So You Think You Can Dance: Quick results show

The show starts as usual with a number that will be the last for two of the dancers… and they all look like a million bucks. Or at least $250,000. The eye is still not on the prize, all the dancers just trying to dance their best, and they do! Mia Michaels’ hand in the opening number is unmistakable, and the dancers pull it off. The mean faces and scary looks suggest that soon we can expect some cutting is going to happen, and I mean throats! And backstabbing… not! These are a bunch of really nice people that know that just being in the top twenty is a privilege, a chance in a million. They do not have to do a “Survivor” or “Apprentice” thing… they have already won. As dancers, what greater exposure and credentials than “SYTCD Top 20”? It is an awesome mark on their back! When Cat comes out she is definitely in combination with the costuming of the number. Only problem is that as soon as all the gothic clowns and babies exit stage, she is the only one left in the weird costume. By the way, shadow of things to come: Comfort is showcased doing some contemporary quite outside her range… hmm.

I got it right once again with two out of the bottom three: Chromfort and Kouratt.
America’s voters can tell what is right and what is not when it comes down to it, and they step up in the right direction. Thelsea’s Quickstep apparently missed a beat with their fans however, and they are bottom-threed also.

Quickly enough as the steps she did yesterday I am shocked—Chelsea T is out! Well, maybe not that shocked… I expected they would keep partners one more week, but as soon as she is out it is obvious to me that Chris will be out. Thanks Chelsea T and Chris: It was fun seeing you perform.

So You Think You Can Dance: The Secret

Adam Shankman has no secrets as he gushingly pours out on Cat’s beautiful quasi-bridal mini, saying that he would love to wear it. Love it on her, don’t think so on him. Maybe on Tracy (AKA Danielle, AKA Travis).

Kherington and Twitch AKA Twitchinton: Hip Hop. When the SYTYCD work crew came around in their orange jail jumpsuits it seemed to me that costuming was starting a little off tonight. The jidges have many positives on this number and on the negatives “can’t think of anything” says Nigel. Mary screams, turns to Adam and he blushes brightly as he kisses Mary on the lips. I cannot think of anything! Points 8.

Gev and Courtney AKA Gevney: Rumba. Lets get ready to Rumbla! The long half of Courtney’s dress keeps on getting in the way and the missing half does not get in the way of her dance moves. Gev gets the connection, and makes for wonderful partnering! The rumba sensuality was top notch. The performance was greater than competition level, or in a different category. Not the kind of thing you expect from SYTYCD. Loved it, and I give them an 8.5.

Chris and Comfort AKA Chromfort: Jazz (Africanized) – Different, yes. Good? No! A little too much Thriller going on here. No synchronization between the partners. The number really is not hot, the music overcomes the dancers, and the dancers did not seem to have the technique needed to make this number look good (imagine Danny and Sabra doing this…). Comfort hits the tree in his plexus, perhaps she has another secret to share? That move is not something she learned in her beauty pageant days, obviously… Points: 6.

Jessica and Will AKA Willica: Disco. KOD (Kiss of Death) again. Cheesy, as Nigel simply said. RIP for them. Sorry, but this was bad. And to be fair with Jessica, it was Will who wasn’t there for her this time. He kept on stopping and not giving her the momentum needed for those lifts and turns. Points: 6.5.

Kourtni and Matt AKA Kouratt: Contemporary. One question: What was she wearing? Another question: Where they dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Potato head? Another question: Was it too much for the costume department to think about airbrushed unitards for this number? Another question: Sonya the choreographer, is she one of the rejects from Shear Genius? And talking about Shear Genius, there was already a “Ninja” contestant in that Bravo TV’s show last season. So, Matt’s secret Ninja thing was not even original! Going back to SYTYCD: I did not like this number. Points: 6 (minus 3 for the Ninja mask).

Chelsea T and Thayne AKA Thelsea: Quickstep. A well executed classical quickstep, including some nice trick moves, like that jete in the round that was quite something. Perhaps a little too well executed according to the jidges, meaning they were trying too hard and counting too much. Nigel’s comments would make me think he wants people to vote for them, so that they don’t have to be in the bottom three. Ballroom is always dicey, and after last week Ch and Th are in a hard spot. Still I do not think they will be bottom threed… Points: 8.

