Thu, May 21, 2009
The two-hour premiere of the fifth season of "So You Think You Can Dance?" promised you'd laugh, cry and worry about the health of a guy who threw himself off the front of the audition stage. So, you think you can handle it?
Start spreading the news...: The first set of auditions took place in Brooklyn, where judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were joined by hip hop choreographers, Tabitha and Napoleon. Host Cat Deeley explained that the best dancers would get a ticket to the next round in Las Vegas, borderline dancers would get a chance in the group choreography, and the rest would go home.
Gabi Rojas, who was born into the circus, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and gave her heart and soul into her audition. The rest of the dancers in the crowd rose to their feet after her stirring modern dance before Nigel said, "If you are not in this year's Top 20, I'll be surprised." He called it one of the best auditions he's seen in five years. Eight minutes into the season, Gabi's dance gave Mary her first chance to deliver a high-pitched scream. Gabi was through to Vegas.
Saalim "Storyboard" Muslim and his partner Habby "Hobgoblin" Jacques cast their vote for change on the show with a display of "Mutation," a contortionism routine that Nigel said would be a good fit for "Dawn of the Dead: The Musical." The judges were concerned their style wouldn't work for the show, but gave them a chance to join the group choreography at the end of the day.
Peter Sabasino, an Italian family guy from Philadelphia, showed an impressive demonstration of tap dancing that had Mary giggling the whole way through. He promised he could do tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary and some ballroom. Peter's headed to Vegas.
Tiffany Geigel, who suffered from a spinal condition that left her with just three vertebrae at birth, gave a nice performance and Nigel admitted from the start that it would be difficult to judge her without acknowledging her condition. He said people who think they can't do this or that should look at Tiffany and be inspired. Then, he decided she wasn't right for the competition. Tiffany later said she didn't truly expect to advance, but wanted to prove a point that obstacles can be overcome. She succeeded.
Maksim Kapitannikov showed some ballroom prowess, using a former "Dance" contestant Faina Savich as his partner on a cha cha cha. Nigel liked Maksim's lack of grimaces and false moves with his face, "apart from a couple of winks I could've done without." It's worth noting that each of the past three seasons of "So You Think You Can Dance?" has delivered a pro on "Dancing with the Stars" (Dmitry Chaplin, Lacey Schwimmer and Chelsie Hightower). Maksim would be back for the group choreography.
Nobuya Nagahama of Tokyo became one of the early personalities of the season and served up some fast-paced locking and would return at the end of the day, with Maksim and 45 other dancers.
Lauren Gottleib of Season 3 choreographed the group routine, which put Maksim though to Vegas. Nobuya would be making the trip, as well. In all, 27 dancers from New York were heading to Sin City.
Brooklyn, Day 2: Two years after making it to Vegas, Arielle Taylor was ready to give the show another run. Nigel remembered liking her before, and was complimentary throughout her contemporary routine. The judges hoped she learned from her previous experience, and she was going to get a second chance.
Thomas Martin and Amanda Clark brought a bolero dance routine to the stage that mostly served to make the judges chuckle. Mary called it basic, beginning, bronze-level dancing. That kicked off a mini-montage of mayhem. Nina Estrina and Igor Zabrodin showcased a cha cha that ended with a super-secret trick -- Nina crouched down low and spun no less than a dozen times at high speed. "You could put wet clothes on her and spin them dry," Nigel said. They were asked back to the choreography.
Kellen Stancil gave an interesting contemporary dance using an umbrella as a prop. Mary asked him what the umbrella represented to him, which brought Kellen to tears in memory of his deceased aunt. He said with the umbrella, he felt comfortable and safe, as he did with his aunt. Napoleon said, "You moved me" as Kellen continued to well up. Nigel simply presented Kellen with a ticket to Vegas.
Chimezie Nwosu brought a bit of Twitch flavor to the New York auditions, but without the glasses and gold caps. Nigel liked it but said it wasn't enough to get him through, leaving Chimezie to try to prove himself in the group choreography.
Igor made it to Vegas, but his spinning partner Nina did not. Chimezie, too, received a ticket to the desert. In total, 14 dancers from Brooklyn's second day were heading to the next round.
Mile-High Madness: It was on to Denver to see what talent could be found in the Mile-High City. Choreographer Sonja Tayeh, a newcomer to the show last season, joined Nigel and Mary in Denver.
Kayla Radomski, 18, grew up without her dad around and grew up living with her mom in her grandparents' house so they could afford to send her to dance classes. Nigel said Kayla "brought it" and there wasn't much he didn't like -- he couldn't think of anything. Kayla was on to Vegas and her grandma screamed Mary-style, while her grandfather was moved to tears.
Sonja fell in love with Denver's dancers during a montage that showed her reacting to various female contemporary dancers.
Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel -- both guys -- offered a same-sex samba. Everything was moving along smoothly until a spin in which Mitchel was lifting Misha ended with them falling over each other. Nigel said they might alienate a lot of the "Dance" audience and said he didn't think he liked it. But if he was judging them on their dancing, rather than just them dancing together, he might have thought it was alright. They were both asked back for the choreography, along with 22 other dancers.
Mitchel didn't make it, and neither did Misha. Eleven dancers, though, scored their tickets to Vegas.
Denver, Day 2: Allison Moist kicked off the second day with a bizarre routine to the "Star Wars" theme, complete with light sabers. She was also dressed as a lion, which she admitted had nothing to do with the dance. She started a montage highlighting some of Denver's more "interesting" characters.
Nigel was "shocked at the stupidity" of the auditions after a while.
Elias Holloway, 18, brought his 16-year-old brother along for a locking and popping routine. His younger brother wasn't auditioning because he was too young. Nigel found it very entertaining, and Mary said it was "about the cutest thing" she's seen in five years. Elias would get a chance to prove himself with the choreography.
Brandon Bryant and Natalie Reid met during last season's auditions and they were each the last of the dancers who didn't make it through to the finals. Brendan lost out to Gev and Natalie was the friend of Katee Shean, the dancer who famously said she wouldn't try to audition again if she didn't make it through. Katee did make it through and finished in third place overall.
After watching Natalie dance, Sonja was moved and said she was "dying" while watching Natalie. She said she got chills and didn't want Natalie's dance to end. Mary said she was "just so proud" of Natalie for the organic nature of her dance. She said Natalie was "going to go the distance this time." Nigel called it superb. Without even attempting to fake her out, Nigel handed Natalie a ticket to Vegas.
Brandon offered up a remarkable contemporary dance that brought Mary to tears. "I have to say that I have the greatest job in the whole world, to be able to sit there some days and witness something like that," she said, "something that I could never do in a million years, is dance like you."
Back to the choreography, where Elias and 16 others got another chance to impress the judges. They decided Elias needed more training and encouraged him to come back next season. He said he would. Eight dancers from Denver's second day made it to Vegas, bringing the city's total to 19.
Start spreading the news...: The first set of auditions took place in Brooklyn, where judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy were joined by hip hop choreographers, Tabitha and Napoleon. Host Cat Deeley explained that the best dancers would get a ticket to the next round in Las Vegas, borderline dancers would get a chance in the group choreography, and the rest would go home.
Gabi Rojas, who was born into the circus, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and gave her heart and soul into her audition. The rest of the dancers in the crowd rose to their feet after her stirring modern dance before Nigel said, "If you are not in this year's Top 20, I'll be surprised." He called it one of the best auditions he's seen in five years. Eight minutes into the season, Gabi's dance gave Mary her first chance to deliver a high-pitched scream. Gabi was through to Vegas.
Saalim "Storyboard" Muslim and his partner Habby "Hobgoblin" Jacques cast their vote for change on the show with a display of "Mutation," a contortionism routine that Nigel said would be a good fit for "Dawn of the Dead: The Musical." The judges were concerned their style wouldn't work for the show, but gave them a chance to join the group choreography at the end of the day.
Peter Sabasino, an Italian family guy from Philadelphia, showed an impressive demonstration of tap dancing that had Mary giggling the whole way through. He promised he could do tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, contemporary and some ballroom. Peter's headed to Vegas.
Tiffany Geigel, who suffered from a spinal condition that left her with just three vertebrae at birth, gave a nice performance and Nigel admitted from the start that it would be difficult to judge her without acknowledging her condition. He said people who think they can't do this or that should look at Tiffany and be inspired. Then, he decided she wasn't right for the competition. Tiffany later said she didn't truly expect to advance, but wanted to prove a point that obstacles can be overcome. She succeeded.
Maksim Kapitannikov showed some ballroom prowess, using a former "Dance" contestant Faina Savich as his partner on a cha cha cha. Nigel liked Maksim's lack of grimaces and false moves with his face, "apart from a couple of winks I could've done without." It's worth noting that each of the past three seasons of "So You Think You Can Dance?" has delivered a pro on "Dancing with the Stars" (Dmitry Chaplin, Lacey Schwimmer and Chelsie Hightower). Maksim would be back for the group choreography.
Nobuya Nagahama of Tokyo became one of the early personalities of the season and served up some fast-paced locking and would return at the end of the day, with Maksim and 45 other dancers.
Lauren Gottleib of Season 3 choreographed the group routine, which put Maksim though to Vegas. Nobuya would be making the trip, as well. In all, 27 dancers from New York were heading to Sin City.
Brooklyn, Day 2: Two years after making it to Vegas, Arielle Taylor was ready to give the show another run. Nigel remembered liking her before, and was complimentary throughout her contemporary routine. The judges hoped she learned from her previous experience, and she was going to get a second chance.
Thomas Martin and Amanda Clark brought a bolero dance routine to the stage that mostly served to make the judges chuckle. Mary called it basic, beginning, bronze-level dancing. That kicked off a mini-montage of mayhem. Nina Estrina and Igor Zabrodin showcased a cha cha that ended with a super-secret trick -- Nina crouched down low and spun no less than a dozen times at high speed. "You could put wet clothes on her and spin them dry," Nigel said. They were asked back to the choreography.
Kellen Stancil gave an interesting contemporary dance using an umbrella as a prop. Mary asked him what the umbrella represented to him, which brought Kellen to tears in memory of his deceased aunt. He said with the umbrella, he felt comfortable and safe, as he did with his aunt. Napoleon said, "You moved me" as Kellen continued to well up. Nigel simply presented Kellen with a ticket to Vegas.
