SYTYCD - New Orleans Auditions!

Double the auditions this week! Tonight we’re in New Orleans, Louisiana for the first time. I love, love, love New Orleans. I’m heading back there for a vacation in a couple of months and I can’t wait!

On the judging panel tonight are Mary, Lil’ C and Adam Shankman. This was taped when Nigel was getting his honorary doctorate, so he’s not here this time. Between the characters that are sure to be found in NOLA and Shankers’ tomfoolery, it’s bound to be an entertaining evening!

First up is Shelby ‘Skip’ Skipper doing New Orleans Bounce, which is sort of like Hip Hop but with some N’awlins flair. Lil’ C’s going to love this. It’s actually pretty cool to watch, but you’ve gotta wonder if he can pick up anything else.

Mary loved it. Adam says he’s an expert (not really)and Mary makes some lewd comment about him doing the New Orleans Bounce last night which sets them all off in fits of giggles. He thought it was unbelievable. Lil’ C thought it was bucc. The judges put him straight through to Vegas.

Jonathan Litzler is on deck with a Contemporary solo. There’s lots of acrobatics in his piece and it all flows together really well. Adam says it was one of the best auditions he’s ever seen. Lil’ C says it looked effortless. Mary thought it was amazing. He’s off to Vegas.

Good dancer montage featuring Alison Nance, Calvin Turner Jr., and Edward Spots. All three are off to Vegas.

Uh oh. Eric Le Blanc is up and he’s apparently done nothing but drink energy drinks all day. This doesn’t bode well. Well, he’s definitely got lots of energy and he’s funny, but I’m not thinking he’s going much further. Mary shuts him down on his Tamale Train hopes. There’s a lot of screaming. Mary calls him a fun guy and Lil’ C commends his passion. Adam shuts him down for choreography, but Mary and Lil’ C send him through...I’m guessing for entertainment value. Yup, he’s headed home.

Justin Kenney’s a hip hop dancer who has recently survived a pretty serious car accident. He’s pretty good, lots and lots of tricks. Mary thought he was terrific and Lil’ C says it was impressive. Adam says it was a great, great solo. He’s off to choreography and ultimately makes it to Vegas.

Day 2 starts with a party in the lobby including full brass band. Those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of visiting to New Orleans might think this was staged for the show, but I can tell you, you just never know when or where the band will show up to start a party.

We start Day 2’s auditions with Kimalee Piedad (her partner isn’t auditioning) whose style of dance is similar to pairs skating - minus the ice and the skates. She’s very good. The lifts are amazing in this and there’s lots of ‘Wow’s’ from the judges. Mary thought it was fabulous. Lil’ C calls it graceful and visually informative. Adam’s curious to what she can do on her own. She’s off to Vegas.

Next up is Hip Hop dancer Micah Mixon. Wow he’s got a thick neck. His pops are incredibly sharp and the gliding is great. He’s pretty good. The judges bought it completely and send him through to choreography, but unfortunately he doesn’t get to Vegas.

It’s time for the Montage of No’s with Lloyd Ballard, Tierney St. John, Casey Crisosto, rolling into ‘Mary’s Rules of What Not to Do’ demonstrated by Adam. Hee.

Next up is Jakob Karr. He gets an ‘Oh my word’ from Adam right off the top. His control is really something. (For those interested, the song is ‘Elephant in the Room by Richard Walters). Mary’s yelling and screaming and Adam says he freaking rocked. Lil’ C calls it phenomenal. He’s straight on through to Vegas.

Finally we’ve got Diana Drexler who’s grandfather has passed away while she was on her way to the audition. Awww...my heart is cold and long dead, but that really sucks. She’s a good dancer, nice piece. Mary says it was beautiful and effortless. Adam gets her talking about her grandfather and commends her strength for carrying through her audition. She gets sent through to choreography. She ultimately makes it through to Vegas.

Next week we’ve got the final stop in Salt Lake City, Utah and the next round in Vegas.

I’ve got to say, as much as the audition process is drawn out with these one hour shows, how refreshing it is to watch them when the majority of the dancers they show are so good. I like this format judges. Take note.

That’s it for me tonight.

Cheers!

SYTYCDC - Top 10 Results!

From ten down to eight! It’s results night in Canada.

We start the show with a group number choreographed by Stacey Tookey to ‘Hometown Glory’ by Adele. For some reason this really reminded me of the group number Mia choreographed last year; Not because of any blatant similarities, just the feel of it. Really nice.

Straight to results as always and the girls are up first. Amy’s not safe. Kim is safe. Tara Jean is safe. Jayme Rae is safe and Melanie is in the bottom two. I’m thinking Amy’s back stage packing her bags.

On to the guys. Everett is safe. Cody is in the bottom two. Vincent is safe. Emanuel is safe and Austin’s in the bottom two. I don’t know about this one. My gut says Austin, but I had a big lunch, so that could just be indigestion.

Solos on now. They mean nothing now, but we’re doing them anyway.

Amy’s up first dancing to ‘Belief’ by Gavin DeGraw. It’s nice enough, but I sort of get a resigned feeling from her.

On to Melanie dancing to ‘18th Floor Balcony’ by Blue October. Cute solo. She’s so good.

Next up is Cody dancing to ‘Butterfly’ by Jason Mraz. I like that Cody doesn’t always necessarily pick standard hip hop music for his solos. Nice job.

Finally it’s Austin dancing to ‘Genesis’ by Justice. This is different for him. Lots of popping, a little more hip hop than usual for him. Kinda cool.

Jean Marc says both girls are amazing dancers and he’s glad he doesn’t have to pick who’s going home. Lowest vote getter for the girls is Amy and she’s going home. Amy’s very cute with her farewells with not one note of snark.

On to the guys and Tre says they’re both strong dancers with lots of potential. Going home tonight is Austin. Well there you go.

So that’s it for tonight. Carra’s got book club tonight, so I’ll be back in a bit with the New Orleans auditions for SYTYCD US.

Later!

SYTYCD - Atlanta Auditions!

Back again! This week we're in Atlanta for the next stop on the audition tour.

Joining Mary and Nigel tonight is Lil' C and it looks like Atlanta is raring to go.

First up is Billy Bell who's only been dancing for five years. He's a very compelling contemporary dancer. Really nice. Nigel critiques some small technicalities, but the judges end up sending him straight through to Vegas.

Next up is Amber Jackson. Holy shit is she ripped (I mean well built, not drunk). She's a really good dancer, but there's not much in her face. Over to the judges and Nigel starts with 'You're movement is tremendous, the performance is shit', meaning her lack of connection to the audience. They send her through for the choreography round and ultimately she's off to Vegas.

Apparently that lacking connection Amber displayed is a common ailment with Atlanta dancers. We go through a montage of mostly half decent dancers with nothing in their faces.

Now we've got Travis Dennison who says he previously auditioned for The Wade Robson Project and that Wade is the reason he became a dancer. Ummm....let's not blame for Wade this. Travis' stuff is fun, but it's not really the kind of dancing for this show. Nigel asks if he's related to Adam Shankman (there is a remarkable resemblance) and Lil' C calls him 'The Hip Hop Adam Shankman' while giggling to death. And then they send Travis home.

Jamal Jackson's up now and he's really good. Straight through to Vegas for him.

Following Jamal is Contemporary dancer Victor Smalley. In my notes all I have is "Like, like, like". He's got great spins and overall a really good performance. He's on to Vegas.

Back for another year are Anthony and Antwain Hart. They've auditioned a few times before and have never broken through. As I remember, they're both really good hip hop dancers, but if I remember correctly, they seem to fall apart during choreography. The judges comment on the amount of growth for both of them and send them through to choreography. Anthony ultimately makes it to Vegas, but sadly Antwain does not.

On to Day 2 and up first we've got Matthew 'Boogie Links' Pollard. He seems slightly more concerned with picking up girls than dancing. He's on stage for his hip hop solo and does a lot of that double jointed weirdness that always wigs the judges out. It's decent enough, but we've seen a lot better. The judges send him off to choreography but ultimately he gets sent home.

Next up is Jessica Jensen who lost her right hand and part of her forearm to cancer. We learn later that she was back in the studio dancing two weeks after surgery. Wow. Her solo is really well done, however, I'm having a hard time envisioning her with a partner. The judges praise her dancing and her courage and ask her to come back for choreography. Sadly, she doesn't pull it together in the ballroom piece and is sent home.

