Evening all. Sorry for the late-ish spoiler post. There was some stuff out earlier, but I couldn't tell where it originated and didn't want to post until I was sure.
Anyway, here's what's on tap for tomorrow night:
Third judge is Mia Michaels
Brandon & Janette - Cha Cha - Jean Marc & France Kupono & Kayla - Jazz - Sonya Evan & Randi - Broadway - Joey Dowling Jason & Caitlin - Pop Jazz - Brian Friedman Phillip & Jeanine - Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha Ade & Melissa - Pas de Deux - Thordal Christensen Vitolio & Karla - Quick Step - Jean Marc & France
I'm excited about this one for a couple of reasons; apparently Sonya's Jazz piece is vampire themed and I can't wait to see what she's done with that. Also, I'm quite interested to see how Vitolio & Karla do with the Quick Step. It seems like the kiss of death for two dancers who've been in the bottom 3 twice, and I don't know if anyone could do it as well as Nico and Natalli did on So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
Couple of other tidbits...Just for you Ladawn...Kelly Clarkson is performing on the results show on Thursday.
Finally, there has been some Twitter discussion (involving Nigel and Paula Abdul (?)) about a possible Michael Jackson themed episode where all the choreographers use his music, or at the very least a group number set to his music. Apparently they're working on trying to get the music rights to do it, so we'll have to wait and see how that turns out. Carra will be very enthusiastic over this if it all turns out, so let's all cross our collective fingers.
That's what I've got for now. I'll be back tomorrow night for your regularly scheduled recap.
Sheesh, where does the night go! Getting a late start, but here we go for the Top 16!
We have the requisite dancer intros and judge intros - the third judge is Toni Basil (and by god, what is that thing on her head?). Cat chats with Toni a bit, and by ‘chats with’ I mean ‘says two words and lets Toni yammer ad nauseum’. How many times do ya think we’ll hear her say ‘street’ tonight? I don’t care enough to count, but I’ll bet it’s a lot.
Our filler pieces tonight will be additional talents of the dancers. I’ll let you know right now, I’ll probably skip commenting on the filler, ‘cause I’m here for the dancing.
Up first we’ve got Karla and Jonathan doing a Dave Scott Hip Hop piece. Dave’s a no-fluff kinda guy and is all about getting down to business. Looks like Jonathan might have some trouble with this.
They’re dancing to ‘By My Side’ by Jadakiss featuring Ne-Yo. Karla’s definitely got the upper hand here. They’re a little out of sync. Jonathan’s huge jump thing is great and that roll over her back is cool. I don’t think Jonathan’s pants are helping him any.
Nigel didn’t see any excitement and didn’t see Jonathan’s contact with Karla. It wasn’t good enough and Nigel’s betting their in the bottom 3 - I’ll hold my opinion ‘til the end. Mary doesn’t think they were in touch with their inner gangsters and agrees with Nigel. Toni gives us a brief history of hip hop and I think we’re up to 5 ‘street’s by now and we’re only 1 couple in.
Now we’ve got Asuka and Vitolio performing a Mandy Moore (the choreographer) jazz routine. It’s apparently ‘Thrash Rocker Jazz’. Asuka’s struggling and falls apart - a lot. Hmmmm....Vitolio and Asuka have definitely conquered that chemistry issue we saw the first week...
Alrighty then. Song choice for this piece is ‘Heartbreaker’ by Pat Benatar. Asuka’s definitely not hitting hard enough on this. Vitolio seems really into it and very strong. They fall out of sync a bit towards the middle. I’m not sure that Asuka’s pulling off enough ‘sultry bitch’ for this.
Nigel praises Vitolio’s strength and says they did the work and raves. Mary says it was really good but not at last week’s level. She comments on the out of sync bits, so it wasn’t just me. Toni says they have potential to be a powerful couple but says not to let the technique get in the way of the emotions. Hey! No ‘street’s in that one!
Ade and Melissa are up now with a Rumba with Tony Meredith. It’s all about technique and sensuality. They’ve apparently got a lot of work to do.
They’re performing this dance to ‘Emotion’ by Destiny’s Child and I’d put money on Nigel commenting on Melissa’s outfit (probably in an inappropriate way). They seem to have the sensuality down and for the most part this looks pretty clean. Melissa’s legs appear to go on forever, which I guess is a good thing for a dancer.
Well Cat comments on Melissa’s ‘frock’, which I’m not sure if that particular outfit qualifies as a frock.
Nigel raves at length about Melissa’s sexiness and praises Ade’s abilities. Mary’s buying what they’re selling. She says both of their performances were believable and the technique was great and there’s a scream in there too. Toni seems a little overheated. She decides to forget about commenting on the dancers and decides to comment on the choreographer.
Up next, we’ve got Janette and Brandon. They’ve got Hip Hop with Dave Scott and it’s a Rock n’ Roll meets Hip Hop. This seems like it’s going to be really good...but I’ve been wrong before.
They’re dancing to ‘What a World’ by Common. Janette’s almost goth'ed out...it doesn’t suit her. They’re both in it and right in sync. Brandon is hitting it HARD. I’ll be he’s exhausted by the time the show is over. This one was waaaaaay better than the first.
Nigel calls them junior 50 Cent and Cher, which made me chuckle. He calls it good stuff. Mary says they ‘hit that’. For being so out of their element, they really nailed it, and she screams again. Toni - juxtaposition, blah blah, street, blah blah, I’m older than those tights, blah blah.
Now we’ve got Kupono and Kayla, the new couple after last week’s eliminations. I’m really looking forward to seeing them work together. They’ve got the Viennese Waltz with Jean Marc. Aww...I’ve missed Jean Marc. They’re having a tough time with the lifts.
They’ve got ‘Sweet Dreams for You’ by Jewel as their soundtrack and right from the start I’m loving the artistic direction of this piece. The lighting and costumes are lovely. As for the dance, they seem to be managing really well. It’s very smooth and the ‘rise and fall’ seems right on. Looks like they got a handle on the lifts as well.
