Cat is in something green and shiny and it's oh-so-much-better than her simple ensemble from last night. Cat Deeley, please dress more ostentatiously from now on. In close-up, Cat looks very 80s kinda-sorta. At least, I see it. It's kind of fab.
Note: It's the second to last week, everyone knows this by now, right? This is the abridged recap. For a full version, go to sytycd.ca
Tonight's group routine is to send in the clowns, which is maybe their way of preparing us for the next round of auditions? The number itself is actually quite beautiful, so much so that I know it can't actually be the Tyce piece I would have guessed from the ridiculous costumes/makeup/set design. Seriously, the choreography in this is just beautiful. In fact, I kind of love this. The number ends with Evan waving goodbye. An omen of things to come? But holy what-the-what, it WAS a Tyce? For serious? Nice, Mr. Tasty. Kudos. Um, also, the four emmy nominated routines from last season are gonna be performed. Which means MARK AND CHELSIE ARE BACK! HUZZAH! Oh, and Twitch, Joshua, Katee, Jessica, and Will too...
Anyhoo, our top 3 girls are up on stage and one's about to be sent to the finale. Jeanine is up first, and... we have to wait until we hear about everyone to find out who's guaranteed to be there to the end. The first girl going to the finale is.... Jeanine. Good for her. I still don't get it, but clearly enough people are seeing something I'm not.
Our first encore performance is Jessica and Will doing Tyce's "Adam and Eve" piece from last year. So, serious question. Was Jessica always this good last year? Because she's great. Will, as always, is astounding. But if Jessica really was this good last season, I was really misjudging her harshly. Anyways, the number is still beautiful, it's probably better than "Cancer."
It’s time to send one of the boys to the finale. It really should be Brandon. The first guy going to the finale is... Brandon. Well, at least it's deserved. I mean, the boy can DANCE. Anyone who disputes that is... well... blind.
It's time for another encore routine, this time it's "Mercy" featuring Twitch and Katee. Um, this number was oodles of fun last time, and it's even moreso this time. They really go for the kiss this time. Actually, I probably liked it a little more the first time, but it's still a wide margin better than a lot of what we've seen this season. Katee is still absolutely flippin fantastic, in case any of you were wondering.
The next encore is Dmitry’s “A Los Amigos”, featuring Chelsie and Joshua. Hoo boy is this sultry. Can someone please explain to me how Chelsie didn't make the finale last season? The girl is fantastic. I mean, look at the facts, she's the only one in TWO of these numbers. And she is selling it hardcore this time too. Not that Joshua is bad, but he just can't compete with her.
It's time for the bottom four's solos. First up is Melissa. I still think this is an utterly fantastic solo.
Ade is the next solo. It's still ridiculously good. Better than it was last night. At least, I think so.
The Jabbawockeez are now doing a routine. They won the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, a show I haven't watched but apparently should if it often features dancing this cool. Then again, it has Randy Jackson too, doesn't it, and that's a big no-no. The white masks creep me out a bit at first, but I've completely come around to them like 20 seconds in. But yeah, this is really awesome.
It's time for the encore I've been waiting for, "Bleeding Love" by NappyTabs featuring Mark and Chelise. Yay Mark! Yay! Sorry, he's just maybe my favorite contestant ever, so I'm excited to see him back. And he's even better than Chelsie in this number. But seriously, this number is just really really really good. I remember not being wowed by this the first time I saw it, but I was a complete idiot back then. Can Mark somehow make the finale this season? Can I massively write-in vote for him right now?
Kayla's doing her solo again now. It looks even more frantic this time. Kayla's a really really good dancer, and if she's not in the finale I'll be upset, but she really needs to work on choreographic a jaw-dropping solo for the finale if she does.
Evan's got even more energy this time it seems. As I said last night, his solos are always tons of fun to watch. I just wish it was a little less of the same thing each time.
Sean Paul's up now, performing his song "Get Fine." Relative to the other performances this season, it's not terrible. Which means it's not good really, it's just not "make-your-ears-bleed" bad (cough cough Sean Kingston, Kristinia DeBarge, Kelly Rowlands, and the Black Eyed Peas). And he's got back up dancers who are actually dancing, so he certainly gets points for that.
The final girls results are up. girls. It's either gonna be Kayla or Melissa. The other girl advancing to the finale is... Kayla, which means Melissa is going home. This was the right decision. I'm a big fan of Melissa's, but Kayla totally deserved the spot over her.
Now it’s the boys turn. . Nigel, who had been mercifully silent up until this point tonight, takes the last moment to pat himself on the back and he FINALLY makes mention of the passing of Merce Cunningham, to which I say about time with that. The other guy making the finale is... Evan, which means Ade is going home. I'm sad, but not entirely surprised. I kind of prepared myself for this, so I'm fine with losing Ade. Now at least I won't be torn between him and Brandon next week. Cat reintroduces us to our finalists: Brandon, Evan, Jeanine, and Kayla. Is it too early to say Brandon FTW?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/29- The Top 6 Make The Final Push
So, folks, we're down to our top 6. This was the week we lost Mark last year, so I fear what top 6 week will bring this year. However, tonight's 2 hour long show is guaranteed to bring the filler, so at least we know that's there. Excited? Cat is wearing something purple and, in all honesty, fairly boring. Plus, I'm completely not feeling her hair tonight. In good news however, it's ON! Melissa's intro is all about moving one of her legs. Brandon is just crazy good, Kayla has more life than usual (I might describe her as a firecracker based on this), Evan is cute, Jeanine is good but not necessarily memorable, and Ade is great and ends by jumping into a split. Yowza. Guest jidging alongside Mary and Nigel this week is Lil’ C.
Note: As per the usual, this is the abridged recap. For a full version, head to sytycd.ca
The top 3 guys are starting off this week with a Sonja routine, which she describes as Willy Wonka-esque. Color. Me. Pumped. Like super-pumped. And, um watching this number, I was absolutely right to be pumped. This ROCKS. Every one of them has a bunch of great moments. My eyes were probably most drawn to Brandon, but this is twisted, fun, dynamic, and has great musicality. Evan may fall out of sync at the end too, but overall, really good start to the night. Lil’ C thought all of them were fantastic. Mary just loved it, yes she did! Nigel agrees with what’s been said and doesn’t think past seasons could match this level.
The first pairing is Jeanine and Ade, doing a Louis Van Amstel Samba. It’s to Lady GaGa, so I automatically have problems with it. Thankfully, the dancing seems to be pretty good. They're certainly having fun, although I'd say neither is connecting to the other amazing. They're doing the steps and nailing the feeling great, I just would have liked a bit stronger vibe between them. Mary loved the first twenty seconds but if fell apart after that for her. Lil’ C did not get the explosion of excellence he needed. Nigel thinks Ade didn’t alter his style enough for the genre, but that Jeanine was great, which is easier for her because she’s pretty.
Kayla has the first solo of the night. It’s quite good, although it gets a bit busy at the end. But it’s certainly a very good solo.
Evan and Melissa are up with a Tyce Broadway routine. The costuming is a little sparse and not in the good way, because it distracts. That being said, this routine is actually a ton of fun, but because of the performance. Evan's footwork is great, but Melissa outshines him on leaps. They're kind of adorable together though. Lil C thought it was an A, but he wanted an A+. Mary thought it was fun and entertaining. Nigel thought it wasn’t technically demanding, but they needed personality to sell it and they succeeded.
Ade's solo is, as always, full of huge leaps, spins, and dynamic movement. I, as always, really enjoyed it. And his choice to wear an open button down actually helped seriously because it draws the eye to his actual movements, which is great.
Kayla and Brandon are the last pair to perform together. They've got a Stacey Tookey contemporary about a married man's mistress. This is really fabulous. Brandon is phenomenal. Like, absolutely amazing. Kayla is also no slouch and bringing. But overall, this routine is just amazingly good. I will definitely be rewatching this one. Definitely an A+. Lil’ C calls it beyond amazing. Mary loved every second of it. Nigel thought they were technically excellent.
Melissa is soloing to Nina Simone, so points for that. Her pointe feet perfectly hit the tinkling piano keys, so points for that. She looks amazing dancing, so points for that. She may not have the most motion, but it shows a level of restraint that certain dancers, ahem, lack in their solos. I found myself more excited by her solo than either of the previous ones.
Jeanine and Ade are back with a NappyTabs hip-hop routine. Unfortunately, they're still not connecting. Early on, it almost seemed like they were dancing two different routines. I don't think it's my bias that tells me that Ade is dancing circles around Jeanine though. She just kind of seems fatigued. But this was not the knockout performance that either of them needed. Lil’ C felt Ade finally had that dirty groove he’s shown in the past. Mary thinks they won’t be going anywhere after that performance. Nigel is glad to applaud them instead of the choreography, because they got down.
