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There's only three girls left! This is weird!
Cat is shiny tonight, in a really lovely metallic dress.
Partners this week are
Lauren & Neil
Melinda & Pasha
Billy & Kathryn
Ashley & Ade
Robert & Courtney
Jose & Anya
Kent & Allison
Adechike & Lauren
Alex & Twitch. Can't wait. :D
Everyone also does a solo tonight.
Adechike (with Lauren, Hip Hop choreographed by Dave Scott) In glasses, Adechike looks like Dwayne Wayne. This is the most I've liked Adechike to date. He really connected well with Lauren and with the routine. Nigel thought that Dave Scott brought out Adechike's personality. Agreed. Mia also thought that something has shifted for the better in Adechike. Adam cheered and gave him a standing clap.
Ashley (with Ade, Contemporary choreographed by new choreographer Dee Kaspary) Ade is such a fantastic partner, he made her work look easy. She was a broken creature supported by him,and it was gloriously done. I got chills. Although it was contemporary again for Ashley, Nigel thought she looked like an entirely different dancer, with a fluidity that didn't get broken by the steps. It was her finest performance for Nigel, and I agree. Mia loved the idea of complete surrender and thought it was danced extraordinarily, and said it was like a purple wind, a hurricane, and a summer breeze, and said that Ashley is her favorite female dancer. Adam called her breathtaking and said it was one of the best contemporary performances ever to date on the show. I would agree with that, actually.
Billy's solo - It was pretty cool, but nothing that would blow my mind.
Robert (with Courtney, Jazz choreographed by Sonya Tayeh) The problem is, I am just more drawn to Courtney than I am to Robert. He is good, but she is just a little ball of fire. I think they are styling his hair to try to make him look Mark-like. Nigel thinks that Sonya's choreography suits Robert like it suits Mark. Mia wanted Robert to take ballet, which would give his movement weight and ground him. I can see where that would be a good thing for him. Adam loved how engaged and committed Robert was. He told him to be careful to jump up and not down. Robert seemed to know what he was talking about.
Jose's Solo - I love a good B-boy solo. He spent a good deal of it on his head. I remember seeing that Jose does yoga to strengthen his moves, and I can totally see that.
Melinda (with Pasha, Salsa choreographed by Fabian Sanchez) In the beginning, her shoe got caught on her dress, but she didn't waste too much time fixing it. They don't seem to have too much chemistry, and my husband thought that they were off. Nigel questioned her musicality. Mia thought that she danced as hard as she could, but thought it looked like she was thrown in a pool with bricks on her legs for part of it, and thought that he feet were pigeon toed. Agreed. Mia said that she felt like they made a mistake letting Cristina go last week. Adam actually agreed with her. They did congratulate her for fixing her shoe and keeping on.
Kent's Solo: I find him more engaging as a dancer than Billy. Maybe it's because he's so darned likable.
Alex's Solo: He did a lot of leaping and spinning. He can move, that's for sure.
Lauren (with Neil, Broadway choreographed by Joey Dowling) It was a fun routine, but didn't do too much for me... and another wardrobe malfunction as her dress strap broke right at the end! Oops! Nigel said with the dress strap and everything, it was a seduction and a half! He enjoyed the dancing a lot. Mia felt that it was a great piece danced really well, but she wished for more slinkiness. She warned Lauren that she is such an athletic dancer, she needs to tap into her sexiness. Adam told her that she needs to try to dance as if she's dancing in butter. He was really proud of her, though.
Ashley's solo: It was pretty good, but didn't call to me.
Billy (with Kathryn, contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey): What a beautiful routine. Hard to see Billy as a heartbreaker, though. Nigel thought that the most connected Billy was was right at the end, and he didn't quite believe the partnership, though Billy CAN undoubtably dance - it's about the partnering with him. Mia thought that he needs to let go of the thought of perfection of his lines and needs to connect totally with partners. Adam wants him to watch his dance on playback and he'll see what was missing.
Robert's solo: I think I like his solo best so far. He is interesting, that's for sure.
Jose (with Anya, Samba choreographed by Dmitry) It's Jose's first partnering dance. I don't know if all his moves were exactly right, but I loved the dance. He was a convincing partner and Anya is just smoking hot. Nigel thought that Dmitry brought out the man in Jose, and introduced him to the "Ooh, I've lost the buttons on my shirt" club. lol. Nigel said that though Jose is not the best dancer, he has the charisma and the personality that you can't teach or bottle. He also thought that Jose had very good technique in some places. Mia said that while he is not that great a dancer in a lot of areas, she can't help but love him. They can't pick on his technique so much, because he's so full of joy. Adam said he made the dance work for him, and called it brilliant.
Melinda's Solo: Tapping to Alicia Keys? Ok... that's interesting. It was a weird solo. I have to admit it.
Kent (with Allison, jazz, choreographed by Mandy Moore) Mandy said that Kent's biggest problem is being a man, not just acting like a man. I think he did a convincing job of being a man in this routine. Nigel loves Kent's personality, but wanted him to keep an honesty in his dance, and he admits that Kent has a magnetism, but he doesn't want him to play too much to the audience instead of working with his partner. Mia thinks he is beginning to play too much into the tv personality aspect of the show. She wants him to take the choreography to another level. Adam thinks he is a very hireable dancer, but wants him to lose the hungry jazz face, because he's better than it.
Adechike's solo: Ok, I take it back. This is my favorite solo fo the night. He is just magnetic in solos. More so than in his partner dancing. Maybe I'm just drawn in by his muscles...
Lauren's Solo: Nice solo! My favorite solo of the girls, for sure.
Alex (with Twitch, hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon) Totally surprised, Alex is pulling it off! Could he have hit harder? Sure. And they managed to get some of the ballet moves in there, too. Twitch is, of course, simply amazing. It was a fun routine for the two guys. The judges were all standing. Cat says it is the loudest roar from a crowd in the show's history. Nigel loved the concept, and said it was Tabitha & Napoleon's best choreography to date. He then said that Alex did the most incredible hip hop ever, and while I don't know that I agree completely, because he could have hit harder, it WAS pretty awesome. Mia thinks that Alex has defied everything about the ballet world and he held his own next to Twitch. Adam said that it is Alex's world, and he is just visiting. He said that Alex made him so proud.
Favorites of the night? Jose, Alex, and Ashley.
Middle? Kent, Billy, Robert and Adechike.
In the bottom? I'm afraid it's probably Melinda's time to go. I wouldn't be surprised if Lauren's in the bottom with her, but I really think Melinda is going.
What do you think?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 24, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.24.10
The group routine is funky. I'm thinking Wade? Or Sonya? And it was Sonya. I like when I can recognize the choreographer's work.
Cat looks nice and zippery tonight. It looks like a Project Runway dress. Nigel pimped National Dance Day again.
Out first are Kent (adorable), Adechike, and Cristina. In this group, Adechike should be in the bottom 3, in my opinion. Kent's adorableness and hard work kept him safe. Oh, for heaven's sake. Cristina's in the bottom 3 again. She doesn't deserve to be there.
Alex is safe. Jose is also safe. Melinda is in the bottom 3 again, too, and Ashley is safe... what are Melinda's red latex pants about??
Lauren is safe. Robert is in the bottom 3 this week, and Billy's Krump didn't send him to the bottom 3.
Brian Gaynor's Crew, Remote Control is performing! This is one performance I won't be fast forwarding through. They are like the Gold Man Group. They are amazing.
Cristina's Solo us up first, and she brought it her all again. I hope that the judges don't let her go anywhere. We need a salsa girl in the competition.
Melinda's Solo wasn't very thrilling. Still, I like her and want to see more. Tough week.
Robert's Solo involved a lot of tumbling and leaping, but something about him leaves me cold.
Another good performance? Six all-stars dancing while Debbie Nova sings her latest song? Well, I have no idea who she is, but Mark's dancing (shirtless). So I'm watching. The song isn't anything exciting, but I enjoy the dancing. She got a copious amount of confetti at the end, which was weird. And, she's about a foot shorter than Cat.
The judge's decision is not unanimous this week. Robert is safe. Melinda is safe, and Cristina is out. Now, that's just not fair. I think she did a glorious job. Boo.
what do you think?
Cat looks nice and zippery tonight. It looks like a Project Runway dress. Nigel pimped National Dance Day again.
Out first are Kent (adorable), Adechike, and Cristina. In this group, Adechike should be in the bottom 3, in my opinion. Kent's adorableness and hard work kept him safe. Oh, for heaven's sake. Cristina's in the bottom 3 again. She doesn't deserve to be there.
Alex is safe. Jose is also safe. Melinda is in the bottom 3 again, too, and Ashley is safe... what are Melinda's red latex pants about??
Lauren is safe. Robert is in the bottom 3 this week, and Billy's Krump didn't send him to the bottom 3.
Brian Gaynor's Crew, Remote Control is performing! This is one performance I won't be fast forwarding through. They are like the Gold Man Group. They are amazing.
Cristina's Solo us up first, and she brought it her all again. I hope that the judges don't let her go anywhere. We need a salsa girl in the competition.
Melinda's Solo wasn't very thrilling. Still, I like her and want to see more. Tough week.
Robert's Solo involved a lot of tumbling and leaping, but something about him leaves me cold.
Another good performance? Six all-stars dancing while Debbie Nova sings her latest song? Well, I have no idea who she is, but Mark's dancing (shirtless). So I'm watching. The song isn't anything exciting, but I enjoy the dancing. She got a copious amount of confetti at the end, which was weird. And, she's about a foot shorter than Cat.
The judge's decision is not unanimous this week. Robert is safe. Melinda is safe, and Cristina is out. Now, that's just not fair. I think she did a glorious job. Boo.
what do you think?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.23.10
Cat is very feathery around the edges. I've seen better.
We find out who is paired with who first.
Billy (paired with Comfort, for Krump)
Lauren (paired with Dominic, for Lyrical Hip Hop)
Adechike (paired with Allison, for Contemporary)
Kent (paired with Courtney, for Jazz)
Melinda (paired with Ade, for Contemporary)
Alex (paired with Lauren, for Broadway)
Cristina (paired with Pasha, for Pasa Doble)
Ashley (paired with Mark, for Jazz)
Robert (paired with Anya, for Argentine Tango)
Jose (paired with Kathryn, for Bollywood)
Neal and Twitch will not be dancing this week. I wish they could dance together. Just for fun.
Cristina (paired with Pasha, Pasa Doble, choreographed by Jean-Marc and France) I love a good Pasa Doble, and I'm glad that Cristina got this style. It was hot. Gorgeous. Truly. Nigel wanted passion, power, fire, and control, and Cristina brought all of that. Mia thought it was everything, the whole package. Adam made a "Pasha Doble" joke, and called it perfect, and full of commitment.
Adechike (paired with Allison, Contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore, Listen to Your Heart) No story, just emotion this week. His smile looks forced. The dance is beautiful, and his emotion is better than last week, but Allison shines in the emotion, and I don't buy him most of the time. However... dance was glorious. Nigel saw a major improvement in his emotional connection, but he also thought he was interrupting the flow of his emotional journey with the steps, and he needs to make it muscle memory. Mia wants him to tap into joy, and thinks that he is stiff on top and doesn't let the emotion get into it. She says that dance is an artform, but it's also a heart-form, and she didn't feel it. Adam thinks he is dancing from his head, but he needs to dance from his heart, but does think that he danced it beautifully.
Alex (paired with Lauren, Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, Summertime by Sylvester) It's a Fosse Style dance, and Alex does very well with it. Damn, that boy can kick high. I liked it a lot. Cat put on the hat after the dance and it was tiny, and she said "that just goes to show what a massive head I've got." Nigel wanted Alex to research Fosse, and needs to see more power in his performance, and thought it looked like he was tight in the shoulders. Mia wanted him to know that it's not always about the tricks. Adam reminds him that it's not about technical details, it's about subtlety.