Nigel says it was beautiful but it isn’t going to make anybody stand up and cheer. I actually sort of get what he means. I love me a Viennese Waltz, but they’re never dances that you feel like jumping up and down for at the end. More like a satisfied sigh of contentment like at the first taste of a rich dessert or a refreshing drink on a hot day or.....ummmm...nevermind. Mary says it was elegant, flowing, believable and endearing. With all the required screaming she puts them on that stupid train. Maybe next season she’ll come up with a different vehicle. Toni really liked it, but chides Jean Marc for Kupono’s shoelessness.
Randi and Evan are up next with a Mia Michael’s Contemporary routine. It’s apparently all about Randi’s behind. She doesn’t seem terribly enthralled about that.
Mia’s chosen ‘Koop Island Blues’ by Koop featuring Ane Brun for this piece. It has a very ‘20s in Paris kind of feel. Evan seems appropriately fixated on Randi’s ass. It’s simple yet effective.
Nigel says it was simple but beautifully danced. There are a lot of butt puns. Now my satellite cut out a bit from the weather here, but I think Nigel connects to the same France vision that I had. Ultimately it’s memorable. Mary thinks it was terrific and says it’s one of the best of the night. I think Mary just said Randi’s ass is phenomenal. Toni praises Mia and praises the dancers for living up to the choreography. Aaaaannnd the satellite cuts out again. Oh well, it’s just Toni.
On the hook now is Kaitlyn and Jason. They’ve chosen (randomly of course) a Paso Doble with Jean Marc & France. Seems to be a love/hate thing.
They’re dancing to ‘O’Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)’ performed by the Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg & Kurt Prestel. Carra will probably have to fill in the blanks on this one as the satellite is still not cooperating. It’s seems really strong, but maybe not quite as staccatto as it needs to be.
Nigel says a lot of was exceptionally good with some critiques on the performance quality. Mary thought it was really strong but says Jason lost his posture iin places. Toni enjoyed the performance and says they lived with the music...(?).
Jeanine and Phillip are on deck now with a Broadway routine with Tyce Diorio. There’s a crazy couch involved....Phillip is having trouble ‘clearing the couch’.
They’re dancing to ‘Moses’ from Singin’ In the Rain. There’s clearly some strong characters in this. Jeanine looks like Katy Perry. Phillip clears the couch! Ummmm...his pants appear to have split in the back. This is fun and there’s lots of feathers. I liked it.
Nigel makes Phillip turn around and show his ass through the split in his pants. Hee. He appears to be a tighty whitey kinda guy. He says Jeanine brought lots of personality, but doesn’t think Phillip quite did it. Mary liked it and thought it was a lot of fun. She thinks Jeanine was fabulous. Toni thought it was adorable but that doesn’t sound necessarily like a good thing.
Oh, we’re at the end already. That seemed to go by really quick.
Predictions for bottom 3? I’d say Karla and Jonathan for sure, but other than that, I’m not too sure. I’m a little concerned for Asuka and Vitolio despite the judges raves, although the sentiment in their rehearsal piece will help. The rest were all sort of equally good, so it’s tough to pick the ‘worst’ from them.
First up, I must apologize for shirking my blogging duties last week with the results show recap. Without getting terribly long winded, I'll just say that the chance never presented itself to watch the show beginning to end and put the consideration into it that I should. I pretty much only made the time to watch the group routine and the final results, and that does not a good blog make.
That being said, the group routine was killer. Mia never fails to surprise me, whether it's with style, song choice, whathaveyou. Great piece. And I was sorry to see Max and Ashley go, especially since this was Ashley's fourth go round with the show.
Que sera and whatnot. Onward and upward.
So not much in the way of spoilery bits as yet. There is a very loose rumor that Kupono and Kayla are getting Contemporary this week, potentially with Mia, but again, nothing concrete as yet. **UPDATE** Wrongo! Here's the list of dances for tomorrow night:
Karla & Jonathan - Hip Hop by Dave Scott Asuka & Vitolio - Jazz by Mandy Moore to "Heartbreaker" Melissa & Ade - Rumba by Tony Meredith Janette & Brandon - Hip Hop by Dave Scott Kayla & Kupono - Viennese Waltz by Jean-Marc Genereux Randi & Evan - Contemporary by Mia Michaels Caitlin & Jason - Paso Doble by Jean-Marc & France Jeanine & Phillip - Broadway by Tyce Diorio
The third judge is Toni Basil (insert large eyeroll here).
There's also an early reaction that the Top 16 performance show was kind of meh all around. No Mary screams. **UPDATE** Apparently Kayla & Kupono ended up on that god forsaken train, so it can't be all bad. ** Assuming this is accurate, it seems to me that Top 16 week always kind of goes sideways. It's about that point in the competition when the adrenaline of actually making it through to Top 20 has worn off and the dancers are really tired. They all have an off week and then bounce back for Top 14.
We shall see though, won't we.
Anyway, as soon as more concrete spoilers come up, I'll update this post with the info.
Jeez Louise, what a crazy week - I still haven't had a chance to watch the results show from last week! It's on my list of things to do for tomorrow... me and Kupono, two peas in a pod, I tell you...
I don't think I like Cat's dress tonight.
Lil' C is our third judge tonight, and boy does he beat the roller coaster metaphor to death, telling us about all the twists and turns and loops we're in for this season. And oh, snap! Was that just Cat taking a crack at Mary for her recent botox treatment? I think it was!
So the filler for tonight is... secrets. What we don't know about our Top 18 dancers.
And we'll start with Randi. She has a dog. That she treats like a child. And that she speaks to on speaker phone. And Evan, he's a gearhead who built his own car from scratch. Me, I don't even bake from scratch, so I'm pretty impressed with this.
