So You Think You Can Dance: Favorite Dances

In honor of the SYTYCD finale last night, I’ve decided to put together a list of my favorite dances from the show. In no particular order:

Comfort and Twitch in Forever:

Katie and Joshua in No Air:

Chelsea and Mark in Bleeding Love:

Kayla and Kupono in Gravity (the dance about Addiction):

Jeanine and Jason in If It Kills Me:

Katie and Twitch in Mercy:

Heidi and Travis in Calling You (park bench dance):

Lacey and Pasha in In The Morning (the mannequin dance):

Ashley and Kupono in Felt Mountain (the crash test dummy dance):

Jamie and Hok in the Chairman’s Waltz (the Hummingbird and the Flower):

Melissa and Ade in This Woman’s Work (the dance about breast cancer):

Jeanine, Melissa, and Kayla in Kick It (superheroes):

Jeanine and Kayla in The Four Sections (the veils):

Karla and Jonathan in Falling Slowly:

Kayla and Kupono in Eyes on Fire:

Kayla and Jason in They’re Everywhere (zombie one):

(And anything that Sonya Tayeh and Travis Wall choreographed, because I think the two of them are fantastic.) What are your favorites?

Also, because we see the dancers so much but learn little about the choreographers, I put something together so you could get to know the people who make the show possible: <a href=”https://ax20.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/so-you-think-you-can-dance-choreographers/”>The Choreographers</a>

So You Think You Can Dance Finale

The opening dance number is performed by the top 20 dancers. It’s cool how they incorporated all the different dance styles of different dancers, but I didn’t find it as strong a piece as a lot of the other group dances and it might just be that 1) not all the dancers are as strong and 2) with all the different dancers it was hard to really see what everyone was doing. 

Interesting detail I didn’t think about until now, Jeanine, Brandon, and Kayla are all contemporary dancers and Evan is a Broadway dancer. I wonder if contemporary is easier to translate into other styles.

Cat Deeley is in one of her best outfits of the show. She reminds who the top 4 are, though I can’t tell who got the loudest cheers. 21.6 million votes were placed, breaking the show’s record for total number of votes. There are seven judges tonight on the panel- Lil C, Mia Michaels, Tyce Diorio, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, and of course, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. The rest of the choreographers are in the audience as well. 

Time for a walk down memory lane- (I just want to say Cat Deeley is one of the most interactive and engaging reality tv hosts out there and I don’t know why she hasn’t gotten at least nominated for an award at this point.) We get a look at some of the good and some of the bad, including Adam’s imitation of a contestant getting a ticket to Vegas. Then on to Vegas for Natalie’s cut, Brandon’s beat down by Mia, Evan and Ryan’s support, and the acceptances. Then Hollywood and a look at some of the best dances (and Mia’s correction towards Brandon of course), Jeanette’s cut, and then the finalists. (Something else I have to say, Kayla always looks like she’s trying to look shocked and humble by her critique but isn’t really. Then again, she’s so skilled, so how can you blame her?)

We get a recap of the dances from last night along with the commentary, as per usual. Also, seeing the dances without the music is really funny looking. Just a comment. (I have to say I always feel bad for Kayla’s partners since she just about always steals the stage and their left with secondary comments like “well, you held your own.”)

The judges pick their favorite routines of the season so we can see them again. Exciting!

Adam Shankman is first and he picks Tabitha and Napoleon’s hip hop number danced by Jeanine and Phillip to the song Mad by Neyo. I think she was actually even better at it this time around. She matched Phillip move for move here. 

Nigel Lythgoe picks a tango done by Jeanette and Brandon. Boo Nigel for picking a boring style for his favorite. It’s just not as fun to watch and it’s really slow. I don’t remember this one from the season, but it lacks momentum. 

Debbie Allen chooses something romantic and magical. A waltz (meh) done by Aska and Vitolio. (Dancing to Dreams Are Most Precious by Enya). It was good, just again, not the type of stuff I like to watch. Seriously judges, think about your audience!

Mary Murphy’s turn. She selects Travis’s piece! Good choice Mary. Jeanine and Jason dance to If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz. Jeanine is of course fantastic. Jason is a little weaker than he was the first time around. Judges on their feet to applaud this one. 

(Cat mentions all the top 4’s names and Jeanine gets a noticeably stronger response. Hears hoping it reflects the country as a whole…)

Mia Michaels goes and chooses a Samba done by Kayla and Max. Again, come on! I expected Mia to choose the one about cancer since she loved it so much, but maybe it’s too sad for the finale? As always great lines for Kayla though for some reason this routine isn’t as exciting as it should be. Again it seems like the dance is slower than the music. The audience seems to like it though. 

On Sunday the top 4 were surprised with a a trip to MGM Tower to preview fame, in which contestant Kerrington from a previous season performs. Debbie Allen is also in the movie. She hopes it will inspire people to invest in the arts. 

Debbie’s next favorite piece is a group routine done by Dmitri and fuses hip hop and samba, performed by the top 16. Oh now I remember this one, it had the water part. Jeanette does a great job, reminding me why it was so sad for her to get kicked off, but I’m not sad by who is in the top 4 for the girls. 

