Hey Folks,
So, it’s top 16 night! Which gives us another 8 performances on which to pick who our favorites are and who we kinda sorta maybe think shouldn’t be there much longer (cough Philip cough). I know last week some people found my claim of Mia’s “Higher Ground” as being superior to Wade’s “Ramalama Bang Bang” to be dubious to say the least, but the more I watch it, the more I’m tempted to stand by my statement. It’s just soooooo grood. Which is a combination of great and good, for those who are not familiar with the TeenGirl Squad. But what “Higher Ground” has illuminated for me is that this season has been severely lacking in the Mia department. I wonder if she’s gonna have a reduced role this season or something. I know she’s doing one routine tonight (and none of you better complain about spoilers since your reading a recap), but that still seems like an oddly small amount of Mia for being three weeks into the season. Are you guys feeling a Vitamin Mia deficiency? Anyhoo, on to the dancing! Tonight’s Jidges are Nigel, Mary, and Toni “Oh Mickey You So Fine, You So Fine You Blow My Mind Hey Mickey” Basil.
Note: This is the beshortened recap. For the full version, head to sytycd.ca
Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Dave Scott hip-hop. And, oooh. He’s just awful. Like, save one trick, it’s Matt Dorame doing hip-hop bad. Karla tries her best to hold it together, but she’s just fighting a losing battle. It’s saying something when they get the biggest screams for nailing a simple move. Nigel felt it lacked a necessary danger. He bets the audience they’ll be in the bottom three. Someone is wearing their cranky pants below the judging table tonight. Mary felt no power and it wasn’t in the right groove. It felt store-bought to Toni. Karla accidentally holds up a two instead of a one. Good job Karla.
Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Mandy Moore jazz. I’m just… not getting much out of this. Asuka seems tentative in most everything she does, and she has some weak leaps in there. Vitolio does better, but I’m not connecting to him at all. Remember all those Showgirls references I was making during the audition weeks? Well, this performance would have perfectly suited to Nomi Malone. And Asuka, well, she’s kind of no Nomi Malone. Uncharacteristically weak for Mandy. Nigel calls it fantastic. Mary thought it was good but not breathtaking. Toni tells them not to let their technique get in the way of their emotions.
Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Tony Meredith rumba. Well, this is miles better than anything else we’ve seen tonight. I can’t even speak as to whether their technique is great because they’re so frickin’ connected and sultry that the emotion is being nailed and that’s drawing my focus. But it’s like 5 times better than tonight’s other routines. Melissa also looks great. Cat asks if anyone else feels as if they’re interrupting something. Cat also asks the audience to applaud Melissa’s half-an-outfit. She’s called a Goddess. And she looks vaguely Elizabeth Berkeley-ish. OMG, Showgirls is either taking over my brain or it’s a SYTYCD conspiracy. Nigel throws oodles of love their way. apologizes for that pun but throws oodles of love to both. Mary found it both unbelievable and believable, yet I somehow understand what she means. Toni calls it beautifully done. Also, I’m now officially calling it. Ade & Melissa=New Mark and Chelsie. Adessa for season 5!
Janette and Brandon- They’ve got tonight’s other Dave Scott hip-hop routine. FINALLY. GOOD HIP-HOP. Brandon nails it. Janette is a firecracker and deserves kudos forgoing out there in a leather corset, panties, and semi-fishnets with less leg covering. Which, by the way, she pulls off, because she’s a firecracker. But Brandon is buck. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the best hip-hop the show’s seen, but its certainly the best of the season so far. Nigel though they worked it. Mary thought they hit it. They get a scream. Toni liked Dave’s strategic melding of rock into hip-hop. OK, Toni Basil, we get it, you’re street. Stop using that word.
Kayla and Kupono- Gotta say, I don’t think these two are gonna work, but who knows. They’ve got a Jean-Marc Genereaux (and France!) Viennese Waltz. But I’m pleasantly surprised because it actually works really well. It also helps that they’ve got possibly the least busy lighting and camera work of any number all season. I see moments of weakness, mainly in Kupono, but it’s certainly much better than those first two routines. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but isn’t going to make anyone stand up and heer. Mary found it elegant and flowing and puts them on the Hot Tamale train. Toni really liked it. Toni also maybe sorta revealed she doesn’t watch the show regularly, because she wasn’t sure this week was their first week together.
Randi and Evan- They’ve got a MIA MICHAELS ROUTINE! That’s all about the booty. But it’s Mia, so I’m just excited beyond. Randi is also wearing a “Unitard girl” shirt, which is awesome in so many ways. Unfortuantely, it’s just not that great. I mean, its still good. But it’s missing that zap that other Mia routines have had. Plus they are a bunch of noticeable mistakes including Evan coming really close to falling at one point. It was good, not great. It may have been felled for me by high expectations, but I don’t know. It just didn’t explode off the screen for me. Cat calls them cheeky. Nigel found it beautifully danced and followed through. Mary found them terrific and hypnotizing. Toni thinks they lived up to the choreography.
Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Jean Marc Genereaux (And still France!) Paso Doble. It’s all about fight this week. They dance it exceptionally well, it seems, but I don’t feel the connection between them or the anger. But the dancing itself is pretty freaking remarkable. Although I think their timing to the music is off by the end. Nigel thought there was no connection in their eyes but that they danced it fantastically. Mary thought it was strong, but found Jason’s posture and the characters were only good part of the time. Toni liked it. God, she’s an awful judge.
Jeanine and Philip- They’ve got a Tyce broadway. Ugh, I have low expectations. It’s… cute. And I actually like the choreography much more than I usually like Tyce’s choreography. But there’s an energy that I find lacking. Jeanine is cute as button though. And Philip’s pants appear to have split during the number. But there was something that didn’t work about it. It’s almost like the music just didn’t work or something. Mary loooooves that Phil’s pants have split. She finds it ever-so-hysterical. Nigel thinks Phil still needs to grow more. Mary thought Phil nailed the character but his technique needed work. Toni found it adorable.
My Rankings for the Night:
1) Melissa and Ade
2) Janette and Brandon
3) Kayla and Kupono
4) Randi and Evan
5 & 6) TIE- Jeanine and Philip AND Caitlin and Jason
7) Asuka and Vitolio
big jump
8) Karla and Jonathan
Who Should Be Worried: Karla and Jonathan are obvious. Asuka and Vitolio are also probably gonna be there. Either Jeanine and Philip or Caitlin and Jason will probably round out the group.
Who I’d Send Home: Jonathan and Asuka should go home this week.
Who Will Probably Go Home: Save a miracle, Jonathan is dunzo. I fear for Karla as well.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/18- 18 Minus Two
Hey folks,
Well, it’s time to say goodbye to another two dancers. Like I said in my recap last night, I’m kind of clueless as to who’s gonna be packing their bags tonight. If I had to venture a guess, Kupono and Asuka are probably done for, which would make me 0 for 2 in Fantasy SYTYCD. What makes me wonder about this poor cousin theory is that I remember last season, at Top 18 week, there were still enough dancers that could clearly be cut without losing lots of potential (cough cough Susie “Cannon Fodder” Garcia cough cough). This week, it’s gonna be kind of tough to pick out anyone who is noticeably weaker than the rest. I can’t promise oodles of funny or wit tonight, since I’m in a little bit of a heinous mood, but I’m gonna try my darndest for you guys tonight. However, just like Mia Michaels, I like to cut (although what I like to cut is long lines, not dancers), so lets trudge forward, shall we?
Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full version, shake a tail feather over to sytycd.ca
Cat is in a completely white pantsuit. It’s… blah. Usually from Cat, I expect greatness or great-terribleness. This falls in that in between chasm of mediocrity. The top 18 is a Mia routine and everyone has what look like Maori tribal tattoos painted on to their faces. It’s… like jaw-droppingly fantastic. I can say in no uncertain words that this season is gonna have turn something incredible in order to knock this off the list of most memorable numbers. I’d go so far as to say that it’s maybe one of my favorite routines EVER by Mia Michaels. It’s just 150% full of win. I can’t even pick out outstanding individuals, because that routine was so good it made EVERYONE seem awesome. Ade, Jason, Brandon, Janette, and Jeanine may stand out just a smidge above the others, but everyone rocks it.
We immediately (seriously, it’s like 5 minutes into the broadcast right now) get results. Ade and Melissa, Jason and Caitlin, and Phil and Jeanine are brought out. Well, I think it’s pretty clear which couple’s in the bottom here. No surprise, Jason and Caitlin are sent straight to the bottom three, do not pass go, prepare your solo.
When we come back, the next three couples on stage are Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Kupono and Ashley. Again, no surprise when it turns out that Kupono and Ashley are the bottom three couple in this group. Jonathan and Karla maybe celebrate a bit too much right in Ashley and Kupono’s face for my liking. Lil’ C is shocked, yet in the middle about it, because he thought this week showed their vulnerability in a style outside their own.
Side Note: I just rewatched the Mia routine over the commercial. Yeah, I might even go so far as to say it challenges Ramalama Bang Bang from season 2 as my favorite group routine ever. I love it THAT much.