Chimezie Nwosu brought a bit of Twitch flavor to the New York auditions, but without the glasses and gold caps. Nigel liked it but said it wasn't enough to get him through, leaving Chimezie to try to prove himself in the group choreography.
Igor made it to Vegas, but his spinning partner Nina did not. Chimezie, too, received a ticket to the desert. In total, 14 dancers from Brooklyn's second day were heading to the next round.
Mile-High Madness: It was on to Denver to see what talent could be found in the Mile-High City. Choreographer Sonja Tayeh, a newcomer to the show last season, joined Nigel and Mary in Denver.
Kayla Radomski, 18, grew up without her dad around and grew up living with her mom in her grandparents' house so they could afford to send her to dance classes. Nigel said Kayla "brought it" and there wasn't much he didn't like -- he couldn't think of anything. Kayla was on to Vegas and her grandma screamed Mary-style, while her grandfather was moved to tears.
Sonja fell in love with Denver's dancers during a montage that showed her reacting to various female contemporary dancers.
Misha Belfer and Mitchel Kibel -- both guys -- offered a same-sex samba. Everything was moving along smoothly until a spin in which Mitchel was lifting Misha ended with them falling over each other. Nigel said they might alienate a lot of the "Dance" audience and said he didn't think he liked it. But if he was judging them on their dancing, rather than just them dancing together, he might have thought it was alright. They were both asked back for the choreography, along with 22 other dancers.
Mitchel didn't make it, and neither did Misha. Eleven dancers, though, scored their tickets to Vegas.
Denver, Day 2: Allison Moist kicked off the second day with a bizarre routine to the "Star Wars" theme, complete with light sabers. She was also dressed as a lion, which she admitted had nothing to do with the dance. She started a montage highlighting some of Denver's more "interesting" characters.
Nigel was "shocked at the stupidity" of the auditions after a while.
Elias Holloway, 18, brought his 16-year-old brother along for a locking and popping routine. His younger brother wasn't auditioning because he was too young. Nigel found it very entertaining, and Mary said it was "about the cutest thing" she's seen in five years. Elias would get a chance to prove himself with the choreography.
Brandon Bryant and Natalie Reid met during last season's auditions and they were each the last of the dancers who didn't make it through to the finals. Brendan lost out to Gev and Natalie was the friend of Katee Shean, the dancer who famously said she wouldn't try to audition again if she didn't make it through. Katee did make it through and finished in third place overall.
After watching Natalie dance, Sonja was moved and said she was "dying" while watching Natalie. She said she got chills and didn't want Natalie's dance to end. Mary said she was "just so proud" of Natalie for the organic nature of her dance. She said Natalie was "going to go the distance this time." Nigel called it superb. Without even attempting to fake her out, Nigel handed Natalie a ticket to Vegas.
Brandon offered up a remarkable contemporary dance that brought Mary to tears. "I have to say that I have the greatest job in the whole world, to be able to sit there some days and witness something like that," she said, "something that I could never do in a million years, is dance like you."
Back to the choreography, where Elias and 16 others got another chance to impress the judges. They decided Elias needed more training and encouraged him to come back next season. He said he would. Eight dancers from Denver's second day made it to Vegas, bringing the city's total to 19.
Wed, May 27, 2009
For the first time in four years, "So You Think You Can Dance?" returned to the spicy city of Miami to see what the dancers there had to offer. It was another two-hour audition night, so it was time to settle in with Will Smith's requisite "Welcome to Miami."
Choreographer Tyce DiOrio joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy
Tony Riendeau got the night started with what he called "The Tony Style," promising a rubber band-like, kinky dance routine. We should've known we were in trouble when he started dancing to Kenny Loggins' "Footloose." The performance ended with a cartwheel gone awry, and there wasn't much for the judges to say after that. Tony, who'd promised he could dance all night, nearly lost consciousness. He was fine later.
Priscilla Marrero of Miami showed off some precision contemporary dancing. She got a little self-righteous when she introduced herself to the judges by saying, "I'm Priscilla, I'm a dancer. That's who I am." The judges all fawned over her and she was easily through to Las Vegas.
Janette Manara and her salsa partner Romulo Villaverde made a return to the auditions after Janette made it to Vegas last season without Romulo, but ended up getting cut before the finals. This time, they dazzled the judges with a routine full of flips and leg kicks and both earned tickets to the next round.
A pair of twins stopped by with a joint routine that was anything but synchronized, starting a montage of bad dancers that were ripped apart by Tyce.
Joseph Smith, a hip-hop dancer who clearly saw a future that included T-shirts with his image and the phrase, "Sha-wham!" emblazoned on them, impressed Mary and Nigel, but Tyce wasn't overly fond of him. Still, Joseph was invited back for choreography at the end of the day and made it through to Vegas, along with 27 other Miami dancers.
Miami, Day 2: Wislande Letang made the odd wardrobe choice of wearing a cut-off shirt so high that it strategically exposed her bikini beneath. It had a bit of a stripper vibe to it, leading to a confrontation with Tyce, when he noted that her move in which she spread her legs to expose her crotch was unacceptable.
Erik "Silky" Moore, 19, was on a mission to bring tap back, and his audition was an impressive start. Working to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Erik thrilled the judges, tossing in a bit of break dancing toward the end. Mary didn't want it to end and said it was "one of the best dances I've seen all season." Erik will be tapping all the way to Las Vegas.
Paris Torres, a former Miss Washington from Seattle, felt like she had a lot to offer as a dancer. Nigel called it "fabulous." Mary loved it, too, and said Paris had "everything that we're looking for." Nigel had to break a tie when Tyce asked to see Paris in choreography and Mary said she should go to Vegas where she would do great. Nigel handed Paris a ticket.
A montage of some of the day's better dancers followed, with three of them heading directly to the next round. Afterward, a headdress-wearing African dancer named Geo Smith showed some impressive moves and frightened Mary a bit when he leaped off the stage toward the judges' table, making her think he was going to crawl under it. "She you were going to tickle her fancy with your feathers," Nigel said. They asked him to return for choreography.
As the end of the Miami auditions drew near, Talia Rickards, a widow whose husband died in a motorcycle accident in May 2006. This was her first audition in more than two years. Nigel didn't see quite enough from her routine, but Mary said it was "definitely very fiery." Tyce wasn't sure there was enough substance to put her through to choreography, but Mary and Nigel asked her to come back.
Geo and Talia were among the dancers who returned at the end of the night for choreography. Geo made it through. And Talia was right behind him.
Headed for Memphis: Crump choreographer Lil C joined Nigel and Mary the judging panel and 24-year-old Memphis police Officer Marico Flake sought to introduce the panel to a style he called Memphis jukin', a blend of Elvis' bounce and graceful footwork. The judges messed with Marico for a moment, saying it was "a no to choreography." He didn't have to do choreography because he was going straight to Vegas.
A self-proclaimed second cousin of Howie D from the Backstreet Boys, Dustin Dorough, offered up a clunky hip-hop routine. He said it was based on his martial arts, but it didn't work out.
Chris Carrozza promised a virtual smorgasbord of dance styles, offering up a fusion style that he said included virtually every cultural dance he's ever seen. Chris started walking away before all the judges were done speaking and Nigel said he was "being rude."
Caitlin Kinney, the older sister of 18-year-old Megan Kinney, who got a ticket to Vegas during the Miami audition, tried her own hand at the competition and said it would be a dream to go with her sister. Caitlin had only been dancing for five years and Nigel said she was "superb." Caitlin had also undergone hip reconstruction and Mary said dancing was Caitlin's "destiny." She was headed to Sin City.
Memphis, Day 2: Anna Dunn, whose father killed himself in February 2008, tried to channel her pain into her performance. Nigel said Anna's head was moving around too much. Mary agreed, but called Anna a "diamond in the rough." Lil C told her he could empathize with Anna because his father, too, took his own life. The judges put her through to choreography.
Travis Prokop, whose father is the head football coach at the high school he attended, was thankful for his dad's relentless support of his choice to be a dancer. Nigel suggested Travis work on filling out his large frame with strength. The judges all agreed. Travis would return for the choreography.
Evan Kasprzak, who auditioned last year and made it to the end of Vegas, auditioned with a classic jazz routine. Nigel appreciated the completeness of the routine. The judges wondered whether Evan could handle other types of dance, but they put him directly through to Vegas, nonetheless.
Twin sisters Lauren and Lydia Guerra talked about how close they were and how thankful they were to be auditioning together. The judges enjoyed it, but noted that the dancers were different in their performances, even though they were doing the same choreographed routine.
Ryan Kasprzak, Evan's older brother, was the final solo performer of the day, presented what he called "a capella tap with Whoopie Cushion accompaniment." The judges found it clever and fun, and noted that despite the joking aspect, Ryan was a qualified dancer. Nigel wanted Ryan to come back for choreography, but Mary and Lil Co opted to send him directly to Vegas.
When the time for choreography came, The Guerra twins, Travis Prokop and Anna Dunn were left to fight for their chances to continue on in the competition. Lauren Guerra was the first to learn her fate, and she made it to Vegas. Up next was Anna Dunn, who also advanced to the next round. Travis received a ticket to Vegas, as well.
Finally, Lydia Guerra went to center stage. Nigel said it was terrible to split a family up. "I know you're going to be really supportive of your sister," he said, before the camera cut to the doors of the theater, where Lydia burst through holding a ticket.
Choreographer Tyce DiOrio joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy
Tony Riendeau got the night started with what he called "The Tony Style," promising a rubber band-like, kinky dance routine. We should've known we were in trouble when he started dancing to Kenny Loggins' "Footloose." The performance ended with a cartwheel gone awry, and there wasn't much for the judges to say after that. Tony, who'd promised he could dance all night, nearly lost consciousness. He was fine later.
Priscilla Marrero of Miami showed off some precision contemporary dancing. She got a little self-righteous when she introduced herself to the judges by saying, "I'm Priscilla, I'm a dancer. That's who I am." The judges all fawned over her and she was easily through to Las Vegas.