Our next guest is the So You Think You Can Dance Australia winner Talia, doing a Sonya Tayeh piece. She’s a ballerina. She does not have the typical ballerina body, actually she looks a lot like Jeanine. I love Sonya’s choreography. 

Lil C’s time to choose. He picks Jai Ho Bollywood routine (Lil C explains with the biggest words he can manage) done by Kaitlyn and Jason. The two of them seem to be struggling with the moves a little, I wonder if being out of the show/competition atmosphere affects them. Like the show experience is so intense that it keeps you on your toes. Jason gets two kisses tonight!

Top 4 finally come out on stage, holding hands. The girls look cute, the guys look like slobs… Time for some results. For one of them, the journey is over. In fourth place after last night’s votes is…Kayla. (Come on, Evan should be fourth!) Montage of Kayla’s best moments to Kelly Clarkson’s Already Gone, which seems to be a season favorite. Judges are on their feet to applaud her. She said one really special moment for her was working with Mia who could get more out of her than expected. 

Adam chooses another judge’s favorites. He chooses one of Mia’s works, the butt dance done by Randi and Evan. Looking at her perform, I’m certainly not sorry she was voted off before the finale. Not that she’s bad, she’s just not great either. Her lines aren’t as strong as Kayla’s and her energy isn’t where Jeanine’s is. Judges are just on their feet for everything.

Mary’s choice now. Jeanine and Brandon’s passedoble from last night. (Jeanine has been in five dances now. Brandon in four. Kayla in three. Evan in three. Including the two group performances.) Everyone on their feet again. 

When they finish Cat calls Evan to join them on stage as top 3. Time for more results. The dancer in third place is…Evan. (Well, at least he didn’t make top two. I mean, really.) Montage of Evan’s moments. We get to see him with his brother and I wonder how far Ryan will go in Season 6. (Also correction to my post from yesterday, it’s 3,500 not 3,000 audience members.)  

Nigel gets to pick a favorite moment now. He says his favorite moment was when Mary admitted to using Botox. She says “what’s a matter with you, the night was classy until now.” Another Mia Michaels routine, the addiction one with Kupono and Kayla to Sara Bareilles’ Gravity. Good choice Nigel. Kayla is fantastic here, possibly her best ever. Maybe because there’s no pressure anymore or she’s channeling the sadness of not winning? Whatever it is, it works. Mia’s crying at the judges’ table.

Special guest choreographed by Tiffany Burton, the Rage Boys Crew. Oh they’re the cute ones with the kids from different ages. I particularly love the little boy with the afro who is so little he can’t possible get the clean lines in his big jacket but you know he will be a great dancer when he’s older. (I mean, he’s great now, he’s just seven years old.) Cat has the jacket so she can be in the crew, but she’s the only girl allowed.  TJ, the little one, lost his tooth doing a backhand spring off the couch. Nice. Cat says “too gorgeous for words.”

Tyce gets a pick now. He chooses Doriana Sachez’s disco routine done by Brandon and Jeanette. They do a good job as you know they will. Random note, Jeanette has been in four dances now. Brandon is now tied with Jeanine for most dance requests with Kayla and Jeanette tied for second and Evan coming in third in judges’ favorites. I think the judges should just remain standing because really, they’ve gotten up after just about every dance. 

One more judges’ favorite routine, chosen by Mia. Ah, this is the one about cancer, choreographed by Tyce, dance by Melissa and Ade. So they were just saving the best for last. Mia says it became a monumental moment for the show. Some good news, the friend Tyce choreographed the routine for found out today that she is cancer free. (The song is This Woman’s Work by Maxwell.) People are again crying as they stand up and scream for the dance. Tyce must be thrilled, I’m betting on an Emmy. 

Mia Michaels choreographed dance for the top 8 is done as the final piece before the results. It’s funny how different each one looks. It’s done to “One.” With a special guest spot by the seven judges. Hahaha well done. Not long enough to see if they can actually dance, but still a nice bit nonetheless. The judges look so pleased with themselves. (As the top 8 stand perfectly still in the background…)

The judges are back in their regular clothes and back at their table. Time for the winner. Montage for each of them. (We get some little seen before scenes of Jeanine in Vegas and at auditions.) And they can end it nicely with the piece from their dance together. Nigel says they deserve their spots in the top. He found out the win at 12:30 and was thrilled. Time for the results. America’s Favorite Dancer is…Jeanine!

America's Favorite Dancer

She says she never imagined that she’d win. She’s kind of shellshocked and can’t really speak but ends with “I never thought I’d be giving an acceptance speech at the Kodak but thank you academy.” She also thanks her mom for making her keep dancing even when she wanted to quit.

What do you think about the winner? Do you agree that Jeanine was the right choice or was your pick someone else?

The Top 4’s final performances here.

Here are some of my favorite dances from the show. Check them out and add your own.

Read about your favorite choreographers here.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 4

The top 4 perform to night hoping to win the final vote and become America’s Favorite Dancer. It’s the biggest live audience ever, the stage has been completely redesigned.

The top 4 are Jeanine, Evan, Kayla, and Brandon! They come out and do their little moves then do the “these are the girls and these are the guys…” trot to pose and the show has officially started. They run off while Cat introduces the judges. Adam Shankman is the guest judge tonight. (Everyone will dance with everyone to night.)