The final three couples are up on stage, but before that, we’re all given a treat of Evan’s brother Ryan auditioning in LA for season 6. And, shocker, he makes it to Vegas. Evan apparently didn’t know, or so he makes hand gestures. The final couple gracing the bottom three is… Kayla and Max? What the What? . Vitolio, just like Jonathan/Karla, over-congratulates himself in Kayla and Max’s face. In fairness, though, the look of Stank emanating from Kayla when she found out her bottom three berth was not pretty. Humbleness, Ms. Rodamski, along with that talent, that’s what we’ll love you for. Look at the all the winners/favorites. They were all pretty humble. Nigel says America must not have gotten Brian Friedman’s choreo.
Tonight’s “World of Dance” dancer is a true Indian/Bollywood dancer (Ok, completely not Bollywood, but more traditional Indian. Or maybe not), whose name goes by too fast for me to catch. It’s good, better than the anemic Argentine tango from last week, but it’s still not as good as I would expect from a “stars of dance” routine.
Also, I just realized, can I get a HALLELUJAH that the creepy, creepy, CREEPY Snuggle the Bear is no longer asking America to dance for him and then let him kill them while they sleep?
Going into the solos, I think Ashley and Max/Kupono are probably in trouble. Kayla, and I kinda think Jason, are guaranteed safety.
It’s Soloin’ Time:
Caitlin: It’s simple, but very pretty and I’m pretty sure I feel exactly what she wants me to feel, so I’d call it a definite success. Better than all three girl solos last week, for sure.
Jason: Jason’s also very good, and, as Shankers said, he is so SYTYCD. Also should be good enough to keep him around for another week. He’s got a bunch of great leaps.
Ashley: It’s… good. Certainly sultry. But I thought Caitlin was better. She spent a few seconds just standing against the banister. That’s not the best way to spend your time. I may actually get one right this week in FSYTYCD.
Kupono: It’s also good, but not fantastic. Jason was certainly better. Cat doesn’t want him to go because she wants to see more of his outfits. That’s not a great endorsement Cat. He also doesn’t know how to manage his time very well because he takes a few seconds to start and clearly ends a second early.
Kayla: I gotta say, it’s not the best solo ever. It looks like a lot of leaps with some dancing in between. But she’s definitely good enough to be kept around.
Max: Max is soloing to Footloose. So I’m already biased to like it. His footwork is also Phe-Nom-En-Ol. He should definitely stay around.
Tonight’s musical guest is Kristinia DeBarge. It’s your typical pop-strumpet pop song. Which is to say its mildly catchy, has a decent beat, but will utterly be forgettable. I do have to giver her credit though, she is actually kind of dancing, and her back-up dancers are by no means bad, unlike last week.
We’re back and it’s results time. The girls are up first. It was not unanimous on either gender tonight. They all agree that if it were up to them, they wouldn’t lose any of this 6. But they’re not gonna change the rules of the competition. They thought Caitlin had great quality of movement and control, she’s safe. They thought Ashley had Hollywood glamour but thought her solo had no substance. They know what a great dancer Kayla is, but they didn’t think she proved that with a crowded solo and she needs to pull it back. Ashley is going home tonight. We get her recap package. In all honesty, I’m probably not going to miss her, but she wasn’t the weakest girl in this pack. It does suck that she tried for four seasons only to get cut second though. Jeanine looks flabbergasted in the pit.
The boys are next. Jason is first, and they found his solo to be exceptionally strong and thinks it’s the best solo of the season. He’s immediately sent to the pit. They felt Kupono also lacked substance, but they liked that he is different and an intelligent dancer who can take on characters. They think Max is incredibly hard-working and know that he is restricted by his ballroom-ness in solos. And yet, Max is the one going home tonight. Sorry, but especially after the solos, that was the wrong decision judges. Again, I didn’t love him, but considering he was the best last night and his solo tonight was really good, I’d rank this as higher up on the SYTYCD injustice scale. It also begs the question who in the hell is going to cook for these people now? They need their strength, people!
Well, folks, what did you think? Was Max unfairly shafted? Did Ashley not seem to really care anymore, as my viewing partner thinks? Was that Mia Michaels routine not Banoodles to the Buck power? And do you feel, like I feel, that a Kayla/Kupono coupling sounds mildly disastrous?
Well, it’s time to say goodbye to another two dancers. Like I said in my recap last night, I’m kind of clueless as to who’s gonna be packing their bags tonight. If I had to venture a guess, Kupono and Asuka are probably done for, which would make me 0 for 2 in Fantasy SYTYCD. What makes me wonder about this poor cousin theory is that I remember last season, at Top 18 week, there were still enough dancers that could clearly be cut without losing lots of potential (cough cough Susie “Cannon Fodder” Garcia cough cough). This week, it’s gonna be kind of tough to pick out anyone who is noticeably weaker than the rest. I can’t promise oodles of funny or wit tonight, since I’m in a little bit of a heinous mood, but I’m gonna try my darndest for you guys tonight. However, just like Mia Michaels, I like to cut (although what I like to cut is long lines, not dancers), so lets trudge forward, shall we?
Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full version, shake a tail feather over to sytycd.ca
Cat is in a completely white pantsuit. It’s… blah. Usually from Cat, I expect greatness or great-terribleness. This falls in that in between chasm of mediocrity. The top 18 is a Mia routine and everyone has what look like Maori tribal tattoos painted on to their faces. It’s… like jaw-droppingly fantastic. I can say in no uncertain words that this season is gonna have turn something incredible in order to knock this off the list of most memorable numbers. I’d go so far as to say that it’s maybe one of my favorite routines EVER by Mia Michaels. It’s just 150% full of win. I can’t even pick out outstanding individuals, because that routine was so good it made EVERYONE seem awesome. Ade, Jason, Brandon, Janette, and Jeanine may stand out just a smidge above the others, but everyone rocks it.
We immediately (seriously, it’s like 5 minutes into the broadcast right now) get results. Ade and Melissa, Jason and Caitlin, and Phil and Jeanine are brought out. Well, I think it’s pretty clear which couple’s in the bottom here. No surprise, Jason and Caitlin are sent straight to the bottom three, do not pass go, prepare your solo.
When we come back, the next three couples on stage are Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Kupono and Ashley. Again, no surprise when it turns out that Kupono and Ashley are the bottom three couple in this group. Jonathan and Karla maybe celebrate a bit too much right in Ashley and Kupono’s face for my liking. Lil’ C is shocked, yet in the middle about it, because he thought this week showed their vulnerability in a style outside their own.
Side Note: I just rewatched the Mia routine over the commercial. Yeah, I might even go so far as to say it challenges Ramalama Bang Bang from season 2 as my favorite group routine ever. I love it THAT much.
The final three couples are up on stage, but before that, we’re all given a treat of Evan’s brother Ryan auditioning in LA for season 6. And, shocker, he makes it to Vegas. Evan apparently didn’t know, or so he makes hand gestures. The final couple gracing the bottom three is… Kayla and Max? What the What? . Vitolio, just like Jonathan/Karla, over-congratulates himself in Kayla and Max’s face. In fairness, though, the look of Stank emanating from Kayla when she found out her bottom three berth was not pretty. Humbleness, Ms. Rodamski, along with that talent, that’s what we’ll love you for. Look at the all the winners/favorites. They were all pretty humble. Nigel says America must not have gotten Brian Friedman’s choreo.
Tonight’s “World of Dance” dancer is a true Indian/Bollywood dancer (Ok, completely not Bollywood, but more traditional Indian. Or maybe not), whose name goes by too fast for me to catch. It’s good, better than the anemic Argentine tango from last week, but it’s still not as good as I would expect from a “stars of dance” routine.
Also, I just realized, can I get a HALLELUJAH that the creepy, creepy, CREEPY Snuggle the Bear is no longer asking America to dance for him and then let him kill them while they sleep?
Going into the solos, I think Ashley and Max/Kupono are probably in trouble. Kayla, and I kinda think Jason, are guaranteed safety.
It’s Soloin’ Time:
Caitlin: It’s simple, but very pretty and I’m pretty sure I feel exactly what she wants me to feel, so I’d call it a definite success. Better than all three girl solos last week, for sure.
Jason: Jason’s also very good, and, as Shankers said, he is so SYTYCD. Also should be good enough to keep him around for another week. He’s got a bunch of great leaps.
Ashley: It’s… good. Certainly sultry. But I thought Caitlin was better. She spent a few seconds just standing against the banister. That’s not the best way to spend your time. I may actually get one right this week in FSYTYCD.
Kupono: It’s also good, but not fantastic. Jason was certainly better. Cat doesn’t want him to go because she wants to see more of his outfits. That’s not a great endorsement Cat. He also doesn’t know how to manage his time very well because he takes a few seconds to start and clearly ends a second early.
Kayla: I gotta say, it’s not the best solo ever. It looks like a lot of leaps with some dancing in between. But she’s definitely good enough to be kept around.
Max: Max is soloing to Footloose. So I’m already biased to like it. His footwork is also Phe-Nom-En-Ol. He should definitely stay around.
Tonight’s musical guest is Kristinia DeBarge. It’s your typical pop-strumpet pop song. Which is to say its mildly catchy, has a decent beat, but will utterly be forgettable. I do have to giver her credit though, she is actually kind of dancing, and her back-up dancers are by no means bad, unlike last week.