Chelsie and Mark AKA Marksie: Hip Hop (was it?). Okay... time for a 10! Insert Mary Scream Here!!!! I’m already looking forward to seeing this number in the live tour! Loved the choreography, loved the dancing, loved the performance, and loved the costuming! Nothing else to say (except that he really has weird crooked little fingers) (and also: “lyrical hip hop”? –what the h…? what is the difference between that and contemporary?). Anyway… I really loved this number!

Katee and Joshua AKA Katua: Samba (was it?). We know that the economy is bad right now, but still… is it down to a half dress policy for dancers in SYTYCD? I like this policy on Courtney and Katee, maybe Cat, but at some point it will get old. This routine was hot; no doubt about it (was it Samba, though?). Joshua’s dad may be going home but for sure Joshua is not. Points tonight: 9.

My prediction for the bottom three: Chris and Comfort (again!), Jessica and Will (again!), and Kourtni and Matt (again!). Who will be pardoned and who will be kicked out? My guess: Kouratt. However, none of these dancers is really safe, except for Will (the jidges obviously love him). So if it is not this week it will be soon that Chris, Jessica and Comfort are out, once the jidges start breaking up the couples.

A final note: Why is Joshua’s dad wearing a shirt with a shirtless picture of his son? It’s weird! Please, somebody give him a better picture/shirt!

SYTYCD: Nigel the Hulk!

A new, hidden personality of Nigel seems to be coming out this season. I have been saying it all along and now we now the truth: he has been affected by gamma dance rays!
As his green dance persona has been taking over the old scroogy producer/casting director we have seen in the past:
• Nice Nigel comments—“we have to be nice to the dancers this season” sums it up.
• Jumping up and down by Nigel—Hip hop and Broadway in particular seem to make him move off his seat.
• Not scared of real dancers—the Gumby brothers and the hot flamenco guy are professional dancers in the results show.
• Dancing puppies and snuggle bears (really!).
It certainly makes it an even more entertaining show, as dancing does seem a little more in the mind of the producer than the casting of the final ten. I have not made my final conclusion yet, but the show does seem to be a little less rigged this time than in previous seasons. Except… is Cat psychic? She said: our first couple in the bottom three is: Chelsea and Thayne (wait, wasn’t there one envelope still not open?). Oh, well…
Oh, the results... I failed to predict one couple again: Comfort and Chris go to the bottom three, where we thought Kourtni and Matt would be. I guess the Krump was even krummier than I thought. Of course, Chelsea and Thayne sail through the solos war. Marquis and Susie dance for their life in routines that I thought would make it hard for the judges to justify kicking them out. Comfort returned to her c zone and pops a number, and her partner Chris did not outshine Marquis.

Susie and Marquis are out, as predicted. In the context of the casting of the top ten, this is what I expected and is what I predicted yesterday. However in the one on one in the solo wars, in comparison to Comfort, Susie was better and, in comparison to Chris, Marquis was better.

The excuse given to us by Nigel was that Marquis was more of a trickster than a dancer and that Chris has shown some limberness in his development, with potential for growth (all these tree references…). From my perspective, it seemed to me that it was the other way around actually, with more tricks than dancing by Chris the Tree, than by Marquis. Well, I guess we’re back to casting instead of dancing. The gamma dance rays have worn off for the night.

SYTYCD Episode 8: Is it just me, or are these dance styles starting to look all alike?

In a Black Swan inspired gown Cat introduces the remaining 18 dancers for this evening and the guest host for the night, Benoodles Mia. And, following the theme of the night, I’m going to say what I like best and worst of each one of the judges. Mia, the best of you are your choreographies and the worst are your critiques when they are blond. Such as today’s negative review of Kherington’s smile. But at least you rectified! Mary, the best of you is your scream, which is the worst of you also. And Nigel, the best of you is your production of this show. The worst is everything else… Just kidding!

Starting with Chelsea T. and Thayne, Thayne knocked the wood of his own noodles. Chelsea in a French maid costume with a green feather duster insane for Thayne? It wasn’t believable. But I do not think it was as bad as the judges found it to be. Yes, they lacked chemistry. And, yes, I hated the costuming. And I think that Thayne didn’t look that masculine…, but I think he is a very good dancer and Chelsea is a great performer. Rating: 7.5.

Chelsie H. and Mark’s tango was amazing. Especially Mark, he was wonderful! He had the perfect posture for this role. His bird moves retreated and hid, only to peek through his eagle nosed face! And Chelsie was great also. Her leg action was excellent. This tango was much better than last week’s. The costuming was better also. A modern tango very well done! It was so good, that Mia, as always, created a new word: Fantastical! And an interesting thing happened with Chelsie’s shoes that shows why dance shoes should be worn tight and snug. Her shoes were too big and her pinky toe poked out. Ouch! Ouch also to Nigel’s comment about Argentinean Tango dancers drinking Jack Daniels! Really, Nigel? No, not Jack Daniels! More like Mate (that weird high caffeine drink sipped from an odd looking cup with a straw). Rating: 9.5.