Adam says he’s surprised by some people who made it through and others he always expected to come. He’s thrilled at the number of people coming to see dancers! Mary says dancers feed off energy so tonight will be a feast. (3,000 people are in the theater all screaming, she challenges the audience to bring it and they respond with more screaming, loud enough to drown out Mary’s own.) Nigel says there are no excuses tonight. This is the gunfights of the west. No one is giving them the title, they must earn it.

The top 4 do a dance together, choreographed by Wade Robson. The story line is two jocks hitting on two cheerleaders only to discover that the cheerleaders are more than they expected. (Seeing Evan and Brandon next to each other you can see how much better Brandon is. Jeanine and Kayla are such different style dancers that it’s interesting to see them together–Kayla is long and graceful, Jeanine pops with big expression and energy.)

Sneak peek at something special: clips of past seasons and then a plug for season 6, this fall. So glad I don’t have to wait until the summer. It looks like it will be pretty awesome.

Jeanine and Evan are the first couple- WITH SONYA! About a girl who doesn’t care anymore and takes it out on the boy. (To the song Heartbreaker) Jeanine just gives herself so completely to her performances. Well, I will say this isn’t my favorite Sonya dance, in part because it wasn’t her typical style. Adam says it was great. He never saw Jeanine coming and she dominated. And he never saw Evan being top 4 but the show wouldn’t be the same without him. He says Sonya choreographed to the dancers’ strengths. Mary thought they would be a good partnership and she was right. Jeanine stood out even more, she’s emerging every week. Nigel says Jeanine is fiesty, strong, and tomboyish. He wants Evan to take over with a big personality and step up. It showed how technically and personality-wise Jeanine has grown.

Brandon’s solo- (my least favorite part) in his interview with Cat he says he really enjoyed and learned a lot. He misses Jeanette most. His tango with Jeanine was his favorite routine so far because of its intensity. They discuss Mia’s harsh criticism in the beginning, he’s thrilled to have finally proved himself to her. He didn’t think he’d make the show. He thinks if he stays focused he has what it takes to win. And now for his solo: it’s very dynamic and quick moving (maybe a little frantic), ending in a split. Adam says, that is competing. Take no prisoners. Mary says he gave her goosebumps. He defies gravity. Born to dance. She’s starting to cry. Nigel says he agrees with Mia, he is amazing. His solo just wiped out the opposition.

Brandon and Kayla are paired now for a Tyce Diorio routine. This is based on All That Jazz (the song Bye Bye Life) but spiced up even more. Kayla has such ridiculous lines and Brandon’s power is really showed off in this number. I think he’s actually showcased more than Kayla in some of it. They lose synchronism on the spin but it still looks good. They’re a real power couple. Adam thinks THAT WAS SO GOOD (imagine a little man jumping up and down with fists pumping). He always expected them in the finals. Seeing them dance together is heaven. Mary says they’re terrific. Always frontrunners. Nigel says they’ve shown why they’re in the top 4. (Oh and Tyce is wonderful.) They both brought the entertainment and filled the stage.

Jeanine’s solo- (interview with Cat first) Jeanine started dancing at 3 years old. She was really bad when she was little, she used to cry that she wanted to quit. (Wow, unexpected.) Most favorite dance was her and Jason’s contemporary piece, which is one of my favorite too. She’s determined and thinks she has what it takes to take the title. Interesting solo choice, to a tango but solo. She gets great lines and movement and the judges on their feet along with the audience for applause. Adam says “ARE YOU KIDDING” Her solo was risky but she killed it. She starts crying as he talks about how her dancing is full of her personality. She just fought Brandon back. Mary says she has always been a standout and she saw her coming. She elevates her partners every time. The solo was the best thing she’s ever done. Nigel says a brave solo and she pulled it off. She’s in the final two as far as he’s concerned. as an equal. The audience shouting actually almost drowns Cat out as she gives the phone number.

Brandon and Evan dance together. They’re doing a pop jazz with Laurie Anne Gibson. (I’ve noticed she loves the word “cat.”) They’re battling for the title in this piece. Literally and figuratively to Janet Jackson’s Nasty. This is a really interesting piece, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen Laurie Anne do. Brandon is clearly stronger though. He just hits the moves harder and sharper. (And Evan as a “nasty boy” is just hilarious.) Brandon looks like he’s going to beat him down. Adam says Evan got a little dusted on that one. (He gets booed and he’s upset about it.) Mary asks what the nastiest thing he’s ever done is and he says the list is so long. Brandon was a little better but Laurie Anne did a great job. Nigel says that every choreographer is thrilled with his work ethic but there isn’t isn’t a nasty bone in his body. Brandon also out-danced him.

Kayla and Jeanine are paired for the next dance. They get a Mia Michaels contemporary routine. The dance is about their journey throughout the competition. Each step sheds a layer. The song is The Four Sections. I actually expected Kayla to kill Jeanine head to head but I was surprised to see that i actually thought Jeanine was stronger (minus a couple jumps where Kayla got higher and better lined) because she really put her all into it. Adam says it was like watching two thoroughbreds racing. He loves them. It was beautiful. Mary says it was a very relevant piece and they laid their hearts out on the stage. They’re the strongest two women ever in a finale and were very even. Nigel says pairing them off lets you see who you prefer. He wishes the routine went longer because the dancing was so strong. Jeanine has peaked at the right time.