Oh dear. Now we've got Jonathan Bryant who thinks he's just so fantastic. That's generally a pretty clear sign that he's not. Yeah. The solo starts out looking like he's having some sort of seizure or fit. It's all over the map with no real semblance of composition. Lil' C says he needs more control, otherwise it's more like an argument instead of a conversation. Mary starts to criticize but the kid interrupts her before she can really get anything out. And then he keeps interrupting. Over and over and over again. Nigel calls him on it and he starts to cry like a little girl with a skinned knee. Buh bye.

Then there's a lot more crying in the Montage of No's.

Finally, we've got Thomas Hamilton who has clearly had a bit of a rough life thus far. He was born addicted to drugs and was raised by his aunt as his mother was - and still is - a drug addict. His solo is really strong though I'm getting a little of that lacking connection again. Nigel loved the dancing but comments on the insular-ness of the dance. The judges send him through to choreography where he does quite well and eventually gets sent to Vegas.

That's it for tonight. Auditions continue tomorrow night in New Orleans! I'll refrain from blabbering on about how much I love New Orleans because I will blabber. Looks like it'll be a fun show.

I'm back tomorrow for Canada's results and the next audition show. See you then!

Cheers!

SYTYCDC - Top 10 Performance!

We’re getting down to it...it’s time for the Top 10!

Before I get started, for those who missed it, there’s some preliminary tour info here. It doesn’t look like a complete list of dates yet, so keep checking back.

Montage, montage, dancer intros and here we go! We’ve got new partnerships tonight and joining Tre and Jean Marc on the judging panel are Luther and Blake. Blake’s always snippy on the panel, should be entertaining.

First up tonight are Vincent and Melanie and they’ve drawn the Paso Doble, choreographed by last season’s Natalli and Francis! Rehearsal clips are really short tonight - we’re getting right into it.

They’re dancing to ‘Conquest’ by The White Stripes. Melanie’s killing this thing and Vincent’s right there with her. They’re both throwing down on the stage and just givin’ er. When the judges say Melanie's a beast, they really mean it. Great routine and great start to the show. I really liked this - Vincent is becoming my favourite guy.

Luther says everything was great and it was a perfect start to the Top 10. Blake says Melanie is the most versatile performer on the show and he now gets why Vincent is Mia’s favourite. Tre gives a ‘job well done’ to Melanie and says Vincent danced through every inch of himself. Jean Marc gives a shout out to Natalli and Francis and says both dancers were committed to the dance. He says it was great.

Up first for solos is Kim dancing to ‘Kiss From a Rose’ by Seal. I can’t remember if we’ve ever seen her solo before, but she’s really good. Great musicality.

Next is Everett with his solo to ‘Everybody Dance’ by Chic. It’s a very hip tap piece. Very good.

Back from the break and we’ve got Cody and Amy. I think this is a great pairing. They’ve picked a Contemporary (I think) piece with Stacey Tookey. Looks like there’s a few difficult lifts here.

They’re dancing to ‘Come Home’ by One Republic featuring Sara Bareilles. I always forget that Cody’s a hip hop dancer. He just falls into these pieces so well. They’re both very together the whole way through. This may be the first time that I’ve paid this much attention to Amy. As I guessed, this pairing works really well. Sweet piece. This is the second (?) time Cody has had to do contemporary and each time I've thought 'Wow - this kid SHOULD be a contemporary dancer' He has great fluidity and this genre suits him. Loved this.

Luther praises Cody’s effort but says Amy fell flat for him. Blake agrees with Luther and says Amy needed to commit more. Tre sees a lot of growth from Cody and says Amy gave a strong performance but fell a little flat. Jean Marc says Amy was very, very good and calls Cody an inspiration. I agreed with all these comments - Cody stood out, Amy not so much.

Jayme Rae’s up now with a solo to ‘Make Me Over’ by Keyshia Cole. She’s definitely working the sexpot thing. It’s okay I guess, but not wow-worthy.

Austin’s up for his solo to ‘Always Midnight’ by Pat Monahan. Hasn’t he done this before? He’s definitely a strong dancer. Just throws himself into the piece. Nice job.

Next up is Emanuel and Tara Jean . They’ve picked the Samba with Tony and Melanie and it sounds a little more like an entree than a dance.

They’re dancing to ‘Samba Vocalizado’ by Luciano Perrone. Eeeh, I don’t need to see Emanuel shake his ass like that again. That being said, these two are really sharp and into the piece. We’ve seen one or two other sambas this season and this one definitely stands out as one of the better ones. Emanuel does this wild sort of spread eagled jump into Tara Jean’s face which frankly scares the shit out of me, but is very cool. The last lift-y-spin-y thing is a little shaky, but overall a really good number and a great performance. This was fun - but I think that it had a LOT to do with the music. These two danced really well but the song had be boppin' in my seat.

Luther says there was a lot of ‘situations’ up there. Hee. He says TJ is the hardest working dancer up there. He says they both smashed it. Blake completely believed the piece and says it was a hot performance. Tre’s breathy over Emanuel and his hips and says Tara Jean’s dancing out of her clothes. (??) Jean Marc says Emanuel’s upper body needed some work but he attacked it. Tara Jean’s ‘figure eight’ was excellent.

Solo again with Amy dancing to ‘Wanted’ by Vanessa Carlton. You all know I’m no good with solos, but this just seems like the same old thing from Amy.

Cody’s solo now to ‘I Need a Girl’ by P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Loon, Mario Winans & Tammy Ruggeri. I like Cody’s style because it’s not all just tricks, it seems like actual dancing.

Now we’ve got Everett and Kim. They’ve picked Jazz with Sean Cheesman. This sounds like a fun piece about a guy who visits the corpse of his girlfriend in an attempt to reanimate her. Sean’s kinda twisted - I like it. You would. :)

They’re dancing to ‘St. James Infirmary Blues’ by The White Stripes. Okay, did The White Stripes pay for a plug this week or what? I'm not really a White Stripes fan but I liked both songs tonight. All the little elements in this are fantastic. Some very creative choreography here that is so well performed. These two pair together very well. All the little bits and pieces are super together and right on the mark. Fun, fun, quirky, weirdo piece. Loved it. Mee Too

Luther says it was a hot piece and says Kim is one of his favourite dancers and commends Everett for holding it down. He loved it. Blake says they were both great and commends them for the cleanliness with the intricacies. Tre says this was her favourite performance of the entire season. Yeah - this was good, fun, funky, weird - but the best of the season? Not for me. Wow. She says they were both incredibly believable and it was a bang on performance. Jean Marc was blown away and puts them both on the VD list.

Melanie’s up for her solo to ‘The Fame’ by Lady GaGa. Seems like an OK solo, but nothing really stands out for me.

Vincent now dancing to ‘Can You Feel It’ by Reel 2 Real. Does anyone else think it’s kind of odd that he’s kept all the same costuming and fake tattoos from his earlier piece? Solos from ballroom dancers always seem weird to me, but I guess this was good.

The last paired dance for the night is Austin and Jayme Rae who’ve picked Hip Hop with Sho Tyme. It’s apparently all about connection.

They’re dancing to ‘Da Rockwilder’ by Methodman & Redman. Jayme Rae seems like the stronger of the two here. I’m definitely buying it more from her than Austin. They’re pretty together and hit all the right marks, but I’m just not excited by this piece. It’s good enough, I suppose, but not a Wow for me. Jayme Rae's HAIR pissed me off this whole performance - I couldn't pay attention to the dancing because her hair was in her face the whole time. Costuming/Hair Fail. And the dancing was Meh for me - standard hip hop, nothing mind blowing.

Luther says Jayme Rae is his favourite female dancer and says Austin pulled it through. Blake wanted more investment from Austin but on the whole it was a good job. Tre says Jayme Rae has all the swagger but Austin needs more for hip hop. Jean Marc says Jayme Rae held it down while Austin was a little more of an echo.

Tara Jean’s up for her solo to ‘Relief’ by Chris Garneau. I don’t know why but I really liked this one. It’s like she squeezed in a whole lot into the 30 seconds and made it seem longer.

Finally Emanuel’s up for his solo to ‘Bridge’ by Amon Tobin. The faces have got to stop. Really. It’s a decent solo, but all the mugging is distracting.

