SYTYCD - Top 6, So You Think You Need Rest

This was not a stand out week of the show for me. I thought everyone looked kinda tired. I wasn't into either Melissa and Evan's Broadway routine or their Quick Step. I thought Jeanine and Ade's Samba was stiff, but their Hip Hop was fun. I don't remember Brandon and Kayla's contemporary piece AT ALL, though I'm sure I watched it, and then their disco was really challenging and cool but seemed to get them winded before it ended. Which brings me to the conundrum of Season 5. It's a field where they are all exceptional, but none of them really stand out and it almost gives the impression that none of them are exceptional. Or rather, the dancing is always good but you only see the great choreography, not the great dancer. The intense character behind the dancers of seasons past is not there. I'm more interested to see what routine they are dancing then to see them dance a routine, if you note the distinction. Plus, they all seem as equally tired as they do talented right now. If the show was looked at as a marathon of dance, they are almost to the finish but are collectively hitting the wall. I feel like they want to break through, there just doesn't seem to be enough left in the tank.

I thought this was especially evident during the results show where they brought back the 4 Emmy-nominated dances from last season. Katee walks out on stage to do "Mercy" with Twitch and her whole energy bursts through as if she is gonna rip Twitch's throat out as she leaps and kicks around the stage (FYI - "leaps and kicks" are technical dance terms). Mark and Chelsea's Bleeding Love routine was even better than I remembered it too. Clearly these routines have benefited from being featured on the national tour. It's just so visceral. There was nothing visceral about the Top 6 performances on Wednesday, and I think that's why you get these odd statements from the judges where they note that the dancing is amazing technically but they can't really sink their teeth into the dancers like they want to do. Don't get me wrong: there have been amazing routines throughout this season. They have plenty to pull from this year to create an awesome finale episode - one that really features all the Top 20. I think the Top 4 performances can also be really strong. I just hope they give the last four a day or two to rest this week, so they don't go into the Finals hopped up on Jessie Spano's over-the-counter caffeine pills.

For links to the week's best performance, plus an encore from Season 4, click here, and here




We say goodbye to Melissa and Ade this week. They were my favorite original couple. I didn't really think either one would win the whole thing though, so i guess it's fitting that they exit together. They'll be missed, but I'm sure they'll be featured in the big Finale next Thursday. I would be happy with a Season 5 win from Brandon, Jeanine or Kayla. Evan still has only had one really good routine and that was back with Randi. I honestly don't understand his lasting appeal in a dance competition. He's cute, he's sweet, he's talented but he doesn't really execute the different styles well. The others offer a lot more week after week, in my opinion. I'm gonna have to really pick up the phone and vote next week. The title of America's Favorite Dancer hangs in the balance!

SYTYCD - Top 8, 100 Episodes In

So this week brings us to 100 Episodes of SYTYCD. Even a Presidential Prime Time News Conference couldn't stop this hot tamale train's momentum. We were treated to tons of routines by (mostly) new couples, got encore performances from previous seasons' Emmy-winning routines (there was a tie for the win in 2007 between Wade and Mia which is why we are lucky to get two Season 2 performances) there was a bizarre taped appearance by Katie Holmes, plus a shocking elimination. Overall, it was three busy hours of dance this week!

Performance night was uneven, with the dancers having to dance for times: a group number, a solo number and two partnered numbers. The group number was cool, but all the couples had at least one low-energy dance routine, mostly coming in the first hour of the show. I was pretty sure Melissa and Ade (reunited! and it feels so good!) would be going home after their first number but then their second number was a very emotional routine exploring the emotional depths of breast cancer, and that number really eclipsed everything else. Kayla and Jason's routines were solid, Jeanine and Brandon struggled a bit and Janette and Evan? I thought both of their routines were kinda forgettable. That proved to be worse for Janette than Evan - who has never been in the bottom 2, always gets the harshest critiques and has now seen 2 of his three partners get eliminated. Are you really gonna put him through to the finals, Voting Public? Disappointing. Janette, you left too soon and we will miss you. I also thought Jason had earned a ticket through with his performances this week, but his up and down journey through the rankings finally landed him at the bottom. I'm glad he made it to Top 10 though, because his last few routines were very good and he showed himself to be a much better dancer than at the beginning.

The much hyped Katie Holmes performance was really ridiculous and the less said about it the better. I'm sure her heart is in the right place with this charity they are starting, but I just don't see her as a dancer. Or a singer. Sorry! I hope everyone involved had a fun time.

Embedded below are my favorite routines of the week. You can also find them here, here and for an encore, here.







Top 6 Next Week - Let's see who makes it to The Finale. Can Evan keep up his unbelievable streak and stay out of the bottom? We shall see. Until then, dancers, happy 100th episodes and indulge in some of that birthday cake. I have a feeling you'll burn those empty calories right off.

SYTYCD Top 10 - Pass on the Doble

This week the Top 10 Performed with new partnerships a'plenty. It was overall a tough week as the dancers adjusted to having new partners. Only one couple really soared for me and that was Jason and Jeanine doing Travis's contemporary routine. That was really great. It seemed to redeem Jason after several weeks of so-so performances and cemented Jeanine's status as a front runner for final four. Evan's popularity remains a frustration for me since his routines are never fantastic and the judges continue to tell him so. It's not like he's a bad guy or a bad dancer. I don't enjoy rooting against him, but look at his competition! Who should we lose instead of him? Ade? Brandon? Please, Voting Public. Let it not be so.

