SYTYCD Results Show July 23, 2009: Judgment Night Once Again, and 100 shows to boot!

Leopard faced, Cat’s outfit roars tonight!
In a chorus line of pure white top hats the top eight of America’s favorite dancers show us what the anguish of corps dancers on Broadway is all about: a smile to the audience and a smashed mirror behind, reflecting back to them the broken dreams after all their hard work. Kudos for Mia’s choreography!
The 100 shows’ clips show us the impact of dance: the fun, the drama, the tears, the spills… and Mary’s screams! As Nigel says: it is great that they have had 100 shows, and that the show has just gotten a greater and greater audience—to the extent that they will have a season 6, almost just as this one ends. That means something, doesn’t it? A great portion of America has embraced dance in its entertaining form and in its athletic demands. A portion of America that would have never been exposed to dance in all these forms if it weren't for this show. So, let's give them the credit that they deserve! Kudos! This show, along with “Dancing with the Stars,” has brought back a sprightly step to America, a quick step that had been lost when the likes of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire moved on—please check out some of their great dances on You Tube or the occasional movie on AMC!
Cat, in inquisitive mode, goes down the judges table, reflecting on the shows past. Mia feels like a “Mamma” after all these years, as she talks about her dancing brood. Get credit for the 100th show!
When the felinized Cat gets down to business, I am wrong again! Melissa is safe! What does this mean for Kayla? Bottom two! Jeanine is safe, as Jeanette debuts in the bottom.
The Emmy winning Wade Robson choreography of the Humming Bird and the Flower by Jamie and Hok enthralls us once again, as we wait for the boys to come out (although I think Brandon already did). Cat comes on to the guys and starts with Ade and Jason, to let us know that Jason is on the bottom two. Brandon is too! That is the problem of being the “favorite” voters free ride, thinking that someone else will vote for the one they like, after all it is “obvious” that if he is so good, many people will vote for him—Not! If you do not vote, your choice loses!
Travis and Heidi make it on a bench, once again, showing us a great Emmy winning piece. It seems that Heidi danced a little more than I remembered…don’t you think? but the camera focuses so much on Travis anyway that, Heidi is overshadowed. Travis was amazing!
And then we saw Ramalama once again, and it was really enjoyable. Loved to see Wade dancing with them!
http://www.dizzyfeetfoundation.org/
Katie Holmes thinks she can dance and sing, but she does not quite get that lip-synch thing… Ashlee Simpson could have done better… and her dancing, cannot fool anybody... especially this audience! No way. She may like singing and dancing, but Ellen likes dancing too and we’re glad that she did not actually take the stage (by the way, where was she tonight? I was expecting to see her @judges-table tonight). KH's was an OK number, entertaining and brave on her part, but... a dancer she ain't!!! She deserves Kudos for what she’s doing with her foundation, but as homage to Judy Garland this was odd. Judy Garland would have being better served with a real dance with real dancers and singers. I am conflicted about this number, a publicity stunt for KH, who probably should really be the one voted out after her performance!! But… in fact the purpose of the foundation is commendable. What gets me really excited about the foundation's mission is the idea of accreditation of studios, to certify that they actually teach dance, instead of exploiting delusional dancer moms. There always will be Dolly Dinkle studios, but at least there should be some way of differentiating them from the ones that are really trying to be responsible about the promise they make to the kids and parents that show up to their door really thinking that they can dance—and would like to learn. Accreditation by an independent body would be a step in the right direction.
But back to the show… I am surprised and disappointed by Janette leaving us tonight. Don’t get me wrong, Kayla is an entrancing dancer, but in terms of all around-ness, personality and that I-don’t-know-what, I thought Jeanette was a better bet for staying with us tonight.
Next, come the guys. And I’m thinking: If Brandon is out, I’m blind. Jason seems to have a nice personality, and is a qualified dancer, but his technique and body control doesn’t even scratch the surface of that of Brandon’s. The result is fair in that sense. I’m glad that at least we still have our Brandon!
Odd show. Inspirational first, with the memories and video showcase; odd with the KH’s participation; sad for those who left; and... MIA*: Ellen (?).