Evan’s solo now, interview with Cat…He auditioned previously and the head of his musical theater department told him to audition. And once his brother said he’d come it worked out perfectly. The toughest thing about the show is being away from his family. What does he think makes people vote for him? He’s something different. His favorite routine is the one about Randy’s butt. He plans to bring the thunder. He is really good at his own thing. Adam says it was really interesting because it was like a variation of his audition piece. What he does he does unbelievably great. Mary says the solo did it for her because he’s so unique. He’s given the style new energy. Nigel says he’s got something special. He brings the “aaah” factor. People see him and go “aaah.” He hasn’t grown as much as Nigel wishes he did (boos all around). That wasn’t as strong as Jeanine and Brandon’s solos. The audience seems to have enjoyed though.

Kayla and Evan are together now with Tony and Melanie with a jive. (Dancing to T.R.O.U.B.L.E.) Evan brings his Broadway style to this dance in a good way. Lots of flipping for Kayle. The lights are too bright making it hard to see the dancers. I think they dance it well but it’s an unfortunate style to pick for the finale. Adam says he’s not sure if was a finale level routine for him (he gets booed again). It just wasn’t enough of a blood bath. Evan did a great job. He just didn’t feel like it was competitive. Mary says millions will pick up and call for the two of them. She thinks it was a phenomenal routine. She doesn’t think Evan’s work was strong. They both were dancing kind of safe instead of using each other for power. Kayla stole the show, Mary says. (Eh, I really like her but I didn’t think was huge here.) Nigel says they came out guns blazing. The entire theater starts chanting for Evan. He wonders where the personality Kayla just exhibited has been all season.

Kayla does the final solo. Kayla first started dancing after watching Singing in the Rain at two. Her favorite routine was her addiction piece. She says of course she has what it takes to win. She’s a performer on top of a dancer. She dances to sweet Dreams, She finally slowed down her solo a little but to me it felt like now she took out too much here. Her lines are one of her strongest skills but she doesn’t use it. Adam thinks the solo was fine but in the season Kayla has shown herself to be one of the best dancers ever on the show. Mary says she’s gifted. Touched by an Angel. SHe loved the solo. Nigel says she’s been strong from the start. First through to the top twenty. What is so difficult for her is that people might assume she’s safe so they’ll vote for someone else, but luckily they did get up and vote for her.

Jeanine and Brandon are the last pair dancing with Louis Van Amstel doing a passedoble (how is that spelled?). Song from the Matrix 3. The music is actually a huge part of this dance. It added to the excitement of a style that I generally dislike and once again they get a standing ovation. Adam says “let me talk to you about why they were standing…” They filled every transition with intensity. They shredded tonight. Mary screams. The routine was phenomenal. They had just everything, the strongest frame. She couldn’t be prouder. All there is left is for her to scream. Nigel reciprocates. They really carried it off. Brandon is like a racehorse. He thinks they are in the front this evening, just inching the other two out.

Adam has no idea who will win. Mary can’t guess either. She’s just glad it’s out of her hands. Nigel gives each some good words but he thinks Jeanine or Brandon will win.

Get the results here.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 6 Results

The opening dance is to the song “Send in the Clowns” so the dancers, dressed in clown wear, climb out of a gift box. It’s bizarre becayse they look like clowns but the music is slow and soft, so un-clown-like. Still goof though. It kind of reminded me of Toy Story a little, the way they went away at the end. This one was choreographed by Tyce, as always, great.

Cat names all the favorites from past seasons who are back–the four Emmy nominated dances. Can’t wait for that. I like that the results shows have finally got some serious dances. We run through the dances from Wed and it seems only Kayla and Brandon hit both dances perfectly, the other two pairs were great on one and struggled on the other.

Top 3 girls are on stage. Starting with Jeanine–beautiful and confident, save from eviction. Melissa–adaptable, tough routine that wasn’t a standout. Kayla–beyond amazing, Nigel jumping out of his seat. The first going into next week’s finale is…Jeanine! (the judges are on their feet clapping, her brother’s in the audience screaming.) Lil C says she’s a worthy finalist. He rambles a little about survival.

“Silence” by Tyce being performed by Jessica and Will, the Emmy award nominated piece. It’s weird to watch old competitors return because on the one hand they’re still great dancers but on the other, they aren’t in the same mindset or with the same chemistry.

Top 3 guys. Ade–lukewarm, praiseworthy dirty groove.  Evan–brought personality, expected more. Brandon–hot tamale, sensational. Sending one through right now: Brandon! (no shock there.) I think Mary’s tagline should be “Holy smokes.” Mary points out that Mia and Lil C didn’t really believe in him in the beginning and that they’re crazy. He’s proven himself every week.

Another favorite routine–“Mercy” by Mia Michaels performed by Twitch and Katie. The door routine. Mia’s third emmy routine.  Once again, great performance but still lacking the sharpness and chemistry of the original. But they were definitely some of my favorites so I’m glad to see them back.

