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.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
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?
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/8- The Top 12 Perform
Hey folks! Tonight, our top 12 try to cut a rug and not get cut before the tour. Wow, did Mia Michaels write that last sentence? Cat looks smashing and Old Hollywood glamorous in a simple black dress. However, she may or may not have gotten a haircut. And if she did, personally, I think it's marvelous. The great intros tonight are courtesy of Jason, Brandon, Philip, and Kupono. Maybe Ade and Melissa too. They weren't great, but they're my favorite couple, so i guess they get an automatic boost? Tyce is guest jidging tonight. Everyone’s doing two routines tonight, so instead of laying this out chronologically, I’m doing it by pair:
Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more lengthy take, head to sytycd.ca
Melissa and Ade
Disco by Doriana Sanchez
It’s really high energy, and Melissa looks like she was plucked from the Saturday Night Fever extras pool. I watch her more, even though Ade seems to be doing a slightly better job with the dancing. And OMG, Melissa was just in a lift and had her legs in a 180 degree line. She should get super-duper bonus points for that, which should completely nullify the fact that she falls at the end of the routine. But know what, she recovers greatly. Nigel loved it, Mary calls them a Disco Pick-Me-Up, and Tyce says “That Was Friggin Great.”
Waltz by Ron Montez
Really, as a couple, they're SO connected. And that's what's really selling this routine. I mean, it's pretty and graceful to look at, but it's going to be memorable because of how awesomely connected they are. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but has a technical critique for ade. Mary found it beautifully danced, but didn't feel enough power from Ade on something called "the twinkles." Tyce calls it well-danced.
Kayla and Kupono
Contemporary by Mia Michaels
Mia looks very at peace when working with them. This routine is about addiction. This is also really good, but I'm not sure if Kupono's really in the character. I mean, he's hitting the moves well, but I don't actually feel the connection to the character in him. He's just kind of... glaring. Kayla, on the other hand, is just BONKERS good. Like, her face reads it completely, she NAILS every move, and just inhabits the dance. However, the routine itself is fantastic. Nigel thought it was great, Mary keeps them on the Hot Tamale Train, and Tyce thought they brought more than just steps.
Broadway by Joey Dowling
Joey seems like an awesomely demanding choreographer. The rehearsal packages with her are great, because she's clearly just so unimpressed with her raw materials. I don't know though, there's something about this routine that I just don't love. I mean, they both seem to be doing the movements well, but I'm just not connecting to this routine in any sort of major way. Kayla looks fantastic, but I don't have much else to say. Nigel didn’t think it had the necessary emotion, Mary found it really dynamic, and Tyce didn’t think they made it part of their world.
Caitlin and Jason
Foxtrot by Tony Meredith
This is a pretty darn good Foxtrot. Jason isn't really quite connecting all that greatly with Caitlin, but they're both dancing it well. They look the part fantastically, and Caitlin is doing a really good job selling it all. Nigel thinks they made it all look simple, Mary found it tremendous, and Tyce thinks they looked like stars and captured the essence.
Lyrical Jazz by Mandy Moore
Mandy is excited to bring out their strengths, because they're both basically in genre. Mandy describes it as a kitchen-sink routine. For both being in genre, sadly, I do not find this to be the most captivating of dances. Don't get me wrong, they're both doing very well. There's some awesome hand work in there. They dance it well. But I just didn't hone in on it. It didn't jump off the screen for me. Nigel found it very technically well-done, Mary didn’t feel the magic, and Tyce thought it was good but they needed to take it a step farther.
Jeanine and Philip
Russian Folk Dance
This isn't their fault at all, but it's just really bad. The choreography, just isn't enertaining to watch. They're doing their absolute best to sell it as entrtainment, and Philip does a great Trepak, and then shows in some Hip-Hop-ish stuff. And Jeanine does her best with the funner bits she has, but that's just a terrible dance to saddle a couple with. Nigel can’t fault them for how awful it was, Mary found it believable, and Tyce thinks they did well with what they were given.
Jive by Tony Meredith
Phil is greatly awkward about the sexiness of this one. I probably preferred Evan and Randi's jive from earlier this season, but it's much better than I expected to be. Phil is nowhere near as bad as I expected him to be. And Jeanine is just great to watch. She is drawing me in like whoa, and not just because she's shimmying while basically making direct eye contact with the camera and viewer. Miles better than their first routine, and a very very solid routine. Nigel calls Phil the best he’s ever seen him out of his style, Mary was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a trainwreck, and Tyce asks us to call 1-800-Fan-Freakin-Tastic.