Jessica and Will’s hip hop was kind of old fashioned. I honestly didn’t see really original moves. Hats off, hats on, hats off, and on… So? To me, it was so, so. And Mia and Mary taking off the hat to Will, and putting it on again for Jessica. So? So, so. Nigel recognizes that Jessica was a lot better than last week. Jessica’s strength is not the tango, and maybe not hip hop, but she did a lot better this week. And Will, yes, he’s good, but I didn’t see “genius” in this hip hop. Rating: 7.5.

Kourtni and Matt do the Foxtrot… Ok—KOD (Kiss of Death) in the house! Matt and Kourtni did their best, him jumping and clicking his heels, she, showing off her extensions. But this dance is no vote grabber. If the dances weren’t “randomly” taken out of a hat—they are, aren’t they? —I would think that this dance was purposefully selected for this couple. But, the dances are selected randomly, right? It’s what we’re told. Ok. I think that Kourtni and Matt are in the bottom three again, and this time… well, what do you think? Will they be safe?
By the way, was Nigel going to say lifting her? (referring to Kourtni’s size)? And what about Nigel’s comment regarding Matt’s moves. Did he say Tweed or Twig? I couldn’t make sense of what he said, but it doesn’t really matter. He obviously meant not masculine enough. Rating: 8 for dancing (-3 for singing).

Courtney and Gev – Modern contemporary in a fabulous choreography by Mandy Moore. Mia’s comments were actually positive, as saying in essence that she knows that Courtney will do great! Gev’s lifts were amazing: almost 30% of the time it seemed that Courtney was off her feet, held by Gev, standing on Gev, jumping over Gev... Nigel says that Courtney’s boyfriend should beware! Rating: 9.

Katee and Joshua’s Broadway number: They think it will involve lots of hands and in the end it does! (Including the clapping from the audience). Their number is characteristically (as expected from their outstanding performance last week) well synchronized, and Nigel uncharacteristically jumps up and down! Joshua’s diamond eye bedazzles the judges, and the reviews bring down the house! Mia says it sucked! But that is just the way she talks. In case anyone doesn’t understand she translates: it was amazing! Ok, I say that this is this week’s 9.5 (give me some leeway for a 10, ok?)

Susie and Marquis. Alex de Silva again, this time with a Salsa, after that killer Tango! I cannot say that I liked it, though. The movements were not sultry enough. For a street salsa dancer, Susie’s moves were restrained, almost timid. And I did not see the Puerto Rican in Marquis at all. Rating: 7.5.



Kherington and Twitch’s Viennese Waltz: This was not a Waltz. But it was a very beautiful contemporary piece with waltz moves. A beautiful performance by Kherington, with amazing strong lifts by Twitch. Mia has a hard time trying to justify her critique, but finally shuts her mouth. We wonder, did her new blonder hair affect her judgment? Mary cries, Kherington cries, and Twitch sniffles too (or was that sweat?).
By the way, it kind of upsets me that most numbers were labeled for a style of dance, but were strongly patterned after “contemporary/lyrical.” That Viennese Waltz was as Austrian as Domino’s is Italian or Taco Bell is Mexican, or Jack Daniel’s Argentinean for that matter. Regardless, as an unlabeled dance, I give Kherington and Twitch a 9.

Comfort and Chris do Krump. The difference between Krump and Hip Hop is not really that obvious here to me. But what do I know? I didn’t see the toughness and roughness of Krump here. But what do I know? Comfort was in her zone here, obviously. Chris not quite so. I just didn’t see what the deal was here… Rating: 7.5.


This week I have as much difficulty deciding on the worst of the best as in determining the difference between a twig and a tweed (or was it a twit?). When it comes down to it, you can tell I have a huge grey area in which several couples step into. Those are Chelsea T. and Thayne, Jessica and Will, Comfort and Chris, and Susie and Marquis. Based on popularity, I am going to guess that Susie and Marquis are going to be in the bottom three. Next, even though I do not think that they actually deserve it, I think that Chelsea T. and Thayne are going to be in the bottom three, especially because they were the first couple to dance and because the judges were very tough with them. And my third couple, even though I did not give them the lowest scores, is Kourtni and Matt. If I am right: Chelsea T. and Susie will dance for their lives and Susie will go home. Of the guys, Matt and Marquis will dance for their lives, and Marquis will go home.