We’re back and it’s results time. The girls are up first. It was not unanimous on either gender tonight. They all agree that if it were up to them, they wouldn’t lose any of this 6. But they’re not gonna change the rules of the competition. They thought Caitlin had great quality of movement and control, she’s safe. They thought Ashley had Hollywood glamour but thought her solo had no substance. They know what a great dancer Kayla is, but they didn’t think she proved that with a crowded solo and she needs to pull it back. Ashley is going home tonight. We get her recap package. In all honesty, I’m probably not going to miss her, but she wasn’t the weakest girl in this pack. It does suck that she tried for four seasons only to get cut second though. Jeanine looks flabbergasted in the pit.
The boys are next. Jason is first, and they found his solo to be exceptionally strong and thinks it’s the best solo of the season. He’s immediately sent to the pit. They felt Kupono also lacked substance, but they liked that he is different and an intelligent dancer who can take on characters. They think Max is incredibly hard-working and know that he is restricted by his ballroom-ness in solos. And yet, Max is the one going home tonight. Sorry, but especially after the solos, that was the wrong decision judges. Again, I didn’t love him, but considering he was the best last night and his solo tonight was really good, I’d rank this as higher up on the SYTYCD injustice scale. It also begs the question who in the hell is going to cook for these people now? They need their strength, people!
Well, folks, what did you think? Was Max unfairly shafted? Did Ashley not seem to really care anymore, as my viewing partner thinks? Was that Mia Michaels routine not Banoodles to the Buck power? And do you feel, like I feel, that a Kayla/Kupono coupling sounds mildly disastrous?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/17- Top 18 Perform
Hey folks,
So, it’s top 18 night! Top 20 night was good, but I fear the “poor cousin” theory may actually prove true. I didn’t find any instant stars on top 20 night, like I did last year with Katee, Josh, and Mark among others. No one just jumped off the screen for me. However, I got high hopes for tonight. After looking at the style/choreographer spoilers for tonight, there’s at least one piece I’m super-mondo-mega excited for. I won’t say which one, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s not NOT Ade and Melissa doing a Sonja jazz. Was that too obvious? Whoops. However, the whole lineup looked like it could have plenty of banoodles moments. What’s that sound I hear? I think it’s the hot tamale train a-rolling down the tracks. Let’s hop on and ride it through top 18 night folks. All Aboard!
Note: This is the abridged recap. For my full ramblings, visit sytycd.ca
Cat looks like she came from some sort of Spanish themed toga party. It’s got weird frills. She still kinda pulls it off though. In our dancer intros, the standouts are Jeanine, Brandon, Evan, Kayla, Vitolio, Randi, Philip, and Janette. Phil’s flexibility scares me a little bit, not gonna lie. Cat lets us welcome the jidges, who consist of Nigel, Mary, and Lil’ C. Lil’ C is usually a pretty good judge, or at least provides us with some great turns of phrase. Then again, he did give off some stank while judging in Vegas. Cat makes a Mary Murphy botox joke, and Mary tries to convince us it was all a dream, and Cat says all her girlfriends love Mary more for it. Nigel tells the dancers not to show them what you can’t do, show them what you can do. I’m guessing that somewhere out there, Tony Bellisimo is saying “Ouch.”
Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel jive. It’s FUN. Like, oodles and oodles and banoodles of fun. I see a long run on the show for them. Lil’ C sees a divinity in Evan and calls Randi a firecracker. Mary thinks it fell a little short, but was really good, Randi in particular. Nigel thinks Evan should have been better, but that they’re tremendous as a couple.
Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh jazz routine. I have really high expectations going into it, and it meets them… mostly. I like it a lot. Maybe even a lot a lot. But it’s not Sonja’s best ever. It was like an 8.5 and I was hoping for a 9.5. Lil’ C thought it was buck and tells Ade that he is the competition. Cat chest bumps both dancers. Mary thought it was tough to find anything she didn’t like in it. Nigel though it allowed the dancers to show off their strength.
Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. Jason is much better, constantly drawing my focus, but it’s definitely a weaker effort this week. Lil’ C doesn’t love it, and didn’t see the choreography becoming a reality. Mary thought the chemistry didn’t work. Nigel thought they looked really good doing the routine.
Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Doriana Sanchez disco routine. It’s fun, and is definitely one of the better disco routines the show has ever had. That being said, it’s still disco, so I’m not head over heels for it. Both dancers do very well though. Lil’ C thinks the primary objective of all obstacles is to induce labor so that progression can be born. Make of that what you will. He found it extremely, extremely amazing. Mary thinks they nailed it and gives them screams and a standing ovation. Nigel loves them and praises them all around.
Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel waltz. Louis wants Vitolio to dance with his pain on display. There’s one remarkable part where Vitolio swings Asuka in a circle, but I didn’t love the whole thing. I don’t see the pain coming through, but Asuka seems to be doing a pretty good job. Mary tears up and found Vitolio’s dancing to be very honest. Lil’ C thought his vulnerability balanced out the technical faults. Nigel thinks anyone who wasn’t touched by that routine is heartless. I have no problem being called Heartless. I’ll just pretend the Kanye song is about me.
Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Brian Friedman jazz routine. Welcome back Brian! . Um, this feels trashy and amazing. But I mean trashy in the best way possible. I love it. Utterly fantastic. Kayla, you miss, are banoodles. And Max, well, you’re doing a really good job of keeping up. Lil’ C thinks they picked up Brian’s vernacular. Mary keeps Kayla on the Hot Tamale train and deems Max a surprise. Nigel calls Kayla a front runner and thinks the pair of them are special.
Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Stacey Tookey contemporary. Stacy was a choreographer on SYTYCD Canada, but I’ve never seen any of her stuff. I like this alout. They’re both quite good, but Karla is probably slightly better. They give Cat her first chills of the season. Mary calls them the underdogs who have moved into the spotlight. Lil’ C thought it had the perfect balance of everything needed. Nigel thinks they recovered beautifully from last week.
Jeanine and Philip- They’ve got a Tony Meredith tango. Phil is stone faced throughout the routine, and as such is not really connecting with her. He feels a bit like he’s masquerading here to me. Jeanine, however, is fantastic. Mary applauds Phil for his attitude but kind of tears him apart on technique. Lil’ C thinks Jeanine was, as Mary called her, a hot mama. Nigel hopes that Phil’s fanbase can carry them through to next week. Way to not play favorites Nigel.
Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop. I’m not feeling it all that much. It gets better as it goes on, but overall, it’s an eh. Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable. Lil C thinks Kupono dragged Ashley down. Nigel thought it stopped just when he was starting to enjoy it.
My Rankings for the Night:
1)Kayla and Max
2)Randi and Evan
3)Melissa and Ade
4)Karla and Jonathan
5)Janette and Brandon
6)Asuka and Vitolio
7)Jason and Caitlin
8)Jeanine and Philip
9)Ashley and Kupono
Who Should Be Worried: Ashley and Kupono faltered as predicted, and they should definitely be ready to dance for their lives tomorrow. Jason and Caitlin should be prepping too. Philip and Jeanine could well have the fan-base to keep them in, which leaves me stumped as to the final bottom 3 couple. Asuka and Vitolio are at risk if I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t feeling their waltz. Melissa and Ade could also even be at risk, as I could see that being a divisive routine. Or maybe the disco curse will bring down Brandon and Janette.
Who I’d Send Home: It’s a tough call this week. It’d probably be Kupono and Ashley. Or maybe Asuka.
Who Will Probably Go Home: In all honesty, I don’t know. But I think Kupono and Caitlin might be in trouble.
I’d say this was a pretty good top 18 week. I don’t feel as positive towards the poor cousin theory, so that’s something. What did you folks think?
So, it’s top 18 night! Top 20 night was good, but I fear the “poor cousin” theory may actually prove true. I didn’t find any instant stars on top 20 night, like I did last year with Katee, Josh, and Mark among others. No one just jumped off the screen for me. However, I got high hopes for tonight. After looking at the style/choreographer spoilers for tonight, there’s at least one piece I’m super-mondo-mega excited for. I won’t say which one, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s not NOT Ade and Melissa doing a Sonja jazz. Was that too obvious? Whoops. However, the whole lineup looked like it could have plenty of banoodles moments. What’s that sound I hear? I think it’s the hot tamale train a-rolling down the tracks. Let’s hop on and ride it through top 18 night folks. All Aboard!
Note: This is the abridged recap. For my full ramblings, visit sytycd.ca
Cat looks like she came from some sort of Spanish themed toga party. It’s got weird frills. She still kinda pulls it off though. In our dancer intros, the standouts are Jeanine, Brandon, Evan, Kayla, Vitolio, Randi, Philip, and Janette. Phil’s flexibility scares me a little bit, not gonna lie. Cat lets us welcome the jidges, who consist of Nigel, Mary, and Lil’ C. Lil’ C is usually a pretty good judge, or at least provides us with some great turns of phrase. Then again, he did give off some stank while judging in Vegas. Cat makes a Mary Murphy botox joke, and Mary tries to convince us it was all a dream, and Cat says all her girlfriends love Mary more for it. Nigel tells the dancers not to show them what you can’t do, show them what you can do. I’m guessing that somewhere out there, Tony Bellisimo is saying “Ouch.”
Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel jive. It’s FUN. Like, oodles and oodles and banoodles of fun. I see a long run on the show for them. Lil’ C sees a divinity in Evan and calls Randi a firecracker. Mary thinks it fell a little short, but was really good, Randi in particular. Nigel thinks Evan should have been better, but that they’re tremendous as a couple.
Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh jazz routine. I have really high expectations going into it, and it meets them… mostly. I like it a lot. Maybe even a lot a lot. But it’s not Sonja’s best ever. It was like an 8.5 and I was hoping for a 9.5. Lil’ C thought it was buck and tells Ade that he is the competition. Cat chest bumps both dancers. Mary thought it was tough to find anything she didn’t like in it. Nigel though it allowed the dancers to show off their strength.
Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. Jason is much better, constantly drawing my focus, but it’s definitely a weaker effort this week. Lil’ C doesn’t love it, and didn’t see the choreography becoming a reality. Mary thought the chemistry didn’t work. Nigel thought they looked really good doing the routine.
Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Doriana Sanchez disco routine. It’s fun, and is definitely one of the better disco routines the show has ever had. That being said, it’s still disco, so I’m not head over heels for it. Both dancers do very well though. Lil’ C thinks the primary objective of all obstacles is to induce labor so that progression can be born. Make of that what you will. He found it extremely, extremely amazing. Mary thinks they nailed it and gives them screams and a standing ovation. Nigel loves them and praises them all around.
Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel waltz. Louis wants Vitolio to dance with his pain on display. There’s one remarkable part where Vitolio swings Asuka in a circle, but I didn’t love the whole thing. I don’t see the pain coming through, but Asuka seems to be doing a pretty good job. Mary tears up and found Vitolio’s dancing to be very honest. Lil’ C thought his vulnerability balanced out the technical faults. Nigel thinks anyone who wasn’t touched by that routine is heartless. I have no problem being called Heartless. I’ll just pretend the Kanye song is about me.
Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Brian Friedman jazz routine. Welcome back Brian! . Um, this feels trashy and amazing. But I mean trashy in the best way possible. I love it. Utterly fantastic. Kayla, you miss, are banoodles. And Max, well, you’re doing a really good job of keeping up. Lil’ C thinks they picked up Brian’s vernacular. Mary keeps Kayla on the Hot Tamale train and deems Max a surprise. Nigel calls Kayla a front runner and thinks the pair of them are special.
Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Stacey Tookey contemporary. Stacy was a choreographer on SYTYCD Canada, but I’ve never seen any of her stuff. I like this alout. They’re both quite good, but Karla is probably slightly better. They give Cat her first chills of the season. Mary calls them the underdogs who have moved into the spotlight. Lil’ C thought it had the perfect balance of everything needed. Nigel thinks they recovered beautifully from last week.
Jeanine and Philip- They’ve got a Tony Meredith tango. Phil is stone faced throughout the routine, and as such is not really connecting with her. He feels a bit like he’s masquerading here to me. Jeanine, however, is fantastic. Mary applauds Phil for his attitude but kind of tears him apart on technique. Lil’ C thinks Jeanine was, as Mary called her, a hot mama. Nigel hopes that Phil’s fanbase can carry them through to next week. Way to not play favorites Nigel.
Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop. I’m not feeling it all that much. It gets better as it goes on, but overall, it’s an eh. Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable. Lil C thinks Kupono dragged Ashley down. Nigel thought it stopped just when he was starting to enjoy it.
My Rankings for the Night:
1)Kayla and Max
2)Randi and Evan
3)Melissa and Ade
4)Karla and Jonathan
5)Janette and Brandon
6)Asuka and Vitolio
7)Jason and Caitlin
8)Jeanine and Philip
9)Ashley and Kupono
Who Should Be Worried: Ashley and Kupono faltered as predicted, and they should definitely be ready to dance for their lives tomorrow. Jason and Caitlin should be prepping too. Philip and Jeanine could well have the fan-base to keep them in, which leaves me stumped as to the final bottom 3 couple. Asuka and Vitolio are at risk if I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t feeling their waltz. Melissa and Ade could also even be at risk, as I could see that being a divisive routine. Or maybe the disco curse will bring down Brandon and Janette.
Who I’d Send Home: It’s a tough call this week. It’d probably be Kupono and Ashley. Or maybe Asuka.
Who Will Probably Go Home: In all honesty, I don’t know. But I think Kupono and Caitlin might be in trouble.
I’d say this was a pretty good top 18 week. I don’t feel as positive towards the poor cousin theory, so that’s something. What did you folks think?
Thursday, June 11, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/11- Twenty Minus Two Equals...
Hey folks,
So, it’s time to lose our first two dancers. As I said last night, I’d personally get rid of Asuka and Tony after last night. They were certainly the least impressive to me. But I have a gut feeling that Paris and Vitolio aren’t long for this season. Let’s see, shall we?
Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full one, head over to sytycd.ca
Cat looks glorious in an olive green dress with a nice bow on the side. Wowzers, Ms. Deeley, wowzers. Keep up with this and I’ll stop paying attention to the dancers.
The opening number is a weirdly futuristic hip-hop number to what will undoubtedly be the worst song of the entire millennium, aka “Boom Boom Pow”. At times it seems like a wee bit of a rip-off of the most memorable group routine ever, the Ramalama Bang Bang Victorian zombies routine from season two. A lot of the dancers have great moments (I’m kind of surprised that Max can move the way he does during this number), and I like it far better than either NappyTabs routine from last night. Maybe that’s because it’s by Shane Sparks, who really should have a much bigger role in terms of the hip-hop dancing this season. His non-presence last season resulted in a dismally low number of great hip-hop routines.
And we jump RIGHT into the results with the first three couples coming on stage. See, this is yet another reason I love SYTYCD. We don’t have to wait 48 minutes for the first bit of results unlike some reality talent shows (cough cough Idol). Kayla and Max, Randi and Evan, and Jeanine and Philip are the first three couples. All are safe. Deserved, deserved, ehhhhh….
As we come back from break, our next four couples are up on stage. Caitlin and Jason and Melissa and Ade are both safe. Ashley and Kupono are safe too. Paris and Tony are the first couple in the bottom three. After another commercial break, Asuka and Vitolio join them, followed shortly thereafter by Karla and Jonathan. Again, both ranked in my bottom four for the night, so I’m neither flabbergasted nor upset.
It’s Soloin’ Time
Paris- It’s… good. Not fantastic. I almost think she was better last night doing hip hop. I’m not as invested in her survival anymore.
Tony- It’s fun, and it displays his comedic personality well, but we’ve seen such better hip-hop on this stage that I still don’t see him stacking up.
Asuka- Ballroom solos are always more difficult, but Asuka’s has a lot of jive in it, which makes it much better than your typical ballroom solo. She just jumped ahead of Paris for me.
Vitolio- Ok, so if this doesn’t earn Vitolio another week, the judges are frickin’ blind. It’s fantastic. Miles ahead of any of the other solos this evening. Cat’s got chills.
Karla- So, I’m a little surprised Karla is dancing a contemporary solo, given the word that she was secretly a hip-hop dancer. Her extension is really remarkable, but I’m not sure I loved the solo. She was better than Paris though.
Jonathan- His solo seems to be more about tricks than anything else, which is what they bounced Marquis way too early for last season. It’s not fantastic, and may have actually just saved Tony.
After having seen the solos, I think I’d bounce Paris and Tony. I was really pro Paris before tonight, but after the solos, she was the weakest in the bunch. And I think my stance on Tony is clear.
Musical performance time, and it’s Sean Kingston, with apparently, the “hit single of the season”, Fire Burning. It’s a song that I’ve never heard before, but I don’t necessarily doubt what Cat said because I don’t really listen to hit music, because its mostly awful. Case in point, this song. It’s really kind of atrocious. I can’t find a melody in it at all, he seems to sing the same note over and over, and he literally runs out of breath at one point despite barely moving during the performance. The one thing that’s clear is that he’s not lip-syncing, because he may trip over the lyrics at one point. To his own hit song. Seriously, at this point, I’d take those dancing prostitutes who usually perform their “music” on one of the early results show over this garbage.
Results time. The girls are up first, and the result is unanimous. Karla is called up first. They tell her she was very good this evening, but she needs to make sure she’s dancing, not just doing steps. But she did enough to be safe. They took everything they’ve seen so far and how many dancers from different genres are in the competition this season, which basically means Paris is going home, since Asuka is one of two (3?) ballroomers this season. They see Asuka as a personality star, and they felt Paris just didn’t bring it enough tonight. Paris is dunzo. She holds back tears as it goes into her goodbye video package. There’s a lot of her making faces in the background of shots, which really shows how much screentime she was given this season. Cat thanks her for being a part of the competition and sends her to the lone stool of eliminated depression.
The men are next, and it’s unanimous again. Nigel says none of them were good enough tonight. He starts with Vitolio and says they didn’t see enough personality from him and he wasn’t good enough either night. Um, judges, were you WATCHING what I was watching? The judges again critique Tony for failing in his style, tell Jonathan that his gymnastics were fun but aren’t gonna keep him around long, and then thankfully dismiss Tony. He just wasn’t up to par, plain and simple. Cat tells him here is just the beginning. Did the judges get it right? I think they did. See you back next week here folks.
So, it’s time to lose our first two dancers. As I said last night, I’d personally get rid of Asuka and Tony after last night. They were certainly the least impressive to me. But I have a gut feeling that Paris and Vitolio aren’t long for this season. Let’s see, shall we?
Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full one, head over to sytycd.ca
Cat looks glorious in an olive green dress with a nice bow on the side. Wowzers, Ms. Deeley, wowzers. Keep up with this and I’ll stop paying attention to the dancers.
The opening number is a weirdly futuristic hip-hop number to what will undoubtedly be the worst song of the entire millennium, aka “Boom Boom Pow”. At times it seems like a wee bit of a rip-off of the most memorable group routine ever, the Ramalama Bang Bang Victorian zombies routine from season two. A lot of the dancers have great moments (I’m kind of surprised that Max can move the way he does during this number), and I like it far better than either NappyTabs routine from last night. Maybe that’s because it’s by Shane Sparks, who really should have a much bigger role in terms of the hip-hop dancing this season. His non-presence last season resulted in a dismally low number of great hip-hop routines.
And we jump RIGHT into the results with the first three couples coming on stage. See, this is yet another reason I love SYTYCD. We don’t have to wait 48 minutes for the first bit of results unlike some reality talent shows (cough cough Idol). Kayla and Max, Randi and Evan, and Jeanine and Philip are the first three couples. All are safe. Deserved, deserved, ehhhhh….
As we come back from break, our next four couples are up on stage. Caitlin and Jason and Melissa and Ade are both safe. Ashley and Kupono are safe too. Paris and Tony are the first couple in the bottom three. After another commercial break, Asuka and Vitolio join them, followed shortly thereafter by Karla and Jonathan. Again, both ranked in my bottom four for the night, so I’m neither flabbergasted nor upset.
It’s Soloin’ Time
Paris- It’s… good. Not fantastic. I almost think she was better last night doing hip hop. I’m not as invested in her survival anymore.
Tony- It’s fun, and it displays his comedic personality well, but we’ve seen such better hip-hop on this stage that I still don’t see him stacking up.
Asuka- Ballroom solos are always more difficult, but Asuka’s has a lot of jive in it, which makes it much better than your typical ballroom solo. She just jumped ahead of Paris for me.
Vitolio- Ok, so if this doesn’t earn Vitolio another week, the judges are frickin’ blind. It’s fantastic. Miles ahead of any of the other solos this evening. Cat’s got chills.
Karla- So, I’m a little surprised Karla is dancing a contemporary solo, given the word that she was secretly a hip-hop dancer. Her extension is really remarkable, but I’m not sure I loved the solo. She was better than Paris though.
Jonathan- His solo seems to be more about tricks than anything else, which is what they bounced Marquis way too early for last season. It’s not fantastic, and may have actually just saved Tony.
After having seen the solos, I think I’d bounce Paris and Tony. I was really pro Paris before tonight, but after the solos, she was the weakest in the bunch. And I think my stance on Tony is clear.
Musical performance time, and it’s Sean Kingston, with apparently, the “hit single of the season”, Fire Burning. It’s a song that I’ve never heard before, but I don’t necessarily doubt what Cat said because I don’t really listen to hit music, because its mostly awful. Case in point, this song. It’s really kind of atrocious. I can’t find a melody in it at all, he seems to sing the same note over and over, and he literally runs out of breath at one point despite barely moving during the performance. The one thing that’s clear is that he’s not lip-syncing, because he may trip over the lyrics at one point. To his own hit song. Seriously, at this point, I’d take those dancing prostitutes who usually perform their “music” on one of the early results show over this garbage.
Results time. The girls are up first, and the result is unanimous. Karla is called up first. They tell her she was very good this evening, but she needs to make sure she’s dancing, not just doing steps. But she did enough to be safe. They took everything they’ve seen so far and how many dancers from different genres are in the competition this season, which basically means Paris is going home, since Asuka is one of two (3?) ballroomers this season. They see Asuka as a personality star, and they felt Paris just didn’t bring it enough tonight. Paris is dunzo. She holds back tears as it goes into her goodbye video package. There’s a lot of her making faces in the background of shots, which really shows how much screentime she was given this season. Cat thanks her for being a part of the competition and sends her to the lone stool of eliminated depression.
The men are next, and it’s unanimous again. Nigel says none of them were good enough tonight. He starts with Vitolio and says they didn’t see enough personality from him and he wasn’t good enough either night. Um, judges, were you WATCHING what I was watching? The judges again critique Tony for failing in his style, tell Jonathan that his gymnastics were fun but aren’t gonna keep him around long, and then thankfully dismiss Tony. He just wasn’t up to par, plain and simple. Cat tells him here is just the beginning. Did the judges get it right? I think they did. See you back next week here folks.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/10- Top 20 Perform! 'Bout Time!
Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full recap, complete with side notes and expanded judges comments, go to sytycd.ca
Hey folks,
It’s Top 20 Week! Which means its time for the actual dancing to start! Can I get a hip hip huzzah, people? So, I’m just going to warn you in advance, this recap may be a bit… odd. I currently have something roughly the size of a tissue stuffed completely up one of my nostrils, as part of a medical procedure. It’s uncomfortable and putting me on edge, so there may be more anger/grumpiness in this recap than usual. However, I am also on painkillers for it, which may make me a bit loopy. So, we’ll see. Either way, it should be entertaining. But enough about me and my nasal problems, let’s get to the dancin’!
Cat is wearing a white frock that seems to have a spiderweb spun by Liberace all over the front. In the opening everyone dances montage, Brandon, Evan, Janettte, Jason, Kupono, Kayla, Max, Melissa, Philip, and Tony are the ones who impress me the most. No one seems awful though. Jidging (Oh Cat Deeley, I forgot your adorable British pronunciations) tonight are Nigel (who earns a salute), Mary, and Shankers. Yay Shankers!
Jeanine and Philip- They have a NappyTabs routine about a couple that needs to bang before they go to sleep (I think). Ok, so Phil kind of destroys this. He’s, for lack of a better word, buck. Jeanine is doing her best to keep up, and does a pretty darn good job. The routine itself? Kind of meh for me. Shankers thinks the routine is Unreal, Mary was super impressed by Jeanine for being able to keep up, and Nigel thought Jeanine was fantastic as well and thinks she slipped through the editing net. Yeah, because editing doesn’t involve conscious decisions to leave certain people out or anything like that.
Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Tyce broadway routine which apparently features popping/locking. Tyce, since when is there popping on Broadway? The routine is better than normal Tyce, which puts it somewhere in the range of mediocre to good. Vitolio, however is really good. Like, he’s the only one I’m focusing on. But that may also be because Asuka seems really anemic. She’s low energy, her jumping looks weak, and, I dunno, it’s just meh. Routine and Asuka bad, Vitolio good. Shankers found the routine aritifical, Mary also felt the low energy and thought it was safe, and Nigel found their personality lacking.
Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Tony Meredith Cha Cha, and seem kind of into it (and each other) in the pre-package. It’s to “Poker Face” by Lady GaGa so I’m already predisposed to not like it. BUT, I think this is the best routine of the night so far, but I’m not sure if it’s gonna hold up over the two hours. They both seem good, and neither really outshines the other. They’re also a bit too smiley for me. But they nailed the sexiness, their partnering was great, they had chemistry, and it was fun to watch. Shankers thought it was really good, Mary liked the roughness of the cha cha, and Nigel thinks they’ll be remembered.
Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Tyce jazz. Tyce’s jazz is usually better than his broadway (e.g. the Adam and Eve routine last year), so I’m hopeful. It’s certainly one of the best Tyce routines I’ve ever seen. This time though, it’s not faint praise. I really like it. Evan is just banoodles. He’s captivating to watch. Randi definitely holds her own too. But it’s really good. I’m a definite fan. Shankers thinks they danced bigger than they are, Mary says this quashed any doubts she had about them, and Nigel thinks they’re a couple that’ll be talked about.
Paris and Tony- They’ve got another NappyTabs hip-hop. NappyTabs were really impressed with Paris, but needed to tell Tony to get meaner. It always seems to me that when NappyTabs do routines, they are 50% great, 50% not great. This is one of the great ones. Paris is crushing this. Tony I’m not as sold by. But I’d almost say I prefer this to the Phil/Jeanine one. Shankers found it hard to focus on their dancing, Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable, and Nigel thinks they were just doing steps, not dancing.
Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Bollywood routine by Nakul. Jason is worried about the precision of the movement. Their fingers are worried, and Nakul is worried that he’s throwing too much at them for week one. It’s good, but it’s mostly upper body movement it seems, and I would have lied to see a little bit more full body movement. They’re both really good, but Jason’s precision seems a bit better. But I’m impressed by how well they both handled the tough style. Shankers thought they, and Jason in particular, rocked. Mary scrams, and Nigel thought it was something beautiful to see.
Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Foxtrot. Louis is new this season, and is stolen from Dancing with the Stars. I don’t really know about the technique for this, but I know that I REALLY enjoy watching it. They seem effortlessly graceful, they have personality, and Janette and Brandon each have moments where they shine. She’s maybe a little bit better, but they’re both really good. Shankers thought it was absolutely lovely, Mary thinks Janette was like Ginger Rogers tonight, and Nigel was shocked by Janette’s carriage. Mary also tells us that she can’t move her eyebrows anymore because of Botox, and it’s a genuinely great Mary Murphy moment.
Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Wade Robson routine about crash test dummies. And… I’m already sold on just the concept. Wade ain’t lookin too good though. It is, to semi-quote Mia Michaels beautifully, disastrously weird. Kupono is just fantastic and Ashley is pretty darn good too. Parts of it are overly distracting and I fear this may just be too out there for America, but I like it a bunch. It’s not my favorite Wade routine ever, and in fact its probably towards the bottom of my Wade list, but that still places it above the entire oeuvre of Tyce and most of NappyTabs. Shankers found their technique to be exquisite, Mary bought the routine 100%, and Nigel felt moved to another world by it.
Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Mandy Moore contemporary about that moment when you first fall in love. Mandy is a choreographer who has only been getting better recently, so I’m excited. This is… absolutely beautiful. Probably my favorite so far. They both rock it. Graceful, strong, pretty, connected. Shankers found it to be special, Mary gives them a scream and found it totally believeable, and Nigel thinks America has a lot more to look forward to from them.
Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Samba. Kayla’s never done ballroom, but Max is ballroom, so he’s looking to help her out this week. To start, Kayla looks stunning. The dance itself is pretty hot. Again, I know nothing about ballroom technique, so I can’t really judge, but their footwork looks great, their connection is great, and they even seem to know how to play to the cameras. It’s quite good, and a good way to end the show. Shankers bursts with praise, Mary places them onto the Hot Tamale train, and Nigel found it sensational.
My Ranking of the Couples:
1)Melissa and Ade
2)Brandon and Janette
3)Evan and Randi
4)Kupono and Ashley
5)Kayla and Max
6)Caitlin and Jason
7)Karla and Jonathan
8)Paris and Tony
9)Philip and Jeanine
10)Asuka and Vitolio
Who Should Be Worried: Asuka and Vitolio and Paris and Tony both definitely need to be prepping solos. Philip and Jeanine will probably be buoyed by Phil’s popularity, so Karla and Jonathan should be worried as well.
Who I’d Send Home: For the guys, it’s definitely Tony. He’s just not on the same level as the others. For the girls, it should probably be Asuka.
Who I Think is Actually Going Home: Since the show always has that one dancer who they keep to try to teach, I have the feeling Tony’s gonna survive this week, which doesn’t bode well for Vitolio. Given the show’s love of Asuka, I’d say it’s a 50/50 shot between her and Paris.
What did you guys think? Pleased with season 5 so far?
Hey folks,
It’s Top 20 Week! Which means its time for the actual dancing to start! Can I get a hip hip huzzah, people? So, I’m just going to warn you in advance, this recap may be a bit… odd. I currently have something roughly the size of a tissue stuffed completely up one of my nostrils, as part of a medical procedure. It’s uncomfortable and putting me on edge, so there may be more anger/grumpiness in this recap than usual. However, I am also on painkillers for it, which may make me a bit loopy. So, we’ll see. Either way, it should be entertaining. But enough about me and my nasal problems, let’s get to the dancin’!
Cat is wearing a white frock that seems to have a spiderweb spun by Liberace all over the front. In the opening everyone dances montage, Brandon, Evan, Janettte, Jason, Kupono, Kayla, Max, Melissa, Philip, and Tony are the ones who impress me the most. No one seems awful though. Jidging (Oh Cat Deeley, I forgot your adorable British pronunciations) tonight are Nigel (who earns a salute), Mary, and Shankers. Yay Shankers!
Jeanine and Philip- They have a NappyTabs routine about a couple that needs to bang before they go to sleep (I think). Ok, so Phil kind of destroys this. He’s, for lack of a better word, buck. Jeanine is doing her best to keep up, and does a pretty darn good job. The routine itself? Kind of meh for me. Shankers thinks the routine is Unreal, Mary was super impressed by Jeanine for being able to keep up, and Nigel thought Jeanine was fantastic as well and thinks she slipped through the editing net. Yeah, because editing doesn’t involve conscious decisions to leave certain people out or anything like that.
Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Tyce broadway routine which apparently features popping/locking. Tyce, since when is there popping on Broadway? The routine is better than normal Tyce, which puts it somewhere in the range of mediocre to good. Vitolio, however is really good. Like, he’s the only one I’m focusing on. But that may also be because Asuka seems really anemic. She’s low energy, her jumping looks weak, and, I dunno, it’s just meh. Routine and Asuka bad, Vitolio good. Shankers found the routine aritifical, Mary also felt the low energy and thought it was safe, and Nigel found their personality lacking.
Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Tony Meredith Cha Cha, and seem kind of into it (and each other) in the pre-package. It’s to “Poker Face” by Lady GaGa so I’m already predisposed to not like it. BUT, I think this is the best routine of the night so far, but I’m not sure if it’s gonna hold up over the two hours. They both seem good, and neither really outshines the other. They’re also a bit too smiley for me. But they nailed the sexiness, their partnering was great, they had chemistry, and it was fun to watch. Shankers thought it was really good, Mary liked the roughness of the cha cha, and Nigel thinks they’ll be remembered.
Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Tyce jazz. Tyce’s jazz is usually better than his broadway (e.g. the Adam and Eve routine last year), so I’m hopeful. It’s certainly one of the best Tyce routines I’ve ever seen. This time though, it’s not faint praise. I really like it. Evan is just banoodles. He’s captivating to watch. Randi definitely holds her own too. But it’s really good. I’m a definite fan. Shankers thinks they danced bigger than they are, Mary says this quashed any doubts she had about them, and Nigel thinks they’re a couple that’ll be talked about.
Paris and Tony- They’ve got another NappyTabs hip-hop. NappyTabs were really impressed with Paris, but needed to tell Tony to get meaner. It always seems to me that when NappyTabs do routines, they are 50% great, 50% not great. This is one of the great ones. Paris is crushing this. Tony I’m not as sold by. But I’d almost say I prefer this to the Phil/Jeanine one. Shankers found it hard to focus on their dancing, Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable, and Nigel thinks they were just doing steps, not dancing.
Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Bollywood routine by Nakul. Jason is worried about the precision of the movement. Their fingers are worried, and Nakul is worried that he’s throwing too much at them for week one. It’s good, but it’s mostly upper body movement it seems, and I would have lied to see a little bit more full body movement. They’re both really good, but Jason’s precision seems a bit better. But I’m impressed by how well they both handled the tough style. Shankers thought they, and Jason in particular, rocked. Mary scrams, and Nigel thought it was something beautiful to see.
Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Foxtrot. Louis is new this season, and is stolen from Dancing with the Stars. I don’t really know about the technique for this, but I know that I REALLY enjoy watching it. They seem effortlessly graceful, they have personality, and Janette and Brandon each have moments where they shine. She’s maybe a little bit better, but they’re both really good. Shankers thought it was absolutely lovely, Mary thinks Janette was like Ginger Rogers tonight, and Nigel was shocked by Janette’s carriage. Mary also tells us that she can’t move her eyebrows anymore because of Botox, and it’s a genuinely great Mary Murphy moment.
Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Wade Robson routine about crash test dummies. And… I’m already sold on just the concept. Wade ain’t lookin too good though. It is, to semi-quote Mia Michaels beautifully, disastrously weird. Kupono is just fantastic and Ashley is pretty darn good too. Parts of it are overly distracting and I fear this may just be too out there for America, but I like it a bunch. It’s not my favorite Wade routine ever, and in fact its probably towards the bottom of my Wade list, but that still places it above the entire oeuvre of Tyce and most of NappyTabs. Shankers found their technique to be exquisite, Mary bought the routine 100%, and Nigel felt moved to another world by it.
Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Mandy Moore contemporary about that moment when you first fall in love. Mandy is a choreographer who has only been getting better recently, so I’m excited. This is… absolutely beautiful. Probably my favorite so far. They both rock it. Graceful, strong, pretty, connected. Shankers found it to be special, Mary gives them a scream and found it totally believeable, and Nigel thinks America has a lot more to look forward to from them.
Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Samba. Kayla’s never done ballroom, but Max is ballroom, so he’s looking to help her out this week. To start, Kayla looks stunning. The dance itself is pretty hot. Again, I know nothing about ballroom technique, so I can’t really judge, but their footwork looks great, their connection is great, and they even seem to know how to play to the cameras. It’s quite good, and a good way to end the show. Shankers bursts with praise, Mary places them onto the Hot Tamale train, and Nigel found it sensational.
My Ranking of the Couples:
1)Melissa and Ade
2)Brandon and Janette
3)Evan and Randi
4)Kupono and Ashley
5)Kayla and Max
6)Caitlin and Jason
7)Karla and Jonathan
8)Paris and Tony
9)Philip and Jeanine
10)Asuka and Vitolio
Who Should Be Worried: Asuka and Vitolio and Paris and Tony both definitely need to be prepping solos. Philip and Jeanine will probably be buoyed by Phil’s popularity, so Karla and Jonathan should be worried as well.
Who I’d Send Home: For the guys, it’s definitely Tony. He’s just not on the same level as the others. For the girls, it should probably be Asuka.
Who I Think is Actually Going Home: Since the show always has that one dancer who they keep to try to teach, I have the feeling Tony’s gonna survive this week, which doesn’t bode well for Vitolio. Given the show’s love of Asuka, I’d say it’s a 50/50 shot between her and Paris.
What did you guys think? Pleased with season 5 so far?
Saturday, June 6, 2009
I'm Calling You Out: SYTYCD Editors. Again.
