So You Think You Can Dance? Oh yeah? C'mere a minute!

rrrobyn, yes it was utterly addictive during try-outs, though I would say that that portion of the show (documentary with a judging aspect) was a different kind of reality tv than the kind it is now (talent-show).

Seriously, I think jive is the new best thing ever now.

Kamilah, on the other hand.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/plechazunga/tybe/kamilah.jpg

(Nota bene: the file is misnamed, as it indeed is of the hott hip hop routine.)

I saw a couple of episodes on dvd through a friend here in Australia and it is awesome. I hear the series are coming down under but not sure yet.

If it came to Sydney it will be great to see dancers from 7 Flavours like Csaba Szirmai, Laura New and Supple go the distance with it.

Life is like a dance!!!

As of yet, I'm digging it way more than I ever dug American Idol.

But I think that's only because the cross-dressing "Flashdance" performer is actually John Cameron Mitchell.

The popping guy - that was incredible.

also, as i posted on another thread, the dude w/ the angelina jolie lips saying "i exuberate fantasticisms" had my sister and i rolling with laughter.

i got bored about halfway through the show tonight, though, so i'm not sure i'll watch past the auditions.

DANG R U STOKED FOR 2MORROW NITE?

Excuse me. I am in the wrong thread.

Aimless doesn't think he can dance!

this is the show i got my vcr out for last summer! but now i'm putting my tv on the curb! i hope people will internet it

again: way better than that other show, with the singing

Agreed! I don't know why I think that, maybe it's because I have better music taste than dance taste.

PS - rrrobyn you might be pleased to know that some people -- e.g. me this um friend of mine -- do in fact internet the show. As to whether this friend will continue to do so for this season, well, Paypal always helps!

ohmy

Uh, boring.

Sex = NO

Was that Jamal fellow a plant? No way that he'd get a second audition to do his swing routine and THEN get to fool around waiting for the DO-DOOT DOOTs to kick in and then FLATTEN the judges, and THEN make it past the choreography if the judges/producers didn't know at least some of his plan.

http://www.themovieblog.com/archives/dammedancing01.gif

waht

I almost set that as my desktop background, then I remembered I am at work

I believe that would be harder to explain than glowstick cat, yes.

http://jj.am/gallery/d/368-1/Vandammedance2.gif

http://jj.am/gallery/d/366-1/VanDammeDance1.gif

OK. I have to remember the search is "c'mere."

I like the guy who went on a big spiel about how b-boys have nothing to do with breakdancing.

oh i didn't realize ppl were watching this show! i was pleased to see the sex return, if only for roffles. i remember watching it last yr w/ sister and lolling over him. but i will probably stop watching after auditions rounds are over, as i have for the two seasons before.

Show was pretty great tonight, this group seems as good as last year.

Come now, ladies and fellows! Join me in being gob-smacked by the results last night! Untapped potential trumping whatever Jimmy brought to the table! (Actually I was starting to dig Jimmy, he really commits to his routines.)

Nigel showing tough love. Jimmy wasn't going to win. Cedric won't win either, but he can do a lot of stuff that NO ONE can do. Funny how Nigel was carving up Ced this week in apparent contradiction of what he said last week - namely, that breakers should get a fair shake. Watch for big improvement in Cedric now that his deadweight partner is gone.

I've only seen like five minutes of this, but both times it was Lacey dancing and daaaaaaamn.

I am loving this group so far. So much talent to go around!

Dominic/Sabra, Jesus/Sara: Both are adorable. I didn't think Dom could pull off contemporary so well.

Lacey/Kameron and Lauren/Neil are probably the couples that will sail through thanks to the teen vote. I'm sort of meh on them both so far, although I'd like to see what Lacey does in her own style.

Partnering Danny and Anya is sort of unfair to the rest, they both seem to be such seasoned veterans. I'd say they are the frontrunners.

I really like Pasha, and Shauna was really great this week. Not so into their partners. Cedric just needs to get it together for a routine, so he doesn't have to save himself yet again with one of his emo hip-hop solos.

I think my appreciation for Shauna went up a notch when she said one of her ambitions is to be a "techno singer."

okay maybe i was wrong about cedric, but wasn't it the choreography at fault rather than anything he did or didnt do on the dance floor?

I think he sort of had a death wish no matter what. At least he got a scholarship out of it.

Okay, this is going to be unforgivably mean:

When Pasha stepped out onto the dance floor with the choreographer's assistant, I missed the first 45 seconds of their routine because I was shrieking with hysterical laughter. I think it was the cardigan that put me over the edge.

guys, that hok/jaimie thing was like woah.

dimension, it was the choreography that made cedric blah, but the reason the choreography was like that was because he apparently wasn't capable of dancing the routine in that style/with his partner so they tried to cleverly hide it.

yeah the pasha thing was a little redic. i understand they didn't want her to be considered as part of the duo, but the cardigan!? and damn, if you're gonna put a big girl out there in a short skirt, at least make sure she's comfortable in it and won't be pulling it down mid-dance every time it starts to ride up!!

They spend so much time talking about Danny/Anya and they are both really, really good, but Dominic/Sabra are just an order of magnitude better than them. If Dominic doesn't win the whole thing, I will be very surprised.

(Also cosign to Hok/Jaimie routine, wo)

Pasha's dance partner was the formerly amazing Melanie Lapatin.

Hok & Jaimie's routine was great, and I've liked pretty much everything Kameron & Lacey have done so far.

i really liked kameron & lacey's contemporary but after that they haven't been so interesting. they seem to be running on the 'look at us flirt omg' thing and the fact that (as previously mentioned) the teens think they are soooo cute.

Kameron and Lacey are a hell of a lot better than the other tiger beat couple of Lauren & Neil though, who have no chemistry and have yet to show why they even made the Top 20.

is that the blonde dude and tango girl from last night?
they suck.

Yeah. Too bad they'll be around another week as it seems Cedric and Pasha's partner are on their way out tonight.

Can I just say that the TWO-P posters are a colossal horde of tools each individually wrapped in a flaming douchebag?

Not the least of which was because they've yet to answer this question: What is it called, that Yoga Man steepled-hands bowed-in-thanks maneuver which Wade Robson pulled last night?

Jesus is impressive, no? I've been crushing on Sara B-Girl -- ADORABLE -- and because of whom he's slid into my good graces, but I think he's easily my favorite male dancer on the show now. Praise.

What happened in between the end of Cedric's number and Nigel's comments to him? The broadcast here got interrupted for brief emergency news coverage. Even though Mia shortchanged him on the choreo, when Cedric did move, towards the end, he had me near tears. (Tears of goodness, natch.) I am not afraid to admit I voted thrice or qurice for him.

The Hok/Jaimie dance should be bronzed, but with diamonds.

BLOOD DIAMONDS

btw end of dance and nigel's comments, debbie allen professed her love for cedric and told him to come to her dance academy and they all made a hueg scene and then whatshername was really boring for a minute, iirc.

I saw the feelgood Debbie Allen liberal guilt scholarship! I must've missed Mary blathering on about something or other, because I remember being quite calm instead of seething with the usual bloodhate I have for that Botox victim.

End of Cedric and Whatserface's dance went like this:

Debbie Allen: Cedric, I love you and therefore am going to say tons and tons and tons of positive things about you to deflect from the fact that once you leave your style, you can't dance your way out of a paper bag.

Mary: Dude, I said you should have gone last week and I was outvoted. Don't think THAT'S happening again...!

Nigel: Yeah, Mary OTM, you are total weaksauce.

Cedric: I just wanted to say that I'm up here to tell all aspiring dancers out there that they have to study if they want to do something like this.

Nigel: Well yes, this is true.

Mary: Amen! (to self: Now get the fuck off my stage!)

Debbie Allen: You can come study with me!

Mary: What, for free?

Debbie Allen: (to self: oh shit this is live television) ... I'll give you a scholarship!