From Dmetrie’s “A Los Amigos” by Chelsea and Joshua. Chelsea was also one of my favorites. To be honest I don’t remember this dance, but it’s cool that Dmetrie was a contestant turned choreographer who earned an Emmy nominee.(Most of the contestant’s solos always seem to be lacking so either they’ve all learned a lot since doing the show or it’s just easier to choreograph for more than one person, because so far the ones who’ve returned to choreograph have done great.)

Solos by the bottom 4. First up is Melissa. Eh it’s basically the same as last night, interesting for ballet just because it’s not there you expect ballet to be. Then comes Ade, pulling out some big moves. His button up shirt is so off with the performance.

The first to win America’s Best Dance Crew: the Jabberwackies.  It’s a very interesting performance. As much bizarre as anything else, but certainly fun to watch.

Every time I watch this show I’m reminded about why I want to get the theme song as my ring tone.

Chelsea and Mark performing “Bleeding Love” by Tabitha and Napoleon. This was definitely one of my favorite dances last year.  I think this one was the best performed of the returned performances.

Now back to the four in danger. Kayla’s solo: pretty standard Kayla solo, who Cat calls White Lightning. Evan’s turn he does the one from last night, which I think is one of the better solos even though I don’t think he should be top top 4.

“So Fine” by Sean Paul for the final guest of the evening. The back dancers are whatever you kind of wish they weren’t the ones getting paid to dance. You also wish they had different outfits.

For the rest of the results: from the girls, after the biggest vote of the season, the last girl is Kayla. (no surprise) We get to see a little montage of Melissa’s best moments. From the guys,  Nigel says first that there are no losers on the show, anyon makes it into the top 20 is a winner. The contestant moving on to next week’s finale is Evan. (not really surprising either, it is America’s Favorite Dancer, not America’s Best.) Montage of Ade, the gentle giant, now.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 6

Next week will be the final week of the series, but first, we need to see our top 6 perform: Jeanine, Melissa, Kayla, Evan, Brandon, and Ade. This week the girls will be picking names out of a hat.

Guest judge is Lil C this week. He’s not one of my favorites, but ok. I do like Cat Deeley making fun of his use of big words “Pontificate.” He says he thinks it’s about preference now. Mary gives the audience a little advice which is think about the entire show, not just tonight’s performance. (Hint hint to Melissa and Ade from last week.) Nigel’s advice: whip out some personality. There’s no one who has really popped like in previous years, they’re all on an equal line. (At the moment people are voting for the choreography–so true!)

Cat asks if we’re ready to see some stars. Lots of performances: group, solos, and two partners. Yay Sonya teaching the dance for the guys! Everything she does is awesome. Her inspiration is from Willy Wonka. With only 3 people, they can’t mess up. And as always, Sonya’s choreography is fascinating. (Sonya certainly thinks they did well, she’s on her feet screaming!) Lil C was thrilled to see Brandon and Ade in the dance. He commends Evan for not being swallowed by the two powerhouses. Of course he was visible, he was the only wihte guy…I thought he wasn’t quite as strong, but they still did a good job. I want Sonya to be a real judge because she’s so ecstatic about everything (and all of her dances are so dark). Nigel says the standard was higher that ever.

Janine picks Ade (written A-Day) as her partner and she seems thrilled. They get the Samba. Bleh. The choreographer  says it will not be classical so good there. Jeanine says the dance is suggestive but classy…Jeanine seems to be falling all over the place but I’m sure they’ll pull it together. Oh, Lady Gaga song, unexpected. Jeanine’s outfit is peacock horrible. They seem to work off of each other very well, a lot of power and speed. Mary says the first fifteen seconds was great and then the samba fell apart for her. Ade didn’t do the roll correct. Lil C has to say first off that Jeanine looks amazing. He was excited about the partnership. It fell short for him. Ade was too frollicy. Nigel says Ade didn’t change his style. Jeanine looked beautiful and had confidence. She just went for it. Jeanine seems to have come off for the better here and I hope she stays I really like her.

Kayla’s solo- as always a little frantic but filled with some good moves.

Melissa picked out Evan’s name. They’re doing a Broadway routine with Tyce. The story is a bride trying to get her fiance to the church to get married.  He says it’s his type of broadway, BIG. To me they’re the two underdogs of the show so this should be interesting. It is Evan’s style though so I expect he’ll be very good. Cat would like to be the first to congratulate the happy couple. Lil C said he expected Evan to dominate but he didn’t. This high expectation thing on the show is getting old. He thinks they could have been excellent not just really good. A not A+ right now. Mary says she likes it, she loves Melissa. Nigel says she must have inspired a lot of ballerinas because for the next season there have been many ballet dancers, but they can’t adapt as much as Melissa.

