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.

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 You Think You Can Dance 6/3- Vegas Baby! VEGAS!

Note: The Posts here and at Sytycd.ca this week are pretty close to the same. That one has slightly more, but since there wasn't really much I could cut out, they're pretty close.

So, folks, it’s here. Vegas Week! Woot! This season had a bunch of great auditions, and there are certainly a few people I’m hoping to see during those final solos (Hello Kelsea Taylor, Brandon Bryant, Philip Chbeeb, and Bianca Revels, will you please move to the front of the class? Please?). Well, lets do it to it, folks!

172 Dancers are trying to make the top 20. The judges look tough, the dancers are looking, well, a little bit weak, and Cat is, well, she’s Cat, i.e awesome. And also wearing a weird leopard print-ish top. Way to take your name literally, Ms. Deeley! Judging Vegas, we’ve got Mia, Shankers, Lil’ C, and Debbie Allen, and the stalwart Nigel and Mary. Welcome back to the judging table Debbie. Everyone starts with solos to remind the judges how they got there.

Alex Wong- Finally gets a video package of his own, and he’s ridiculously impressive. Mia, wait strike that, EVERYONE is shocked by how good and strong he is. Mia gives the Flava Flav “wooooooow” afterwards. This also totally justifies my placement of him into my potential top 20.

Nigel starts out, by telling the dancers that they are not as good as the judges thought they were. And there are cuts happening NOW! Tony is safe. 45 dancers are cut immediately, including Travis Prokop, Talia Rickards, and Chimezie. Also it seems like Devin Oshiro is cut too. Sad to see Chimezie cut, means my top 20 officially can’t happen now.

Day 1 Hip-Hop: Napoleon and Tabitha are choreographing this round, and it is apparently set to the worst pop song in recent history, aka ‘Boom Boom Pow.” Gabi Rojas, who rocked it in New York, falls apart early here and puts like no energy into it. Mary, I have to note, looks very sultry during this judging. Mia says she loves cutting people, because it sends bad people home. Gabi is given a pass because of her amazing solos. The choreography during this routine actually seems to be on the better end of NappyTabs choreography. No one worth mentioning gets cut during this round, though, apparently.

Day 2 Ballroom: Ballroom with Jean Marc Genereaux and France. The dancers seem worried. Philip Chbeeb and Arielle Coker are “worried”, and performing with different partners. Phil is having… troubles. Shankers accurately points out that Phil can’t stop popping, regardless of the style. He’s given a pass for this round. Arielle impresses me, although her extensions could use a little work. Although the judges disagree, because she’s cut. All the ballroomers who we’ve met so far, though, are getting through fine. Other dancers noted for rocking it are Kayla Rodamski and Priscilla Marrero. Nabuya Nagahama also impresses. He’s overcome with emotion about his success, and thanks his teachers profusely.

Day 2 Jazz: Sonja! Yay Sonja! Glad to see Sonja having such a big role early on this season. Natalie Reid and Brandon Bryant are owning this rehearsal though. Sonja even calls them to the front to show everyone how it should be done. Wow, they OWN this. Like, this should send them directly to the top 20. However Natalie appears to be nowhere near as Own-some in the actual routine. And she has this weirdly big goofy grin on her face the whole time. Mary lays it on thick about how much they were all rooting for her, and then tells her that she’s done, because she didn’t bring it enough. Natalie even gets send-off music, which only shows that she was supposed to be in the top 20. Big oversight on the judges part, I’m guessing. EVERYONE is shocked she’s gone, and NO ONE feels safe any more. She feels bad because she thinks she let the judges down. Brandon is just gonna rock it harder now, for her, it seems. And own it he does. He could book the lead in Goddess with that routine (I promised you Showgirls references, didn’t I?) Mia and Lil’ C are NOT fans of Brandon, because he’s been overhyped apparently. Nigel disagrees, and tells Brandon that he thinks he’s one of the best dancers the show has ever had. And Natalie gets ANOTHER exit package, this one more about Brandon’s loss of her though. I’m sad to see Natalie go, but not heartbroken about it. But it does mean ANTOHER member of my prospective top 20 is dunzo. After the commercial break, the last group performs, this one featuring Gabi Rojas. And, in a sad turn, she’s again quite awful. She’s breaking Debbie Allen’s heart, fer chrissakes. The judges are hurt by how wrong they are. They are giving her ANOTHER chance though, because she’s dancing for her life. Sami Ramirez, is also cut. Dang, I really liked him. And now I’m FOUR down. My predictive skills suck.