Cedric: HAHAHAHAHA SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE PWNED! DEBBIE ALLEN PWNED! I = AWESOMES!

Cedric's Partner: guys, I'm still here, please pay attention to me

Cat: I'm British and pretty! Think about my rack during this next break.

i wish televisionwithoutpity would replace all recaps with dan-caps!!!

What the? I saw all that! I must've missed some other schmoe's judgmental commentary. I'm also for Dan replacing that one site, which I forgot that I usually don't mention by name. But be nice to Cat, she is far from being a bog-standard British totty.

I was disappointed that the hip hop routine (which itself was meh) had "Oh, Timbaland" instead of "Sinnerman."

hip hop was not as bad as the crumping at beg. of show

I liked the krumping, except it wasn't krumping.

When Sabra said she wanted to be a stand up comedian, I pictured her doing a Jeannie Darcy routine.

who got canned? i was out drinking.

Jesus (noooooooo!) & Jessi

Yeah, Jesus should have stuck around longer. I don't think the new Pasha/Sara partnership helps either of them.

Should have been Lauren & Neil.

REALLY should have been Lauren and Neil!!!

uh, i forget, who is jesus?

HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS

oh, HIM!

I guess if L&N are going to go, they should go together. They don't deserve to have any other partners.

I felt so bad for Jessi. Her cha-cha routine was fantastic and her solo was the least awful of the bottom four females. (I'm especially disappointed in Sara. She made breaking look like her weakest style.) But maybe they felt that keeping Jessi in the competition would mean putting her health at risk.

I don't understand the judges' Anya/Danny love at all. They're the only pair with zero charisma.

Laughing uncontrollably when your reality life is on the danger while the head judge is holding forth = charisma surely!

Along w/ Jimmy, this has been the second straight week that I dancer I liked (or really liked in Chuy's case) got Nigeled.

Also, has anyone noticed who directs the show?

I've noticed.

Same one?

I hope not!

y, according to imdb

Wow, maybe they should take a week off more often.

Kameron/Lacey = A+++++++++ for dancing to Inner Life's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

Seems like every Wade Robson routine has some variation of zombies, hunchbacks, vagabounds, or comic book characters in it.

Or maybe he has watched Thriller way too many times.

To be technical, it wasn't comic book characters last night, it was definitely more old skule cartoons, all that was missing from Neil's getup was a handlebar 'stache.

Kameron/Lacey = A+++++++++ for dancing to Inner Life's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

Whoa whoa whoa whoa!!! Awesome!!!

It totally makes up for some of the weaker song choices this year.

The best part aside from the insanely OTM song selection is that Lacey appears to be chewing gum.

Kameron seems to be a good supporting partner, but Lacey has overshadowed him every week, leaving him in the background to "be there for her".

I actually enjoyed the Pasha/Sara hi-nrg swing thing more than I expected to.

Would have liked to see Anya go home instead of Shauna, really.

Totally. Shauna had the best solo of the ladies, who've been wimping out without their partners. (I think last season had stronger female dancers.) Plus, she danced to Zombie!

Is this Inner Life thing a big deal on the other side of the Atlantic? I don't get the love.

It's big on whatever side of the Atlantic appreciates euphoric dance music.

I was hoping Shauna could hang on for another week. Being partnered with Cedric was sort of a no hope situation I guess. She didn't have a bubbly personality, but did have really great technique/pathos in her routines.

I was hoping Jaimie would go. She's a bit too fairy princess for me at times. Her solo was pure fluff.

Re: Inner Life - it's impressive they used such a hip version of the song. It was the Larry Levan remix of the original Patrick Adams/Greg Carmichael production. Not the Marvin Gaye or Diana Ross version. I guess this might only resonate with disco geeks.

I don't think the new Pasha/Sara partnership helps either of them.

HI DERE WORDS, I WD LIKE VERY MUCH TO EAT U NOW

Yeah, totally.

I never lost faith! I thought there would be a huge height disparity, though, but Sara is not that much shorter than Pasha.

Did the euphoric bits of the Inner Life song get edited out? Kind of seemed mid-tempo and unremarkable.

The full length mix is ten and a half minutes.

I am having a hard time figuring out who is awesomest, Dominic, Sabra or Sara

i am really liking dominic!!! sabra rocks too. wait who is sara?

I guess this might only resonate with disco geeks.

Evidently.

Sara is the b-girl who rocked the swing dance with Pasha this week. She seems to be more versatile then you'd expect her to be.

That's because she's only been into breaking for a few years now, while she's been training in other forms for much longer.

lol @ the mental dweebs on that other message board who thought sincerely thought that Dom was teh retarded when he said that Cat was French.

That was awesome. When he said his secret crush was on Cat, I thought, "Man, that's cheesy." But the French comment made it worthwhile.

where can i watch replays of ppls dances other than kameron and lacey?

I guess the easy answer is to search around youtube/daily motion using "sytycd" and see what's been recently added. You could also go to the dreaded idolforums and find the video thread(s).

Sara, according to her ever-shifting bio, had dabbled in various forms but never seriously studied anything before she became a b-girl.

teh, you won't get far on Youtube search with "SYTYCD" -- best to search for the names of individual dancers and something like top+16 or whatever. Don't know about Daily Motion, though. I might add that I occasionally upload some higher-res to the old bloggo, and I'm taking requests!

yeah i searched title yesterday and got all these instructional videos. thanks for the tips!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/plechazunga/tybe/sytycd/week4-lolracist.jpg

"a classic tale of good vs evil"

what a weirdo broadway routine

yeah, wtf?! i wld like one of the choreographers to not let/enable hok's tricks. make him dance in the style for once and see how it goes!!

dom/sabra are definitely my favorite couple at this point.

so what, no one boos wade's criticism?

I really liked the Pasha/Sara jazz thing, especially those poised looks on Sara's face. No idea who's going home tonight though.

Because he spoke in a flat monotone, the audience couldn't tell when he was saying something bad or something good. And he bored them to sleep.

I have the fear that my Sara is going home tonight. ;____;

Well that was something.

i think this is the first week i haven't hated lauren. but that was probably because she did a mia michaels dance.

Lauren didn't do that bad in her solo. Everyone was really on tonight though.

This was the first week I sort of liked Neil. I'm amused that he's always giving this shoulder shrug to the camera, as if to say "Who, me? On TV? Ooookkkkk."

i thought danny's solo was really sloppy.

It's from all his sweat.

Funniest waltz ever.

i am starting to like lauren more and more and jamie less and less. weird. sabra is still wowawesome.

I've gone cold on Dominic lately. He hasn't really impressed with any of his technique since he did Contemporary. I was agreeing with a good deal of the critiques tonight.

That was an awesome group routine!

So, I'm basically talking to myself but...uneven show last night, each couple seemed to get one great routine, one dud. I think the judges are overhyping Sabra a bit the past two weeks. Maybe I just need to see a "harder-hitting side" of her, she's always so bouncy and light.

The individual solos tonight were all pretty awesome though (except Lacey, who just slid around). I thought Sara would get by another week on popularity, but Lauren does seem to have better technique.

Sabra is unbelievable. I love love love her.

Sabra and Pasha for the final two!

So when the judges gushed about Mia's choreography, were they just being nice because her dad died? Seriously, that piece was almost as awful as "Mr. Bojangles."

Tonight's group routine was kinda cool, although it seems odd that they'd be inspired by The Matrix in 2007.

Also, a couple FINALLY, ACTUALLY kissing onstage = teh hot. I will miss Dominic and his lust for the ladies.

Yeah, what was with Lauren and Sara being sexy last night? Did not expect that. And Neil should keep his shirt on if he's so squeamish. He could learn a lesson from Pasha tonight.

who choreographed tonight? i didn't see any of it. who went home?
i really like sabra. a lot. pasha = wow! surprise!

i don't vote though.