Janette Manara and her salsa partner Romulo Villaverde made a return to the auditions after Janette made it to Vegas last season without Romulo, but ended up getting cut before the finals. This time, they dazzled the judges with a routine full of flips and leg kicks and both earned tickets to the next round.
A pair of twins stopped by with a joint routine that was anything but synchronized, starting a montage of bad dancers that were ripped apart by Tyce.
Joseph Smith, a hip-hop dancer who clearly saw a future that included T-shirts with his image and the phrase, "Sha-wham!" emblazoned on them, impressed Mary and Nigel, but Tyce wasn't overly fond of him. Still, Joseph was invited back for choreography at the end of the day and made it through to Vegas, along with 27 other Miami dancers.
Miami, Day 2: Wislande Letang made the odd wardrobe choice of wearing a cut-off shirt so high that it strategically exposed her bikini beneath. It had a bit of a stripper vibe to it, leading to a confrontation with Tyce, when he noted that her move in which she spread her legs to expose her crotch was unacceptable.
Erik "Silky" Moore, 19, was on a mission to bring tap back, and his audition was an impressive start. Working to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Erik thrilled the judges, tossing in a bit of break dancing toward the end. Mary didn't want it to end and said it was "one of the best dances I've seen all season." Erik will be tapping all the way to Las Vegas.
Paris Torres, a former Miss Washington from Seattle, felt like she had a lot to offer as a dancer. Nigel called it "fabulous." Mary loved it, too, and said Paris had "everything that we're looking for." Nigel had to break a tie when Tyce asked to see Paris in choreography and Mary said she should go to Vegas where she would do great. Nigel handed Paris a ticket.
A montage of some of the day's better dancers followed, with three of them heading directly to the next round. Afterward, a headdress-wearing African dancer named Geo Smith showed some impressive moves and frightened Mary a bit when he leaped off the stage toward the judges' table, making her think he was going to crawl under it. "She you were going to tickle her fancy with your feathers," Nigel said. They asked him to return for choreography.
As the end of the Miami auditions drew near, Talia Rickards, a widow whose husband died in a motorcycle accident in May 2006. This was her first audition in more than two years. Nigel didn't see quite enough from her routine, but Mary said it was "definitely very fiery." Tyce wasn't sure there was enough substance to put her through to choreography, but Mary and Nigel asked her to come back.
Geo and Talia were among the dancers who returned at the end of the night for choreography. Geo made it through. And Talia was right behind him.
Headed for Memphis: Crump choreographer Lil C joined Nigel and Mary the judging panel and 24-year-old Memphis police Officer Marico Flake sought to introduce the panel to a style he called Memphis jukin', a blend of Elvis' bounce and graceful footwork. The judges messed with Marico for a moment, saying it was "a no to choreography." He didn't have to do choreography because he was going straight to Vegas.
A self-proclaimed second cousin of Howie D from the Backstreet Boys, Dustin Dorough, offered up a clunky hip-hop routine. He said it was based on his martial arts, but it didn't work out.
Chris Carrozza promised a virtual smorgasbord of dance styles, offering up a fusion style that he said included virtually every cultural dance he's ever seen. Chris started walking away before all the judges were done speaking and Nigel said he was "being rude."
Caitlin Kinney, the older sister of 18-year-old Megan Kinney, who got a ticket to Vegas during the Miami audition, tried her own hand at the competition and said it would be a dream to go with her sister. Caitlin had only been dancing for five years and Nigel said she was "superb." Caitlin had also undergone hip reconstruction and Mary said dancing was Caitlin's "destiny." She was headed to Sin City.
Memphis, Day 2: Anna Dunn, whose father killed himself in February 2008, tried to channel her pain into her performance. Nigel said Anna's head was moving around too much. Mary agreed, but called Anna a "diamond in the rough." Lil C told her he could empathize with Anna because his father, too, took his own life. The judges put her through to choreography.
Travis Prokop, whose father is the head football coach at the high school he attended, was thankful for his dad's relentless support of his choice to be a dancer. Nigel suggested Travis work on filling out his large frame with strength. The judges all agreed. Travis would return for the choreography.
Evan Kasprzak, who auditioned last year and made it to the end of Vegas, auditioned with a classic jazz routine. Nigel appreciated the completeness of the routine. The judges wondered whether Evan could handle other types of dance, but they put him directly through to Vegas, nonetheless.
Twin sisters Lauren and Lydia Guerra talked about how close they were and how thankful they were to be auditioning together. The judges enjoyed it, but noted that the dancers were different in their performances, even though they were doing the same choreographed routine.
Ryan Kasprzak, Evan's older brother, was the final solo performer of the day, presented what he called "a capella tap with Whoopie Cushion accompaniment." The judges found it clever and fun, and noted that despite the joking aspect, Ryan was a qualified dancer. Nigel wanted Ryan to come back for choreography, but Mary and Lil Co opted to send him directly to Vegas.
When the time for choreography came, The Guerra twins, Travis Prokop and Anna Dunn were left to fight for their chances to continue on in the competition. Lauren Guerra was the first to learn her fate, and she made it to Vegas. Up next was Anna Dunn, who also advanced to the next round. Travis received a ticket to Vegas, as well.
Finally, Lydia Guerra went to center stage. Nigel said it was terrible to split a family up. "I know you're going to be really supportive of your sister," he said, before the camera cut to the doors of the theater, where Lydia burst through holding a ticket.
Thu, May 28, 2009
The final audition week for "So You Think You Can Dance" began in Los Angeles. Host Cat Deeley acted like an idiot outside the theater and we were ready to go.
Along with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, choreographer Adam Shankman helped with the judging in L.A.
We began with Bianca Revels, who just missed out on the top-20 for Season 4. Her mother was in from Detroit to watch her dance which brought tears of joy from Revels. Revels, 20, tap-dances sans music and the judges swooned. All three give her a standing ovation and Revels was straight through to Vegas.
Next up was the creepy hand-holding sister and brother team of Brynelle and Xavier Blanton. They moved around the stage in a disorganized manner. Mary didn't think either had enough dance base. Adam criticized Brynelle's form and Nigel called her "child-like." A big fat 'no' for both.
29-year-old Debra Lawson is, um, quite a bit larger than most dancers on shows like this. More importantly for these purposes, she seemed to have little discernable talent or technique. She then talked about potential issues with her Orthodox Judaism. None of it mattered as she was sent home.
Suzanne Fernandez does something she called a "fairy medicine dance." Nigel asked "what are you on?" John Fleming's mime face paint had Mary laughing hysterically. 23-year-old Michael Han fires off a flamboyant and talentless routine. All three are told 'no.'
Swing dancer Calico Sequeira, 30, gave a mediocre showing with a partner. Nigel dismissed her as "on a social level." They told her 'no,' though Adam went up on stage and danced with her briefly. This prompted Adam to pretend he was a contestant as several Season 4 contestants (including winner Joshua) gave him feedback from the judges' table.
Asuka Kondoh (who made it to Vegas last year) and partner Ricky Sun did a international Latin ballroom number. Everyone is blown away by Kondoh's moves. Nigel liked them both, and called Kondoh "stunning" after horrifically butchering her first name. Both are sent straight through to Vegas.
This led into a montage of three unnamed dancers who were put through to Vegas.
Our final audition of the day is Nathan Trasoras, who almost stopped dancing a few years back because kids were making fun of him. The judges absolutely loved his contemporary ballet moves: "That was pretty damn extraordinary," Adam said. Unfortunately, at 17-years-old Trasoras was too young for Season 5. Simon decided to put him straight through to Vegas for Season 6.
L.A., Day 2: We started with Sammy Ramirez, a 19-year-old former wrestler. His break-dance routine is appreciated by all three judges. Adam thought he "had some of the best stops I've ever seen." Due to concerns about his versatility he is put through to the choreography round.
Farm-born Stacey House and her leg warmers came out and performed a less-than-impressive break routine. Mary said it was too "all kinda crazy" for her and House is sent back to her house.
We were shown the back-story of 20-year-old Californian Amanda Kerby, Her father has had multiple sclerosis (which I spelled correctly on the first try) for the last 13 years and the disease has inspired her dancing. All three judges pointed to her looks before her dancing, but Mary called her "extremely talented." After Adam curiously asked how her father's illness "makes you feel," they put her right through to Vegas.
Simon spots Phillip Chbeeb on the stage. Recognizing him as a strong b-boy from last year who came down with pneumonia just before Vegas Week, Nigel puts him immediately through to Vegas without an audition.
Chbeeb ends up dancing with Arielle Coker, one of his classmates. Coker told Deeley that her family was recently in a major car accident that landed her mother in the ICU. Nigel thought the whole routine was "beautiful." Adam said Coker made Phillip a better dancer and they put her through to Vegas.
The threesome of Alexie Agdeppa ("beauty, grace"), Diana Vaden ("great potential") and Chanel Smith ("I love her, she's crazy") are all put into the choreography round.
Our obligatory horrendous guy in L.A. is named Kevin Cormier. He told Deeley his nickname is "Shakiro" due to his having similar moves to the pop star Shakira. (Get it?) Not surprisingly, Cormier is awful. Mary thought he was "not dancing, just shaking."
Finally for L.A. is the choreography round. Ramirez, Vaden and Agdeppa are all sent to Vegas while Smith is sent home.
The final audition city is Seattle. Choreographer Mia Michaels will sit in on the panel with Mary and Nigel.
Seattle, Day 1: Christopher Keller, 22, and his partner did a combo of tango and East Coast swing. None of the judges liked their routine, which played with the gender roles of dancing. 'No.'
The pierced and tattooed Nick "Nasty" Salzman performed an up-temp break-dance routine. Salzman got tired and stopped mid-routine, then was verbally contentious with Nigel. Mary and Mia cited his personality as changing them from a 'yes' to a 'no.'
6-foot-6 b-boy Dmitrious Bistrevsky did some halfspeed breaking that had the judges laughing in a bad way. Mary said it was obvious you "really didn't know what you're doing." There was nothing there for me, said Nigel, and he was gone.
We next saw a montage of some of Seattle's worst performances, including one girl falling violently on her shoulder. "It really pisses us off," Mary said about one of them.
