20. 

Tony Belissimo did the dance with multiple photos of Nigel (and the song "Somebody's Always Watching Me"). Waiting in the holding room, he thinks about his brother in Afghanistan. Nigel says his dance technique isn't as strong as it should be, but he is still making it to the finals. He's flabbergasted.

More yeses: Maksim Kapitannikov (who becomes Max at the end of the show), Annapolis dancer Caitlin Kinney, Melissa Sandley and Jason Glover.

Ashley Valerio is in her fourth season auditioning for the show. Mary drags it out, but she is in the Top 20.

Randi Evans learns from Mia that she has "the body of a tigress" and that she is "committed to your unitards." She takes this very well and laughs even though it sounds like she is not making it. But yes, she is through to the Top 20.

Alex Wong is in a ballet company, but he wants to explore other genres. Nigel says he is one of the strongest dancers, but he is under contract to the Miami Ballet, and his director won't let him out of it. He is very upset, but Debbie Allen and Lil C give him a pep talk. They ask him to come back as soon as he can.

Four more dancers get cut, but they don't even get their names mentioned. Bummer.

Phillip Chbeeb is the crazy pop-and-locker who had to leave last season because he had pneumonia. Adam says he grew a lot during Vegas week, and adds that he has shown a genuine overall love of dance, too. He makes it. 

At this point, there are two spots left, one for a male and one for a female.

Contemporary dancer Deanna made a mark in Miami and in Vegas (though we haven't seen much of her), and ballroom dancer Asuka did, too. Asuka is the one who makes it, though. 

That leaves brothers Ryan and Evan Kasprzak. Nigel says they are similar in style, and that Ryan has choreographed Evan. He thinks there is only room for one of them this season, and that Ryan should be proud because it was "probably your choreography that got Evan through to the Top 20."

Sorry about the inconsistency with the names. At the end, the names were finally on the screen, but only the first names. I'll get the full names updated tomorrow.

Anyhow, what do you think about these choices? I'm sad about Alex Wong. He's amazing, and I would love to see him on TV every week. Maybe next season.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

I lost a big hunk of So You Think You Can Dance tonight thanks to the storm, but I did gather this: Annapolis sisters Megan and Caitlin Kinney did not both make it to the Top 32.

During the early rounds in Vegas week, Megan, 18, did well and made the initial cuts. Her sister Caitlin, 21, lost touch with some of the choreography, but based on the strength of her solo was allowed to "dance for her life." That was when the gap in my recording started, but she evidently made it to the next round. However, in that round, Megan was cut.

So Caitlin is part of the Top 32; tomorrow night we will find out whether she makes it to the finals: the Top 20.

A number of seemingly favorite contestants fell short and were sent packing, among them Natalie Reid, the former roommate of last season's runner-up Katee, and Gabi Rojas, the amazing first auditioner we saw this season.

Update: Here's a more detailed recap from Give Me My Remote, who did not have the storm-induced TV troubles that I did. I'm looking forward to seeing who makes the Top 20 tonight. How about you?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Maryland reality contestants, So You Think You Can Dance
        

Last night's So You Think You Can Dance featured auditions from Miami and Memphis, but the big story was the family connections.

In Miami, we saw a set of identical twins who kept trying to claim that they always spoke in unison (but failing in their interview) dance badly and completely out of sync. Embarassing!

Megan Kinney, an 18-year-old dancer from Annapolis, performed and easily made it through straight to Vegas in the Miami round. Later, in the Memphis round, her sister Caitlin, 21 and also from Annapolis, auditioned, saying she was hoping to get through and dance with her sister because they hadn't danced together in years. Her audition was also fabulous, and she told the judges that she had only been dancing for five years, but she had done gymnastics before that. She also made it straight to Vegas.

And Maryland, we have our locals to root for! I predicted, though, that when they make the cut to the Top 20, they are going to take it down to the two of them, and only one is going to get through. They do love doing that (witness last year's best friends and roommates)!

But Megan and Caitlin aren't the only siblings who could get broken up in that particular way.

Evan Kasprzak made the Top 40 last season, but got cut before the Top 20. Last night, he did a fun classic jazz number that evoked the 1940s. His brother Ryan, danced tap "with Whoopie cushion accompaniment," and won praise from the judges for his technique and "use of prop." They both got tickets to Vegas.

Twins Lauren and Lydia Garrett, 19 and from Dallas, tried out together. The judges liked them, but found one to have better technique and extension and the other to be a good performer. They were sent to choreography, but made it to Vegas.

All that family stuff aside, the star of the evening was guest judge Tyce DiOrio, whose expressions and comments during the auditions -- especially the bad ones -- were hysterical! He was killing it last night.

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Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

 I am so excited that So You Think You Can Dance is back! So!

Tonight's premiere features auditions in Brooklyn.

The first auditioner is Gabi Rojas, who was raised in the circus and suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. Despite her pain, she moves gorgeously around the stage and is just stunning. Nigel Lythgoe says he would be surprised if she's not in the Top 20 and that hers was one of the best auditions he's ever seen in five seasons, a perfect blend of technique and performance. Mary Murphy gives one of her patented screams of joy. Tabitha compares her to a bird, saying she "landed and made our day."She's headed to Vegas, of course.

Then we're introduced to "The Mutation," a pair of guys (named Storyboard and Hobgoblin) who do "joint-tortion," or so they say. For their audition, though, it's a little slow to get started, and then they start moving more freakishly and closer and closer to the judges, who are squicked out but entertained. Nigel thinks they would be great for Dawn of the Dead: The Musical. The judges can't quite figure out what to make of these guys, but they decide to send them to the choreography round.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' starts with auditions in Brooklyn, Denver" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Let's be frank: Each season, I basically get through Dancing With the Stars instead of particularly enjoying it.