Sara/Dom went home. Shane Sparks did the group routine last night. It was good, but my favorite group routine of the year was Mia's from last week.

;___________; x 2

Shane totally recovered from that weaksauce choreography he gave to Sara and Danny. Favorite of the season is still Wade's routine to the Busta Rhymes track.

Who I want to win, in descending order:

Sabra
Danny
Pasha
Lacey

I don't care beyond that.

i do not like lacey.

That's because of her bangs.

haha. i think it's cause she makes really weird faces.

I know they want a girl winner this year, but I think its awkward having a brother and sister win back-to-back, nepotism or not.

I have no idea who's going next week though.

Lauren and Neil are leaving next week.

That would seem logical, but then again I was sure they would be leaving weeks and weeks ago.

Lacey and Sabra will be the final two - none of the guys are strong enough to win it. I think that Sabra is probably the best overall, but Lacey is possibly more popular.

Dom grabbing Cat went a little too far last night, he was coming off way too desperate and creepy.

Best episode ever? I think the choreographers have been holding out on us. Dave Scott and Mandy Moore are my new favorites this year.

I was disappointed by Mia Michaels again, but I think that's because I was promised aliens and there wasn't anything even remotely resembling aliens.

lindseykai OTM, Michael not so much.

I am a sucker for this show. But still, no need for the buzzkill :)

Soary! (._.)
I am just filled with hate and bile since my shawty Sara got eliminated.

I really liked Sara too, but she would have been toast if she made it through. I can't see her keeping up with the technical stuff Lauren or Sabra were doing this week.

Oh no doubt her "hot tamale train" would've stopped outside of Top 4 station, but I sincerely believed that in the inevitable Lauren vs. Sara bottom-off last week, b-girl would be getting past Unpopular Girl of the Year.

Also, I'm sure it's luridly obvious already, but I'm one of those trogs who don't know what a technique is.

Technique i.e. raw ability/training, as opposed to showing emotion/personality.

I think Lauren is just unpopular on the internet boards, who magnify every comment 400 times. She started off slow, but really picked it up mid-season.

Lauren has no technique. She's about the equivalent of Jessi Peralta. Her disco this week was really, incredibly awkward and terrible. And her balance is always precarious and clumsy.

True, she probably won't win this because she can be sloppy and does fall out of her turns, but I think her fleetness of foot gave her an advantage over Sara, who, as good as she was, danced heavier on her feet.

Okay I was completely wrong about Neil, wow. Dude was fucking amazing.

All in all, I can't complain about this final four at all. I would have liked to see Dominic or Sara there but realistically I knew it wouldn't happen.

Neil has really stepped it up lately, in solos and in partnering. I did not expect it at all from the first couple weeks.

I'm happy with the final four too. And I think they all have a fair shot at winning the whole thing. You could say Lacey has an advantage being Benji's sister, but she's struggled a bit the last couple weeks while everyone else has been pushing hard.

Just watched this last night. I was sad to see Pasha go, but the sudden and constant shirtlessness just reeks of desperation.

The top five guy have all gone the shirtless route at least once this season, no? None of them have been as hilarious as when Dmitry did it though.

The top 4 guys have; Kameron doesn't really have the physique to go shirtless in a routine, though he-man he did go away from the stage.

Neil's body type is a little weird, thinking about the shirtless thing. Highly defined musculature yes, but it still looks adolescent (narrow shoulders?).

wow that mia routine made it incredibly obvious how much better danny is than neil!

I'm predictable here, but: Mind. Blown.

I liked how they really raised the difficulty/complexity level the past two weeks.

When Wade starting going off about baby foxes and doing slow-motion "Thriller" moves in rehearsal, I was preparing for the worst. But it ended up really effecting me, more so than I'd like to admit (or even fully understand).

Lacey: still hottt.

So... did Danny win?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/w1nt3rmut3/rockit.gif

I'm still sort of speechless at the foxes routine! I think it will be my favorite routine of the season. I'm surprised the judges had no idea what was going on, even with Wade spelling out the mother/daughter relationship.

Dear d0n w31n3r,
When editing a routine, you should never include anything more closeup than a wide shot.

woah, upset!

Danny?

I WANT DANNY TO WIN BECAUSE HE'S HOT.

um, i hope you are in a different time zone because it's over now. but i won't spoil.

Yaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy!!!!!!

When Wade starting going off about baby foxes and doing slow-motion "Thriller" moves in rehearsal, I was preparing for the worst. But it ended up really effecting me, more so than I'd like to admit (or even fully understand).

the baby foxes routine is the best thing i've seen on that show -- there was a touch of kate bush about it, e.g. the "running up that hill" video. it's a vast improvement over the overeager jazz-hands pageantry that passes for good choreography the rest of the time. i feel sort of validated that all the judges hated it.

SO SO SO HAPPY

word up, although runner-up would have been just fine with us

i would have been happy with either of them. as it is, i think it's pretty awesome that *winner* won!

This season was awesome.

I never thought that SABRA could pull it off! She almost seems too humble, too modest to win a reality type show. I never thought she was the best soloist, but in hindsight, she was the most consistently great in the partner routines (more so than Danny or Lacey). And thankfully "only 4 years of dance!" didn't become the new "Jordin Sparks is 17!".

I'd like to think it was the foxes routine that sealed the win for her. I could watch that shit all day.

Dear d0n w31n3r,
When editing a routine, you should never include anything more closeup than a wide shot.

I was thinking about this when they were redoing the routines last night. This was a chance for the camera guys to shows us different angles of the same dance. Some of the shot layouts were exactly the same, but I noticed the Neil/Lacey flower dance was approached a bit differently.

I never thought she was the best soloist, but in hindsight, she was the most consistently great in the partner routines (more so than Danny or Lacey).

I don't know, Danny brought it hardcore on Wednesday night.

I still don't disagree with the result, though. In fact, I am super psyched about the result.

lol laughing at my total aboutface re: Dom/Sabra upthread

Yeah, there's no doubt he was game on Wednesday. I actually thought Danny was going to win it all going into the finale.

I hope next season can match up to this one.

This is being shown in Aus at the moment. THE ENGLISH GUY HAS TIINY HANDS.

..I didn't really look to see if his hands had already been discussed.

i will admit to loving that show

THE ENGLISH GUY HAS TIINY HANDS.

-- W4LTER

Can wee paws to reflect on this for a second?

http://www.poptower.com/images/db/1224/420/300/nigel-lythgoe.jpg

^^^^^^^
ASHAMED

He doesn't want to show his hand.

ATTN LEEEEEE: May 22

Good start to Season 4, the hip-hop guys were ridiculous last night.

The auditions in SLC were pretty awesome if only for the Choreographer's Daughter and the Ice Breaker!

So glad that Mandy is back and a judge this time.

Wowowow that ballet kid who danced to the Requiem for a Dream track!!

It's no American Idol but it will have to do.

Any standout performances from the past few seasons I should check out?

Scroll past all my navel-gazing down to the bottom where I list my favorite dances from season 3. No idea if any of the download links still work; Youtube vids tend to get culled of any SYTYCD performances, too. Generally: anything Wade Robson choreographed, half of what Mia Michael choreographs (keywords: travis+heidi+bench), a quarter of what Shane Sparks choreographs (SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH Jamile and Destini's hip hop).

Ugh, Requiem for a Dream is becoming the dancer cliche that refuses to die!

"becoming"

xpost
True, it's no American Idol. It's a million bajillion times better.

So why didn't they send Mr. "Graduated from Julliard in three years" through to Vegas? Sure, he was annoying, but he was a great dancer.

Because he'd been to Vegas in seasons past, at which point he was one of the final cuts.

The Julliard guy seemed insecure and a bit too hung-up on trying to impress the judges - perhaps that's why his "perfect technique" came across as cold to me.