So that’s it for tonight. I’m not even going to speculate on who’s ending up in the bottom. It’s just too hard to predict! I'll take a guess here and say Amy & Cody, because of Amy's blah effort - Austin & Jayme Rae, because I just didn't believe it - and ummm argh I guess Melanie & Vincent (though it kills me) only because I think Tara Jean killed tonight (with Emanuel tagging along) and the funkiness of Kim & Everett's piece & really positive judges comments will win them votes.

LATER EDITED TO ADD: I'm an idiot and apparently don't understand how judging works now. Individuals - Not Pairs. I can't give my picks again now because I already know some of the results - I'll do better next time.

Time to take a break and then I’ll be back for the next round of auditions for SYTYCD US.

Back in a bit!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Tour Info!

Morning kids!

So info is starting to trickle out about the So You Think You Can Dance Canada tour and it looks like we won't have to wait long after the end of the season for the live shows. So far, I've found seven dates, but I wouldn't be surprised if they add more. **Updated - the full list is up now **

If I've done my calculations correctly, this season should finish up on October 21st. That leaves just over a month until the first show on the tour. The dates I have are as follows:

** Updated with more dates **

Kelowna, BC - November 25 - Prospera Place
Vancouver, BC - November 27 - GM Place
Edmonton, AB - November 30 - Rexall Place
Saskatoon, SK - December 1 - Credit Union Centre
Calgary, AB - December 2 - Saddledome
Winnipeg, MB - December 4 - MTS Centre
Sudbury, ON - December 6 - Sudbury Arena
Windsor, ON - December 8 - WFCU Centre
London, ON - December 9 - John Labatt Centre
Toronto, ON - December 10 - Air Canada Centre
Hamilton, ON - December 12 - Copps Coliseum
Kingston, ON - December 13 - K-Rock Centre
Montreal, QC - December 15 - Centre Bell
Ottawa, ON - December 18 - Scotiabank Place
Quebec City, QC - December 19 - Colisee Pepsi
Saint John, NB - December 21 - Harbour Station
Halifax, NS - December 22 - Metro Centre

I know that the Kelowna date is going on sale this weekend at Select Your Tickets, and it looks like the some of the others go on sale this weekend as well, through Ticketmaster.

As I get more information, I'll post it here. I figure they'll probably make the 'official' announcement tonight on the show.

Keep checking back for more info!

So You Think You Can Dance - Boston Auditions!

It's audition night in SYTYCD world and we are headed into Boston for the first time ever.

Our judges are Nigel, Mary and Tyce Diorio, who I sometimes enjoy, and sometimes think is a bit of a jerk... wonder what tonight will bring!

So our first guy, Teddy Tedholm, has some very interesting taste in clothing... he picked up his pants at an online golf store, and it kind of shows!

He fancies himself a whimsical fellow, and hopes that his dancing reflects this.

He wins me over with his choice of music - If it Kills Me by Jason Mraz - and I find his number very entertaining. To me, he is a bit more of a performer than a dancer, but a really great piece regardless. I love this song - but it's getting overused.

The judges love him, and after a couple of minutes of gushing, send him straight through to Vegas. He's a cutie - I'm glad he got through. He reminds me a bit of Travis Wall. There were some inklings in his performance that there's more dancing know-how there than meets the eye. I have high hopes.

B-Boy Jean Lloret is up next and we learn that what he lacks in training he makes up for in confidence... and holy smokes! He's really very good! OMG my elbows hurt several times during this...ouch!

No commentary whatsoever, just a standing O from the judges and a ticket to Sin City. Three of them, in fact. Okay I think this guy is talented ...but can he do anything else? I would have given him a wholehearted and well meant vote to choreography. Agreed. In between the tricks there wasn't much in the way of dancing. I'm guessing Vegas will be a write off here.

A quick glimpse at Kimara Wood, who is also on his way to the casinos.

Ice cream scooper Channing Cooke is a contemporary dancer who has been waiting and waiting to audition, and now that she is 18, her time has come. To irritate the HELL out of me. sorry.

She gives a lovely performance and the judges seem mesmerized.

Nigel calls her a bit of a tomboy and praises her quality and control. Mary loved it and found it to be a very strong performance. Tyce loves her, and calls her awesome and amazing... but then they put her into choreography. I thought for sure she was going straight through. However, she does make it through to Vegas in the end.

Now here's a tall lad... 6' 8" tapper Ryan Casey takes the stage next. You can tell Nigel is diggin' the performance all the way through...

Nigel says it was a pleasure watching him, but at times found him a little ungainly. Mary says he really brought it and had great rhythm. Tyce comments that he could have controlled his arms a bit better, but otherwise it was beautiful.

Into choreography he goes. Unfortunately he doesn't make the cut for Vegas, but he says he's going to keep working at it. At 6'8", unless he was absolutely amazing, I doubt he'd have made it through anyway. Partnering with someone that tall would be really tough.

Krumper Russell Ferguson is next and I'm loving the music! He's a wow for me - great movements and isolation and fantastic musicality. Loved it! It should be mentioned here that Cat says a Krumper has never made it to Vegas "could he be the first?"

Nigel calls him bucc... which sounds funny coming from him. Mary asks if he's had any training in other genres, and yes he has, in ballet, modern dance and tap. Tyce calls the performance filthy and dirty in all the right ways and says he is his favorite person in Boston. Wow... in all of Boston!

And into choreography he goes as well. He has a happier ending and collects his ticket.

After Russell leaves the stage, Tyce does some strange thing with his foot, and then... let's one rip and pretty much clears the room. Huh. Yeah, I didn't get this, although watching Mary and Nigel absolutely lose it was funny.

Next up is Fabrizio "Breeze" someone (sorry, they are flashing the names ever so quickly!) - he's kind of a popper guy... and ooops! I think he just fell down. But he recovers very nicely and just keeps on keepin' on like it never happened.

Nigel has to ask, of course, if that was indeed a trip up, which Breezes openly confesses. Nigel commends his ability to keep on going, and says it was a lot of fun. Mary agrees, as does Tyce, who adds that if he got some training he'd be really good.

2 votes for choreography, but unfortunately for Breeze, he twisted his ankle in the fall, and drops out so that he doesn't take down another dancer. Decent of him...

About 30 dancers make it into the choreography session with Anya and Pasha, and it seems like about a dozen of them in total make it through.

On to Day 2 of the Boston auditions!

Nigel starts the day off by saying if you're not a star, just go home - otherwise Tyce just gets mean. Hee!

First up for the day are married couple Karen and Matthew Hauer. They're ballroom dancers, and they are very... very good. Super hot, totally in sync, with a great finish. They rocked.

Mary calls Karen a hot tamale and says she's like Jennifer Lopez kind of hot. Tyce calls them fantastic, and Nigel just hands over the tickets. They're the first married couple to ever make it through.

Up next is Gene Bersten, and Cat comments that he is in love with himself. *eyes rolling* He says he is a very sexy dancer with the ability to mesmerize all the girls. I hate when they start off like this. He looked familiar to me...is he a repeater?

However, I am pleasantly surprised, he's a great dancer. Fantastic feet and hip movements... and those eyebrows! He was good...the pants were not.

Mary is all smiles (clearly she's mesmerized) and says that he is a great dancer, but uses too many facial gestures. His eyebrows are way too all over the place. Umm Hello? The guy ripped his shirt open! I hollered at the TV! And not in a good way! Yeah...have people not learned that the ego should be shelved. Even if you make it to Top 20, overconfidence never seems to lead to votes in this game.

Tyce agrees with Mary and says that when you use your face like that, you come off a little desperate.

Nigel says he had great musicality, and sends him into choreography, where he ends up walking away with a ticket to Vegas.

46 year old Paul Magliato is next, and although he knows he's too old to be in the competition, he wants to give it a try anyway. To 'Viva La Vida by Coldplay' no less...

Kind of wish he hadn't. I hate watching people embarrass themselves. Even though... he doesn't really seem embarrassed. Oh dear God - those pants! My eyes! Yeah, I have a tooth brush that is now dedicated to scrubbing my eyes clean...

Nigel says that while it wasn't really dancing, it sure looked like fun. Mary says it was entertaining, but he looked kind of crazy. (Note to Mary - don't tell crazy people they're crazy. They don't like it.) Tyce says he was wondering the whole way through if this guy was serious, but yes... he can see indeed he was. Okee dokee then...