Ashley (paired with Mark, Jazz choreographed by Travis Wall, Wonderful, by Annie Lennox) It was awesome and Mark's shirt was nearly off... so thank you, Travis! Ashley's 20th birthday is on Saturday. Congratulations. Nigel wants Jazz to be separate from Contemporary, and that's more of a critique of Travis, and I would agree. Nigel didn't get anything new from Ashley, even though she was strong in the routine. Mia wished it was jazzier, but still thinks that Ashley is one of her favorite girls, and thinks she delivered. Adam agreed with Mia that the transitions need to also have the story in them.
Billy (paired with Comfort, Krump choreographed by Lil C, So U Think U Can Krump, by J-Squad) I have to say, Billy was hitting it harder than I thought he possibly could. Better than expected, that's for sure! Nigel really hated the music, and Cat told him that he wasn't supposed to like it - because all the young people like it. Nigel thinks that Krump is a warrior dance, and doesn't think that Billy's quite found his warrior yet, but thinks he gave it his all. Mia thought that Billy knocked on the warrior's door, but he didn't answer, and said that it was awkward. Adam laughed and said that Billy was obviously trying hard. Comfort said that Billy was buck to her, but Adam maintained that though Billy is one of the best dancers on the show, this was a bad experiment.
Robert (with Anya, Argentine Tango, choreographed by Jean-Marc and France, Libertango, by Bond Quartet) It turned out, to my untrained eye, very well. It was super quick, and I believed it. Nigel said that Robert took control like he was supposed to in the dance, and said that it was magnificent, and the lighting and direction helped to make it stand out. Mia thought that Robert's carriage and his groundedness wasn't powerful enough, and thought that Anya dominated him. Adam thought that Robert had unbelievable footwork, but looked really stressed out, and wanted him to stretch his steps some.
Melinda (with Ade, Contemporary, choreographed by Stacey Tookey, Squander, by Skunk Anisie) This routine is about the relationship of Man (Ade) with Mother Earth (Melinda). I really really liked it. Nicely done. Lots of throwing herself around. Nigel gave some love to Canadian choreographers. He thinks that for a tapper, Melinda has got some beautiful lines. Mia loved the concept and the story but was distracted by Melinda's dress. She was also impressed with Melinda's lines. Adam thought she was just great.
Jose (paired with Kathryn, Bollywood choreographed by Nakul) It's a genie in a bottle theme, and it's awesome. He did an awesome job. Nigel thinks that taking people out of their element is interesting, and thinks that Jose didn't quite make it all the way to India, maybe made it as far as South Africa, and then made a World Cup reference that flew over my head. Nigel thought that he didn't get all the fingers right, but he was having fun. Mia said that although there was a lot he did wrong, he had fun and it's infectious. Adam thinks that Jose wins the prize for the brightest light on the show. He admitted that his Bollywood was kind of absolutely wrong, but he's so sweet it almost doesn't matter.
Lauren (paired with Dominic, Lyrical Hip Hop, choreographed by Tessandra Chavez, If I Were a Boy, by Beyonce) This routine is about an abusive relationship. Heavy. I definitely felt the emotion. It was wonderful. Nigel welcomed Tessandra to the family, and thanked her for the routine. He told Lauren to give herself a stronger base, but thought it was a really fine performance from both of them. Mia thought it was outstanding, but thought that the abuse moments should have been a bit more about the abuse and less about the steps. Adam was happy that she took his notes from last week and could tell that she was in an emotional and raw space because of the dance and wants her to celebrate that because she's become an actress. She said she's gotten to a deeper place, and the judges say she's gotten there. Then, Cat stuck her foot in her mouth and asked Dominic if he wanted to get in a deeper place... he leered at her a little before leaving the stage. oops!
Kent (with Courtney, Jazz choreographed by Tyce Diorio, Amy Amy Amy, by Amy Winehouse) Kent was really adorable in rehearsals, excited that he got to touch Courtney as much as he wanted and she didn't care. I thought the routine was really awesome. Nigel worried about his outfit (which was weird), and thanked Tyce for a real Jazz routine. He worried also that Kent wasn't having as much fun as he was in the cha cha, even though it wasn't a very good Cha cha. Mia thought there were some great moments of technical movement, but wanted him to step into a more mature role. Adam thought he did really well, but does need to work on the character.
I thought that Cristina was amazing, and I enjoyed Robert's Tango and Melinda's Mother Earth. Lauren showed amazing improvement, and I also really like Kent.
I liked Ashley quite a lot, but I'd put her in the middle, with Billy. Jose is infectious, and I don't think he's going anywhere.
Adechike continues to underwhelm me, and I don't love Alex nearly as much as the judges do. I have no idea who is going to be in the Bottom 3. your thoughts?
We find out who is paired with who first.
Billy (paired with Comfort, for Krump)
Lauren (paired with Dominic, for Lyrical Hip Hop)
Adechike (paired with Allison, for Contemporary)
Kent (paired with Courtney, for Jazz)
Melinda (paired with Ade, for Contemporary)
Alex (paired with Lauren, for Broadway)
Cristina (paired with Pasha, for Pasa Doble)
Ashley (paired with Mark, for Jazz)
Robert (paired with Anya, for Argentine Tango)
Jose (paired with Kathryn, for Bollywood)
Neal and Twitch will not be dancing this week. I wish they could dance together. Just for fun.
Cristina (paired with Pasha, Pasa Doble, choreographed by Jean-Marc and France) I love a good Pasa Doble, and I'm glad that Cristina got this style. It was hot. Gorgeous. Truly. Nigel wanted passion, power, fire, and control, and Cristina brought all of that. Mia thought it was everything, the whole package. Adam made a "Pasha Doble" joke, and called it perfect, and full of commitment.
Adechike (paired with Allison, Contemporary, choreographed by Mandy Moore, Listen to Your Heart) No story, just emotion this week. His smile looks forced. The dance is beautiful, and his emotion is better than last week, but Allison shines in the emotion, and I don't buy him most of the time. However... dance was glorious. Nigel saw a major improvement in his emotional connection, but he also thought he was interrupting the flow of his emotional journey with the steps, and he needs to make it muscle memory. Mia wants him to tap into joy, and thinks that he is stiff on top and doesn't let the emotion get into it. She says that dance is an artform, but it's also a heart-form, and she didn't feel it. Adam thinks he is dancing from his head, but he needs to dance from his heart, but does think that he danced it beautifully.
Alex (paired with Lauren, Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, Summertime by Sylvester) It's a Fosse Style dance, and Alex does very well with it. Damn, that boy can kick high. I liked it a lot. Cat put on the hat after the dance and it was tiny, and she said "that just goes to show what a massive head I've got." Nigel wanted Alex to research Fosse, and needs to see more power in his performance, and thought it looked like he was tight in the shoulders. Mia wanted him to know that it's not always about the tricks. Adam reminds him that it's not about technical details, it's about subtlety.
Ashley (paired with Mark, Jazz choreographed by Travis Wall, Wonderful, by Annie Lennox) It was awesome and Mark's shirt was nearly off... so thank you, Travis! Ashley's 20th birthday is on Saturday. Congratulations. Nigel wants Jazz to be separate from Contemporary, and that's more of a critique of Travis, and I would agree. Nigel didn't get anything new from Ashley, even though she was strong in the routine. Mia wished it was jazzier, but still thinks that Ashley is one of her favorite girls, and thinks she delivered. Adam agreed with Mia that the transitions need to also have the story in them.
Billy (paired with Comfort, Krump choreographed by Lil C, So U Think U Can Krump, by J-Squad) I have to say, Billy was hitting it harder than I thought he possibly could. Better than expected, that's for sure! Nigel really hated the music, and Cat told him that he wasn't supposed to like it - because all the young people like it. Nigel thinks that Krump is a warrior dance, and doesn't think that Billy's quite found his warrior yet, but thinks he gave it his all. Mia thought that Billy knocked on the warrior's door, but he didn't answer, and said that it was awkward. Adam laughed and said that Billy was obviously trying hard. Comfort said that Billy was buck to her, but Adam maintained that though Billy is one of the best dancers on the show, this was a bad experiment.
Robert (with Anya, Argentine Tango, choreographed by Jean-Marc and France, Libertango, by Bond Quartet) It turned out, to my untrained eye, very well. It was super quick, and I believed it. Nigel said that Robert took control like he was supposed to in the dance, and said that it was magnificent, and the lighting and direction helped to make it stand out. Mia thought that Robert's carriage and his groundedness wasn't powerful enough, and thought that Anya dominated him. Adam thought that Robert had unbelievable footwork, but looked really stressed out, and wanted him to stretch his steps some.
Melinda (with Ade, Contemporary, choreographed by Stacey Tookey, Squander, by Skunk Anisie) This routine is about the relationship of Man (Ade) with Mother Earth (Melinda). I really really liked it. Nicely done. Lots of throwing herself around. Nigel gave some love to Canadian choreographers. He thinks that for a tapper, Melinda has got some beautiful lines. Mia loved the concept and the story but was distracted by Melinda's dress. She was also impressed with Melinda's lines. Adam thought she was just great.
Jose (paired with Kathryn, Bollywood choreographed by Nakul) It's a genie in a bottle theme, and it's awesome. He did an awesome job. Nigel thinks that taking people out of their element is interesting, and thinks that Jose didn't quite make it all the way to India, maybe made it as far as South Africa, and then made a World Cup reference that flew over my head. Nigel thought that he didn't get all the fingers right, but he was having fun. Mia said that although there was a lot he did wrong, he had fun and it's infectious. Adam thinks that Jose wins the prize for the brightest light on the show. He admitted that his Bollywood was kind of absolutely wrong, but he's so sweet it almost doesn't matter.
Lauren (paired with Dominic, Lyrical Hip Hop, choreographed by Tessandra Chavez, If I Were a Boy, by Beyonce) This routine is about an abusive relationship. Heavy. I definitely felt the emotion. It was wonderful. Nigel welcomed Tessandra to the family, and thanked her for the routine. He told Lauren to give herself a stronger base, but thought it was a really fine performance from both of them. Mia thought it was outstanding, but thought that the abuse moments should have been a bit more about the abuse and less about the steps. Adam was happy that she took his notes from last week and could tell that she was in an emotional and raw space because of the dance and wants her to celebrate that because she's become an actress. She said she's gotten to a deeper place, and the judges say she's gotten there. Then, Cat stuck her foot in her mouth and asked Dominic if he wanted to get in a deeper place... he leered at her a little before leaving the stage. oops!
Kent (with Courtney, Jazz choreographed by Tyce Diorio, Amy Amy Amy, by Amy Winehouse) Kent was really adorable in rehearsals, excited that he got to touch Courtney as much as he wanted and she didn't care. I thought the routine was really awesome. Nigel worried about his outfit (which was weird), and thanked Tyce for a real Jazz routine. He worried also that Kent wasn't having as much fun as he was in the cha cha, even though it wasn't a very good Cha cha. Mia thought there were some great moments of technical movement, but wanted him to step into a more mature role. Adam thought he did really well, but does need to work on the character.
I thought that Cristina was amazing, and I enjoyed Robert's Tango and Melinda's Mother Earth. Lauren showed amazing improvement, and I also really like Kent.
I liked Ashley quite a lot, but I'd put her in the middle, with Billy. Jose is infectious, and I don't think he's going anywhere.
Adechike continues to underwhelm me, and I don't love Alex nearly as much as the judges do. I have no idea who is going to be in the Bottom 3. your thoughts?
Monday, June 21, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.17.10
Sorry about the late blog - and I'll be fast forwarding through a lot. I don't care about most of the performers.
The Group Dance in the beginning was pretty darn cool, and Jose got a chance to do some breaking, and Melinda got a chance to do some (weirdly out of place) tapping. Overall, pretty cool. No one looked horrible. New choreographer (Cassandra Chavez?).