When it comes to reality-TV dance shows, the best, as far as I am concerned, is So You Think You Can Dance. I love seeing people who do have a dance background challenge themselves in new situations, and it's got a more modern edge than DWTS. (Particularly since they use artists' original musical tracks instead of interpretations by the same band for every performance.)

Any other fans out there? What's your favorite SYTYCD moment?

One of my favorite performances ever was Neil and Sabra's jazz dance to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," which was choreographed by Mandy Moore. I can't count how many times I've watched it.

(Photo: Contestants perform a ballroom routine at the New York auditions for So You Think You Can Dance. Glenn Watson / Fox)

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Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

The episode begins with an introduction of of the top 20 contestants, who are on stage dancing. It ends with a freeze frame of each of the top four.

Host Cat Deeley announces that the Jonas Brothers will perform. She also shares that there are a slew of judges during the episode who will pick their favorite routines from the season. The judges include: Mia Michaels, Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Lil C, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. 

During a little conversation with Cat, Adam reveals that the winner of the competition will appear in his next movie Step Up 3D, which he claims will be the first dance movie shot in 3-D.

Next is a mini-recap of highlights from the entire season -- auditions to the final four. The top 20 then do a hip-hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks. They dance to "Boom" by Sin, featuring T-Pain. They're dressed in red and white street gear and do a great job popping and locking to the fast-paced song. The routine ends with the entire cast collapsing while doing Matrix-inspired moves. The only contestants standing are the top four. It's entertaining.

It's time for the judges to pick their favorite routine. Nigel Lythgoe picks the Bollywood routine with Katee and Joshua. They dance to "Dhoom Taana" from Om Shanti Om. The routine, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan, is just as good as I remembered. The crowd screams wildly. 

Mary chooses a rumba choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, and danced by  Courtney and Gev. They dance to "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce. The routine is a lot sexier than I remembered.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': finale details" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 5:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Joshua Allen has just become "America's Favorite Dancer." He's the Season 4 winner of So You Think You Can Dance.

The hip-hop dancer from the Dallas auditions beat out runner-up Stephen "Twitch" Boss, a hip-hop dancer, third-placed finisher Katee Shean, a contemporary dancer, and fourth-placed contestant Courtney Galiano, a lyrical dancer.

With the title, he wins $250,000 and a role in the coming movie Step Up 3-D. Joshua was overcome with emotion and cried.

He encouraged the audience to pursue their dreams and to never give up. "The sky is the limit," he said. "Never let anybody tell you you can't do anything. God is in control. With God, you can do anything."

I'm glad Joshua won. But I'm very surprised Katee was third. She's the strongest technical dancer of the top four. But as one of my readers so smartly pointed out, this is a competition that rewards America's favorite dancer. Not the best one.   

Enough from me. I'll have a full recap tomorrow. What do you think? Did America get it right? Whom did you vote for? And what was your favorite moment of the season and of the finale?

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Cat Deeley, adorned in an extra-shiny golden mini dress, begins her nightly spiel about the long road that the contestants have taken to get to the finals. She then tells the audience that the contestants will be paired in different combinations. Courtney and Katee will dance as a couple; and so will Joshua and Twitch.

The judges for the night are choreographer Mandy Moore, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.

Courtney and Twitch first dance a hip-hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo. They dance to "Church" by T-Pain. The routine is about a couple who gets into a fight in a club. They are off at parts and not mirroring each other. I'm not a huge fan of the song. And I swear that there was a malfunction on the last lift.

Mandy Moore says the routine was awesome. She says Twitch was hysterical. Mary says she felt the routine. She calls the routine a knockout. "You guys were really hitting it," she says. She lets out her legendary scream. She predicts good things during the rest of the episode. Nigel says Courtney captured the role perfectly. "The characters were fantastic. It [tended] to lose a little energy at the end. But as soon as you put her on her head … it all came right back." Then, Nigel calls the routine "fun" and "perfect."

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Katee has strongest night" »

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After months of leaps, contemporary routines and annoying screams from Judge Mary Murphy, we're ready to crown a winner.

It's a no-brainer for me: Katee should win the competition. She's the strongest dancer of the remaining four. Yes, Courtney is beautiful and has great versatility. Joshua is strong, and he's done a great job with almost every routine that has been thrown his way. Twitch is a phenomenal showman. But none of them has had absolute stellar weeks from beginning to end like Katee. 

Katee not only excels in all forms of dance -- Bollywood, hip-hop, contemporary and the pas de deux -- but she's also the most expressive of all the dancers. She makes the most use of her arms and her facial expressions. Everything is on point all the time.

If Will was still in the competition, I would give the nod to him. Since America got it wrong a couple of weeks ago and voted him off, Katee is the next best thing.

It's crazy to imagine that she almost didn't make the show because the judges felt she had an "attitude" problem. Katee's attitude has been great this season. So has her dancing. Give her the title!

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

It seems like yesterday when this season started, with thousands upon thousands of hopefuls nationwide strutting their stuff for the chance to make it to the finale.

Only six remain: Twitch, Katee, Joshua, Courtney, Mark and Chelsie. Who will remain? We have to get through the group dance first. Chelsie is on stage by herself dancing to "The Rose" by Bette Midler. A few seconds into the song, Katee and Courtney appear. The men follow. They form three couples moving as one. It is very pretty and dramatic. All of them are dressed in white. It's almost like a dream. It comes to no surprise that an Emmy-nominated choreographer crafted the routine.