They wish him well and send him on his way, and as he walks out the door he says he still thinks he can dance, dance, dance. I have to admit, this cracks me up. I do that all the time... So You Think You Can Dance, dance dance...

This last performance seems to wake the dormant mean side of Tyce, and now he's just on a whole. Calling people boring, disgusting, like nails on a chalk board. I often find him unnecessarily mean. I used to find it entertaining, but not so much anymore. I'm not so jaded with Tyce ...I loved this!

Last guy of the night is Kevin Hunte. He auditioned back in Season 3, didn't make it, but is here to try again.

Another Boom Boom Pow performance (Kim must be hating it - oh she is! - and Carly, but good thing for me, I like the song!), and I think this guy is really good.

Mary asks what training he has taken since they last saw him and he replies that he has been taking contemporary. Nigel says he has great musicality, and his waves and popping were good.

And Tyce, staying in form, in a bit of an asshole to him. Basically calls him a liar about taking the training, blah blah blah, just being a jerk, really. I don't understand why Tyce made such a big deal about this...the Krumper from earlier had a crapload of training in other genres and didn't use them and no one said anything about him Not using those genres. Come on now ladies, Tyce is an Emmy nominated choreographer now. He knows all and is always right, even when being blatantly contradictory.

They send the guy to choreography, where he does make it through to Vegas, and I'm glad. So there, Tasty Oreo, take that.

A quick glimpse at the choreography session and 20+ of them get their tickets, and we are done again for the night.

Have you noticed that there are a lot less auditions from people who've auditioned before? Last season seemed like a very 'repeater' heavy season, so I'm glad we're seeing mostly new folks this time around.

Join in next week for auditions in Atlanta!

Thanks everyone, and goodnight! Bye!

SYTYCDC - Top 12 Results!

Hello everyone - here we are for a very important night, where we find out who our Top 10 dancers are, the crew who make it for the Tour...

The night opens with a Luther Brown hip hop, danced to The Jump Off by L'il Kim. It's good, not wow, but holds it's own for sure... I find it interesting how Kim is so prominently featured... is this foreshadowing for the Top 4, I'm wondering?

No fluff, no filler, they bring the first 3 couples out... Kim and Emanuel, Cody and Melanie and Austin and Corryne.

Before I go on, I have to say I didn't really watch last night's performance show. Had some technical difficulties, and didn't end up recording the show. But I did breeze through all the numbers on youtube, with the exception of Austin and Corryne, because for some reason I couldn't find that one.

Anyway - Canada has deemed Kim and Emanuel worthy of Top 10 positions, but the other 2 couples are on their way to get ready for their solos.

No hesitation before we get to the next 3 couples... Tara Jean and Everett, Jayme Rae and Daniel and Amy and Vincent. I would have thought Amy and Vincent, but Canada feels differently and have put Jayme Rae and Daniel in danger.

The solos are next, and I didn't catch any of the songs. I'm lost without Kim's input in this arena.

Melanie is up first, and I thought it was okay, but not wow... Corryne is next and I kind of feel the same about hers, nothing's really moving me. Jayme Rae really works the hair in her number, and this is likely the best of the solos so far.

Now for the guys - Cody is up first and you can hardly hear Leah announce him over the 19 year old girls screaming their lungs out. If it's a popularity contest alone, Cody's got it in the bag. However, I don't see much has evolved in his performance, and I'm thinking it's a good thing he's cute. Austin takes the stage next, and wow! Can this boy spin! And spin... and spin... Even though I don't feel much of a connection to him, I think he may be one of the strongest dancers on the show this year. Last up is Daniel, and I think this performance is a little lacking... usually I'm impressed with his solos, but I'm kind of meh tonight.

A quick commercial break while the judges work it all out, and we are back for the results.

As usual, JM gets to deliver the bad news.

He starts of by calling Melanie a beast (again), but... oh, there's no but, she's safe... He then comments that Jayme Rae has been in the bottom 3 two times, and that while Corynne has a great career in front of her, it won't be on SYTYCDC. Jayme Rae is safe and Corryne is sent packing.

Finally the girls are behaving themselves and Corryne holds a very stoic face as she says they've got a fabulous Top 10 group.

Over to Tre to devastate one of the guys now... even though at this point, no one is a loser, everyone's a winner, baby... I'm guessing the guy who gets cut will disagree, but...

Anyway, Tre comments that all of them have struggled in one way or another, but lucky for Cody that Tre is very protective of him - he's safe and into the Top 10. Leaving Austin and Daniel. At this point, I'm thinking both of them are much more solid dancers than Cody and it's a real shame to lose either one of them. Cody just became my Isaac.

However, if I had to pick between the last two guys standing, I would save Austin. Which they do... he's safe and in the weeping arms of the Top 10, and Daniel is heading home.

So there you have it, your Top 10 group of Season 2...!

Watch for a posting on the Boston auditions of SYTYCD US - should be up in just a little bit!

SYTYCDC - Top 12 Performance!

And we’re back once again for the Top 12 Performance show!

Advanced warning - I’m in a foul mood. I’ll do my best to keep it out of the post, but no guarantees.

Dancer intros and, honestly, Emanuel’s gotta get a stylist or something ‘cause he always looks atrocious during this part. Same goes with Austin’s hair. Every week it looks like he’s used a vat of Dippity Do in that mop of his.

Joining Tre and Jean Marc this week are Mia Michaels (Yay!) and Rex Harrington. Hopefully this means Mia’s doing the group number tomorrow.

General judge gabbery, blah, blah, dance your ass off, blah, blah, COME ON!, blah, blah.

On to the dancers!

Up first are Tara Jean and Everett. They’ve picked Theatre with Sean Cheesman this week. Sean’s working some Tap into it to work with Everett’s strength.

They’re dancing to ‘The Joint Is Jumping’ from the Ain’t Misbehavin’ soundtrack by the Original Broadway Cast. Everett’s obviously really comfortable in this space and Tara Jean’s holding her own too. The lifts are great, they keep the energy up the whole way through, all around a great job.

Mia’s all excited about the Tap and says they’re totally amazing. Rex says it was incredible, great and fantastic. Tre says it was a bang on performance. She says they’re on the way to the Top 10. Jean Marc gives a COME ON to Sean and says they set the stage on fire. He says they’re going to be here a long time.

Back from the break and Leah tells us that Luther will be choreographing the group number tomorrow night (What? Why? Did we forget that Mia’s here? We can get Luther any old time). Bah.

Moving right along quickly (it’s only an hour long show this week), we’ve got Melanie and Cody who’ve drawn Jazz with Melissa Williams. She says it’s a dark, twisted, vampire piece. Just hoping this isn’t a rip off of something we’ve already seen.

They’re dancing to ‘Glory Box’ by Portishead (inspired choice Melissa). Okay, I just totally forgot to write while I was watching that. My fears of the dance being a copy of a previous dance were completely unjustified. What a great piece. And danced really well. Considering how ‘cute’ these two are, it’s hard to imagine them pulling off sexy and alluring, but, like they do every week, they surprised me. Great job.

Mia loved Melanie’s performance but thought Cody was a little lacking in this genre. Rex doesn’t think Cody stepped up enough for this one, but thinks Melanie is a beautiful dancer. He does say that they’ll be in the Top 10. Tre believed Melanie and says Cody allayed her worries about him in this genre. Jean Marc critiques Cody’s transitions but praises his growth. He says Melanie is a force of nature.

Up next we’ve got Corryne and Austin who’ve pulled Salsa with Tony and Melanie. It’s going to be flirty and sexy with lots of pelvic thrusts apparently.

They’re dancing to ‘I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)’ by Pitbull. This is one of those songs that’s getting terribly overused. Austin should not be in that shirt. It’s all kinds of wrong. And the pants are too tight. And his mugging is not helping. He looks a bit like a caricature out there. As to the dancing, it seems...okaaay, I guess. There’s just something off about the flow of it or something, to me. They get all the pieces right (by the looks of it) but it’s just turning me off on the whole and I can’t really say why (besides Austin’s styling).