Brandon's solo is next and he's again soloing to something overly bombastic. However, his dancing is just amazing. Like, the boy should be asked back to choreograph, that's how good it was. All three judges give him a standing ovation.
Melissa and Evan are back with a Louis Van Amstel quickstep. It's certainly more fun than the typical quickstep, and these two are still adorable together. Comparing this to something like Asuka and Vitolio's awful week one quickstep this is a revealtion. Compared to the other number this week, I'm not sure how this is gonna stack up. But it's definitely fun. Why does that word follow Evan around?
Lil’ C thought Evan danced bigger than he ever has before and that Melissa was fabulous. Mary found the choreography amazing but their dancing fell short. Nigel wouldn’t call it one of the best routines of the night.
Jeanine's solo is next. It's got personality, and it's fun, but, I'm sorry, I still don't see what everyone sees in her. Like, I found it to be the weakest solo so far. Please, can someone explain the Jeanine love to me?
Evan's solo wraps those up for the night. His solos are always so much fun to watch, and this one is no different. I love his style.
Kayla and Brandon deliver our final partner routine of the night, a Doriana Sanchez disco. Dancing-wise, this. is. AWESOME. Production-values wise, however, sheesh, could the lights and camera focus be any more distracting. Thankfully, by the middle the soft-focus of the beginning is gone, but dear lord, this is just banoodles on the actual dancing and performance front. Kayla in particular is phenomenal, not that Brandon is anything less than flipping fantastic. Kayla can't breathe at the end. Lil’ C rambles and makes no sense whatsoever, but I think he liked it. Mary thinks they had a home-run night tonight. Nigel loved it so much he gets up and runs around.
Our final routine of the night is the top 3 girls getting THEIR Sonja routine, about superheroes. This isn't as good as the boys number, but its still good. Kayla probably draws the most focus, but they all appear to be on roughly an even level. Again, though, the lighting and camerawork/editing is doing them NO favors. Lil’ C thought they were all a little too held back. Mary thought they were all strong, versatile, and sexy but that Kayla stood out as best. Nigel loved their chemistry and found their strength equal.
ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Kayla and Brandon- Contemporary
2) Kayla and Brandon- Disco
3) Top 3 Boys- Contemporary
4) Melissa and Evan- Broadway
5) Jeanine and Ade- Hip-Hop
6) Melissa and Evan- Quickstep
7) Top 3 Girls- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Ade- Samba
SOLO RANKINGS
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jeanine
OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) Melissa
4) Evan
5) Ade
6) Jeanine
WHO SHOULD GO HOME: Jeanine had the weakest night. Sadly, Ade was probably the worst of the boys tonight. However, I agree with Mary that this should be an overall evaluation, so I think it should be Evan and Jeanine going home tomorrow night.
WHO WILL GO HOME: Beats me.
Note: As per the usual, this is the abridged recap. For a full version, head to sytycd.ca
The top 3 guys are starting off this week with a Sonja routine, which she describes as Willy Wonka-esque. Color. Me. Pumped. Like super-pumped. And, um watching this number, I was absolutely right to be pumped. This ROCKS. Every one of them has a bunch of great moments. My eyes were probably most drawn to Brandon, but this is twisted, fun, dynamic, and has great musicality. Evan may fall out of sync at the end too, but overall, really good start to the night. Lil’ C thought all of them were fantastic. Mary just loved it, yes she did! Nigel agrees with what’s been said and doesn’t think past seasons could match this level.
The first pairing is Jeanine and Ade, doing a Louis Van Amstel Samba. It’s to Lady GaGa, so I automatically have problems with it. Thankfully, the dancing seems to be pretty good. They're certainly having fun, although I'd say neither is connecting to the other amazing. They're doing the steps and nailing the feeling great, I just would have liked a bit stronger vibe between them. Mary loved the first twenty seconds but if fell apart after that for her. Lil’ C did not get the explosion of excellence he needed. Nigel thinks Ade didn’t alter his style enough for the genre, but that Jeanine was great, which is easier for her because she’s pretty.
Kayla has the first solo of the night. It’s quite good, although it gets a bit busy at the end. But it’s certainly a very good solo.
Evan and Melissa are up with a Tyce Broadway routine. The costuming is a little sparse and not in the good way, because it distracts. That being said, this routine is actually a ton of fun, but because of the performance. Evan's footwork is great, but Melissa outshines him on leaps. They're kind of adorable together though. Lil C thought it was an A, but he wanted an A+. Mary thought it was fun and entertaining. Nigel thought it wasn’t technically demanding, but they needed personality to sell it and they succeeded.
Ade's solo is, as always, full of huge leaps, spins, and dynamic movement. I, as always, really enjoyed it. And his choice to wear an open button down actually helped seriously because it draws the eye to his actual movements, which is great.
Kayla and Brandon are the last pair to perform together. They've got a Stacey Tookey contemporary about a married man's mistress. This is really fabulous. Brandon is phenomenal. Like, absolutely amazing. Kayla is also no slouch and bringing. But overall, this routine is just amazingly good. I will definitely be rewatching this one. Definitely an A+. Lil’ C calls it beyond amazing. Mary loved every second of it. Nigel thought they were technically excellent.
Melissa is soloing to Nina Simone, so points for that. Her pointe feet perfectly hit the tinkling piano keys, so points for that. She looks amazing dancing, so points for that. She may not have the most motion, but it shows a level of restraint that certain dancers, ahem, lack in their solos. I found myself more excited by her solo than either of the previous ones.
Jeanine and Ade are back with a NappyTabs hip-hop routine. Unfortunately, they're still not connecting. Early on, it almost seemed like they were dancing two different routines. I don't think it's my bias that tells me that Ade is dancing circles around Jeanine though. She just kind of seems fatigued. But this was not the knockout performance that either of them needed. Lil’ C felt Ade finally had that dirty groove he’s shown in the past. Mary thinks they won’t be going anywhere after that performance. Nigel is glad to applaud them instead of the choreography, because they got down.
Brandon's solo is next and he's again soloing to something overly bombastic. However, his dancing is just amazing. Like, the boy should be asked back to choreograph, that's how good it was. All three judges give him a standing ovation.
Melissa and Evan are back with a Louis Van Amstel quickstep. It's certainly more fun than the typical quickstep, and these two are still adorable together. Comparing this to something like Asuka and Vitolio's awful week one quickstep this is a revealtion. Compared to the other number this week, I'm not sure how this is gonna stack up. But it's definitely fun. Why does that word follow Evan around?
Lil’ C thought Evan danced bigger than he ever has before and that Melissa was fabulous. Mary found the choreography amazing but their dancing fell short. Nigel wouldn’t call it one of the best routines of the night.
Jeanine's solo is next. It's got personality, and it's fun, but, I'm sorry, I still don't see what everyone sees in her. Like, I found it to be the weakest solo so far. Please, can someone explain the Jeanine love to me?
Evan's solo wraps those up for the night. His solos are always so much fun to watch, and this one is no different. I love his style.
Kayla and Brandon deliver our final partner routine of the night, a Doriana Sanchez disco. Dancing-wise, this. is. AWESOME. Production-values wise, however, sheesh, could the lights and camera focus be any more distracting. Thankfully, by the middle the soft-focus of the beginning is gone, but dear lord, this is just banoodles on the actual dancing and performance front. Kayla in particular is phenomenal, not that Brandon is anything less than flipping fantastic. Kayla can't breathe at the end. Lil’ C rambles and makes no sense whatsoever, but I think he liked it. Mary thinks they had a home-run night tonight. Nigel loved it so much he gets up and runs around.
Our final routine of the night is the top 3 girls getting THEIR Sonja routine, about superheroes. This isn't as good as the boys number, but its still good. Kayla probably draws the most focus, but they all appear to be on roughly an even level. Again, though, the lighting and camerawork/editing is doing them NO favors. Lil’ C thought they were all a little too held back. Mary thought they were all strong, versatile, and sexy but that Kayla stood out as best. Nigel loved their chemistry and found their strength equal.
ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Kayla and Brandon- Contemporary
2) Kayla and Brandon- Disco
3) Top 3 Boys- Contemporary
4) Melissa and Evan- Broadway
5) Jeanine and Ade- Hip-Hop
6) Melissa and Evan- Quickstep
7) Top 3 Girls- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Ade- Samba
SOLO RANKINGS
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jeanine
OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) Melissa
4) Evan
5) Ade
6) Jeanine
WHO SHOULD GO HOME: Jeanine had the weakest night. Sadly, Ade was probably the worst of the boys tonight. However, I agree with Mary that this should be an overall evaluation, so I think it should be Evan and Jeanine going home tomorrow night.
WHO WILL GO HOME: Beats me.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/23- Top 8 Results/100th Episode Extravaganza!
Hey folks! Tonight’s our top 8 results AND our 100th episode extravaganza! Excited? I am. Cat is wearing a sparkly dress that has a tiger on it. Her hair is also quite voluminous tonight. I have to say, on the Glorious/Gloriously Awful scale, it falls toward the latter, rather than the former. Although, the more I look at it, the more I kind of like it.