Randi and Evan have been dealt the jive for tonight, choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, and 'fun' is apparently the buzzword - let's see how many times we can say it! It's fun, I tell you, so much fun! Dancing to Shake a Tail Feather by Ray Charles, the two perform with lots of energy, so much so, I think it looks a bit manic at the start... but they hold it together really well, and it sure looks like they are having... fun...!
Lil' C says they came 'out da box widda bang', but that while Evan has a certain divinity to his movements, he needs to sharpen it up a bit, attack it more. Randi is a firecracker, and it was a solid beginning to the night. Hey, and Mary thought it was fun x 15, I think was the final count on that one... She thought they were built for the jive, but it fell a bit short for her, saying that Randi hit it, but Evan not so much because his feet were a bit sloppy, but overall it was good. Nigel agreed that it was fun, giving a shout out to Louie. He thought Evan's performance should have been stronger, that his retractions could have been sharper, but as a couple, they were tremendous.
Melissa and Ade are up next, and Ade tells us that Melissa's sister is married to Melissa's husbands brother... I think... she reiterates that yes, two sisters married two brothers. Then Melissa tells us that Ade's full name is... yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't catch it at all. Maybe if they had used subtitles I would have been able to.
The two of them pull Jazz with Sonya and the rehearsal looks very strenuous.
Dancing to 24 Hours by Terry Poison, this one is sharp and edgy and very in sync. I quite liked it, much more than I thought I would for some reason.
Lil' C says it was buck and that Ade should be considered everybody's competition and he's willing to put his name on the line with that prediction. He says that he is 'modifying your manipulation of movement'... wow, say THAT 5 times! He adds that while Melissa looked a bit timid during rehearsal that she came out and did a great job. Mary starts off by saying it was time for some tough love... by which she means that it was tough for her to find anything she didn't love, followed by a nice long scream. She said the style and technique were fantastic, that everything was very detailed. Nigel says that although Sonya is quirky, she choreographs in such a way as to allow the dancers to show us their technique.
Next, Catilyn exposes Jason as a young Michael Jackson fan, complete with video. Too funny. I should get in touch with him, maybe we can compare scrapbooks. Jason tells us that Caitlyn likes to talk in baby voices, but she also does a great impression of a velociraptor. Huh.
These two get hip hop with Shane Sparks, and dancing to to Missing You by Trey Songz, you can see right away that this dance was not designed to be hard hitting. There isn't much to say about it one way or another in my opinion. It was alright.
Lil' C feels the same, saying he didn't love it, and it left him feeling a bit perplexed. Caitlyn looks stricken as he goes on to say it came off corny. Mary says it was like watching Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, by which I take that to mean a bit generic. She says that the chemistry just didn't work this week, which was so confusing because last week they really had a good connection. Nigel says he wasn't shocked by the performance, 'not at t'all', that he felt Shane choreographed it that way so it would suit them better. He liked it. I'm putting them in the bottom 3.
Janette and Brandon are up next and we learn that Janette had really bad teeth as a child and that Brandon has never worked out a day in his life. Really? Wow. That's... incredible!
Out of the hat they pull Disco with Doriana Sanchez who has Dirty Dancing on her resume - huh! I don't think I knew that!
Brandon catches on quickly during rehearsal, but Janette is struggling and teary.
Dancing to Loving is Really My Game by Brainstorm, I thought this one was great. Really fast paced, lots of energy and some very neat flips and turns. For someone who has never been to a gym, man is he strong!
Lil' C says he believes he just witnessed the birth of progression. Tee hee, I love the things that come out of his mouth. And I love that he is coming around to Brandon. He says that he was phenomenal, and that while Janette stumbled once, she never broke her character. Mary says, without moving her face at all, and after a lot of screaming she says that they nailed it, they were getting down out there, yes they were! Nigel says that he would scream like Mary if he could, but he can't, so he won't, but that it was the best disco routine they've seen on the show to date.
Asuka and Vitolio are out to reveal the deep dark secrets next and we learn that Vitolio is obsessed with motorcycles, and that Asuka can make... spit bubbles.
Another piece choreographed by Louie Van Amstel, a waltz, and during rehearsal they learn another secret - Asuka is not attracted to Vitolio, making this a little difficult. Huh. So instead of a love story, Louie is designing a lyrical, spiritual waltz, full of pain, to mark Vitolio's journey through life.
Performing to Dreams are More Precious by Enya, this piece is lovely. Asuka has fantastic arm movements, and the two of them glide about in an effortless manner.
Mary is charmed almost to a point of being speechless, and she's almost in tears until Nigel breaks the moment with theatrical sobbing... good ole' Nigel and his comedic relief. Mary goes on to say that she didn't feel the pain, but it was painfully beautiful, and that it was the most honest she has seen Vitolio dance so far. She says that Asuka was endearing and believable. Lil' C says that the choppy steps were compensated by the authenticity of the performance and that Asuka was great at dominant submission. Nigel felt that you would have to be heartless not to have been touched by this performance.
Ummm.... I hate to do this, but I start a brand new job in the morning... and I have to get some sleep! So I promise I will finish off as soon as I get home tomorrow, before Kim gets to posting the results show.
Until then!
Alright, I'm back and ready to go!
Our next couple is Max and Kayla, and from them we learn that Max loves to play the housewife, making sure everyone is happy and well fed, and Kayla, well she can text at the rate of about 100 words per minute!
Brian Freedman has choreographed a pop jazz number for them and instantly I like the song that he has chosen, Hot Like Wow! by Nadia Oh. This is a great piece and I loved the costumes! It was very quirky and edgy and I thought they both did a great job.