Mia says it was the most forced sexiness she’s ever seen. THAT’S IT! Thanks to Mia for figuring that out for me. She says Corryne didn’t own it, but Austin did. Rex agrees with Mia and says Austin is one of the strongest men in the competition. Tre says that this was obviously tough for Corynne, being that she’s a classical dancer, but she committed. Austin did a great job. Jean Marc was originally afraid for them, but he’s not afraid anymore. He loves them and thinks they sold it. He says they deserve to be in the Top 10 (really Jean Marc? Even if they’re both in the bottom 3 for a third time?).

On deck now we’ve got Kim and Emanuel. They’ve drawn Hip Hop with Luther this week, who says it’s a hot sweaty situation (which I think is what he says every time he choreographs).

They’re dancing to ‘Respect My Conglomerate’ by Busta Rhymes featuring Lil’ Wayne and Jadakiss. Jadakiss is still around? Who knew? Kim’s totally believable in this but I get a little bit of ‘trying too hard’ from Emanuel. They’re both hitting hard and ugh! Kim had to grab Emanuel’s nether regions! GAH! I think I need to go scrub my eyes with my toothbrush after that! Think of the children Luther! Aside from that, they both danced great in this. Well done.

Mia says Luther’s hot. She says it was rough and raw and says Kim slayed it. There’s some squealing about the crotch grabbing. She says Emanuel’s commitment was there but she’d like to see him hit harder. Rex says it was incredible and sleazy and he loved it. He says Emanuel is one of the strongest dancers they have and Kim is sexy and amazing and makes him ‘question parts of [him]self’. HA! Tre says Emanuel got into it and grounded and got dirty and says Kim is damn strong and she murdered it. Jean Marc says Kim’s swagger was amazing and Emanuel exceeds his expectations.

After the break we’ve got Jayme Rae and Daniel. They’ve picked Contemporary with Blake and it’s about their wedding. Everybody seems to think it’s very intense.

They’re dancing to ‘It Must Have Been Love’ by Kari Kimmel (the original - and much better - version of this song is done by Roxette). Ugh, Blake. Between the brutal cover of the song and blatant rip off of the make-up thing from the Zombie routine from last season’s SYTYCD US? Turn. Off. The dancing’s good here and all and I’m sure the judges will give it raves and kiss Blake’s ass but it’s a big ugh for me. And that’s really too bad because it’s all because of stuff that the dancers have no control over. I’m giving the dancers a ‘Well Done’ here, but Blake needs a slap.

Mia says they were committed to the piece and it was a special piece. Rex says we saw Jayme Rae’s soul and says Daniel partnered her beautifully. Tre praises Jayme Rae’s style and says Daniel did okay with it. Jean Marc is choking up again over Jayme Rae and says Daniel did well with limited tools (I think that’s what he was getting at).

Finally, we’ve got Amy and Vincent. They’ve picked Jive with Tony and Meredith. This is Vincent’s style so that’s a plus for them.

They’re dancing to ‘Pony Time’ by Chubby Checker. Amy seems to be keeping up with Vincent really well here. The synchronization is good and the energy is staying up. Great flow, really together. Great job.

Mia says it was so much fun. She says Amy was real and hot and Vincent is her favourite male dancer here. Rex loved it and says they did a fantastic job. Tre says they did one hell of a routine. She says Vincent is a transformer and Amy shone. Jean Marc says they looked like pros in parts of that and was impressed that Amy was able to keep up.

Aaaaaand we’re at the end again. I’d say there are three couples who are a lock for Top 10 here: Melanie and Cody, Kim and Emanuel, and Jayme Rae and Daniel. Which leaves the other three for our bottom three. Based on what the judges were saying tonight, it’s tough to say who out of those three couples would be sent home. It’s another wait and see, I guess.

Carra’s back tomorrow night with the results and Auditions #3 for SYTYCD US. We’ll see you then!

Cheers!

So You Think You Can Dance - Arizona Auditions!

A new season and a new city - we've moved on to Arizona for the first time in SYTYCD history!

Our judges tonight will be Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Mia Michaels - I so enjoy when she's part of the auditions!

After Cat does a quick recap of the rules and regulations we get started with an... interesting pair... Brandon 'Shorty' Smallwood and Dimetrio 'Biggy' someone (sorry, didn't catch the last name). They're kind of popper-hip hoppers... I think...

The whole way through, Mary can't stop laughing, and by the end of it all the judges are enjoying a serious chuckle...

Nigels says that anyone who watched them would find them enjoyable, but thought that Dimetrio wobbled more than he popped. He felt that Brandon was the more technical of the two, but together they put on a great act. Mia says she loved them, but... I didn't quite catch what Mary said, but no matter, because Nigel over rules them and sends the pair to choreography. Not sure what I think about that.

Contemporary dancer Sasha Mallory is next. She auditioned back in Season 4, and she's returned this time with her family in tow. She gets very emotional when she speaks of her family, and they are obviously very close.

I think she is a lovely dancer, with very intricate movements. I enjoy her performance.

Nigel says she was very clever and then turns it over to Mia, who says she had the perfect combination of showing her technique and her ability to use the stage. Mary tells her she is beautiful, and the girl just falls to pieces. And she pretty much cries until they give her a ticket to Vegas. And then she cries a bit more. This got OLD really fast...it's an emotional process I understand, but pull it together.

A couple of snap shots of Katie Muth and Ellie Soto, and I believe both of them make it through to Vegas as well.

Up next is contemporary dancer Allison Becker. Spinal meningitis has left her hearing impaired, and she says that she dances more by feeling the music rather than hearing it.

After a solid performance, Nigel asks her if she reads lips, which she does. He tells her that her movement is beautiful, her face is beautiful and she has a lovely expression in her eyes when she dances. Her technique isn't quite where he'd like it to be but overall she's fantastic.

Mary agrees with everything Nigel says and then gets very emotional when she speaks of a cousin with a similar condition. Mia asks her what inspires her to dance, because for her, it is the music that moves her... Allison tells her that she can hear the music too, she just hears it differently.

Nigel starts to ask her how she'll do in choreography if she... and she cuts him off with a simple "I'll be great!" Good for Her! - and she's in. And she's right, she does do great, and gets a ticket to Vegas.

Taking the stage next is a same sex couple, a pair of Latin dancers - Jacob Jason and William de Vies.

Once they are finished dancing, Jacob tells them that it is amazing for a gay couple to be able audition for a show like this...

Mary says they were emotional and passionate with great lines and technique. Mia is quite emotional as she says she celebrates their courage. Nigel thanks them for showing him same sex ballroom dancing, and puts them both through to choreography. They did really well there too, and off they both go to Vegas.

Jonathan Noronha is up next, and he's... wow... kind of all over the place. He has lots of props, baton kind of things, as well as... letters! Gimme a D... gimme an I... a S.... a C.... and O my, it's a picture of Mary!

Nigel says it was a fun performance, but probably not right for the show. Both Mary and Mia say it was entertaining, but all over the map. It's a no go.

All in all, 30 dancers make it into choreography, where half way through Demetrio jams and admits he really can't do any other genre other than his own. You know, by Season 6, it may be good for people to realize that they may have to dance outside their comfort zone. I'm just sayin'.

His buddy Brandon doesn't make it through either.

But 12 others do. No idea who.

On to Day 2.

First up is Jarvis Johnson. And he's excited. Very excited. In fact, I can't really make out a work he's saying, he'sgoingamillionmilesasecond. Fast forwarded through almost this entire segment ...Can't. Handle. The. Screaming.

His performance is actually quite good... until it gets kind of lame at the end, but... Yeah no...didn't find this good at all.

Nigel calls him a dancing fool. Mary calls his dancing frantic, but tells him he has a great personality. Mia says she loved when he danced himself out of his shoes and when he was smacking his own ass (those apple bottom jeans will get you every time...) - and while he's not a great dancer, he is a great entertainer.

Mia says no to choreography, but both Mary and Nigel send him through, and after a whole lot, and I mean a WHOLE LOT, of screaming, I think Nigel is regretting his decision. The guy was cute at first, but by the time he exits the stage I'm thinking OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD JUST RELAX ALREADY!

Odd couple Brandon Gordon and Nicole Peterson are next in a kind of football player/cheerleader kind of thing, and Mia admits to being confused. And it just goes down hill from there, and we get a "strange dancers" montage.

Nigel asks how close they are to Roswell... it's just... that... strange.

So in context, when Kelsey White takes the stage, she seems amazing!