Note: As always, this is a somewhat shorter recap. For a fuller version, head to sytycd.ca
Tonight's group number is a Broadway number that I'm betting is Joey Dowling because it's really good. I'm a little surprised that they have a Broadway group number considering Katie Holmes' tribute to Fosse coming later tonight. No one really stands out as better than anyone else because I have NO idea who anyone is. Which is almost kind of a good thing because it means I only focus on the dancing, which, as stated above, is really good. I'm a fan. Better than Wade's Geisha piece last week, that's for sure. But weirdly enough, it's a Mia routine. I did NOT see that coming.
There’s lots of jidges padding and video recaps. They are not worth mentioning beyond this sentence. I'm glad to see a few former favorites there in the audience (Shoutouts to Pasha, Shortney Galliano, and the gone-way-too-soon Chelsea Traille (S4)).
Girl results are first. Melissa is up first and she is... SAFE. Not all that surprised, but I hope this safety carries over to Ade as well. Kayla is one of our bottom 2 girls however. Kayla doesn't deserve to go home for last night's performances, but I'm not sure who does, so there's that. Between Jeanine and Janette, the other girl in the bottom two is Janette, who does not really seem all that surprised at the news.
Our first encore performance is Hok and Jaimie doing "The Hummingbird and the Flower" by Wade Robson. This is still really, really, really good. The intricacies of the hand motions alone sells me on this dance. Even if Hok wasn't the all around strongest dancer his season, he still had exactly what was needed to nail this number. And he still does. Jaimie is still good. And still not the most memorable dancer for me. She doesn't leave that large of an impression on me this time around.
Boys' results are up next. Ade is up first, and please please please please please let him be safe. But they hold his results until after they talk to Jason. Diabolical, Ms. Deeley. Diabolical. One of these two is safe, one isn't. The dancer in danger is... Jason. Ade is SAFE! Hip Hip Huzzah To the Nth Degree! Obviously, the other guy in the bottom is Brandon or Evan and, in a true testament to Evan's fanbase, Brandon is the one who is in danger.
Our next encore routine is Travis and Heidi doing the bench. And THIS is still absolutely amazing. With Hummingbird, I didn't feel that same initial "WOW" as when I first saw that dance. With this one, that same feeling is still there. This is still hauntingly beautiful, although Travis' slide down the bench is a wee bit rougher this time around. But it's still absolutely banoodles.
Everyone repeats their solos from last night. It’s a yawn, except for Brandon, who is still amazing.
It's time for the encore we've all really been waiting for: "Ramalama" featuring the original top 10 of season two AND Wade Robson, dancing the number. And this is still just like ridiculously ridiculously amazing. I may or may not take back my statement that Higher Ground was the best group routine ever. But I still posit that it's a close second. Also, while Wade can clearly dance, I feel like his presence here diminished the number because I was playing "Spot the Wade Robson" instead of watching the dance.
Next, it's time for the Katie Holmes Tyce Broadway piece. Bear in mind, it's a Tyce Broadway routine, so my enthusiasm is... muted. We get a nice interview with Katie. That's... nice. So, the routine is entirely pre-recorded because it takes place on an external stage. And which also means this could be edited to the wazoo and we wouldn't know it. Also, I have to say... Wait a tick, was that Mark? I'm pretty sure it was. There seems to be a minimal amount of dancing for her to do, but she's doing what she's given alright. OK, now I'm pretty sure that was Mark because I'm pretty sure that's also Joshua. What's weird though, is that those two appear to be the only alums there. Did I just completely fail to recognize the others?
Girl results are up first. Between Kayla and Janette, the girl going home is Janette. She takes the news well. Nigel says that Janette was his favorite too and he was really rooting for her to win. Boys’ results are next, and between Jason and Brandon, Jason is the one who’s going home. He seems to know this before his name is even read though. Well, folks, do you agree with tonight's results? Looking forward to another hundred?
Note: As always, this is a somewhat shorter recap. For a fuller version, head to sytycd.ca
Tonight's group number is a Broadway number that I'm betting is Joey Dowling because it's really good. I'm a little surprised that they have a Broadway group number considering Katie Holmes' tribute to Fosse coming later tonight. No one really stands out as better than anyone else because I have NO idea who anyone is. Which is almost kind of a good thing because it means I only focus on the dancing, which, as stated above, is really good. I'm a fan. Better than Wade's Geisha piece last week, that's for sure. But weirdly enough, it's a Mia routine. I did NOT see that coming.
There’s lots of jidges padding and video recaps. They are not worth mentioning beyond this sentence. I'm glad to see a few former favorites there in the audience (Shoutouts to Pasha, Shortney Galliano, and the gone-way-too-soon Chelsea Traille (S4)).
Girl results are first. Melissa is up first and she is... SAFE. Not all that surprised, but I hope this safety carries over to Ade as well. Kayla is one of our bottom 2 girls however. Kayla doesn't deserve to go home for last night's performances, but I'm not sure who does, so there's that. Between Jeanine and Janette, the other girl in the bottom two is Janette, who does not really seem all that surprised at the news.
Our first encore performance is Hok and Jaimie doing "The Hummingbird and the Flower" by Wade Robson. This is still really, really, really good. The intricacies of the hand motions alone sells me on this dance. Even if Hok wasn't the all around strongest dancer his season, he still had exactly what was needed to nail this number. And he still does. Jaimie is still good. And still not the most memorable dancer for me. She doesn't leave that large of an impression on me this time around.
Boys' results are up next. Ade is up first, and please please please please please let him be safe. But they hold his results until after they talk to Jason. Diabolical, Ms. Deeley. Diabolical. One of these two is safe, one isn't. The dancer in danger is... Jason. Ade is SAFE! Hip Hip Huzzah To the Nth Degree! Obviously, the other guy in the bottom is Brandon or Evan and, in a true testament to Evan's fanbase, Brandon is the one who is in danger.
Our next encore routine is Travis and Heidi doing the bench. And THIS is still absolutely amazing. With Hummingbird, I didn't feel that same initial "WOW" as when I first saw that dance. With this one, that same feeling is still there. This is still hauntingly beautiful, although Travis' slide down the bench is a wee bit rougher this time around. But it's still absolutely banoodles.
Everyone repeats their solos from last night. It’s a yawn, except for Brandon, who is still amazing.
It's time for the encore we've all really been waiting for: "Ramalama" featuring the original top 10 of season two AND Wade Robson, dancing the number. And this is still just like ridiculously ridiculously amazing. I may or may not take back my statement that Higher Ground was the best group routine ever. But I still posit that it's a close second. Also, while Wade can clearly dance, I feel like his presence here diminished the number because I was playing "Spot the Wade Robson" instead of watching the dance.
Next, it's time for the Katie Holmes Tyce Broadway piece. Bear in mind, it's a Tyce Broadway routine, so my enthusiasm is... muted. We get a nice interview with Katie. That's... nice. So, the routine is entirely pre-recorded because it takes place on an external stage. And which also means this could be edited to the wazoo and we wouldn't know it. Also, I have to say... Wait a tick, was that Mark? I'm pretty sure it was. There seems to be a minimal amount of dancing for her to do, but she's doing what she's given alright. OK, now I'm pretty sure that was Mark because I'm pretty sure that's also Joshua. What's weird though, is that those two appear to be the only alums there. Did I just completely fail to recognize the others?
Girl results are up first. Between Kayla and Janette, the girl going home is Janette. She takes the news well. Nigel says that Janette was his favorite too and he was really rooting for her to win. Boys’ results are next, and between Jason and Brandon, Jason is the one who’s going home. He seems to know this before his name is even read though. Well, folks, do you agree with tonight's results? Looking forward to another hundred?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/22- The Top 8 Get It Together In The Second Hour
Hey folks! Tonight, our top 8 perform for our votes! Tonight is also part of SYTYCD's 100th Episode Extravaganza, featuring Ellen DeGeneres as a guest jidge! I'm really hoping Ellen brings the funny, Mia brings the bitchy, Mary brings the crazy, Nigel brings... his presence?, and Ade and Melissa bring some seriously high-quality dancing in order to further those two. I already know I'll be voting like mad for Ade tonight. Cat is wearing a golden wrap dress that looks like it was wrapped by 8 year olds. And yet, as always, she looks gorgeous. I'm convinced she must have some sort of Dorian Grey thing going on. The great intros are courtesy of Evan (trying to look as much like Twitch as possible), Ade (who is, um, what's the word, jaw-dropping), Jeanine, and Brandon (who does Ballroom? What the what?).
