And America's Favorite Dancer is...Russell

Sorry about the hiatus. I think the back to back seasons wore me out. My apologies.

So this is a first. The person I wanted to win actually won, but then after he won I was upset. Can we talk about Russell's performance last night?

First off, I never bought it for one second. I think Russell knew that he was going to win (he had that cocky glint in his eye two nights ago that Jeanine had right before she won) and it started to freak him out, so he manifested this leg injury. Why, you might ask. It's hard to say, the mind is a strange place. I am guessing so that if he didn't win he could somehow blame it on his injury. Obviously, the votes had already been cast. Which is exactly why I started thinking that Russell was one strange dude.

Then he won. And he took off his shirt. And he jumped around on his "bad leg". And then Cat had to pull him off the floor. It was a combination of a World Cup game winning goal, Academy Award speech, and touchdown dance. I did not like it. I was having full blown second hand embarrassment. I had to hide in my kitchen for most of it.

Tuesday Night's Show 11/17 -GUEST COMMENTARY!

I was unable to watch the show last night. In lieu of my normal commentary, I will post an email I got from a friend this morning:

i hate legacy more than ever. he was too busy trying to show off his six pack that his posture was terrible throughout the dance. not to mention how he is so obsessed with himself that he plays with his own shadow. and who is paying the judges to rave about jakob (he is soooo forgettable)? his toes were pointed during a hip hop routine!!!!!!

thoughts?

Wednesday Result Show

I full on loved the opening piece. It was complicated, dynamic, compelling and I enjoyed every second of it. Perhaps Dave Scott can be the one who replaces Tabitha and Napoleon!

Dominic from Season 3? Flock of Seagulls haircut? Kmart commercial? Scooter? I'm not even going to comment. But I want to put it out there. 

Did you catch that the song Kevin did his solo to was written by Wade Robson...

I liked Karen's solo and I am not sure that she deserved to be scolded along with the other girls for having weak solos. I'm not sure that Ellenore's was even that bad (though I can see what they meant by her trying to be too quirky). Pauline's was not so good.  She was the obvious choice to go home. 

Looks like the show is not headed for a blackout but a tapout. I don't know if I totally agree with the choice. I think Peter might have been able to grow more with time.  But Kevin did have the better performance this week, so I guess he does indeed deserve to stay.

More Tuesday Night

Karen/Kevin and Ashleigh/Jakob were both great dances. I was pleasantly surprised. And I think both of them are good couples as well as individuals. Kevin really needs to not wear his hair like that ever again, as he looks way to much like the car thief in "Adventures in Babysitting."

I have to say that I am not often moved by the dancer's personal stories, but I was totally moved by Peter talking about his work with people with special needs. That just speaks volumes about his character and I am really impressed. And then I loved his dance with Pauline. The costumes were adorable, they looked great together, and I thought that they really pulled off a good quick step. Interestingly enough, Nigel pointed out how it was not a technically well performed quick step, but he acknowledged that the overall performance was a success. 

I was thinking this morning about why I like Legacy when it seems like a lot of other people don't. And I was wondering if it's because I never like the person who wins, I never pick the winner, and Legacy feels like a good person to back if I want to have at least one season where my favorite dancer wins. On the other hand, he is getting a lot attention right now, and is running the risk of peaking too early.

As far as Legacy's routine, clearly I loved it. I mean really loved it. And I thought Kathryn was very good. I don't know if she deserved all the criticism she got. Oh! I just had a thought. At around this point last season, Phillip and Jeanine did a very similar Broadway at a time when Phillip was all people talked about and Jeanine was completely under the radar. Conclusion: Kathryn is going to win.

All I can say about Ryan and Ellenore is that it should have been a train wreck and it was not. Not even close. But it was not awesome. But we have definitely seen people fall harder when out of their element. 

Eeek. What happened to Mollee and Nathan? I hope they don't go home over this bc I see a lot of potential in both of them.  It almost seemed like nerves rather than that they could not handle the dance. They just looked a bit uncomfortable out there.

I can't believe Russell and Noelle did the African Anteater Ritual. But man did they rock it. Not as well as Patrick Dempsey did, but they rocked it. 

Tuesday Night's Show

When I saw that there were two married couples on the show, the first thing I thought was, "Oh, this is going to totally break up both their marriages." I was partially kidding, and definitely did not want it to actually happen. Hence, I was really upset when Karen announced that she and her husband were splitting up.

Another side note, I was watching a CSI:NY episode yesterday about rival hip hop dancers (who obviously end up murdering each other) and they were playing the song that Legacy danced to last week. And then I notice that it was Legacy dancing to the song. It was hard to miss the person walking backwards on their hands. So I did a little IMDB investigating and found out that Jonathan "Legacy" Perez has been a background dancer on a couple shows and movies. There were also some head shots of him, which I found odd, because that seemed a little too "professional." I always think these people are no-names that just walk off the street, and then it always turns out that they already have a few dance accomplishments under their belt.

Was it me, or was one of the routines last night a combination of Tyce's addiction piece and Travis Wall's piece with Jeannine and the heart locket? I think Victor and Channing danced to it, and perhaps Stacey Tucci choreographed it. But you know how I am with names...

In truth, I was not able to watch most of last night's episode, so I am going to watch it now and post more thoughts later.

Deleted Comment #3

In response to my recollection that Joshua had once lied about his dance training:

"At least he can dance, unlike you"

DELETED COMMENT #2

wow, your blog posts are so superficial and tasteless.

calling jeanine cocky and saying you're not impressed by routines in your old posts. do you think you can dance?  

DELETED COMMENT #1

The amount of errors in your 'summary' show that you really have no idea what you're talking about.

First of all, Mollee and Jason. Who is Jason? LOL. It's Nathan.

Noelle didn't do well in her hip hop performance. Not only that, she got a free ride last week and should have nailed her routine this week.

Ashleigh was never 'carried' by Ryan. She was simply in the background in contrast to him. To imply that she was 'carried', is to say that she fumbled through all the rounds in Vegas and had to dance for her life several times with her husband, which did not happen.

Your lack of knowledge of tap is clear. I am not a tap expert, but to talk shit about tap dancers whilst praising legacy is such a double standard. Legacy has poor technique, probably can't do a leg extension, jette or hold a pioruette, yet is praised for his 'control'. I think it's funny how he got Hip Hop the first week, and contemporary routine that did not show any technique by Legacy at all. Nothing against Kathryn, but Legacy is overrated.