Lil' C says something about dancing being a language that they have picked up with no problem, telling Max that he was very good and that Kayla was so good he couldn't even critique her, which has her grandparents grinning from ear to ear. Mary isn't thrilled with Max's costume, but says that the quality of the performance surprised her. She screams that Kayla nailed it and keeps her on the hot tamale train for yet another night. Nigel acknowledges Brian Freedman and says he is happy to have him back on the show. Kayla, he says, is a front runner in this competition and Max has to work hard to keep up with her.
As a side note, during the commercial break, I saw an ad for the Much Music Video awards, and it looks like Nico and Natalli from SYTYCDC will be performing! Fun - I need to look up the date of that so I can mark it in my calendar!
Back to the show with Jonathan and Karla, who tell us that Karla is a bad ass hip hopper and Jonathan loves to sing... but maybe he shouldn't...
And speaking of SYTYCDC, it's Stacey Tookey choreographing the next contemporary piece to Falling Slowly by The Frames. This was very well done, and I think they have redeemed themselves from last week. They had a lovely connection and Jonathan did much better than I anticipated.
Mary says she has never before said that someone did so much better in a style other than their own and that Jonathan was fantastic. She says she was spellbound by the performance, saying that Karla had beautiful lines. Nigel compliments Jonathan on his amazing centre of gravity. Lil' C says they danced it beautifully, with emotion, technique and athleticism - it was buck...
Phillip and Janine are up next and we find out that Phillip is a super nerd, at one time having as many as 40 reptiles in his room. Gross. Janine has a teddy bear named Spanky that she says makes the perfect boyfriend. Huh!
Their rehearsal looks very tough, with Phillip suffering some injuries we'd prefer not to speak about.
Tony Meredith is the choreographer for a Tango danced to... I think it was called Violento, not sure by whom, and I forget to go back and check. If you caught it, let me know!
I enjoy this one! I thought it was a really good effort by the both of them. But I am on my own in this opinion, apparently.
Mary gives an A+ for attitude, but not so much for technique. She says that while Janine pulled it off, Phillip's footwork was sloppy. Lil' C acknowledges that he is a fan of Phillip's but that a lack of confidence is the biggest anchor and it was all over Phillip's face. He says he was disconnected from the performance, and that his knees were bent all the way through. Mary interrupts and says his knees were supposed to be bent. Cat calls interference and asks Tony to be the referee on this one - Tony gives his blessing on the bent knee issue. Nigel says he loves the way Phillip had his knees bent... Tee hee, that made me laugh. He critiques Phillip for showing strain on his face during one of the lifts, which of have to say I didn't notice until they did the replay - eek! Not good! He says that technically it was a no, but gives them a yes under the entertainment category, and hopes that the audience will give Phillip the opportunity to continue to learn and grow. I think they may end up in the bottom 3 regardless.
The last couple of the night are Kupono and Ashley and thank goodness the secret telling is almost over! Kupono apparently has OCD and likes to keep his closet colour coordinated. And poor Ashely, she vomited on her classmates on story telling day in Grade 1.
This hip hop piece is choreographed by Shane Sparks, and it's a number where Ashley has to be Kupono's shadow, so it has to be perfectly in sync going a 100 miles an hour. Yikes, good luck with that!
This is another one that I like, danced to Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas, I thought it was really cool. I didn't see that the choreography was designed so much to keep them in sync though...?
And then we learn that they weren't in sync because it sucked, apparently. Huh. I just didn't see it that way. Mary says it was okay, neither here nor there, and certainly not memorable. Lil' C says that Kupono struggled, and that he needed to find his serenity inside the chaos, but he was good with Ashley. Nigel says he had just started to enjoy it as it ended, and it left him feeling underwhelmed. Another potential bottom 3.
If I am right in my predictions, we stand to lose a great guy on results night - Kupono, Phillip or Jason, and I can't bare to see any of them go at this point. So hopefully I'm wrong.
I guess we'll find out once Kim has done her posting!
Morning all! Sorry these weren't up sooner...I couldn't find anything concrete until this morning.
Spoilers ahead!
Lil' C is the third judge tonight.
Evan & Randi - Jive - Louis Van Amstel Ade & Melissa - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh Jason & Caitlin - Hip Hop - Shane Sparks Brandon & Janette - Disco - Doriana Sanchez Vitolio & Asuka - Waltz - Louis Van Amstel Max & Kayla - Jazz Pop - Brian Friedman Jonathan & Karla - Contemporary - Stacey Tookey Phillip & Jeanine - Tango - Tony Meredith Kupono & Ashley - Hip Hop - Shane Sparks
So this is exciting for me for a variety of reasons...#1: No Tabitha & Napoleon! I'm sorry, some of their stuff is good, but it just seems like we've been smothered by them last season and last week.
I'm also very happy to see Shane back. Can't wait to see what he does. I also have high hopes for Stacey Tookey. I've heard that her piece is danced to 'Falling Slowly' from the 'Once' Soundtrack, which I love and has the potential to make a really good dance.
Also, some spoilers for the results show! Apparently Mia is choreographing the group routine, so that's exciting. And...ummmm....apparently we're getting a performance from....Katie Holmes? Yeah, I don't know what that's about either. I've heard rumour that it's a group number featuring dancers from past seasons to commemorate SYTYCD's 100th episode, but that's unconfirmed. I'm just hoping it's not too much fuckery.
Anyway, that's what I've got! Carra's up on recap duty tonight as I'm stuck on babysitting duty, so you won't see the recap until sometime after 10pm PDT.
Now it's time for our first elimination of the season!
But first we've got an outstanding group performance choreographed by the fantastic Shane Sparks! (Danced to 'Boom Boom Pow by the Black Eyed Peas) We've been subjected to so much Tabitha & Napoleon, it's nice to have a fantastic reminder of hard hitting, hip hop dancing. This was excellent.
After that, we get to whittling the group down to the bottom 3 pairs. After all the recaps and Cat's teases, our bottom 3 is revealed to be Paris & Tony, Asuka & Vitolio and Karla & Jonathan. No big surprises there. It was pretty clear last night.