18-year-old Kelsea Taylor pranced around the stage in a creative manner that was well-received by all three judges. Nigel said that choreographer Sonya Tayeh (guest judge in Denver) would love her. Mary thought she was "really fun" and "smart." Mia thought she was a "beautiful disastrous weirdo." Taylor went through to the choreography round.
We immediately see Taylor in the choreography round. She is put through to Vegas along with three other dancers.
Seattle, Day 2: Nigel begins by lecturing the dancers that they need to be better.
Unpronounceably-named Hawaiian Kuponohiipoi Aweau twirled around a chair dramatically for several moments. Mary was on the fence but Mia had faith in him. Nigel though he was quirky so they put him through to the choreography.
Next was a montage of stronger performances, with three dancers sent on to choreography.
Ukrainian computer repairman Leonid Knyshov bounced around somewhat aimlessly. Afterward Mary said he reminded her of a 3-year-old twirling in the backyard. This prompted the judges to bring up annual SYTYCD sideshow David "Sex" Soller for a dance battle. After getting approval from his mother, the 35-year-old Soller went to the stage for what amounted to a giant waste of everyone's time. Nigel decides to put Soller through to the choreography round in an attempt to teach him a lesson and stop him from coming on the show. (Sigh.)
Not surprisingly, Soller cant come to close to keeping up with the choreography and it sent home. Aweau and eight others are sent through to the Vegas.
Next week more than 170 dancers will be back for the first show in Las Vegas, with only 20 going through to the finals. See you then!
Along with Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, choreographer Adam Shankman helped with the judging in L.A.
We began with Bianca Revels, who just missed out on the top-20 for Season 4. Her mother was in from Detroit to watch her dance which brought tears of joy from Revels. Revels, 20, tap-dances sans music and the judges swooned. All three give her a standing ovation and Revels was straight through to Vegas.
Next up was the creepy hand-holding sister and brother team of Brynelle and Xavier Blanton. They moved around the stage in a disorganized manner. Mary didn't think either had enough dance base. Adam criticized Brynelle's form and Nigel called her "child-like." A big fat 'no' for both.
29-year-old Debra Lawson is, um, quite a bit larger than most dancers on shows like this. More importantly for these purposes, she seemed to have little discernable talent or technique. She then talked about potential issues with her Orthodox Judaism. None of it mattered as she was sent home.
Suzanne Fernandez does something she called a "fairy medicine dance." Nigel asked "what are you on?" John Fleming's mime face paint had Mary laughing hysterically. 23-year-old Michael Han fires off a flamboyant and talentless routine. All three are told 'no.'
Swing dancer Calico Sequeira, 30, gave a mediocre showing with a partner. Nigel dismissed her as "on a social level." They told her 'no,' though Adam went up on stage and danced with her briefly. This prompted Adam to pretend he was a contestant as several Season 4 contestants (including winner Joshua) gave him feedback from the judges' table.
Asuka Kondoh (who made it to Vegas last year) and partner Ricky Sun did a international Latin ballroom number. Everyone is blown away by Kondoh's moves. Nigel liked them both, and called Kondoh "stunning" after horrifically butchering her first name. Both are sent straight through to Vegas.
This led into a montage of three unnamed dancers who were put through to Vegas.
Our final audition of the day is Nathan Trasoras, who almost stopped dancing a few years back because kids were making fun of him. The judges absolutely loved his contemporary ballet moves: "That was pretty damn extraordinary," Adam said. Unfortunately, at 17-years-old Trasoras was too young for Season 5. Simon decided to put him straight through to Vegas for Season 6.
L.A., Day 2: We started with Sammy Ramirez, a 19-year-old former wrestler. His break-dance routine is appreciated by all three judges. Adam thought he "had some of the best stops I've ever seen." Due to concerns about his versatility he is put through to the choreography round.
Farm-born Stacey House and her leg warmers came out and performed a less-than-impressive break routine. Mary said it was too "all kinda crazy" for her and House is sent back to her house.
We were shown the back-story of 20-year-old Californian Amanda Kerby, Her father has had multiple sclerosis (which I spelled correctly on the first try) for the last 13 years and the disease has inspired her dancing. All three judges pointed to her looks before her dancing, but Mary called her "extremely talented." After Adam curiously asked how her father's illness "makes you feel," they put her right through to Vegas.
Simon spots Phillip Chbeeb on the stage. Recognizing him as a strong b-boy from last year who came down with pneumonia just before Vegas Week, Nigel puts him immediately through to Vegas without an audition.
Chbeeb ends up dancing with Arielle Coker, one of his classmates. Coker told Deeley that her family was recently in a major car accident that landed her mother in the ICU. Nigel thought the whole routine was "beautiful." Adam said Coker made Phillip a better dancer and they put her through to Vegas.
The threesome of Alexie Agdeppa ("beauty, grace"), Diana Vaden ("great potential") and Chanel Smith ("I love her, she's crazy") are all put into the choreography round.
Our obligatory horrendous guy in L.A. is named Kevin Cormier. He told Deeley his nickname is "Shakiro" due to his having similar moves to the pop star Shakira. (Get it?) Not surprisingly, Cormier is awful. Mary thought he was "not dancing, just shaking."
Finally for L.A. is the choreography round. Ramirez, Vaden and Agdeppa are all sent to Vegas while Smith is sent home.
The final audition city is Seattle. Choreographer Mia Michaels will sit in on the panel with Mary and Nigel.
Seattle, Day 1: Christopher Keller, 22, and his partner did a combo of tango and East Coast swing. None of the judges liked their routine, which played with the gender roles of dancing. 'No.'
The pierced and tattooed Nick "Nasty" Salzman performed an up-temp break-dance routine. Salzman got tired and stopped mid-routine, then was verbally contentious with Nigel. Mary and Mia cited his personality as changing them from a 'yes' to a 'no.'
6-foot-6 b-boy Dmitrious Bistrevsky did some halfspeed breaking that had the judges laughing in a bad way. Mary said it was obvious you "really didn't know what you're doing." There was nothing there for me, said Nigel, and he was gone.
We next saw a montage of some of Seattle's worst performances, including one girl falling violently on her shoulder. "It really pisses us off," Mary said about one of them.
18-year-old Kelsea Taylor pranced around the stage in a creative manner that was well-received by all three judges. Nigel said that choreographer Sonya Tayeh (guest judge in Denver) would love her. Mary thought she was "really fun" and "smart." Mia thought she was a "beautiful disastrous weirdo." Taylor went through to the choreography round.
We immediately see Taylor in the choreography round. She is put through to Vegas along with three other dancers.
Seattle, Day 2: Nigel begins by lecturing the dancers that they need to be better.
Unpronounceably-named Hawaiian Kuponohiipoi Aweau twirled around a chair dramatically for several moments. Mary was on the fence but Mia had faith in him. Nigel though he was quirky so they put him through to the choreography.
Next was a montage of stronger performances, with three dancers sent on to choreography.
Ukrainian computer repairman Leonid Knyshov bounced around somewhat aimlessly. Afterward Mary said he reminded her of a 3-year-old twirling in the backyard. This prompted the judges to bring up annual SYTYCD sideshow David "Sex" Soller for a dance battle. After getting approval from his mother, the 35-year-old Soller went to the stage for what amounted to a giant waste of everyone's time. Nigel decides to put Soller through to the choreography round in an attempt to teach him a lesson and stop him from coming on the show. (Sigh.)
Not surprisingly, Soller cant come to close to keeping up with the choreography and it sent home. Aweau and eight others are sent through to the Vegas.
Next week more than 170 dancers will be back for the first show in Las Vegas, with only 20 going through to the finals. See you then!
Wed, Jun 3, 2009
After auditions in six cities, the "best of the best" made it to Las Vegas for the next round of the competition to determine the Top 20 dancers in America on "So You Think You Can Dance?"
There were 172 dancers at the start of the night, but host Cat Deeley promised the challenges would get tougher and the judges would be harsher in their quest to find their finalists for Season 5.
They pulled out all the stops even at the judges' table, where Mia Michaels, Lil C, Adam Shankman and Debbie Allen all joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.
Each dancer would perform a solo to start the Vegas round, and Alex Wong from the Miami auditions went first, offering a contemporary style with a bit of a martial arts twist at times. Mia looked on adoringly and gave a notable "Wow" as she watched. The judges would give no comments after the solos.
Tony Bellissimo made his mark, bringing along various portraits of Nigel during a gimmick-heavy dance in which he dressed as a businessman heading to work. He had Nigel's photo in his newspaper, in his briefcase and in his coat.
A quick montage rounded up some of the more acrobatic moves of the solo round before Nigel called all the dancers to the stage and told them they weren't as good as the judges thought they were in the first auditions. He said some of them would be going home immediately and began calling them to the front of the stage. If any of the six judges wanted to keep a dancer, they could stay. But a unanimous no meant their journey was over.
In total, 45 dancers were sent home after the solos, including a couple of early favorites: the football coach's son Travis Prokop, widow Thalia Rickards, and hip-hopper Chimezie Nwosu.
Napoleon & Tabitha D'Umo were on hand to choreograph a hop hop routine for the remaining the dancers. Contemporary dancer Gabi Rojas was worried the choreography was too fast for her. She was a favorite of Nigel's early on. She definitely struggled and lost her place in the routine.
Mia made an ominous statement, saying, "I love cutting. Because I like to see people that aren't good at what they do go home."
Gabi stepped up and was saved only because of her "unique" solo, according to Nigel. "You have to be good at more things than just what you do," he added.
By the end of the hip hop routine, 37 more dancers were leaving Las Vegas. Only 96 dancers remained.
Day 2: First up the morning of Day 2 was a waltz choreographed by Jean Marc Genereaux and France Mousseau.
Popper Phillip Chbeeb and his partner from the L.A. audition, Arielle Coker, were split up for the waltz, and for the rest of the competition. Phillip made it through but Arielle did not.
Popper Nobuya Nagahama was having the time of his life in Vegas, but was going to be out of his element with the waltz. The judges were very impressed with him. Afterward, he cried as he talked about taking dance classes between the first and second audition, and he gave credit to his teachers for his success. "It's all to them," he said. "I couldn't make it by myself."