Randi and Evan
Hip-Hop by NappyTabs
I have to say, I'm really impressed by how well Randi is handling this. I mean, they're both good, but I kind of expected her to be pretty bad at this. But she's probably even the better of the two. They're both nailing the emotions of the number, and in all honestly, I would probably say this is my favorite hip-hop routine so far this season. I really really liked it. Nigel liked it a bit and particularly that they weren’t urban-ified. Mary was expecting a trainwreck but didn’t see one. Tyce liked the storytelling.
Samba by Pasha and Anya
Randi is out of her comfort zone. Pasha and Anya want it to be hot, intricate, and different. It's certainly intricate, and also really cool, but these two have problems pulling off the sultry. It's fun to watch, but it doesn't have that Samba sexiness. It picks up a little bit a the end, and there's some great footwork and flips, but without that sexiness, it's just missing something. Nigel thinks they did everything the could but it wasn’t hot enough. Mary found it to be a slow sizzle by wanted it to be more dynamic. Tyce wanted more fierceness.
Janette and Brandon
Argentine Tango by Leonardo and Miriam
They spoke a lot of Spanish in the rehearsal, which Brandon doesn't speak. But even if he didn't understand what they were saying, it's pretty clear that he got what they were doing. I mean, Janette is the stand-out here, but Brandon is no slouch. My only criticism of him would be that at times, you can see it on his face that it's not coming naturally to him. But Janette is fantastic. Her footwork is great, she nails the emotion, and she is just amazing to watch. All three judges give them a standing ovation. ‘Nuff said.
Jazz by Wade Robson
We're like 15 seconds in, and its AWESOME. Like, quite possibly my favorite routine so far this eason. They're both rocking the movement, the feeling, and they're just both ridiculously amazingly fun to watch. Yeah, that's my favorite routine of the season so far. Major major kudos and a half to them. Nigel thinks there’s nothing they can’t do. Mary screams “The best for last!” Tyce thinks they have that thing.
Rankings for the Night (By Couple):
1) Janette and Brandon
2) Melissa and Ade
3) TIE- Kayla and Kupono, Randi and Evan
5) (by a hair) Caitlin and Jason
6) Jeanine and Philip
Rankings for the Night (By Dance)
1) Janette and Brandon- Jazz
2) Kayla and Kupono- Contemporary
3) Melissa and Ade- Disco
4) Randi and Evan- Hip Hop
5) Janette and Brandon- Argentine Tango
6) Caitlin and Jason- Lyrical Jazz
7) Jeanine and Philip- Jive
8) Melissa and Ade- Waltz
9) Randi and Evan- Samba
10) Kayla and Kupono- Broadway
11) Caitlin and Jason- Foxtrot
12) Jeanine and Philip- Russian Folk Dance
Who’s In Trouble: Jason and Caitlin and Philip and Jeanine are likely to land in the bottom. Evan and Randi’ll probably round that out.
Who’s Going Home: Caitlin is dunzo, I’m guessing. For the guys, I’d say it’s between Jason and Evan. Which is sad, since I really like both those guys. Can we get rid of Pono instead?
Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more lengthy take, head to sytycd.ca
Melissa and Ade
Disco by Doriana Sanchez
It’s really high energy, and Melissa looks like she was plucked from the Saturday Night Fever extras pool. I watch her more, even though Ade seems to be doing a slightly better job with the dancing. And OMG, Melissa was just in a lift and had her legs in a 180 degree line. She should get super-duper bonus points for that, which should completely nullify the fact that she falls at the end of the routine. But know what, she recovers greatly. Nigel loved it, Mary calls them a Disco Pick-Me-Up, and Tyce says “That Was Friggin Great.”
Waltz by Ron Montez
Really, as a couple, they're SO connected. And that's what's really selling this routine. I mean, it's pretty and graceful to look at, but it's going to be memorable because of how awesomely connected they are. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but has a technical critique for ade. Mary found it beautifully danced, but didn't feel enough power from Ade on something called "the twinkles." Tyce calls it well-danced.