So, I know there’s a lot of outrage in the SYTYCD community right now. Oodles of backlash is rising up from the shock elimination of Natalie Reid and other dramas. And while I was sad-ish to see Natalie go, I have a much much bigger problem right now with SYTYCD. Namely, that they need a whole new crew of editors that know how to pay off their audience. Editors, for the second straight season, I’m Calling You Out
Last season, I wrote a post where I called out the editors for overediting the dances to within inches of losing watchability. The editing destroyed all flow of the dance, focused on only one dancer, or some other gaping problem. It was really ruining the season, but they kind of got it together by the end of last season. So it was really disheartening to me this week when I realized that they were having the exact same problem with the beginning of season 5, in a way. See, this season so far, they aren’t ruining the flow of dance, but rather, as we have been talking about so frequently in light of Vegas, the narrative flow of the show.
And one need look no farther than the gaping holes in Vegas week to see this problem unfold. I’m not talking about judging oversight or anything like that, I’m talking about literal holes in information for viewers. As I said all week in my recaps, where in the hell was Kelsea Taylor? Or African Dancer Geo Smith? Or Memphis Juker Marica Flaka? Or Contemporary ladies Anna Dunn and Arielle Taylor? How about our Guerra Sisters? Anyone know Tapper Peter Sabasino’s fate? Did Kellen Stancil dance with an umbrella again?
See, we don’t know. Because, despite these people all being deserving enough to have their entire audition solo shown during auditions, they apparently didn’t merit a single mention (at least by name) during Vegas week. Sure, Peter or Arielle could be seen in the background of shots, but they, and, frankly, us, the people who watched their auditions, don’t deserve any mention of their fates? That’s not cool.
Also, what in the hell did Amanda Kerby, Travis Prokop, or Peter Sabasino do to merit video packages from home if they were either only mentioned by first name when they were cut, summarily dismissed within the first five minutes of the show, or NOT MENTIONED AT ALL? I can kind of understand it in Travis’ case, given what his video package from home entailed and how it fits with Nigel’s message of men can dance too. But really, did we need to see Amanda Kerby’s home life and her dad’s disability if she was just gonna get cut in Vegas with little mention of it? Or have dinner with the Sabasino family if he was never to be seen again? No, we didn’t. This isn’t to say that seeing their audition solos was pointless, it’s actually the opposite. I was glad to see their solos, but I wanted to actually know what happened to them.
So, really, from a continuity standpoint, the show has been dreadful this season. I get why there are certain dancers in the top 20 who we have yet to see anything from (Abe Who?), either because the judges are hoping that they will go gently into that good night, or they want us surprised when they burst out of the gate and knock our jaws to the floor. But what is the point of showing us a complete audition solo, arguably the way viewers are supposed to first invest in a dancer, if we never hear from these people again. I’m not saying that the editors should only show the solos of our top 20, I just wish we could have seen some of these people pop up in Vegas, even if only to see them get cut. In past seasons, they’ve had this problem, but I never questioned it, because (correct me if I’m wrong here folks), we saw more audition episodes. With a greater number of shown auditioners, it’s inevitable that there will be dancers shown getting through and never being heard from again. With this season though, I feel like we only had a limited number of audition cities. And, by not telling us what happened to this fairly small number of people who earned mention from their auditions, you just have angry viewers, who will continually wonder what in the hell happened to Kelsea Taylor.
Last season, I wrote a post where I called out the editors for overediting the dances to within inches of losing watchability. The editing destroyed all flow of the dance, focused on only one dancer, or some other gaping problem. It was really ruining the season, but they kind of got it together by the end of last season. So it was really disheartening to me this week when I realized that they were having the exact same problem with the beginning of season 5, in a way. See, this season so far, they aren’t ruining the flow of dance, but rather, as we have been talking about so frequently in light of Vegas, the narrative flow of the show.
And one need look no farther than the gaping holes in Vegas week to see this problem unfold. I’m not talking about judging oversight or anything like that, I’m talking about literal holes in information for viewers. As I said all week in my recaps, where in the hell was Kelsea Taylor? Or African Dancer Geo Smith? Or Memphis Juker Marica Flaka? Or Contemporary ladies Anna Dunn and Arielle Taylor? How about our Guerra Sisters? Anyone know Tapper Peter Sabasino’s fate? Did Kellen Stancil dance with an umbrella again?
See, we don’t know. Because, despite these people all being deserving enough to have their entire audition solo shown during auditions, they apparently didn’t merit a single mention (at least by name) during Vegas week. Sure, Peter or Arielle could be seen in the background of shots, but they, and, frankly, us, the people who watched their auditions, don’t deserve any mention of their fates? That’s not cool.
Also, what in the hell did Amanda Kerby, Travis Prokop, or Peter Sabasino do to merit video packages from home if they were either only mentioned by first name when they were cut, summarily dismissed within the first five minutes of the show, or NOT MENTIONED AT ALL? I can kind of understand it in Travis’ case, given what his video package from home entailed and how it fits with Nigel’s message of men can dance too. But really, did we need to see Amanda Kerby’s home life and her dad’s disability if she was just gonna get cut in Vegas with little mention of it? Or have dinner with the Sabasino family if he was never to be seen again? No, we didn’t. This isn’t to say that seeing their audition solos was pointless, it’s actually the opposite. I was glad to see their solos, but I wanted to actually know what happened to them.
So, really, from a continuity standpoint, the show has been dreadful this season. I get why there are certain dancers in the top 20 who we have yet to see anything from (Abe Who?), either because the judges are hoping that they will go gently into that good night, or they want us surprised when they burst out of the gate and knock our jaws to the floor. But what is the point of showing us a complete audition solo, arguably the way viewers are supposed to first invest in a dancer, if we never hear from these people again. I’m not saying that the editors should only show the solos of our top 20, I just wish we could have seen some of these people pop up in Vegas, even if only to see them get cut. In past seasons, they’ve had this problem, but I never questioned it, because (correct me if I’m wrong here folks), we saw more audition episodes. With a greater number of shown auditioners, it’s inevitable that there will be dancers shown getting through and never being heard from again. With this season though, I feel like we only had a limited number of audition cities. And, by not telling us what happened to this fairly small number of people who earned mention from their auditions, you just have angry viewers, who will continually wonder what in the hell happened to Kelsea Taylor.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 6/4- Season 5's Top 20 Revealed!
Hey Folks,
So, since this is the abbreviated version, this recap only features blurbs about those who made it through. So, I guess, spoiler alert? Can a recap really have a spoiler alert? For the full version, visit sytycd.ca. But, since you're here, enjoy the happy happy smiles version of tonight's proceedings...
As we left off last night, Jeanette Manrara is up first. I picked her for my top 20, so I’m hoping she gets through. She had a rough few weeks before Vegas (car accident, boyfriend troubles), so she’s hoping for a bright spot. Nigel teases her for a bit before revealing her to be our first member of the top 20.
Vitolio is our next potential top 20 member. He has an impressive backstory (he was an orphan in Haiti), and I’m shocked the show hasn’t told us about it before. He describes his nerves as a “diarrhea moment.” Lil’ C didn’t like that he was a slow-starter, but that isn’t keeping him out of the top 20. Nigel tells him to bring his fantastic personality into his dancing.
Kayla Rodamski is up next, and I know she’s got a ton of supporters here. I put her in my top 20, but in all honestly, she was my 10th pick. She’s still very talented though. Mia loves that she auditioned and tells her that she is one of a very small number of female dancers who have captivated her. Mia cannot wait for her to tear up this season, because she’s a member of the top 20. So all you Kayla fans out there, get your rejoicing on.
Kupono is next, and I’m still unsold on him, and especially the early comparisons to Mark, which I just don’t see. Kelsea Taylor was the Mark-iest dancer I’ve seen this season. He shows us a checklist he made of things to do today, including Shave, breathe, and make the top 20. Shankers brings up all the Seattle criticism of him, and then makes some stupid joke about the producers having trouble with his name because he’s in the top 20.
Paris Torres, Jeanine Mason, Ade Obayami, Karla Garcia, and Jonathan Pratero are all as well, but apparently don’t merit enough to get individual packages. I would have thought Paris would get one at least.
Brandon Bryant, the ever devisive Brandon, is up next. Mia can’t take him, and says she can’t take what he brings to the floor, it annoys the shit out of her. She sees attitude, and doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. Get your eyesight checked, Ms. Michaels. Debbie vocally disagrees, and Debbie gets it when he dances, and doesn’t judge his personality. He doesn’t impress Lil’ C, but Mary cuts C (Lil’?) off and says she doesn’t want to listen to this crap, and tells Brandon not to question his talent, and that she doesn’t want to listen to it anymore. Nigel, saving us all from having to endure more of this, sends him into the top 20. Mia wonders what’s gonna happen when he has to work with her, but Brandon promises that it’ll be bomb and he wants to show her and Lil’ C what he can do. They seem to accept this. I seem to accept that this was all likely faked drama in order to derail another fantastically talented dancer from cruising away with the title without a challenger (Shades of the Danny Tidwell Arrogance debacle, anyone? Or Will Wingfield supposedly lacking a personality?).