I really like Cat's gingham inspired dress. It's very Grace Kelly.
July 31st is apparently National Dance Day. Ok, thanks for that, Nigel. You can download a routine at Dizzyfeet.org, or on the SYTYCD FB page - and he wants Cat to try it next week. We'll see.
First four contestants out are Alex, Robert, Lauren, and Kent. Robert and Alex are safe. Kent is safe, and there was much rejoicing as Lauren is also announced as safe. In the next group are Melinda - who is in the bottom 3, and I hope she does well - Billy, who is safe, Ashley, and Alexie. Alexie is in the bottom 3. About right. She's adorable, but she wasn't great last week. Will the last one in the bottom 3 be Jose, Adechike, or Cristina? Jose is safe. Adechike is safe, and Cristina is dancing in the bottom 3. Didn't see that coming! Adechike was much weaker than Cristina! (And she was dancing with Mark! Really, America?)
Fast forwarding through the dance routine.
Melinda's Solo: She's tapping to I Got That Feelin by James Brown. She brought a lot of personality to it, but tap solos are tough.
Alexie's Solo: She's dancing to I've Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding. It didn't speak to me.
Cristina's Solo: She ought to be safe, though a salsa solo is always hard. She's just really good.
Next - Usher. And, me fast forwarding. And Justin Bieber video. And me fast forwarding.
The judges are unanimous. Nigel likes Melinda's style with the tap and thinks she's really cool, but she needs more fire. Cristina brought the fire in her solo, but not the steps, but he said they felt like she looked like she was dancing for her life. Alexie was very contained in her dance, and though she's small, she needs to bring the length. She is leaving, and I am not surprised. Adam told her that she is very hireable, so she needs to not lose hope. Mia assured her that she won't be wanting for work.
I think that was the right decision.
The Group Dance in the beginning was pretty darn cool, and Jose got a chance to do some breaking, and Melinda got a chance to do some (weirdly out of place) tapping. Overall, pretty cool. No one looked horrible. New choreographer (Cassandra Chavez?).
I really like Cat's gingham inspired dress. It's very Grace Kelly.
July 31st is apparently National Dance Day. Ok, thanks for that, Nigel. You can download a routine at Dizzyfeet.org, or on the SYTYCD FB page - and he wants Cat to try it next week. We'll see.
First four contestants out are Alex, Robert, Lauren, and Kent. Robert and Alex are safe. Kent is safe, and there was much rejoicing as Lauren is also announced as safe. In the next group are Melinda - who is in the bottom 3, and I hope she does well - Billy, who is safe, Ashley, and Alexie. Alexie is in the bottom 3. About right. She's adorable, but she wasn't great last week. Will the last one in the bottom 3 be Jose, Adechike, or Cristina? Jose is safe. Adechike is safe, and Cristina is dancing in the bottom 3. Didn't see that coming! Adechike was much weaker than Cristina! (And she was dancing with Mark! Really, America?)
Fast forwarding through the dance routine.
Melinda's Solo: She's tapping to I Got That Feelin by James Brown. She brought a lot of personality to it, but tap solos are tough.
Alexie's Solo: She's dancing to I've Been Loving You Too Long by Otis Redding. It didn't speak to me.
Cristina's Solo: She ought to be safe, though a salsa solo is always hard. She's just really good.
Next - Usher. And, me fast forwarding. And Justin Bieber video. And me fast forwarding.
The judges are unanimous. Nigel likes Melinda's style with the tap and thinks she's really cool, but she needs more fire. Cristina brought the fire in her solo, but not the steps, but he said they felt like she looked like she was dancing for her life. Alexie was very contained in her dance, and though she's small, she needs to bring the length. She is leaving, and I am not surprised. Adam told her that she is very hireable, so she needs to not lose hope. Mia assured her that she won't be wanting for work.
I think that was the right decision.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Yay for a New Season - Top Chef: Washington DC
I don't know that I have the energy for an in depth blog tonight, but I'll give it my all.
Tiffany started out working at IHOP, and now she's an executive chef. Stephen left his wife and 13 month old twins behind to be on the show. Tracy is an executive chef. Kenneth has been cooking since he could stand up by a stove. Kelly and her husband own a restaurant in Vale, Lynn is a chef instructor at CIA. Arnold is an executive chef and owner of three restaurants. Kevin is sure he is the best damned cook out there. Kenny and Kevin know each other. Jaqueline is a self-taught caterer. Angelo likes to talk about how he was in Monte Carlo last week, Kenny was annoyed by him. So was I. John has super bad teeth and a stupid bandana and stupider hair.
Quickfire
Basic Skills and Speed - Mis En Place Tournament, with people eliminated in every round - peel 10 potatoes, then do something to 10c onions - apparently dicing to 1/8"x1/8"x1/8", then break down 4 chickens, then create a dish with the ingredients prepped, and have it judged. Winner gets $20K.
First round - Kenny is done first. Second round, Kenn is also done first. Andrea was one of Food & Wine's best chefs and got cut. She was mad at herself. Holy crap, in the third round, Kenny was also done first.
In the final round, Kenny, Kevin, Timothy, and Angelo. Angelo made a roasted wing with curried onion jam and potato noodles. Kevin made a hot and sour broth with chicken wing. Tim did a gallete with a cherry... hmm. Kenny did chicken two ways and it looked delicious.
Tim put too much cream in his dish, and Kevin put too much salt in his broth. The winner is Angelo. Oh, poor Kenny. I wanted him to win it. Kenny says he sees Angelo as more of an obstacle than a threat.
Elimination Challenge
They will be divided into four groups to cook food from their regions, for 300 at the Cherry Blossom Festival. In each group, one person will win, and one person will go into the bottom. Let the school yard pick begin! Ed sent the last pick to Kenny.
I am drooling over the gorgeous tools in the Top Chef kitchen. Stunning.
Do not have energy to blog the prep, but it was hectic, and some of the dishes sound promising, while others sound questionable. John particularly burned his macadamia nuts and had to start again.
And what's this? Gayle is going to be hosting a "Top Chef: Just Desserts" show? Slick! I would love to see something with people who generally know how to cook desserts. Yay! When's that coming?
Jacqueline went light on the fat in her chicken liver mousse, and had a problem and needed to recook because it was grainy. The judges didn't like it.
Tracy's shrimp and grits was bland. Kenny's dish had many layers of flavor and looked delicious.
From each group, the winners were Kenny, Kevin, Angelo, and Alex. Angelo was the winner.
For the bottom, Timothy, John, Jacqueline, and Stephen. First out is John. Oh, good. I can't take a chef seriously that has that bad personal hygeine. Nor one who uses store bought puff pastry and then doesn't make the rest of the dish perfect.
Tiffany started out working at IHOP, and now she's an executive chef. Stephen left his wife and 13 month old twins behind to be on the show. Tracy is an executive chef. Kenneth has been cooking since he could stand up by a stove. Kelly and her husband own a restaurant in Vale, Lynn is a chef instructor at CIA. Arnold is an executive chef and owner of three restaurants. Kevin is sure he is the best damned cook out there. Kenny and Kevin know each other. Jaqueline is a self-taught caterer. Angelo likes to talk about how he was in Monte Carlo last week, Kenny was annoyed by him. So was I. John has super bad teeth and a stupid bandana and stupider hair.
Quickfire
Basic Skills and Speed - Mis En Place Tournament, with people eliminated in every round - peel 10 potatoes, then do something to 10c onions - apparently dicing to 1/8"x1/8"x1/8", then break down 4 chickens, then create a dish with the ingredients prepped, and have it judged. Winner gets $20K.
First round - Kenny is done first. Second round, Kenn is also done first. Andrea was one of Food & Wine's best chefs and got cut. She was mad at herself. Holy crap, in the third round, Kenny was also done first.
In the final round, Kenny, Kevin, Timothy, and Angelo. Angelo made a roasted wing with curried onion jam and potato noodles. Kevin made a hot and sour broth with chicken wing. Tim did a gallete with a cherry... hmm. Kenny did chicken two ways and it looked delicious.
Tim put too much cream in his dish, and Kevin put too much salt in his broth. The winner is Angelo. Oh, poor Kenny. I wanted him to win it. Kenny says he sees Angelo as more of an obstacle than a threat.
Elimination Challenge
They will be divided into four groups to cook food from their regions, for 300 at the Cherry Blossom Festival. In each group, one person will win, and one person will go into the bottom. Let the school yard pick begin! Ed sent the last pick to Kenny.
I am drooling over the gorgeous tools in the Top Chef kitchen. Stunning.
Do not have energy to blog the prep, but it was hectic, and some of the dishes sound promising, while others sound questionable. John particularly burned his macadamia nuts and had to start again.
And what's this? Gayle is going to be hosting a "Top Chef: Just Desserts" show? Slick! I would love to see something with people who generally know how to cook desserts. Yay! When's that coming?
Jacqueline went light on the fat in her chicken liver mousse, and had a problem and needed to recook because it was grainy. The judges didn't like it.
Tracy's shrimp and grits was bland. Kenny's dish had many layers of flavor and looked delicious.
From each group, the winners were Kenny, Kevin, Angelo, and Alex. Angelo was the winner.
For the bottom, Timothy, John, Jacqueline, and Stephen. First out is John. Oh, good. I can't take a chef seriously that has that bad personal hygeine. Nor one who uses store bought puff pastry and then doesn't make the rest of the dish perfect.
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.16.10
Cat is looking rather Grecian tonight. It works on her.
They will be switching up partners randomly every week. That makes me happy at least.
Adam, Mia, and Nigel are on board. Numbers are 1-888-6-BEST-##
Billy Bell - (with Lauren, Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Footloose by Kenny Loggins) He really loves do-it-yourself projects, and his dad is a general contractor. The dance is fun and they are really good together. Billy has some charisma. I liked it. Nigel thought that Tyce was listening to different music than most choreographers in this song, and the movements were longer, which suited Billy. He liked the buddy chemistry with Lauren. Mia was very proud of Billy and thought he stretched himself. She wanted more bounce in the movement, and wants him to dance like a man instead of a boy. Adam thinks dancing comes so naturally to Billy, it seems easy, but he needs to work on character and what's in between the steps. He then called Billy a super boy.
Cristina - (with Mark *squee*, Jazz, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. Starstruck by Sanigold) - she once auditioned for the Mexican version of American Idol, but was cut. Now she sticks to dance. Her character is a snake. Oh, how I love Mark. Cristina kept right up with him and got the looseness of being a snake right down. Nigel thought it was all about Sonya and Mark. I would have to agree. He said she was absolutely tremendous in it, and he said his eyes were not always pulled to Mark, and that's saying something. Mia said that she was partnered with a genius of twisted dark, and couldn't have had a better partner for the routine. Agreed. She was impressed at how well Cristina did. Agreed. Adam was stunned and expected disaster when he heard of her genre. He saw no trace of a salsa dancer.
Jose (with Comfort, Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. Beautiful Monster by Ne-Yo) - He does yoga to keep himself flexible and clear his head. That's awesome. The routine was full on kick ass. I loved everything about it. Nigel thought that the fact that he is new to choreography and did things like he did this week was amazing. He thought it was outstanding. Nigel said he looked like Adam Shankman after a drink. Mia thought it looked like he had a fabulous weave on. In fact, it was nothing of the sort. She said that when he was breaking, his character was solid, but when he was doing the choreography, it wasn't as solid. Adam thinks he has grown legions since Vegas and also amazingly since last week. He thinks Jose's smile is going to get him votes. He wants more, faster, power moves in his breaking, because that will also get him votes.