Host Cat Deeley introduces the judges to the audience. Cat makes a pitch for people to register to vote. Judge Adam Shankman announces that the winner of the competition will receive a featured dance role in a movie he is producing. (Not bad. Let's hope the movie is on the caliber of Hairspray.)

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Final four are revealed" »

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I turn on the television and see last week's episode on the screen. I'm later informed by Carla Correa that the first hour of the show is last week's results show. The second of the hour of is new. Thank goodness!

The newest episode starts with the return of judge Adam Shankman. (He's back from all his success directing Hairspray and Step Up 2 the Streets.)

Host Cat Deeley gets right down to business. Courtney and Mark are the first couple up. They dance a Viennese waltz choreographed by Jason Gilkison to "The Time of My Life" by David Cook. They appear to move really well together. He lifts her with ease to the pleasure of the audience. The routine ends in a tender embrace.

Adam says the top six are so strong. He says that the routine was good. He says Mark's rise and fall was the best any guy has done during the season. "Overall, it was an absolutely beautiful performance, and America is going to absolutely love it." Judge Mary Murphy says the lifts were effortless. "Mark, I fell like you really are growing week after week," she says. "This number did it for me this week." Judge Nigel Lythgoe says the routine was romantic. "You've started the evening really well," he says. "Congratulations."

Chelsie is the first solo of the evening. She dances to "When I Grow Up" by the Pussycat Dolls. She throws in a series of spins and ends with a split to the ground. This is a much better solo for her.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top six compete" »

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Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

A group number kicks off the program. It's modern and a lot better than last week's, and choreographed by a first-timer, whose name I miss. I need DVR.

Judge Toni says dancing is her drug. Nigel urges those who vote for dancers to vote for the president. Time for results:

First up, Katee. 

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Comfort goes home again. Will joins her." »

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

John-John Williams IV is in Chicago at a hotel that does not have Fox (to our disbelief). So I'm filling in and recapping a well-danced So You Think You Can Dance.

There's new partnering tonight (again). Each pair will dance twice in addition to solos. First up are Will and Courtney (in a bright-yellow number) dancing the samba to "I Fell in Love With the DJ" by Che'nelle. (I missed who choreographed it. I'm new at recapping this!) Will's moves are slick, and Courtney's height is a definite advantage: Every move looks long and strong. And the chemistry: fantastic! "My hips are screaming," Courtney says after. Judge Nigel Lythgoe says he feels it's going to be a great night. He says the dance was spot on when they weren't thinking about technique. "It was absolutely fantastic," he says. He adds that all the guys look like they're out of the movie 300. Mary Murphy asks: "Where's Ashton? I think I'm being punked right now!" She says that's because they are two contemporary dancers, but they looked like samba dancers. She criticizes some of their technique, but overall, well, Mary screams. Judge Toni Basil says: "I forgot I was judging." That's the whole point, she says.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': lots of props, plenty of awesome dancing" »

Posted by Carla Correa at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The night starts with a high-energy, colorful Bollywood routine choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan. The group dances to "JBJ" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. It's beautiful. The stage is filled with streaks of fluorescent colors as the competitors prance about. The routine ends with some of the men hoisting Katee in the air.

Next, host Cat Deeley announces that the makeup artist and several choreographers on the show have earned Emmy nominations. Then she launches a recap from last night's episode.

After, the women perform a Mia Michaels routine to "Ave Maria" by Celine Dion. Dressed in white dresses with long, stringy hair, they gently throw their bodies across the stage. It's so soft and beautiful. The audience claps wildly.

It's time to find out who's in the bottom two: It's Comfort and Kherington.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': unexpected elimination" »

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Tonight's episode is going to give me headache! There are a slew of things happening. Substitutions, solos and new partnering, oh my!

Host Cat Deeley informs us that Jessica is out of the competition (not a surprise if you read this blog). Jessica comes on stage and tells the audience that she has a couple of broken and fractured ribs. So, she's out of the competition, and Comfort, who was eliminated last week, is in.

We get right into the routines and the new pairs.

Joshua and Courtney are the first new pair. They perform a hip-hop routine choreographed by Dave Scott. They dance to "Skippin'" by Mario. I think they do a really good job. Joshua, in particular, kills the routine. Courtney does a good job keeping up. She really reminds me of Jennifer Lopez from her In Living Color days. Judge Lil' C praises Courtney and the couple's chemistry. Judge Mary Murphy squeals that they have great chemistry. She says Joshua stole the show: "He did blow it up out there." Judge Nigel Lythgoe says Joshua did a lot of great dancing, and Courtney's dancing was not as strong as her character work.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': a lot of dancing" »

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Comfort, the hip-hop dancer who was ousted last week, is getting a second chance to prove herself on So You Think You Can Dance. Apparently, an injury forced Jessica (who might have been kicked off, too, last week, if the show could cut two women at a time) to quit the competition. Fox isn't revealing the injury, but the network said Jessica's doctor advised her to leave.

"Her full recovery is paramount and will only come with rest," series executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe told a Television Critics Association meeting, according to the Associated Press.

The contestants will be paired with new dance partners tomorrow; that frees up Will to perhaps snag an equally talented partner.

What do you think? Does Comfort deserve to be back?

(Photo courtesy Fox via Associated Press) 

Posted by Carla Correa at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

The night starts with an ultra-cool hip-hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo to Ne-Yo's "Closer." The dancers are all dressed in these funky red running suits that glow in the dark. They move as one. There is a lot of break dancing and tricks. The routine is super-smooth.

There is a lot on the line tonight. Those contestants who survive will make it into the top 10, which means that they will be be part of the So You Think You Can Dance tour in the fall.