"The bottom four is bull shit". Okay, great commentary.

Do you like any genres of dance at all? Maybe you should learn to appreciate other styles of dance more, instead of lamenting and labelling things as 'boring', 'slow' and 'shit'. I personally think it's disgusting that you have SYTYCD in your blog title at all. 

A Note To My Readers

The reason I write this blog is because I love the show "So You Think You Can Dance," and I wanted to create a forum where other people could share their thoughts on the show. 

I am not a dancer. I have never taken a dance class. I have never claimed to have any expertise about dance. But, I love dancing. Everything I write here is just one person's opinion. A non-expert opinion. I don't think you have to be an expert to have an opinion. I write about how the dances make me feel, not from a place of learned knowledge, but rather my gut reaction.  

This morning I deleted about four comments from this blog because of their incredibly mean spirited nature. I want debate and conversation and different opinions about dance, but there is absolutely no place for personal attacks on me, or anyone else who leaves comments. 

I hesitated before deleting the comments, because everyone is entitled to voice their thoughts, but then I removed them after deciding that I did not want that level of negativity and hate attached to my blog. However, I am going to re-post all the comments except for the one where an anonymous person calls me a "fat bitch." There is no place for that level of reckless hostility on my blog or anywhere else in the world.

I sincerely apologize if I have offended anyone with the things I have written. My intention has always been to share my love of the show, not make people angry. In the future I will make an attempt to be more sensitive about the things that I say. As far as typos and calling people the wrong name, that will never stop. I am a really bad proofreader, and I have a lot of trouble remembering people's names :)

Death to Nappy Tabs (insert skull and cross bones symbol here)

Noelle & Russell: Wow, I really expected Noelle's dancing to be as stupid as her personality, but it was not at all! I was so impressed with her (besides her really bad "Matrix" move and aerial cartwheel). But I could not take my eyes off her.  I watched Noelle way more than Russell. As far as Shankman's comments; I am not sure he had a cohesive thought in there. I'm pretty sure it was the coke and/or acid talking. Not one thing he said made sense. Love you, Shanky, keep it coming.

Ashleigh &  Jakob: Perhaps the first ballroom I have enjoyed watching. Okay, I am sure that is not true. But I usually see Tony and Meredith and then get ready to not like the next dance. But this time they rocked it. And by they, I am mean Ashleigh and Jakob, because those kids have talent. I love that originally Ashleigh's husband was carrying her, because she has completely come into her own. 

Bianca & Victor: Ummm, I did not like it. It felt slow. Was that the choreography, or them? I think that I am really prejudiced against Bianca because I don't think she can reach beyond tap, though I would not mind being proved wrong. I think Victor might have danced okay, but I was mostly watching Bianca and thinking about how being good in one genre of dance does not make you more capable in others.

Mollee & Jason: Of all the weird things that have been pointed out about people's behavior on this show, nothing quite stands out like Mollee's need to go to the bathroom a lot. There is just something so wrong with the sight of her raising her hand to be dismissed to go to the restroom while someone is trying to teach her choreography.

Bollywood? More like Bollyboring. That was uninteresting and not even in the right style. If they had no been dressed as they were with beads and scarves, I might not have even guessed the genre. Not good. YET, the judges did not have enough good things to say. Which is either bc 1) They are trying to promote Bollywood as an acceptable style of dance on this show, or 2)They are trying to promote Mollee and Jason. Because that routine was mediocre at best.

Channing & Phillip: Do you hear it? Do you hear it coming? I think it is...I think it might be...yes, it's a TRAIN WRECK! Nice try guys, loved the enthusiasm, love you guys as a pair, but how could we not notice all the hiccups? As the judges said, it was a real struggle. They were cautious and slow and then still messed up. And I think Phillip might look like he is in his 50's. Note: When Nigel says that the color of your costume "really suits you," he is struggling... struggling for a compliment.

Karen & Kevin: Death to Nappy Tabs. I'm just going to say it. I am tired of this sh*t. I am sick and tired of this boring hip hop. At first I thought I was just anti-Nappy Tabs because they look like they should both be teaching Middle School Earth Science and not choreographing hip hop, but I am over that. Too many of their routines suck. Bring back Lil C, bring back Shane Sparks, do anything, just stop relying on this played out, watered down, over hyped, need to be "has been," choreography team. And they wear hats too often. 

I have no comment on the dancers. 

Kathryn & Legacy (the criers): Legacy has such control over his body, I don't know if there is anything he can't do. Never has someone transformed from a break dancer to a contemporary dancer so quickly (and Shanky is saying this exact same thing right now, but let the record show that I was already writing it). And Kathryn was pretty damn good too. I guess there is a correlation between dance ability and number of tears shed per day. But again, Legacy, I love you, you are amazing. 

Pauline & Peter: "Imagine there was an earlier draft of Van Gogh's 'Starry Night,' and in that earlier draft he painted people. This number is about those discarded people coming back to torment Van Gogh." Wade Robson, I would expect nothing less from you. Nothing.

And yet the dance sucked. And so I blame the dancers. I think Peter blows. If this had been Brandon and Jeanette, it would have been off the chain. But I don't think these two could handle it. AGAIN, I don't think the tappers are going to do well on this show.  

Ellenore & Ryan: I'm torn between thinking it was awesome and thinking Ellenore was too slow (before her dress got caught in her shoe). But like Shanky said, maybe it was not slowness, but a controlled stillness. Again, I am torn. Ryan is money. Ryan shined in this piece. But I have a feeling that the "Ryan is God" mentality is going to fade quickly once he gets something out of his comfort zone. Like, say, hip hop....

BOTTOM FOUR:

The bottom four is bull sh*t. Noelle did so much better than Channing. How far do our memories go back? Channing was the one who struggled through her entire routine while the rest of America had second hand embarrassment. 

Noelle's solo was solid and Bianca's felt desperate. Victor is forgettable, and Phillip is memorable, but mostly because his face has become annoying. 

If there is any justice in the world, Bianca will go home. As far as the boys, um, I don't really care.

FINAL ELIMINATIONS:

It was Bianca's time. Especially since Nigel started pronouncing her name in the most ridiculous way possible.

So long Phillip. I loved you briefly before I realized your attitude sucked. 