Notes: Folks, I would think we know the deal by now. This is the abridged recap. For a full version, go to sytycd.ca
Tonight starts with a group routine choreographed by Travis Wall that’s a futuristic rave. t's good, but not the best group routine of the season. It's fun to watch. I guess the two who grab my attention most throughout the routine are Ade and Kayla, although Jeanine, Jason, and Brandon are also deserving of mention as above the others. Nigel calls everyone terrific. Ellen makes a lot of jokes. Mary says everything was great. Mia is beyond proud of Travis and had a blast.
The next routine is Evan and Janette’s first routine of the night. I... like it. But it's really not jumping off the screen for me. I can kind of see the body awkwardness Evan was talking about, as Janette seems more committed and into it. I can't see the "meaning" of the dance in there all that much, well, I guess I can, but I feel like that's because I'm looking for it. All in all, solid but not amazing. Nigel is finally getting what he needs from Evan. Ellen makes jokes before telling them they were great. Mary liked it overall, but could have used more grit at the end. Mia found Evan too adorable for Sonja’s choreography and then tells Janette that she is her favorite this season.
Kayla solos next, and it’s my favorite solo from her this season. She's gotten rid of that over-crowded feeling her first ones had, and she just seems happier now. It may be a little too minimalist, but I was certainly a fan.
The next couple is Brandon and Jeanine, doing a Hunter Johnson waltz. It gets off to a really rocky start with Brandon lowering Jeanine from a lift with an exceptional amount of labor. I think this is the most I've ever seen Brandon fazed, because this is the first time it really seems like he's counting out steps to me. There's some beautiful movement in there, but the footwork seemed to be severely lacking. It gets a solid OK from me. Nigel didn’t get enough from them, but places the blame nearly entirely on external factors. Ellen makes Twyla Tharp jokes and calls them fantastic. Mary can’t stand up and scream for them. Mia finally gets around to actually blaming them for the lackluster-ness of the number.
Jason is our next soloist. It's good, but not as good as his solo from last week was. It picks up heavily towards the end, but it seemed more reserved and thought out than natural. It's certainly better than I used to expect from him; the boy is stepping up his game from the early part of the season.
Ade and Melissa are the next couple, doing a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Cha Cha. don't think I'm just blinded because I love these two, but this seems like bringing it to me. Melissa is hot and sultry and spicy and Ade is powerful and seems like he's having fun. He could be a little more sultry, and there's one part where it looked like Melissa was about to do the wrong move before Ade corrected her. But it ends awesomely and is by far, for me so far, the best of the night. Nigel calls it very good then nitpicks. Ellen asks "Are you two carpenters because you NAILED it!" Mary thought the execution was there, but doesn’t think either dancer did that well. Mia thinks this was Ade’s weakest performance of the season, but that Melissa did an excellent job.
Janette is soloing next and it's... a contemporary solo? It's an interesting strategy, but not one that fully works in her favor. She lacked her traditional spiciness, which is kind of why I like her so much. Also, Cat and Janette standing next to each other is very comical, since Janette barely reaches her shoulder.
Jason and Kayla are our final pairing of the night and they've got a Tyce Broadway. Audible groan. I don't know if it's just my really low expectations for Tyce routines, but this one is surprisingly pretty good. I mean, it starts off really strong and loses steam as it goes on, but it's still miles better than typical Tyce. She's better than he is, but neither of them is awful. I'd rank it below the Cha Cha and probably on par with the Sonja. Nigel thinks it was great for both of them. Ellen makes a much weaker “nailed it” pun. Mary though it flowed effortless. Mia says "I seem like the only sane one up here and that's scary." Truer words were never spoken Mia. She loved the piece, and LURVED Kayla.
Ade's solo is next. Obviously, I'm biased and think he's amazing, but I don't think this solo is going to win him new votes, which worries me. It's a wee bit labored and it looks like he came this close to not landing the backflip.
Janette and Evan's second performance is next, a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Rumba. This seems to be continuing the slow motion theme of the night. But I have to say, this is actually pretty good and Evan is a real surprise. Because he's kind of got the sultry thing this time. He almost falls coming out of a spin though. janette was actually a touch TOO subdued for me, and the footwork looked a bit sloppy at times, but it was actually a really really good one for me. Nigel didn’t see passion from Evan and had problems with his face. Ellen loves Evan’s face and that routine. Mary critiques them almost entirely from a technical standpoint. Mia agrees with Ellen.
Melissa's solo is next and it's all kinds of awesome. I accidentally typed some of that last sentence in caps and thought about keeping it, that's how much I like it. It's the first time she's really jumped off the stage for me.
Brandon and Jeanine have a LaurieAnn Gibson pop-jazz routine. N ot gonna lie, I think the star of this routine is Brandon's abs. This is, in all honesty, not doing a whole lot for me. Again, it's completely not jumping off the screen for me. He is distinctly better than her, especially because, to me, she seems to be phoning in a good amount of the number. All in all, a weaker number for me. Nigel loved it and he thinks the night finally begun for him. Ellen thinks they were unbelievable. Mary thinks was strong, powerful, and dynamic. Mia thinks they were so powerful and they WERE the dance.
Evan's solo is next and he botches a hat trick and it's still oodles of fun to watch, but nothing groundbreaking. My viewing partner very accurately points out "He's much more Donald O'Connor than Gene Kelly". I totally agree.
I'd love to critique Jeanine's solo which is up next, but my FOX feed has completely died on the video front. I'm getting audio, but no video whatsoever. However, it turns out it’s just the HD feed. Unfortunately, I can’t rewind to see her solo though, so you’ll have to find that somewhere else.
Melissa and Ade are up next with a Tyce contemporary about a woman with breast cancer. Tyce really is SO MUCH better doing contemporary routines. And this is amazing. They are both absolutely fantastic, and this time I KNOW I'm not just being biased. If the judges don't like this, I'm just going to start muting them. One of the absolute best routines of the season. The emotions, the dancing, the feeling. To quote Ellen, they NAILED it. Everyone on the panel is crying. Nigel says this is why he loves dance so much, calling it one of the most memorable routines on the show ever. Ellen feels priviledged to have seen this done live. Mary was touched deeply and will never forget it. Mia wishes she had the strength they had in that piece.
The final solo of the evening is Brandon and it's more fun than we've usually seen from him. His musicality is ridiculous, as is his flexibility and his overall skills. To quote Ms. Deeley "I mean, seriously. You're like a race horse."
Kayla and Jason are ending the number with a Shane Sparks routine that's clearly based off Thriller, since Jason is a zombie that converts Kayla into his zombie lover. It's not bad, but it's not overwhelmingly good either. Kayla's not as bad as I expected her to be and Jason is doing reasonably well, but in the end it's still fairly good and after coming after that last number, I mean, how much could acutally be expected. Nigel thinks this season’s hip-hop FINALLY came together with this number. Ellen loved it. Mary thinks they did exactly what Shane wanted them to do. This is Mia’s favorite Shane piece ever.
ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Melissa and Ade- Contemporary
2) Janette and Evan- Rumba
3) Kayla and Jason- Broadway
4) Melissa and Ade- Cha Cha
5) Jeanine and Brandon- Pop/Jazz
6) Kayla and Jason- Hip Hop
7) Janette and Evan- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Brandon- Waltz
*SOLO RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
As stated above, my feed cut out for Jeanine’s solo, hence no ranking.
*OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Melissa
2) TIE- Ade and Evan
4) Brandon
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
8) Jeanine- Based on what I saw, I’d rank Jeanine at the bottom of the pack. Her solo would have had to have been very good in order to move her up from here.
Who’s Going Home: I have no clue. I think Tyce’s piece may have saved Melissa and Ade though.
Notes: Folks, I would think we know the deal by now. This is the abridged recap. For a full version, go to sytycd.ca
Tonight starts with a group routine choreographed by Travis Wall that’s a futuristic rave. t's good, but not the best group routine of the season. It's fun to watch. I guess the two who grab my attention most throughout the routine are Ade and Kayla, although Jeanine, Jason, and Brandon are also deserving of mention as above the others. Nigel calls everyone terrific. Ellen makes a lot of jokes. Mary says everything was great. Mia is beyond proud of Travis and had a blast.
The next routine is Evan and Janette’s first routine of the night. I... like it. But it's really not jumping off the screen for me. I can kind of see the body awkwardness Evan was talking about, as Janette seems more committed and into it. I can't see the "meaning" of the dance in there all that much, well, I guess I can, but I feel like that's because I'm looking for it. All in all, solid but not amazing. Nigel is finally getting what he needs from Evan. Ellen makes jokes before telling them they were great. Mary liked it overall, but could have used more grit at the end. Mia found Evan too adorable for Sonja’s choreography and then tells Janette that she is her favorite this season.
Kayla solos next, and it’s my favorite solo from her this season. She's gotten rid of that over-crowded feeling her first ones had, and she just seems happier now. It may be a little too minimalist, but I was certainly a fan.