Before we get down to the solos, we get a Tango performance from Miriam Larichie (spelling help anyone?) and Leonardo Bario Nuevo to 'Tanguera' from Luis Bravo's Forever Tango. Normally I wouldn't bother commenting on the guests on a results show, but I do love a Tango. The foot work is so compelling, it's a wonder to me that they don't get all tangled up.
After a brief commercial break, we're back with solos. We start with Paris dancing to 'It Doesn't Hurt' by Katie Thompson. It's pretty good for what it is, but then again, I'm a poor judge of solos.
She's followed by Tony dancing to 'Early in the Morning' by The Gap Band. Ummmm...again, I'm a lousy solo judge, but this seems really sloppy. There's nothing sharp in it at all. I'm thinking Tony phoned it in tonight.
Up next, dancing to 'Did Ya' by BoA, is Asuka. She's really sharp and on the mark. My god, she has tiny ankles! I keep waiting for her legs to just collapse!
Now we've got Vitolio dancing to 'We Belong Together' from Gavin DeGraw. Out of all the guys I thought this one was the best. While not super exciting, it was strong and passionate.
Last up for the girls is Karla dancing to 'Natural Woman' by Aretha Franklin. I think she's let her nerves get to her, 'cause she's a little shaky. It's alright, but just alright.
Finally, Jonathan's up dancing to 'Krazy' by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon. Like Tony's solo, it's pretty weak. Not a lot of strength and purpose with this one.
While the judges head off to deliberate, we've got a performance from Sean Kingston. Yep, I fast forwarded through this. Not really my bag.
Okay, it's time for results! The girls are up first. Karla is the first one safe of the three and she looks incredibly relieved. At this point, I'm pretty sure Asuka is safe because we're pretty heavy on contemporary dancers this season, so there's no way they're going to get rid of a really talented ballroom dancer. Which is essentially what Nigel says when he sends Paris packing. Sorry Paris, you got stuck with a not so great partner, a mediocre routine and bad costumes.
Now the guys are up and Nigel tears into all of them for pretty weak solos. Vitolio's safe right off the bat, which again, isn't surprising. His was the strongest solo. I wasn't terribly sure which of the remaining two guys was heading home. Sadly (for him anyway), Tony's shown the door. I'm actually a little torn on this one because he reminds me a bit of Ivan from Season 2. Ivan was pretty green at the start of the competition, but really grew and ended up making it to the Top 6. On the other hand, he could've turned out like Cedric, who the judges kept around way too long and managed to sewer the chances of other, more qualified dancers.
Ah well, first eliminations are down. Now the rest of them know what it's going to be like if they don't step it up every week.
That's all I've got for tonight. Keep an eye out for spoilery bits on next week's show. As soon as I find any, I'll post them here. Carra's on the road for a bit, so you probably won't see her comments until next week.
As we introduce the Top 20, it’s pretty clear there’s already some favourites based on the audience reaction...it’ll be interesting to see if that remains the same by the end of the night.
Nigel’s Twitter mentioned something about a pretty clear bottom two or three tonight, so I’m quite excited to see what happens.
Tonight on the judging panel are Adam Shankman (yay!), Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe. After some idle chit chat, Cat goes into the spiel about how the voting works for the first five weeks and gives us a reminder of the road to this point.
Up first are Jeanine and Phillip. They’re doing hip hop choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. It’s basically about not going to sleep mad. I realize this is only the first dance of the season, but I get a little bored with T&N’s incessant need to have a story attached to the dance. I feel the same way - oooh look, I said, an angst ridden couple... now here's something we haven't seen before.
Aaaanyway, Jeanine and Phillip are dancing to ‘Mad’ by Ne-yo. First impression is that Jeanine is actually sharper than Phillip on this. They’re definitely taking advantage of Phillip’s popping skill, but Jeanine’s definitely holding her own. Which is exactly what Adam says! I don’t know that I would call it ‘unbelievable’, but it was a good start. Mary does her usual fake-out and ups the volume with her praise. I guess we couldn’t really start the season without it. Nigel thought Jeanine was fantastic and made a great impression. I thought they were fantastically in sync, and was really pleased with how they both performed.
Next up is Asuka and Vitolio doing Broadway with Tyce Diorio. The set-up is that it’s a scene with a director and an actress. Looks like they’re having some struggles in rehearsal, so hopefully it turns out okay.
They’re dancing to ‘Hot Honey Rag’ from the musical ‘Chicago’. Carra’s already sold on this one just for that I’d bet. Right off the bat they seem very in sync. Damn! Vitolio’s got some long ass limbs! There’s lots of energy and they both seem pretty ‘in’ to their respective parts. Adam thinks it felt artificial but it was ultimately danced technically well. Mary’s a little disappointed because they both played it safe. Nigel thought the dancing was strong and the lines were great but thinks they didn’t put their personalities into it. I admit, I loved the choice of music! Of course, it's from Chicago, what's not to like! But that's where it stopped for me. The whole routine came off on the flat side, and I agreed with the judges that there was no life, no personality, to it. This is on my list for the Bottom 3.
Now we’re featuring Karla and Jonathan. Tony Meredith is teaching them the Cha Cha this week. Karla thinks it’s going to be easy. That might not be a good omen. Haven't they heard? Have they not watched before when we've been reminded that none of this is as easy as it looks?
Ugh. They’re dancing to ‘Poker Face’ by Lady Gaga. Are we not over her yet? I’m not getting much of a connection between the two and they’re a little hesitant it seems. It’s like she doesn’t fully trust him to catch her at the right times. And he needs a little more oomph. Adam thought it was good/awesome but thinks Jonathan needs a little more flexibility. Mary screams for him and makes some really uncomfortable sexual innuendos that I can’t comment on. Nigel said they exploded with chemistry. Huh, what do I know. This one was not one of my favorites of the night, and it's Bottom 3 for me.
