Thursday, August 12, 2010

So You Think You Can Dance: 8.12.10 - Finale!

Cat's dress is really sweet.  It looks like a 50's prom gown.

Hey, it's the others in the Top 10, and the All Stars.  Nice Group Dance.  Wonder who choreographed it?  And Alex was carried out to dance in a chair. Cool that they could include him.  I really dig this choreography, centering on the final 3 reaching for their destination.  Nice.  It was choreographed by Christopher Scott.  Really cool.

It's a panel full o' judges.  7 choreographers over there.  Oh god, there's Mary.  Please don't yell.  Please don't yell.  There's a kind of hilarious montage of Nigel's hair through the seasons, of course set to Hair.  Montage of Mia's invented words and sounds.  Love it.  And Montage of Adam's faces, set to "She's Got the Look."  I love it.  Tyce, Stacey Tookie, Kenny Ortega, and Mary... oh, Mary.  I did not miss her.  At all.

Montage of last night's routines.  Fast forwarding.

Best routines of the season coming up... and Cat teased that Nigel might be taking the stage for a tap spectacular.

Kenny's favorite routine of the season is Tyce piece with Neil and Kenny, the Shoeless Joe routine.  Love this routine.

Nigel's favorite is Stacey Tookey's Mad World routine, with Billy Bell and Ade.  Love it.

Special Guest Time, Dance Crew featuring Ryan formerly of SYTYCD- Quest.  They are mightily impressive.  I think some of them must have rubberized spines.  That's the only explanation. 

Mia's favorite dance of the season is Tabitha and Napoleon's Comfort & Adechike number, Fallin'.  Oh... I really like this routine.  Totally awesome.  I think they actually danced it better tonight than their first go through.   Cat agreed with me.

Fast Forwarding through some fluff.  And enter Kent & Anya with their First Kiss Routine.  Mixed feelings about the song, because I really really dislike Ke$ha, but the routine is wonderful. 

Tyce's pick to see again was Tabitha & Napoleon again.  It was Robert & Dominic's clown routine.  Fun. 

Nigel hobbles out on stage, with crutches and a giant bandage on his foot, and says that the Season 7 curse hit him, and he stubbed his toe on Adam's wallet.  Enter adorable 7 year old kid who says he wants to stand in for Nigel.  Holy cow, he's good.  And so cute.  Astounding.  His name is Luke Spring.

More fast forwarding through some tap.

Nigel's next choice is Lauren's Argentinian tango with Pasha.  Nice.  Sexy.  And so dramatic.  And Pasha has a shirt on.  I think that's a first.

Adam's choice is Travis' piece with Robert and Allison.  And I think I cried a little.  Beautiful.

Russell dancing with L'il C?  That's kind of all sorts of awesome. 

Mary's favorite routine (along with screaming, can she please never come back?) with Dominic & Jose's B-boy duet. 

SYTYCD UK winner, in a routine with Neil, choreographed by Mandy Moore...  She's fearless.  Neil just flung her around like crazy.

First result of the night - Who is third?  Robert.  As it should be.  Looks like he'll be doing his Bollywood routine later, though!  And, he got a giant consolation bouquet.

Adam's next choice for dance was Napoleon & Tabitha's routine with Lauren and Twitch.  Love this routine.  Lauren is super awesome in it.  She really can just do anything.

Cat wanted to see the Sonya piece with Alex & Allison, and it was to tape, because of Alex's injury.  It wasn't my favorite, though the judges all went nuts over it, but it was nice to see again.

Stacey Tooky's choice for routine was Robert and Billy's Bollywood routine.  Nice.  I love all the Bollywood this show has taken to doing!

Mia's pick is Travis' Neil and Kent routine.  Oh god, yes.  This routine is heart wrenching.  I almost cried again.  Astounding.

Fast Forwarding through the musical performance of the Kiss Off Song.

Surprise guest?  In Alex's place in the routine with Twitch.... Ellen Degeneres.  And she is doing a not embarrassing job.  I mean, it's Ellen dancing.  And it's funny.  And it was enjoyable.  Ah, Ellen.  It certainly had me laughing, and poor Alex came out on his crutches.  She said she was inspired by National Dance Day. 

Oh drat.  Final results.  I was hoping for the Prom Routine.  Boo.

And the winner is....


Lauren!

Congratulations, Lauren.  Really, this could have gone either way, and it would have been wonderful, because they are both astounding. 