Adechike (with Kathryn, Jazz, choreographed by Travis Wall. Addicted to Love, by Fran + The Machine) Adechike went to the Fame School, and so did Tyce. And Tyce didn't do that well. Ha ha. The routine is about a guy daydreaming about a beautiful lady at work. I was more impressed by Kathryn than I was with Adechike. Nigel loved the choreography and thought Kathryn was giving him everything, but he didn't believe it was his fantasy. Mia loved the choreography but thought that Adechike wasn't picking up the sexual chemistry that Kathryn was throwing all over him. She said he brought nothing to the stage for her. I kind of agree. Adam thought he was there for Kathryn the whole time, but he didn't go any further. Agreed.
Melinda (with Pasha, Jive, choreographed by Tony and Melanie, L.O.V.E. by Brown) She was on As the World Turns and writes her own music. She gives really good character, for sure. And, if I remember correctly, the jive was hard for tappers last season. She didn't seem to struggle even a little. (Maybe it was the Quickstep that tripped them up alast season... I forget.) Nigel thinks that Melinda is totally vivacious and gorgeous, but worries that she pulls her faces too much. He thought her retractions were good, but thought her legs didn't look right. He worries that she's going to be dancing for her life tomorrow. Mia thinks there's something about her legs, that it makes her look pigeon toed, and doesn't think she straightens her legs enough. Adam wants Melinda to watch her performance back and she will learn from it. He thought she masked her troubles with the style by the fact that she's a good actor.
Alex (with Allison, contemporary, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley) He loves to sing. He should stick to dancing. The routine was not my favorite, but Alex brought good character to it. It was not as moving as I wanted it to be, but it was good. Cat got chills. Adam looked like he was crying. Nigel was struck nearly speechless, and thinks that Alex just set a new standard for the show, and showed that the poetry of dance is just as important as the steps. He thought they were mega light years ahead of everyone else. Eh. I didn't get that. But, I don't know anything about dance, I'm a total lay person. Mia thought that the pain that exuded from the both of them was incredible. She thought it was hands down the best piece of work danced on the SYTYCD stage to date. I disagree. Adam thought that Alex and Allison upped Sonya's choreography game. He understands why the ballet didn't want to release him from his contract.
Alexie (with Twitch, hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon, Butterfly, by Jason Mraz) She was on Star Search and was judged by Adam. Hilarious. The dance was good, and I love Twitch. Nigel thinks that Alexie is such a cute little dancer, and it could be a problem in this style, because she didn't hit before getting to the flowing part of the dance. Mia thought she danced like a young adorable girl, while Twitch was dancing like Mr. Swag. Adam thought her charisma was what made her ok in the dance. He said she needed to channel how Tabitha dances - all the sensuality of a woman, but all the power of a man.
Lauren (with Ade, Pop Jazz, choreographed by Mandy Moore, Oh Yeah, by Yello) She works with kindergardeners. Hey, it's the Ferris Bueller song! Love it. My friend watching with me thought that her choreography was sloppy. Nigel thought the choreography was really good, and thought Ade's partnership was good, but thought it felt sterile, and made another sports reference that I didn't get, basically saying that Lauren is safe. Mia again said that she needed to fill in the space, though technically, she was really good. She thought it felt like the first draft of a dance, instead of the final piece. Adam is concerned that Lauren isn't really listening to their critique. He wants her to look deeper.
Kent (with Anya, cha cha, choreographed by Tony & Melanie, Lady Marmelade by Diva Invasion) He was crowned homecoming king, with only 14 other people in his class. I really enjoyed his cha cha. He had good character in it, and to my untrained eyes, it was a good job. And Anya is amazing. He did pull some faces. He apologized for the faces he pulled before even getting to the judges critiques. Nigel said that it was obvious he enjoyed the routine, and leered about him getting some cougars in addition to the cows on the farm. He did warn him about a bit in the middle where he looked like Jessica Rabbit. Mia loved how he committed to everything, and other than the Jessica Rabbit step, he looked like a ballroom boy. Adam said that he reminds him of Dominic and Gev, who were so bound and determined to do well outside of their style. Then, he said it was like you lost your little boy at the zoo and found him dancing in a lion cage.
Ashley (with Neal, contemporary, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, For All We Know, by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway)She likes to make crazy voices. Including a weird robotic voice. Gorgeous dance. Beautifully executed. Stunningly acted. Loved it. Nigel thought she needed to use her personal feelings in her dance as much as possible. Mia felt her emotion a lot, but wasn't sure if it was love or pain, but it was a nugget of emotion that wasn't completely formed. Then, she called Ashley a very special little bunny. Adam thinks that this season seems to be full of technically brilliant people, who need to connect more emotionally.
Robert (with Courtney, African Jazz, choreographed by Sean Cheeseman, Norweg from Cirque de Soleil.) He really wanted to be a professional baseball player, and he still hits balls with his dad. Courtney and Robert make a very attractive couple. Dancing in the African Jazz was quite something. They gave it their all. I liked it. Even Cat commented on what a good looking couple they were. Nigel loved the choreography, and he loved the way Robert danced it. He thinks Robert could be a dark horse. There are so many things Mia loves about Robert. Adam loved seeing Robert and Courtney together, and loved how completely there they were for each other. He thinks that Robert is one of the best contemporary dancers ever on the show.
I really loved Cristina, but was that because of the Mark Factor? I thought that Jose did a great job, and I find him appealing. Kent, I just want to hug. Loved him, and his ballroom lips. I also really loved Lauren's dance, and Robert's African Jazz was slick.
Both Melinda and Lauren I wanted to be much better than they were. I didn't get the fawning over Alex. I must have missed something.
In the bottom for me? Adechike, Alexie, and sadly, Lauren. I totally love her, but... For me, either Adechike or Alexie can go and I won't really miss them. I would miss Melinda or Lauren.
They will be switching up partners randomly every week. That makes me happy at least.
Adam, Mia, and Nigel are on board. Numbers are 1-888-6-BEST-##
Billy Bell - (with Lauren, Broadway choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Footloose by Kenny Loggins) He really loves do-it-yourself projects, and his dad is a general contractor. The dance is fun and they are really good together. Billy has some charisma. I liked it. Nigel thought that Tyce was listening to different music than most choreographers in this song, and the movements were longer, which suited Billy. He liked the buddy chemistry with Lauren. Mia was very proud of Billy and thought he stretched himself. She wanted more bounce in the movement, and wants him to dance like a man instead of a boy. Adam thinks dancing comes so naturally to Billy, it seems easy, but he needs to work on character and what's in between the steps. He then called Billy a super boy.
Cristina - (with Mark *squee*, Jazz, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. Starstruck by Sanigold) - she once auditioned for the Mexican version of American Idol, but was cut. Now she sticks to dance. Her character is a snake. Oh, how I love Mark. Cristina kept right up with him and got the looseness of being a snake right down. Nigel thought it was all about Sonya and Mark. I would have to agree. He said she was absolutely tremendous in it, and he said his eyes were not always pulled to Mark, and that's saying something. Mia said that she was partnered with a genius of twisted dark, and couldn't have had a better partner for the routine. Agreed. She was impressed at how well Cristina did. Agreed. Adam was stunned and expected disaster when he heard of her genre. He saw no trace of a salsa dancer.
Jose (with Comfort, Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. Beautiful Monster by Ne-Yo) - He does yoga to keep himself flexible and clear his head. That's awesome. The routine was full on kick ass. I loved everything about it. Nigel thought that the fact that he is new to choreography and did things like he did this week was amazing. He thought it was outstanding. Nigel said he looked like Adam Shankman after a drink. Mia thought it looked like he had a fabulous weave on. In fact, it was nothing of the sort. She said that when he was breaking, his character was solid, but when he was doing the choreography, it wasn't as solid. Adam thinks he has grown legions since Vegas and also amazingly since last week. He thinks Jose's smile is going to get him votes. He wants more, faster, power moves in his breaking, because that will also get him votes.
Adechike (with Kathryn, Jazz, choreographed by Travis Wall. Addicted to Love, by Fran + The Machine) Adechike went to the Fame School, and so did Tyce. And Tyce didn't do that well. Ha ha. The routine is about a guy daydreaming about a beautiful lady at work. I was more impressed by Kathryn than I was with Adechike. Nigel loved the choreography and thought Kathryn was giving him everything, but he didn't believe it was his fantasy. Mia loved the choreography but thought that Adechike wasn't picking up the sexual chemistry that Kathryn was throwing all over him. She said he brought nothing to the stage for her. I kind of agree. Adam thought he was there for Kathryn the whole time, but he didn't go any further. Agreed.
Melinda (with Pasha, Jive, choreographed by Tony and Melanie, L.O.V.E. by Brown) She was on As the World Turns and writes her own music. She gives really good character, for sure. And, if I remember correctly, the jive was hard for tappers last season. She didn't seem to struggle even a little. (Maybe it was the Quickstep that tripped them up alast season... I forget.) Nigel thinks that Melinda is totally vivacious and gorgeous, but worries that she pulls her faces too much. He thought her retractions were good, but thought her legs didn't look right. He worries that she's going to be dancing for her life tomorrow. Mia thinks there's something about her legs, that it makes her look pigeon toed, and doesn't think she straightens her legs enough. Adam wants Melinda to watch her performance back and she will learn from it. He thought she masked her troubles with the style by the fact that she's a good actor.
Alex (with Allison, contemporary, choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, Hallelujah, by Jeff Buckley) He loves to sing. He should stick to dancing. The routine was not my favorite, but Alex brought good character to it. It was not as moving as I wanted it to be, but it was good. Cat got chills. Adam looked like he was crying. Nigel was struck nearly speechless, and thinks that Alex just set a new standard for the show, and showed that the poetry of dance is just as important as the steps. He thought they were mega light years ahead of everyone else. Eh. I didn't get that. But, I don't know anything about dance, I'm a total lay person. Mia thought that the pain that exuded from the both of them was incredible. She thought it was hands down the best piece of work danced on the SYTYCD stage to date. I disagree. Adam thought that Alex and Allison upped Sonya's choreography game. He understands why the ballet didn't want to release him from his contract.
Alexie (with Twitch, hip hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon, Butterfly, by Jason Mraz) She was on Star Search and was judged by Adam. Hilarious. The dance was good, and I love Twitch. Nigel thinks that Alexie is such a cute little dancer, and it could be a problem in this style, because she didn't hit before getting to the flowing part of the dance. Mia thought she danced like a young adorable girl, while Twitch was dancing like Mr. Swag. Adam thought her charisma was what made her ok in the dance. He said she needed to channel how Tabitha dances - all the sensuality of a woman, but all the power of a man.
Lauren (with Ade, Pop Jazz, choreographed by Mandy Moore, Oh Yeah, by Yello) She works with kindergardeners. Hey, it's the Ferris Bueller song! Love it. My friend watching with me thought that her choreography was sloppy. Nigel thought the choreography was really good, and thought Ade's partnership was good, but thought it felt sterile, and made another sports reference that I didn't get, basically saying that Lauren is safe. Mia again said that she needed to fill in the space, though technically, she was really good. She thought it felt like the first draft of a dance, instead of the final piece. Adam is concerned that Lauren isn't really listening to their critique. He wants her to look deeper.
Kent (with Anya, cha cha, choreographed by Tony & Melanie, Lady Marmelade by Diva Invasion) He was crowned homecoming king, with only 14 other people in his class. I really enjoyed his cha cha. He had good character in it, and to my untrained eyes, it was a good job. And Anya is amazing. He did pull some faces. He apologized for the faces he pulled before even getting to the judges critiques. Nigel said that it was obvious he enjoyed the routine, and leered about him getting some cougars in addition to the cows on the farm. He did warn him about a bit in the middle where he looked like Jessica Rabbit. Mia loved how he committed to everything, and other than the Jessica Rabbit step, he looked like a ballroom boy. Adam said that he reminds him of Dominic and Gev, who were so bound and determined to do well outside of their style. Then, he said it was like you lost your little boy at the zoo and found him dancing in a lion cage.