The next couple is Brandon and Jeanine, doing a Hunter Johnson waltz. It gets off to a really rocky start with Brandon lowering Jeanine from a lift with an exceptional amount of labor. I think this is the most I've ever seen Brandon fazed, because this is the first time it really seems like he's counting out steps to me. There's some beautiful movement in there, but the footwork seemed to be severely lacking. It gets a solid OK from me. Nigel didn’t get enough from them, but places the blame nearly entirely on external factors. Ellen makes Twyla Tharp jokes and calls them fantastic. Mary can’t stand up and scream for them. Mia finally gets around to actually blaming them for the lackluster-ness of the number.
Jason is our next soloist. It's good, but not as good as his solo from last week was. It picks up heavily towards the end, but it seemed more reserved and thought out than natural. It's certainly better than I used to expect from him; the boy is stepping up his game from the early part of the season.
Ade and Melissa are the next couple, doing a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Cha Cha. don't think I'm just blinded because I love these two, but this seems like bringing it to me. Melissa is hot and sultry and spicy and Ade is powerful and seems like he's having fun. He could be a little more sultry, and there's one part where it looked like Melissa was about to do the wrong move before Ade corrected her. But it ends awesomely and is by far, for me so far, the best of the night. Nigel calls it very good then nitpicks. Ellen asks "Are you two carpenters because you NAILED it!" Mary thought the execution was there, but doesn’t think either dancer did that well. Mia thinks this was Ade’s weakest performance of the season, but that Melissa did an excellent job.
Janette is soloing next and it's... a contemporary solo? It's an interesting strategy, but not one that fully works in her favor. She lacked her traditional spiciness, which is kind of why I like her so much. Also, Cat and Janette standing next to each other is very comical, since Janette barely reaches her shoulder.
Jason and Kayla are our final pairing of the night and they've got a Tyce Broadway. Audible groan. I don't know if it's just my really low expectations for Tyce routines, but this one is surprisingly pretty good. I mean, it starts off really strong and loses steam as it goes on, but it's still miles better than typical Tyce. She's better than he is, but neither of them is awful. I'd rank it below the Cha Cha and probably on par with the Sonja. Nigel thinks it was great for both of them. Ellen makes a much weaker “nailed it” pun. Mary though it flowed effortless. Mia says "I seem like the only sane one up here and that's scary." Truer words were never spoken Mia. She loved the piece, and LURVED Kayla.
Ade's solo is next. Obviously, I'm biased and think he's amazing, but I don't think this solo is going to win him new votes, which worries me. It's a wee bit labored and it looks like he came this close to not landing the backflip.
Janette and Evan's second performance is next, a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Rumba. This seems to be continuing the slow motion theme of the night. But I have to say, this is actually pretty good and Evan is a real surprise. Because he's kind of got the sultry thing this time. He almost falls coming out of a spin though. janette was actually a touch TOO subdued for me, and the footwork looked a bit sloppy at times, but it was actually a really really good one for me. Nigel didn’t see passion from Evan and had problems with his face. Ellen loves Evan’s face and that routine. Mary critiques them almost entirely from a technical standpoint. Mia agrees with Ellen.
Melissa's solo is next and it's all kinds of awesome. I accidentally typed some of that last sentence in caps and thought about keeping it, that's how much I like it. It's the first time she's really jumped off the stage for me.
Brandon and Jeanine have a LaurieAnn Gibson pop-jazz routine. N ot gonna lie, I think the star of this routine is Brandon's abs. This is, in all honesty, not doing a whole lot for me. Again, it's completely not jumping off the screen for me. He is distinctly better than her, especially because, to me, she seems to be phoning in a good amount of the number. All in all, a weaker number for me. Nigel loved it and he thinks the night finally begun for him. Ellen thinks they were unbelievable. Mary thinks was strong, powerful, and dynamic. Mia thinks they were so powerful and they WERE the dance.
Evan's solo is next and he botches a hat trick and it's still oodles of fun to watch, but nothing groundbreaking. My viewing partner very accurately points out "He's much more Donald O'Connor than Gene Kelly". I totally agree.
I'd love to critique Jeanine's solo which is up next, but my FOX feed has completely died on the video front. I'm getting audio, but no video whatsoever. However, it turns out it’s just the HD feed. Unfortunately, I can’t rewind to see her solo though, so you’ll have to find that somewhere else.
Melissa and Ade are up next with a Tyce contemporary about a woman with breast cancer. Tyce really is SO MUCH better doing contemporary routines. And this is amazing. They are both absolutely fantastic, and this time I KNOW I'm not just being biased. If the judges don't like this, I'm just going to start muting them. One of the absolute best routines of the season. The emotions, the dancing, the feeling. To quote Ellen, they NAILED it. Everyone on the panel is crying. Nigel says this is why he loves dance so much, calling it one of the most memorable routines on the show ever. Ellen feels priviledged to have seen this done live. Mary was touched deeply and will never forget it. Mia wishes she had the strength they had in that piece.
The final solo of the evening is Brandon and it's more fun than we've usually seen from him. His musicality is ridiculous, as is his flexibility and his overall skills. To quote Ms. Deeley "I mean, seriously. You're like a race horse."
Kayla and Jason are ending the number with a Shane Sparks routine that's clearly based off Thriller, since Jason is a zombie that converts Kayla into his zombie lover. It's not bad, but it's not overwhelmingly good either. Kayla's not as bad as I expected her to be and Jason is doing reasonably well, but in the end it's still fairly good and after coming after that last number, I mean, how much could acutally be expected. Nigel thinks this season’s hip-hop FINALLY came together with this number. Ellen loved it. Mary thinks they did exactly what Shane wanted them to do. This is Mia’s favorite Shane piece ever.
ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Melissa and Ade- Contemporary
2) Janette and Evan- Rumba
3) Kayla and Jason- Broadway
4) Melissa and Ade- Cha Cha
5) Jeanine and Brandon- Pop/Jazz
6) Kayla and Jason- Hip Hop
7) Janette and Evan- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Brandon- Waltz
*SOLO RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
As stated above, my feed cut out for Jeanine’s solo, hence no ranking.
*OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Melissa
2) TIE- Ade and Evan
4) Brandon
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
8) Jeanine- Based on what I saw, I’d rank Jeanine at the bottom of the pack. Her solo would have had to have been very good in order to move her up from here.
Who’s Going Home: I have no clue. I think Tyce’s piece may have saved Melissa and Ade though.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/16- Top 10 Become Top 8
Hey Folks, it's Dance Time! Cat is again rocking the shiny, although I preferred her previous shineness. This one looks a wee bit disheveled. Tonight's group number is Asian themed, danced to Janet Jackson, and featuring the girls all dressed up vaguely like Geishas. If I had to guess, I'd say Brian Friedman did this one, but honestly, I'm not feeling this one all that much. Kayla and Jeanine stand out to me. But not by that wide of a margin. That was a Wade and Amanda? Really? Maybe I'll have to rewatch, but it's meh for a Wade... Cat mentions the show’s four Emmy nominations, but I wish they’d mention how preposterous it is that Cat was snubbed. Our Jidges are back, except, wait, Nigel's not there! He's graduating and getting an honorary degree, so it's Ladies' Night on SYTYCD! Is the feeling right?
Note: As always, this is a quick recap. For a version with more words, head to sytycd.ca
The girls result are up first. Janette is safe first, before Randi face tells everyone that she’s in the bottom before Cat even has to announce it. Jeanine is safe next, and between Kayla and Melissa, the final spot of safety goes to Kayla.
The boys are up after the break and Jason is quickly sent to safety. Evan is next and I’m surprised, because he’s safe too. His popularity must be bigger than I thought. Pono is completely not surprised that he’s in the bottom. And I am FLABBERGASTED and VERY UPSET that Ade is the other member of our bottom 2. People, this is unacceptable.
When we get back, Cat tells us all about next week’s special shenanigans. Mia Michaels and Ellen Degeneres are gonna be on the panel, there’ll be new performances of a few old favorite routines. Plus, that Katie Holmes person, whoever that is.
Everyone in the bottom gets a chance to solo again.
Randi's solo is better tonight, probably because she's accepted the fact that she's going home. She seems more peaceful this time. Mary says Randi wasn't memorable, yet somehow thinks this could be construed as a compliment. Debbie thought Randi's solo was powerful last night, but thinks she looks better tonight. She's also had enough of the Paso Doble, which, after last night's performance, I totally get it. She may also call it a Paso Dobly
Kupono's solo is next, and again, it's good. He also may know his fate, especially if he's against Ade in the bottom two. But he just seems to have more fun with it this time. Mary has no idea what's gone wrong with Kupono. He's a bad seed, I tell ya! A Bad Seed! She then says he didn't do good enough last night, and his solo kinda sucked too.
The next soloist is Melissa. Her solo shows off her ballet pointe and other ballet-ness both heavily and quite well. Overall, it's better than Randi's solo. Debbie thinks America is getting spoiled, aka Melissa is getting lost in the cracks and tells her to step up her solo.