Choreographer Sonja Tayeh put together a jazzy routine for the remaining dancers, which Natalie Reid and Brandon Bryant nailed in rehearsal. Sonja even pulled them out to show the rest of the group how to do it. But when it came time to do the routine for the judges, Natalie was off. Mary told her the judges couldn't continue to pull for her, and they sent her home. She was crushed, but smiled the whole time. The other dancers noted that if Natalie could go home, anyone could go.
Brandon went up with the next group and Lil C and Mia both told him they were disappointed after all the hype they'd heard about him. Nigel stood up for him and said he was probably one of the best dancers they've ever had in the competition. He was safe.
The jazz group was on a roll, but Gabi Rojas was still shaky when it came time for her to perform. Lil C just repeated, "She's bad," while Mia responded, "How can she be so bad?" Nigel even gave up, muttering, "Damn, my favorite unique dancer is not good." Debbie spoke for the group and said, "Gabi, you're breaking my heart," and called her "a disappointment." Gabi was asked to dance for her life and if three judges gave her a nod, she could stay. As she danced her own solo, the judges asked each other, "Now, where was that?" They all gave her their approval, but they warned her that she had to do that well on other styles.
The remaining 73 contestants might have thought they were headed to bed at 8 p.m., but Cat said, "They were in for a shock." She broke them into groups and the groups had to randomly select a CD, choreograph a routine and perform it first thing the next morning.
Day 3: On little or no sleep, the dancers returned to the theater at 7 a.m. beaming with confidence. Nigel warned them that even though the group round can be fun and light, there could be cuts if dancers weren't up to snuff.
Tapper Erik "Silky" Moore was worried about his group. It was a jive tune that resulted in a "horrific" dance, according to Nigel. Debbie said there was "just a lack of rhythm." The group was a mess and three of the five were cut immediately, but Erik was asked to return later and dance for his life.
Brandon Bryant came back with his group and even though the routine wasn't great, Adam noted that at least they looked like they were "fighting for something."
Jokester and dancer Ryan Kasprzak and his group choreographed a routine that made Adam cry. He said it made him miss dancing. "I'm starting to see a season about to happen," Adam said. The whole group made it through.
Erik was back to tap dance for his life. He did a smooth bit that ended with a dramatic backflip onto his chest and stomach. Mia, Nigel and Debbie voted against keeping him around. Lil C was the next to vote, and he said, "You don't have my vote."
At the end of a tiring day, the dancers were faced with a contemporary routine choreographed by Mia Michaels. Tony Bellissimo was nervous after having breezed through the earlier rounds. Mary told him his dancing was "not good enough," and invited him to dance for his life by repeating the choreography -- an odd move.
A brief montage included Nobuya Nagahama going home -- but he vowed to return "next year." (Someone should tell him the show is returning in the fall).
The Kinney sisters, Megan and Caitlin, were split into separate groups. Megan got through, but said she couldn't relax until she knew what was going to happen with Caitlin, who was lacking confidence. Caitlin missed some steps and Mary quietly said she was "so disappointed" in her. Caitlin didn't get enough votes, but was asked to dance for her life immediately. Well, after a commercial break.
Caitlin appeared to be "falling apart," as Mary said, before starting her solo. But Caitlin pulled it together for what Debbie called a "beautiful" dance. Nigel said it was "old-fashioned," but he gave her a positive vote. Debbie agreed. Mia voted against Caitlin, as did Lil C and Adam. It was down to Mary, who voted for Caitlin, who she called a "fighter" with potential.
Another pair of siblings, the Kasprzak brothers, were hoping to stick together, as well. Ryan was the first to do Mia's routine. Mary said he "nailed it," and told him he was still in it. Next up was his younger brother Evan. Mia made him do flea hops all the way around and off the stage -- he was safe. Evan flea-hopped all the way into his brother's arms and they hugged.
Tony Bellissimo was back with the final group to try the choreography again. After a second chance, Tony made it through to the next round. He cried immediately on stage and they all were about to be moved to tears by his reaction.
Day 4: The remaining 54 dancers were faced with Broadway in Vegas as Tyce D'Orio arrived to choreograph a girls' routine and a guys' routine.
The girls danced first while the guys played around at the pool. Bianca Revels impressed Nigel with her newfound long legs. But she wasn't through just yet. The judges wouldn't make any decisions until all the girls had danced. Nigel eventually called up a group of girls, which included Bianca, and told them their road had ended. Bianca later said she would not return for another season.
In another harsh round of cuts, Megan Kinney, Gabi Rojas and Priscilla Marrero were among those going home.
Nigel called the remaining girls to the stage. There were 16 of them. Just six more would be cut before the Top 10 girls were determined. They would each get one more solo to impress the judges.
The girls hit the pool while the guys went back in to learn the Broadway routine. The Kasprzak Brothers were feeling confident, given their Broadway backgrounds.
Another group of six guys to the stage and sent them home, leaving 16 guys to vie for the final 10 spots.
We'll have to wait until Thursday night to find out who the judges have picked for the final 20.
There were 172 dancers at the start of the night, but host Cat Deeley promised the challenges would get tougher and the judges would be harsher in their quest to find their finalists for Season 5.
They pulled out all the stops even at the judges' table, where Mia Michaels, Lil C, Adam Shankman and Debbie Allen all joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.
Each dancer would perform a solo to start the Vegas round, and Alex Wong from the Miami auditions went first, offering a contemporary style with a bit of a martial arts twist at times. Mia looked on adoringly and gave a notable "Wow" as she watched. The judges would give no comments after the solos.
Tony Bellissimo made his mark, bringing along various portraits of Nigel during a gimmick-heavy dance in which he dressed as a businessman heading to work. He had Nigel's photo in his newspaper, in his briefcase and in his coat.
A quick montage rounded up some of the more acrobatic moves of the solo round before Nigel called all the dancers to the stage and told them they weren't as good as the judges thought they were in the first auditions. He said some of them would be going home immediately and began calling them to the front of the stage. If any of the six judges wanted to keep a dancer, they could stay. But a unanimous no meant their journey was over.
In total, 45 dancers were sent home after the solos, including a couple of early favorites: the football coach's son Travis Prokop, widow Thalia Rickards, and hip-hopper Chimezie Nwosu.
Napoleon & Tabitha D'Umo were on hand to choreograph a hop hop routine for the remaining the dancers. Contemporary dancer Gabi Rojas was worried the choreography was too fast for her. She was a favorite of Nigel's early on. She definitely struggled and lost her place in the routine.
Mia made an ominous statement, saying, "I love cutting. Because I like to see people that aren't good at what they do go home."
Gabi stepped up and was saved only because of her "unique" solo, according to Nigel. "You have to be good at more things than just what you do," he added.
By the end of the hip hop routine, 37 more dancers were leaving Las Vegas. Only 96 dancers remained.
Day 2: First up the morning of Day 2 was a waltz choreographed by Jean Marc Genereaux and France Mousseau.
Popper Phillip Chbeeb and his partner from the L.A. audition, Arielle Coker, were split up for the waltz, and for the rest of the competition. Phillip made it through but Arielle did not.
Popper Nobuya Nagahama was having the time of his life in Vegas, but was going to be out of his element with the waltz. The judges were very impressed with him. Afterward, he cried as he talked about taking dance classes between the first and second audition, and he gave credit to his teachers for his success. "It's all to them," he said. "I couldn't make it by myself."
Choreographer Sonja Tayeh put together a jazzy routine for the remaining dancers, which Natalie Reid and Brandon Bryant nailed in rehearsal. Sonja even pulled them out to show the rest of the group how to do it. But when it came time to do the routine for the judges, Natalie was off. Mary told her the judges couldn't continue to pull for her, and they sent her home. She was crushed, but smiled the whole time. The other dancers noted that if Natalie could go home, anyone could go.
Brandon went up with the next group and Lil C and Mia both told him they were disappointed after all the hype they'd heard about him. Nigel stood up for him and said he was probably one of the best dancers they've ever had in the competition. He was safe.
The jazz group was on a roll, but Gabi Rojas was still shaky when it came time for her to perform. Lil C just repeated, "She's bad," while Mia responded, "How can she be so bad?" Nigel even gave up, muttering, "Damn, my favorite unique dancer is not good." Debbie spoke for the group and said, "Gabi, you're breaking my heart," and called her "a disappointment." Gabi was asked to dance for her life and if three judges gave her a nod, she could stay. As she danced her own solo, the judges asked each other, "Now, where was that?" They all gave her their approval, but they warned her that she had to do that well on other styles.
The remaining 73 contestants might have thought they were headed to bed at 8 p.m., but Cat said, "They were in for a shock." She broke them into groups and the groups had to randomly select a CD, choreograph a routine and perform it first thing the next morning.
Day 3: On little or no sleep, the dancers returned to the theater at 7 a.m. beaming with confidence. Nigel warned them that even though the group round can be fun and light, there could be cuts if dancers weren't up to snuff.
Tapper Erik "Silky" Moore was worried about his group. It was a jive tune that resulted in a "horrific" dance, according to Nigel. Debbie said there was "just a lack of rhythm." The group was a mess and three of the five were cut immediately, but Erik was asked to return later and dance for his life.
Brandon Bryant came back with his group and even though the routine wasn't great, Adam noted that at least they looked like they were "fighting for something."
Jokester and dancer Ryan Kasprzak and his group choreographed a routine that made Adam cry. He said it made him miss dancing. "I'm starting to see a season about to happen," Adam said. The whole group made it through.
Erik was back to tap dance for his life. He did a smooth bit that ended with a dramatic backflip onto his chest and stomach. Mia, Nigel and Debbie voted against keeping him around. Lil C was the next to vote, and he said, "You don't have my vote."
At the end of a tiring day, the dancers were faced with a contemporary routine choreographed by Mia Michaels. Tony Bellissimo was nervous after having breezed through the earlier rounds. Mary told him his dancing was "not good enough," and invited him to dance for his life by repeating the choreography -- an odd move.
A brief montage included Nobuya Nagahama going home -- but he vowed to return "next year." (Someone should tell him the show is returning in the fall).
The Kinney sisters, Megan and Caitlin, were split into separate groups. Megan got through, but said she couldn't relax until she knew what was going to happen with Caitlin, who was lacking confidence. Caitlin missed some steps and Mary quietly said she was "so disappointed" in her. Caitlin didn't get enough votes, but was asked to dance for her life immediately. Well, after a commercial break.