Host Cat Deeley gets things started almost immediately when she calls the first two couple on to stage. Comfort and Thayne are first. The clips of last night's routines show that the judges weren't huge fans. Katee and Joshua are also on stage. The clips of their routines are shown, including that insane Bollywood routine. It gives me chills watching it again. The judges loved them the night before. Does the audience agree? Yes. They are safe. Comfort and Thayne are in the bottom three.

Judge Mia Michaels says, "America got it right." She says it will be sad if either leaves. "I don't feel that either one of you has reached your potential. I really want you to stay."

I think Comfort's number is up. She's been in the bottom three almost every week. You can only cheat death so many times ...

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 10 revealed" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

I like the new two-dance per couple format on So You Think You Can Dance. We get right down to the dancing. 

Mark and Chelsie are first with a salsa routine choreographed by Alex Da Silva to "Fuego" by Joe Bataan. She's wearing this God-awful dress with feathers. The dancing is great. They really keep up with the beat and do a great job with all the quick steps and lifts of the demanding routine.

"Terrific opening," Judge Nigel Lythgoe says. He praises Mark. Nigel says that Chelsie was fantastic. Judge Mary Murphy says that the number worked for her. She says Mark could be more loose at the top. "You dance with such power and strength," she adds. Mary also says Chelsie was phenomenal. Judge Mia Michaels says Chelsie is so "freakin' gorgeous." She says the routine was "smokin' hot."

Before commercial break, host Cat Deeley announces that the evening will feature the first Bollywood routine. (Now that I've got to see! I wonder what couple will be assigned this dance?) 

It's not Comfort and Thayne, who are next with a hip-hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'umo. They dance to "Can We Chill" by Ne-Yo. I love the song and the choreography. Thayne does a pretty good job keeping up with Comfort, who is a hip-hop dancer. Cat describes the routine as a hip-hop Days of Our Lives.

Nigel says that Comfort really didn't relate to Thayne. "I didn't see what you added to the routine," Nigel says to Comfort. He predicts they will be in the bottom three. Mary says the routine lacked chemistry: "There are lots of little nuances that were cool and groovy, but it will not get me to stand up right now." Mia says it was a "little better than good." She says they have to work on chemistry. Mia says Comfort was just "riding." She says Thayne needed to get into the "meat and potatoes" of the piece. (I think they are in big trouble.)

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Final six couples dance twice" »

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The episode starts with a Tyce DiOrio Broadway routine to "Money, Money" from Cabaret. By now, I think you know how I feel about Broadway routines. This one is no exception. It's lame. 

After the five minutes of bad theater are over, host Cat Deeley gets right down to business. Deeley, who has redeemed herself with a stunning red dress and gold necklace that looks like something Cleopatra would have worn, announces the first two couples: Kherington and Twitch and Joshua and Katee.

Deeley announces that both are safe. The two teams freak out and jump around with enthusiasm. (I wonder how they would act if they won the competition?)

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Kourtni L. and Matt eliminated" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The seven couples will perform twice. So host Cat Deeley, who was dreadfully adorned in this horrible black and white dress -- gets right to work.

Jessica and Will are first with the jive choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin to "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie" from Five Guys Named Moe. Will is much more polished than Jessica. Judge Mary Murphy says there are a lot of missed connections. Overall a good performance, she says. Judge Nigel Lythgoe agrees with the other judges and basically says Jessica is the weaker of the two.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Seven couples perform twice" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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The episode starts with a group contemporary routine to "The Dance" by Charlotte Martin and choreographed by Mia Michaels. I usually like her routines, but this one seems flat. It reminds me of a trippy Raggedy Ann and Andy with a lot of screaming and an occasional pounding of large wooden poles onto the ground. The routine ends so abruptly that it takes audience members a while to realize they need to clap.

Host Cat Deeley comes out and immediately starts revealing which couples are safe. Chelsea T. and Thayne soon find out that their quickstep the night before isn't enough. They are the first couple in the bottom three. Judge Mary Murphy tells them that they got a really tough dance. She also tells them that the judges will take the contestants' past performances into account when making their elimination decisions.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Chelsea T., Chris sent home" »

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The contestants on this season of So You Think You Can Dance have proven that they are extremely strong and versatile. This episode is no exception. 

Twitch and Kherington do a hip-hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha D'Umo to "Can't Touch Me Now" by Busta Rhymes. They are dressed as fugitives and really get into character. They also master the difficult moves and are in unison for most of the routine. Twitch, a hip-hop dancer, does expectedly well. Kherington does a wonderful job keeping pace.

Nigel says they are brilliant dancers with a spirit and energy that go beyond dancers. "You danced it brilliantly," Nigel says. Mary says they are on the top 10 most-wanted list for So You Think You Can Dance. She also gives her legendary shriek of approval. Adam says the performance was "awesome." He says they do a good job knowing when to hit it and when to hold back. "All in all, awesome," Adam says.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Eight couples perform" »

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The episode starts with a group hip-hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks. The dancers do a series of super-fast pops, locks and breaks to "Elevator" by Timbaland featuring Flo Rida. The routine is energetic and fun. Comfort really stands out when she's in the front of the group breaking it down. (This will mean something by the end of the episode.) The routine ends with the group collapsed on the stage; Gev remains in a headstand.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Susie, Marquis eliminated" »

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Like clockwork, this week on So You Think You Can Dance, the contestants share what they like and dislike most about one another. (Goody! Sounds like I can learn some dirt!)

Chelsea T. says Thayne is always smiling. Thayne says she is positive. (Yawn! Let's get down to the dancing!) The duo dances a jazz routine choreographed by Mandy Moore. The routine, set to "Untouched" by The Veronicas, is about a king and his forbidden love, Moore says in an interview. It's very dramatic. They wear turn-of-the-century, jazzed-up royal garb. She is good -- yet again. He is a little overshadowed.