Nigel asks her if she had the hiccups (a previous dancer was possessed with hiccups) - she says no. He asks her if she's ever been abducted by aliens (because a previous dancer was) and she makes the mistake of trying to be funny and says yes, but just once. Nigel's had enough by this point and actually walks away. Exit stage left. Loved it!

Mary and Mia are left there to discuss Kelsey's fate, and over the microphone, like the great and powerful Oz, we hear 'SEND HER TO CHOREOGRAPHY'. I'm waiting for him to add "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...!" For me, it's the best part of the show.

In the end, Kelsey goes through to choreography, but does not make it to Vegas.

After a commercial break, Nigel summons the strength to return to the panel in time to see B-Boy Jonathan 'Legacy' Perez, who is really quite impressive. My eyes popped out of my head I'm sure - when he spider walked across the stage on his HANDS. Holy Crap!

Nigel says that what he does hugely exciting, and Mary says that he is tremendous and very confident. Mia calls him a powerhouse, and stupid. Real stupid. And then sends him to Vegas.

22 make it through to choreography with Pasha and Anya, and part way through, screamer Jarvis Jacob collapses! Drama! They've got the oxygen mask on him and he thinks he's having a heart attack. Thankfully he's not, but it does spell the end for him. I feel a little bit bad for him.

And there's Arizona for you. Wonder if they'll make it part of the regular regime? LOL maybe - if they bring tin foil hats to block the weirdness next time.

Not sure what the schedule is for next week, but we can be guaranteed of another jam packed week...

Until then...!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Top 14 Results!

Hi there everyone and thanks for popping by Pop Goes the Word for the Top 14 Results!

Well they certainly are getting good use out of Lady GaGA this season, aren't they... I actually enjoy her quite a lot more than Kim does, but even I have to say, it's getting a bit much!

As Leah informed us last night, Blake choreographed this number, and it certainly is entertaining - kind of like a big dancing orgy! There's lots of glitz and glamour, cool costumes and wigs - except they make it almost impossible to pick out any one dancer.

Our judges are at the panel - Dan, Karen, Tre and Jean Marc (JM) - and ready to go.

We waste no time bringing out the first 4 couples - Melanie and Cody, Austin and Corynne, Amy and Vincent and Jayme Rae and Daniel. After a quick review of last nights performances, we learn that Melanie and Cody live to see another week, as do Austin and Corynne - but the other two couples must go back stage to prepare to dance for their lives.

The next 3 couples take the stage - Kim and Emanuel, Tara Jean and Everett and Natalie and Danny. Another quick review and the first two couples are safe and we'll be seeing solos from Natalie and Danny.

The girls are up with their solos first, starting with Amy. I think her musicality in this is great, it's a very sharp performance.

Jayme Rae is next, and I have to say, I could do without the hat. It distracts me the whole way through.

Last up is Natalie, and I'm kind of meh on this one. If it's based primarily on the quality of the solo, I'm guessing this might be her last one.

The guys are up next, and Vincent takes the lead. Wow! He does the worm! I think the last time I saw that, there was a fair amount of alcohol being consumed...

Next up is Daniel, and I think this is the best solo of the night. It's very cool, sharp and entertaining.

And last but not least is Danny... except that this one is kind of lacking in substance for me. Do I sense the elimination of a complete couple tonight?

We take a quick commercial break and now we've got the girls lined up awaiting their verdict. As usual, JM is the designated grim reaper. He tells Amy that she nailed the performance last night, and tells Jayme Rae that she is one of their strongest performers, but her dancing last night was not the best. He says to Natalie that for a krumper, she's come a long way.

He goes back to Jayme and tells her she is safe. And so is Amy. And this is the end of the road for Natalie.

And finally we get a girl get that exhibits some class. While she's teary, there's no anger burning in her eyes. There's no attitude! Good for you Natalie! She thanks everyone for the opportunity and holds herself together very admirably.

And now over to Tre, whose job it is to deliver the news to the guys. She tells Vincent that last night was his best performance so far - but he has been in the bottom 3 times previously. To Daniel she says that he performs very well, but last night wasn't his best. She calls Danny a very good, technical dancer. But unfortunately we haven't seen enough of his personality, and it's time for him to go.

And we're down to only 5 more episodes before we are ready to crown someone Canada's favorite dancer, if you can believe it... doesn't time just fly!

Check back soon - I'll be posting the US auditions shortly!

SYTYCDC - Top 14 Performance!

Evening all!

Sorry for the late start tonight. Too many things happening all at once in Kim-land.

Anyway, here we are for the Top 14 Performance Show. Things are moving right along. We’re down to a 90 minute show now! Yay!

As per usual we start with dancer intros and as per usual Emanuel tries to do his ‘sultry’ stare at the camera, which really comes off as sleazy. Blue Steel! He needs to stop doing that. And Austin has really bad slicked down hair.

Click Here to Keep Reading!

A Little Potpourri

Heya readers!

Before we get to the Top 14 Performance show recap tonight, I wanted to fill you in on a few things here on the blog.

This past Sunday marked the one year anniversary of Pop Goes the Word. I meant to post a little something on Sunday, but we all know how time can get away from me! It's been a great year with lots of fun and much snark and we appreciate you visiting and sharing it with us.

August was also a record month for us in terms of blog visits. No wonder, considering how much was going on on the SYTYCD front! For those of you new to site, we're glad you found us and for those of you who keep coming back, we really appreciate it.

Also, for those that missed it, we've added a guest blogger to our roster. My sister Carly will be popping in from time to time to add comments to our recaps and filling in here and there when we just can't pull it together. So in addition to my comments in white, Carra's in pink, look for Carly's in green.

I've made a couple of format changes that I thought I should let you know about. First of all, Dick Clark Entertainment has gone completely crazy with pulling SYTYCD videos off of YouTube. I don't really understand why, considering they don't release SYTYCD on DVD, so it's not like they're losing money, but what do I know? So if you're reading an older post and it seems like it's missing a video, it probably is. For the time being, I've just removed the videos that don't work anymore.

Secondly, for some of the really long posts (particularly the performance show recaps), I've reformatted them with a 'jump'. So what you'll see displayed on the front page of the blog is the first paragraph or two of the post followed by a 'Keep Reading!' link. Click on that link to read the remainder of the post. This saves you some scrolling on the front page and tends to make the blog load a bit faster. The most recent post will be displayed in full on the front page...until it isn't the most recent anymore! ;)

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm back later today with the SYTYCD Canada Top 14 Performance show recap and Carra will be back on Wednesday with the Results as well as the SYTYCD US auditions.

Cheers!

So You Think You Can Dance US - L.A. Auditions!

Well, this is starting off on the wrong foot for me - I thought I had it all under control, had the VCR (yes, I still deal in old technology) set early and everything all prepared... only to find out that the auditions were on a different channel than I thought! So early apologies for all that I miss and names that I butcher.

We're officially into Season 6 now of So You Think You Can Dance US, and it's going to be interesting to see how we juggle two shows at once! I'd like to ask the producers if maybe next year they can cut us some slack and give us just a little more time between Seasons... :) Ditto

So tonight on the panel we have Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and yay, Adam Shankman. I always enjoy him and what he has to say. Yay Shankers!

Cat gives us a quick overview of how the auditions work and tells us that Pasha and Anya will be handling the choreography sessions.

Our first guy is Cole Clemens, who feels he's a bit of a trendsetter, and hopes that Nigel will at least tell him he's unique. And off we go. Nigel keeps asking for them to cue the music, until he realizes... there isn't any for this particular piece. But Cole has it all under control. He utters "Allure. Seduce. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter." And then "The candles blow out on us too." Whoosh. As in, blowing out the candle of life, I suppose.

Not so much dancing as an interpretive... haiku or something. The audience is... very... quiet... and then the judges send him on his way. We hear Adam mutter something that gets bleeped out... tee hee! Perhaps he should've used that word in his dance?

Mollee Gray is next... and right of the bat, I think she is lovely. We get a story about how her family moved from Utah to California so that she could pursue her dream of dance, complete with a few emotional words from her mother.

She's dancing to a cool cover of Phil Colin's Against All Odds by The Postal Service, and yes indeed, she is lovely. The judges seem mesmerized by her. They call her adorable, with amazing potential and send her straight to Vegas. What a little cutie! Totally cute. Great potential.