Hooray!  It's been a good season!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

So You Think You Can Dance: 8.12.10

You know how last week, I said that Cat looked like she was in a lacy wedding gown?  This week, she looks like she's going to a goth prom.  And she pulls that off, too.

Four dances each tonight!

Kent (with Lauren G, Bollywood, choreographed by Nakul)  This one is supposed to be cheesy.  And holy cow, I love when Kent does flips.  Seriously a fun routine!  I am no bollywood authority, but I think they did a really good job.  He did really well on the knee spins.  Nigel loved it.  Mia thought it was very Kentish and it worked.  Adam thought the energizer bunny could retire.

Lauren (with Twitch, Hip Hop choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon)  It's a political debate in dance.  Interesting.  Certainly interesting.  Lauren can hit harder than you would think given her background.  And I just love watching Twitch.  That was a pretty cool routine.  Nigel said she nailed it.  Mia called Lauren filthy.  She told Lauren that her consistency would make choreographers want to hire her.  She loves Lauren's balance of masculinity with femininity.  Adam thought the dance was ironic and wonderful, and said that Lauren makes him proud to sit in the judge's chair, and calls Lauren one of his favorite girls the show has ever had.

Robert (with Mark, Jazz choreographed by Tyce D'iorio)  Cool!  Mark!  The piece is a "power surge of electric energy."  Interesting.  And they are dancing to Whip It.  Awesome.  The dance was really fun.  I love Mark.  In case you didn't know.  I think that Mark outshone him a little, though... Nigel loved that Tyce did something so different.  He thought that they worked really well together, and said that he doesn't mind which one of the final dancers win, because they are all  so strong.  I actually agree.  (Though I like the others more than I like Robert... it wouldn't anger me if he won).  Cat just called them two lovely little packages of kooky bonkers in handsome packages.  Ha. Love it. Mia thinks that Robert has gotten more grounded as the show has gone on, and calls him most improved.  She loves him with Mark.  Adam thinks this piece is a testament to the success of the addition of the all-stars.  He thinks that Robert danced like he wasn't competing, and in a good way. 

Kent's chat with Cat was really cute.  His favorite routine was the prom routine with Lauren.  With the kiss at the end.

Kent's solo:  He just astounds me.  Love when he flips and throws himself at the ground and just keeps going.


Lauren & Robert (Contemporary, choreographed by Dee Caspary)  They have a pillow as a prop.  She outshone him.  I have to say.  But he did well, too.  What a beautiful routine. Nigel said that there were touches of genius in the routine.  He loves how strong the both of them are.  Mia thinks this is Robert's most delicious performance by far.  She loves how humble Robert has become.  She said that Lauren was perfection and is so proud.  Adam saw how much they supported each other and loved that, and said it was a story about action and reaction and rebound, and called it perfection.  Nice.

Kent & Lauren (Jazz, choreographed by Mandy Moore)  They are dancing to Hip to Be Square and are dressed as nerds.  I love it.  They are so cool.  Definitely my favorite two dancers.  Loved this routine.  Seriously.  Nothing but fun from beginning to end.  Nigel saw that Mandy was going for geeky fun, but didn't think it was challenging enough for the finale.  He said that they did what was asked of them, but can't really critique the dancing.  Mia said it was fun, and they danced it well, but she didn't like it, because it isn't her cup of tea.  Adam loves them, and repeatedly told them to get out of here.  Not sure what that meant particularly.  But they had fun!  I think that counts for a lot.

Robert's talk with Cat - his favorite dance was the Travis Wall dance with Allison.  Agreed.  And he really got more than his share of ballroom. 


Robert's Solo:  It's a weird little solo and he tried to throw so many different styles into it.. Not my favorite, but good.


Kent (with Allison, contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookie)  It's about an outwardly perfect couple with a lot of hidden problems.  There was a part where they both played puppet, then puppeteer, and it was fantastic.  I was brought to tears. Gorgeous.  Nigel thinks that Kent's lines get better and stronger, and loved the emotions, and the character.  He said the only chink is perhaps Kent's upper body strength, but it didn't show here.  Mia loved how invested he was in it.  She has run out of ways to tell him how much she loves him.  Adam saw the birth of Kent the artist.  He was blown away by it.

Lauren's chat with Cat - Her favorite dance was also the prom dance with Kent. 