I'd agree with Lee's recommendations for S3 (except for Mr Pinstripe Suit), and would add Shauna's 2 solos in there. I would say most of the S3 routines are of a consistent quality, while S1&S2 were much more hit or miss (although S2 def had great moments with Ivan/Allison, Travis/Heidi, etc).

i have not seen any of this yet :( argh! and it's not being streamed on fox or hulu.

tehresa, :_(

OTOH, I've waited my entire life for someone nerdy enough to google himself to finally make it onto a reality tv show, as one of the auditioners left a comment on my blog! I'm big time now, folx, don't need to slum on ILX anymore.

for reference, the other (only?) comprehensive sytcd blog is: http://bloggingsytycd.blogspot.com/

Lots of video clips of the good auditions there too, in case you missed anything.

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Brandon Bryant getting cut in favor of any of those other contemporary guys is a travesty.

That and Kelli Baker being cut seem to be the most obvious WTFs for me (and a lot of others too). I can only hope they are "saving" them for next season. Aren't they both still in their teens? I was also sort of hoping engineering girl Sheila would make it too, but alas.

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the whole 'speak out of turn, have the judges completely flip out' thing.

I am!

Loved most of the routines tonight, but top 20 night is usually my favorite show of the year.

My favorite of the night was the "No Air" hip-hop routine. I love Joshua.

I really hate the first name Kherington! If all the douchebag first names got together and had a baby they'd name her Kherington. Gross. At least her perma-smile served her well during the Broadway number.

argh i missed that, but i did see a bit in the recap and it looked like they were killing it!

Hip hop & Abu Ghraib!

Man, Nigel was really hyped up tonight. And who brought Sicily and Olestra back?

Katee & Joshua are running away with this so far. Although the best moment tonight might have been after Courtney/Gev's routine when Mia did the shooting gun gesture to the head right when Mary starting talking (screaming).

I really just want to see people fucking dance. I hate having a running commentary or some rhythm lacking soulless hack sitting & 'judging' people. I just want to be taken aback and amazed and go away and dance some more not hear how 'oooh where was the love in that?' I'LL DECIDE IF THERE WAS ANY LOVE.
Some of those dancers are smug mofo's tho.

You can always mute/post to ILX during the annoying parts where the judges blah blah blah.

Katee & Joshua

Are these the two who did the Broadway routine tonight? They just finished it was def my favorite so far.

Katee & Joshua were the Broadway couple and they are the couple to beat for me. Two weeks in a row they have been the best of the night for me.

I'd put Kherington and Twitch in my personal second place, although Mia Michaels was completely otm about K (I've decided not to type out her name anymore) needing to tone down the pageant smile.

Third I'd put Mark and Courtney (?). They don't have the strength and energy of the other two couples but you can tell that they really throw themselves into the choreography and they've been great both times as well.

Of course this is all coming from someone who's been dialing the American Idol voting # for the last few minutes so take it as you wish.

Has anyone else been infuriated by the amazingly shoddy camerawork this season? For fuck's sake, we don't want close-ups when people are dancing. I choose to blame new associate producer Barton Kimball, who, according to iMDB, cut his teeth as a PA for "Mind of Mencia."

Matt and Kortni are the tall couple, I think you might be talking about Mark and Chelsea?

Pretty cool Shane Sparks group routine tonight.

ok nigel saying kobe bryant is a 'great man' lolololol did someone forget a certain scandal???

california pride

Yeah, Mark and Chelsea I guess, who did the contemporary routine on Wednesday.

Wasn't surprised with Susie leaving, but I was surprised that they picked Chris over Marquis; I didn't find much passion or much of anything to Chris's solo.

Has anyone else been infuriated by the amazingly shoddy camerawork this season?

I've been annoyed by it on more than one occasion too...the angles can get a bit bizarre and in the transitions you lose focus of the dancing.

chris's solo was sloppy!

man so much filler and banter tonight. i guess it was kind of epic.

When they get to the top 4 guys (Twitch, Joshua, Will, Mark), I have no idea how any of them leaving the competition can be justified. They should all win.

(With the girls, you've got Katee and white Chelsea kind of running away from everyone else, sadly including my eternal girlfriend Comfort.)

missed tonight :\

Awesome: Twitch/Kherrington, Mark/Chelsea, Matt/Kourtni, Joshua/Katee
Good: Chris/Comfort, Will/Jessica, Gev/Courtney, Will/Jessica (<--- srsly I like them both and Will is obv super-talented but MOST OVERRATED COUPLE EVER)

did not see tonight but i have been totally impressed by twitch's adaptability! is he more adaptable than hawk was?

YES. Both he and Joshua are. J/K did a samba tonight that was GREAT!

#1 with a bullet: Joshua/Katee for the third week in a row
very close #2: Mark/Chelsea

I actually though Chris & Comfort's routine was better than the judges said (and I am not a fan of theirs) and I thought Twitch & K were not very good tonight (and I'm a fan of theirs).

I don't think blonde Courtney/Kortni/whatever & her partner deserve to be in the bottom three but I would really like to see her drop her partner and get with Will.

Comfort and Chris I want to like but they just haven't been dancing well so far. Chelsea/Thanye also seem to be on borrowed time.

Yay Comfort gets a new partner!

Joshua is unbelievable.

hmm blonde kortni whatever needs to step up. i like her, but damn, has reality tv taught her nothing about PERSONALITY!

I don't think any of the eliminations so far have been controversial. But the probable top ten is looking to be pretty awesome.

Best Mia Michaels routine, ever?

That Cirque du Soleil-lookin' thing? I did not enjoy.

I thought it was cool, but perhaps not as awesome as her Imogen Heap/acapella group numbers from the past two seasons.

14 dances tonight! are they trying to kill these kids?

The first half of Katee & Joshua's swing dance was dubbed over with a weather service announcement. What is this, the 50s?? And can't you just scroll that at the bottom of the screen?

You didn't miss much (the music was also dire).

But their Mia routine was woah. Also, I finally saw something good in Twitch (not talking about his abs).

Yeah I watched it online and it was definitely their weakest dance so far. Their contemporary was brilliant, I totally agree.

It's probably Kornti & Matt's (the tall couple) time to go.

lol @ cat making teh sexy jokes.

I kind of wish Jess/Will only had that one dance, instead of having to also do that horrible quickstep. I guess that's the drawback of having to do two dances in a week. Kheri/Twitch had the same problem with a bad-ass krump and then a totally indifferent tango.

Courtney/Gev were really good tonight. And was it me or is Chelsie looking much much older than 18?

i am so excited they put bollywood on! even though i wish that chick was a lot curvier to pull it off.

Mia was pretty nasty to Jessica; I don't like Jessica at all but I have to give her props for not totally dissolving into tears onstage as I probably would have done.

Bollywood was brilliant. Without doing the math since I don't have the stats, it seems as if Katee/Joshua have closed the show multiple times? I certainly don't remember them ever not being in the last half of the performances. Since they are my fav I don't mind the obvious pimpage but I do find it a bit blatant.

The judge favoritism/manipulation is a bit more obvious this year, but I think the dances are holding your own. I'm guessing most of them have to develop a thick skin for criticism to make it as a dancer anyway.

I do sort of feel bad for Thayne, because he's been the odd man out all competition, having to deal with weak partners, lots of ballroom, and some 2nd rate choreography.

Mia is at least consistent through the seasons in saying what she is thinking with little regard for someone's feelings.

i thought the quickstep crit was a little harsh considering the choreographers barely gave them any actual quickstepping to do - how were they supposed to perfect the 'style' if it only appeard for like 15 seconds of the routine?

tehresa, didn't you know that on this show the dancers are responsible for costumes, choreography, and Darfur?

true. it's like even the choreographers were bored with the actual quickstepping part. i think they need a new dance that's the kiss of death. how about the lindy hop?

will's solo was like woah

Twitch was pretty awesome. I'm glad Thanye/Comfort got a good send off as well.

Does anyone know anything about those IV REAL t-shirts? Are all black people required to wear them now? I feel like I should be running out and getting one.