Now we’ve got Randi (she of the unitards!) and Evan. Tyce is back for them with a Jazz piece. He talks a lot about emotion and sensuality. For some reason I think they’re going to pull this off really well. I think it's funny that she's squeamish about this because she's married. Again, I say, if you watched the show before you came out to audition, you would know that the possibility of dancing with a boy is pretty high, so it may be something you want to work out with your husband first...
They’re dancing to ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’ by Jamie Cullum. Evan just fits this kind of music. They seem to have gotten over any qualms they had about the sensuality because they’re both really into it. Randi looks great out of the unitard and in a dress and Evan looks equally great in a more casual look. Adam says they danced tall and loved their connection. Mary says they started low on her radar at the end of Vegas, but they’ve jumped to the top with their ‘smoldering’. Nigel thought it was fantastic and praises their control. I really liked this number, and I think they have a terrific partnership.
Up next is Paris and Tony. I’m really interested to see how Tony does. Oh, wait, I’m less interested because they’re doing hip hop with Tabitha and Napoleon, so it’s less of a challenge for him.
They’re song selection is ‘Let the Beat Rock (Boys Noize Megamix)’ by The Black Eyed Peas. I’m not pleased with the costume department on this one. And the choreography is too flowy for me. It’s kind of dull. Which isn’t really a problem with the dancers. They both seem competent with this, I just wish the choreography was better. Adam thought it was good and didn’t like the costumes (we’re so in tune, Adam and I). He also said it was a little mush. Mary doesn’t think it’s memorable and wasn’t aggressive enough. Nigel agrees with Mary and thinks there’s definite room to grow. I thought Paris was too smiley for this, it needed to be a bit rougher. This one hits the Bottom 3 for me tonight.
Caitlyn and Jason are on next with a Bollywood number choreographed by Nakul (if anyone caught his last name, please leave it in the comments! I don’t have a hope in hell of getting it right!). There’s a lot of technicalities with this and looks like it will be a bit of a challenge.
Of course, they’re dancing to ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire. This has apparently become the go to song for anything related to Indian culture. They both seem really together from the start. They fall out of it here and there, but this is a really challenging piece for week one, so I’m fairly certain that’ll be forgiven. The dance ends with a kiss and a bow. I’d say they pulled this one off pretty well. Adam is up out of his seat saying they rocked. He praises Jason’s hand work and says Caitlyn blew it out. Mary’s yelling some more, praising Caitlyn’s hand stand and Jason’s charisma. Nigel thinks they brought it tonight and thought it was beautiful. Likely my favorite performance of the evening. I always enjoy when they bring Bollywood on the show, and I imagine it's a pretty difficult routine to learn. I like them as a team, and I thought they did great!
Now we’ve got Janette and Brandon. This seems like a powerhouse pairing. They’re both really strong dancers. They’re doing a Louis Van Amstel Fox Trot. They’re going to have to be really smooth with this and it looks like it was a little challenging in rehearsal.
They’re dancing to ‘Come Fly With Me’ by Michael Buble. I have no business critiquing technicalities with this but their form seems pretty solid and they seem to have the feel down. There’s a great lift at the end that they do really well. I LOVED the end, it was fantastic! Seems like (to me anyway) that they managed to work out the kinks they had during rehearsal. Adam makes a thinly veiled pass at Brandon and praises them for a lovely dance. Mary admits to botoxing her forehead into an expressionless stupor (explains why she has to scream so much) and has everyone killing themselves laughing. Once we get through that, we find out she loved the dance with no shortage of screaming. Nigel praises Janette’s carriage and Brandon’s framework, but says he needs to work on his smaller moves.
Next up is Ashley and Kupono. Yay! It’s a Jazz number choreographed by Wade Robson. Double yay! There’s a story about crash test dummies and living like you’ve never been hurt...but I just really wanna see the dance! Hear, hear! I can't wait!
This dance is set to ‘Felt Mountain’ by Goldfrapp. There’s a lot of props happening here. Hmmm...I’m liking this...but I can see some people not liking it. The movement is well matched to the music. Both dancers seem to be doing really well with it. The movements are sharp when they need to be and soft when they need to be. Adam thought it was weird but praises their technique and calls Wade a sick puppy. Mary was fully on the trip with Wade and bought it from the dancers 100%. Nigel calls Wade a genius (fully agree) and says both dancers ‘got’ their characters. Honestly, we need more Wade on this show. His pieces are always killer, never the same thing twice. This one rocked.
Now we’ve got Melissa and Ade. They’re doing Contemporary with Mandy Moore (the choreographer) (never to be mistaken...) . Melissa calls it ‘Dirty Twister’. Which kind of creeps me out...
They’re dancing to ‘Right Here Waiting’ by Richard Marx, which is a song I probably haven’t heard since I was, oh, 13! (And no, I’m not saying how long ago that was!) But just for the record, in case anyone is doing the math, the song was big in 1989... They’ve both got the movements down; hands and feet are where they need to be when they need to be there. I think Melissa’s ballet training is really helping here and Ade is definitely a strong guy. I’m not sure about the chemistry with these two....it might be there...but I’m not completely sold. Adam is tearing up calling this dance ‘special’ and ‘big’. Mary just screams and says it was believable and flowing and beautiful. Nigel says it was very well done. I have to say, this one didn't work for me. I thought the choreography was just too fast for the music and it didn't flow. But based on the judges reactions, I'm pretty sure they will make it though.
Finally we’ve got Kayla and Max doing a Samba choreographed by Louis Van Amstel, who’s actually known Max for a while. He’s not holding back with this and they both seem pretty confident.