Caitlin appeared to be "falling apart," as Mary said, before starting her solo. But Caitlin pulled it together for what Debbie called a "beautiful" dance. Nigel said it was "old-fashioned," but he gave her a positive vote. Debbie agreed. Mia voted against Caitlin, as did Lil C and Adam. It was down to Mary, who voted for Caitlin, who she called a "fighter" with potential.
Another pair of siblings, the Kasprzak brothers, were hoping to stick together, as well. Ryan was the first to do Mia's routine. Mary said he "nailed it," and told him he was still in it. Next up was his younger brother Evan. Mia made him do flea hops all the way around and off the stage -- he was safe. Evan flea-hopped all the way into his brother's arms and they hugged.
Tony Bellissimo was back with the final group to try the choreography again. After a second chance, Tony made it through to the next round. He cried immediately on stage and they all were about to be moved to tears by his reaction.
Day 4: The remaining 54 dancers were faced with Broadway in Vegas as Tyce D'Orio arrived to choreograph a girls' routine and a guys' routine.
The girls danced first while the guys played around at the pool. Bianca Revels impressed Nigel with her newfound long legs. But she wasn't through just yet. The judges wouldn't make any decisions until all the girls had danced. Nigel eventually called up a group of girls, which included Bianca, and told them their road had ended. Bianca later said she would not return for another season.
In another harsh round of cuts, Megan Kinney, Gabi Rojas and Priscilla Marrero were among those going home.
Nigel called the remaining girls to the stage. There were 16 of them. Just six more would be cut before the Top 10 girls were determined. They would each get one more solo to impress the judges.
The girls hit the pool while the guys went back in to learn the Broadway routine. The Kasprzak Brothers were feeling confident, given their Broadway backgrounds.
Another group of six guys to the stage and sent them home, leaving 16 guys to vie for the final 10 spots.
We'll have to wait until Thursday night to find out who the judges have picked for the final 20.
Thu, Jun 11, 2009
Thursday night brought the first elimination of the fifth season of "So You Think You Can Dance?" and host Cat Deeley said it wouldn't be easy. While the pack is fairly impressive this season, it probably won't be too difficult to cut the 19th- and 20th-place finishers of the season. Stay tuned.
The finalists performed an opening hip-hop routine to Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow."
After an opening time-waster -- er, insightful feature about how the couples worked together -- we got to some quick results. The bottom three couples would be announced and each of those dancers would have to perform a solo before the judges decided which guy and which girl would go home.
First up were Kayla & Max, Randi & Evan and Jeanine & Phillip. After quick recaps of their performances, Cat announced Kayla & Max were safe. After the vote, Randi & Evan were safe. Phillip & Jeanine were also safe, sending Jeanine into a squealing fit.
The next group included Caitlin & Jason, which were immediately told they were safe.
Melissa & Ade were up next, and also got the news they were safe for at least another week.
That left Ashley & Kupono and Paris & Tony. After the vote, Paris & Tony were in the bottom three. Adam Shankman said he wasn't surprised by that revelation.
Down to the final three couples, only one would be safe. Asuka & Vitolio were the first to learn they were in the bottom three. Mary said it didn't really shock her and told the dancers to bring it in their solos.
Jeanette & Brandon and Karla & Jonathan were left to learn their fates, and Cat revealed that Karla & Jonathan were the last of the bottom three couples.
After some guest performers did a sizzling tango, Paris was the first dancer to perform a solo, followed by Tony, Asuka and Vitolio. After a break, Karla and Jonathan performed their solos.
Rapper Sean Kingston performed "Fire Burning" while the judges deliberated.
Finally, the judges returned to their tables and Nigel said they were unanimous with the result for the girls. He asked Karla to step forward and told her they thought she was very good and did enough to stay in the competition. That left Paris and Asuka. Nigel said it was based on not just their dancing, but also who else was in the competition. Nigel told Paris he didn't think she brought all she could Thursday night and with all the other contemporary dancers on the show this season, she was going home.
Nigel said the judges were, again, all in agreement. He said none of them were particularly good enough to stay in the competition much longer. Nigel told Vitolio he should try to regain his personality, because he's staying in the competition. That left Jonathan and Tony, and ultimately Tony just didn't do enough. He's gone.
The finalists performed an opening hip-hop routine to Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow."
After an opening time-waster -- er, insightful feature about how the couples worked together -- we got to some quick results. The bottom three couples would be announced and each of those dancers would have to perform a solo before the judges decided which guy and which girl would go home.
First up were Kayla & Max, Randi & Evan and Jeanine & Phillip. After quick recaps of their performances, Cat announced Kayla & Max were safe. After the vote, Randi & Evan were safe. Phillip & Jeanine were also safe, sending Jeanine into a squealing fit.
The next group included Caitlin & Jason, which were immediately told they were safe.
Melissa & Ade were up next, and also got the news they were safe for at least another week.
That left Ashley & Kupono and Paris & Tony. After the vote, Paris & Tony were in the bottom three. Adam Shankman said he wasn't surprised by that revelation.
Down to the final three couples, only one would be safe. Asuka & Vitolio were the first to learn they were in the bottom three. Mary said it didn't really shock her and told the dancers to bring it in their solos.
Jeanette & Brandon and Karla & Jonathan were left to learn their fates, and Cat revealed that Karla & Jonathan were the last of the bottom three couples.
After some guest performers did a sizzling tango, Paris was the first dancer to perform a solo, followed by Tony, Asuka and Vitolio. After a break, Karla and Jonathan performed their solos.
Rapper Sean Kingston performed "Fire Burning" while the judges deliberated.
Finally, the judges returned to their tables and Nigel said they were unanimous with the result for the girls. He asked Karla to step forward and told her they thought she was very good and did enough to stay in the competition. That left Paris and Asuka. Nigel said it was based on not just their dancing, but also who else was in the competition. Nigel told Paris he didn't think she brought all she could Thursday night and with all the other contemporary dancers on the show this season, she was going home.
Nigel said the judges were, again, all in agreement. He said none of them were particularly good enough to stay in the competition much longer. Nigel told Vitolio he should try to regain his personality, because he's staying in the competition. That left Jonathan and Tony, and ultimately Tony just didn't do enough. He's gone.
Wed, Jun 17, 2009
A week after saying goodbye to Paris and Tony, the remaining 18 contestants took to the floor on "So You Think You Can Dance" in hopes of making it through another week and maintaining a shot at the $250,000 grand prize.
Crumper Lil C joined regular judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.
Randi & Evan: Evan talked about how Randi cares for her dog like it's a person, and calls it on the phone. Randi said Evan is "a total gear-head," and loves anything to do with cars. They drew "jive" out of the hat for this week's routine. Choreographer Louis Van Amstel introduced them to the style. Lil C said they came "out the box with a bang." He suggested Evan be a little more explosive with his dancing, and called Randi a "firecracker." Mary said Evan and Randi were "built for the jive," and said "it really wasn't that bad," but it came a little short and she was just a little disappointed. Still, she called it a great start to the show. Nigel agreed with Mary in that the dancers were built for the jive and he told Evan he thought he'd be better than he was. He said Randi did a better job than Evan, but "as a couple, you two are really tremendous."
Melissa & Ade: Ade explained that Melissa has been married for four years and her sister married her husband's brother. Melissa revealed about Ade that his full name is Adetokunbo Isaac Kayode Obayomi or "something like that." This week, they drew jazz and had Sonya Tayeh on hand to choreograph the dance. Lil C said "that's what buck." He reminded Ade of the moment when he didn't think he'd make it into the Top 20, and told Ade that he might have already become the competition. Mary said it was time to give the couple some "tough love," because "it was really tough to find anything I didn't love about it!" Nigel praised them both and told Melissa that everything Ade did, she did and equaled his strength.
Caitlin & Jason: Caitlin revealed about Jason that he has a serious obsession with Michael Jackson, and it came complete with home video of a young Jason doing his moves like the King of Pop. Caitlin's big reveal was that she does a baby voice and a velociraptor impression. This week, they got a hip hop routine from choreographer Shane Sparks. Lil C said "I did not love that." Mary said it was like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, but they didn't seem to be in sync and the chemistry didn't work. She said she didn't understand how that chemistry they had last week didn't come through this time. Nigel said he actually thought they looked good doing the slightly softer style of hip-hop that was choreographed by Shane Sparks.
Jeanette & Brandon: Brandon revealed about Jeanette that when she was young she had terrible teeth. "Now, she looks like a beauty queen." Jeanette said that Brandon hadn't worked out a day in his life, despite his muscular build. This week, they pulled disco with choreographer Doriana Sanchez. Jeanette cried a bit during rehearsals over her frustration in being unable to pick up the fast steps in the routine. Lil C said it was "extremely, extremely amazing," and told Brandon he did a phenomenal job. He pointed out a mishap by Jeanette, but praised her for not missing her steps and bouncing back. Mary said she'd never seen a disco done that fast, "and the two of you just nailed it!" Then, she screamed. A lot. Nigel said if he could scream like Mary, he would.
Asuka & Vitolio: Asuka said Vitolio was obsessed with motorcycles, and he told us that Asuka can make "spit bubbles." She shot a couple toward the camera. A week after finishing in the bottom three, Asuka said, "I never want to experience that again." They drew the waltz with Louis Van Amstel. He said he went for a deeper, more lyrical waltz that would express some of Vitolio's inspiring personal story. Mary took a breath and a moment to collect herself and started to cry as she explained she was "slightly disappointed" in them last week, but said this week was "painfully beautiful." Lil C said Vitolio's "choppy steps" were compensated by the honesty with which he danced. Nigel said "anybody who wasn't touched by the beauty of that routine is just heartless."
Kayla & Max: Kayla said about Max that he's like a house dad at the apartment with the other dancers. He said Kayla likes to text a lot, and she said she can probably text 100 words a minute. Choreographer Brian Friedman returned to the show to put together a pop-jazz routine. Lil C said Max did a great job picking up Brian Friedman's unique style, and said Kayla was simply "amazing." Mary said she got past Max's interesting outfit, but said he was a surprise but didn't quite "sit on the throne." Mary then said Kayla was awesome and was "still on that Hot Tamale Train." Nigel told Kayla she's a front-runner. He said Max's problem is keeping up with Kayla and said he held up this week.