They are all Manic Street Preachers fans.

I did PR for an Alvin Ailey show once but I never watched it (oops) but they were incredible, I wish I had now.

pretty big oops!

Jessica is injured and Comfort's going to take her place.

ugh, i really think they are pushing the kids too hard this year. last year they had a week off plus they didn't start doing 2 dances a week until top ten.

katee & will = unstoppable pairing!

I'm going to miss Jessica and her funbags....:(

Tonights' episode I'm not feeling, but it's been a strong season in general.

mary: that doesn't sound right coming out of my mouth whatsoever!

news flash! NOTHING SOUNDS RIGHT COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH EVER!!!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I swear, her jaw looks like that of a ventriloquist dummy

dudes!!!! the guys who did katee and will's pas de deux... i saw their company in may, and their dancers are SOOOO freaking incredible. check out their site.

also i think both of them would fit right into that co. hmmm...

katee, just wow. she could win this.

i'm guessing comfort gets to be eliminated two weeks in a row.

Katee & Will = ultimate power couple.

Between Lil C and Mary, the English language will be crying itself to sleep tonight.

And yes, Katee is def the best girl...Comfort and Courtney are just out of their league, Kherington has been declining every week IMO, and Chelsie I think is a bit overrated. I think it's Katee by a mile among the girls...the guys are far more competitive though.

Music Ally, how can you hate on "intercessory" and "fulcrum"?

I didn't feel the performances last night, either. Twitch & Comfort's hip hop looked way better in rehearsals. :(

never thought we'd get to see the 2 of them do hip hop together, though! that was pretty cool. but yeah, other than the katee/will pas de deux, i was not overwhelmed by anything.

I really loved the Joshua/Courtney rhumba. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Gev/Chelsie contemporary routine.

I think Kherington and Mark are toast, sadly.

they were so lacking... now we see that twitch was carrying kherington the whole time (duh). i think joshua's pretty good, and versatile! he seems to do better w/ the ballroomy stuff than twitch.

awwww twitch looked so sad!!!

Lil C is a poet eh? "You can't pick a turn down the avenue when you're chauffeured by loss."

Kherington does have a magnetic presence on screen, but she did seem to be pretty winded the past couple weeks.

Twitch carrying Kherington? are you nuts? most of the dances they did weren't even his forte.

She only started to falter in recent weeks.

Comfort shold have gone home.

yeah, technically maybe kher was stronger, but i think twitch owned a lot of things better (this is a weird sentence). also, i think a lot of "their" votes were from people that are like 'omg twitch is so awesome!!!!!' (yes i am aware she probably had her own fan club).

Based on the Wednesday performances, they got the girl right and the guy wrong (and I say that as someone who is totally rooting for Mark).

no way. Comfort should have gone home. Yea, so she killed the hip hop track, but she was a total non-entity on the waltz. Probably one of the first people to get absolutely demolished on that routine (and Twitch, of course). I did think Mark should have been the one to leave as well.

Re: Kherington/Mark's routines, I didn't feel the judge's comments were fair on the jazz routine. Nigel said he felt Mark was lost without a character--I actually felt that was a case of pot calling the kettle black, it seemed the judges were lost without one to follow. Besides, what 'characters' were Twitch and Comfort playing? Comfort always looks like she wants to be on stage by herself when she's dancing with a partner.

Maybe I'm just frustrated that someone that is clearly inferior to the rest of the group (Comfort) is still in the competition.

Comfort, unlike the other b-boys in the competition, has not stepped up when she has received anything BESIDES hip-hop to dance, whereas Joshua, Gev, Twitch et al ALL have at one point or another. She's this year's Cedric.

I was also a little miffed on Thursday when Comfort was asked about how it was to receive a second chance where she called it a blessing but didn't make any mention of Jessica. Would have been somewhat classy to give a shoutout when the only reason you're back on the show is not your skills but someone else's injury.

lol u mad

omg FUMING URRRRRGH UNGHHHHHHHH SMASH BUILDINGS!!!$@!11$1

thats ok i can just stalk kherington now....

Kherington was flat-out horrible on Wednesday, plus her solo wasn't that great (granted no one had a worse solo than Chelsie, yikes).

bollocks. the jazz routine was fine--what was horrible about it other than the nonsensical "omg you weren't characters" comments from the judge. Country two-step was crap, but it was a hell of a lot harder than the Waltz, which Comfort stuuuuuuuuuuuunk on. (maybe not harder technique wise, but harder because it is a more unfamiliar genre of dance).

as far as solos, Courtney's was the worst. Not because it was bad, but because it's the same freestyle she does week in and week out.

I agreed with Kher being in the bottom two, she didn't have a great night, but Comfort should have had her bags packed. She hasn't had a good week in over a month!

The jazz routine was BORING BEYOND BELIEF.

wasn't aware they choreographed it themselves.

They didn't choreograph it but they danced it; Will and Katee took some of the dumbest choreography I've seen on the show and danced the shit out it (really, was there anything about the choreography for that Broadway number that wasn't toe-curlingly awful?). Mark and Kherington got a decent jazz number and give it the energy of a damp towel.

i enjoyed it, for what its worth.

hope Comfort enjoys her borrowed time. she doesn't belong on the tour, at all, should have been eliminated in week 2.

Comfort, unlike the other b-boys in the competition,

Comfort is not a b-boy! She's not a b-girl, either.

The thing with Comfort over Kherington is, I never tracked Kherington with as much attention as I did with Comfort. Whatever her many faults, I never take my eyes off of Comfort, because she's that magnetic. IV REAL. And her solo Thursday night was awesome. IV REAL.

she doesn't belong on the tour

My point was that she should have been eliminated weeks and weeks ago. The only reason she survived week 2 was because the spanish girl absolutely shit the bed.

If you find Comfort magnetic, so be it. I found her bland, unentertaining, and limited. She can never step up until she draws her own genre from the hat--and not even always then. Her last hip hip routine (with Thayne) was not great at all.

There's a reason she was in the bottom three for what seemed like three weeks in a row. She isn't versatile at all, and that's what the show calls for.

and the only reason her solo looks polished by now is because she's been in the bottom 3 so often, so she's had plenty of practice.

I found her bland, unentertaining, and limited.

yup. Dale's Pale Ale is calling tonight.

lol BJO doesn't care about black women!

Wow. This thread Bo you crazy! are

I loves black womens. Comfort=teh suxx.

How can you say that:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/plechazunga/tybe/sytycd/04/week6/4x16-comfort_cat-neck_rolls.gif

err, in that vid, I'm looking to the left.

for real?

say it like I'm crazy. Sabra was nicer looking than Comfort.

um.. completely different category of chixor/dancer! how can you even compare?

it's called 'personal preference'.

and hell, using that logic, I couldn't pick a favorite band between a blues act and a folk rock act

besides, it's pretty silly to quibble over hottness...like Ebert once said, you can't argue someone out of an erection

i'm not the one who just tried to compare comfort and sabra!

I said one was better looking. didn't make a single comment on dancing ability.

Bo Jackson Crazypants

IV Real.

Not sure I can ever fully get the head handstand into a vertical WTF that Gev did. Was he holding himself up backwards and vertically and then did a back handspring?

yea, that dude was sick. salud, Gev

I hope they don't bring Toni Basil back as a judge. If she mentions the word "street" again...

my friend and I were actually muting her last night....

so....Mark should be gone. That Will is gone is really sad....Will/Josh/Twitch should all still be alive. Mark has underperformed for weeks, which leads me to believe he's selling his semen for votes

omg. i missed last night and tonight. i can't believe will is gone!!!

maybe this is because mark is the sole teenybopper vote left?