They’re dancing to ‘Jum Bah Day’ by The House of Gypsies. This is Max’s forte, so there doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about with him. Kayla looks amazing - wow! did she ever! - and seems to be all over this routine. They’ve really got this down. I’m suitably impressed. Adam is reeling with enthusiasm over how good this was. He can’t sit still. Mary is Amen’ing all over this thing, standing ‘O’, screaming, tamale train. Can someone feed her some new schtick? Nigel is very impressed and calls it truly sensational. I have to admit, Mary had me laughing... I know, I know, it's all been done before, but there's something about the familiarity of it all that I enjoy. I thought this performance was hot hot hot!
So that’s it for the dancers. Predictions for the bottom three? I’d say probably Paris & Tony, Karla & Jonathan...and maybe Asuka & Vitolio. Although I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Kupono and Ashley were there; some people just won’t get that dance. Ooooh look, we picked the same ones!
A pretty good first show overall. What did you all think? Let us know in the comments!
Carra’s comments will be up in not too long and I’ll be back to recap the results tomorrow night.
So I've been scouring the interwebs looking for some dish on tomorrow night's first performance show and have found a few tasty tidbits from a few different sources. If you don't want to be spoiled, skip this post!
So there's nothing concrete on partnerships yet as they haven't as yet taped the performance show. In previous seasons, the performance show was taped on Monday night, but it looks like they've moved it to Tuesday this year. The Television Without Pity forums usually have the performers and their dance assignments posted fairly quickly after taping is finished. I'll keep an eye over there tonight and post here as soon as they come up.
**UPDATE** Here we are, fresh from the TWOP forums, the pairings and dances for tomorrow night!
Tony & Paris - Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha Evan & Randi - Jazz - Tyce Diorio Vitolio & Asuka - Broadway - Tyce Diorio Kupono & Ashley - ? - Wade Robson (I'm assuming it's Contemporary) Jason & Caitlyn - Bollywood Ade & Melissa - Contemporary - Mandy Moore Philip & Jeanine - Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha Maks & Kayla - Samba - Louis Van Amstel Jonathan & Karla - Cha Cha - Louis Van Amstel Brandon & Janette - Waltz - ?
Some very exciting news about the choreographers though! Looks as though Shankers is on the judging panel tomorrow night and we will see routines from Shane Sparks, Mia Michaels AND Wade Robson! All in one night! I definitely felt a significant Shane Sparks absence last year and hopefully now that Wade isn't workng on that terrible Criss Angel/Cirque show anymore he'll have more time for us! **UPDATE** Apparently this was not to be. Only Wade is featured tomorrow night, but I'm very excited that Kupono gets to do his piece!
In general spoilery-ness (not Top 20 related)- other choreographers we're slated to see this season include Louis Van Amstel (Dancing with the Stars), Stacey Tookey (So You Think You Can Dance Canada) and the return of Brian Friedman! I can't remember if Brian did any routines last season or not, but his stuff was always good. And so glad to see Stacey Tookey get some US recognition!
Other than that, anything I've read thus far on partnerships is too wishy washy to be sure, so I think I'll wait until the TWOP spoilers go up. I'll update this post as soon as they do.
Well tonight is the night we meet our Top 20, and based on last nights show, I'm not quite sure what to expect...
They get straight to business.
We learn right away that Janette from Miami has made the cut. Diana from Los Angeles did not. A very emotional Vitolio, also from Miami, has made it through as well.
We then go through a whole series of people who are heading home, but they went through it so quickly, I wasn't able to catch all the names.
Ah, finally someone I remember - Kayla from Denver. I remember her audition mainly because of her grandparents... Mia tells her that she seldom connects with female dancers, that she is usually drawn to the strength of male dancers, but Kayla has a strength that has caught her eye, and another one has made it to the Top 20!
With his freshly shaved head, Kupono from Seattle takes the stage next. After they do a quick recap of his audition, we find out that Nigel asked him to cut his hair... I'm not sure how I feel about this! I kind of liked it before, I thought it suited him. But I guess it shows he is willing to take direction. Oh! And we also find out that he is a list maker! A boy after my own heart... Very happy to see him make the cut (no pun intended) and continue on to the Top 20.
They're on a streak now, and several people are put through, again so quickly that they blur right past me... I'm sure I'll catch all their names at the end.
Now on to Brandon from Denver. I really think he is fantastic and didn't understand all the negativity yesterday, especially from Mia. And clearly she has not changed her tune even a little bit. She calls him a fake and says she does not see what the big deal is about him. She goes off for quite a while until Debbie Allen cuts her off in disagreement. As Debbie tries to say her piece, Mia keeps cutting her off until Nigel is forced to play referee, telling Mia to stuff it and give Debbie a chance to speak. Debbie does her bit about how great he is, and then L'il C steps in and says that so far he has not been impressed with Brandon. Mary cuts him off by saying she isn't going to listen to this crap anymore. That seems to shut everyone up for a second, because she is genuinely pissed, with poor Brandon standing up there, the smile no longer attached to his face. Can you imagine how tense that would be? Holy smokes... Anyway, Mary is ticked off with all the negativity, because she thinks Brandon is truly remarkable and doesn't want to see him get cut down any more. Finally the bitch fest is over and Nigel informs us all that Brandon has made it and will be in the Top 20, but he clearly has some obstacles to overcome. He seems to rise above all the natter and comes off feisty and ready for the challenge, which seems to go a bit of distance with those less than impressed. Should be interesting to see how it plays out as the season continues!
Now if anyone warranted all the fuss and the back and forthing, it's Tony Bellisimo, in my opinion. But with a simple word from Nigel about his technique not being strong enough, he's through. That's it, that's all.
Onto another series of those with good news, among them Caitlin Kinney, who I thought warranted more than a 5 second blip after all the drama yesterday. But whatever, she made it to Top 20, and that's good enough for me.
3 or 4 more make it through in a hurry before we pause for a breath with Randi Evans from Denver. Mia makes quite a fuss over her commitment to her unitard. Quite a fuss, actually, which I found strange... but the unitard aside, she will be joining the rest in the show.
