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!






Images available from: http://www.myspace.com/hardassbitch/ and http://http://www.rickey.org/?p=8081/