Oh God, Phillip is talking about his father's funeral right now. This has not been his week.

Tuesday Night - First Cuts

How long until the Paula Abdul chair thing gets old?

Channing and Phillip/Jive: Miss Channing had some moves! I was impressed. I think she did better than Phillip who has this kind of pre-packaged smile that is annoying me.

Ashleigh and Jacob/Broadway: Great couple. Great. Jacob is awesome and  Ashleigh is so smooth. I do think she looks to old to win (go ahead and shoot me. I know I am a bad person).

Arianna and Peter/Hip Hip: Ummm, not good. And not a good song (which is half the battle).

Noelle and Russell/Foxtrot: WHAT!!!! Melanie filled in for someone again!!!! Is she pushing these girls down the stairs or something. Kind of a big coincidence. And what was Noelle's injury? What is with the lack of info?

Bianca and Victor/Contemporary: Travis Wall is the man and he has done it again. Great choreography. Bianca did a lot better than I expected. A lot better. But I already see her downfall. She can't separate her legs. Her splits and jumps are all 3/4. It's gonna bring her down.

Karen and Kevin/ Cha-Cha: I don't know. I guess I liked it. I was surprised because they have already used "Push It" in Season 3, so that's all I could think about. I need to watch it again.

Ellenore and Ryan/ Contemporary: Very well executed. Though it was hard to not factor in that ridiculous comment Ellenore made before about this being one of the best dances in the show's history. She lost some points for that one. 

Pauline and Brandon/Waltz:

What! Where is Billy! Weirdest season ever so far. People getting accepted and declining, getting hurt, getting sick. What is going on? Where is Billy! I'm going to forego commenting on the dance bc I don't like waltzes.

Kathryn and Legacy/Hip Hop: HELL TO THE YEAH. Legacy is the MAN and Kathyrn totally kept up with him. And the song was awesome. I love a good hip hop routine.

Mollee and Nathan/Disco: Damn Mollee can dance! But what is happening with Nathan? He had the most memorable audition in SYTYCD history, they gave him a plane ticket when he was 17, but I am not seeing it so far. Loved the routine as a whole. Love Dorianna's discos (though perhaps a bit to fast at times).

Poor Arianna, but her hip hop was so stale. And she was not very memorable. And Pauline was only there bc she got stuck with the waltz. 

I love that Nigel is letting Brandon come back!!!!!!!!! Honestly it makes me so happy. Brandon was put in a horrible situation. He didn't make it originally bc he wasn't ready, so of course he got cut. And he got the Waltz, which is the kiss of death. And when he danced for his life, it was more of a suicide frolic, but that was his fault.

Top 20- Monday Night

Monday night? When did this happen? Thank god for DVR or I would have totally missed this episode.

Loved the Wade opening piece. Maybe just because it was a Wade piece :) But really, it was well done and it does look like there are a lot of good dancers (whose names I do not know yet).

I must say it is an EXCELLENT idea to have one night where they pair up people in their own styles to show off their stuff. Let's let people show off before humiliating them with a 

Russian folk dance.

Hip Hop--

Krump: Russell

Pop n Lock: Kevin

B-Boy:Legacy (who I constantly refer to as "Legend by accident")

Thank you  Nappy Tabs. Thank you. Last season's hip hop sucked so badly, and this first piece was amazing. I was all kinds of into it. And by the way, I love Legacy. I cried during his audition speech the last week in Vegas. 

Contemporary--

Nathan: Barely legal kid

Arianna: Forgettable girl

Jacob: Kind of cute white guy

Channing: Boston ice cream scooper

I am just never going to like Channing. And she is in for weeks of ridicule for "not being graceful" AKA "muscular" AKA "a man." They should give her Randi's telephone number for support.

Nathan and Jacob are kind of amazing. I mean really amazing. I haven't seen a contemporary male dancer worth watching since Danny in Season 3, and its about time. 

Tappers--

Peter: Last guy you would expect to be tap dancing

Bianca: "I'm not one to come back 3, 4 times. I am done with SYTYCD..."

Phillip: Guy with attitude problem during auditions

I feel like the tappers have an elitist snobbery going on. Maybe that is because they are the minority. I don't know. But I am not liking the attitude. SPEAKING OF, remember when Phillip had a little meltdown in Vegas and talked back to the judges? Not good. Of course now that I don't like him, he will end up winning. 

And I am also not over Bianca's temper tantrum at last season's auditions where she said she was never coming back. That was not cool. Either was her weird 3/4 jumping split during her routine. 

Jazz--

Mollee: 18 going on 11

Pauline: Love her

Ellenore: Don't know her yet

I hate to say it, but Mollee can dance. She really can. Ellenore looked like she took a Valium before the routine. And Pauline brought it. But, would we call that sexy? No, we would not. It was cute and flirty, but not sexy. Nice try Sonya.

Contemporary--

Victor:  Who?

Noelle: OMG, it's Mollee's BFF

Billy: Hair gel, Proactiv, Crest White strips... STAT

Katherine: The crier

Besides the fact that they need to burn those saturday afternoon picnic costumes and that autumnal backdrop, I really liked the dancing. In particular, I could not take my eyes off Billy. I was also pretty impressed with Victor. Kind of outshone the girls on this one. 

Ballroom--

Karen: Venezuelan J-Lo

Ryan: Married couple guy

Ashleigh: Married couple girl

I am not sure why Karen made it. I was never that impressed with her. Ashleigh impresses me more and more each time. One thing is for sure; there will be a cat fight (if not murder) over Ryan's affection. 

Flashback

Didn't Joshua get called out for saying he did not have any training, and he had lied about it? I just remembered that watching tonight's audition show. Am I right? Something about pretending he did not have any ballet training. I think I'm right....

Auditions and Stuff

I don't really like blogging about the auditions, but here goes:

What was with the guy last night with the plaid pants and bow tie? I thought he was one of the joke auditions, and then everybody flipped out. Tasty Oreo looked like he was in love. Mary called him a crazy genius! The whole thing was absurd. And then he went STRAIGHT TO VEGAS!!!! Pure insanity.

To go back for a second, I LOVED the hearing impaired girl.  I normally hate the beautiful blonde girls, but this one was the exception. And my heart melted when they asked her how she would be in choreography and she said she would be great :)

Speaking of annoying pretty blondes. I hated the ice cream scooper. She thought she was way too cool. And why were they playing a song about Rockaway beach in New York while showing her doing cartwheels on a beach in Boston? And P.S. if she makes it on the show they are going to tear her apart for not being skinny. Also known as "pulling a Randi." I know she is not fat, I know that it is all muscle, but head my words, they (Mia) will tear her apart for not being slender. 