Kayla and Kupono
Contemporary by Mia Michaels
Mia looks very at peace when working with them. This routine is about addiction. This is also really good, but I'm not sure if Kupono's really in the character. I mean, he's hitting the moves well, but I don't actually feel the connection to the character in him. He's just kind of... glaring. Kayla, on the other hand, is just BONKERS good. Like, her face reads it completely, she NAILS every move, and just inhabits the dance. However, the routine itself is fantastic. Nigel thought it was great, Mary keeps them on the Hot Tamale Train, and Tyce thought they brought more than just steps.
Broadway by Joey Dowling
Joey seems like an awesomely demanding choreographer. The rehearsal packages with her are great, because she's clearly just so unimpressed with her raw materials. I don't know though, there's something about this routine that I just don't love. I mean, they both seem to be doing the movements well, but I'm just not connecting to this routine in any sort of major way. Kayla looks fantastic, but I don't have much else to say. Nigel didn’t think it had the necessary emotion, Mary found it really dynamic, and Tyce didn’t think they made it part of their world.
Caitlin and Jason
Foxtrot by Tony Meredith
This is a pretty darn good Foxtrot. Jason isn't really quite connecting all that greatly with Caitlin, but they're both dancing it well. They look the part fantastically, and Caitlin is doing a really good job selling it all. Nigel thinks they made it all look simple, Mary found it tremendous, and Tyce thinks they looked like stars and captured the essence.
Lyrical Jazz by Mandy Moore
Mandy is excited to bring out their strengths, because they're both basically in genre. Mandy describes it as a kitchen-sink routine. For both being in genre, sadly, I do not find this to be the most captivating of dances. Don't get me wrong, they're both doing very well. There's some awesome hand work in there. They dance it well. But I just didn't hone in on it. It didn't jump off the screen for me. Nigel found it very technically well-done, Mary didn’t feel the magic, and Tyce thought it was good but they needed to take it a step farther.
Jeanine and Philip
Russian Folk Dance
This isn't their fault at all, but it's just really bad. The choreography, just isn't enertaining to watch. They're doing their absolute best to sell it as entrtainment, and Philip does a great Trepak, and then shows in some Hip-Hop-ish stuff. And Jeanine does her best with the funner bits she has, but that's just a terrible dance to saddle a couple with. Nigel can’t fault them for how awful it was, Mary found it believable, and Tyce thinks they did well with what they were given.
Jive by Tony Meredith
Phil is greatly awkward about the sexiness of this one. I probably preferred Evan and Randi's jive from earlier this season, but it's much better than I expected to be. Phil is nowhere near as bad as I expected him to be. And Jeanine is just great to watch. She is drawing me in like whoa, and not just because she's shimmying while basically making direct eye contact with the camera and viewer. Miles better than their first routine, and a very very solid routine. Nigel calls Phil the best he’s ever seen him out of his style, Mary was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a trainwreck, and Tyce asks us to call 1-800-Fan-Freakin-Tastic.
Randi and Evan
Hip-Hop by NappyTabs
I have to say, I'm really impressed by how well Randi is handling this. I mean, they're both good, but I kind of expected her to be pretty bad at this. But she's probably even the better of the two. They're both nailing the emotions of the number, and in all honestly, I would probably say this is my favorite hip-hop routine so far this season. I really really liked it. Nigel liked it a bit and particularly that they weren’t urban-ified. Mary was expecting a trainwreck but didn’t see one. Tyce liked the storytelling.
Samba by Pasha and Anya
Randi is out of her comfort zone. Pasha and Anya want it to be hot, intricate, and different. It's certainly intricate, and also really cool, but these two have problems pulling off the sultry. It's fun to watch, but it doesn't have that Samba sexiness. It picks up a little bit a the end, and there's some great footwork and flips, but without that sexiness, it's just missing something. Nigel thinks they did everything the could but it wasn’t hot enough. Mary found it to be a slow sizzle by wanted it to be more dynamic. Tyce wanted more fierceness.
Janette and Brandon
Argentine Tango by Leonardo and Miriam
They spoke a lot of Spanish in the rehearsal, which Brandon doesn't speak. But even if he didn't understand what they were saying, it's pretty clear that he got what they were doing. I mean, Janette is the stand-out here, but Brandon is no slouch. My only criticism of him would be that at times, you can see it on his face that it's not coming naturally to him. But Janette is fantastic. Her footwork is great, she nails the emotion, and she is just amazing to watch. All three judges give them a standing ovation. ‘Nuff said.