*MIA= We mean Missing in Action…nothing to do with Mia Michaels...

SYTYCD July 22, The Top 8: On Crying, Screaming, Joking and Nailing it was all that’s good and bad about So You Think You Can Dance

Cat’s drapey beautiful golden lamé excuse for barely a cover up is almost distracting as she introduces the top eight dancers of season five. The panel of judges includes two novelties: Ellen DeGeneres who was not trained to dance by Eduardo in a lonely single enclosed street of a gated community, and DOCTOR Nigel Lythgoe. What can we say, well deserved?

Travis’ group number opens the dancing on the show and it rocks and rides, no question about it. He's a great choreographer! The camera work, however, is terrible as it unsuccessfully tries to see all the dancers doing their own thing, just not showing it. Ellen’s costume design is right on the spot, as Nigel says, very Lady Gaga. Let’s just hope that she really will light up the stage tomorrow—in combination with Mia! (for all those out there that are wondering if I’m that gullible… I know she was joking… but how much I wish it were true and Mia and Ellen will actually coordinate their outfits tomorrow!)

The tour is announced! October 22nd in Miami, tickets on sale this Saturday!

The Random Couplings:

First up are Evan and Janette, in a Jazz routine by Sonya that seems a little on the slow side (it lacked Attitude?). At some point, Nigel (that English muffin) gets inspired by the dance and covers Mary’s mouth as she rambles on in her usual shrill. Mia calls Janette her favorite dancer of the season. This is not a number that is inspirational, however. In their second number of the night (Rumba by Tony & Melanie) the inner Latino stallion of Evando (Cat’s nickname creation was a really good one!) does not really come out. A dark stage does not let us see for real what is going on, as the slow sensual rumba is danced with gusto and sparkle by Janette, but Evando… the low lights may favor his style because he is hidden in the shadows, but... He does not shine as a partner, and that has been a constant throughout the show. It seems to me that he has done more solos than partnering (the latter mostly with his brother, maybe). There was a bit of rustiness when he danced with Janette, what can I say? Mia apparently agrees, and thinks that Evando is no sex-pot (!!), but can still pull it off Zoolander style! I guess they had better seats than me on this one.

Next in the lineup, Brandon randomly chooses Jeanine (the choices this week do seem random, by the way). This should be a good combination, and they start off with a smooth waltz. The graceful lines required by this dance are hard for Jeanine to master, however, as her contemporary moves are rougher than those required by this slow, delicate dance—even her turnout was off. Brandon was a strong partner, holding up the number for the both of them and keeping it from being terrible. The judges kind of disagree and agree at he same time, but mostly I would say it was 3 to 1 that the number was not well executed. Their second number is a Pop Jazz (?) routine choreographed by Laurieann. An aggressive looking performance, this is a strong dance that wakes up Nigel with effusive praise for both. Ellen calls it da-a-a-a-ancing and Mary screams her head off. Mia, just as Nigel, says that it was great how Jeanine kept up with Brandon’s powerful dancing. All in all, in this pairing Brandon seems to have overshadowed Jeanine.

Melissa and Ade are reunited with a Cha Cha, but will Mary choo choo them? I guess not… Melissa dances Latin like a gringa ballerina, and the chemistry lacks altogether, as Ade is not much of a Latin dancer either. Ellen, however, recycles the carpenter nail joke (she was funny and I like her but she kind of recycled two jokes the whole night: the “carpenter” joke and the “I can do that” joke). Mia’s vocabulary is also lacking when she describes Ade, saying that he does that ehhnn (or something like that) that gets her unnhhd (or something like that). Melissa and Ade's second piece is a moving homage dance that Tyce builds around the idea of the suffering of a woman afflicted by breast cancer that truly brings out the emotion from every judge. The look of frailty by Melissa and the strong support by Ade gave this poignant dance a completeness that deserves the positive comments, and justifies the “it’s not about the dance steps, but about the message in the dance” that was clumsily tried to be explained at first. The twitter crowd still is not happy with Melissa, but well, it is really hard to force those that would rather be blind to see what is in front of them. Despite the judge’s comments, Melissa is probably in danger tonight.