I feel like Evan inspired a lot of tappers to come out this year. Where are all the ballerinas? Was that not the other "break through" style of last season? I thought we would be seeing a lot more Melissa wannabes, but it's not the case.

If I were auditioning I would get really excited if Nigel started talking in aviation terms, because it seems that right before he gives someone a ticket to Vegas he finds a way to fit in a plane joke..."Your performance really soared, just like you will ON A PLANE TO VEGAS!!!"

Remember the time Tasty Oreo was doing leg kicks in his seat and then farted? Of course you do, it happened last night. I think it actually made me like Tyce more than I usually do. Sometimes I think that he can be kind of an elitist snob. But having a good sense of humor about that fart just brought him into a better place in my heart.

Michelle Obama reads my blog...clearly

So Season 6 started last week, but the week before they had a "best of" episode, so I am officially behind.

First and foremost: My favorite part of this blog is reader feedback AKA "comments." It was brought to my attention by someone that her comments kept getting deleted. I WOULD NEVER delete someone's comments. If you need proof, look at all the pro-Jeanine comments on my blog that remain even though I think she ruined last season by winning (perhaps that is a tad harsh).
The point is, if you posted something and it disappeared, it was NOT me. I think the solution might be to post as "Anonymous." So far I have not heard anything about those mysteriously being deleted.

So keep posting! I want to hear from you!

Which transitions nicely into my next topic. Last Thursday, President Obama addressed the nation regarding a little topic called health care. Fox chose not to air that speech. While most people think this was a typical anti-Obama move on the historically right wing Fox network, it was clearly because Fox had its priorities in order. No matter what happens with health care...we will always have dance!

My mom told me that when asked about Fox not airing his address, Obama said that he did not mind and that SYTYCD is one of Michelle's favorite shows. Michelle! I had no idea. I assume that you are already reading the blog. Stop hiding and make a comment!

Jeanine is America's Favorite Dancer...Allegedly

So Kayla and Evan went home first, and Jeanine won. I would like to mention that I was not necessarily dead wrong. My Kayla vs. Evan prediction was an attempt to course correct the universe. I have been aware that Jeanine was going to win for a few weeks now.

The only good thing about Jeanine winning was her joke about giving an acceptance speech at the Kodak. Very funny (also very cocky).

I think in the end Kayla lost a lot of steam. When she did her Samba with Max, it looked nothing like the first time she did it. Perhaps this competition is not meant for people like her, who are already great dancers. It's meant for the underdogs, the Jeanine's who rise from obscurity, the Sabra's who have only been dancing a few years, the Josh's who need braces.

Evan vs. Kayla: The Final Showdown

There are Jeanine fans out there, they were in my house tonight. I was all but convinced that Jeanine was getting by on mis-dials until I had two friends over tonight who could not stop singing her praises. One of them actually said, "Jeanine is the most beautiful girl I have seen in my entire life." I obviously disabled their cell phones before they left my place.

The Top Four dance by Wade Robson was way disappointing. Not at all up to Wade's normal caliber of dance. I also kept expecting Ade to pop out and I had to remind myself that he had gone home (inexplicably).

The Evan and Jeanine Sonya dance was so typical. All Sonya's pieces are the same. She has been totally overexposed this season. Next.

I thought Brandon's solo was sloppy where it should have been sharp. It did not compare to last weeks. He should have saved the best for last.

I was disappointed in most of the pieces tonight, starting with Brandon and Kayla's Broadway. The only cool part was when he flipped her while she was in a full split.

Jeanine's solo...whatever. I don't know why people lost their minds over it. She is so average to me.

Speaking of getting more praise than you deserve, that woman who choreographed Brandon and Evan's hip hip has not impressed me. Mad props for using "Nasty"by Janet Jackson, but the dancing did not match the intensity of the song. And way to set up Evan for failure. Of course, it seems the worse his criticism, the more votes he gets. I cannot think of a dancer that has endured more criticism and I cannot think of another dancer that evoked a CHANT OF HIS NAME from the audience.

Kayla and Jeanine's piece was the first piece of the night (and one of the only) fit for the finale. It was a beautiful battle for best dancer. It was an elegant fight set to magnificent music. It almost made me forget that Jeanine looks like a NFL linebacker compared to Kayla. Should I mention Nigel's wildly inappropriate comment about the girls completely undressing? No, better not to.

Toni and Melanie have been off all season. And they topped that effort with the western, cowboy, jive they made Evan and Kayla do. I was proud of Shanky for calling out the choreography as being bad. What might have been even more interesting was how Mary tried to stop him.

Kayla gave a below average solo, but it lead to what could have been the most powerful judges' comments of the night. Let it be stated: Adam Shankman said that Kayla is the best dancer this season, and one of the best of all the seasons put together (never have I felt such sweet vindication as when he named Danny as one of the greats). Then Nigel supported him by saying that if Kayla doesn't get a lot of votes it's because people assume she is safe, AKA, Nigel told people to pick up the phone and vote for Kayla. I thought Kayla had it locked up, until...

Jeanine and Brandon's Paso Doble. Wow. My favorite SYTYCD Paso Doble to date. Loved it. Didn't want to, but loved it. It is the kind of number that makes people pick up the phone.

Cat asked the judges point blank who they thought was going to win, and only Nigel would answer. Let's dissect his response. He said Evan was the most popular, and Kayla was the best, but that it would come down to Brandon and Jeanine. I think he meant the first part of what he said, but realized that people vote for who he DOESN'T like, so he threw in the part about Jeanine and Brandon to ensure that the majority of the votes would be for Kayla and Evan. Did you follow that?

I think this is a battle of the most popular vs. the most talented. Evan has a following and Kayla is the best.

And if Jeanine wins, there is no God.

Belated Re-Cap

First of all, I LOVED the "Send in the Clowns" routine. Loved it. And it just goes to prove my theory that a good song is half the battle. Was it at all a coincidence that Evan was the clown that got left out of the box? Is that not a metaphor for his role on this show? The guy that doesn't fit in. Which leads me into my next topic....