Gabi Rojas For Her Life in the Thunderdome- Can we get rid of the terminology “Dance for your life”? It sounds like they are dancing with Mad Max (hence my terming for dance for your life solos this Vegas week) They are basing their opinions on this solo, and her whole dance-ography so far. I like the solo, and I’ll never say no to anything danced to Nina Simone. She needs more than 3 yeses. Mia is a yes and can’t let her go yet and tells her to shape up or ship out, Lil’ C is a yes and calls her buck, Mary is a yes, Shankers is a yes, Debbie is a yes and is glad she reminded them who she is, and Nigel is a sixth yes but mirrors Mia’s comments. Needless to say, with six yeses, Gabi makes it through.

Overnight Group Dance- The groups picked a song at random and had to choreograph it themselves. We thankfully do not have to go through watching all the group drama.

Group 1: Features Eric “Silky” Moore. And he’s worried, because apparently, we HAVE to get group drama. His group is clashing. He’s also already planning his dance for his life solo. NO ONE seems to know what’s going on. Eric is the most impressive in the group, but it is most definitely weak sauce. Everyone is really disappointed. REALLY disappointed. And it’s a good thing Eric was prepping, since he WILL have to dance for his life.

Group 2: Features Brandon Bryant. Who is hoping to FINALLY live up to the judges praise. I think he always has, but whatever. Mia is still unconvinced, and tells him to STEP IT UP. He (and Priscilla Marrero and Maksim K, seemingly) is through.

The Final Group: Features Ryan Kasprzak (and a Hart twin?). They are called “Nerdography.” And they are FULL of win. They are FUN and they are GOOD and they have PERSONALITY. The judges all love them, and they made Shankers miss dancing. Aw, poor Shankers, who has to direct multi-million dollar movies, Boo hoo. Don’t make me slap you Shankers. And I’m already willing to for your unleashing of Cheaper by the Dozen 2 on the world. They’re all through.

Eric Silky Moore Dances for His Life in the Thunderdome: His tap is still remarkable, features two GREAT flips, and yet he still does not have Mia, Nigel, or Debbie’s votes. He needs all the remaining judges to stay in. He doesn’t have Lil’ C’s vote either, which means he’s done.

Day 3 Mia Michaels: Everyone is like “DEAR GOD MIA MICHAELS! OH NOES!”. Hell, even if I knew I was gonna be a miserable failure, I’d be like “ZOMG I GET TO DANCE A MIA MICHAELS ROUTINE!” Seriously, everyone seems to be crapping themselves in fear. Tony Bellisimo is seemingly impressing the judges, enough to earn him a second video package tonight. He’s worried about Mia. He’s like a beat ahead of everyone, but I think he did an okay job. Mary says they love him as a person but his dancing is not good enough. He gets to dance for his life. Only not quite, since he has to dance the choreography again. Amanda Kerby gets cut, as does Nabuya. The Kinney sisters are featured (I preferred Megan, but both were initially good). Unfortunately, Megan seems to be falling apart, and I will be very surprised if she gets through. But she DOES get through, which I’m fine with, because I had her in my top 20. Caitlin is up next, and seems to be a lot better than her sister. But Mary disagrees, and can audibly be heard saying so during the dancing. She is asked to dance for her life RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Caitlin Kinney Dances for Her Life in the Thunderdome: She seems to be pretty good. I’m still not blown away by her, but she’s putting enough energy and personality in it to stay in. Nigel and Debbie are yeses, Mia and Lil’ C and Shankers are all nos, and it all comes down to Mary Murphy. Mary gives her a reprieve.

Mia Michaels Part 2: The Kasprzak brothers are up next, and Ryan makes it through first. Evan is up next, and based on his dancing, if he doesn’t make it through, it’s kind of a travesty. But he makes it clearly through. A number of dancers are emotional on having made it through. On Tony Bellisimo’s second shot, he vows to leave it all on the stage. Cat talks with him and asks for a little smile, which, when he gives it, she adorably calls pathetic. He seems to bring it this time, but I’ve been disagreeing with the judges all night, so who knows. Debbie takes a VERY long time to tell him he’s made it through. I wonder if this is a decision that Mia disagrees with though, because she’s sitting awful far apart from the rest of this and says “I can’t take it anymore. I quit.” He gets a post interview with Cat too, where she admits that she loves when grown men cry. Why is Cat so adorable? Seriously, does ANYONE know how she manages to be so chock-full of just ridiculous amazingness?