Ade’s solo- also feeling a little frantic and lacking in strong moves

So Brandon and Kayla are the last couple- Stacey Tookey is choreographing a contemporary routine for them. Story of the mistress of a married man who doesn’t have the strength to leave him. Stacey says she making it a very hard routine because it’s the second to last episode. Kayla’s lines look fantastic and of course Brandon loses his shirt two seconds in. (For as good as Kayla’s lines are, she does a great job in the “curling her legs into fetal position” type moves.) So far I think this was the routine of the night. Lil C says it was very intense and beyond amazing. This is the first time Kayla has been matched with a formidable/equal partner. Mary puts them both on the Hot Tamale train, of course. Nigel says Stacey Tookey is a fantastic choreographer that they got from the Canadian show. He wishes they could have been together earlier because it would have been nice to see them get better chemistry but they performed well.

Melissa’s solo- a little slower than her other performances, but still not too bad.

Jeanine and Ade take 2- Napoleon and Tabitha hip hop dance. Janine and Ade have gotten a lot of hip hop routines. This one is about friends being kicked out of their apartment. Jeanine seems to be falling a lot. It’s really cute, they utilize the boxes a lot. A lot of theatrics. Lil C says he wishes moving was always that fun, he’d relocate every day. They were way better than he expected.  It was Buck (the one non-big word he uses). Mary says Jeanine, she thinks she was terrific in the Samba and just forgot to say it before. (Nigel agrees, she thought she was a bit mean before.) She has a feeling they won’t be evicted after that performance. Nigel says it could easily have been an applauded routine, but we are applauding the dancers not just the routine.

Brandon’s solo- in his unclothed outfit again, also a little frantic, but very interesting and well places with the music this time (he still has a very feminine body line when he dances that always bugs me but whatever, he still did a good job) Cat jokes that he’s just averages and the judges are on their feet applauding. Nigel says it was one of the best solos ever seen on the show.

Melissa and Evan do the quick step- Melissa, at 29, is the oldest dancer ever and she never did any other style so she’s always felt like an underdog. The height issue was a problem so they practiced how to give the opposite illusion. She does wear heals, unlike Kayla last week. It’s just such a boring dance style to watch (looks fun to do though). It just occurred to me that we have not seen any cool lifts this week yet. And there’s only one more performance to go. Sad. (Only Brandon and Kayla’s dance really had lifts, but they were just basic ones.) Lil C says he commends with Evan for dancer bigger than ever before. But, he was already told that he needs to have been swifter. Melissa looked fabulous. Mary says it is one of the toughest dances to do and lost some life as the dance went on. She was a little disappointed. Nigel says she should stop making 29 sound so old. He said one second lost the energy a bit. It wasn’t the best routine of the evening.

Jeanine’s solo- slow start but it got better and picked up a little.

Evan’s solo- big start! he is very fun to watch though i still don’t think he’s as strong as the other guys.

Kayla and Brandon doing one of the most difficult disco dances to date- Brandon says he’s not as confident as he comes off. More circus than disco Kayla says. (I think they keep getting the hardest things because all the choreographers know how good they are.) To me it looks like they lost some steam but we’ll see what the judges say. I love having the choreographers in the audience, their reactions are excellent. Lil C is of course rambling on about nonsense–you should see with your ears in order for there to be no darkness and this dance had no darkness. In dance there’s a pocket. (HUH?) Mary says HOME RUN! She yells at Brandon for his self esteem issues. Mary says she;s not crazy. Right. Nigel’s comments are it’s easy to pick up the energy with the music, so let him critique it professionally: WOOOOOHOOOO!

Last but not least, Sonya’s routine for the top 3 girls. It’s about superheroes. Kayla is Storm, Jeanine is Wonder Woman, and Melissa is Butter Cup (who?) Like with the boys, the choreography is really tight. The costumes are perfect. Another great Sonya routine. I think Jeanine was a little more showcased than the others but I love her so fine by me. Cat wants to be part of their gang and Sonya is on her feet. I love Lil C making up words “synchronicity.” He thinks they didn’t go for the gusto. He wants more than amazing. Mary asks what comes after amazing. They’re the epitome of strong, versatile, flexible, sexy, talented dancers. Kayla had a couple harder moves. Nigel says “is it a bird is it a plane, no it’s an arabesque” none stood out they looked excellent.

Results coming soon…

So You Think You Can Dance Top 8 Results

Show starts off with the top 8 performing Mia Michaels routine to the song “One”. It was really cool (though one contestant who I couldn’t identify who had a slightly overly happy smile.

It’s episode 100 be prepared to be crazy. (No Ellen on the panel though sadly.) Mary loves to bring up her Botox. Trust me Mary, we can all tell, you don’t have to remind us. After the judges each tell us what a big deal the show has been for them, we get a montage of (mostly the best and some of the worst–including Sex) the show’s performances. It goes on for a very long time but it’s so well edited you can’t help but feel good watching it.

As we start reading the results, Melissa is up first and you can see that she expects to be in the bottom. Is she in danger? No. She looks shocked. But after the cancer dance, I’m not surprised. Kayla is next and despite being the epitome of a girl, Kayla is performing a solo. With Jeanine and Jeanette left…Jeanette has never been in the bottom, is she there tonight? Yes. (Shocked gasps from the crowd.) I haven’t even got a clue about who will go between the two of them. I think I like Kayla a little better even though she kind of reminds me of Paris Hilton.