They breeze through a few more dancers - David someone, Amanda Kirby and Brandon Dumlao... I think they all get tickets to Vegas, but it's hard to be certain as they are going so quickly. I guess that's what happens with just one hour.

Now here's a familiar face - Ryan Kasprzak... He auditioned last year with his brother Evan, who made it all the way to the Top 4 last season. He does a cool number that is tap and commentary/singing... and the judges eat it up. Adam gives him a standing O and calls him a "freaking artist". They tell him he has great style and dignity, and that he is unique and brilliant. And off to Vegas he goes. I see the Top 20 in his future this year.

Another return from last year is Bianca Rebels, another tap dancer. Last year when she didn't make it, she said she wasn't going to come back, but after re-evaluating the situation, here she is.

The judges ask her if she's ever done a tap battle before, and indeed she has - and now she wants to take on Ryan! Fun!

But first, Ryan informs us that tappers don't "battle", they "trade". Good to know.

Now this is cool. I have to wonder if they've practised this, because it's fantastic. Really great. I'm definitely seeing at least one Tapper in the Top 20 this year.

Adam in speechless, but then recovers enough to say he has the greatest job in the world. And then they send Bianca to Vegas as well.

Next up is Christopher Aguilar. He has a plan. Which is to produce a film. Of which we get a small sample. It's called Drum Song.

He does a performance to All That Jazz from Chicago, and if nothing else, the judges are enjoying the song. In fact, they seem to be on uppers.

This routine is... a bit... odd! Odd? Really? I'm thinking more....craptastic?

The judges tell him he does not have the technical skills and that he needs to train more, take more classes. He goes on about some thesis, something about trading male and female characters to see if it... I don't know, he lost me at hello... They send him on his way.

And zip zip through choreography, we don't get to see any of it, or find out who made it through to Vegas.

Day 1 is over, and now it's a new day.

Amber Williams is up first and we learn about a surgery her mother had to remove a cyst on her spine. But the doctors screwed something up, and she came out in a wheelchair. Wow. How much would that suck.

Amber does a contemporary piece and the judges look enthralled with her. They commend her for her technique and call her a beautiful dancer, and then give her a ticket to Vegas.

Christina Santana takes the stage next with a partner to do a salsa, with a little bit of hip hop mixed in. I'm not sure how I feel about the mix, but the judges seem to love it, and another one heads to Sin City.

They do a "bad dancer" montage, which looks somewhat entertaining, but we don't really get any details.

Another tapper, Phillip Attmore, is up next, and he's friends with Ryan, they've roomed together in the past. Cat tries to get some dirt on Ryan, and we find out that he has a happy face tattooed on his butt. Huh. Cat's off to confirm that for us. He does strike me as a 'butt tattoo' kind of guy. Not at all surprised to learn this about Ryan.

This guy is really good, and the judges are thrilled with him. They call him superb, fantastic, a really clean dancer, and give him a ticket.

Boom boom bap, another choreography session that we see nothing of, but we do learn that 10 more dancers have been given a place in the finals.

It's into Arizona next week (not sure what day, or even what channel!) - and that, my friends, is that. Talk about flying through it all!

Have a great night!

Now I have to go watch my latest addiction, thanks very much to Kim. Like there isn't enough TV to watch these days... Glee, here I come!

So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Top 16 Results!

I've said it before, I'll say it again - LOVE Canadian results night! 30 minutes, right down to it, no filler, no nonsense... it's great! Seconded. THIRDED (is that really a word?)

The show opens with an Afro-Brazilian number brought to us by Jean Marc (JM) and his wife. We've been warned that this will be hot, hot, hot... and judging by the costumes, I'd say a whole lot of waxing occurred today! For the ladies at least *rolling eyes* Sheesh JM - we know you like the ladies, but this was a bit blatent doncha think?

Dancing to Magalenha by Sergio Mendes - this is cool with lots of details... I love when the guys slide across the floor through the girls legs! This was cool. Definitely different for Jean Marc and France.

Leah arrives in a cute black prom-like dress and tells us that we Canadians voted a million times last night (we don't seem to be able to break through that ceiling!) and then does a quick intro of the judges - Sean, Melissa, Tre and JM.

And let's get to it!

The first four couples take the stage and after a quick review of last night's performances, we learn that Tara Jean and Everett are safe, as are Kim and Emanuel. This leaves us with Jenna Lynn and Nicolas and Natalie and Danny. I'm thinking the latter... and I'm wrong. Jenna Lynn and Nicolas head backstage to get ready to dance for their lives and Natalie and Danny are safe. I'm sorry, but Jenna Lynn is just not likable. ding ding ding - you hit this on the head I've tried, but I just can't. I don't think it was any coincidence that she was paired with such a happy-go-lucky guy like Nicolas.

And straight into the next four couples.

Another review of last night, and Amy and Vincent are cut right away and sent backstage. Jayme Rae and Daniel (haawwwwtt - oops sorry *grin*) are safe and so are Corynne and Austin, which leaves Cody and Melanie dancing for their lives. Not that they remotely have anything to worry about. Nope not Teen Dream and "the Beast" lol

After a quick break, we start off with the solos from the girls.

Jenna Lynn is up first, dancing to I Gotta Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas. Ooops, it looks like she may have slipped a bit there... yeah, and judging by her reaction at the end of it, she looks utterly dejected. pfft.

Amy is next, and I don't know what song this is. Kim is the guru, so I'm sure she'll clear it up. Not a great solo, I didn't think, came off a little... tight. I was pressed for time last night, so I haven't got this one yet. Will check tonight.

Melanie is the last of the girls, and while this number is the best solo so far, it's merely alright in my opinion.

The boys are next and we start with Nicolas. He's doing his B-Boy stuff to a Spanish sounding song, and it's an interesting contrast. I do enjoy his solos. So do I - but as with ballroom solos there's only so much a B-Boy can do.

Vincent is next dancing barefoot to Reet Petite by Jackie Wilson, and he's really good too. I like his style.

Cody is the last guy up, and there is definitely something about the way he works the crowd that I like. Cutie!

Okay, here we go. JM has to deliver the news to the girls. He tells Melanie that last night was not her strongest performance, and says that Amy was out of her genre... but she is safe. He goes back to Melanie and tells her she is safe as well. This leaves a crying Jenna Lynn on the stage for the last time. She's quite upset but says that she was learned that she's important and was meant to be a dancer. We watch her See Ya Later montage and by the time it's over, she really seems quite annoyed. What is with the attitude from the girls this year (at least the ones voted off so far)?? It's not like they're God's gift to dancing or anything. We've had a lot of reflection on past seasons recently, and when you watch Heidi and Lacey from the US version and Natalli from Canada's first season, these girls just don't measure up. They need to take the attitude and SIT DOWN. These girls are giving Canadian Girls a bad name. It's a competition, be a good sport when you're eliminated and be thankful (honestly and sincerely) that you got this far. It's called Class ladies - lets try to have some mmm'kay?

And over to Tre to break the news to the boys. She calls Nicolas an entertainer and tells Vincent that he is probably the most versatile dancer they have. Cody, of course, is a pleasure to watch and the most popular dancer right now. Of all the things said so far, I'm fearing for Nicolas... and yes, for good reason. It's the end of the road for him, and wow, he has such a great smile. He is happy for the opportunity he's been given and very proud of himself. As well he should be. Very gracious. The girls need to take some notes. I feel bad for him - but I'll say it again: This was a case of his partner dragged him down. Too bad, because I felt he was proving himself to be very talented.

And just like that, we're done.

Keep coming back to check for the next posting - Season 6 of SYTYCD US - it's the first night of auditions!

See you in a bit!

SYTYCDC - Top 16 Performance!

Evening possums! Sorry for the lateness of this post. I had to wait for the jackhammering to stop (don’t ask) before I could sit in peace and watch and blog.

Before we get started with the SYTYCD Canada recap, did anyone catch the season premiere of The Ellen Degeneres show today? Our Season 5 SYTYCD US Top 10 made a special appearance at the end of the show. If you missed it, here it is! I (Carly) did miss it ...but wow! FUN!



Alright, business at hand. Where are we now? Top 16 right? For some reason it feels like we should be farther along!

Click Here to Keep Reading!

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 6 - The Best 15 Routines EVER!

Seriously. Did Season 5 not end about 20 minutes ago?