I'm going to make the best of a bad solo and just enjoy that Ade gets to solo again. Because yet again, it's utterly Amazing and Fantastic. Although he's a little shakier on the backflip this time. Mary says Ade is a star, and Mary has no idea what he can do differently, since clearly America is as blind as the Emmy nominating panel.
Next up performing is the Black Eyed Peas, who I no longer consider a musical group because any group that unleashed "Boom Boom Pow" on the world I don't think can be considered "musicians." They're performing "I Gotta Feeling", which does absolutely nothing to change my opinion. At least this one has a melody? A back-up dancer emerges out of the crowd, but it seems more just like some girl jumped up on stage and joined them than anything clever. OMG, did I just hear them say "Mazel Tov"? This is terrible. To think I once mildly liked them. I will say it's high energy though.
The girls’ results are up first. The girl going home tonight is... Randi. She knew it, and seems if not to be fine with, to at least accept it.
The boys are next. If there is any justice in this show, Ade will be safe. But I have no faith, and am on pins and needles. The boy going home is... Kupono. Phew. I mean, my favorite is saved and my least favorite is gone. Not gonna lie, I'm very happy about that result. Cat plugs next weeks festivities before signing off for the week…
Note: As always, this is a quick recap. For a version with more words, head to sytycd.ca
The girls result are up first. Janette is safe first, before Randi face tells everyone that she’s in the bottom before Cat even has to announce it. Jeanine is safe next, and between Kayla and Melissa, the final spot of safety goes to Kayla.
The boys are up after the break and Jason is quickly sent to safety. Evan is next and I’m surprised, because he’s safe too. His popularity must be bigger than I thought. Pono is completely not surprised that he’s in the bottom. And I am FLABBERGASTED and VERY UPSET that Ade is the other member of our bottom 2. People, this is unacceptable.
When we get back, Cat tells us all about next week’s special shenanigans. Mia Michaels and Ellen Degeneres are gonna be on the panel, there’ll be new performances of a few old favorite routines. Plus, that Katie Holmes person, whoever that is.
Everyone in the bottom gets a chance to solo again.
Randi's solo is better tonight, probably because she's accepted the fact that she's going home. She seems more peaceful this time. Mary says Randi wasn't memorable, yet somehow thinks this could be construed as a compliment. Debbie thought Randi's solo was powerful last night, but thinks she looks better tonight. She's also had enough of the Paso Doble, which, after last night's performance, I totally get it. She may also call it a Paso Dobly
Kupono's solo is next, and again, it's good. He also may know his fate, especially if he's against Ade in the bottom two. But he just seems to have more fun with it this time. Mary has no idea what's gone wrong with Kupono. He's a bad seed, I tell ya! A Bad Seed! She then says he didn't do good enough last night, and his solo kinda sucked too.
The next soloist is Melissa. Her solo shows off her ballet pointe and other ballet-ness both heavily and quite well. Overall, it's better than Randi's solo. Debbie thinks America is getting spoiled, aka Melissa is getting lost in the cracks and tells her to step up her solo.
I'm going to make the best of a bad solo and just enjoy that Ade gets to solo again. Because yet again, it's utterly Amazing and Fantastic. Although he's a little shakier on the backflip this time. Mary says Ade is a star, and Mary has no idea what he can do differently, since clearly America is as blind as the Emmy nominating panel.
Next up performing is the Black Eyed Peas, who I no longer consider a musical group because any group that unleashed "Boom Boom Pow" on the world I don't think can be considered "musicians." They're performing "I Gotta Feeling", which does absolutely nothing to change my opinion. At least this one has a melody? A back-up dancer emerges out of the crowd, but it seems more just like some girl jumped up on stage and joined them than anything clever. OMG, did I just hear them say "Mazel Tov"? This is terrible. To think I once mildly liked them. I will say it's high energy though.
The girls’ results are up first. The girl going home tonight is... Randi. She knew it, and seems if not to be fine with, to at least accept it.
The boys are next. If there is any justice in this show, Ade will be safe. But I have no faith, and am on pins and needles. The boy going home is... Kupono. Phew. I mean, my favorite is saved and my least favorite is gone. Not gonna lie, I'm very happy about that result. Cat plugs next weeks festivities before signing off for the week…
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/15- Top 10 Perform!
Cat looks fab in a little green number. She has really been on the mark this summer in her styling... The best intros are courtesy of Ade, Brandon, Kayla, Evan, Melissa, and Jason. Especially Brandon. Especially. Guest jidging tonight is Debbie Allen.
Note: As always, this is a be-shortened recap. For the full one, head to sytycd.ca
Top Five Girls number kicks off the night, with a Nakul Bollywood routine! I like it, but I don't think it gonna be the most memorable routine ever. No one in particular jumps out, although Kayla maybe grabs the most attention. Oh, and that section with the masks on the back of their heads was kinda super-duper creepy. Just sayin'. Overall though, I liked it a good bit. He thought all 5 had everything. They're on his hot Bangers and Mash train. See, Nigel, that just sounds dirty coming from you. Mary says Bollywow! Debbie thinks these is the best top 5 girls ever.
Kayla and Evan are up first doing a Viennese Waltz with Tony Meredith And Melanie, who has earned her way out of parentheticals. And OMG, it's to Kiss From a Rose, which makes me endlessly happy. I dig this a bit, but sadly, I'm not sure I love him in it. I can feel that he's trying to dance tall, but I'm not sure he's 100% doing it. Kayla is, as always, graceful and beautiful. I hope those on the Kayla hate train because of her attitude have started to disembark. There's one crazy lift spin thing n there that I love too. By the end, I kind of find them adorable together but I was definitely a fan. Nigel had issues with the choreography but doesn’t praise them highly either. Mary says Evan was a technical disappointment. Debbie thinks Evan handled his big woman.
Brandon is our first soloer, and he's just soooooo good. Like, I'm sad we didn't get him to solo earlier. But, yeah, he's just awesome.
Janette and Ade are up next, with a NappyTabs Hip-Hop. But I kind of love this, and especially Ade, who is only gaining more ground on everyone else as my absolute favorite. Janette's gradual strip during the routine was awesome, but maybe a wee bit hoochie. They are maybe slightly out of sync for a bit in the middle there, but yeah, this is great. Ade is just truly awesome and is now jumping out to me, which YAY. Nigel loved it and thinks Ade has oodles of funk. Nigel stupidly has pencils in his hair, and says he's gonna try to talk Mary out of his clothes. Cat, in a fit of awesome, says "That is a terrible visual". Mary screams that it was funky. Debbie wanted to join them on stage.
Randi solos for the first time, and it's good, but I have the feeling the jidges might call this desperate. Randi laughs hysterically at the end of her routine. It's somewhere in that abyss between cute and creepy.
Kupono's solo is next. As much as I don't like the guy, I have to admit I like this solo quite a bit. It's fun, and a better side of Kupono than we've seen recently.
Jeanine and Jason are next, doing a Travis Wall contemporary. Yay Travis! Wowzers, this is kind of utterly fantastic. Jason is the best I've ever seen him by a wide margin. And if this was the judges' insidious plan, it's absolutely working on me because she's amazing. The routine is also incredibly sexy, but yeah, just amazing. And it ends in a really passionate kiss, that acutally elicits a vocal "damn" from me. Everyone, jidges and audience, are on their feet cheering. Nigel loved it, Mary is lost for words, and Debbie found them magical.
Melissa's solo is next and it's good. Not like jump off the couch amazing, but very good, and her flexibility at the end is astonishing.
Evan's solo is next and where has this Evan been all season. Like, it makes me sad watching this, because the more I watch him, the more Evan seems like a one-trick-pony, who can only do stuff like that there. But he's awesome at this.
Kayla's solo is next, she seems to have much more joy in this solo than she's had in any of her others. It's quite good.
Randi and Kupono are next, with a Tony Meredith and Melanie Paso Doble. Randi is in an absolutely awful wig, that at first distracts but fails to fully cover up problems right from the get go. They're really trying, I'll give them that, but it just seems vaguely farcical. But Randi pulls off serious better than I would have expected. You can see she also almost falls one point. Yeah, technically, you can really see all the little cracks. And he also drops her at the end and tries to cover it, I'm pretty sure. Nigel thinks they didn’t dance well enough for the choreography. Mary didn’t feel strength, but felt caution. Debbie felt awkwardness.
Ade's solo! Yay! And it's, yet again, amazing! Double yay! Seriously, I hope people are just jumping on the Ade train, because he totally deserves it. I will support him to the end.
Our next soloist is Jeanine. Her solo is pretty good. Not breathtakingly fantastic, but she has good musicality and is compelling to watch.
Jason is our last male soloist, and he's soloing to Muddy Waters, which automatically moves him up in my book. This solo is also utterly fantastic, and is maybe a bit slow, but the quality of movement, musicality, and feeling were all 100% dead on.