Day 4 Tyce Diorio: They have girls routines and boys routines today. Tyce’s two routines are inspired by West Side Story. It’s Tyce, so I have low expectations.

The Girls: While the girls dance, we get a package of all the boys hanging out at the pool. I wouldn’t mind it as much if it wasn’t set to Metro Station’s “Shake It.” Tyce says the girls are gonna have to own it. I can see Jeanette Manrara owning it up front, which is good. Bianca Revels seems to be having some troubles through. Bianca looks good in the actual performance to me. Priscilla Marrero continues to stand out to me despite her distinct lack of being featured. Even though she falls at the end of the routine. But she does it amazingly, and the judges all love it. Bianca gets cut, which means she is the second of the five locks for top 20 spots that I predicted who didn’t even make it to the end of Vegas. Gabi Rojas, Megan Kinney, and Priscilla are all cut as well. 3 Dancers who ALL made my top 20 list. Which makes half my girls done, as well as a complete lack of mention for two of them (Where in the hell is Kelsea Taylor?). The girls get cut down to a top 16, and will have to solo later.

The Boys: The girls relax at the pool while the boys go through Tyce’s broadway hell. The Kasprzak’s are up in the first group, and I manage to like both of them more each time they’re on screen. And they are both OWNING it, IMO. I liked the girls routine better overall, but neither was terrible, so I guess good work Tyce? That Hart Twin that I keep spotting gets cut, but he’s the only notable male cut.

We end with everyone doing final solos in order to get the judges attention. Alex Wong Jeanette Manrara, Brandon Bryant, Asuka Kondoh, Philip Chbeeb, Kayla Rodamski, Jason {No Last Name That I Can Remember}, and Evan Kasprzak all impress me with the few seconds we saw of everyone.

Jeanette Manrara is the first one up to find out their Top 20 fate. Or will she? Because this is the end for tonight. Cat tells us it’s the most dramatic top 20 reveal yet. And it looks like only one of the Kasprzak brothers is gonna make it through, since they seem to be the dramatic end pair. Sadly, folks, tomorrow night the recap will be up later than usual. It’s my mom’s birthday, so I’m going out to dinner and will miss the live broadcast. But it’s gonna be DVRed, and I would expect the recap should be up by like 1130. Sound good folks? And what did you think of tonight? And I say again, WHERE THE HELL WAS KELSEA TAYLOR?

So You Think You Can Dance 5/28- The Final Auditions of Season 5

Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full version, head over to sytycd.ca

Hey folks, Nate here again. Tonight’s our last audition show for season 5, so lets hope for some talent. I’m not gonna lie folks, it was a long and arduous day at work, so this recap might not be entirely up to snuff. It may be sorely lacking in witticisms and various other bon mots. Lets hope it’s good though, just like tonight’s auditions.

LA
We start out tonight in LA. Cat seems her usual perky self. She even says “Gangstah” at one point. Joining Nigel and Mary tonight is Shankers. Shankers, you may be a terrible film director (Really, Bedtime Stories?), but I like you as a SYTYCD judge. Also, in the audience are Comfort and Joshua from last season.

Bianca Revels- She was that awesome female tapper from last season who made it to the end of Vegas but got shut down. She’s back again this year. She seems affable. She’s dancing without music, which makes a certain amount of sense for a tapper. She’s awesome, and apparently, this is just the year for tap on SYTYCD. She gives good face, is energetic, and connects with the judges. She gets a standing ovation from all three judges. Nigel thinks she’s everything that he loves about tap and calls her the consummate tap dancer. Mary thinks she’s brilliant, and calls her the best female tapper the show has ever had, and Shankers hopes to see very big things from her. She goes straight through to Vegas.

Unnamed Zaftig Female Dancer- She’s bad. I don’t know why we’re watching her, but Nigel makes a good comment about her needing to find moves and lines that fit her body shape. She’s also apparently a very orthodox jew, which would cause problems. Shankers talks about dancing and connection to God, and know I totally know why they showed this actually.