Judge Mia Michaels didn't like the execution. "You weren't regal enough," she says to Thayne. Judge Mary Murphy says she didn't believe the chemistry between the two. She says Chelsea looked uncomfortable in high heels. Judge Nigel Lythgoe agrees: "It wasn't real. I didn't believe it." (Ouch! These are the insults I'm expecting to hear. Too bad the jabs are coming from the judges.)

Continue reading "Nine couples perform on 'So You Think You Can Dance'" »

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The show starts a bit funky. Something is awry. There are crew members on stage cleaning up. A random camera shot shows the judges talking amongst themselves. Then there are flashes of very odd looking people with thick eyeliner making their way to the crowd. Another shot of the judges shows that one is missing: A gagged, struggling Nigel Lythgoe is being carried on stage.

The 20 contestants then break into a series of quick moves to "Cobrastyle" by Robyn. With each jerk, flashes of the fluorescent green and electric blue hair of the female contestants flies through the air. It reminds me of the cartoon Jem from my youth.

The group separates, leaving the men to complete some intricate choreography by Wade and Amanda Robson. And punk-dressed dancers do assorted tricks. Meanwhile, Nigel is being carted across the stage while sitting in a rolling chair. It's chaotic. It's fast. It's crazy cool!

Finally, the dancers leave, and host Kat Deeley ungags Nigel. (This is where things get a little corny. Stick to judging and producing Nigel!) Deeley starts revealing the bottom three almost immediately.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Rayven, Jamie first to go" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 11:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The minute I heard the So You Think You Can Dance theme music blaring from my television set, I knew I was in for a treat. I had been eagerly awaiting last night’s episode all week. I wanted to see which dancers formed couples and danced to random genres of music. I wasn’t disappointed.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Overall, a very good night" »

Posted by John-John Williams IV at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
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Talk about high drama and raw emotion! So You Think You Can Dance had my attention from the first Pique turn to the last arabesque. More than 200 dancers were invited to Las Vegas to dance their hearts out for just 20 spots. Needless to say, the competition was extremely tough.

The judges -- Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels, Debbie Allen, Napoleon D’Umo and Tabitha D’Umo -- were particularly unforgiving. The choreographed routines were also pretty challenging.

Unlike American Idol, there were probably dozens and dozens of breathtaking competitors. But with 10 slots reserved for men and 10 for women, plenty of great talent got cut.

First, the contestants learned a hip-hop routine choreographed by Napoleon and Tabitha.
One breakdancing popper, Robert, struggled so much with their choreography that he essentially gave up. Nigel -- who was wearing a cast on his right hand for some mysterious reason -- called him up onto the stage and asked him to do a solo.

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance': Top 20 revealed" »

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Milwaukee was the final audition stop for the show. We got a glimpse of a couple contenders going into tonight’s Las Vegas auditions, which will yield the Top 20 finalists.

While the contestants in Milwaukee were decent, the additional auditions from previous cities that were sprinkled throughout the episode were flat out excellent!

Popper Michael Kim was mesmerizing during his audition in Washington. He moved like he was being operated by a remote control. It was really, really impressive.

When I saw the little back-story for roommates Katee Shean and Natalie Reid, I have to admit that I thought they were both going to stink. Boy, was I wrong! These girls were on fire during the Los Angeles auditions!

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance ': Top 20 announced tonight!" »

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I was so ready for last night's So You Think You Can Dance, one of the last shows before I go on leave, and thennnn ... power outage.

So, anyone else care to report on the last set of city auditions? Anything exciting happen? Anymore repeat bad auditioners?

I better have power again by tonight for the Vegas round is all I am saying. 

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

It's well documented that So You Think You Can Dance is one of my favorite reality shows, and I'm glad that it made its return week before last.

However, I wasn't totally blown away by the first three episodes, which focused on the auditions. I couldn't believe how many repeat bad auditioners there were. Did we really need to see "Sex" again? Why let him back for a third try? He's been sighted on Idol and Make Me a Supermodel, so clearly he's just trying to get on TV. If only producers would stop cooperating! And Gold Inferno again? Come on!

It was really interesting to see the portrayal of the D.C. auditions. I went to the first day of them and talked to a few people in line (see the video at the link above) at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. But that was apparently just the part where they were culling contestants down to the best and the worst, because nearly all the footage shown last week was from the Warner Theatre in D.C. instead. Also surprising? That only nine people made it through from Washington, compared to the 30s and 40s from other cities.

However, I did get a tiny glimpse of one of the people I talked to in D.C. in February on Thursday as he leapt in the air with a ticket to Vegas. Maybe he will get more than two seconds of camera time during the Vegas round.

What do you think of SYTYCD so far this season?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Hundreds of people lined up around the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington today to try to get their chance in front of the judges on So You Think You Can Dance. It was fiercely cold, which led to more bundling up and shivering than dancing in the streets during the waiting period, but it was still a fun time. Check out the video above or the photos below for more:

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' hits Washington" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Today, the third-to-last round of auditions for the next season of So You Think You Can Dance took place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in D.C.

I hung out there starting around 7:30 this morning, and the line was around the building in Northeast Washington. It was super-cold, and people had been lined up for hours, but they were all pretty excited about it.

I made a video and took some more photos, which I will post later this evening. 

(Photo of SYTYCD host Cat Deeley interviewing contestants by me)

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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As the finale of the season of So You Think You Can Dance gets started, all I can wonder is: Is host Cat Deeley getting attacked by fluffy racoons? Her dress is utterly ridiculous. On a two-hour finale whose point is supposed to be revealing the winner, I try to predict how much will be killer and how much will be filler.