Unfortunately I think Twitch and Joshua might split the vote next week, letting Mark slip into the top 4. Not that I have anything against him...in fact I really like him, but Will >>>>>>>>>>> Mark.

maybe this is because mark is the sole teenybopper vote left?
definitely

well, didn't Mark's face say it all? he was expecting to leave too!

okay wtf wau

Also why were they so COMPLETELY down on that foxtrot? While it wasn't the greatest foxtrot ever, it's not like it was EMBARRASSING...

ps Katee is still going to win, I think

Will channels JB and gets voted out -- well done, America!

normally America starts getting it right about this point on SYTYCD...the Will one makes no sense.

I tried voting and couldn't get through...for the entire two hours.

FIXED!1 fIXED!11 FIXEDEREDs!

OMG a routine set to "The Garden" by Mirah! So hot.

totally not feeling the twitch/chelsea hip hop.

I would've thought they were a lock for a final, now I'm not so sure.

I thought the hip hop routine was nice, but ultimately didn't go anywhere...but that's the fault of the choreographers, not Chelsea.

I voted for Chelsea as I thought she brought it and is the best of the remaining females. trying to vote for Josh but it's been bizzee.

btw, did the judges get a gag order on criticizing the choreography? last year by midseason they had complained about at least one number per episode and actually had to have a sit down with the choreographers to ask them to quit taking it easy on the dancers...

yay, got in...

I have to say I didn't miss Will tonight.

the only girl i would vote for, were i to vote (which i never have), would be katee. i'm kind of all for josh to win it atm.

I second the "Mirah, OMG!"

The jazz routine tonight was outstanding. I usually like Tabitha & Napoleon's hip hop but their routine was too much slapstick and not enough actual dancing, so it was hard to judge.

I cannot stand Chelsie; her solos are the same hip movement over and over. Certainly she can incorporate a new move in there after all this time?

all the girls solos were really boring.

predictions for tonight?

Third the Mirah woah! (I never thought that me and MFG would be on the same page with this show.)

I hope Courtney gets to stay, I think she's always done well in the partner dances.

"The Garden" is the 48th most popular download on Itunes right now. Woo for marketing!

I have no idea what's happening tonight.

Go Courtney!

Loved Mandy's group routine too.

hey look the right people finally went home! though i could have switched out twitch for mark.

well, I'm not really peeved by the choices, but I don't think Chelsea 'deserved' to go home other than the fact that somebody had to be eliminated.

her first number was amazing (it was Twitch that was off, not her)...second one, well, it was more the choreography that was lackluster than her, she did what she could with it.

as far as the solos, well...dancers need choreographers. I never particularly thought many of them were good freestylers.

all in all, I'm quite happy with the finale. should be entertaining as hell.

but Josh is going to win

and that is a good thing

wait i forget how does 4-person final work?

typically, they do two routines with a member of the opposite sex, and one routine with a member of the same sex, AND a solo

but they dance with both remaining members of the opposite sex...ie, they don't have the same partner all night.

Also a group routine with all four. Last year they had pretaped interviews with Cat too.

the sexyback routine a few years ago was solid.

overall, I think this season has been more consistent in quality than last year, but I don't know that it has had as many memorable moments for me. like the routines have all been, for the most part, GOOD, whereas last year the choreography was under scrutiny at times, but the best routines of last year >>>>>> best of this year for me.

her first number was amazing (it was Twitch that was off, not her)

Actually I got the same vibe from that dance that I got from Kherington when she was paired with Mark...basically that Chelsie had no faith in Twitch and decided to focus on looking good versus being a good partner.

Very happy with the top 4...surely either Katee or (more likely) Joshua will win it all.

the difference is that Kherington turned in a poor performance that particular time, whereas Chelsea lit it up. I kind of wrote the latter off to "Twitch, gotta keep up with ME!".

I think Josh will win, but I've been wrong two years in a row...thought Travis had it in season 2, and Danny last year

I really thought the squeeing 'boppers + Hawaii would manage to vote Mark into the top 4. (Watching the kidz and haters immolate themselves is always fun.) I guess that just teaches us not to deny the POWAZ of THE GRILLE.

If this doesn't come down to Katee vs. Joshua as the top two, I'd be surprised, though I've been underestimating Twitch's staying power for the latter half of the competition. (Rilly rilly rilly hope that the Twitch/Josh routine proves to be a siiiiick hip hop routine choreo'ed by Cicely & Olisa.)

BJO, I think this season has had its share of jawdropping highlights that are as memorable (and even moreso) than S3 in addition to having greater quality overall. No Wade Robson obviously detracts, but Katee and Joshua were total landlords over their performances. Plus, this season had Comfort. And as for the solos, come on, Twitch is a maestro.

I haven't been too impressed with Josh & Katee's solos, but they sure come alive in their partner work. I agree the winner will probably come down to the two of them.

Courtney seems more confident and energetic as the competition goes on. I guess that means she's getting the Lindy Hop next week.

How does the finale work, and how are the top 2 determined? There are four people going into next Wednesday's episode...when does 4 become 2?

4 becomes 2 halfway through Thursday, I think.

No one gets eliminated per se in the last week. They have a performance show in which they dance in different permutations (all four, then mixed pairs, then same sex pairs, then solos), and we vote. Then over the course of the results show, Cat (dressed in something scandalously ridiculous) reveals which dancer placed where in the votes, in (presumably) ascending order, until ONLY. ONE. REMAINS.

Plus, this season had Comfort

yea, but it overcame that....

seriously, though, she was about as useless as Season 3's Cedric

They're really running the kids into the ground this year! Joshua and Twitch hospitalized for dehydration.

This is probably the most abusive season yet in regards to pushing the contestants' bodies to the limits.

so i just got home and have missed the first hour. someone fill me in!

some really amazing routines tonight.

really goofy how they did the order though. made everybody dance like 3 times in a row and then gave em a break, tired the fuck out of Josh too.

I'd still say Josh or Katee should win, though that Russian number was phenom

oh man from the recap looks like that trepak was awesome! also - wade came back for finale?! did i hear them say katee/josh's first routine was a wade robson?

jive was week - i wonder if it would have been better with different attire? courtney's outfit was not helping her...

*weak

it was weak because Josh was absolutely gassed at that point of the competition...

did anyone think their critique's after Katee's solo were surprisingly muted? When Cat prompted them with "any advice?" it made it sound like it was Katee's elimination.

oh, and Katee/Courtney's Broadway routine was pretty awful. I remember saying before tonight's episode "please don't give them both a Mia Michaels', how obvious would that be?" but I suppose I should have been more specific.

did i hear them say katee/josh's first routine was a wade robson?

You heard right. I wish it was Wade at his more stylized, but I think that routine was a grower. And yes, Alex Trepak was the boooomb.

musically, do you mean "muted" like they actually told her where she had room for improvement? I thought it was apt, since she still has a lot of room to grow beyond the scope of the show. Also, have you mended ur apostatic opinion of AI > SYTYCD?

Tyce is a hack, but the show does him even fewer favors by calling on him so often.

really goofy how they did the order though. made everybody dance like 3 times in a row and then gave em a break, tired the fuck out of Josh too.

i hope there are lots of recaps tonight, bc i really want to see more of those first few routines i missed.

lee, were you at the taping??

Selective freeze-framing during the Courtney / Katee dance made any idea of competition between the two of them look insane, but I think Courtney's whole "it's not about who's the best dancer" is going to prove absolutely true and totally to her benefit.

Haha despite Nigel's many attempts to translate for the audience -- "Katee actually finishes the moves and has technical dancing skills that will probably slide by unnoticed when you're all voting"

Wrong part of California, teh. (That hyperlink isn't my quote, it's straight from the article.)

I like this recap because he agrees with all my views.

yeah i realized that after i read, duh!

musically, do you mean "muted" like they actually told her where she had room for improvement? I thought it was apt, since she still has a lot of room to grow beyond the scope of the show. Also, have you mended ur apostatic opinion of AI > SYTYCD?