Calico Sequeira- She’s a swing dancer, and she’s 30 so this is her last season to try out. It seems pleasant. Yeah, I’d call it pleasant. Nigel says it was enjoyable to watch but looked like social dancing. Mary also thought it was entertaining. Shankers thought it had no presentational quality. Nos across the board. But then she invites Shankers on stage to dance with her because it seemed fun.

Adam “Shankers” Shankman- Shankers age is listed as “21ish”, which is kind of great. Also kind of great? Shankers himself. He’s graceful, good lines and footwork. He may even be a little too good, which makes me wonder if this is all staged. Nigel and Mary then call Katee (who has miraculously appeared in the audience), Josh, Comfort, and Lauren to the judging table to evaluate Shankers. Katee, proving herself to be funny as well as a good dancer, asks him how much he wants this. Joshua then starts to critique, before Shankers cuts him off reminding him that he was the one who put him through. Shankers is then sent straight through to Vegas. Honestly, this may have been my favorite moment of all the audition shows.

Ricky Sun and Asuka Kondoh- Asoka made it to the end of Vegas but didn’t get through. They’re hoping to make it just as far this year, if not farther. Their footwork is great, but Ricky’s connection with Asuka could be stronger. She’s much better, despite him seemingly making it as much about him as possible. She’s really good though. Nigel says Asuka steals the limelight and calls her stunning, but Ricky holds his own really well, and calls him absolutely excellent. Mary calls it absolutely breathtaking, and found herself coming back to Ricky. Shankers says Asuka stole his focus 100%. Both go straight through to Vegas.

Nathan Trasoras- He almost quit dancing because he was being bullied. He’s really good, great muscle control, great pirouettes, and he also manages to connect with both the judges and the music. And it’s especially impressive because he’s only 17. Which is too young to be on the show. Shankers calls him pretty beepin impressive. Mary says extraordinary. Nigel says his center is one of the best they’ve had on the program. Nigel says that if he DOESN”T come back next year, the judges are gonna hunt him down. Nigel gives him a direct ticket to Vegas for season 6. That’s how impressive he is.

Sammy Ramirez- He was a wrestler, and Cat does a pro wrestling move. Honestly, Cat Deeley, you are just unabashedly awesome. The guy who got Sammy into dance is in prison now, so it’s kind of a tribute. Wow, speaking of unabashedly awesome, this guy is definitely my favorite breaker that we’ve seen so far. His muscle control, hell his skin control, is just phenomenal. He’s smooth (well, as smooth as popping can be), and it’s just tons of fun to watch. Shankers loves him so much too and his fingers are so crossed that this guy gets through choreography. Nigel loves his smile, and his hair choreography. He gets a wholehearted yes to choreography.

Philip Chbeeb- He doesn’t even have to audition, because he goes straight to Vegas. He was supposed to go last year, but got pneumonia. But he’s not done, because he’s auditioning with…

Arielle Coker- She met Phil because he drove her to the hospital when her mom was in there. They seem really sweet. Her routine with Phil is really great. And they seem awfully coupley. It doesn’t showcase her dancing all that much. She also over performs a little bit. Really, it’s kind of impossible to not focus on Phil. I’d say he’s a top 20 lock this year, like Twitch was last year. Nigel thinks she didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, which indicates she’s good. Mary also thinks she’s a good dancer. Shankers loves that she brought out the better dancer in Phil. She’s straight to Vegas.

Choreography Day 2 (We didn’t see day 1): Sammy Ramirez makes it to Vegas. Is it wrong of me to say absolute Yay?

SEATTLE
Judges: Nigel, Mary, and Mia Michaels. Hooray Mia Michaels!

Seattle is raining. Shocker!

Kelsea Taylor- Finally, Seattle shows promise. She’s got that weirdly awesome demented thing that Mark from last season had. Nigel says Sonja would love her, which only makes the comparison between her and Mark stronger in my mind. I actually love this. Definitely one of my favorite auditions of the whole season. Nigel calls her zany, slightly crazy, and likes her a lot. Mary loved the musicality and wanted to see more and noted that she didn’t show her weaknesses. Mia calls her a beautiful, disasterous, weirdo, but in the best ways possible. I love Mia critiques. She goes to choreography.