Ashley (with Neal, contemporary, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, For All We Know, by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway)She likes to make crazy voices. Including a weird robotic voice. Gorgeous dance. Beautifully executed. Stunningly acted. Loved it. Nigel thought she needed to use her personal feelings in her dance as much as possible. Mia felt her emotion a lot, but wasn't sure if it was love or pain, but it was a nugget of emotion that wasn't completely formed. Then, she called Ashley a very special little bunny. Adam thinks that this season seems to be full of technically brilliant people, who need to connect more emotionally.
Robert (with Courtney, African Jazz, choreographed by Sean Cheeseman, Norweg from Cirque de Soleil.) He really wanted to be a professional baseball player, and he still hits balls with his dad. Courtney and Robert make a very attractive couple. Dancing in the African Jazz was quite something. They gave it their all. I liked it. Even Cat commented on what a good looking couple they were. Nigel loved the choreography, and he loved the way Robert danced it. He thinks Robert could be a dark horse. There are so many things Mia loves about Robert. Adam loved seeing Robert and Courtney together, and loved how completely there they were for each other. He thinks that Robert is one of the best contemporary dancers ever on the show.
I really loved Cristina, but was that because of the Mark Factor? I thought that Jose did a great job, and I find him appealing. Kent, I just want to hug. Loved him, and his ballroom lips. I also really loved Lauren's dance, and Robert's African Jazz was slick.
Both Melinda and Lauren I wanted to be much better than they were. I didn't get the fawning over Alex. I must have missed something.
In the bottom for me? Adechike, Alexie, and sadly, Lauren. I totally love her, but... For me, either Adechike or Alexie can go and I won't really miss them. I would miss Melinda or Lauren.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.10.10
First look at Season 7! I think this show is the "what can they do in their own style" show. Awesome. Cat looks like a frilly easter egg...
They are dancing to Fame, by David Bowie first, and it's he all stars up first. Why, Hello, Mark. Missed you! They are having a tea/dance party. And enter the new contestants! This is going to be an awesome season. The routine was choreographed by Wade & Amanda Robeson.
This is kind of "So You Think You Can Dance - With the All-Stars!"
On the judge's panel are Adam, Mia, and Nigel. Hooray for the lack of Mary!!!
Lauren & Kent - Jazz, choreographed by Travis Wall. Mark will be with Lauren, and Kathryn will be with Kent. I think Lauren just became by favorite. Because I love Mark. And that's the problem with pairing them with the previous season veterans. The dance is super cool. Both Kent and Lauren did beautifully. They are both very compelling. Lauren especially. Kent is fishing for a date. He's so funny. He wants someone like his mom, or Beyonce. Adam thanked the other judges on the panel, and then told Travis his choreography was so good, it was sick. Then, he hopped up and fist pumped about Lauren & Kent. I would agree.
Alexie & Melinda - Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. They will be dancing with Allison & Lauren tonight. Ah... so the couples are not set yet. I think Melinda is much better for the show than last season's tappers, because she is already trained in some other styles, and she is so darned charismatic. And beautiful. I really like her. Alexie doesn't grab me as much, but she's also good. Tyce loves his own choreography and the dancers. Nigel loved them both, but wants more fire from them.
Jose - Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. He will be dancing with Twitch, Comfort, and Dominic. The routine is really cool. Jose held his own with the All Stars. There was a little humor in the routine, and some really net choreography, not to mention Comfort got to do some booty shaking. It was really cool. Looking forward to seeing what he can do. Dominic was all over Cat and was kind of hilarious. Tabitha and Napoleon gushed over Jose. Adam is really excited to see how the Cat/Dominic thing plays out, and thinks Jose is fantastic, and wants him to bring performance all season.
Cristina - Latin, choreographed by Jason Gilkinson. She will be dancing with Anya & Pasha. Pasha is instantly the luckiest man in the season, to get to dance with these two hotties in shimery shiny dresses. And Cristina held her own with Anya. Impressive choreography, to put Pasha with both girls, and of course it wouldn't be Pasha if he didn't end up shirtless. It was a delightful menage a trois. Jason loves Cristina. Nigel tossed the love at Anya and Pasha, and thought the girls were fighting over Pasha, and loved that Jason made his dreams come true. He warned Cristina that she has a tendency towards lazy feet, and needs to pick them up a little more.
Alex & Billy - Contemporary, choreographed by Mia Michaels. They will be dancing with Ade, and Mia explained that the routine is about a journey from childhood to adulthood to old age. Billy starts out playing with a car, and Alex is the grown man, with Ade as the rickety old man. It is a beautiful routine, and they all played their parts perfectly. Nice piece, Mia. The judges loved it, and Mia said it was an honor to work with these dancers. She called Billy a freak of nature, and loves how technical Alex is, and called him a stallion and a beast. Cat wanted everyone to give it up for the freak and the beast.
Adechike, Ashley, and Robert - Lyrical Jazz, choreographed by Sonya. They will be dancing with Courtney and Neil. I love the choreography. It was awesome. Really really cool. Of course it was Sonya. Sonya pushed them beyond human endurance.
Can't wait for next week!
They are dancing to Fame, by David Bowie first, and it's he all stars up first. Why, Hello, Mark. Missed you! They are having a tea/dance party. And enter the new contestants! This is going to be an awesome season. The routine was choreographed by Wade & Amanda Robeson.
This is kind of "So You Think You Can Dance - With the All-Stars!"
On the judge's panel are Adam, Mia, and Nigel. Hooray for the lack of Mary!!!
Lauren & Kent - Jazz, choreographed by Travis Wall. Mark will be with Lauren, and Kathryn will be with Kent. I think Lauren just became by favorite. Because I love Mark. And that's the problem with pairing them with the previous season veterans. The dance is super cool. Both Kent and Lauren did beautifully. They are both very compelling. Lauren especially. Kent is fishing for a date. He's so funny. He wants someone like his mom, or Beyonce. Adam thanked the other judges on the panel, and then told Travis his choreography was so good, it was sick. Then, he hopped up and fist pumped about Lauren & Kent. I would agree.
Alexie & Melinda - Broadway, choreographed by Tyce Diorio. They will be dancing with Allison & Lauren tonight. Ah... so the couples are not set yet. I think Melinda is much better for the show than last season's tappers, because she is already trained in some other styles, and she is so darned charismatic. And beautiful. I really like her. Alexie doesn't grab me as much, but she's also good. Tyce loves his own choreography and the dancers. Nigel loved them both, but wants more fire from them.
Jose - Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon. He will be dancing with Twitch, Comfort, and Dominic. The routine is really cool. Jose held his own with the All Stars. There was a little humor in the routine, and some really net choreography, not to mention Comfort got to do some booty shaking. It was really cool. Looking forward to seeing what he can do. Dominic was all over Cat and was kind of hilarious. Tabitha and Napoleon gushed over Jose. Adam is really excited to see how the Cat/Dominic thing plays out, and thinks Jose is fantastic, and wants him to bring performance all season.
Cristina - Latin, choreographed by Jason Gilkinson. She will be dancing with Anya & Pasha. Pasha is instantly the luckiest man in the season, to get to dance with these two hotties in shimery shiny dresses. And Cristina held her own with Anya. Impressive choreography, to put Pasha with both girls, and of course it wouldn't be Pasha if he didn't end up shirtless. It was a delightful menage a trois. Jason loves Cristina. Nigel tossed the love at Anya and Pasha, and thought the girls were fighting over Pasha, and loved that Jason made his dreams come true. He warned Cristina that she has a tendency towards lazy feet, and needs to pick them up a little more.
Alex & Billy - Contemporary, choreographed by Mia Michaels. They will be dancing with Ade, and Mia explained that the routine is about a journey from childhood to adulthood to old age. Billy starts out playing with a car, and Alex is the grown man, with Ade as the rickety old man. It is a beautiful routine, and they all played their parts perfectly. Nice piece, Mia. The judges loved it, and Mia said it was an honor to work with these dancers. She called Billy a freak of nature, and loves how technical Alex is, and called him a stallion and a beast. Cat wanted everyone to give it up for the freak and the beast.
Adechike, Ashley, and Robert - Lyrical Jazz, choreographed by Sonya. They will be dancing with Courtney and Neil. I love the choreography. It was awesome. Really really cool. Of course it was Sonya. Sonya pushed them beyond human endurance.
Can't wait for next week!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.9.10
Vegas, Part 2.
And Ida Saki, who I love love loved... is floundering in Vegas. And is quitting. She wants to go back to college.
The non-quitters are doing Broadway choreography.
Adrian Lee and Lauren Froderman are in the first group up on stage. They bring so much personality, and they can dance like nobody's business. Lauren especially shines. Both of them are in. Awesome.
Melinda Sullivan (tapper), Jose Ruiz, and Alexie Agdeppa are also through the Broadway round. Along with many others.
And Ida tells the judges that she is quitting. Nigel thinks she is quitting because of negative criticism. She went so far as to say that she wouldn't take the top 10 if she got it, and Nigel just thinks she can't take criticism. I tend to agree with Nigel.
10 others are cut after Broadway.
47 dancers are left. They are divided into groups at random. They pick cds at random, in different styles. They have to choreograph a routine to the music on the cd and perform it the next morning.
The first group did pretty well, I think, giving each person time to shine and it was good musicality. Mary thought it was inspiring. Adam loved the group. Nigel aid that every one of them is on his favorite list.
The next group has Melinda Sullivan, and a bunch of other styles... including an African dancer. They butted heads in their rehearsals (the African dancer and one of the guys most of all). The routine was kind of all over the place. Adam thought it was uneventful choreography. Mary thought it was uninspiring. Nigel thought that Melinda was the only one who understood the music and shone. The African Dancer is through (wish I knew her name - Kdige?). Chris, the guy who butted heads with her, is a split decision, but just barely in his favor. The rest of the group is also through.
Montage of other groups. And most of them are pretty good, it seems. 8 more dancers were cut by mid-day. That leaves 34.
In the final group, Billy Bell, Ryan Ramirez, Adichike, and a couple others are there. It was really not good. The judges were sad. Adam called it a disaster of epic proportions. Tyce thought this group should have been the best, but Nigel said it was out and out crap, and didn't think they listened to the music at all, and thought they were tight and constricted. Even though the judges are wildly disappointed, they are all through.
Contemporary time, with Travis Wall.
Salsa dancer girl did very very well and is through. Giselle Peacock did not do nearly as well. Her leaps lacked oomph and her extensions were not complete. Nigel thought that she lost her sparkle. Mary was in tears telling her to work on her extensions. She is cut.
Nicole Knusen, of the giant hair, and her bun is back, is out. Kdega is out, too. I don't have to learn to spell her name.
Jose Ruiz did well, as did Adichike.
Kent, small town boy, was in the final round with Alex Wong and injured leg man. I think he held his own, but I could be wrong. Alex is missing passion, but he's in. Anthony Burrell is in. He's still in pain. Kent's turn. Nigel sees a lot of growth potential in him, and the other judges love him, too. He made Lil' C cry and "feel like Adam." Kent didn't expect to measure up to the likes of Alex Wong, but he did. He's in.
Choreography rounds are done. 24 people are left. 10 will make it through. Before they go, there will be final solo rounds. Before that, they get some training from a famous choreographer (don't know his name), and he will train them on reaching their star potential.
Final Solos.
Lauren Froderman is up first. I loved her solo. It was glorious. The judges thought so, too.
Montage of other solos and "I wanna dance" speeches.
The judges are dramatically traveling the country to give hopefuls their news. Cristina Santana and Adrian Lee are up first. Cristina gets a visit from Toni, who tells her she's in the Top 10. Cool. The long drawn out drama annoys me.
How about Adrian? He's not in, but Mary urges him to come back and audition again.