Tony Bellisimo is next, and I’m not at all sold on this kid. He was non-existent before Vegas and I didn’t love his Nigel obsessed solo. His dancing just doesn’t seem up to par. Nigel reiterates this, but says everyone loves his charisma, and apparently, that’s enough to get him into the top 20. Not gonna lie, I see him as an early casualty. It’s up to him to prove me wrong. Nigel says they want to see him grow. Cat notes that now he’s feeling cocky.
Maksim Kapitannikov, Caitlin Kinney (who greatly says “You’re not serious?), Melissa Sandvig (our naughty ballerina), and Jason Glover (who I really dig despite the distinct lack of featuring he’s been given), all are in the top 20, and also all don’t deserve individual packages apparently. Ashley Valerio is next, and this is the fourth time she’s tried out for the show. And apparently, resilience pays off, because she’s in the top 20 too. Her reaction in the hallway is great.
Randi Evans is next, and it’s been a while since we’ve had a cut, so I don’t think this bodes well. Mia likes her tigress body, and thinks she hasn’t stepped into her glory yet, but loves her commitment to her unitards. She is ALSO in the top 20. Damn, it’s been a while since anyone got cut.
Philip Chbeeb is next, and OBVIOUSLY he’s making it through. Like, he was a lock from the moment he set foot onscreen during his audition with Arielle Coker. So, surprise surprise, he’s through. They’re all pleased with his growth, his love of dance overall, and etc. Yeah, shocker, he’s made it.
Which means we’re down to our final two guys and our final two girls. And OF COURSE they are making the brothers Kasprzak face off against each other. Cat hates being the mean one, she tells us. Cat, we could never hate you, no matter how bad the news you have to deliver is.
Deanna Brickley vs. Asuka Kondoh- OK, OK, I know saying versus is not entirely fair. But it’s my recap, so I can do what I want. Considering Asuka is now in the final run for her second season and we’ve never, to my recollection, seen Deanna before, I’m guessing I know how this is going to play out. Debbie says one of them didn’t do enough and didn’t go the distance they needed, and, shocker [sarcasm], it’s the end of Deanna’s journey. Asuka is our final girl in the top 20.
Kasprzak vs. Kasprzak- Cat asks the brothers how they would feel if the other made it. They are very gracious to one another, all hugs and such. Seriously, these two are SO likeable, that I really wish they could both make it. The brothers describe this scenario as their worst nightmare. Nigel points out that they are too similar in style to put both of them through. Nigel makes sure to mention that there’s only room for one THIS SEASON, and tells Ryan to be proud that his choreography got his brother through to the top 20. Evan is our final guy. I’m certainly rooting for him. I love that old timey style.
Here’s out Top 20:
Boys: Ade, Brandon, Evan, Jason, Jonathan, Kupono, Max, Philip, Tony, and Vitolio.
Girls: Ashley, Asuka, Caitlin, Janette, Jeanine, Karla, Kayla, Melissa, Paris, and Randi.
Well, folks, reactions? Any early favorites (For me, it’s Brandon, Evan, Jason, Janette, and probably Kayla or Asuka)? Shocked by how little how much of the top 20 has been featured up to this point? It seems like there’s an awful lot of new names there, which could make this season either a blow-out or a really interesting free-for-all. Either way, you know I’ll be watching. And, I say again, WHERE IN THE HELL WAS KELSEA TAYLOR?
So, since this is the abbreviated version, this recap only features blurbs about those who made it through. So, I guess, spoiler alert? Can a recap really have a spoiler alert? For the full version, visit sytycd.ca. But, since you're here, enjoy the happy happy smiles version of tonight's proceedings...
As we left off last night, Jeanette Manrara is up first. I picked her for my top 20, so I’m hoping she gets through. She had a rough few weeks before Vegas (car accident, boyfriend troubles), so she’s hoping for a bright spot. Nigel teases her for a bit before revealing her to be our first member of the top 20.
Vitolio is our next potential top 20 member. He has an impressive backstory (he was an orphan in Haiti), and I’m shocked the show hasn’t told us about it before. He describes his nerves as a “diarrhea moment.” Lil’ C didn’t like that he was a slow-starter, but that isn’t keeping him out of the top 20. Nigel tells him to bring his fantastic personality into his dancing.
Kayla Rodamski is up next, and I know she’s got a ton of supporters here. I put her in my top 20, but in all honestly, she was my 10th pick. She’s still very talented though. Mia loves that she auditioned and tells her that she is one of a very small number of female dancers who have captivated her. Mia cannot wait for her to tear up this season, because she’s a member of the top 20. So all you Kayla fans out there, get your rejoicing on.
Kupono is next, and I’m still unsold on him, and especially the early comparisons to Mark, which I just don’t see. Kelsea Taylor was the Mark-iest dancer I’ve seen this season. He shows us a checklist he made of things to do today, including Shave, breathe, and make the top 20. Shankers brings up all the Seattle criticism of him, and then makes some stupid joke about the producers having trouble with his name because he’s in the top 20.
Paris Torres, Jeanine Mason, Ade Obayami, Karla Garcia, and Jonathan Pratero are all as well, but apparently don’t merit enough to get individual packages. I would have thought Paris would get one at least.
Brandon Bryant, the ever devisive Brandon, is up next. Mia can’t take him, and says she can’t take what he brings to the floor, it annoys the shit out of her. She sees attitude, and doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. Get your eyesight checked, Ms. Michaels. Debbie vocally disagrees, and Debbie gets it when he dances, and doesn’t judge his personality. He doesn’t impress Lil’ C, but Mary cuts C (Lil’?) off and says she doesn’t want to listen to this crap, and tells Brandon not to question his talent, and that she doesn’t want to listen to it anymore. Nigel, saving us all from having to endure more of this, sends him into the top 20. Mia wonders what’s gonna happen when he has to work with her, but Brandon promises that it’ll be bomb and he wants to show her and Lil’ C what he can do. They seem to accept this. I seem to accept that this was all likely faked drama in order to derail another fantastically talented dancer from cruising away with the title without a challenger (Shades of the Danny Tidwell Arrogance debacle, anyone? Or Will Wingfield supposedly lacking a personality?).
Tony Bellisimo is next, and I’m not at all sold on this kid. He was non-existent before Vegas and I didn’t love his Nigel obsessed solo. His dancing just doesn’t seem up to par. Nigel reiterates this, but says everyone loves his charisma, and apparently, that’s enough to get him into the top 20. Not gonna lie, I see him as an early casualty. It’s up to him to prove me wrong. Nigel says they want to see him grow. Cat notes that now he’s feeling cocky.
Maksim Kapitannikov, Caitlin Kinney (who greatly says “You’re not serious?), Melissa Sandvig (our naughty ballerina), and Jason Glover (who I really dig despite the distinct lack of featuring he’s been given), all are in the top 20, and also all don’t deserve individual packages apparently. Ashley Valerio is next, and this is the fourth time she’s tried out for the show. And apparently, resilience pays off, because she’s in the top 20 too. Her reaction in the hallway is great.
Randi Evans is next, and it’s been a while since we’ve had a cut, so I don’t think this bodes well. Mia likes her tigress body, and thinks she hasn’t stepped into her glory yet, but loves her commitment to her unitards. She is ALSO in the top 20. Damn, it’s been a while since anyone got cut.
Philip Chbeeb is next, and OBVIOUSLY he’s making it through. Like, he was a lock from the moment he set foot onscreen during his audition with Arielle Coker. So, surprise surprise, he’s through. They’re all pleased with his growth, his love of dance overall, and etc. Yeah, shocker, he’s made it.
Which means we’re down to our final two guys and our final two girls. And OF COURSE they are making the brothers Kasprzak face off against each other. Cat hates being the mean one, she tells us. Cat, we could never hate you, no matter how bad the news you have to deliver is.
Deanna Brickley vs. Asuka Kondoh- OK, OK, I know saying versus is not entirely fair. But it’s my recap, so I can do what I want. Considering Asuka is now in the final run for her second season and we’ve never, to my recollection, seen Deanna before, I’m guessing I know how this is going to play out. Debbie says one of them didn’t do enough and didn’t go the distance they needed, and, shocker [sarcasm], it’s the end of Deanna’s journey. Asuka is our final girl in the top 20.
Kasprzak vs. Kasprzak- Cat asks the brothers how they would feel if the other made it. They are very gracious to one another, all hugs and such. Seriously, these two are SO likeable, that I really wish they could both make it. The brothers describe this scenario as their worst nightmare. Nigel points out that they are too similar in style to put both of them through. Nigel makes sure to mention that there’s only room for one THIS SEASON, and tells Ryan to be proud that his choreography got his brother through to the top 20. Evan is our final guy. I’m certainly rooting for him. I love that old timey style.
Here’s out Top 20:
Boys: Ade, Brandon, Evan, Jason, Jonathan, Kupono, Max, Philip, Tony, and Vitolio.
Girls: Ashley, Asuka, Caitlin, Janette, Jeanine, Karla, Kayla, Melissa, Paris, and Randi.
Well, folks, reactions? Any early favorites (For me, it’s Brandon, Evan, Jason, Janette, and probably Kayla or Asuka)? Shocked by how little how much of the top 20 has been featured up to this point? It seems like there’s an awful lot of new names there, which could make this season either a blow-out or a really interesting free-for-all. Either way, you know I’ll be watching. And, I say again, WHERE IN THE HELL WAS KELSEA TAYLOR?
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