Nothing wrong with telling someone about how they can improve, but compared to the comments made to the other dancers, I think hers were far more succinct and far less gushy than they were to the other three. Not a huge deal but I find it so at odds with the rest of the season...the timing is weird.

And no, AI still >> everything. It's like a family member, I have a million problems with it and hate it at times but in the end I'm fiercely loyal.

I won't deny though that SYTYCD has some vastly superior features...entertaining and exciting elimination shows, a wide range of music and styles, more critical/thoughtful judging. But what it lacks is real benefit to winning. With AI it's crucial to win, and that fact really ups the ante of the competition in the contestants' minds, but more importantly in the public's. But with SYTYCD, the top 4-5 will probably all experience similar levels of success, so winning isn't the be-all and end-all. I know I probably sound like an ass for saying that I prefer a show where the winner wins and everyone else languishes in obscurity, but that there's something at stake is a compelling point of AI.

I still wish they gave the dancers some more time to rest this year.

I enjoyed the finale though, and would be especially happy if Courtney places above 4th.

courtney has never really impressed me. i don't think i even knew her name until a few weeks ago.

awwwwww man that was heartwarming!

hmm, having all the highlights on one show made this season better than I remember it!

the shane sparks routine was great, so was the alumni dance.

also love that they are roasting Lil C' "big word" speeches already

lol that was awesome

also glad we got to see that pas de deux again. and some routines i missed during the season.

THAT was a motherfucking finale. not that last year's was bad or anything but two judges dance...a popping battle....a Wade Robson routine with rabbits....

just...wow. and the result was one I support!

now I will go watch Silent Night Deadly Night

oh, and of course major props for bringing back lots of old faces in the finale, even if it wasn't so much choreography as it was a mush of people on stage....

All I think of during the Wade piece was him choreographing a Donnie Darko musical.

lol, glad I wasn't the only one that thought that.

"28 days....."

me too!

if I were Josh and was offered Step Up 3-D I'd ask "uhm....any other movie producers in the house?"

so was the 'give the top girl $50k' thing planned or do you think they were just upset katee didn't win so they threw it in last min?

Will there be a plot for Step Up 3D? Or just endless pirouettes and leaps so that there are legs constantly flying from the screen.

Looking back at the list of dances this season, there was a great deal of routines I liked, but the judging felt more blatantly manipulative than ever. As if Nigel & co became very conscious that people are watching, and that dance-themed reality shows seem to be everywhere in America now.

thought the same donnie darko thoughts about the wade robson piece!

this has been the highlight of my summer, this show

also,

it's difficult to locate the avenue of gain when you're being chauffered by loss...

My best friend was visiting, so we went out to dinner and got home in time for the second hour of SYTYCD - and the cable was sort of out due to violent thunderstorms, so it was really fuzzy, But I had to watch. She was reading a magazine, but she looked at the screen during the bunny dance number - looked at me - shook her head and said 'I really thought I knew you better."

It reminded me of Donnie Darko too. Also "CATS" +"Thriller" + Rabbits. And then they took the bunny heads off!

Season 5 beginning this Thursday!

And isn't it going to be on in the fall or something?

IM ON UR HOT TAMALE TRAIN BEIN CHAUFFEURED BY LOSS, or So You Think You Can Dance 5 (starts May 21)

It's a post-racial world, get with the program.

Season 7 in a few weeks! With Mia & Adam as permanent judges, only 10 dancers/1 eliminated each week, and a rotating set of "all-star" dancers from past seasons as partners. (New rule changes summarized here.)

As long as they've kept Cat Deeley, I'm hooked!

^^^ YES.

I'd rather have Mia choreographing than judging, tbh. I hope she'll take a few weeks off for choreography throughout the season.

Well, this means Mary Murphy will get to choregraph again, no? Her Paso Doble from Season 2 was pretty amazing. Plus, no screams and hot tamale trains for a season.

^^^ YES.

Also, would someone like to start a season 7 thread?

i guess not!!!

thoughts:

- i genuinely hope that nigel creeping on contestant's moms will be an ongoing thing
- "all-stars" thing basically sux
- typically like the judges blah blah blah during auditions - helps maintain the shows charmingly amateurish "lets put on a show" vibe
- but tyce srsly braying like a donkey is just nagl; also he is the worst person alive
- d-d-damn is this show just ws central
- i wonder if competing dance type shows have drawn a lot of the non-contemporary talent or what

FUCKIN TYCE

that guy is such a douche but also the most hilarious judge on the show. i watched that docu about dancers trying out for 'a chorus line' a little while ago and tyce was one of dancers. his attitude to getting rejected for the show was ~so~ tyce, it was amazing.

I feel Tyce is sort of in on the joke, and plays up being a diva. He's definitely a character and a half.

I am wondering if having just a top 10 means there will be no cannon fodder this year (The eventual top 10 from each previous season has been pretty awesome, save for a couple dancers.)

dang son, i missed all of last season but from 2 eps i've seen this year i am like, misty-eyed ALL the time. maybe i am hormonal; maybe i just really missed this show?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLAxuwYtnqY

I have no music editing skillz, so that's just an approximation.

- "all-stars" thing basically sux
- d-d-damn is this show just ws central
- i wonder if competing dance type shows have drawn a lot of the non-contemporary talent or what

Qualified disagreement re: all-stars. It will be guaranteed awesome for ballroom routines; good to great for contemporary; crap shoot for hip hop.

This is why I was willing to stake my ilxorihood over dancers in the fitness chicks thread.

Some ppl are convinced that SYTYCD has zero credibility in the hip-hop community because HH is treated as a second-class genre on the show (to a lesser extent, ballroom) -- I agree definitely with the latter, but have no clue about the former.

I think the all-stars thing will be basically okay. By the end of the season, however, we'll all be sick of the "contestant outshone the all-star" formula in judges' comments.

Some ppl are convinced that SYTYCD has zero credibility in the hip-hop community because HH is treated as a second-class genre on the show (to a lesser extent, ballroom) -- I agree definitely with the latter, but have no clue about the former.

i wondered abt this. it does seem like the show privileges ppl w/ a contemp background right from auditions (like how cum ppl who are really good at gymnastics dont have to prove they can "do other styles"???) & was hypothesizing that good dancers might simply be self-selecting - if ur a really good modern dancer this is your show but hip hop/broadway dancers have other, better outlets for competing. like srs professional dancers want to get on this show but then the quality of the bboys and hip hop dancers (and broadway too!) auditioning seems to have markedly declined since the 1st few seasons.

One bone to pick -- hip-hop dancers are serious professional dancers too! I mean, the privileging of contemporary happens in everyday language.

Anyway, it's genuinely hard to tell the level of auditioners, since this time around all we saw were contemporary kids. Maybe that's because ballroomers/HHers have gotten the message and have become lukewarm about the show, or maybe they're still there but the producers simply aren't broadcasting them.

I'm :\ about saying that the quality of HHers/b-boys has diminished lately -- among the girls, mos def, the show's basically given up on the idea of a female HH specialist since Comfort -- but Legacy is from what I can tell a BFD in the b-boying world, and the krumper who won last year is kind of a prodigious talent IMO, and their inter-style versatility (not to mention confidence!) seems to be a lot better too. (The new kid, Full Deck, doesn't look too bad at b-boying, either, at least judging from the little bit we've seen.)

\o_O / about the Broadway dancer comment? Like, there've been two straight-up musical theater kids in the history of the show?

well i found it a little awkward when cat asked kent about being single... and then asked him what his perfect ~woman~ is like. awfully presumptuous, cat!!

I didn't think of it as presumptuous because I feel like the cast really knows each other. Cat wasn't asking for her own knowledge but on behalf of the fans. She knows better than to ask BB about a girlfriend, I'm sure.

Cat is at her best in the audition season. Even if some of it is just playing for the camera, she really comes across as genuinely caring about everyone in the early interviews.