Tonight is a special edition where we will be looking at The Best 15 Routines Ever from the past 5 seasons - and we start off in an empty theatre... it's just you, me and Nigel. We have a very cosy night ahead of us.

This won't be a critique night at all. This is a night honouring some of the highlights of the past 5 years, and pretty much it's all been said before.

We begin with Season 1. Flashing back to the auditions, it's crazy to see the changes in the judges! The hair cuts, the clothes! Wow!

As I said below, my sad sad VCR is very busy these days, so I won't be able to go back and catch all the songs and dancers, but I will do my very best, and hopefully I should be able to post most of the numbers from youtube as I go along.

Our first recap number is a hip hop piece performed by Destiny and Jamile to Shake by Pitbull. Because it's from waaaay back in Season 1, I haven't seen this before and it's really good!


The second number is Nick (who went on to win the season) and Melody dancing to All That Jazz from Chicago. Fun!



The first season was such a success that they decided to expand their auditions for Season 2... and here are some of the highlights!

The first recap is Benji (Season 2 winner) and Heidi dancing to the Black Mambo by Angel and the Mambokats. Wow. This is just fantastic. Kind of makes the rest of them look like... amateurs!


Season 2 also brought us Ivan and Allison doing a contemporary number to Why by Annie Lennox. This was choreographed by Tyce Diorio and brought the show it's first ever Emmy.




Here's one I'm sure we've all seen before - Travis and Heidi with the Bench Routine. Choreographed by Mia Michaels and another Emmy for the show...




Tee hee. They've composed a little montage of Mary screaming. As annoying as it is, I have to admit, I always laugh. With her or at her... it's really all the same, isn't it?

We're moving into Season 3 now, and I'm taken back... back to a time when it was all new and exciting... my very first season. And oh look! It's Danny! And Neil! And Lacey! And... sigh... loved them all so very much.


Of course one of this seasons highlights is Jaimie and Hok doing the Hummingbird and Flower piece... which got them yet another Emmy... ummm... as much as I love this one... didn't we just see all the Emmy numbers in the last episode of Season 5? About 20 minutes ago?




And this one, this one was fantastic - a definite favourite from Season 3. The table dance with Neil and Sabra performed to Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics.


Oh, and I really did enjoy this one... it's Lacey and Danny dancing to Hip Hip Chin Chin.

I realize as I am watching this episode how much my play lists have been influenced by this show. There are so many songs I have added to my collection that I likely would not have been drawn to - at least 50 of them (I just counted...!).

It also occurs to me that I think I'd like to see a dance off between Danny and Emanuel...





Season 3 had a lot of good stuff! Here's Pasha and Lauren doing their Transformer number to Fuego by Pitbull. This one is excellent! And it brings another Emmy nomination, this time for Shane Sparks...




Into Season 4 we go, another season I was very invested in... Such strong dancers, Katie, Josh, Twitch, Chelsie, Mark, Courtenay - all of them so fantastic!

This is one of my favorite songs that I picked up that Season - The Garden by Mirah... with Mark and Courtenay doing a jazz piece choreographed by Sonia... loved. it. One year, I want one of the quirky people to win, just one time.




I remember this next one as being the first number of Season 4 that was truly fantastic. Mark and Chelsie dancing to Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis, one of the better ones choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon, and nominated for an Emmy as well. I watched this one so many times, I couldn't even count...



Now here's a contemporary one I had forgotten about. Josh and Katie dancing to Hometown Glory by Adele, choreographed by Mia Michaels. This is such a strong dance, it actually gives me goosebumps. Can't believe it had slipped out of my mind!



It honestly seems way to soon to be having recaps of Season 5. But since they're part of the show, I guess we'll take a look at them...

Brandon and Janette with a really fantastic disco...



Now this is one I could watch over and over... so amazing... Kayla and Kupono with Mia Michael's addiction number. Danced to Gravity by Sara Bareilles. Every time I see this one, I am so taken with the intricate movements and gestures...


Oh, I'm glad this one made it in, probably my favourite number of the season. Jason and Jeanine (Season 5 winner) dancing to If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz. Travis Wall is the choreographer, and it was just lovely. One of my new favourite songs as well...



Nigel tells us that after the break we will get to see his favourite number out of all the seasons gone by. I'm intrigued! There's so much to pick from, what's he going to choose?


Ah. Of course. The Breast Cancer dance with Melissa and Ade. Danced to This Woman's Work by Maxwell.

And that makes 15.

Season 6 is just around the corner, says Nigel, with auditions starting in LA on September 9th.

With the recaps behind us, I'm curious to see what talent turns up next week, so keep tuning in to Pop Goes the Word for regular updates and commentary!

Have a great night!

p.s. I think my VCR has exploded. Thanks Kim. :)

SYTYCDC - Top 18 Results!

Hi everyone, and thanks for tuning in for our Top 18 Results night!

Another million votes have been cast and tonight we lose another 2 dancers... curious to see if the level of drama remains as high as it was last week!

We start off with a Group Dance, it's a Bollywood number choreographed by Longinus Fernandes, who choreographed for Slumdog Millionaire. The music is from a soundtrack, and that's about all I caught, sorry! I can't even rewind to grab the name... don't ask why that is, or I'll have to start on a tirade against Kim and her menacing ways...! All I can say is DAMN her!

Bollywood is always so much better when it's danced in large groups like this, isn't it? It kind of loses it's effect when they have just a couple perform it.

Leah goes on to tell us how much she hates Wednesday's (come on Leah, it's HUMP DAY, cheer up!) and then introduces us to the judges... Mary Murphy, Luther Brown, Tre Armstrong and a very serious looking Jean Marc Genereux (JM).

We get right to it and bring out our first 4 couples. After some quick reviews of last night, we learn that Natalie and Danny are safe, and so are Melanie M. and Cody. We are left with Amy and Vincent and Corynne and Anthony... I'm feeling pretty certain... yes, Corynne and Anthony have to dance for their lives.

After a commercial break, they march out the last 5 couples, and right off the top Jenna Lynn and Nicolas are told they need to dance for their lives, but Tara Jean and Everett are safe. (It finally struck me tonight who TJ reminds me of - Kate Hudson! Anyone else see it?) Kim and Emanuel have made the cut as well, and we are down to Melanie B. and Austin and Jayme Rae and Daniel... I'm thinking... yes, Melanie B. and Austin head back stage to get ready for their solos.

For the guys, the first up is Anthony dancing to King of the Dance Hall by Beenie Man. I do like him, I find him a really sharp dancer. But I have a bad feeling for him tonight...

Next up is Nicolas dancing to Superbad by James Brown. He's such a performer, isn't he! When B-Boys do their solos, they never fail to impress.

Lastly for the guys is Austin dancing to Overkill by Colin Hay. He gets such amazing height, and he comes off so incredibly determined!

The girls are next and the first one up is Corynne in a lovely white tutu dancing to The Moment I Said It by Imogen Heap. Nice performance, but nothing that blew me away.

Jenna Lynn takes the stage next, and I realize that she reminds me quite a bit of Sabra from Season 3. She's dancing to No Man by Nina Storey and she does a really good job - she's really a very tight dancer...

And lastly is Melanie B. and sorry, not sure what the song was. Or should I say, Kim wasn't sure what the song was, as she was the one who provided me with the songs and artists for the solos tonight... A good piece, but will it be enough to save her?

Leah is bracing herself for the devastating news and after a commercial break, we get straight to the cuts.

JM starts off sounding like he's going to cut Corynne, but no, she's safe. Jenna Lynn and Melanie B. are left on the stage, and JL has tears streaming down her face - man, our dancers are an emotional bunch this year! But no reason for her to cry, she's safe too, and Melanie B. is heading home. She says she has no emotions left, so she's not crying, and she starts giving what sounds like an inspirational speech, but it quickly turns kind of aggressive and she's basically telling the judges they've made a mistake. Huh. Another fine example of grace under pressure - 2 for 2 this season!

Tre gets to deliver the news to the guys and she says she will put the one going home quickly out of his misery... it's a curtain call for Anthony, and he looks so sad and resigned, like he's working really hard at holding back the tears. I feel badly for him, and I don't think it was quite time for him to go.

The girls on the side lines are a mess again, but at least there is no wailing this week.

So there you have it, and now I must go watch the first night of the 6th US Season. Holy hannah - two seasons at once - this is going to be killer!