SYTYCD: Episode 7 Omi! The results!

Nigel bound and gagged… is this a promise of things to come? Talk about a gag order! Once released by Cat he says “let’s be nice to the dancers this year”. Alright, haven’t I been saying that they are doing that all along?
With the first threesome couplet, as predicted Kherington and Twitch, Chelsie H. and Mark, and Chesea T. and Thayne are safe. In the next group, this time four, again as I predicted, Comfort and Chris make it, Kourtni and Matt are bottom-threed, and so are Rayven and Jaime. I am happy that Susi Q and Marqis sail through. With the last trio of couples, Katee and Joshua skip on by, and between Courtney and Gev, and Jessica and Will, well… I missed the last bottom three couple, Jessica and Will, but **@!!*?!!*, Will had the power to coast them both, or so I thought.
Poppin’ Pete and Shonn Boog. Amazing. They really moved like Push Puppets. Quite interesting.
In the Dance for Their Life, Rayven, I’m sorry, presents herself as a ballerina, but she is not, and without trying to be mean I have to say that her dancing was a disservice to the art of ballet. Matt does not impress either. Kourtni does what the skit says: dance for her life and I think she deserves to stay. Jaime was alright, I thought, but the show proved me wrong later on. Jessica again, dances for her life and Will, well what can I say… he shouldn’t have been in this situation! Will is great! After this, nobody will want to dance tango again! Jessica and Will had terrible costuming and a low voter routine: they should NOT have been bottom three.
And now we’re put through the torture of the Pussycat dolls. More commercials would have been better than having to watch this sorry display. Their singing (if we can call their pathetic meowing that) was so awful that I just distracted myself by trying to decode if their costumes were actual latex or spray-on painting. Why did this show make such an awful choice, specially knowing that so many young girls are fans of SYTYCD. Is this what they want them to be “when they grow up?”
After this sorry display, the jidges (as Cat says) are back to confirm our prediction: Rayven is out, though Jessica gets a dressing down—dire forebodings for her. As for the guys, I am very, very surprised in a way that Jamie is out. Is it because of the partnering? The casting? The Jaime/Rayven couple is out of the match. Rayven’s outing is clearly well deserved. Jaime versus Matt, I’m not so sure. Unfair? Who knows, there are always backroom issues that we do not know about, and casting situations that the producers have to consider. Matt and Kourtni carry on tall for another week… can’t wait for next Wednesday!! (in a low voice… “so you think you can dance, dance, dance…”)

SYTYCD: Our Blog for Episode 6 is all PC (Politically Correct)

As Cat Says: “Welcome to: So You Think You Can Dance!” (cue music… low voice “dance, dance…”) I am excited as the top 20 great cast of dancers comes out on stage, each doing their thing, twirling, jumping, stretching, spinning, for their first full fledged presentation, competing for the title “America’s Favorite Dancer”, and some cash to boot.

Let me start by saying: Nigel got a hair cut!! Hurray!! That makes him flirt a little and make Cat blush, as she moves her legs around on the high spikes she’s on. The guest Judge tonight is Dan Karaty, always a sober and good observer. After an overview of the rules, we see once again each of the dancers in their audition run-ups, and a fine group of dancers it is. So now for the dances!

It seems that this year the judges seem a bit obsessed about making sure that people do not criticize the show as being rigged or unfair. They seem to stress a little too much that everybody is an unknown, that everybody has a chance, or whatever. We know that’s not true, by the way, but we’ll see… after all, this is a show for entertainment purposes only, and WE NEED CONTROVERSY! For now, following the lead, we’re going to be PC/Nice too…

Rayven and Jaime. Hip Hop. Our first look at Rayven, and a bit more from Jamie. A little over acted, but certainly well coordinated, the way “a ballerina and a ballroom dancer” (quoting her) can, and adequately performed but not that salty for hip-hop. A little cotton candy anyone? About this number, I will only say that I liked the Boar Jacket that Matt wore during rehearsals... not so sure about his briefs (not boxers? What kind of hip-hopper does not wear boxers?). He looked like Captain Underpants! Okay so maybe I will say something else: a little too much crotch grabbing. Rating: 7.5. By the way: Did Mary really call her old?