Jazz by Wade Robson
We're like 15 seconds in, and its AWESOME. Like, quite possibly my favorite routine so far this eason. They're both rocking the movement, the feeling, and they're just both ridiculously amazingly fun to watch. Yeah, that's my favorite routine of the season so far. Major major kudos and a half to them. Nigel thinks there’s nothing they can’t do. Mary screams “The best for last!” Tyce thinks they have that thing.
Rankings for the Night (By Couple):
1) Janette and Brandon
2) Melissa and Ade
3) TIE- Kayla and Kupono, Randi and Evan
5) (by a hair) Caitlin and Jason
6) Jeanine and Philip
Rankings for the Night (By Dance)
1) Janette and Brandon- Jazz
2) Kayla and Kupono- Contemporary
3) Melissa and Ade- Disco
4) Randi and Evan- Hip Hop
5) Janette and Brandon- Argentine Tango
6) Caitlin and Jason- Lyrical Jazz
7) Jeanine and Philip- Jive
8) Melissa and Ade- Waltz
9) Randi and Evan- Samba
10) Kayla and Kupono- Broadway
11) Caitlin and Jason- Foxtrot
12) Jeanine and Philip- Russian Folk Dance
Who’s In Trouble: Jason and Caitlin and Philip and Jeanine are likely to land in the bottom. Evan and Randi’ll probably round that out.
Who’s Going Home: Caitlin is dunzo, I’m guessing. For the guys, I’d say it’s between Jason and Evan. Which is sad, since I really like both those guys. Can we get rid of Pono instead?
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Pilot Review: The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
FOX. Sundays at 8:30
So, I’d say I’m a fan of Family Guy. It’s nowhere near must see TV for me, but it still is mostly amusing, and can on occasion be very funny. However, moreso than any other comedy on TV, it completely misses the mark and ends up in wildly unfunny/disgusting territory.
I’m not sure what I was entirely expecting The Cleveland Show to be then, other than, you know, a second version of Family Guy. There are still random absurd cutaways, pop culture jokes that hit, pop culture jokes that miss, and various other stock characters. Which is to say that The Cleveland Show is about just as watchable as Family Guy, could be good for a laugh but not TV you need to go out of your way to see.
To be fair, there are some very funny things in the pilot. Cleveland’s new neighbor, a Christian Conservative bear (literally, a talking bear, I wonder how long until a shit in the woods joke occurs) with a pseudo-European accent, is probably the best character in the show, and brings some comedic energy to the scenes he’s in. And in one either very clever or entirely preposterous moment, there’s a jab at black sitcoms made by white people based on stereotypes. Which is kind of what The Cleveland Show is, making Seth McFarlane either an idiot or a hypocrite, I’m not sure which. But it’s the most interesting moment of the whole pilot.
That being said, this is much more like late era Family Guy than pre-cancellation. The tone of the show is still uneven, and, save Cleveland, none of the main family members are particularly funny. There are moments, but overall, it’s just not a laugh riot. I’d be interested whether to see if they balance out the tone, figure out a way to be more than just Family Guy 2.0, or take the show down a different road altogether, maybe something more along the lines of the now-much-funnier-than-Family-Guy American Dad. So, basically, this gets a rating that falls somewhere between…
RATING: If Nothing Else Is On/I’ll Give It Another Episode
Thursday, July 2, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance 7/2- Fourteen Becomes Twelve
Note: This is the abridged version of the night's proceedings. For the fuller version, head to sytycd.ca
Cat is wearing a short, shiny, silver number and I am a fan. See, Karla, that's how you do shiny.
Tonght's group number seems to be about costuming as many people as horribly as possible. Because, honestly, that's all I can focus on. How awful EVERYONE looks. The choreography looks... ok. I'm betting this is a Tyce. And I get it's Broadway, but really, you put Evan in a Phantom of the Opera mask? The few who manage to overcome their preposterous costuming are Brandon, Ade, Janette, and maybe Kayla and Melissa. So I guess that puts them ahead of the pack? Yup, it’s Tyce, called it.