Special performance- Hok and Jayme perform Wade Robson’s the Hummingbird and the Flower. This is definitely one of my favorite dances on the show, it’s nominated for an Emmy. (The music reminds me that violins are really cool sounding.) I don’t know that they performed it as well as when they were on the show, but Hok definitely makes the routine for me. He just hits that bird persona so well.

As for the guys’ bottom two. Ade vs Jason I’m guessing Jason is in danger, once again because of the cancer dance and sure enough he is, to the sad sighs of the girls. I thought he really stepped it up this week though. Evan vs Brandon, I can’t imagine Brandon in the bottom. Oh, but I am wrong, Brandon is in the bottom two–I feel shock and lack of trust in America. I think it will probably be Jason going home.

Mia Michael’s bench routine performed by Travis and Heidi- also an Emmy nominated routine, they are really strong with this performance.

Kayla’s solo- once again, not such a fan of her solo, it’s like she can’t quite decide how to do it well

Jason’s solo- pretty good (Cat says she loves seeing his solos because they’re brilliant)

Jeanette’s solo- I still think she’s at a disadvantage here

Brandon’s solo- again he pulls out some really big moves, though he occasionally looks oddly feminine

Ramalama performed by a group of old SYTYCD dancers and the choreographer Wade Robson. Somehow I missed this routine when it originally aired (I think I was out of the country), but I’m glad I get to see it now. It reminds me of Pirates (captain sparrow and the immortal pirates).

Katie Holmes sings and dances in her special appearance. I’m not sure how I feel about this. In part I think it’s seeing her in sexy clothes when I still think of her as Joey from Dawson’s Creek. The problem is also that she’s just not as good a fancer as the contestants and the steps are pretty simple. I also wonder about the singing and whether it’s live. Supposedly it is, but I’m just not sure. When she bows at the end she wears an arrogant version of the one sided “Joey smile.” (They are promoting the Dizzy Feet Foundation, meant to expose kids to music and dance and give talented kids scholarships.)

With the show winding down it’s time to do eliminations.

Starting with the girls…the girl leaving us tonight is Jeanette. There is an obviously shocked and disappointed silence in the room as though everyone was unsure of how to react. Nigel says she was his favorite and he wanted her to win (and its ruined the celebration for him, he thinks America has got it wrong).

And now to the boys…the boy leaving us tonight is Jason, as expected, though I really liked him.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 8

So the reason this week’s episode is so important is we’re down to the final 8 and the competition is stiff. While I predict Melissa will be in the bottom two girls (and likely going home) I don’t know who will join her and on the guys’ side, I would put Evan in the bottom and send him home, but I have no idea who America will choose or who the second person should be. And I don’t think I am the only one who is unsure of who to choose, so I think the performances and the judges’ comments will play a large part in tonight’s show.

The guest judge is Mia Michaels, 3 time Emmy nominated choreographer. As an added bonus Ellen Degeneres has also joined the judges’ panel though more as comic relief than critic. Nigel is back (after being absent while receiving an honorary diploma) as Dr. Nigel Lythgoe. Nigel also reveals that he originally thought the show would never work. Clearly he was wrong.

When Cat asks Ellen if she’s had any formal training Ellen responds: “If by formal training you mean training formally…I learned everything I know on the streets and by streets I mean gated community and only one street…and this guy and I used to dance, well not necessarily dance…so no.”

Once again the partners are reshuffled, this time the boys picking the names out of a hat as well as which two dance styles they will be assigned.

Travis Wall (all grown up and sitting with the choreographers) choreographs an awesome group dance to Let It Rock. You knew it had to be on the show eventually since as it’s been featured on America’s Got Talent, Make It Or Break It, and other shows and movies. The dance would not be complete without the glow in the dark costumes and glow sticks. Very Lady Gaga look. Nigel feels like a proud father watching Travis’s dance. Ellen’s comment “well, first of all I can do that…” Mary says she wants to pick on some people…no no one in particular. I think the judges have gotten funnier, but maybe that’s just having Ellen in their mix. Maybe she should be a permanent judge.

A promo for the next night–it’s SYTYCD’s 100th episode so they are recreating our favorite dances and bringing in special acts such as Katie Holmes. She can dance?

First pair- Evan and Jeanette (yay height match!), choreographed by Sonya. The theme- SHUT UP!  Quote from Sonya “I want it to be awkward.” I love Sonya, her choreography is so interesting and outside of the box. Evan really showed up this week and looked great and Jeanette was excellent as always. Ellen can do this dance too. Mary thinks he should have been gutsier and rougher at the end but he did a good job. Mia said he did good but it wasn’t her favorite. Jeanette on the other hand is Mia’s favorite of the season.

Kayla’s solo is firstwhere normally her solos are jampacked with crazy moves it seems she held back and only began to hit her stride at the end of the music. What did we say about solos!!! Rule number one!

Second pair- Jeanine and Brandon doing the waltz with Hunter Johnson. (boo waltz!) Actually, I’m a little glad because this is the first time I’ve seen Jeanine look really elegant and long. She cleans up well. But it’s still a little slow and hard for me to concentrate on. Nigel says it was a very tough routine, especially with the slow music, but he is a little disappointed (cue the booing crowd). They are two of his favorites though, which I agree because they are my favorites also, I think I want Jeanine to win. Ellen disagrees (applause! “I had no idea you’d react that way”) Mary says it was respectable. Mia expected better.