Choreography Day 1: Kelsea goes to Vegas. Note, only FOUR dancers made it to Vegas from Day 1. Yikes, Seattle must have really sucked after all.

Leonid Knyshov (I think) – His idea of dancing appears to be entirely lifted from Dance Dance Revolution. There’s no energy whatsoever. I hate auditions like this. Nigel calls it on its similarity to jumpstyle, in that it’s just really bad. Nigel says it’s like he was at a rave, Mary said it reminded her of three to four year olds jumping and twirling. Mia suggests a battle between him and sex, to which Leonid greatly says “Oh God No.” Unfortunatley, Sex is game for it.

SIDE NOTE: If FOX keeps up this amount of heavy advertising for Glee, I really fear it could turn viewers off. Give it a rest, and a big push come mid-august, FOX.

The Battle: Sex vs. Leonid- Is it possible to actively root against both sides in a battle? I mean, one has to win, right? Is it too much to hope that somehow they both manage to lose and never come back to the show? Cat calls this the ultimate dance battle, and if I were Robert Muraine or Phil Chbeeb, I would find this insulting considering their dance off last season finale. Apparently, Sex wins round one, round two is a draw, and Leo wins round three, because sex ran out of stamina (ZING!). Mia names Leo as her winner, Mary picks Leo, and Nigel picks Sex. Nigel asks Leo if he’s willing to call it a draw, but Leo will take the win, thank you very much. Nigel actually suggests Sex go to the choreography round, which I would consider a slap in the face if I was sent to the choreography round. Mary acquiesces, but Mia, expressing sanity, says no. But he’s going to choreography.

Choreography Day 2: Sex is thankfully not going anywhere near Vegas. Kupa (see full recap), however, is going to Vegas.

Well, that’s it for the auditions this year. Next week is Vegas, where you can make it or break it. I’m hoping for some Nomi Malone style breakout stars (“You have more natural talent than I’ve ever seen! Ever!”) The choreographers seem to bringing it, the judges seem to be bringing the bitchy, and lets hope the dancers the awesome too. See you guys next week!

So You Think You Can Dance 5/27- Miami and Memphis Move their Moneymakers

NOTE: Last week, Spot (from sytycd.ca) pointed out that posting the same recap both here and at sytycd.ca may cause problems with Google. So here’s the deal folks, what you’ll find here is the ABRIDGED recap. Then, with the full recap, you can find that over at So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 Social. Sound good folks?

Welcome back folks, for another great edition of the SYTYCD auditions shows! Tonight we’re hitting up Miami and Memphis. In honor of SYTYCD’s city alliteration, I’m hoping for some banoodles breakers, beyond crazy ballroom couples, consummate contemporaries, lovely lyricals, tremendous tappers, hard-hitting hip-hoppers, jaw-dropping jazz dancers, and just judges.

Miami
Priscilla Marrero- She is Spanish, but that is about all I catch from her audition package. However, her dancing is fantastic, she knows how to PERFORM, which is key, and her quality of movement is just great. She knows how to connect with her audience. I can see her in the top 10. She’s been dancing for a long time, and it’s who she is. Nigel loved her, Mary calls her over-the-top wonderful, and Tyce says it made him happy to be a dancer and it does something to him. Maybe that’s what those pseudo-orgasmic noises he was making during her audition were.

On a serious question, though, have they been telling the guest judge to be an over-the-top character like Nigel and Mary? B/c between Sonja and Tyce, they are acting a bit too over-the-top. I tend to like the guest judge because they’re much more reasonable. But, depending on the judges schtick (Yay- Mia, Sonja, the inevitable Shankers, Nay- Tyce), this could get agitating.

Jeanette Manrara and Romulo Villaverde- They auditioned last season, she made it to the end of Vegas week, and got rejected. He didn’t even make it through to Vegas. Well, here’s that beyond-crazy ballroom couple I was looking for. They are sultry, their footwork is very impressive, as is the backflip/split they have. They seem to labor for a second every so often, but they are very very good. Nigel loved it, Mary Murphy screams and loves her sexy strength. The flip split put Tyce over the top. Mary threatens to kill Nigel if they don’t go to Vegas, and, fearing for his life, they go straight through to Vegas

Wislande Letang- She is nervous. And awful. She comes close to flashing the judges, repulses Tyce, and is just generally not even deserving of a recap. But I do this for you, readers. Mary had no idea what just happened, makes a backhanded reference to Nigel’s sexism in that she was clearly only dancing for him. Nigel says she had no style or enthusiasm. Tyce says he was shocked, but Wislande correctly calls him on actually looking disgusted. She’s kind of got him there.