If we have to do this for two hours, at the very least I hope we see some great dances this evening.

The Top 20 come out respelendent in white -- and with a few reminders of contestants long gone. (Oh, yeah, Jimmy! Oh, right, Ashlee!)

Cat claims there won't be only padding, and I hope she's right. The entire judging panel is in full force tonight, and guest judge Adam Shankman is in the audience. I think he might love this show as much as I do -- he was there last night.

Nigel Lythgoe name checks one of his favorite dancers, who is out in the audience -- Paula Abdul. He said there is one more loose end -- that last year a dancer named Claire Calloway was injured during Vegas and told she could return this season, but we never saw her this year. Turns out it was because she was having a baby, and she, too, is in the audience.

Then, mere moments after promises of no padding, it's a montage. Then, the Top 20 come out to dance Tyce DiOrio's Lion King routine.

Next, is Mary Murphy's favorite dance of the season -- Lauren and Pasha's Transformers inspired routine by Shane Sparks. After the reprisal, Cat has everyone give Lauren and Pasha a better sendoff since the studio was empty when they got kicked off Monday.

Hey, look, another montage. Then Brandon Norris comes out -- the hip-hop clogger. Oh, yay, he was amazing and I wondered what had happened to him. He is indescribable. I looked for a YouTube link to no avail. I hate it when that happens.

Nigel's favorite dance that he wants to see is Hok and Jamie's hummingbird and flower dance from Wade Robson. Another good choice. I'm not shocked to see that one since I had noticed Jamie's hair in the intro.

Jean-Marc Genereaux's request is Sabra and Dominic's "slow hip-hop" from Shane Sparks. I actually liked this one better the second time around.

You might not know this, because she's only mentioned it 456 times, but later, Cat Deeley is going to dance with Nigel Lythgoe. Just making sure no one misses out on this important piece of info.

Adam Shankman's favorite dance is Neil and Sara's disco to "Knock on Wood." What did they do to Sara's hair? Scary bangs! But fun dance. I won't have to save all the other shows on my Tivo if they keep doing all these great ones.

Montage of breaking.

Bryan Gaynor, a student with an extreme form of scoliosis, wowed the judges in the auditions with his unique robot/popping routine. He comes out to do it again. Did he get that movie role Shane Sparks promised him? He says he's going to introduce him to the producers soon. I hope that happens.

The Top 8 come out do reprise their Shane Sparks group dance. That's the one in which Lauren is dressed like Neo in The Matrix.

Nigel reveals that the alternates for the tour are Jesus, Anya, Shauna and Hok -- "so that means you might be able to see ... the hummingbird!"

Wade Robson says what he wants to see again is Lacey and Danny's samba. Another good choice. Sexay! Right after they finish, Cat says it's time to eliminate one of them from the competition. Lacey is out, and she seemed to know it was her, as she pointed to herself as the segment started. She smiles and cries during her montage.

Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls comes out to "sing." That's not what I'm watching for, so fast-forwarding is in order.

Shane Sparks' choice for the evening is Sara and Pasha's West Coast Swing. The first time I saw that one, I thought it was a little tricksy and gimmicky, but I've rewatched it about 15 times, and I'm glad to see it again.

Tyce DiOirio's choice is Danny and Anya's foxtrot.

Tony Meredith wants to see Sara and Jesus' routine with Wade Robson, with the newspaper and the song from The Triplets of Bellville. Hey, I'm just glad to see people with newspapers in their hands!

Mia Michaels' choice is one of my favorites -- Neil and Sabra re-enacting a business meeting (which is so much better than it sounds). After the dance, Cat calls Danny out there with them, too. So it's time for another elimination. And Neil is out, leaving Sabra and Danny as the final two. Like Lacey, Neil is just beaming. I think he saw it coming, too, and has come to terms with it.

When she's standing next to the other dancers, it's clear that Cat has been bronzed into submission. I hate that.

Next, the dancers (Top 10?) do the group Mia Michaels routine to Imogen Heap.

Mary introduces Cat and Nigel's performance. Then an animated bobblehead thing comes on. Seriously? Ah, yes, it's from JibJab. That was dumb.

Ryan Cabrera comes out to sing "I Will Remember You," one of songs they use for goodbye montages. OK.

Dan Karaty's choice for reprisal is Lacey and Neil dancing the Mia Michaels routine that was a tribute to her father.

Cat says 16 million votes were cast, and that the winner is: Sabra!

Hooray! She is amazing. And with Danny finishing second like his brother Travis did last season, that won't cause any sibling rivalry. Heh.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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And it's the last performance show of So You Think You Can Dance. The final four are Sabra, Lacey, Danny and Neil. They will all be paired up with one another over the course of tonight's show. Joining Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe at the judges' table is Dan Karaty.

Nigel says that the standard of performers has gotten higher and higher during this season's auditions, and that the choreographers got stronger and stronger, too. He adds that they will be back for another season next year. (Yay! I make no secret of the fact that this is my favorite reality show.) Cat greets Dan and says he was at the New York auditions, and that three of the four are from those auditions, which speaks to the level of talent in that city.

Next, there is a montage of the final four, starting with auditions, then to Vegas semi-finals, then highlights from the whole season. It really has been a great season, hasn't it? But let's get back to the competition.

...

Continue reading "'So You Think You Can Dance' finals" »

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

The show opened with a group dance by Wade Robson to a Tom Waits song. It was typical Wade -- weird and entertaining and impossible to turn away.

The other notable moment was Debbie Allen stating that contestant Cedric from earlier this season will indeed be starting at her dance academy in September, and that his housing and schooling have been sponsored.