Jason’s solo- sort of repetitive, leap spin, leap spin, leap spin…you’d think he’s be better at solos, what with all the practice. I really liked him last week so I hope he’s good again this week.

Third pair- Ade and Melissa (it’s like the good old days!) doing Cha Cha with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin (also not a style I love). They seem very out of their comfort zone on the practice. Nigel thinks they did pretty good but he had some critique. (Don’t purse your lips to be sexy because you already are. Ade be sexier.) Ellen asks if they are carpenters because they NAILED IT! Mary thought they executed well but Ade’s bum was too high and their feet were sliding around too much. Mia tells Ade it was his worst performance so far, too all over the place, and for Melissa coming from a ballet background she did a good job.

Jeanette’s solo- solos done by people who are used to dancing in a couple are always weird so she is at a disadvantage but I think she did a pretty good job considering.

Final pair- Jason and Kayla performing Tyce Diorio’s Broadway routine (he is nominated for an Emmy). The storyline is a temptress trying to take a man’s attention away from the music. Who couldn’t be distracted by Kayla? (Which judge will say that I wonder?) Jason’s toes were terrific according to Nigel and Kayla’s lines continue to be beautiful. Best routine to show off the dancer so fat this evening. Ellen says they’re both good nailers. Mary thinks “it flowed effortless.” Mary brought a train whistle this week to blow for Kayla, who is riding first class on the Hot Tamale Train. Mia loved the piece, the fusion of style. She wants Jason to stop hunching because it ruins his line, but he still id a great job. She also thinks Kayla would take Broadway by storm if she decided to sing and act too. Kayla is the epitome of a girl.

Ade’s solo- the dance didn’t fit with the music so that was weird and the first half was slow and repetitive, but he had some nice moves.

At the halfway point of the show, I would say the contest looks pretty even so the next half will be very intersting.

Jeanette and Evan, round 2- Tony and Melanie choreograph a rumba (sigh, another slow dance). Jeanette obviously has the sexy latin thing down pat. Evan…well, we’ll see. What did the judges think? Nigel says the choreography  is great but a tough style to earn votes through. He didn’t think Evan’s face showed the passion but Jeanette was great. It was lacking a little. Ellen loves Evan’s eyes. Mary thought it was really good. Mia agrees that she likes Evan face too. Evan brings something unique to the stage. He did it with a Zoolander face, blue steel.

Melissa’s solo- actually I think this was one of my favorite solos so far. it had a few long pauses but she changed things up a bit, had nice lines, and though I don’t usually like ballet, I thought it was pretty interesting.

Brandon and Jeanine, round 2- Laurie Ann Gibson gives them pop hip hop routine to Battlefield by Jordin Sparks, she is a well known tough choreographer from Making the Band (in one episode she and P. Diddy got in such a big fight that it nearly destroyed their freidnship). Jeanine looks more like an Amazon than a soldier, but that’s okay. Nigel says they’ve just started the show for him (the show has been flat until now). Ellen says they make it appealing to join the armed forces. Mary starts screaming and toots the hot tamale horn, then deciding it’s not loud enough she starts screaming. She predicts that both dancers will make it to the finale. Mia says Laurie Ann only dances if she’s moved and that’s why she and Laurie Ann are sisters (Laurie Ann actually starts crying here, something I never thougth I would see her do). She says WOW. Just WOW.

Evan’s solo- one thing Evan definitely knows how to do is dance a solo, best of the night so far in my opinion.

Jeanine’s solo- also a good solo full of big moves without overdoing it, also a different routine than usual for her.

Melissa and Ade, round 2- Tyce Diorio does contemporary dance about a woman with breast cancer and the support of her best friend. If they hit it, this could be huge. Sure enough they do. Nigel tears up, the piece reminded him what he loves about dance. He can’t think of a better couple to have danced it. (You can see some of the audience tearing up as well.) Tyce is so cute crying in the stands. Ellen feels privileged to have gotten to see it live. It was the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen. Mary is also crying because they danced it so beautifully. The full trust in the partnership is what made it so strong. Mia’s crying so hard she can’t speak, which makes everyone start crying. Her father died of cancer and she wishes she had the strength they had  to support him.

Brandon’s solo- also hitting the big moves and always keeping himself moving (I find I like him better when dancing in a couple but that’s because his style tends to get this girlie posture that contrasts oddly with his body)

Kayla and Jason, round 2- Shayne Sparks hip hop routine about zombies. Jason hopes he gets people to cry and run away frmo the tv set. It was so intersting to see Kayla do a dance that wasn’t about her lines and legs. Nigel says he’s finally redeemed the season’s hip hop, which I agree. It was fantastic! Ellen says they can get their own talk show if they keep dancing that way. Ellen was trying to do that exact thing during the break. No one helped her though. Mary said they hit it hard. Mia said it’s her favorite routine that Shayne has ever done.

Now that I’ve seen the show, I’m even less certain about who will be in the bottom. Nearly everyone got a negative and a positive review and some of the bottom dancers really stepped it up (bottom being a very relative term at this point). Can’t wait for tomorrow night.

Check out the results here.