Karla & Jonathan: Jonathan said something America might not know about Karla is that she's a bad-ass hip hop dancer and is a member of the Boogie Bots, a well-known hip hop dance group. Karla said Jonathan really loves to sing... "but he's not very good at it. It's kind of a problem, because he sings a lot." They picked a contemporary dance, choreographed by newcomer Stacey Tookey. Mary said something she'd never said in five seasons, telling Jonathan, "You did that style better than your own." She also praised Karla and said she was "spellbound" by the two of them. Nigel said he couldn't believe it and said there were "no false moves." He also praised Stacey for proving why they brought her down from "So You Think You Can Dance: Canada." Lil C said it was "buck."
Jeanine & Phillip: Jeanine explained that Phillip is a super-nerd. He's an engineering and physics major. Phillips said Jeanine has a furry teddy bear she keeps with her, which she said was "like the perfect boyfriend." They drew a tango with choreographer Tony Meredith, who said he was surprised by the couple's lack of ballroom knowledge. At one point during rehearsal, Phillips accidentally groped Jeanine and she accidentally kicked him in "the no man's land." Tony Meredith was nervous. Mary gave them "an A-plus in attitude," because they carried it off, but in technique it was more like a C-minus. She said Jeanine was a hot momma out there and her technique was a lot better. Lil C started by saying he was a fan of Phillip, but told him "a lack of confidence is the heaviest anchor you can put on your heart," and said Phillip had no confidence out there. Nigel said "it wasn't good, technically. It was great entertainment."
Ashley & Kupono: Ashley said Kupono had a mild OCD, which he admitted. Kupono told a story about Ashley in first grade, when everyone had to come down for story time and she projectile vomited all over everyone. They had to do a hip hop routine by Shane Sparks. Mary said "it was OK. I didn't hate it, and I didn't love it." She said it "wasn't memorable." Lil C said Kupono struggled through it and made it hard to follow him through the performance. He said he "wasn't mad" at Ashley. Nigel said the dance stopped just at the point when he was starting to enjoy it. He said he was "underwhelmed."
Crumper Lil C joined regular judges Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe.
Randi & Evan: Evan talked about how Randi cares for her dog like it's a person, and calls it on the phone. Randi said Evan is "a total gear-head," and loves anything to do with cars. They drew "jive" out of the hat for this week's routine. Choreographer Louis Van Amstel introduced them to the style. Lil C said they came "out the box with a bang." He suggested Evan be a little more explosive with his dancing, and called Randi a "firecracker." Mary said Evan and Randi were "built for the jive," and said "it really wasn't that bad," but it came a little short and she was just a little disappointed. Still, she called it a great start to the show. Nigel agreed with Mary in that the dancers were built for the jive and he told Evan he thought he'd be better than he was. He said Randi did a better job than Evan, but "as a couple, you two are really tremendous."
Melissa & Ade: Ade explained that Melissa has been married for four years and her sister married her husband's brother. Melissa revealed about Ade that his full name is Adetokunbo Isaac Kayode Obayomi or "something like that." This week, they drew jazz and had Sonya Tayeh on hand to choreograph the dance. Lil C said "that's what buck." He reminded Ade of the moment when he didn't think he'd make it into the Top 20, and told Ade that he might have already become the competition. Mary said it was time to give the couple some "tough love," because "it was really tough to find anything I didn't love about it!" Nigel praised them both and told Melissa that everything Ade did, she did and equaled his strength.
Caitlin & Jason: Caitlin revealed about Jason that he has a serious obsession with Michael Jackson, and it came complete with home video of a young Jason doing his moves like the King of Pop. Caitlin's big reveal was that she does a baby voice and a velociraptor impression. This week, they got a hip hop routine from choreographer Shane Sparks. Lil C said "I did not love that." Mary said it was like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears, but they didn't seem to be in sync and the chemistry didn't work. She said she didn't understand how that chemistry they had last week didn't come through this time. Nigel said he actually thought they looked good doing the slightly softer style of hip-hop that was choreographed by Shane Sparks.
Jeanette & Brandon: Brandon revealed about Jeanette that when she was young she had terrible teeth. "Now, she looks like a beauty queen." Jeanette said that Brandon hadn't worked out a day in his life, despite his muscular build. This week, they pulled disco with choreographer Doriana Sanchez. Jeanette cried a bit during rehearsals over her frustration in being unable to pick up the fast steps in the routine. Lil C said it was "extremely, extremely amazing," and told Brandon he did a phenomenal job. He pointed out a mishap by Jeanette, but praised her for not missing her steps and bouncing back. Mary said she'd never seen a disco done that fast, "and the two of you just nailed it!" Then, she screamed. A lot. Nigel said if he could scream like Mary, he would.
Asuka & Vitolio: Asuka said Vitolio was obsessed with motorcycles, and he told us that Asuka can make "spit bubbles." She shot a couple toward the camera. A week after finishing in the bottom three, Asuka said, "I never want to experience that again." They drew the waltz with Louis Van Amstel. He said he went for a deeper, more lyrical waltz that would express some of Vitolio's inspiring personal story. Mary took a breath and a moment to collect herself and started to cry as she explained she was "slightly disappointed" in them last week, but said this week was "painfully beautiful." Lil C said Vitolio's "choppy steps" were compensated by the honesty with which he danced. Nigel said "anybody who wasn't touched by the beauty of that routine is just heartless."
Kayla & Max: Kayla said about Max that he's like a house dad at the apartment with the other dancers. He said Kayla likes to text a lot, and she said she can probably text 100 words a minute. Choreographer Brian Friedman returned to the show to put together a pop-jazz routine. Lil C said Max did a great job picking up Brian Friedman's unique style, and said Kayla was simply "amazing." Mary said she got past Max's interesting outfit, but said he was a surprise but didn't quite "sit on the throne." Mary then said Kayla was awesome and was "still on that Hot Tamale Train." Nigel told Kayla she's a front-runner. He said Max's problem is keeping up with Kayla and said he held up this week.
Karla & Jonathan: Jonathan said something America might not know about Karla is that she's a bad-ass hip hop dancer and is a member of the Boogie Bots, a well-known hip hop dance group. Karla said Jonathan really loves to sing... "but he's not very good at it. It's kind of a problem, because he sings a lot." They picked a contemporary dance, choreographed by newcomer Stacey Tookey. Mary said something she'd never said in five seasons, telling Jonathan, "You did that style better than your own." She also praised Karla and said she was "spellbound" by the two of them. Nigel said he couldn't believe it and said there were "no false moves." He also praised Stacey for proving why they brought her down from "So You Think You Can Dance: Canada." Lil C said it was "buck."
Jeanine & Phillip: Jeanine explained that Phillip is a super-nerd. He's an engineering and physics major. Phillips said Jeanine has a furry teddy bear she keeps with her, which she said was "like the perfect boyfriend." They drew a tango with choreographer Tony Meredith, who said he was surprised by the couple's lack of ballroom knowledge. At one point during rehearsal, Phillips accidentally groped Jeanine and she accidentally kicked him in "the no man's land." Tony Meredith was nervous. Mary gave them "an A-plus in attitude," because they carried it off, but in technique it was more like a C-minus. She said Jeanine was a hot momma out there and her technique was a lot better. Lil C started by saying he was a fan of Phillip, but told him "a lack of confidence is the heaviest anchor you can put on your heart," and said Phillip had no confidence out there. Nigel said "it wasn't good, technically. It was great entertainment."
Ashley & Kupono: Ashley said Kupono had a mild OCD, which he admitted. Kupono told a story about Ashley in first grade, when everyone had to come down for story time and she projectile vomited all over everyone. They had to do a hip hop routine by Shane Sparks. Mary said "it was OK. I didn't hate it, and I didn't love it." She said it "wasn't memorable." Lil C said Kupono struggled through it and made it hard to follow him through the performance. He said he "wasn't mad" at Ashley. Nigel said the dance stopped just at the point when he was starting to enjoy it. He said he was "underwhelmed."
Thu, Jun 18, 2009
It was Thursday night, which meant it was time to eliminate two more dancers -- one guy and one girl -- on "So You Think You Can Dance."
After a little montage making fun of the fact that Lil C has a wide vocabulary, host Cat Deeley got right to some results by welcoming the first three couples to the stage.
First up were Melissa & Ade, who drew rave reviews from the judges. Lil C said Ade was the main competition among the guys, and Mary Murphy said it was tough to think of anything she didn't love about it. America loved it, too. They were safe.
Caitlin & Jason got a little bit of help from Nigel, who gave them credit for adapting to a new style of hip hop, but Lil C and Mary didn't like it at all, with Lil C calling it a "nightmare."
Before getting the results, we had to see a recap of Jeanine & Phillip's performance. Lil C had said Phillip lacked confidence and Mary thought Jeanine did a great job. Nigel said it "wasn't good, technically, but it was great entertainment."
Down to Caitlin & Jason and Jeanine & Phillip for the first spot in the bottom three, it was Caitlin & Jason. Jeanine & Phillip were safe, meaning Caitlin & Jason. Mary said she wasn't surprised, "but I'm slightly disappointed." She said they nailed their Bollywood routine last week and she expected them to nail the slower hip hop, but it "didn't have the sparkle that it should have."
The next group of couples to the stage included Jeanette & Brandon, who wowed the judges with their high-speed disco routine. It made Nigel want to stand up and scream like Mary. They were safe.
Karla & Jonathan did a contemporary routine, which amazed Mary because she said Jonathan did the style better than his own. Nigel called it "absolutely sensational." Lil C "thought it was buck." Ashley & Kupono failed to impress the judges with their slow hip hop routine, and America wasn't impressed, either, and they landed in the bottom three. Lil C said he was shocked because they'd done so well in the first week and showed how vulnerable they were when taken out of their comfort zone.
Before getting to more results, Cat told Evan she had a little surprise for him. She said that last week they held auditions in Los Angeles for next season, and Evan's brother, Ryan, made it to Vegas with another impressive tap routine.
Randi & Evan did a fun jive that started Wednesday night's show "with a bang," according to Lil C. Both Mary and Nigel thought it was OK, but expected more from the couple. They were safe.