Jason and Kayla’s first number was perfect Broadway, perhaps a little too much. It shows off Kayla, better than Jason, and it is a very classically put together piece. A couple of stumbles by both (Kayla seems to be struggling in dance shoes) but still, Mary brings out a conductor whistle and shows us that she really can’t blow, even with all that wind she carries around. Actually, let’s hope she uses this whistle a bit more because it is actually quieter than her own screams! Mia’s remarks to Jason regarding his open chest are right on the mark. He needs to open up in order to dance better. He tends to slouch causing his jumps to fall short and his lines to look sloppy. Jason and Kayla’s second number is a hip hop routine by Shane Sparks which is, perhaps, scary in more than one way. Well executed, an interesting choreography that I thought would end with an off-camera loud Vincent Price creepy laugh. I am not convinced though about what Nigel said: that all hip hop so far this season has been lame. Is he suggesting that NappiTabs needs to get their act together? Is there some hidden agenda here? Or was he talking specifically about Shane’s own previous work this season (there, I’ll agree). The dance was OK and fun, but I don’t know if it deserved such high praise and that underhanded putdown of prior works in the show.

We have to recognize that sometimes some people are more honest than they should be, Mia agrees with many of Ellen’s comments, despite the fact that Ellen tries hard to convince us that she does not know what she is talking about. Who should we be listening to, Ellen or Mia? And what sort of chemistry is developing here?

The Quickie Solos:
Kayla shows us once again her long and graceful dance moves—she has her solo routine down pat and plays it safe.
Jason’s solo is ok, and that is all I have to say.
Janette’s solo is different this time, more contemporary lyrical than Latin salsa, but she does do that “Miami Wiggle” at the end. However, that dress! It hid her from us most of the time and it kind of reminded me of a big Piñata.
Ade’s solo is electrifyingly and weirdly springy. He seems to have eaten rubber bands all wound up and then released them in short bursts as he bounced around the stage. Pretty impressive, but perhaps weird, as it was almost more of a gymnastics floor routine than a true dance.
Melissa’s solo seems a bit uninspired, not really moving, showing flexibility mostly—but we know she has that anyway, right?
Evan’s solo is well executed, even entertaining, but totally Broadway—which is good, yet probably not so much regarding votes in this show. By now, Evan seems to be preparing his audition pieces for his Broadway career, as tonight could be his last night performing for votes on the show.
With some moves that we had seen before and some new ones, Jeanine’s solo does in fact look like a dance, as opposed to some of the other semi-warm-up pieces from the other dancers.
Brandon’s solo, shirtless and athletic, showcases him as the strong dancer that he is. It is complete and good to watch. He’s so good that sometimes you miss him (as in the Waltz) because he’s flawless.

My predictions: If I can still attempt to guess anything in this show, I’ll say Melissa and Evan will leave tonight, but I’ve been so wrong so far!

Tonight is SYTYCD 100th Episode and there's a lot going on, including Katie Holmes so much talked about tap dancing. Should be a good show. And Ellen of course will be back in the panel. Will she recycle the same jokes again, or will she come up with some new material? Stay tuned.

SYTYCD Elimination Day 7/16/09: And Then There Were 5, 6, 7, Eight!