But what everyone wants to know is who is in and who is out. Lauren and Pasha were the unlucky (but to me, not that surprising) ones sent home, leaving a final four of Lacey, Sabra, Danny and Neil.

They will perform on Wednesday for voters and on Thursday, the winner will be announced. I'm pulling for Sabra, but I really like everyone who is left, I have to say.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Each dancer will perform three times on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance -- two partner dances and one solo. And back as a guest judge is Debbie Allen, who was awesome a few weeks ago. So it promises to be a fun night.

Pasha's partner for the week is Lacey, and they draw hip-hop with Dave Scott and smooth waltz. In their hip-hop routine, Lacey is a mannequin for a large part of the performance, and Pasha has nerd glasses. It's an amusing routine, but I think it kind of wastes Lacey's talents since she is still for so much of it. But yeah, I will be watching it again. Nigel says it was a great routine and that it "brought your characters to life." Mary says this was crazy because she couldn't believe it was Pasha out there. Debbie says they were lucky to get Dave's name out of the hat and that they nailed it.

Sabra performs the first solo of the evening. It is -- as per usual -- fantastic, and she's adorable.

Lauren and Danny are partnered up, and they draw contemporary with Mia Michaels and disco. The contemporary routine is supposed to be very "alien." I think if they hadn't mentioned that, I wouldn't have seen that in the performance at all. Even with hearing that, I don't see it much. But it's still a moving performance (though I could have done without the Celine Dion). Nigel: "Incredible!" He adds that he feels Lauren finally reached her potential. Mary Murphy screams and adores it. Debbie says it was "passion and perfection personified."

Next is Pasha with his solo, and he's dancing around a dress form with an evening gown on it, which is ... odd. Does he wish it were Jessi?

Neil and Sabra are partnered for jazz with Mandy Moore and paso doble. The jazz dance is supposed to be evoke a 1980s business meeting. They dance together around a table, and my husband looks up from World of Warcraft just long enough to note, "Is it prop day on So You Think You're Dancing With the Stars?" The concept is a little out there, but it really works with the song ("Sweet Dreams" by the Eurhythmics), and they are great together. Nigel says he is very worried because he hopes the finale (next week!) comes up to the standard set today. Mary says she's still smiling and that it was "really so much fun." Debbie sums it up, "I like it like that."

Lauren dances her solo, and you know what? Her hamminess has annoyed me this entire season (somehow more than Lacey's), but she has really been dancing better and better. Sigh.

Lacey and Pasha's second dance is smooth waltz with Hunter Johnson. It's lovely and definitely lives up to its name. Nigel says the flow was absolutely beautiful. He says one tiny weakness was Lacey's hand position. Mary says it was "absolutely dreamlike." She says that Pasha freaks her out because he has adapted so well to the hard ballroom steps that are alien to Latin dancers typically. Debbie compares this to a love story and says that everyone wanted to be them. Basically, raves from everyone.

Neil's solo shows, to me, how much less he is relying on gymnastics, which he did a lot during the first part of the season.

Danny and Lauren come out to dance disco by Doriana Sanchez. And this one I found a little bizarre. I didn't like the song or really the choreography, but I thought they danced it well. Nigel says this was a really tough routine and that disco makes him happy to watch no matter what, and that he liked it. Mary says it was a ton of fun. She adds that Lauren looked like the queen of the 70s and that Danny is breaking out more than they've seen from him before. Debbie says they had fun so the audience had fun.

Lacey comes out to solo to "Le Disco," which is not very disco-ish. She is all over the stage, and it's doesn't feel like a partner dancer forcing a solo, which happens sometimes.

Sabra and Neil are the last duet of the evening, with the paso doble with Tony Meredith. The look amazing, and they both deliver exactly the attitude they are supposed to have. And the end is CRAZY -- Neil has Sabra hoisted over his head, and she is folded around his arms, holding onto her feet, and he lets go, and she kind of falls, in increments, to the ground. Insane and very cool. Nigel: "Wow, that was absolutely stunning." He also says he wouldn't have thought at the beginning, but does now, that either of them could win this thing. Mary credits Tony and Melanie's choreography and says that they "did tremendous." She says they are both back on the train, and Neil notes it's his first time on the train. Debbie says she was sure she didn't want to see the paso doble again (have I mentioned that I love Debbie Allen?), but that they were fabulous.

Danny is the final soloist, and he is great. (If I had more dance knowledge, I would have more to say about it, but I don't.)

Host Cat Deeley says that two dancers will be going home from the next results show, which is on Monday (anybody know why?). Then the final four will perform next week.

I don't really know who will be out. Pasha and Lauren? I just can't imagine that either Lacey or Sabra would be out, but who knows? What do you think?

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: So You Think You Can Dance
        

Tonight's So You Think You Can Dance opens with a Shane Sparks routine that is clearly inspired by The Matrix.

Each of the dancers will do a solo in their own style, but they won't change the results since it's all about viewer votes now.

Results time: Half the contestants will be in the bottom four, which is new. The women are up first. Sara and Lauren are the bottom two. Then, it's the guys. Somehow, I missed the part where Lauren and Dominic actually made out at the end of their performance. I must have been typing. Yowza. Neil and Dominic are the bottom two.

Adam says he is surprised that Neil is in the bottom four. But that they should all be proud for making it this far out of more than 7,000 auditioners.

OneRepublic comes out to perform "Apologize" while the bottom four worry and stew.

Sara is out, and Lauren is still in it. I'm not that surprised, but I'm sad because I really like Sara and I'm indifferent about Lauren. Her dancing really is getting better, though. On the guys' side, Dominic is out, and Neil is safe.