Susie and Marquis. The smooth waltz was definitely smooth! Very elegant. They both showed that they have the technique, beautiful lines, pointed feet, great turnout. A couple of missed steps, the first lift definitely better than the overambitious second one (I guess he almost dropped her after she nearly punctured his thigh with those heels!). It was a Waltz-Contemporary number. The choreographers seem to have started off the show with modernized variations on the dance styles, which makes it interesting to watch, as I really am not sure what to expect now when they say “hip-hop” or “waltz”—at least for now. In general very good. We applaud this performance! Good job, Susie! (Are the red hair streaks a South Florida Trademark? Remember Kameron?) Rating: 8 for smooth lines minus a couple of missed steps.

Kourtni L. and Matt. A tall order for sure, 12 feet of dancing, Cat was not above them this time. She reminded everybody of Uma Turman, Lady Di, Cameron D. but… does she have her own look? About him, Nigel not nice, the broomstick comment hurt. This Jazz routine was… okay… and following my premise of not saying (almost) anything negative, I will not say anything else… Rating: 7 for dark overtones overshadowing the real technique under the black leather.

Chelsea T and Thayne. This girl is going to go far in this show. Gorgeous dancer. A great dance, good choreography: a young looking Cha-Cha. The dancers: Technique, personality. Awesome. Both of them. Nobody could see Thayne with all eyes on Chelsea the wonderful, but Thayne was a great, great partner. These two guys are safe! Hot tamale, enchilada and quesadilla train tickets for them! Rating: 9.5 just because I can’t give a 10 at such an early stage.

Chelsie H. and Mark doing Mia Michael’s Contemporary. Some interesting movements performed by Mark. Such beautiful movements and weird (good) too. Really a cool choreography (what wedding was that!) that I believe they performed really well. Seems to me that they did what the choreographer had in mind, even with her mother’s wedding dress. These two guys are safe too. To Mia I say: It was Stupid! So stupid, that it was Stinky! Insane! Disgusting! Ridiculous! Rating: 9.

Kherington and Twitch do Broadway! It started a little weak, but then feathers flew all over the place, ending with great energy and connecting well with the audience. Perhaps it was that start, a little too traditional jazz-Broadway (think Chicago) that I thought was weak, but the combination at the end with contemporary and Hip-hop moves made it sizzle. Kherington looked so good. Twitch looked uncomfortable, but he has so many fans already. And the judges were so positive that they are going to be safe. Rating: 8 for personality minus the off-putting beginning.

Comfort and Chris. A Jive with a pair of blossoming trees, but with a difficult chemistry. I liked the way they started, from their hip-hop and contemporary spotlights to a merged Jive. Comfort, good performance, good booty action, miss her grills, still don’t understand a word she says. Chris does come across as stiff, and the personality issue is going to be hard with these two, but they are working on it. In the end, as Dan said, a respectable job. They’ll probably make it to a Comfort level tonight. Rating: 7.5 for still a little stiffness in the dancing, not the personality

Katee and Joshua. Joshua fesses up about his ballet training, from his football playing days (can’t let it interfere with that macho image now, can’t we eh?). Their Hip Hop: really, really good! Napoleon and Tabitha did that HH/Contemporary combo that I talked about with Rayven and Jaime before. That one wasn’t as exciting as this one, however. This number demonstrates how good hip hop is not just improvised movements: not an easy number, they nailed it. Lots of coordination, right on! Rating: 8.5, and I’m glad that Katee shut up and danced.

Jessica and Will Tango about. About this one, I’ll spell it as Jessica does: J-e-s-i-s-c-a and W-l-i-l will not be in the B-o-o-t-m T-r-h-e-e, but you will (maybe) have to thank Will for that. Her Tango moves were sometimes a little more Flamenco than Tango. Will was very good, better than I thought. Ballroom is always hard in the voting, so despite her long legs, it is possible that they will be bottom-threed, but I think that others did worse. Rating: 8 for confusing Spain with Argentina.

Courtney and Gev. Disco. Obviously not the best disco we have seen in SYTYCD. Remember Jessica and Jaymz from season 2? Courtney and Gev, well, Courtney is very beautiful, and one of my personal favorites. Gev, I don’t know if I like him yet, and he needs to straighten up and tuck his ‘derriere’ in! Please!! Hey Mary: JT does not have it sticking out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO1p2IxZA0U not even in slow disco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUnFdT-Vl4. Rating: 7.5, for Gev (sorry, but I know you can do better). Courtney, even if you are in the bottom three, you’ll be safe!