Evan deserves a medal for all the shit he has put up with on this show, but he does not deserve to win. I could not believe Lil C said he was surprised that Evan was not "swallowed by Ade and Brandon." Way harsh. Yet, he is the weakest out of the three. NO QUESTION.

I am surprised they even had an Ade "goodbye montage" on hand. No one could have seen this coming. I keep picturing the guys in the editing room being like, "Ade? Really? We have to put this together for THIS week. But we have Evan's all set to go." It's just an unspeakable tragedy that he went home and it makes me question the validity of the voting/this show. I love Brandon, but a part of me acknowledges that Ade was better. Essentially, the best male dancer did not make it to the top four. Which leads me into my next topic...

The best girl is Kayla, then Janette (who is now watching from some Bank of America in Miami), then I guess it is really a tie between Melissa and Jeanine. However, I think I would have rather seen Melissa in the top four as Jeanine is getting all cocky these days. I must comment again on the overly mean face she made throughout her hip hop routine that was completely distracting and weird.

I have this horrible feeling that they are setting Jeanine up to win. And I literally will not be able to handle it. At this point, the only acceptable winners are Kayla and Brandon. Anything else and I may have to stop watching this show.

New Idea for Voting

Judging by the final four, the show clearly needs to revamp the way dancers are eliminated.

Idea #1, Don't let the public vote
Why is America deciding in the first place? I get the whole concept of "America's favorite dancer," but I just cannot believe that is actually what is happening. What if there is a correlation between bad taste, and the number of times a person is willing to call and vote for a dancer? I think that is the only way you can explain Janette and Ade leaving. Why not leave it to the experts so that the person who wins actually deserve it.

Idea # 2, Paying to vote against someone
Another way to counteract bad dancers going forward is to allow people to vote against someone. For example, if you are unsure if you like Melissa better than Kayla, yet you know you really want Jeanine to go home, you could vote AGAINST Jeanine. In this scenario, a bad vote against you would take away five votes for you. You could control excessive bad votes by attaching a fee. So if you really dislike someone, you can put a dent in their numbers, but its going to cost you $1.50.

So You Think They Could Have Counted the Votes Wrong?

Ade went home? Ade. Are you serious? Unfortunately I cannot talk about this right now because I am out of town. I will be able to comment further later this weekend.

So You Think We Can Vote For The Right People This Week?

I did not fully realize how crazy it was that Janette was gone until last night. She should have been there. She should have been in the top three girls. I think it also means a lot that the judges had to talk about it. How often do they lament on a person after they are gone?

At one point I was rooting for Jeanine. When she was with Philip and he was kind of bringing her down, I wanted her to do better. But now I am taking all of my frustration of Janette leaving out on her because I feel like she is in Janette's spot.

Jeanine and Ade's Samba was pretty good, but it was also a shade quick, it looked like they were rushing the dance. It was the epitome of Jeanine stepping in Janette's shoes and not being able to fill them. I was really happy with the choreography of the hip hop routine, and I think Ade looked awesome. However, I thought Jeanine was making a strange face the ENTIRE time. There is trying to look gangster and then there is just looking like you are mad about something. She pulled off the latter.

Melissa was surprisingly good at both her Broadway style routines with Evan. I think I would have predicted that she would be horrible in that genre. But she pulled it off, and well too. It seems Miss Melissa is really turning it up here in the final weeks and making a run for that title. Sadly, Evan just has to go. I don't want to say it's because he has the wrong look, but he just looked silly up there with Brandon and Ade during the boy's piece. I think he really fights to hold his own, but he is not on the same level as the other two.

It's about time Brandon and Kayla got put together! I loved their first piece. Loved it. Their two personalities and style of dance really worked well together. I think this is Kayla's best partner by far (I also just realized that historically, she always gets the worst partners). I love disco, so their second piece worked for me as well. However, I think it was Kayla's weakest dance yet. Which is almost a compliment, because it was still pretty good. But did she not look a little awkward? And there were definitely a few missteps here and there.

Final Prediction for who will go home tonight: Jeanine and Evan.

So You Think You Can Make 100 Episodes

There is a time to swear. Sometimes you need a swear to adequately express an extreme level of emotions. That being said, I am fucking floored that Janette went home tonight. Nigel wanted her to win, Mia wanted her to win. Fuck. Even Cat could not stop saying how shocked she was. 

Moving along...

This was the first time in a long time that I liked the opening number, nay, loved the opening number. The music, lights, stage, costumes, everything. It was truly worthy of opening the 100th show.

When they said there was going to be highlights from past seasons I was hoping for a lot more. I know that I could be shot in public, in broad daylight for saying this, but the hummingbird and the flower does NOTHING for me. I have seen it on t.v., I have seen it live, I have seen it in a car, on a train, in a house with a mouse, I just don't like it. I wanted Lauren in the skeleton costume, Sara and Neil dancing to "Knock on Wood", Danny in any way shape or form. Basically anything from Season 3 but that bird and pigeon nonsense. 

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought Katie Holmes was going to be dancing tonight. That's what my memo said. Did you get the right one? The one that said she was just going to walk around stage for a few minutes. All Katie Holmes' performance proved was that she has a killer set of legs, and that I am indeed overweight. And how about that subhuman interview with Cat? 

Cat: What made you get involved with the Dizzy Feet foundation?

Katie "I sold my soul to the devil" Holmes: I was approached by someone.

Thank you, Katie. We realize a person must have engaged you in a conversation to start this process, but how about you delve into your REASONING for doing this. Or is your Scientologist handler not letting you speak at the moment?

Luckily Jason went home, because, seriously, if it had been Brandon, you would have needed a van of EMTs to bring me back to life. The shock of Janette and Brandon leaving in the same night would have been too much. I also realize that I have not been voting for Brandon because I thought he would be everyone's favorite. But this is the second week he has lost to Evan, and I need to get dialing. 

Did Janette really leave? I'm sorry, this is going to take a while to sink in...

So You Think You Can Make It To The Top 6

Last night we had two new judges, Ellen Degeneres, and Dr. Nigel Lythgoe. Congratulations Nigel. Though, honorary degrees have about as much value as monopoly money, so I would not exactly go around town telling people you are a doctor. Someone is going to want you to do CPR on their husband and you are going to end up tap dancing at their funeral.