Cat tells them this is the furthest in the competition any breakers have ever gotten. Sad that they are both out this week. Then Dominic mauls her.

I'm OK with this result. They are both great and adorable, but I think most of the rest of the remaining dancers are a smidge better than them because they have more training.

Posted by Sarah Kickler Kelber at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Yay, Hairspray director Adam Shankman is back as the guest judge on tonight's So You Think You Can Dance. He was super fun last time.

Nigel points out that it is the highest-grossing opening "of all time" for a musical. Then we learn that each couple will dance twice this evening. (Hopefully not with a saccharine solo repeated 10 times over like last week!)

Danny and Sara are assigned as partners and draw Argentine tango (with Alex de Silva) and hip-hop. They start with the tango, to a remix of "Whatever Lola Wants." It's very stylized and sexy -- though it's a little odd because Dannys dressed to the nines in a suit and Sara is wearing thigh-high boots, a sparkly bra top and hot pants. It's like they got costumed for separate performances. But they do a tremendous job. Adam says he thought they would be a total mismatch, but "this was unbeepin real and so beepin hot." (He really did say beep.) He says Danny has "the best center I've seen in my life" and that he's the best male dancer ever on the show. Mary praises Dannys turns and talks a lot more and finally says, "I loved it." Nigel makes reference do it being a takeoff on the song's appearance in Damn Yankee, so maybe the outfits were an artistic reference I didn't get.

Dominic and Lauren are partners now, and they get krump (with Lil C) and rumba. Krump is first, and it's a really engaging routine with some interesting twists. They do a whole pretzel thing at one point, and at another, Dominic slides across the floor toward Lauren and she runs across his back. Adam is rendered almost speechless. For a moment. He says it was hot, though he isn't sure it showed off their strongest potential as dancers. Mary says the first part had a ton of energy but that it started to die off toward the end. Nigel says krumping is way tougher than hip-hop and that he didn't really get that differentiation in this routine. He also says he didn't like the music. He asks Lauren if she was meant to fall during the running-over-Dominic move, and she doesn't seem to want to admit it, but finally she does say she fell and was covering it.

Lacey and Neil will be dancing together for the first time. They draw Latin jazz (with Maria Torres) and contemporary. The first is Latin jazz, and in the interview footage, they are both worried about this lift called a "crunch," but when they're performing, they totally pull it off. It's a fun routine, and they seem to work well together. (For the record, Neil performs with no shirt.) Adam says that if Neil gets a ton of votes this week, he thinks the show is going to turn into So You Think You Can Dance in the Nude. Well, if anyone would go for that, Fox would. He says the great news is they are beautiful dancers. He tells Lacey that she needs to break the bad habit of staring outward and to look more toward her partner. Mary says the chemistry isn't there for her at all. She says it was forced chemistry. But she says there was some brilliant dancing inside, too. Adam starts talking again and agrees that he wouldn't think they wanted to tear each other apart, but that the dancing was still beautiful. Nigel finally gets a word in edgewise and says that he loved the music and the routine and that he didn't love either of their performances. He says they both danced too high.

Sabra and Pasha are paired together and they get Broadway (with Tyce DiOrio) and quick step. Their Broadway routine is from The Wild Party. It's fast and busy and tiring and fun and very Broadway. Adam says he didn't think he was going to like it because this kind of number usually needs a giant chorus, but he got really drawn in and really got surprised. He adds that Pasha was good, but the bad news for him was that Sabra was "a revelation." Mary says Sabra is always a revelation, and, "Pasha, tonight you were for me too. ... I just loved all of it!" Then she gives the patented Mary scream. Nigel says Tyce's choreography forces dancers to perform (character-wise) and that they showed why they are in the Top 8.

Sara and Danny are back for their second performance of the evening, a hip-hop routine with Shane Sparks. Danny says he is worried because Shane didn't want him in the Top 20. Shane says he thinks Danny changed his mind. They dance to "Push It," and there is an appropriate amount of pelvic thrusting given the song title, and a bunch of great moves, some of them amusing, too. Adam asks what they did to the wardrobe department to get them so angry (yes, I failed to mention their totally 80s madness outfits). Nigel says they look "not so much ghetto, more Sesame Street." Adam says they are the most versatile couple and could do anything. Mary says the dancing didn't do it for her because it wasn't hard-hitting enough. She also says they looked "too cute for this hip-hop." Nigel says they both went for it, but they didn't achieve it together.

Lauren and Dominic's second dance is the rumba with Tony Meredith. Their dance is to "Ain't No Sunshine," and it is very slow and sexy. I don't love Lauren, but she is getting better. Adam says the chaperones better keep their eye on these two after the show. He says he liked it, but it didn't feel like a rumba to him because there was a lot of posing. Mary agrees that this is a different rumba, but it had great lines. She did say that in the Latin dancing steps, they were a little off. Nigel says wardrobe made these two look wonderful. He adds that Dominic stayed in style and character with his face last year (unlike last week when he called him almost a caricature). He says that the choreographers have been making the dancers look good and playing to their strengths, and next week, the choreographers will be doing what they do best, and creating more of a challenge for the dancers.

Lacey and Neil are next with a Mia Michaels contemporary routine. Michaels says this dance is about a reunion in heaven between her and her father, who passed away two years ago. No pressure on the dancers to get this one right! It's very lovely and sweet. Adam thanks Mia for bringing something so personal and emotional out into the public. He says he is in love with what they just did, that they were acting in this whole other world rather than dancing and that "this will be going down as one of the best dance performances on television ever." Mary can't talk because she's crying and she makes a heart shape with her hands. Nigel says she is going through a tough time in her perso