Kupono and Randi got the axe, and that seems fair since their dance was easily the worst.Effing Paso Doble. The quick step has a bed rep on this show, but I think the Paso Doble has to have just as high an elimination rate. There's so much room for catastrophe. I was a little nervous for Melissa being in the bottom 2, but as much as I hate to admit it. she kinda belonged there this week. The Broadway number didn't feature her, her solo wasn't very memorable, and the competition is tight. I hope she has a good week next week, so she has a fighting chance to make it to Top 6.

This week also featured some awesome group numbers two of which I'll include in my top 3 routines of the week. You can see them here, here and here.













Next week marks the 100th episode of SYTYCD and it will thankfully feature some of the best routines from seasons past, plus katie holmes will do something to change the face of dance forever that will make the results show finally justify its hour-long run-time. Woohoo!

Also, for the 3rd week in a row here's my attempt to link to VAMPIRES and ALIENS.

SYTYCD - Top 12, Tours for Everybody!!

So last time I called my post Aliens vs. Vampires and then didn't talk at all about the Aliens and Vampires. Well, neither routine was in the top three and while Aliens didn't land in the bottom 3, Vampires did, so neither routine got spotlights. Here is Vampires and here is Aliens. The Alien one is totally bizarre, even for this show. I can't believe people actually voted it to safety.

This week had some good routines, but I have to admit I'm more than a little pissed that Melissa and Ade wound up in the bottom, while the continually-less-than-stellar Evan and Randi coasted through to safety. I really hope they fall early in the Top 10. Mia Michaels and Wade Robson really stole the show for the choreographers. The Argentine Tango was also superb, so along with the Wade piece, Brandon and Jeanette really cleaned up this week.

Phillip and Caitlin were ultimately cut, meaning I guessed wrong in my prediction, but that's okay, because I think the judges kept the right two in the Top 10. And they let everyone know who got cut this week didn't matter for the tour because they are keeping Phillip and Caitlin as the alternates. Good call, that. Now everyone can go home happy. Well, except for the other 8 previously cut dancers who now know they have no shot at making the tour. So it goes.

Here are my favorite dances this week. You can also find them here, here and here. And this one too.

SYTYCD - Top 14 - Vampires vs. Aliens

Here it is, Top 12 week and I barely remembered to say something nice about top 14. It was an odd week. There were some good routines and some not so good routines and some really strange routines which might have been good or bad depending on your taste. For my money, Melissa and Ade and Branden and Jeanette are the strongest dancers and I always love their routines. Fading fast are Caitlin and Jason and Evan and Randi. Somewhere hiding in the middle ground are Phillip and Jeanine and Kupono and Kayla. Appropriately cut were Vitolio and Carla. Carla won my heart at the last moment, but the judges LOVE Kayla and Jeanine had the best solo in the history of solos (so I'm told by the judges, so it must be true) and Carla was odd dancer out. Vitolio had been struggling to avoid elimination for weeks so his elimination was no surprise - although Kupono's detached solo made it a closer call than it needed to be. Below are three of my favorite dances from this week. You can also find them here, here and here. I'm really interested to see how Top 12 results pan out. Some of the more popular dancers had a not so great week (I'm looking mostly at you, Evan!) so we'll see what voters decide. Top 10 and the Tour await!

Reflections on July 4th: Saved By The Bell Edition

On our Nation's birthday, let us reflect on what the 4th of July can mean to us by examining the differing viewpoints expressed by the contestants participating in the 1991 Malibu Sands Miss Liberty Pageant. I'm sure most everyone can get behind at least one of these four philosphies.

The Capitalist
Speaker: Lisa Turtle
Dressed as: Patriotic Background Dancer from a 90's rap video
Speech: The 4th of July means Freedom, Liberty and 50% off sales at all major department stores!
July 4th Philosophy: Show your love of country by buying our way out of a stalled economy.
Commentary: It's hard not to give in to those Holiday sales. And stimulating the economy really is your patriotic duty, so it's best not to feel bad about all the clothes you bought yourself this on Friday that you maybe didn't need. ...right? Sure it is!

The Proud Historian
Speaker: Jessie Spano
Dressed as: The Statue of Liberty
Speech: The 4th of July means America. Our Country... Well, actually it's not our country it belonged to the Indians who inhabited -
July 4th Philosophy: We cannot truly embrace the good in ourselves without acknowledging the bad.
Commentary: It's a bit of a buzzkill. And she says "Indians" instead of "Native Americans," so the usually politically correct Jessie, makes a stumble here. It probably costs her precious points.

The Uniter, Not the Divider
Speaker: Stacey Carosi
Dressed as: Independence Day Barbie
Speech: To me the 4th of July means a time of togetherness A time of family, friends, fun and fireworks that's The Fourth.
July 4th Philosophy: Come on people now, smile on your brother.
Commentary: Alliteration is cool, but this speech is a little nervous. I don't quite believe it in her eyes or in her tone of voice. Disappointing, Stacey!

The True Patriot
Speaker: Kelly Kapowski
Dressed as: Betsy Ross meets Minnie Mouse
Speech: To me the 4th celebrates something that our ancestors gave their lives for. Something that makes our country stand apart from so many others Today, on our nation's birthday, let us remember that one gift that makes America so special: Freedom.
July 4th Philosophy: Support the troops! Let freedom ring!
Commentary This one wins hands down, reminding us that we celebrate joy that came at the sacrifice of others.

No matter which philosophy you adhere to, I hope everyone out there had a wonderful Indepence Day Weekend. Happy Fourth of July to all, and to all a good night!