Bottom three, we predict: Kourtni and Matt, (poor Jazz routine) Rayven and Jaime, (so-so hip-hop and the first in show, last to remember), Gev and Courtney (low scoring disco always a KOD- Kiss of Death among the voters). Possible (unwelcome) surprise to be at the bottom could be Susie and Marquis (again: low voter appeal dance, the Waltz), but I think their performance was elegant and smooth, and Susie showed versatility and technique, so they should be safe.

If I am right with the bottom three couples: Rayven and Kourtni will dance for their lives and, in a tough call, Rayven will go home; Gev and Matt will dance for their lives and Matt will go home. I’m not saying that these are weak dancers (look at their auditions and clips again, they’re all great!), but these seem to me to be the ones in the weakest position after tonight’s performances.

SYTYCD: Who are the Top 20?

Girls:
Rayven Armijo (28) is a Contemporary/Ballet dancer from La Puente, CA. Armijo is a mentor to children and assists them with their educational goals and in dance. Armijo is proud that many have gone on to attend LA County High School for the Performing Arts.
Comfort Fedoke (20) is a Hip-Hop dancer raised in Lagos, Nigeria, now living in Dallas, TX. She is a graduate of Booker T. Washington Performing Arts High School. Fedoke was a featured performer for the past few years on “Dallas Dance Club 21, ” the local Dallas dance television show.
Courtney Galiano (19) is a Contemporary dancer from Commack, NY. Though she specializes in Contemporary, Galiano also loves to dance Hip-Hop. She appeared in the music video for Kat De Luna’s “Whine Up” and is a dancer for the New York Knicks.
Susie Garcia (25) is a Latin/Salsa dancer born in Miami, FL. Garcia graduated with a B.F.A. from New World School of the Arts. She is a high school teacher who previously was a dancer with the Miami Heat for six years. Garcia has performed at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin Grammy Awards, and danced on Shakira’s “Oral Fixation World Tour.”
Chelsie Hightower (18) is a Latin dancer born in Las Vegas, NV, and raised in Orem, UT. Hightower has worked with many world-renowned choreographers. She was a U.S. Worlds finalist in 2005 and competed on Team USA.
Jessica King (23) is a Contemporary dancer from Myrtle Beach, SC, where she was born and raised. She is currently attending Coastal Carolina University studying Fine Arts with a minor in Art History. King also teaches dance and performs in local theater.
Kourtni Lind (18) is a Jazz/Contemporary dancer from Forest Lake, MN, currently living in Sherman Oaks, CA. Lind began training in her mother’s dance studio at 3 years old and graduated high school at age 16 so she could begin her career.
Kherington Payne (18) is a Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Placentia, CA. Payne will graduate from El Dorado High School this summer. She is an avid soccer fan who has played for many years.
Katee Shean (20) is a Contemporary dancer from San Jose, CA. Shean is a graduate of Pioneer High School and currently attends Chapman University in Orange, CA. She is pursuing a double major in leadership and dance and is active in many volunteer organizations. Shean trained at the Team Dance Company and Atlas School of Dance.
Chelsea Traille (23) is a Jazz Funk and Contemporary dancer born in Houston, TX, currently living in Flower Mound, TX. Traille graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Texas, Dallas. She was a dancer with the NBA Mavericks during the 2006-2007 season.

Guys:
Joshua Allen (19) is a Hip Hop/Popping dancer from Fort Worth, TX. Allen hopes to be a professional dancer and recording artist.
Jamie Bayard (22) is a West Coast Swing dancer from Palm Springs, CA, currently living in Norwalk, CA. Bayard graduated from the Orange County High School of the Arts. He was the U.S. Swing Dance champion in 2000 and 2002 and is a professor of Swing and Salsa at Loyola Marymount University.
Stephen “Twitch” Boss (25) is a Freestyle dancer from Montgomery, AL. A career highlight for Boss was performing “Thriller” with Wade Robson on “The Wade Robson Project” in 2003.
Marquis Cunningham (18) is a Lyrical/Contemporary dancer born in Cumberland, NC, and raised in Cape Coral, FL. Cunningham began dancing at 14 and trained at the Robin Dawn Academy. He is a graduate of Florida’s North Fort Myers High School and currently resides in New York City.
Matt Dorame (22) is a Contemporary dancer from Glendale, AZ. He studied for two years at Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City.
Chris Jarosz (21) is a Lyrical/Contemporary dancer from Gaithersburg, MD, currently living in Dallas, TX. Jarosz grew up training at the Dawn Crafton Dance Center in Gaithersburg and then moved to Dallas in his sophomore year to train at Top Hat Dance Center. Jarosz is now a dance major at Southern Methodist University.
Thayne Jasperson (27) is a Contemporary dancer who grew up in Springville, UT. Jasperson was a featured dancer in “High School Musical, ” and “High School Musical 2.” He danced five years with Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, but has only been dancing six years.
Mark Kanemura (24) is a Contemporary dancer born and raised in Honolulu, HI. Kanemura trained with 24-7 Dance Force in Honolulu and danced at Tokyo Disney. He also directed and choreographed Miss Hawaii pageants and performances on Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Gev Manoukian (21) is a Hip Hop/Break dancer originally from Kazakhstan and now living in Centerville, UT. Manoukian was a featured dancer in “High School Musical 2.”
Will Wingfield (21) is a Contemporary dancer from Nashville, TN. Wingfield started dancing at age 9 at DC Dance Factory in Nashville, and later moved to Los Angeles to train under Debbie Allen at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.