I was originally truly excited about Ellen being on the show, but I am not sure it was executed properly. Instead of giving an honest, non professional opinion, Ellen opted for making very scripted jokes. I think it was a wasted opportunity. Most of the people who watch the show are amateurs or non-dancers, who I think would appreciate having a voice like theirs on the panel. The exception being when she spoke about Evan's uniqueness. I was totally moved by her words and completely refreshed by her admiration for someone who does not have the traditional look. 

That being said, could someone pleases stop putting Evan in those shirts with the plunging necklines? They were not meant for his body type and he comes off looking ridiculous. I understand that it is a traditional look for certain dances, but certainly someone who dresses people for a living can find a suitable alternative. 

As for the dancing, it was not a very impressive show. Most of the performances were a total yawn. Which left room for Kayla and Jason to breakthrough as the strongest couple. I thought their Broadway routine was excellent (complete with Mia telling Kayla show was made for Broadway) and of course their hip hop routine was one of the best we have seen so far (Nigel mirrored my thoughts when he said that overall the hip hop has been weak this season). 

Janette was pretty fiery in her first routine with Evan, but the second one was just painful. The music was way too slow. I'm just expecting a lot more a this point in the show. 

Brandon and Jeanine did not have a good first routine. There were a ton of hiccups and it just did not work. Very surprising for dancers of their caliber. Someone needs to explain to me why they got such rave reviews on their hip hop piece. The song did not move me at all (as opposed to the Citizen Cope song that Jeanine used in her solo which was awesome). Apparently the choreographer was some kind of gift from God, but impressed me she did not. It was a lot of kicking and Jeanine trying to look angry. Next. 

Melissa and Ade also started out very weak. When we have seen them do so well, when they have set the bar so high for themselves as a couple, they cannot come out and do a tired routine like that and not have it be glaringly obvious that they under performed. 

I was very nervous when Tasty Oreo said he was "compelled to talk about breast cancer." I was also very nervous when I saw Melissa wearing a head scarf. Cancer is as serious subject as the come and if handled incorrectly, everyone involved would look stupid. That was not the case.  I think Melissa was put on this show, if not this earth, to dance that piece. No one could have done it but her. Her slim figure, pale skin and mature face made her a surprisingly realistic depiction of cancer patient. And then she danced bravely. Her jumps and lifts were done bravely. There was a wisdom and courage to her dancing that echoed the qualities of someone fighting a disease. The strength we associate with Melissa was transformed into the strength we associate with a woman battling breast cancer. What I found most interesting about the piece was the ending. Ade carrying Melissa off into a white light came off as a metaphor for her death. Perhaps that was not Tyce's intention. Nevertheless, a truly moving piece. 

So, who goes home. Surely Melissa and Ade have to be safe. It should be Jason's turn to go home, but he actually seems to be getting better each week. Perhaps it is time for Evan to go home. While he has inarguably the best solos each week, a master of his own style, he is not rising to the occasion in other genres. But I think Ellen's heartfelt speech may have earned him some extra phone calls.

The girls are much harder to predict because they are all strong. I would say Kayla and Jeanette are the best. Which leaves Melissa and Jeanine. Jeanine did not have the best night, and Melissa had the best night of her life. 

Final prediction: Jason and Jeanine. (I accidentally typed Evan and had to fix it. Freudian slip?)

Feel free to leave a comment! I love reading them :)

So You Think You Can Dress Yourself

I am sitting here, minding my own business, watching a little "What Not to Wear" when I see Melanie from SYTYCD!!!! You know Melanie, Tony Meredith's partner that looks like a cross between Bette Midler and Ursula. Unfortunately it's just a "best of" episode, so I am not getting the full experience. Still very exciting. I need to get my hands on that original episode. Which gives me an idea. Shouldn't someone nominate Mary? I mean, prom dresses and costume jewelry night after night is definitely deserving of a little Stacey and Clinton intervention.

OMG! Now they are showing Tony Meredith going through her closet. This is the funniest thing ever!

Nigel and Mary are Sleeping Together

 I have had my suspicions and now I am positive that Nigel and Mary are knocking boots. They are way to chummy these days. Always pawing at each other. They are like flirty school children. I think they might even be holding hands under the table. And that comment about hypnotizing Mary to take her clothes off? Keep an eye on those two, they are definitely getting naked together after the shows.

I liked the girls' Bollywood (BollyWOW!), but I was definitely scared by those masks with the mustaches. They could have left that out. I look forward to seeing those in my next nightmare.

As predicted, Kayla and Evan were a very weird couple. I did love the bit with putting Evan in heels. But "Kiss From a Rose?" I don't think Seal even liked that song. They always hate on the costume people, but no one ever talks about when they choose a totally lame song. 

I had a thought after I saw Kayla's solo. Are people going to vote for her? I think she might be the best and most versatile dancer on the show, but I don't know if people will pick up the phone for her. Of course,  I also thought Josh didn't have a chance in hell of winning last season, so I don't exactly have my finger on the pulse of America.

I think it is time for Evan to do a topless solo.

THE TRAVIS WALL PIECE WAS AMAZING. I knew Jeanine was going to be a star. And Jason was pretty impressive too...shocking! Okay, did they make out at the end? I tried to re-watch it but I kept looking away. I could not force myself to see if they were actually kissing because I was having serious second hand embarrassment. 

Kupono's solo was awesome. I honestly did not know he had it in him. But his Paso Doble really showcased his weakness. Randi was so much stronger than he was, and she was supposed to be a cape. He was a matador and she was a piece of cloth, and she came off as more masculine. NG. Not good.

The wig. Oh, sweet lord. The wig. Why did they put Randi in a Melissa wig? Was not the obvious choice to have a BLONDE wig? You could hardly tell it was Randi, which might be a good thing as the piece was a bit of a dud. If anything Melissa is going to lose votes because of it. 

It's interesting that Brandon got Melissa and Janette got Ade. It's like the just mixed up the two best couples.  I think Janette and Ade made the better pair. Even after all that talk about getting to know each other quickly, Melissa and Brandon did not seem to have all that much chemistry. And frankly, Melissa is just starting to annoy me. I'm glad Randi sabotaged her. The Aquarius routine was a bit of a yawn for me, with spurts of Brandon being ridiculously awesome.

What was with everyone saying that Janette had no funk? Let's be serious, she is a salsa dancer, funk can't be too far behind. It's not like we are talking about trying to get Evan to be funky while wearing a top hat and bow tie. They love trying to make us think a routine is going to be bad and then shocking us with how perfect it is. And I love Ade.