The first two couples are immediately on stage to get results. Either Karla and Vitolio or Evan and Randi are safe. I know that I’m rooting for the second couple here. Which is why I’m happy that they’re safe. Vitolio seems surprised by the result, and I am surprised by Vitolio’s surprise.
After the break, three more couples are up on stage. Brandon and Janette are immediately safe. Either Kayla/Kupono or Melissa/Ade are in the bottom three. It better be the first of those two, considering Melissa and Ade are amazing. And the SYTYCD Gods are smiling on me tonight, because Kayla/Kupono are also in the bottom three. They were good last night, and probably don’t deserve to be down there, but better them than Adessa. Adessa all the way!
Going into the break, we see Chbeeb and Caitlin hugged together across from Jason and Jeanine all buddy buddy. Guys, this isn't Swingtown. Partner swapping doesn't start until after top 10 week. Get it straight.
Coming back from the break, both couples are up on stage and there’s one bottom three spot left. Chbeeb’s fanbase will probably carry them through, even though they were worse than Jason and Caitlin last night. But the Gods continue to like me, because the Chbeeb is finally heading to the bottom three. He and Jeanine are happy to prove why they’re there. I’m interested to finally see Jeanine do her own style.
For the first time all season, the terms Stars of Dance seems just ridiculously accurate. Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey are doing some classical ballet, and it's great. She slips at one point, but otherwise, her pointe seems phenomenal, he seems to do everything he needs to with grace and style. It's great. Makes the Rage Boyz Crew look like, well, boys. The judges give them a standing O.
SOLOS
Karla- She’s good. I can see some frantic-ness in there though. Lets be honest though, she doesn’t stand a chance against the other two girls.
Vitolio- It’s just like all his other solos, meaning I like it but I’m sure the judges will call it desperate (their favorite solo critique word this season)
Kayla- In all honesty, I prefer Karla's solo. She's good, but not great. It ends really strongly though. Cat asks Kayla why she thinks America hates her. She gives answering her best shot, but it's an unfair question. Bad Cat!
Kupono- His solo is... minimal, at least to me. It's almost more about the feeling. But, I can totally see the judges hating this.
Jeanine- Boy do I wish we could see more of her doing this, because she's bonkers good. It's a bit ballet, but I feel the emotion, connection, and she just looks amazing doing that.
Philip- OK, so we all know when Phil can do what he wants, it's going to be ridiculous. And, of course, it is. Tons of fun, he's just preposterously good when left to his own devices. But come on, we all already knew this.
The judges disappear back stage and leave us with Kelly Clarkson, performing "I Do Not Hook Up." I've always kind of liked Kelly Clarkson, so I'm happy for once, going into a performance. Who knew that was possible. What's great is it's completely clear she's not lip-synching. And the song is actually pretty good too (I hadn't heard it before because I don't really listen to contemporary popular music). My only complaint would be that absolutely no one on stage is dancing. But know what, I'd much rather have something like this than endless weeks of Sean Kingston's anemic back-up dancers of Kristinia DeBarge's pop-strumpet prowling. And, for the record, Kelly can still pretty much command the stage.
Results time, and the girls are first. The judges are unanimous. Shocker. They love Jeanine, tell Kayla to dance from the heart, and tell Karla she never captured the star quality they thought she had. She’s going home. I know, I know, none of us saw this coming. [sarcasm] I do feel bad for her, she got stuck with a weaker partner and just never got the chance to shine that she needed. But it's true, she just never demonstrated star quality, at least to me. Do you all disagree?
The guys are up next, and again the judges are unanimous. Phil is great at what he does but still needs to grow in other styles. Kupono better do better than tonight’s solo in future weeks. And Vitolio never lived up to his star potential either, which is why he’s going home tonight.
Cat gets us to give one last round of applause to Karla and Vitolio before bidding us all adieu for the night. Everyone seems really sad to see these two go. Like, moreso than other weeks. Makes my cold, snarky heart feel bad. Anyways, see you all back here next week!
Cat is wearing a short, shiny, silver number and I am a fan. See, Karla, that's how you do shiny.