Alex Wong from Miami (Vancouver) is up next and we find out that he has a contract with the Miami Ballet. And he finds out that they will not excuse him from his contract in order to participate in the show. You'd think that may have been something he looked into before auditioning?
Damn. Ricky Sun got cut. I liked him.
Phillip Chbeeb makes it to the Top 20, and I am interested to see how it goes for him. I like him, and he seemed to do well with everything they threw at him. I'm curious to see how he handles the pressure that the show is sure to put on him...
And now there are only 2 spots left, 1 girl and 1 guy. And who is left sitting in the waiting room? Asuka and Deanna and... the two Kasprzak brothers. Yup, I knew there would be heartbreak with these two.
Before the final results, I must say I think it's a crappy ploy. To bring two people on the stage, and cut one of them in front of the other. Talk about conflicting emotions. You'd be so happy you'd made it, but would be trying so hard to be sensitive to the one who is sobbing their heart out, as was the case with the two girls.
Deanna and Asuka head into the lions den. Deanna gets cut. And takes it pretty hard. It kind of overshadowed feeling good for Asuka, cuz I think she is a little cutie, and am looking forward to seeing how far she goes...
And now for Evan and Bryan... I'm sorry, or is it Ryan? For some reason I think Nigel has alternated between both...
Anyway, they both head on stage, saying this is their worst nightmare, to be standing there knowing one of them is about to be cut. It's Evan who makes it through this year, which has to be as hard as getting cut, with the two of them being so close. But I guess that's the way it goes sometimes...
I pay extra close attention as they do the final recap - so here you go, your Top 20 Dancers for Season Five!
This particular Vegas round has left me shaking my head. In previous seasons, I could mostly agree with where the judges were going, but there were some decisions tonight that were just so wrong.
I think you probably know where I’m going with this.
Natalie Reid. What. The. Fuck. Judges.
She made it all the way last year. All. The. Way. She was virtually in the Top 20.
Yet this year she only gets through TWO choreography sessions?!?! I fully admit her timing was off during the Sonya routine, but COME ON! No dance for your life option? No leeway based on potential? That was the reason given for carrying through a number of other dancers tonight, but apparently no go for Natalie. I agree, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!!! I have always felt a sense of inconsistency with the judging, and if I ever needed anything to back that opinion, it was just handed over on a silver platter. Frankly, I don't even think Natalie should have had to dance for her life at that point. I didn't notice Brandon (whom I love) having to dance for his life, no matter how many times Mia told him he sucked (which I don't think he did, but whatever), and he's still standing. And how does it go from Sonya using her as an example of something to strive towards during choreography to being cut 5 minutes later... ridiculous.
My cold, black heart is breaking for her and I hope the judges haven’t just crossed that line with her and broken her. We won’t see her back, that I’m fairly sure of. After screwing with her last year (because I think we can all agree, that whole performance with Katee - sending them back out while they re-deliberate - was screwing with her) and barely giving her a chance to perform this year, I can’t see her being at all interested in jumping through their hoops anymore.
I just hope she keeps dancing.
Aside from that, let’s talk about those that were given way too many chances. Gabby Rohas. Why exactly was she given an opportunity to dance for her life when Natalie wasn’t? And subsequently made it through? I don't think her solo was any better than Natalie's, yet the judges kept coming back to it, using it as the excuse to keep putting her through to the next level - how wrong is that???
And the hip hop kid - Tony Bellissimo - (who I will admit is entertaining) who got to do Mia’s piece, screwed up, was given extra time to practice it some more, and got to perform it again! And subsequently made it through! His first solo was far too gimick-y for me, and I would have cut him at that point. However, I did think that the rest of his pieces were good enough for him to be put through to subsequent levels, until the contemporary number, at which point I would have cut him again... but I guess when you are given an extra afternoon over everyone else to practise and then perform again, you should be able to pull it off... what a joke.
I just don’t get it. But I’ll get off my soap box now for the sake of the blog.
I found the coverage of the dancers very odd tonight.
For instance, the guy originally from Vancouver, BC who auditioned in Miami (though we never saw his audition). His solo at the beginning was unbelievable. It looked as though his audition was equally as impressive. Then we don’t see him again.
Kupono got virtually no air time, but made it through right to the end. We didn’t see his solo, no choreography, not his group (that I could tell) but there he is at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy about that! But it’s weird. He was hard to pick out this time with his head shaved - I hardly noticed him at all!
And where in the hell was the Beautiful Disastrous Weirdo from Seattle???
I don’t want to go on too long about tonight’s show because it was pretty all over the place and it’s pretty hard to tell what’s going to happen tomorrow.
I think there’s a few sure fire bets on the Top 20. As much as the judges have been riding him, I think Brandon’s in. I would say Osuka and Ricky Sun are in for sure. At least one of the Kaspyrszak brothers will make it, if not both.
Can't not mention the Kinney sisters, Meagan and Caitlyn. I loved Caitlyn from her audition last week, and thought it was too bad that we never saw the full footage of Meagan's. Quite the roller coaster day for them, with Meagan being cut and Caitlyn having to dance for her life RIGHT NOW... and with the judges chirping in the background "Oh! She's falling apart... can she pull it together?!?" Oh just shut up and give her 10 seconds to collect herself. I understand it's a high pressure industry, but if you could just dole it out with some level of consistency, it would be appreciated thank you very much.
Aside from that, it’s too hard to tell, especially with the inconsistency shown tonight.
Ah well, we’ll all find out together tomorrow. There’s sure to be some shockers.
One final note - I’ve finally succeeded in getting my sister hooked on this show. In all of 20 minutes tonight! She’s been pushing against it since I started watching, but she relented tonight and she’s sold! YES! My plot for world domination is finally coming together!
That’s all I’ve got tonight. And, on the off chance that Natalie might read this somehow...Keep dancing. We mean it.
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