Cat seems to be wearing a design inspired by a cobalt blue enameled ashtray present for mother’s day, though smokin’ hot its NOT. At least it shows off her legs…
Wade Robson’s oriental rice paddy peasants come out with a pulsating White Black and Red girl rhythm. A good group number, by Wade assisted by Travis, opens the show on a dramatic note, promising surprises. The first one of the night is that, from now on, Nigel is DR. NIGEL, honorary doctorate of the arts from a University all the way back in England. Then we are pleasantly surprised as SYTCD Emmy nominees are announced, including our favorites: Bleeding Love, The Door, that Tango number with Jason and Chelsie, and that Adam/Eve number. Then comes the Cat, with her dreaded envelopes to tell us about the girls:
Janette hypnosis carries on, with her zombie moves and swaying hips making people pick up the phone for her.
Randi gets to sit on the stool of danger, as she is one of the bottom two.
Jeanine performance muted Mary, but not America’s phones as they rang for her and she is safe!
With Kayla and Melissa standing at the end, the blue enameled Cat quasi-surprises us when she says that Melissa will sit next to Randi. As I think about it that hippie number was not that cool, after all. It could be that when I said last night that this was a killer routine, I was not SOO far off. We’ll see in just a few minutes—after the break!
And now for the boys:
Jason is glad that Mary is not allowed to pinch his cheeks, butt America apparently wants to do so too! (despite the golden shoes… and why are Jason and Ade wearing the same shoes?)
Evan (contrary to my expectations) is safe, while Kupono is not (I expected Kupono to be safe based on my tween-teen radar, not on dancing abilities; I was trusting more what the tween-teen Twittersphere was telling me than my own lying eyes). Based on the same, I expect that Ade will be safe (which means that Brandon is not). But surprises are in store tonight! Brandon IS safe (which probably means that so will Melissa be)! The golden shoes did not do it for Ade. Seriously folks, between Ade and Kupono? How hard could it be to figure it out. Lets see after the solos if America gets it right this time…
After Randi’s solo, Debbie confesses (amidst her long exposition) that she wears extensions. The Kupono solo is the same as last night, except for the costume! What a difference a day makes… this time his solo looked rather jerky and with those feathers it reminded me a bit of a chicken dance. I am sorry, Mr. K, but for your benefit the show tonight did not get you out of the gate. Melissa’s solo is as good as it was last night, as is Ade’s. Not much to say, except to wait until (Fergie) The Black Eyed Peas finish their number.
As expected, we are sorry to see Randi leave and, after the two boys come out all ethnic each one of them, America finally gets it right and (as the final surprise of the night for me) Kupono leaves the competition tonight. I guess I should start believing my lying eyes a bit more… I was calling Kupono out since week one… since the auditions even… It took some time for America to finally get it right... After they convinced me that Kupono wasn't that bad after all!... Now, I'm so confused! Maybe the fact that the jidges in the end could not save him also made him be done tonight (me and my conspiracy theories). Until next week when, of course, Henry the Horse will dance the Waltz.

SYTYCD The Top Ten Compete: Season Five and Bollywood. Afro Picks and Travis. Plus missing Phillip, grass skirts, peace signs and daisies

A Green Herve Leger is what Cat dazzles us with tonight. As if wrapped with leaves from a tropical plant, she presents the top ten, after the clips of Mary screaming, and Lil’ C commiserating (as Nigel covers his ears). Debbie Allen is the guest judge, despite no control from the judges over the final outcome, as we are repeatedly reminded. Yet, given their comments, I guess it’s better that they do not get to jidge anymore. After Mary’s bling distracting exposition on the randomness of pairings and dances (which I have my own conspiratorial theories about… or, how come everybody picks names out of a hat, till the very last couple? …shouldn’t the last one be a given? …and how’s it possible that no couple is ever a repeat? …random…ummm... will create repeats... ummm… ) Debbie talks about the last standing dancer. Debbie seems to wax philosophical all night long, as her comments stand way out there all throughout.

We start the dynamics of the show with a girl’s group Bollywood number choreographed by Nakul. They use a “mutka (?) which reminds us of the magical hat that is mysteriously used to select styles in the show. It is a compelling number that really showcases them all, but it seems to me that Melissa stands out. With a spicy look in his eye, Nigel calls the harem clad girls a plate of bangers and mash or even one of hot tandori! Oh, Nigel, can you handle your big group of women? I don’t think so, Nigel!