Lexi got a call from Nigel, and she's not in. The judges are too busy to visit everyone. Nigel called some others to let them go. I didn't really recognize any of them.
Lauren Froderman got a call from Nigel, who then told her to come to the door, and inexplicably, the mail carrier was there. He told her that she was one of the best dancers in Vegas, but it isn't just dance that gets people in (style, age, etc..), but... she's in. Awesome. She deserved it.
Mia is heading to see Anthony Burrell. He is not in this season, but she wants him to come back.
This going to their houses? Much more cruel than the hallway walk and stage decision. I don't like it. It seems wasteful and stupid and full of manufactured drama.
Ashley Galvan is up next, with Lil C. She is in.
Jose Ruiz? In. Good. He's really got something.
Melinda the Tapper? She's in. Awesome. I really really like her.
Nigel is trying to find Kent in Wapakanetta.
Alex Wong is next. He gave up his solo position in the Miami City Ballet to audition for the show. He is in the Top 10, so that's good for him.
How about Adichike? He's in.
Nigel is still looking for Kent. For this trouble, he'd better be in. And Nigel got pulled over by a cop.
Joceylin Orley is cut.
Who will the last girl be? Alexi Agdeppa, or Ryan Ramirez? It's Alexi. And I still hate Mary. I hope that Ryan tries out again.
Billy Bell and Robert were performing together in a show, and Adam was going to tell them the news.
And Nigel finally found Kent Boyd. For that trouble, I hope that Kent is in. And Nigel went to use the bathroom as soon as he got there. Really? Fake drawn out drama. I hate it. Nigel said it was bad news for the whole family - fake out - because they are going to miss Kent, who is in. Again. Fake drama. Nigel said "do you honestly think I would come all this way to say no?"
So, I assume it's Billy Bell in the final spot. Could be wrong, though. It is in fact, Robert getting in. Wow. Adam let Billy know he is supernaturally talented, and it was a struggle... so they are both in. Ok. that's interesting. They are both in.
Pretty good Top 10. Looking forward to seeing this season!
(I'm behind blogging. Apologies. It's been a rough week here)
And Ida Saki, who I love love loved... is floundering in Vegas. And is quitting. She wants to go back to college.
The non-quitters are doing Broadway choreography.
Adrian Lee and Lauren Froderman are in the first group up on stage. They bring so much personality, and they can dance like nobody's business. Lauren especially shines. Both of them are in. Awesome.
Melinda Sullivan (tapper), Jose Ruiz, and Alexie Agdeppa are also through the Broadway round. Along with many others.
And Ida tells the judges that she is quitting. Nigel thinks she is quitting because of negative criticism. She went so far as to say that she wouldn't take the top 10 if she got it, and Nigel just thinks she can't take criticism. I tend to agree with Nigel.
10 others are cut after Broadway.
47 dancers are left. They are divided into groups at random. They pick cds at random, in different styles. They have to choreograph a routine to the music on the cd and perform it the next morning.
The first group did pretty well, I think, giving each person time to shine and it was good musicality. Mary thought it was inspiring. Adam loved the group. Nigel aid that every one of them is on his favorite list.
The next group has Melinda Sullivan, and a bunch of other styles... including an African dancer. They butted heads in their rehearsals (the African dancer and one of the guys most of all). The routine was kind of all over the place. Adam thought it was uneventful choreography. Mary thought it was uninspiring. Nigel thought that Melinda was the only one who understood the music and shone. The African Dancer is through (wish I knew her name - Kdige?). Chris, the guy who butted heads with her, is a split decision, but just barely in his favor. The rest of the group is also through.
Montage of other groups. And most of them are pretty good, it seems. 8 more dancers were cut by mid-day. That leaves 34.
In the final group, Billy Bell, Ryan Ramirez, Adichike, and a couple others are there. It was really not good. The judges were sad. Adam called it a disaster of epic proportions. Tyce thought this group should have been the best, but Nigel said it was out and out crap, and didn't think they listened to the music at all, and thought they were tight and constricted. Even though the judges are wildly disappointed, they are all through.
Contemporary time, with Travis Wall.
Salsa dancer girl did very very well and is through. Giselle Peacock did not do nearly as well. Her leaps lacked oomph and her extensions were not complete. Nigel thought that she lost her sparkle. Mary was in tears telling her to work on her extensions. She is cut.
Nicole Knusen, of the giant hair, and her bun is back, is out. Kdega is out, too. I don't have to learn to spell her name.
Jose Ruiz did well, as did Adichike.
Kent, small town boy, was in the final round with Alex Wong and injured leg man. I think he held his own, but I could be wrong. Alex is missing passion, but he's in. Anthony Burrell is in. He's still in pain. Kent's turn. Nigel sees a lot of growth potential in him, and the other judges love him, too. He made Lil' C cry and "feel like Adam." Kent didn't expect to measure up to the likes of Alex Wong, but he did. He's in.
Choreography rounds are done. 24 people are left. 10 will make it through. Before they go, there will be final solo rounds. Before that, they get some training from a famous choreographer (don't know his name), and he will train them on reaching their star potential.
Final Solos.
Lauren Froderman is up first. I loved her solo. It was glorious. The judges thought so, too.
Montage of other solos and "I wanna dance" speeches.
The judges are dramatically traveling the country to give hopefuls their news. Cristina Santana and Adrian Lee are up first. Cristina gets a visit from Toni, who tells her she's in the Top 10. Cool. The long drawn out drama annoys me.
How about Adrian? He's not in, but Mary urges him to come back and audition again.
Lexi got a call from Nigel, and she's not in. The judges are too busy to visit everyone. Nigel called some others to let them go. I didn't really recognize any of them.
Lauren Froderman got a call from Nigel, who then told her to come to the door, and inexplicably, the mail carrier was there. He told her that she was one of the best dancers in Vegas, but it isn't just dance that gets people in (style, age, etc..), but... she's in. Awesome. She deserved it.
Mia is heading to see Anthony Burrell. He is not in this season, but she wants him to come back.
This going to their houses? Much more cruel than the hallway walk and stage decision. I don't like it. It seems wasteful and stupid and full of manufactured drama.
Ashley Galvan is up next, with Lil C. She is in.
Jose Ruiz? In. Good. He's really got something.
Melinda the Tapper? She's in. Awesome. I really really like her.
Nigel is trying to find Kent in Wapakanetta.
Alex Wong is next. He gave up his solo position in the Miami City Ballet to audition for the show. He is in the Top 10, so that's good for him.
How about Adichike? He's in.
Nigel is still looking for Kent. For this trouble, he'd better be in. And Nigel got pulled over by a cop.
Joceylin Orley is cut.
Who will the last girl be? Alexi Agdeppa, or Ryan Ramirez? It's Alexi. And I still hate Mary. I hope that Ryan tries out again.
Billy Bell and Robert were performing together in a show, and Adam was going to tell them the news.
And Nigel finally found Kent Boyd. For that trouble, I hope that Kent is in. And Nigel went to use the bathroom as soon as he got there. Really? Fake drawn out drama. I hate it. Nigel said it was bad news for the whole family - fake out - because they are going to miss Kent, who is in. Again. Fake drama. Nigel said "do you honestly think I would come all this way to say no?"
So, I assume it's Billy Bell in the final spot. Could be wrong, though. It is in fact, Robert getting in. Wow. Adam let Billy know he is supernaturally talented, and it was a struggle... so they are both in. Ok. that's interesting. They are both in.
Pretty good Top 10. Looking forward to seeing this season!
(I'm behind blogging. Apologies. It's been a rough week here)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.3.10
Dallas! With Tyce and Toni Redpath joining Nigel.
Ida Saki is up first. She is so gorgeously muscular, I am enthralled. Seriously. She's amazing. She's been dancing since 6th grade, and both of her parents are from Iran, and her mom was never able to dance in Iran. Nigel called her exquisite. Toni didn't think one human could produce what she did. Tyce simply wrote "wow" on a piece of paper. Her mom was brought up on stage, with her little brother. They all gave Ida hugs, and to Vegas with all of them.
Robert Rolden has gorgeous lines. Toni was spellbound by him. Rebecca Hart made Tyce's jaw drop. Vegas, and Vegas.
Haylee Durbin is up next. Her dad was her dance support, and he died of colon cancer. She's good, but made funny faces while dancing. Strange frowns. Nigel didn't like her stank-face and didn't think she showed herself off to her best ability. Toni thought she danced tightly and didn't finish things. Tyce didn't feel a lot coming from her, and wants that. She's going to choreography.
Montage of the judges enjoying themselves. Montage of crazy people.
Conor, aka Scooter Rocket, is nuts. He also writes (bad) music. And looks like an anime villain. I don't know what he thinks this is, but it's not a roller skating competition. I believe the music he "danced" to was his own. It was kind of catchy, but... it wasn't dancing. Tyce wasn't blown away. Neither was anyone else. He's out.
Montage of bad and bizarre.
Nicole Knudson has what Nigel calls Marge Simpson hair. It's all her own and she wears it up. I don't know what she was doing with the head phones dancing, but I kind of dig how she moves. She's tall and lanky and muscular and connects. Tyce thought she was electric, and thinks she is the kind of talent that comes along every 100 years. Nigel thinks she is absolutely unique and is in control of everything. Toni's breath was taken away. She's heading to Vegas.
In choreography, Haylee is cut. 13 other dancers made it through.
Day 2 in Dallas!
Derrocius Harris is dancing to Toxic, and he's very odd. Men in spandex should be banned. Forever. Nigel thought he was more suited to the Dallas Cheerleaders. Toni couldn't see him partnering well. Tyce thought the outfit wasn't right, and the whole thing made it hard to imagine him dancing with a woman. That's something that happens in this show, so... he's done.
Marcella Raneri is gorgeous. Her dad was in the mob and got caught, they lost everything. Her mom started a lingerie company, which she modeled for and helps design for. She's a really nice dancer. Nigel thought there was no heart or soul in her work. When he heard that her dad was a mobster, he said she was going to choreography according to him. Toni thought that the whole thing looked like a set up for the next move, and wants to see her in choreography. Tyce thought it seemed that she was doing moves she'd seen other people do, but wants to see her in choreography.
Jordan Johnson was ostracized for being a dancer and a gymnast in a tiny town. He found out that he had a biological father (presumably different that any dad he knew), and he struggled with it, battled addiction... (out of rehab for five years now) then he met his biological father, and they didn't really connect. He tried to reconnect with him recently and his biological dad wanted nothing to do with him. Wow. And his dancing? On fire. He certainly brought some gymnastic moves to it. And he brought humor and personality. Nigel thought he was dangerous, exciting, unpredictable, and he appreciated everything. Toni thinks, although he is not traditionally handsome, his energy is sexy. Tyce thought he reached them with his fresh talent. Vegas.
After choreography, Marcella is through to Vegas.
Nashville!
Nigel is joined by Adam and Joey Dowling.
Faith Looney is auditioning, and her best friend is her partner is Kelsey in flamenco. They fought for 2 1/2 hours because of Kelsey's mean boyfriend. They seem very very young. And the flamenco was soulless. Nigel wanted to see her with more fire, because what she did was not flamenco. He told her she would make dead people look like party animals. Adam wanted to say "Ole" but just said "Oy vey!" Joey thought she seemed so uninterested in the style, she seemed to be making fun of it, and she was too sweet for flamenco.
Next? Montage of awful...capped off by Shayna Vaughn. I don't know what she was doing, but it wasn't dancing. Adam thought it looked like she was grooving to a song by herself in the corner. Joey thought she looked like she was dancing in her house, taking a break from cleaning. Nigel thought her lower body was totally stationary.
Worst day of auditions ever. Did they even send anyone to choreography? Next day? More terrible.