Eric “Silky” Moore- He’s a tapper, and also knows hip-hop. He knows tap is a dying art, and he’s trying to bring it back. He’s dancing to Thriller. He’s really good. Fluid, fantastic footwork, knows how to perform, and you can almost see the infusions of hip-hop into the tap. Plus, there’s an awesome moonwalk and worm. So, between him and Peter Sabasino, there better be a tapper in our top 20. He was simply awesome. Nigel tells him that it was great, started slow, but got great. Mary wanted to keep watching him. Tyce found it totally inspiring from the start. He goes straight through to Vegas. Deservedly.

Paris Torres- She was Miss Washington. She entered pageants because of dance. She also has the most preposterous blue eyes, that I’m sure they must be contact fakes. It’s a very pretty ballet-esque routine. I say esque because I’m pretty sure it’s not only ballet and it’s also choreographer to a remix of Toxic by Britney spears. Certainly enjoyable, but I wouldn’t necessarily put her straight through to Vegas. Nigel found it very good indeed, Mary loved her lines and limbs, and Tyce thought it was great but she was too focused on her lower limbs. It’s a 2-1 vote but she gets straight though to vegas.

Henry Rivero, Megan Kinney, Alex Wong- They are all lumped in a montage of good contemporary. I wish we could have seen Megan and Alex’s full auditions. All make it straight through to Vegas. But, seriously, these guys get 20 second each but crappy Tony (see full recap for his blurb) gets like 5 minutes?

Thalia Rickett (I think, this may be the wrong name)- She met her husband at age 14, married at 18, and became a widow at 22. Really sad backstory, and, despite the shades of Danny Gokey in this backstory, I’m rooting for her. It’s her first audition in 2 years, and she has the attitude and hits her hip-hop moves hard, but the technique seems a little lacking. Nigel accurately points out how often she pulls her face and didn’t see enough there for him. Mary calls it fiery, but didn’t see the substance, despite seeing potential. Tyce thought the energy was good, but it was lacking in hip-hop technique. Nigel fakes her out before sending her to choreography.

Choreography Day 2: Geo (see full recap) makes it to Vegas, as does, surprising no one, Thalia.

MEMPHIS
Mariko Flake (also might be the wrong name)- He’s a police officer, and patrols the entertainment district. He does Memphis juking, which is all about bounce and smoothness. Well, in his video package, his is impressive. His actual audition is no less so. Ridiculous body control and footwork. I can totally see the bounce and smoothness in there. Best breaker-ish dancer the show has had yet. Nigel loved it, Lil’ C enjoyed it, and Mary thought he had it all going on. She points out that juking is usually in the feet, but he made them watch it all. They toy with him before putting him straight through to Vegas.

Christopher Corroza- He seems like a douche. His style is called “Electric” and it apparently is a little bit of him stealing everything. But is, in actuality, hopping in a bellbottoms like I’m sure he does at Burning Man every year. Nigel calls it EuroPop/Rave Party and then says it doesn’t show if he’s a dancer or not. This guy is a total douche. He wasted their time, doesn’t want to hear criticism, and then tells the judges they’re being overly critical. Total, total douche.

Caitlin Kinney- She is the sister of Megan Kinney (who I wanted more of earlier). And she is beautiful to watch. She does an amazing cartwheel backflip, some great leaps, and a very impressive routine (Can you tell I have my technical vocabulary down pat?). She also ands in a ridiculous upside down warrior-pose type thing. Nigel calls her absolutely phenomenal for having only danced for five years. She’s also had a hip reconstruction surgery, and Mary calls this her destiny for having come back from that. Lil’ C calls her captivating and she gave him chills. She goes straight to Vegas.