Lauren's solo:  Beautiful.  She's so strong I just love it.


Robert (with Kathryn, Broadway choreographed by Spencer Liff) I think Courtney would have been a better All Star for this, but oh well.  It was a really well done routine.  The beginning was basically a little solo time for Robert, and he got the character well.  Well done.  Not really a KILLER routine, though.  And Robert split his pants.  Nigel and Adam argued about West Side Story, but in the end, Nigel is delighted in him.  Mia loved the classic feel and thought it was danced brilliantly, but wanted more simmer and sizzle in the movements.  Adam thinks the original choreography is the best piece in musical theatre, and thinks that Spencer stayed true to it, while putting his own spin on it, and loved what Robert did to it.

Lauren (with Pasha, Cha cha choreographed by Tony & Melony)  Dang.  That girl can dance anything.  She is so amazing.  Love love love it.  Nigel thought everything was damned near perfect, and said she is probably the best contemporary girl they have ever had do ballroom.  Mia wasn't sure who Lauren was and is so happy that she stood up for Lauren's booty.  She said that if she was still dancing, she would want to dance like Lauren.   She never gets bored watching her.  Agreed.  Adam said that she feels music like no one else on the show, and if music turned into a person, it would be her.  He said that was exhibition style perfect, and said that she dances as effortlessly as most people breathe.  Wow.


Kent & Robert (Malevos - missed the choreographer's names)  It's a tango style battle.  And it was awesome.  They were both so strong.  and fantastic.  Nigel said that the routine is apparently what men do to practice their tango before they dance with their women.  Wow.  Nigel said this routine showed how hard they have to work to achieve what they have achieved.  He urged people to vote.  Mia loved the feel of the routine, and said there was a debbonairre quality.  She said the legwork could have been tighter, but they are a couple of contemporary dancers, and they did an amazing job with it.  Adam said that these three are his favorite top 3 of the whole show, any season, and brought up the fact that it is the youngest finale ever, and they entered as kids, but came out professionals.

I have no idea who is going to win.  But I can't wait for the finale.  I am hoping for Kent or Lauren, but I wouldn't be sad to see Robert win.

I loved Kent's dances tonight.  All of them.  His routine with Allison was my favorite.  Lauren's dances were all also awesome.  The cha cha was my favorite from her, though I loved her other dances, too.  And Robert's dances?  I really loved his dance with Mark.  But that could have been the Mark Factor...

What do you think?

Thursday, August 5, 2010

So You Think You Can Dance: 8.5.10

Cat looks like she is in a casual wedding gown.  Very lacy. 

The group number feels like Sonya.  Am I right?  It's amazing.  Nope.. Dee Kaspary.  Really cool.  Good work.

Fast Forwarding to the meat of the show..

Lauren's Solo:  I think that was my favorite solo of hers to date.  She's amazing.

Kent's Solo: His solo was very aerobatic.  And that's always fun.  Very high energy.

The first person safe is ... Lauren!  Hooray!

You can tell the judges are all more than thrilled. 

Adechike's Solo: Other than a really cool split, I wasn't moved by it.


Robert's Solo:  I think his best solo of the show so far, too.  Nice job, Robert!

The second person safe is... Kent!  Wooo!

Fast forwarding to the meat!

And the final person in the finale is Robert.  That's about right.

What do you think?  Is this a good Top 3?  Are you as thrilled with Kent and Lauren as I am?

So You Think You Can Dance: 8.4.10

Sorry about the late post!  Didn't get a chance to watch last night.

Cat looks like an 80's dance party.  And I kind of dig it.

Joining the judges is Tyce D'iorio tonight.  And hoping everyone had a good dance day.  I boogied in my living room.  But, that's an everyday occurance...

Tyce did a routine with the Top 4, to Guys and Dolls.  What a fun routine!  I really love Lauren's dress!  Lauren and Kent all the way!

Tyce thinks that Kent stands out, and had nice words for Robert and Lauren, but told Adechike that he wants to see the fight.  I would agree with that.

Lauren (with Pasha, Tango, choreographed by Miriam and Larico) Holy cow, sexy.  Really well done, in my opinion.  It is a slower tango.  I felt every second of it. (Lost some comments here because my computer shut down for no reason... but everyone loved it.)