So, who goes home? It might be Kupono because of the Paso Doble. You know I love to hate on Jason, but his performance with Jeanine was the best one of the night (very "tour worthy") so he has to be safe. I also constantly fear for Evan, though his solo was beyond good.

The girls are a lot harder to predict. It could be Kayla because of her absence of a soul, but I hope not because she is just too good to go home at this point. I mean really, has she done one thing wrong this whole time? Randi is a different story. I swear to God that wig was like a death sentence. If you paired that wig with the Russian folk dancing you would get the biggest SYTYCD train wreck possible. 

My final prediction is Randi and Kupono.

Cat Deeley and the F Bomb

I was looking for Cat's interview on Conan O'Brien and I found this. Pretty funny stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV_gdLLZPj0&NR=1

Happy 60th Birthday Nigel

Although I said my head was going to explode if anyone other than Caitlin and Jason went home, I am in fact fully intact today.Which I think is a sign of personal growth in the old anger/disappointment management department.

While I still think Jason is a mediocre dancer who never impresses me, I do not think it was totally out of line to have Phillip go home. I think if you go back and watch all of Phillip's performances, none of them where that good. I think I have known for awhile that he was barely passing, but I could not let myself admit it. He is just so damn likable that I would always concentrate on his partner and conveniently miss his shortcomings.

In true Phillip form, he made the greatest concession speech ever. That bit about not needing money and a studio if you have passion was heartwarming and eloquent. In retrospect, I wonder if they kept him around longer than he deserved so that he could be in the tour. Because he is exactly the type of person people want to see, and they could make a few really interesting numbers around him.

Not to go backwards here, but I forgot to mention that I absolutely loved the opening number. Good work NappyTabs. It was a really good "track," as Cat would say, and it held my attention a lot better than some of the previous show openers.

I wish they had told us who they new partners are going to be. Perhaps I will end by making a list of the craziest possible pairings:

Kayla and Evan
Randi and Brandon
Janette and Jason
Melissa and Kupono
Jeanine and Ade

1-888-Fan 'freaking' tastic!

Oh my God Pasha is back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he looked so cute in his neon coral shirt :) I was so elated to see Pasha that I did not even notice Anya! It wasn't until after the dance that I saw her in the audience. Love the blonde hair. Love it. 

I am so happy that we have gotten to the point where everyone does two dances each episode. And they are switching up the pairs! Things are really going to start heating up now.  

I am obviously petrified that Cat cut her hair, but I have a feeling it was just pinned up. Cat, please, don't scare me like that.

 

I was wondering how Ade and Melissa would fare with a disco, and I think Ade totally pulled it off. It is amazing how he is so light on his feet. Melissa did well, but I thought she looked a little unsure of herself and then I  was shocked when she fell at the end. It looked so unnecessary I was wondering if she did it on purpose.  As far as their second routine, it was beautiful, but it was pretty uninspiring. 

This is why Mia gets away with being a bitch, cause the girl can choreograph a routine. Her "Addiction" piece was so brilliant. And Kayla the Chameleon just embodied that character. There is nothing Kayla cannot do. Though Nigel was right when he said her hair is always covering her face. And of course, Kupono was super creepy and really helped make the piece amazing. And then I loved their Broadway piece! Kaya is so freakin' talented it's scary. Kupono was a little dull, but I am liking more than I ever did before.

Finally Jason and Caitlin found a routine they could dance too.  Which was not their first one because that was just okay. I am talking about the lyrical jazz routine that really showcased their talent. And did anyone else get a Simba and Nala vibe? It felt very "lion cubs rolling around" to me.   

Did that Russian folk dance really happen or did I dream that? Actually, I know it was real because I am re-watching it right now and laughing my butt off.  It was just slightly less ridiculous than the time they had the dancing Cat Deeley head.  Was it completely necessary to put blush on Phillip? Hahahaha. Thank God they got that jive that I loved! And a fun Bette song to go a long with it :)

The people I was with last night really liked that Randi/Evan hip hop, but I was not so impressed. Mainly because I get so bothered when they put the dancers in tapered jeans! And if Randi is supposed to be pregnant, why is Evan holding an engagement ring? The story was a bit confusing. I liked Tyce's comments about Evan.  He can, and needs to be stronger. He definitely has it in him to do a better hip hop.

And he can definitely do a better samba! Come on Evan, you are so great, you need to dig deeper. And Tyce was SO RIGHT when he told Evan that he needs to go back and watch Danny and Lacey's samba, because when they did it, it was red hot, and a personal favorite. I was actually just listening to "Hip Hip Chin Chin" the other day in the car and reminiscing fondly. 

Is there someone who does not adore and admire Wade Robson? Let him come forward, because I would love to hear someone think of one bad thing to say about Wade. The "Jewel Heist" routine was absolute lunacy, and absolutely perfect. And then he and his wife were in the audience wearing the white sun glasses! 

Brandon and Jeanette are such a fantastic couple, it will be shame to see them split up. Their first routine of the night was obviously well done and Nigel even gave them a standing ovation. And then they bust out something totally different with the Wade routine, and nail that as well. I agree with Tyce that they seem to just take effortlessly take whatever is given to them and turn it into something special. 

So, who goes home? This is not a tough one. If it is anyone other than Caitlin and Jason my head is going to explode. 

Goodbye Vitolio and Karla :)

I am so glad that Philip and Jeanine landed in the bottom three because now everyone realizes that Jeanine is amazing! I think her solo was the best of the season. I just loved it, yes I did.

Kayla could have done her solo in one of those cow Halloween costumes with the exposed utters and still not gone home. She is just too good a dancer, and it was some kind of crazy fluke that she was in danger. Which leaves Karla. I think maybe this competition was just not for her. Maybe she should just go back to Broadway. Isn't that the end goal anyway?

I loved Philip's solo and it was in no way desperate. It was a great reminder of how powerful Philip is in his own genre. Have you noticed that he has a very interesting head nod? It's like a micro-rapid head nod of understanding.

Kupono could definitely use some help from Evan's brother. It was pretty funny when Nigel told him he was lucky this was not "So You Think You Can Choreograph." But, he got a pass, because it was really time for Vitolio to go home. 