SYTYCD Episode 5: The Casting of the Top 20

So, when is Nigel getting a haircut? He’s starting to look more and more like Cat’s ugly twin sister… or maybe Tracy’s (AKA Danielle Chorizo, AKA Travis)? So, who did Nigel punch? What happened to the other guy? Actually, the gossip grapevine has not posted anything yet about Nigel’s arm. Does anybody know? Had it anything to do with his attempts at demonstrating popping and hip-hopping when judging (as shown during yesterday’s episode)?
Anyway, today’s show was all about people talking too much (i.e., Liz, the tapper, whose tongue wagging was more powerful than her legs’ twitching). And, again, it was also all about people having or not having “personality.” Now, I always wonder: what do they mean by personality? In a show that obviously decides who to showcase and who not to showcase, personality seems to me more an issue of a “cast of characters” and what the producers of the show have in mind for this particular season, than an actual “fact.” How can you judge “personality’? If you have the knowledge, you can judge dance technique, but, I’m sorry, you cannot judge “personality.” Personality is a relative concept. In the context of this show, personality is a way to justify what CAST they want for THIS SEASON’S show. Now, I do not mean to imply that the dancers selected for the top 20 are not talented. They all seem to be awesomely good so far. But my point is that in selecting this mix of characters they cut out some very talented dancers that may not have been good for this show (this season’s show) and left some in just to have a balanced cast.

See, for example, Brandon Bryant. He was consistently excellent, even from his first audition in Washington D.C. (although, by the way, he’s from South Florida! Go Brandon!!!). Why didn’t he make it? In our opinion, he just didn’t fit the mix of characters that the producers of the show wanted for THIS season; he might have just reminded them a bit too much of Danny from last season (although they have different dancing styles). Who knows… I can just say that even though I’m not sure that Brandon is or could have been as good as Danny, I hope that he comes back next year to show us all how far he can go.

See, for example, Kelly Baker, whose mom is a well known choreographer. In my opinion, they basically asked her to just keep working hard and come back next year because she wasn’t quite right for this year’s mix of top 20. Nothing wrong with that, by the way, but my point is that people who were not better than Kelly may have made it through as “cannon fodder” and not because they were better dancers. What do you think?

See, for example, Katee, the girl who almost did not make it because she talked too much… I may be wrong but I think she’s going to have a hard time with the judges…and with the audience because the audience is now poisoned against her. Same for several other kids who were not showcased through the audition shows and are now in the top 20. I love SYTYCD, but they obviously manipulate the audience by selecting whose audition tapes they’re going to give air time to. And quite often it seems that the judges have inconsistent standards. For example, “for you being a popper and a hip hop dancer, you did a decent fox trot, so you are on to the next level.” On the other hand, “for a competition studio beauty pageant dancer… you were not elegant enough, so you’re out of the competition.” So… standards change depending on background? Is that fair?!?!

I must say, however, that I think the casting tonight was basically fair. Courtney, the 25 year old (really?) gets cut, crying her way home. Jeremiah, the great but weird dancer, did not make it. Claire, the mom (really?) did not make it this time. The tappers did not make it….