The final couple is Melissa and Brandon, doing a Tyce Broadway. They're doing their best here, and in fairness to Tyce, it's one of his better Broadway routines probably, but after two weeks of Joey Dowling, this just don't jump out to me. They're dancing it the best they can though. Nigel calls it fantastic, Mary calls it groovy, and Debbie thought they evoked harmony.
Janette is our final female soloist. And she's all spicy Miami in her solo, and her footwork is phenomenal. I mean, it's a ballroom solo, so it's not mind-blowing, but I'd place it in the top half of the girls certainly.
The final routine of the night is a top 5 boys African number. Unlike the girls, there are clearly a few who stand out above. Jason, Brandon, and Ade are all better it seems. Although you can see signs of fatigue in all of them during the routine. Also, Evan is not trainwreck bad, which is a pleasant surprise. I'd say the girls Bollywood number was better overall. Their choreographer seems very happy with them. Nigel again thought everyone was equal, but was proud Evan didn’t suck. Mary adored the dance. Debbie feels like a world traveler tonight.
Routines Ranking:
1) Janette and Ade
2) (in a very close second) Jeanine and Jason
3) Girl’s Bollywood
4) Boy’s African
5) Kayla and Evan
6) Melissa and Brandon
7) Randi and Kupono
Solos Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Brandon
3) Jason
4) Janette
5) Evan
6) Kayla
7) Jeanine
8) Kupono
9) Melissa
10) Randi
Overall Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Jason
3) Janette
4) Brandon
5) Jeanine
6) Evan
7) Kayla
8) Melissa
9) Kupono
10) Randi
Note: As always, this is a be-shortened recap. For the full one, head to sytycd.ca
Top Five Girls number kicks off the night, with a Nakul Bollywood routine! I like it, but I don't think it gonna be the most memorable routine ever. No one in particular jumps out, although Kayla maybe grabs the most attention. Oh, and that section with the masks on the back of their heads was kinda super-duper creepy. Just sayin'. Overall though, I liked it a good bit. He thought all 5 had everything. They're on his hot Bangers and Mash train. See, Nigel, that just sounds dirty coming from you. Mary says Bollywow! Debbie thinks these is the best top 5 girls ever.
Kayla and Evan are up first doing a Viennese Waltz with Tony Meredith And Melanie, who has earned her way out of parentheticals. And OMG, it's to Kiss From a Rose, which makes me endlessly happy. I dig this a bit, but sadly, I'm not sure I love him in it. I can feel that he's trying to dance tall, but I'm not sure he's 100% doing it. Kayla is, as always, graceful and beautiful. I hope those on the Kayla hate train because of her attitude have started to disembark. There's one crazy lift spin thing n there that I love too. By the end, I kind of find them adorable together but I was definitely a fan. Nigel had issues with the choreography but doesn’t praise them highly either. Mary says Evan was a technical disappointment. Debbie thinks Evan handled his big woman.
Brandon is our first soloer, and he's just soooooo good. Like, I'm sad we didn't get him to solo earlier. But, yeah, he's just awesome.
Janette and Ade are up next, with a NappyTabs Hip-Hop. But I kind of love this, and especially Ade, who is only gaining more ground on everyone else as my absolute favorite. Janette's gradual strip during the routine was awesome, but maybe a wee bit hoochie. They are maybe slightly out of sync for a bit in the middle there, but yeah, this is great. Ade is just truly awesome and is now jumping out to me, which YAY. Nigel loved it and thinks Ade has oodles of funk. Nigel stupidly has pencils in his hair, and says he's gonna try to talk Mary out of his clothes. Cat, in a fit of awesome, says "That is a terrible visual". Mary screams that it was funky. Debbie wanted to join them on stage.
Randi solos for the first time, and it's good, but I have the feeling the jidges might call this desperate. Randi laughs hysterically at the end of her routine. It's somewhere in that abyss between cute and creepy.
Kupono's solo is next. As much as I don't like the guy, I have to admit I like this solo quite a bit. It's fun, and a better side of Kupono than we've seen recently.
Jeanine and Jason are next, doing a Travis Wall contemporary. Yay Travis! Wowzers, this is kind of utterly fantastic. Jason is the best I've ever seen him by a wide margin. And if this was the judges' insidious plan, it's absolutely working on me because she's amazing. The routine is also incredibly sexy, but yeah, just amazing. And it ends in a really passionate kiss, that acutally elicits a vocal "damn" from me. Everyone, jidges and audience, are on their feet cheering. Nigel loved it, Mary is lost for words, and Debbie found them magical.
Melissa's solo is next and it's good. Not like jump off the couch amazing, but very good, and her flexibility at the end is astonishing.
Evan's solo is next and where has this Evan been all season. Like, it makes me sad watching this, because the more I watch him, the more Evan seems like a one-trick-pony, who can only do stuff like that there. But he's awesome at this.
Kayla's solo is next, she seems to have much more joy in this solo than she's had in any of her others. It's quite good.
Randi and Kupono are next, with a Tony Meredith and Melanie Paso Doble. Randi is in an absolutely awful wig, that at first distracts but fails to fully cover up problems right from the get go. They're really trying, I'll give them that, but it just seems vaguely farcical. But Randi pulls off serious better than I would have expected. You can see she also almost falls one point. Yeah, technically, you can really see all the little cracks. And he also drops her at the end and tries to cover it, I'm pretty sure. Nigel thinks they didn’t dance well enough for the choreography. Mary didn’t feel strength, but felt caution. Debbie felt awkwardness.
Ade's solo! Yay! And it's, yet again, amazing! Double yay! Seriously, I hope people are just jumping on the Ade train, because he totally deserves it. I will support him to the end.
Our next soloist is Jeanine. Her solo is pretty good. Not breathtakingly fantastic, but she has good musicality and is compelling to watch.
Jason is our last male soloist, and he's soloing to Muddy Waters, which automatically moves him up in my book. This solo is also utterly fantastic, and is maybe a bit slow, but the quality of movement, musicality, and feeling were all 100% dead on.
The final couple is Melissa and Brandon, doing a Tyce Broadway. They're doing their best here, and in fairness to Tyce, it's one of his better Broadway routines probably, but after two weeks of Joey Dowling, this just don't jump out to me. They're dancing it the best they can though. Nigel calls it fantastic, Mary calls it groovy, and Debbie thought they evoked harmony.
Janette is our final female soloist. And she's all spicy Miami in her solo, and her footwork is phenomenal. I mean, it's a ballroom solo, so it's not mind-blowing, but I'd place it in the top half of the girls certainly.
The final routine of the night is a top 5 boys African number. Unlike the girls, there are clearly a few who stand out above. Jason, Brandon, and Ade are all better it seems. Although you can see signs of fatigue in all of them during the routine. Also, Evan is not trainwreck bad, which is a pleasant surprise. I'd say the girls Bollywood number was better overall. Their choreographer seems very happy with them. Nigel again thought everyone was equal, but was proud Evan didn’t suck. Mary adored the dance. Debbie feels like a world traveler tonight.
Routines Ranking:
1) Janette and Ade
2) (in a very close second) Jeanine and Jason
3) Girl’s Bollywood
4) Boy’s African
5) Kayla and Evan
6) Melissa and Brandon
7) Randi and Kupono
Solos Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Brandon
3) Jason
4) Janette
5) Evan
6) Kayla
7) Jeanine
8) Kupono
9) Melissa
10) Randi
Overall Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Jason
3) Janette
4) Brandon
5) Jeanine
6) Evan
7) Kayla
8) Melissa
9) Kupono
10) Randi
Thursday, July 9, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/9- Who Makes The Tour?
Hey folks,
Tonight’s the last cuts before the tour! Let’s see how this plays out, shall we? Cat is wearing something blue with a giant neck thing. I'm... perplexed by it. And not prepared to judge it yet… The opening is fairly cool, and maybe MJ-inspired? I'm betting it's Brian Friedman or Shane Sparks. Nearly everyone looks really good, but Kayla is kind of more awesome than everyone else. And Randi looks scarily like Billie Piper. It's throwing me off something fierce. But I enjoyed the opening. And it's great how they all salute Cat as she walks on stage. Apparently, it was a NappyTabs. Color me surprised. Didn't expect that from them. Nigel, who is a 60th birthday boy today, informs us that they can’t do an MJ memorial because Sony wouldn’t clear the music. Boo Sony!
Note: You know the drill. This is abridged. Where's the full one? Sytycd.ca
First two couples are up on stage are Caitlin/Jason and Brandon/Janette. Hmm, I wonder which of these two is in the bottom… Yup, it’s Caitlin and Jason. Shocker!
Up next, Randi and Evan face off against Jeanine and Chbeeb. I’m rooting for the former, although I’m guessing most are rooting for the latter. But I’m victorious this round, because Randi/Evan are safe, while Jeanine and Chbeeb are dancing for their lives.