After the girls’ group number, the couples and solos first start with Kayla and Evan doing a Viennese Waltz choreographed by Tony and Melanie. This waltz is danced to a great song by Seal and it has a challenging and tricky compensation of height issue. The lifts were great, and I am not sure what Mary is talking about when she says he is not flexing his knees. It sure looked like it to me!

Ade and Janette get Nappitabs and she is funked up by the afro pick. WTFork? I really do not understand what’s the meaning of the afro pick? Afro pick, nappytabs, nappy hair, black power? Is there something here that I really cannot grasp? ???? Back to the dance: Janette can swing her booty and Ade can shake that comb! It was a little rusty at times, but good at others. In the end, I think I liked the number, but it is not my favorite by Nappitabs. As far as the jidges comments go, I am not sure if Nigel promises or threatens Mary to hypnotize her out of her clothes, and I am not sure if Mary looks forward to it or is shocked by the idea. Mesmer the hypnotist is referenced over and over again, including as Debbie tells Ade to stay away from her daughter! WTFork?

Jeanine gets Jason and Travis Wall’s contemporary routine. Awesome! Just having Travis choreographing for the show is already great! The dance is sexy, almost dirty?, but relies too much on a hearty gimmick. The heart on a chain going back and forth was a bit distracting and seemed forced (isn’t dance supposed to seem effortless?) but in the end the whole number did get pulled together. In the predictable jidges comments, I do not understand why Nigel had to underhandedly slam Phillip when he says that Jeanine finally got a partner that can keep up with her. Debbie has an evangelical epiphany about dance shows and their influence upon the world. I think that I may have to see this number again.

By the way, a side note here, people on Twitter came up with a drinking game that I found quite amusing… Debbie Allen’s new drinking game: take a shot every time Debbie Allen says "honey," "child," or "girl" or "my school."

Randi and Kupono do a Paso. Randi’s hair has transformed to that of a Decepticon eluding an Autobot. The execution was not as good. Kupono’s lifts were weak, even scary. Poor Randi! This dance seemed soo looong to me! And I’m sure it was longer to her, not knowing when Kupono was going to drop her nose first to the floor! And finnaly he did! When the jidges comment on trust issues it was so understandable that Randi was concerned… after all, he almost dropped her at the start, in the middle, and finally did drop her at the end!

Looking forward to the mathematical obvious pairing of Melissa and Brandon, they are given a killer routine – Broadway choreographed by Tyce. Fortunately, it is a piece from Hair! 1967 for those checking out there (and Nigel does, correcting the 70’s reference). Let’s see if they can do better than that awful West Side Story number by Kupono and Kayla. And they do! These are hippies with Attitude, extensions and jazz hands. And what were they smokin’ at the end? Beautiful flower child Melissa is a stand out.

The Solos:
When Brandon does his solo, he shows what training and technique can do to an improvised routine. He seems comfortable and perhaps a little too cocky.
Randi’s solo shows off her beautiful smile, but not much more. It is unfortunately not very original, with some poses, some tricks, lots of floor and an awful dress.
Kupono’s solo makes me reconsider him as a dancer! He does well, showcasing a style that defines him, all raggedy and quasi-sinister.
Melissa does her contemporary ballet solo, with great technique and only on the floor at the end. She has that level that defines her as a dancer but, can she be “America’s Favorite Dancer”?
Evan makes good in a solo that makes me think that he took to heart the Gene Kelly comment by Debbie Allen. His costume is out of place with the actual choreography, which makes the whole thing contrast with itself. Is that a good thing? I don’t think so. I think instead that the old-fashioned bits outweighed the contemporary parts.
Kayla does well, looking pretty and with some well executed air tricks, demonstrating good extensions and a pretty presence. She makes me think that ALL of these dancers ARE good, and deserve to be where they are. It is sad to think that there is only one winner, but oh well, what is that phone number again Cat?
Ade’s solo is athletic and impressive. Lots of tricks = lots of audience cheers = lots of votes.
Stunning Jeannine jumps to some scorpions and stays upright all seconds long. She does very well. And her vote number is…?
Jason’s solo is truly unimpressive. After seeing the athleticism, technique and originality of the others, I must say that he is the weakest of the boys, closely behind Evan.
Jeannete shakes her Miami moves and shows what Latino ballroom looks like! But, was it original? Can it grab that vote from the tweens out there? Among the girls, I would think that she and Randi are competing for the bottom.
To end of the show we get grass skirts after all! The boys do an African Dance routine tat I am tooooo tired to comment upon. It looked generally good, almost as punchy as the “Single Ladies” choreography performed by Beyonce. Perhaps a little more masculine.
My predictions for tomorrow: Randi and Evan out.