Brian Gaynor is back. He has scoliosis, and it's a terrible worsening condition. He's dancing to Fireflies, and it was magical. He is absolutely Mr. Roboto. Joey was crying. Nigel also called him magical, but worried that he wouldn't do well with partner work, because he's really small. Adam thought he was one of the best in the world at what he does. Joey thinks he glows, and thinks he's the reason that other people dance. Nigel wanted to know what he's been doing, and he's joined an awesome crew. Nigel said that he isn't going through to choreography or Vegas, but his crew will perform on the show. That's cool.
Two days in Nashville, and only 7 people made it through. And we didn't see any of them. Boo.
And now? Vegas!
Only 10 people are going to be in the finals this year, because the SYTYCD All-Stars are dancing this season! I'm excited to see some favorites, but I don't know about the fact that only 10 people get through...
Ugh... Mary. I see previews of Mary being there. Why? Can't she just go?
Vegas Day 1. L'il C, Mary Murphy, Tyce. Adam, Toni Redpath, and Nigel are judging. Why Mary? WHY??
Straight to Vegas this year were Billy Bell and Alex Wong. Alex had a contract with the Ballet, and he's back now. Billy was ill last year. He's back. Alex is up first for his solo. And he's astounding. Billy is up next, and he is also outstanding. He connects really well.
Anthony Burrell pulled his hamstring and had to the dr before seeing if he could do his solo.
Montage of amazing solos. Anthony got the clear to go, after a cortisone shot. His solo ended up being quite lovely. good for him, and I hope he's ok.
After the first solos, a bunch of people I didn't recognize got cut. Anthony Burrell, Billy Bell, Kent Boyd, Alex Wong and some others were called to the stage and were called the "special mentions" and they are safe.
Next round is hip hop. Sarah Brinson (Charlize Look Alike) is nursing a bad back, and that's really sad. Hope that she works it out. I like her.
Tabitha is running them through the hip hop choreography. Rachael Germa (rhythmic gymnast) and Jose Ruiz are having troubles picking up choreography. Jose is doing better than Rachael, who is having a melt down. When it came t the performance, Rachael was Not good. Jose seemed to do ok. Rachael is out. Jose is in (though Lil C gave him a no).
Melinda Sullivan, Lauren Frodeman, Alexi Agdeppa, and her partner did well. Teddy Tedholm was cut. Darn it.
Anthony Burrell and Sarah are up in the last group. Anthony is through. Sarah is out. I hope that she comes back. She broke down in tears, and Tyce told her that she is a stunning dancer, and when she told them she hurt her back, they understood a little better. She's still out.
Next round: Ballroom.
Only 69 remain after the cuts on the first day.
Toni Redpath is doing cha cha for the choreography. She's a drill sergeant at the choreography. Billy Bell called her a Nazi Barbie.
Nicole's big hair was a problem in the choreography. The judges wished her hair was down. They actually asked her to dance it with her hair down. She was off in search of a partner.
Jose Ruiz did a good job with the cha cha. Serg Ornik and Giselle Peacock breezed through. Some contemporary dancer who I can't spell his name decided to do a tap routine in his solo instead of his genius contemporary, and he has scraped along since then. He's getting a chance to dance for his life.
Jordan Johnson is in the last group of choreography. He was not strong in the choreography AT ALL. He was barely there and looked utterly lost.
Nicole's turn to dance again is up. She had a really good partner. She's through to the next round.
Person with impossible to spell name is Adichike Torrent. His solo is so incredible. Why oh why oh why did he do tap before? Nigel said "How dare you deny us the beauty of that solo and do the silly things you've done so far?" He gave him a yes, and so did everyone else. On to Broadway with him.
And that will be next week.
Ida Saki is up first. She is so gorgeously muscular, I am enthralled. Seriously. She's amazing. She's been dancing since 6th grade, and both of her parents are from Iran, and her mom was never able to dance in Iran. Nigel called her exquisite. Toni didn't think one human could produce what she did. Tyce simply wrote "wow" on a piece of paper. Her mom was brought up on stage, with her little brother. They all gave Ida hugs, and to Vegas with all of them.
Robert Rolden has gorgeous lines. Toni was spellbound by him. Rebecca Hart made Tyce's jaw drop. Vegas, and Vegas.
Haylee Durbin is up next. Her dad was her dance support, and he died of colon cancer. She's good, but made funny faces while dancing. Strange frowns. Nigel didn't like her stank-face and didn't think she showed herself off to her best ability. Toni thought she danced tightly and didn't finish things. Tyce didn't feel a lot coming from her, and wants that. She's going to choreography.
Montage of the judges enjoying themselves. Montage of crazy people.
Conor, aka Scooter Rocket, is nuts. He also writes (bad) music. And looks like an anime villain. I don't know what he thinks this is, but it's not a roller skating competition. I believe the music he "danced" to was his own. It was kind of catchy, but... it wasn't dancing. Tyce wasn't blown away. Neither was anyone else. He's out.
Montage of bad and bizarre.
Nicole Knudson has what Nigel calls Marge Simpson hair. It's all her own and she wears it up. I don't know what she was doing with the head phones dancing, but I kind of dig how she moves. She's tall and lanky and muscular and connects. Tyce thought she was electric, and thinks she is the kind of talent that comes along every 100 years. Nigel thinks she is absolutely unique and is in control of everything. Toni's breath was taken away. She's heading to Vegas.
In choreography, Haylee is cut. 13 other dancers made it through.
Day 2 in Dallas!
Derrocius Harris is dancing to Toxic, and he's very odd. Men in spandex should be banned. Forever. Nigel thought he was more suited to the Dallas Cheerleaders. Toni couldn't see him partnering well. Tyce thought the outfit wasn't right, and the whole thing made it hard to imagine him dancing with a woman. That's something that happens in this show, so... he's done.
Marcella Raneri is gorgeous. Her dad was in the mob and got caught, they lost everything. Her mom started a lingerie company, which she modeled for and helps design for. She's a really nice dancer. Nigel thought there was no heart or soul in her work. When he heard that her dad was a mobster, he said she was going to choreography according to him. Toni thought that the whole thing looked like a set up for the next move, and wants to see her in choreography. Tyce thought it seemed that she was doing moves she'd seen other people do, but wants to see her in choreography.
Jordan Johnson was ostracized for being a dancer and a gymnast in a tiny town. He found out that he had a biological father (presumably different that any dad he knew), and he struggled with it, battled addiction... (out of rehab for five years now) then he met his biological father, and they didn't really connect. He tried to reconnect with him recently and his biological dad wanted nothing to do with him. Wow. And his dancing? On fire. He certainly brought some gymnastic moves to it. And he brought humor and personality. Nigel thought he was dangerous, exciting, unpredictable, and he appreciated everything. Toni thinks, although he is not traditionally handsome, his energy is sexy. Tyce thought he reached them with his fresh talent. Vegas.
After choreography, Marcella is through to Vegas.
Nashville!
Nigel is joined by Adam and Joey Dowling.
Faith Looney is auditioning, and her best friend is her partner is Kelsey in flamenco. They fought for 2 1/2 hours because of Kelsey's mean boyfriend. They seem very very young. And the flamenco was soulless. Nigel wanted to see her with more fire, because what she did was not flamenco. He told her she would make dead people look like party animals. Adam wanted to say "Ole" but just said "Oy vey!" Joey thought she seemed so uninterested in the style, she seemed to be making fun of it, and she was too sweet for flamenco.
Next? Montage of awful...capped off by Shayna Vaughn. I don't know what she was doing, but it wasn't dancing. Adam thought it looked like she was grooving to a song by herself in the corner. Joey thought she looked like she was dancing in her house, taking a break from cleaning. Nigel thought her lower body was totally stationary.
Worst day of auditions ever. Did they even send anyone to choreography? Next day? More terrible.
Brian Gaynor is back. He has scoliosis, and it's a terrible worsening condition. He's dancing to Fireflies, and it was magical. He is absolutely Mr. Roboto. Joey was crying. Nigel also called him magical, but worried that he wouldn't do well with partner work, because he's really small. Adam thought he was one of the best in the world at what he does. Joey thinks he glows, and thinks he's the reason that other people dance. Nigel wanted to know what he's been doing, and he's joined an awesome crew. Nigel said that he isn't going through to choreography or Vegas, but his crew will perform on the show. That's cool.
Two days in Nashville, and only 7 people made it through. And we didn't see any of them. Boo.
And now? Vegas!
Only 10 people are going to be in the finals this year, because the SYTYCD All-Stars are dancing this season! I'm excited to see some favorites, but I don't know about the fact that only 10 people get through...
Ugh... Mary. I see previews of Mary being there. Why? Can't she just go?
Vegas Day 1. L'il C, Mary Murphy, Tyce. Adam, Toni Redpath, and Nigel are judging. Why Mary? WHY??
Straight to Vegas this year were Billy Bell and Alex Wong. Alex had a contract with the Ballet, and he's back now. Billy was ill last year. He's back. Alex is up first for his solo. And he's astounding. Billy is up next, and he is also outstanding. He connects really well.
Anthony Burrell pulled his hamstring and had to the dr before seeing if he could do his solo.
Montage of amazing solos. Anthony got the clear to go, after a cortisone shot. His solo ended up being quite lovely. good for him, and I hope he's ok.
After the first solos, a bunch of people I didn't recognize got cut. Anthony Burrell, Billy Bell, Kent Boyd, Alex Wong and some others were called to the stage and were called the "special mentions" and they are safe.
Next round is hip hop. Sarah Brinson (Charlize Look Alike) is nursing a bad back, and that's really sad. Hope that she works it out. I like her.
Tabitha is running them through the hip hop choreography. Rachael Germa (rhythmic gymnast) and Jose Ruiz are having troubles picking up choreography. Jose is doing better than Rachael, who is having a melt down. When it came t the performance, Rachael was Not good. Jose seemed to do ok. Rachael is out. Jose is in (though Lil C gave him a no).
Melinda Sullivan, Lauren Frodeman, Alexi Agdeppa, and her partner did well. Teddy Tedholm was cut. Darn it.
Anthony Burrell and Sarah are up in the last group. Anthony is through. Sarah is out. I hope that she comes back. She broke down in tears, and Tyce told her that she is a stunning dancer, and when she told them she hurt her back, they understood a little better. She's still out.
Next round: Ballroom.
Only 69 remain after the cuts on the first day.
Toni Redpath is doing cha cha for the choreography. She's a drill sergeant at the choreography. Billy Bell called her a Nazi Barbie.
Nicole's big hair was a problem in the choreography. The judges wished her hair was down. They actually asked her to dance it with her hair down. She was off in search of a partner.
Jose Ruiz did a good job with the cha cha. Serg Ornik and Giselle Peacock breezed through. Some contemporary dancer who I can't spell his name decided to do a tap routine in his solo instead of his genius contemporary, and he has scraped along since then. He's getting a chance to dance for his life.
Jordan Johnson is in the last group of choreography. He was not strong in the choreography AT ALL. He was barely there and looked utterly lost.
Nicole's turn to dance again is up. She had a really good partner. She's through to the next round.
Person with impossible to spell name is Adichike Torrent. His solo is so incredible. Why oh why oh why did he do tap before? Nigel said "How dare you deny us the beauty of that solo and do the silly things you've done so far?" He gave him a yes, and so did everyone else. On to Broadway with him.
And that will be next week.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: 6.2.10L
LA! Joining Nigel are Adam Shankman and hip hop choreographer Hi Kat.
Lauren Frodeman is a cheerleader and she's got a really sexy dance to Sexual Healing. She has beautiful lines. I find her quite appealing. Nigel called her tremendous. Hi Kat loved her, but didn't think she connected super well with the audience. Adam loved how she turned the R&B song into something seductive without being creepy. She's going to Vegas.