Adechike (with Lauren G, AfroJazz choreographed by Sean Cheeseman) Quite fun!  I liked it!  Nigel thought he had fun.  Tyce wanted more connection.  Mia didn't feel the joy in the piece.  Adam felt he needed to be looser and lose his center.  He felt conscious of Adechike thinking of the choreography.

Robert (with Anya, Vienesse Waltz choreographed by Jonathan Roberts) I felt him thinking about the choreography.  The straight armed lift was impressive, but it looked labored to me.  He looks like he's trying too hard to act the part sometimes.  But, a very nice dance, all in all.  Nigel thanked Jonathan for doing a great, non-boring Vienesse Waltz, and thought that Robert's carriage was beautiful.  He also appreciated the straight armed lift.  Tyce thought that he invested whole-heartedly in the dance.  He thought that Robert wore it like a suit.  Mia thought he wore it like an Armani suit, and called Robert the prince of the season.  She wants Robert to relax and enjoy the ride somewhat more.  Adam thought Robert was brilliant, on the perfect night to be brilliant, and called his movement quality on par with Anya. 

Kent (with Courtney, Disco, choreographed by Doriana Sanchez) There were a lot of falls in rehearsal and I hope that Kent doesn't injure Courtney... And he did not!  What a super fun routine.  Wow, that was fast.  And the death drop!  And the above the head spin!  Wow.  Nigel thought that he did a really good job with a tough dance.  Tyce thought it was fun, but thought that Kent needed some more of the dance history.  He called it just good.  Mia thought it was a little rough.  She thought the partnering was kind of solid, but the non-partnering parts felt childlike, bouncy, tight, and squashy.  She thought it was his worst performance of the season.  Adam said that Mia is not totally wrong.  Nigel said that he is not marrying Adam now.  Adam thought that it was Kent's most youthful performance yet, and the best thing about disco is masculinity and Blue Steel.

Lauren (with Ade, Jazz choreographed by Sean Cheeseman) Holy sparkly bodysuit, Lauren!  She's a black widow in this routine.  And she's amazing.  The hand choreography was amazing.  Amazing.  And then she did a backflip over Ade as he lay down... incredible.  Just utterly amazing.  Wow.  Nigel loved some of the lifts and the fast choreography.  He said not only was it good choreography, it was strong dancing, and she danced it like a strong woman.  He said he hopes that America votes her in to the finale. Tyce gave Lauren snaps.  He wanted a little more ferociousness in the final position, though her dancing is spectacular.  Mia called Lauren a beast.  Sometimes the sexual chemistry wasn't as strong as it could have been, but it was amazing.  Adam said he wants to hire Lauren.  Lauren said "any time, any day!"


Adechike (with Kathryn, Contemporary, choreographed by Dwight & Desmond) It was good, but the choreography didn't grab me so much.  Nigel thought that he lost his energy near the end, and started losing his lines.  Tyce wanted to celebrate where he's at right now.  He thinks that Adechike put a piece of himself on the dance floor, even though he needed some more in it.  Mia wanted more.  Adam is just super proud of him.

Robert (with Dominic, Hip Hop, choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon)  Neat.  Messed up.  Robert was better in this than he has been in anything for a long time for me.  He worked well with Dominic.  Nigel loved it and loved the choreography.  Nigel hopes to see the routine on tour. Tyce loved the "Tab & Nap" and thought that Robert really showed up to the piece and made it magic.  I would agree with that.  Mia called it hip hop theatre.  She loved how he committed and thought it was perfect.  Adam thought that Robert out-danced Robert. 

Kent (with Neil, Contemporary choreographed by Travis Wall)  It's about a broken friendship, where Neil has done terrible things to Kent.  Wow.... my heart was breaking during that routine.  Amazing.  I love Travis.  When Neal threw Kent across the stage... amazing.  Just astounding.  Nigel thought that the piece was inspirational and chilling.  He called it the number of the show.  He wanted to know if there was personal inspiration from Travis, and he admitted their was.  Nigel wants to see this one again and thinks that Kent booked his place in the finale.  Tyce wanted to know if they were kidding him, and said that excellence was delivered on all levels.  Mia said it was the first time she can't find words and was brought to tears and said it was so real and uncomfortably awful and called it true genius.  Adam called Travis brilliant, and thinks if it were the finale, Kent would have just won the show.

I think Adechike is going home.  Robert could be, though he did really well.  I hope beyond hope that Kent and Lauren are safe.