Oh well, here are the top twenty:

Ladies:
1. Kourtni, as we predicted since her original audition. She’ll make it far.
2. Rayven, the Pointe dancer, who was only shown as a flash in the show tonight… Will she make it far?
3. Courtney, the beautiful girl whom we loved at the Charleston, NC auditions (remember her with her proud Italian grandparents?). She’s not just a wonderful dancer, but she reminds me so much of Al Pacino’s Italian bride in The Godfather… I think she’ll make it far in this competition.
4. Katee, already with a handicap after tonight’s scolding…
5. Kherington, the soccer player, will have to kick it up a notch (they asked her to) …but we were not surprised that she made it into the top 20… We think she’ll make it even further…
6. Chelsie Hightower, whom we also highlighted at the auditions. She’s quite good. She’ll make it far…
7. Jessica King has a chance to grow some more...
8. Susie, the high school dance teacher from Miami Florida… A Miami Heat dancer and the only FL dancer in the top 20 since Brandon didn't make it...
9. Chelsea, we did not learn much about her, did we? But she looks quite awesome in this final clip…
10. Comfort, not showcased either, or was she?


Men:
1. Gev, the dancer from Borat’s country, who doesn’t dance as Borat at all (he’s quite good, actually).
2. Joshua, who’s not "just" a hip-hop dancer, obviously…
3. Matt, they did not give him too much exposure…
4. William Wingfield, protégé of DA, gets her fired…
5. Twitch, “Mr. Personality”...
6. Jamie Bell swings it in…
7. Chris, just a tree sometimes, but maybe the best tree ever after he gets the message.
8. Mark, just got a bit of exposure today…
9. Marquis, they did not show him…
10. Thayne, not showcased as far as I can recall…
Overall, I must say that the final solo round clips show that these are all great dancers! If you’re thinking about auditioning for Season 5, just compare yourself with these people and ask yourself: So You Think You Can Dance? If the answer is yes, good for you! If the answer is no, just keep it up! There is no risk here. With dancing, you can only get better!

SYTYCD Episode 4: Nice is the Nigel Night

Nigel the producer has come a long way since the first days of American Idol (remember, he is also producer of that show). Maybe, maybe he is realizing that people actually count too. With AI’s ratings way down, and the push to make David Archuleta the new American Idol, it was a stunning and stinging surprise that David Cook actually won by such an overwhelming margin of 56% over 44% of the total vote. Even the scripted remarks of Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell could not overturn the vote in that show. Lesson learned: respect the audience, maybe they’ll watch. But do we have to swing the pendulum so hard? What was up with Nigel tonight? I’m sorry, but I think I like mean Nigel better. What was all that about “You look great? You’ve lost weight?” “You’re not going to make it but we’ll let you through choreography anyway so you’ll learn from the experience?” Is it just me or was Nigel channeling Paula Abdul tonight?

On the feel-good feel of the show, most auditions were one of three types: (1) “Dog, you’re good… now hear this, hear this… you need wings! You’re going to Vegas!” (2) “…now hear this, hear this… you’re beautiful, you’re strong, you’re not going to Vegas this year, see you next year” (cue to tears and sobs all around) and (3) “…now hear this, hear this… Sorry, you are not going” (cue to tears and sobs all around).
Highlights: Keeping tap alive! Two tappers went to Vegas direct! Wow, I really would like if they showcase the talent of tappers this season, but I doubt that they can actually include any tap numbers in the competition as a general category. What do you think? Don’t you think that tap, as well as Pointe and classical ballet, are dances that require very specific skills that not everybody can do well without years of specialized technique? Anyway, about the two tappers, one of them (Bianca Revels) was good, dancing and tapping in the old style. The other one (Lizz Plott) offered a more unique and more contemporary style, in my opinion. Both demonstrated tap in the best tradition of G. Hines and Savion G. as well as the awesome Jason Samuels Smith. That heel clicking was disgusting! …as Mia Michaels would say… Now, the open question mark is: can these tappers do anything else? We’ll see.

Best Audition: Tracy (Travis)… what can I say? Entertainment is what TV shows are all about, right? And this was entertaining, right? We all knew about Tracy from Season 2, right? Remember all the rumors about Travis’ alter-ego Tracy? …Are you telling me that you didn’t know? Never heard about her? …Really? Well, I even remember when a full thread on T/T was deleted by the Fox police on the official SYTYCD discussion board on Season 2 so the show wouldn’t lose Travis’ pre-teen fans… Anyway, it was fun to see her on stage. She is a good dancer! She dances a little like a man though…
Enough for tonight. Let’s see what goes on tomorrow. We’ll talk about the top 20, including some local folks (at least one) that we already know made it into the top 20. Have a Nigel (=nice) night!






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