This top 10 this season is looking pretty damn awesome. Good to see Billy and Alex finally and making it, and I'm really liking Melinda so far. And certainly no complaints about seeing Pasha/Anya again. Daaaaamn.

Aw, poor Alex :-(

OK, this has little to do with anything but:

lol, googling "racist dance music" just brings up Das Racist and Mia Michaels

― How could you forget the crazy hooker? (HI DERE), Friday, August 13

lollll

Just for posterity, I'd like to chime in and say season 7 was really awesome despite the injuries. Can we please keep Kathryn, Allison, and Pasha around for a long time?

i liked the all star thing! i think it made the dances better.

Allison is a total force of nature

I need to confine my SYTYCD talk here and not other places.

I think having the all-stars also inspired the choreographers, and made them less apt to water down or hold back in their genres.

the all-stars thing was a fantastic idea, hope they keep it going.

Bumping this only to complain about the show calling referring to Oakland as "San Francisco."

Lil C: "When it comes to Sonya…S is for synergy. O is for obstacles. N is for never. Y is for YES. A is for abstract. You guys are the epitome of Sonya."

Lil C is a complete weirdo, he tries way too hard. Mary was annoying on thursday too. The group looks good tho, plenty of hip hoppers which is always welcome. I like how they formatted the show, making Vegas week go fast and the final cuts less of a big deal, just get em dancing like they did.

I thought the dancing was pretty uniformly awesome, although that should be expected on a "Meet the Top 20" night.

For however weird Lil C is, I think he's a necessary presence on the show. Much prefer his commentary than the fluffy compliments and gushing others seem to give.

Yah I actually like Lil C, he just needs to tame the "hey I know big words" schtick a little. Great dancer too. All the judges have their place and I really like the rotating cast of characters angle, its one of the reasons I like SYTYCD. That ballroom girl is fantastic btw, her legs look like they're chiseled from stone.

Michael, I wish I were as optimistic as you, I haven't seen a mind-blowing routine on the show in quite a while (and I'm including Alex's hip hop w/ Twitch). Can you teach me to be more sanguine?

I'm also slightly wary about the style imbalance with the girls, and how it codes contemporary as female and hip hop as male.

That tap routine was INSANE

Lee, I wish I could.

Also, this show is on Hulu now, which is really helpful for me since I no longer have a DVR or many Wednesdays free.

I liked the fact that Travis used Passion Pit as his music more than I liked his routine

I was amused how many people used dubstep for their audition music. It certainly makes sense for the pop-and-lock dancers.

haha yeah, after the first audition I pointed it out as an example to my wife (we'd had a conversation about it before where I'd tried to describe it unsuccessfully, I think re: the breakdown in "Hold It Against Me") and during all the subsequent auditions she was all "... wow dubstep is really popular, huh"

ha, had that same discussion with my wife too.

https://sites.google.com/site/pnauert/sytycd8.jpg

First injury of the season: Mitchell is sidelined this week with shoulder trouble.

Can anyone view this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVIMFM1l_gE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZNac8CuDd8

Melanie + Marko are pretty amazing so far.

imo Sasha pwnz.

Sasha and Jess are killing it, and are totally overshadowing their partners.

The ballroom routines seem better than usual so far. The Caitlyn/Mitchell samba was fiiiire.

Oh my god.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXKFiNfCo-c

Oh my god!

who choreographed that? (i keep forgetting this is on hulu and i'm waaay behind)

Christopher Scott (dancer/choreographer for LXD). This is the routine I've been waiting for for the past 2, 3, 4 seasons.

This season has been pretty amazing, dance-wise, I can barely take it all in. I really enjoy seeing the old all-stars again. Melanie and Sasha have been running away with the competition for weeks. And yes I have noticed that Melanie has gotten jazz and contemporary pretty much every week and no I do not care in the slightest because I love watching her dance.

I don't feel the season overall quite as much (which is par for the course), though my biggest peeve is the overabundance of contemporary/modern/jazz numbers, and, more to the point, routines with an explicitly romantic element, which really makes everything blend together.

Finale!!! Is everyone watching Runway?

so i basically missed this entire season and now that the finale's over and i accidentally saw who won is it even worth watching?

Teh!

Depends on your tolerance for contemporary/jazz, which overwhelmed the season, for better or for worse. If you just want the highlights, go for the hip-hop I linked upthread (which is all-time epic imo), and these two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFQlBKCclUw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMl0aSAI_Yc

Michael can probably recommend Melanie's best routines, but to me they all blur together into a melismatic blob.

Yes I liked this season a lot, but I've liked them all. Great pairing of the partner plus the all-star format. Some of the guest judges were interesting for once (Neil Patrick Harris, Lady Gaga). As for the contemporary/jazz dominance, I don't mind it. It's definitely a niche that SYTYCD fills that, as far as I know, the other dance shows don't tackle.

I did feel that Melanie and Sasha (and occasionally Marko) overshadowed most of the other contestants this season. I really do think Melanie is one of the best dancers they've had, in terms of technique/acting/personality. I think my favorite dance of hers might be the hip-hop with Marko, but I felt really drawn in by her facial expressions/body language in every piece she did.

Hey it's back.

I saw this the other night while channel flipping and got excited but bf was like "uh no" which is fair (to his credit he has suffered through episodes of fashion star and smash). So I'm going to have to watch in secret or something...

lol Fashion Star, did they find the new Diane Von Fistenbug?

Tell him there are some great hip-hop auditions in the first ep, which was how I, a fabulously butch bro's bro, got hooked on this show in the first place.

it's on hulu, tza, so you can watch it when he's out!

i missed the last season or two, so i'm making a concerted effort to watch this one.

i missed the last season or two, so i'm making a concerted effort to watch this one.

That's a good idea, this season could be its last.

what do you think about professional dancers being able to audition for the show and get into the top 20? idk, it seems unfair to me, two of the guys already have distinguished dance careers, surely this show is for spotlighting dancers who haven't broken through yet and giving them a career opening?

It's literally nothing new, professionals have been on the show since the first season. I also don't know how distinguished Chehon and Daniel can be, they're still in their early 20s.

As much of a trial last year was, I'm kind of looking forward this year!

Holy kittens, Cat just tweeted at me! =^_^=

Maybe I'll get back into this this season.

woah, congrats Leee!

https://twitter.com/catdeeley/status/220214250654793728

Also got replies from Eliana and Brandon! Ayo technology.

okay, this year's elimination pattern is going to be totally lol

I guess all of that camera time really helped people decide that they just did not like Daniel and Alexa

also RIP ballroom, you were awesome while it lasted

Tango was LEGIT, though. Hip hop's in a worse state, imo.

Oh yeah that tango was the BUSINESS

Quality control is a bit erratic so far, and maybe a little flat. The bathtub routine and the one with the sexy dentist were pretty DOA. Audrey and Matthew are the biggest surprises for me so far.

Also, glad to see Kathryn (S6) being the female lead in the newest Step Up movie. Love her.

Back this Tuesday.

Enjoying these initial shows, for the early "bet they will/won't make it" guesses and results, the amazing physicality, the surprising advancement of some dancers, and the depths of the more skilled ones. Favorite "reality" show that never fails to turn the waterworks at least once a show.

It seems like the animators, poppers, etc. are the most popular with the audience (or at least they are with me), which is why it's sad that ADBC got canceled. Still love this show, though.

Yeah this group already seems better than last years.

Whoever created this is a genius.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/8130d1fb08235d2da7ec935e3fa9238a/tumblr_n8mzag1UR71qbypg1o1_500.gif

RIP tWitch

sad to hear

so incredibly upsetting. I was a big fan of his when he was on in 2008 (didn't see the All-star season). just full of personality. wasn't a big Ellen watcher but loved that he was a part of it.

this just really sucks. rest in peace tWitch

Oh JFC.

He was great as a judge last season. He always radiated such positive energy and was beautiful inside and out. I'm shocked and devastated.