Tonght's group number seems to be about costuming as many people as horribly as possible. Because, honestly, that's all I can focus on. How awful EVERYONE looks. The choreography looks... ok. I'm betting this is a Tyce. And I get it's Broadway, but really, you put Evan in a Phantom of the Opera mask? The few who manage to overcome their preposterous costuming are Brandon, Ade, Janette, and maybe Kayla and Melissa. So I guess that puts them ahead of the pack? Yup, it’s Tyce, called it.
The first two couples are immediately on stage to get results. Either Karla and Vitolio or Evan and Randi are safe. I know that I’m rooting for the second couple here. Which is why I’m happy that they’re safe. Vitolio seems surprised by the result, and I am surprised by Vitolio’s surprise.
After the break, three more couples are up on stage. Brandon and Janette are immediately safe. Either Kayla/Kupono or Melissa/Ade are in the bottom three. It better be the first of those two, considering Melissa and Ade are amazing. And the SYTYCD Gods are smiling on me tonight, because Kayla/Kupono are also in the bottom three. They were good last night, and probably don’t deserve to be down there, but better them than Adessa. Adessa all the way!
Going into the break, we see Chbeeb and Caitlin hugged together across from Jason and Jeanine all buddy buddy. Guys, this isn't Swingtown. Partner swapping doesn't start until after top 10 week. Get it straight.
Coming back from the break, both couples are up on stage and there’s one bottom three spot left. Chbeeb’s fanbase will probably carry them through, even though they were worse than Jason and Caitlin last night. But the Gods continue to like me, because the Chbeeb is finally heading to the bottom three. He and Jeanine are happy to prove why they’re there. I’m interested to finally see Jeanine do her own style.
For the first time all season, the terms Stars of Dance seems just ridiculously accurate. Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey are doing some classical ballet, and it's great. She slips at one point, but otherwise, her pointe seems phenomenal, he seems to do everything he needs to with grace and style. It's great. Makes the Rage Boyz Crew look like, well, boys. The judges give them a standing O.
SOLOS
Karla- She’s good. I can see some frantic-ness in there though. Lets be honest though, she doesn’t stand a chance against the other two girls.
Vitolio- It’s just like all his other solos, meaning I like it but I’m sure the judges will call it desperate (their favorite solo critique word this season)
Kayla- In all honesty, I prefer Karla's solo. She's good, but not great. It ends really strongly though. Cat asks Kayla why she thinks America hates her. She gives answering her best shot, but it's an unfair question. Bad Cat!
Kupono- His solo is... minimal, at least to me. It's almost more about the feeling. But, I can totally see the judges hating this.
Jeanine- Boy do I wish we could see more of her doing this, because she's bonkers good. It's a bit ballet, but I feel the emotion, connection, and she just looks amazing doing that.
Philip- OK, so we all know when Phil can do what he wants, it's going to be ridiculous. And, of course, it is. Tons of fun, he's just preposterously good when left to his own devices. But come on, we all already knew this.
The judges disappear back stage and leave us with Kelly Clarkson, performing "I Do Not Hook Up." I've always kind of liked Kelly Clarkson, so I'm happy for once, going into a performance. Who knew that was possible. What's great is it's completely clear she's not lip-synching. And the song is actually pretty good too (I hadn't heard it before because I don't really listen to contemporary popular music). My only complaint would be that absolutely no one on stage is dancing. But know what, I'd much rather have something like this than endless weeks of Sean Kingston's anemic back-up dancers of Kristinia DeBarge's pop-strumpet prowling. And, for the record, Kelly can still pretty much command the stage.
Results time, and the girls are first. The judges are unanimous. Shocker. They love Jeanine, tell Kayla to dance from the heart, and tell Karla she never captured the star quality they thought she had. She’s going home. I know, I know, none of us saw this coming. [sarcasm] I do feel bad for her, she got stuck with a weaker partner and just never got the chance to shine that she needed. But it's true, she just never demonstrated star quality, at least to me. Do you all disagree?
The guys are up next, and again the judges are unanimous. Phil is great at what he does but still needs to grow in other styles. Kupono better do better than tonight’s solo in future weeks. And Vitolio never lived up to his star potential either, which is why he’s going home tonight.
Cat gets us to give one last round of applause to Karla and Vitolio before bidding us all adieu for the night. Everyone seems really sad to see these two go. Like, moreso than other weeks. Makes my cold, snarky heart feel bad. Anyways, see you all back here next week!
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