SYTYCD - Results July 9 - Phillip is out... and I'm not happy...

Nappytabs group number is pulsating with anticipation, as it builds up the expectation to… Cat’s Dress Tonight! An odd Southwest or Mexican inspired Turquoise number that gets mixed reviews, as she congratulates the ancient judge on his B-Day. His own elegance does not shine through as he underhandedly shows his anger at the MJ estate and Sony for not allowing SYTYCD to play up commercially for ratings the tragic death of MJ.
As the first pair of couples comes up for elimination night, I think it’s obvious that Jason and Caitlin will be bottom threed, as the other couple is Brandon and Jeannette. As predicted in our blog last night, J&C are in the bottom and this is bad news for Jason, I think.
As Evan and Randi are voted safe (that Russian Dance was a real vote killer, I guess) instead of Phillip and Jeannine, Nigel goes into a solo of his own, talking about how everyone in this show anyway will be on the tour (as they need a couple of swing dancers after all). He rambles on the weight of votes, of trajectory, of the judges’ opinions and on other ways of altering the final results. He seems to say, “ok, so we rig it, but it is just a show after all… isn’t it? And now I’m really afraid for Phillip, since my prediction last night is already off, as I had assumed Evan would be off. Are they really going to kick Phillip out for the rest of the show, but keep him for the tour? So, I love Brandon and I’m okay with Ade, but is that going to be it? What’s the thrill of watching the show then? I suffer through every Kupono dance. And I never really liked Evan (who comes across as amateurish at best). Jason is alright, but not extraordinary. OK, so I’m getting producer-philosophical here and I almost miss it when Melissa & Ade as well as Kupono & Kayla come up. Unfortunately (although I expected it this way in my prediction blog) Kupono and Kayla are the safe pair.
Half of the dancers are in the bottom three, and I expect that means lots of disappointed fans (about 50%). But seriously, lets look at the TOP three: Brandon and Jeannete, Evan and Randi, and Kayla and Kupono! Are you serious? B&J I can see, but E&R and K&K over Melissa & Ade and Phillip & Jeannine? Let’s see the solos…
[I close the eyes in my mind, as the eyes in my head see that none of these guys should be out tonight—but it is a competition and we all knew the rules of the game. I feel for Jason but among these three, it would be the logical outcome. Among the girls I almost feel the same way about Caitlin, the one girl with the most beautiful bare-feet pointe ever!!]
The singer sings, the backup dancers dance, the commercials numb the mind and when the show starts once again, long haired and legged Cat welcomes back the jidges who quickly ratify my foreboding but predictable thoughts as they kick out Caitlin. When Phillip is kicked out I am upset! But Nigel quickly tells all not to worry as he and Caitlin will be on the tour anyhow. Phillip was my “exception,” the first time I’m really a fan of an untrained dancer. He has worked so hard over the last two to three years to get where he is at. He seemed humble and honest and very creative. Someone who could really push the envelope. I am sad, and a little bit of my heart goes out with him. Phillip I am your fan!