Hella Hung is delusional. He got his own very stylized clip package. He called his sweat "manly juice." That's creepy. Then he sang to Cat and kissed her neck. Also creppy. But, can he dance? He's wearing some ghastly gold hammer pants, and an art smock, and no. No, he cannot dance. Not at all. The judges are simply speechless. "Not right for this show." Right. Hi Kat suggests that he might get a job entertaining at birthday parties.
Rachael Girma has only been dancing for two weeks, but she's been doing rhythmic gymnastics for 9 years. She injured her foot (stress fractures) and couldn't go to the Olympics. She certainly has some moves. I noticed that she started her routine in the corner of the stage like a gymnast does. And moved diagonally across the stage like a gymnast. It was certainly incredible movement. Nigel gave her a wow. Hi Kat didn't want to routine to end. Adam thought it was brilliant. To Vegas with her. I hope that she does well in choreography. I think she could be glorious.
Montage of fantastic California girls. Adam called one of them "the perfect stew and I want to eat you." Ummmm... wow.
Next up is the girl who smacked Billy Bell in the nose in Vegas last season. She was cut before the top 20 last year. She's Cristina Santana, and this year, her partner Pepe Alvarez is auditioning with her. She's wonderful. He's kind of stiff. Adam told Cristina that she sizzled, understand her body and listens to the music. He thought that Pepe was forgettable. Hi Kat agreed. She's going through to Vegas, and Pepe is going to choreography.
Taylor Costello is from Glendale, AZ. She found out when she was 11 that she was adopted, but her birth mom died. She found out that her birth mom loved to dance, so she dances to be close to her. And she's really close to her adoptive family, too. She moves with strength and passion. She's compelling. Nigel wanted to know what her driving force was. She told the story of how her birth mom was murdered and they never caught the killer. Nigel thought her dancing was slightly manic, but very good. Hi Kat thought the musicality was there and different. Adam just really loved her. She's on to choreography.
Pepe dropped out before choreography, because he didn't think he was up for it. Taylor was cut, but is urged to come back next season. Other nameless people got their tickets.
Day 2!
Alexie Agdeppa auditioned last season and got cut in the final round. She dances with joy. Nigel didn't think she was as strong as she was last season, and then said "this is how you tell a lie." The others just loved her (as well) and she is going to Vegas.
Montage of really good female dancers. Melinda Sullivan is at the end of the group, and she's a tapper, who loves tapping because you get to be a drummer with your feet. She's also taken ballet and acting lessons. She's got a great look and her audition was very interesting. I'm not sure I got her choice of music, but she is undeniably talented. Adam thinks she is really interesting, and thought that tapping to a ballad was different. Hi Kat thought she was interesting. Nigel didn't know if he really liked it, and didn't like her choice of music, calling it slightly rude to Stevie Wonder. He didn't like her routine, but he likes her. She's on to choreography.
Montage of not so good men.
Finally, Ryan Ramirez. Her family lost their house during the economic downturn, and Mia Michaels met her and liked her and helped her continue dancing. She assisted during the bed routine in Season 4, among other things. She's really really wonderful. Adam called her a very very talented dancer, but she didn't connect with the judges at all. Hi Kat loved her music choice and her technical dancing, but wanted more connection. Nigel told her that the best dancers don't win this show - it's the best dancers who are the best performers. Choreography with her.
Melinda the tapper and Ryan are bother heading to Vegas, along with lots of people we didn't see.
Next up - Chicago!
Joining Nigel and Adam is Stacey Tookey.
Kent Boyd is from Wopakeneta, an itty bitty town. He's planning on going to NYC for dance in the fall. He's really really good. And Neil Armstrong is from his town. Nigel wanted some more connection. The others also thought he had potential. Choreography for him.
Andrew Phillips brought his fraternal twin (who has severe spina bifida) with him. They are very very close. He's a beautiful dancer. Adam and Stacey love him. Nigel thinks his technique could use some work, but he's heading to choreography.
Hick-Hop? Ummmm... I don't think the world is ready for this. Because it sucks. Malinda Jacobssen is the originator of it. Nigel appreciated how unique she was. Stacey thought it was out of control. Adam thought her heart was in the right place, but thought the music was off-putting and she's not going on.
Montage of Terrible.
Adrian Lee is a breath of fresh air after the terrible. He's kind of weird looking and gangly, though. He has that connection, though. To Vegas with him.
Kent it through to Vegas. Andrew is is also through. Yay!
Day 2!
Kellen Brothers is the first delusional dancer of the day. He looked like he was having a seizure. He's obviously not going on.
Christopher Gilbert came on stage with a cane and broke into a really impressive routine. He threw in some Michael moves, and he had on a Cosby sweater with a Dwayne Wayne hair cut, but I could like him. He's super tall and skinny. Adam liked the "dancing Urkel vibe," and thought he was compelling. Stacey thought he was unique and wonderful and entertaining. Nigel wanted to know if the glasses were real, and Christopher said he was just a dork and embraces it to the fullest. I really like him. He's on to choreography.
Montage of people heading to choreography.
Jarrod Mayo has some really strong lines and he flies! The judges really loved him. Nigel wanted to meet his mother, who came up on stage and who was adorable. He's going to Vegas. And I think his mother was just as excited as he was.
Jarell Robinson is deaf - he was born hearing, and then became deaf. He is astounding. Stacey thought he was extremely musical for someone who can't hear, but his "vocabulary of steps" wasn't strong enough at this point. Adam thinks he is special, inspiring, and deeply talented. He found it fascinating how good his interpretation is. Nigel wanted to know how he felt the music. Jarell explained it's through the bass. Nigel told him that other dancers could learn from that ability. They didn't think he was right for this show, but think he can be exceptional if he continues to be brave enough to keep pushing boundaries.
Christopher Gilbert lost the Cosby sweater for choreography. Not strong enough, sadly. I hope to see him again.
Anyone stand out for you?
Lauren Frodeman is a cheerleader and she's got a really sexy dance to Sexual Healing. She has beautiful lines. I find her quite appealing. Nigel called her tremendous. Hi Kat loved her, but didn't think she connected super well with the audience. Adam loved how she turned the R&B song into something seductive without being creepy. She's going to Vegas.
Hella Hung is delusional. He got his own very stylized clip package. He called his sweat "manly juice." That's creepy. Then he sang to Cat and kissed her neck. Also creppy. But, can he dance? He's wearing some ghastly gold hammer pants, and an art smock, and no. No, he cannot dance. Not at all. The judges are simply speechless. "Not right for this show." Right. Hi Kat suggests that he might get a job entertaining at birthday parties.
Rachael Girma has only been dancing for two weeks, but she's been doing rhythmic gymnastics for 9 years. She injured her foot (stress fractures) and couldn't go to the Olympics. She certainly has some moves. I noticed that she started her routine in the corner of the stage like a gymnast does. And moved diagonally across the stage like a gymnast. It was certainly incredible movement. Nigel gave her a wow. Hi Kat didn't want to routine to end. Adam thought it was brilliant. To Vegas with her. I hope that she does well in choreography. I think she could be glorious.
Montage of fantastic California girls. Adam called one of them "the perfect stew and I want to eat you." Ummmm... wow.
Next up is the girl who smacked Billy Bell in the nose in Vegas last season. She was cut before the top 20 last year. She's Cristina Santana, and this year, her partner Pepe Alvarez is auditioning with her. She's wonderful. He's kind of stiff. Adam told Cristina that she sizzled, understand her body and listens to the music. He thought that Pepe was forgettable. Hi Kat agreed. She's going through to Vegas, and Pepe is going to choreography.
Taylor Costello is from Glendale, AZ. She found out when she was 11 that she was adopted, but her birth mom died. She found out that her birth mom loved to dance, so she dances to be close to her. And she's really close to her adoptive family, too. She moves with strength and passion. She's compelling. Nigel wanted to know what her driving force was. She told the story of how her birth mom was murdered and they never caught the killer. Nigel thought her dancing was slightly manic, but very good. Hi Kat thought the musicality was there and different. Adam just really loved her. She's on to choreography.
Pepe dropped out before choreography, because he didn't think he was up for it. Taylor was cut, but is urged to come back next season. Other nameless people got their tickets.
Day 2!
Alexie Agdeppa auditioned last season and got cut in the final round. She dances with joy. Nigel didn't think she was as strong as she was last season, and then said "this is how you tell a lie." The others just loved her (as well) and she is going to Vegas.
Montage of really good female dancers. Melinda Sullivan is at the end of the group, and she's a tapper, who loves tapping because you get to be a drummer with your feet. She's also taken ballet and acting lessons. She's got a great look and her audition was very interesting. I'm not sure I got her choice of music, but she is undeniably talented. Adam thinks she is really interesting, and thought that tapping to a ballad was different. Hi Kat thought she was interesting. Nigel didn't know if he really liked it, and didn't like her choice of music, calling it slightly rude to Stevie Wonder. He didn't like her routine, but he likes her. She's on to choreography.
Montage of not so good men.
Finally, Ryan Ramirez. Her family lost their house during the economic downturn, and Mia Michaels met her and liked her and helped her continue dancing. She assisted during the bed routine in Season 4, among other things. She's really really wonderful. Adam called her a very very talented dancer, but she didn't connect with the judges at all. Hi Kat loved her music choice and her technical dancing, but wanted more connection. Nigel told her that the best dancers don't win this show - it's the best dancers who are the best performers. Choreography with her.
Melinda the tapper and Ryan are bother heading to Vegas, along with lots of people we didn't see.
Next up - Chicago!
Joining Nigel and Adam is Stacey Tookey.
Kent Boyd is from Wopakeneta, an itty bitty town. He's planning on going to NYC for dance in the fall. He's really really good. And Neil Armstrong is from his town. Nigel wanted some more connection. The others also thought he had potential. Choreography for him.
Andrew Phillips brought his fraternal twin (who has severe spina bifida) with him. They are very very close. He's a beautiful dancer. Adam and Stacey love him. Nigel thinks his technique could use some work, but he's heading to choreography.
Hick-Hop? Ummmm... I don't think the world is ready for this. Because it sucks. Malinda Jacobssen is the originator of it. Nigel appreciated how unique she was. Stacey thought it was out of control. Adam thought her heart was in the right place, but thought the music was off-putting and she's not going on.
Montage of Terrible.
Adrian Lee is a breath of fresh air after the terrible. He's kind of weird looking and gangly, though. He has that connection, though. To Vegas with him.
Kent it through to Vegas. Andrew is is also through. Yay!
Day 2!
Kellen Brothers is the first delusional dancer of the day. He looked like he was having a seizure. He's obviously not going on.
Christopher Gilbert came on stage with a cane and broke into a really impressive routine. He threw in some Michael moves, and he had on a Cosby sweater with a Dwayne Wayne hair cut, but I could like him. He's super tall and skinny. Adam liked the "dancing Urkel vibe," and thought he was compelling. Stacey thought he was unique and wonderful and entertaining. Nigel wanted to know if the glasses were real, and Christopher said he was just a dork and embraces it to the fullest. I really like him. He's on to choreography.
Montage of people heading to choreography.
Jarrod Mayo has some really strong lines and he flies! The judges really loved him. Nigel wanted to meet his mother, who came up on stage and who was adorable. He's going to Vegas. And I think his mother was just as excited as he was.
Jarell Robinson is deaf - he was born hearing, and then became deaf. He is astounding. Stacey thought he was extremely musical for someone who can't hear, but his "vocabulary of steps" wasn't strong enough at this point. Adam thinks he is special, inspiring, and deeply talented. He found it fascinating how good his interpretation is. Nigel wanted to know how he felt the music. Jarell explained it's through the bass. Nigel told him that other dancers could learn from that ability. They didn't think he was right for this show, but think he can be exceptional if he continues to be brave enough to keep pushing boundaries.
Christopher Gilbert lost the Cosby sweater for choreography. Not strong enough, sadly. I hope to see him again.
Anyone stand out for you?
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