Finally, the last two couples are up on stage. Melissa and Ade vs. Kayla and Kupono. Ok, so Adessa are my favorite couple and Pono’s my least favorite dancer, so guess which couple I’m rooting for to be safe? If you guessed Adessa, you’re right! Which is why I have sadface to the max. Pono/Kayla are safe, Adessa not. Also, pretty sure Pono screamed "Shut The F*** Up!" and wildly overcelebrated. And Tyce is being mean to Ade. Boo hiss Tyce! Boo Hiss!
Cat sneaks us a peak of a season 6 audition. It’s someone named Teddy and I like it quite a bit, although at times it’s overly flaily. Ok, wait, I realized that this S6 auditions highlights thing is a really sneaky way of implanting favorites in our head before the season even begins. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ms. Deeley and the Producers: Master Cat-Nipulators...
Solo time!
Caitlin's first. Ok, it's cute and well acted, but this is a defeated solo if I've ever seen one. And why shouldn't she be? Does she really stand a chance?
Jason's next. Ok, the judges are going to totally call this one too busy, or desperate, or whatever their watchword is for this season. I, on the other hand, think it rocks.
Jeanine's turn. And sadly, she's still wearing that gold disaster. It picks up somewhere in the middle, but after last week, this is a let down. It seemed a bit complacent to me. Then again, the judges guaranteed she'd be here next week, so why not?
Ok, so it's Chbeeb doing hip-hop. Of course it's just ridiculously awesome. And super-duper brownie points to Chbeeb from using that future aria from The Fifth Element. Awesome song choice. But his solo last week was maybe a smidge better too.
This is our first time seeing Melissa solo, and it's entirely on pointe. It's also good, not great. I mean, I don't know ballet, this may be fantastic, but I wasn't all that captivated by it.
Ade, my favorite, is our last solo. Um, and this. is. AMAZING. Amazing song, amazing musicality, amazing quality of movement. AND HOLY CRAP DID YOU SEE THAT FLYING CARTWHEEL! Tyce, you better take back every single word you just said. Cat's got the Deeley Chills.
Music performance. It's Kelly Rowland and David Guetta. She's clearly not lip-synching, and I know this because she sounds kind of awful at least at the get go. But, hey, for once, good back up dancers! Kelly Rowland gets somewhat better, but this is still pretty bad. I mean, not "Fire Burning" bad. Or even Kristinia Debarge bad. But it's just anemic and not very fun to watch and not very good to listen to. But hey, at least she's not lip-synching. And when the backup dancers do their little solo parts it's actually fun, if only the camera would actually pay attention to them instead of Kelly Rowland.
RESULTS! Girls are up first, results are unanimous. Nigel thinks a lot of the dancers have achieved their star potential yet. They're evaluating from a positive point of view tonight. Caitlin is called up first and Nigel basically dismisses her immediately. She's already crying, and I feel bad, because I did like her, she just didn't shine as much as she needed to. Her video package is all nice a warm and fuzzies. And it features her doing that back-bend thing a bunch. That's gotta be a good stretch.
Now it's the boys turn. They're again unanimous, and again, they did it with a positive spin. Phil is called forward first and called unique at what he does, but they're upset with his lack of versatility and he's going home tonight. What the what? Seriously? I mean, like, for reals? Don't get me wrong, I'm not broken up over this, but wowzers, didn't see that one coming. Nigel assures us that he's already spoken to the producers and both he and Caitlin are gonna be on the tour. His video package features a lot of noodle limbs. Which is good, since that's when he really shined.
Phil is really emotional, and really was glad to have the opportunity to grow. Awww, warm and fuzzies are back. Jeanine actually looks really shaken. And not to get all Machiavellian, but if Jeanine is really the chosen one, this is a great strategy of funneling Phil's votes to her. And Jason is really upset to see Caitlin going it seems. Well, we now have our top 10 folks. What do you think?
Tonight’s the last cuts before the tour! Let’s see how this plays out, shall we? Cat is wearing something blue with a giant neck thing. I'm... perplexed by it. And not prepared to judge it yet… The opening is fairly cool, and maybe MJ-inspired? I'm betting it's Brian Friedman or Shane Sparks. Nearly everyone looks really good, but Kayla is kind of more awesome than everyone else. And Randi looks scarily like Billie Piper. It's throwing me off something fierce. But I enjoyed the opening. And it's great how they all salute Cat as she walks on stage. Apparently, it was a NappyTabs. Color me surprised. Didn't expect that from them. Nigel, who is a 60th birthday boy today, informs us that they can’t do an MJ memorial because Sony wouldn’t clear the music. Boo Sony!
Note: You know the drill. This is abridged. Where's the full one? Sytycd.ca
First two couples are up on stage are Caitlin/Jason and Brandon/Janette. Hmm, I wonder which of these two is in the bottom… Yup, it’s Caitlin and Jason. Shocker!
Up next, Randi and Evan face off against Jeanine and Chbeeb. I’m rooting for the former, although I’m guessing most are rooting for the latter. But I’m victorious this round, because Randi/Evan are safe, while Jeanine and Chbeeb are dancing for their lives.
Finally, the last two couples are up on stage. Melissa and Ade vs. Kayla and Kupono. Ok, so Adessa are my favorite couple and Pono’s my least favorite dancer, so guess which couple I’m rooting for to be safe? If you guessed Adessa, you’re right! Which is why I have sadface to the max. Pono/Kayla are safe, Adessa not. Also, pretty sure Pono screamed "Shut The F*** Up!" and wildly overcelebrated. And Tyce is being mean to Ade. Boo hiss Tyce! Boo Hiss!
Cat sneaks us a peak of a season 6 audition. It’s someone named Teddy and I like it quite a bit, although at times it’s overly flaily. Ok, wait, I realized that this S6 auditions highlights thing is a really sneaky way of implanting favorites in our head before the season even begins. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ms. Deeley and the Producers: Master Cat-Nipulators...
Solo time!
Caitlin's first. Ok, it's cute and well acted, but this is a defeated solo if I've ever seen one. And why shouldn't she be? Does she really stand a chance?
Jason's next. Ok, the judges are going to totally call this one too busy, or desperate, or whatever their watchword is for this season. I, on the other hand, think it rocks.
Jeanine's turn. And sadly, she's still wearing that gold disaster. It picks up somewhere in the middle, but after last week, this is a let down. It seemed a bit complacent to me. Then again, the judges guaranteed she'd be here next week, so why not?
Ok, so it's Chbeeb doing hip-hop. Of course it's just ridiculously awesome. And super-duper brownie points to Chbeeb from using that future aria from The Fifth Element. Awesome song choice. But his solo last week was maybe a smidge better too.
This is our first time seeing Melissa solo, and it's entirely on pointe. It's also good, not great. I mean, I don't know ballet, this may be fantastic, but I wasn't all that captivated by it.
Ade, my favorite, is our last solo. Um, and this. is. AMAZING. Amazing song, amazing musicality, amazing quality of movement. AND HOLY CRAP DID YOU SEE THAT FLYING CARTWHEEL! Tyce, you better take back every single word you just said. Cat's got the Deeley Chills.
Music performance. It's Kelly Rowland and David Guetta. She's clearly not lip-synching, and I know this because she sounds kind of awful at least at the get go. But, hey, for once, good back up dancers! Kelly Rowland gets somewhat better, but this is still pretty bad. I mean, not "Fire Burning" bad. Or even Kristinia Debarge bad. But it's just anemic and not very fun to watch and not very good to listen to. But hey, at least she's not lip-synching. And when the backup dancers do their little solo parts it's actually fun, if only the camera would actually pay attention to them instead of Kelly Rowland.
RESULTS! Girls are up first, results are unanimous. Nigel thinks a lot of the dancers have achieved their star potential yet. They're evaluating from a positive point of view tonight. Caitlin is called up first and Nigel basically dismisses her immediately. She's already crying, and I feel bad, because I did like her, she just didn't shine as much as she needed to. Her video package is all nice a warm and fuzzies. And it features her doing that back-bend thing a bunch. That's gotta be a good stretch.
Now it's the boys turn. They're again unanimous, and again, they did it with a positive spin. Phil is called forward first and called unique at what he does, but they're upset with his lack of versatility and he's going home tonight. What the what? Seriously? I mean, like, for reals? Don't get me wrong, I'm not broken up over this, but wowzers, didn't see that one coming. Nigel assures us that he's already spoken to the producers and both he and Caitlin are gonna be on the tour. His video package features a lot of noodle limbs. Which is good, since that's when he really shined.
Phil is really emotional, and really was glad to have the opportunity to grow. Awww, warm and fuzzies are back. Jeanine actually looks really shaken. And not to get all Machiavellian, but if Jeanine is really the chosen one, this is a great strategy of funneling Phil's votes to her. And Jason is really upset to see Caitlin going it seems. Well, we now have our top 10 folks. What do you think?
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