I am excited for next week. Hopefully they will stop rigging the competition and we can see some dancers perform outside their style :)

I have to sit down, my feet are dizzy

I posted this picture of Miss Carrie Bradshaw because my friend Jen pointed out that Cat's outfit last night was the pink version of this frock that Carrie wore in the movie. Well, she called it a flagrant rip off, but it's the same idea.

I'll just say it. Nigel started an entire scholarship organization to cover up his shameless publicity stunt of having Katie Holmes dance on the show. America got wind of the rumors, we made public our dissatisfaction with the lack of integrity, and Nigel went into action. Well played. You didn't fool me Nigel, but I appreciate the gesture. 

Apparently I am the last person on the planet that know about performance fees, that celebs get paid to just show up at places. I looked into it and found that Bill Cosby gets as much as $100,000 dollars to attend events, and Alan Thick (dad from Growing Pains) gets $30,000. This seems crazy to me, just crazy. Had I known this, I would have clearly become a celebrity.

But let's get back to SYTYCD paying Katie Holmes, a non-dancer, to dance on the show. If she wants to use this show to launch her dance career, she should be paying Nigel. Yes, she is donating her fee to the Dizzy Feet Foundation, but I am sure that is just because she was commanded to by one of the head wizards at her local Scientology center. 

Onto the show. I did not love last night at all. If I wanted to see Brandon and Janette dance an up tempo, spicy routine, or see Randi and Evan do some old timey dance, I would just re-watch the last three episodes. What kind of hat are they randomly picking the styles out of? A magical hat that pairs everyone with their own style? And did they not use to SHOW them picking, and now we are just taking their word for it? I smell a rat. 

So, I basically have nothing to say about Brandon and Janette because we have seen them do this before. They are great at it. Let's give them something else. I will comment on Mia "Happy Pills" Michaels. Her reversal on her Brandon opinion was a bit fast. And she was just in an all around good mood the whole episode. Very unusual.

If it were not for Kupono and Kayla, the night would have been a total wash. Their routine was brilliant. Well, Kayla was brilliant, and Kupono managed to keep up.  There was one troubling element, which is that I am not sure whether or not Kayla is the "impoverished, pitiful, diamond in the rough" girl they portrayed in auditions. She now strikes me more as the "totally confident, steely cool, veteran dancer/model." She might be the best dancer on the show, but I am not so impressed with her attitude. (Note to Kayla: we love an underdog)

As previously mentioned, Randi and Evan danced the same, now tired, routine they have been doing since the show started. I am officially bored. Give them something else. I should add that I think Mia is taking out some kind of weird, suppressed aggression on Randi. Last week she made Randi's butt the focal point of her routine after Randi stated that she is married and is uncomfortable with the sexual aspect that is sometimes demanded by the show. Okay, so Mia threw her a curve ball, fine. But this week Mia called Randi's dancing "heavy," which is a thinly veiled critique of Randi's weight, and I think that it was unnecessary. Mia, book a therapy session, because if anyone has a weight issue on this show it is you, and not Randi.

I can't even get into Caitlin and Jason. At this point it is like the choreographers have a side bet to see who can get them too look the most foolish. It was literally a piece inspired by her embarrassing velociraptor impression. Terrible, terrible, terrible.

I was glad that Nigel did not tear Phillip apart, but I am not sure why he spared him. That chain routine was abominable. Those routines only work when something that looks extremely difficult comes across as effortless. But in this case, their labor was evident and I was prepared for someone to fall at any moment. It was sloppy, but everyone loves Phillip and I can't imagine him and Jeanine in danger. 

This is all I will say about Melissa and Ade's ballet routine; do you think it is fair that she was allowed to dance point? Clearly no other contestant could do that. And it came off looking like one of the 'Result Night' professional performances rather than a contestants' piece. Fair play, or unjust advantage?

What is with the repeat outfits!!! Why would you dress Vitolio in a bowtie that looks like the tie he wore in that awful Broadway dance he did with Asuka? It didn't work before, why would it work now? It just reminds us of how bad he was before, and will most likely be again. Of all the easy mistakes to avoid...

Maybe some people like when Karla's dress changed, but I did not. This is not America's Got Talent, and I will not be distracted from the full realization of their stilted dancing. Plus, the desperation from last week's solo slipped into Karla's performance. It was just not good.

The three worst routines were Caitlin and Jason, Jeanine and Phillip, and Vitolio and Karla. But I would not be surprised if Randi and Evan ended up in the bottom three because of that horrible closed fist dance routine. 

I think Jeanine is money so she will be safe. Caitlin will give her signature polished solo to keep her safe. And Karla will crumble and go home.

If Nigel is having a bad day he might send Phillip home, but knowing how that will alienate America, he will most likely not. I think Jason is the better dancer, but Vitolio has more personality and probably more followers. 

My final guess is....Karla and Vitolio 

 

Goodbye Jonathan and Asuka :)

You know, in the end, I wanted Vitolio to go. At least Jonathan had a decent solo. Vitolio didn't even have that. I was also re-watching Vitolio and Asuka's dance to "Heartbreaker" and I am pretty sure he is lip syncing while dancing. Not good. Of course, almost everything Jonathan has done has been unforgivable. 

As fas as Asuka, she had not grown at all in the competition. In fact, she might have under preformed. She looked uncomfortable and unsure in most of her routines. Of course, it might not have been glaringly obvious as Vitolio always looks like a confused deer in headlights. 

Can we talk about Karla's solo? Isn't she the professional dancer? Does she not get paid to dance? How can she crumble under the pressure like that? It is a little surprising. And then Nigel called her performance "desperate," which is perhaps the harshest adjective you can use to describe a person's attempt to dance for their life. 

I am not impressed with any of the girls who were in the bottom three. Especially Kaitlin. As previously stated, I am all kinds of done with her and Jason. Not that the Paso Doble was necessarily their fault. I feel like it was a feeble attempt to recreate their popular Bollywood piece that just failed. He looked like a Gladiator and she looked like Princess Leia dancing to a song that is meant for movie trailers. Either way, I would love to see them do something special this week, but I am not expecting it. 

And wasn't it funny that Jason dressed for his solo like he was going to an Abercrombie and Fitch photo shoot?

On a final note, I am still a little upset that Ashley and Max went home. I am totally off base here? I think not. 

On an even more final note, I think it's going to be really interesting to see Karla and Vitolio dance together (look out for the lip syncing).