Anna Dunn- Her father killed himself a little over a year ago. She’s been getting through it via dance. It’s her outlet to express herself. I really wanna see her succeed. I really like her dancing, but something about her face doesn’t seem to sync up with the movement. She almost looks too pleased for the movements she’s doing, which seem to tell a story of being broken. Nigel calls her over-choreographed and tells her to calm it down because they need to get feeling from her, but ultimately he calls her tremendous. Mary loved everything except for the constant head movements, calling her a diamond in the rough. Lil’ C tells her to connect with the pain when she dances, and it’s probably the best critique he’s given all episode. She goes to choreography.

Evan Kasprzak – Evan made it to the end of Vegas last year and got cut. If I remember, he was one of those “WTF How did he get cut?” guys like Brandon Bryant. And this audition totally reminds me of why. He’s just simply fantastic. Totally reminiscent of Gene Kelly/Fred Astaire. Here’s my jaw-dropping jazz dancer. Nigel calls it absolutely superb, Mary loves seeing him again but worries America won’t get him, Lil’ C calls it positively amazing. They seem worried about his versatility, but he still goes straight to Vegas.

Ryan Kasprzak- He’s Evan’s brother, an a tapper, but he’s got experience in tons of other styles. He’s tapping with a whoopee cushion, so I’m automatically a fan. He’s got great comedy, footwork, uses the prop really well. This is a very good season for tap so far. Nigel calls it terrific and lots of fun. Mary calls it pure, pure entertainment. Lil’ C says it was an amazing solo and positively delightful. He goes straight through to Vegas just like Lil’ bro.

Choreography Day 2: Anna Dunn goes to Vegas, Travis goes to Vegas, and both Guerra sisters go to Vegas as well. (See full recap for the sisters and Travis)

So, it seems like this episode was all about siblings and tap. There were certainly a lot of promising contestants. And I will see you back here tomorrow for our final two cities, LA and Seattle. Viva la SYTYCD!

This Redeems The Past Two Seasons of Heroes… Kinda

So, the past two seasons of Heroes, have, with the minor exception here and there, basically sucked. They had too many characters, focused too narrowly on the three or four they thought most appealed to audiences (Newsflash: They didn’t. Peter Petrelli will always be a whiny tool to me), and just lost the idea that a show has to have a distinct narrative thread. But, this video, to me, almost makes the past two seasons of Heroes worth all of that. Comedic (And somewhat NSFW) glory embedded below:



So, yeah, that’s all kinds of awesome. There’s apparently one for Supernatural out there too, but seeing as I’m still stuck in the middle of the first season of Supernatural (It’s the new show that I’m trying to work my way through multiple back seasons of. Worth it, readers?), I can’t judge whether or not it’s better. Credit to the awesome io9 (Gawker’s Sci-Fi blog) for posting this video. I’m not sure it fully redeems the past two seasons of Heroes, but it sure makes the failed potential somewhat more palatable.

Thoughts on the REAL Idol Finale

So, Kris won. Color me… surprised? I wouldn't say shocked. Unlike the judges, I didn't count him out. But I was definitely expecting Adam to win. But since Adam is basically guaranteed a record deal after the show, I'm not at all upset by the outcome of the show, unlike the spitting mad Adam fans who can be found on nearly every Idol message board. I actually feel that this outcome is better for both guys, although I feel bad for Kris having to release “No Boundaries” as his first singe. Poor guy.

But the Idol finale was as bloat as ever, and I'd call roughly half palatable. In a shocking turn of events, my favorite moment was courtesy of our 9th and 10th place finishers and a comedy icon. I LOVED the Steve Martin banjo number. It was sweet and simply melodic, fit Megan's voice best of anything she's sung on the show, and even Michael Sarver was actually pretty good. Since Wednesday, I've already listened to the original (featuring Vince Gill and Dolly Parton on vocals, a definite recommendation) like 10 times.

Most of the other performances were fairly forgettable. I enjoyed Kris and Keith Urban, but wished Kris had been paired with Jason Mraz instead. Adam with Kiss was not as good as Adam with Queen would have likely been. Looking back after Kris' win, though, “We Are The Champions” is actually really fitting, since they basically both won. Also, Simon's distinct lack of standing during Kris' victory reeked of douche. Not surprising, but still bears mentioning. So, yeah, all in all, a mixed bag of a finale. But when going into it I knew I was guaranteed to be happy with the outcome, I was perfectly fine with the mixed bag.