Asuka & Vitolio danced an emotional waltz that incorporated elements of Vitolio's tumultuous life. Lil C enjoyed Asuka's "dominant submission." Nigel said it was like watching a different couple than he saw last week. Kayla & Max did a pop jazz routine that drew bigger raves for Kayla than Max, but Nigel said "the pair of you bring a lot to this program." Asuka & Vitolio were safe, leaving Kayla & Max in the bottom three. Nigel said "yes and no" when asked if he was shocked. He pointed out that it was the first time the show had a completely different bottom three in the first two weeks.
The bottom six, who would have to perform solos, were: Caitlin, Jason, Ashley, Kupono, Kayla and Max.
Be our guest: Cat appeared to give "SYTYCD" credit for helping launch the careers of Katy Perry, One Republic and Lady Gaga, noting that they each made their first major television appearances on the show. She said Kristinia DeBarge (yes, she's related -- she's the daughter of James DeBarge, co-founder of the '80s group) was joining that elite group with the performance of her single, "Goodbye."
Who's in, who's out? Nigel said the panel of judges was not unanimous on either decision, which he said proved the quality of the bottom dancers.
He told Caitlin the judges felt she had great quality of movement and control and made the memory of her hip hop dance a distant memory. He told Ashley she had no substance to her solo. Kayla stepped forward and Nigel told her that her solo was crowded, and advised her to reduce it a little and concentrate on her beautiful movement. The dancer leaving Thursday was Ashley.
Nigel told Jason his solo was "exceptionally strong" and said it was one of the best they've had this season. He told Jason right away that he was safe. Nigel told Kupono there was "very little substance" to his solo, but they liked that he was different and that he can take on characters. Nigel said they'd never seen anyone work as hard as Max. Nigel repeated that the judges' decision was not unanimous, but the person leaving was Max.
After a little montage making fun of the fact that Lil C has a wide vocabulary, host Cat Deeley got right to some results by welcoming the first three couples to the stage.
First up were Melissa & Ade, who drew rave reviews from the judges. Lil C said Ade was the main competition among the guys, and Mary Murphy said it was tough to think of anything she didn't love about it. America loved it, too. They were safe.
Caitlin & Jason got a little bit of help from Nigel, who gave them credit for adapting to a new style of hip hop, but Lil C and Mary didn't like it at all, with Lil C calling it a "nightmare."
Before getting the results, we had to see a recap of Jeanine & Phillip's performance. Lil C had said Phillip lacked confidence and Mary thought Jeanine did a great job. Nigel said it "wasn't good, technically, but it was great entertainment."
Down to Caitlin & Jason and Jeanine & Phillip for the first spot in the bottom three, it was Caitlin & Jason. Jeanine & Phillip were safe, meaning Caitlin & Jason. Mary said she wasn't surprised, "but I'm slightly disappointed." She said they nailed their Bollywood routine last week and she expected them to nail the slower hip hop, but it "didn't have the sparkle that it should have."
The next group of couples to the stage included Jeanette & Brandon, who wowed the judges with their high-speed disco routine. It made Nigel want to stand up and scream like Mary. They were safe.
Karla & Jonathan did a contemporary routine, which amazed Mary because she said Jonathan did the style better than his own. Nigel called it "absolutely sensational." Lil C "thought it was buck." Ashley & Kupono failed to impress the judges with their slow hip hop routine, and America wasn't impressed, either, and they landed in the bottom three. Lil C said he was shocked because they'd done so well in the first week and showed how vulnerable they were when taken out of their comfort zone.
Before getting to more results, Cat told Evan she had a little surprise for him. She said that last week they held auditions in Los Angeles for next season, and Evan's brother, Ryan, made it to Vegas with another impressive tap routine.
Randi & Evan did a fun jive that started Wednesday night's show "with a bang," according to Lil C. Both Mary and Nigel thought it was OK, but expected more from the couple. They were safe.
Asuka & Vitolio danced an emotional waltz that incorporated elements of Vitolio's tumultuous life. Lil C enjoyed Asuka's "dominant submission." Nigel said it was like watching a different couple than he saw last week. Kayla & Max did a pop jazz routine that drew bigger raves for Kayla than Max, but Nigel said "the pair of you bring a lot to this program." Asuka & Vitolio were safe, leaving Kayla & Max in the bottom three. Nigel said "yes and no" when asked if he was shocked. He pointed out that it was the first time the show had a completely different bottom three in the first two weeks.
The bottom six, who would have to perform solos, were: Caitlin, Jason, Ashley, Kupono, Kayla and Max.
Be our guest: Cat appeared to give "SYTYCD" credit for helping launch the careers of Katy Perry, One Republic and Lady Gaga, noting that they each made their first major television appearances on the show. She said Kristinia DeBarge (yes, she's related -- she's the daughter of James DeBarge, co-founder of the '80s group) was joining that elite group with the performance of her single, "Goodbye."
Who's in, who's out? Nigel said the panel of judges was not unanimous on either decision, which he said proved the quality of the bottom dancers.
He told Caitlin the judges felt she had great quality of movement and control and made the memory of her hip hop dance a distant memory. He told Ashley she had no substance to her solo. Kayla stepped forward and Nigel told her that her solo was crowded, and advised her to reduce it a little and concentrate on her beautiful movement. The dancer leaving Thursday was Ashley.
Nigel told Jason his solo was "exceptionally strong" and said it was one of the best they've had this season. He told Jason right away that he was safe. Nigel told Kupono there was "very little substance" to his solo, but they liked that he was different and that he can take on characters. Nigel said they'd never seen anyone work as hard as Max. Nigel repeated that the judges' decision was not unanimous, but the person leaving was Max.
Wed, Jun 24, 2009
It was down to eight couples on "So You Think You Can Dance" on Wednesday night. Guest judge Toni Basil joined regular judges Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy.
Toni quickly got a chance to let us know she is on the verge of receiving a Living Legend of Hip Hop award. Mary and Nigel both said they aren't totally sure what to expect from the remaining dancers, and Nigel said it was tough to say who will end up in the Top 10.
This week the dancers were asked what they'd do with their lives if they weren't dancing.
Karla & Jonathan: Karla said if she wasn't dancing, she'd be a journalist. Jonathan said he'd want to be an acrobat for Cirque du Soleil. The couple was served up with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine. Karla had the hip-hop swagger down in rehearsals, but Jonathan struggled a bit. How would they pull it off on stage? Nigel said there was no excitement in the routine. He said the chemistry the couple had last week wasn't there this week. Nigel wanted to take bets from the crowd that Karla & Jonathan would be in the bottom three. After his tirade, even Cat Deeley suggested Nigel got up on the wrong side of bed. Mary agreed that they weren't together on this one. Toni said it felt a little bit "store-bought" more than "gangster."
Asuka & Vitolio: Asuka said she'd be a jewelry maker if she wasn't a dancer, and Vitolio said he'd be the lead singer in a band. They were hoping their waltz from last week helped give them some chemistry they could carry into this week's jazz routine with Mandy Moore. Asuka broke down in rehearsal after struggling to get the tricky jazz count. Nigel called it "fantastic." Mary said it was "really good" but didn't quite live up to the level of last week. Toni said the couple had potential to develop into a powerful couple, but advised them not to let their technique get in the way of their emotions.
Melissa & Ade: Melissa said she'd be a pilates instructor if she wasn't dancing. Ade said he'd be a satellite engineer. Ade was dubbed "everybody's competition" by Lil C last week. This time, they'd be doing a rumba with choreographer Tony Meredith. They were overwhelmed with the technique in rehearsal. Melissa stumbled at one point for a split second, but caught herself quickly. Nigel complimented Melissa and called her "the sexiest girl up there," and praised Ade for giving Melissa a strong partner to undulate against. Mary said she was buying what they were selling. Toni fanned herself at the sensuality of the performance, and then she praised Tony Meredith and his partner for being so hot themselves.
Janette & Brandon: Brandon said if he wasn't a dancer, he'd be a lighting designer, and Janette said she'd be a bank loan processor. A week after their super-fast disco, they drew a hip-hop routine with Dave Scott. Nigel said Brandon impressed with his hip-hop style, and said Janette also "worked it" while dancing outside of her element. Mary agreed that they hit it. Then she gave a little scream and called them "rock stars." Toni said they nailed it and had a connection.
Kayla & Kupono: Kayla said she'd like to be a model if she weren't a dancer, and her new partner Kupono said he'd be a costume designer. For their first dance together, they drew a Viennese waltz with choreographer Jean Marc Genereux. Nigel said it was beautiful and elegant, but it wasn't going to make anybody stand up and cheer (and, of course, the crowd stood up and cheered). Mary called it elegant and flowing and "totally believable." Then Mary took the unusual step of putting them on the Hot Tamale Train for a slow, elegant Viennese waltz. Toni said she really liked the routine and said Kayla was "something else" and called her "really and extraordinary dancer."
Randi & Evan: Randi said she'd be a teacher if she wasn't dancing and Evan said he'd probably be working in a custom car shop. They came a bit short of the judges' expectations last week, and this week they were thrown the challenge of a Mia Michaels contemporary dance that focused on Randi's butt. Nigel said it was something that would be remembered. Mary said they were terrific and called it one of the best numbers of the night. Toni poured more love onto Mia Michaels, saying that if she were a dancer on the show she'd be hoping to pull Mia's name out of the hat each week.
Caitlin & Jason: Caitlin said she'd be in broadcast journalism if she wasn't a dancer, and Jason said he'd probably be playing soccer -- not in the pros, but maybe in college. After landing in the bottom three last week, Jason figured it was "only up from here." They drew a paso doble with Jean Marc and Frances Genereux. Nigel worried that Jason, at times, was performing to the audience more than to his partner, but said a lot of it was "exceptionally good." Mary said it was a strong performance, but said Jason lost his posture here and there.
Jeanine & Phillip: Phillip said he'd like to be an inventor if he wasn't a dancer, and Jeanine said she'd be an actress. They landed in the bottom three and wanted to redeem themselves with a Broadway number with Tyce Diorio. Phillip ripped the seam in the back of his pants, and Nigel had the great privilege of asking Phillip to turn around and show the large rip, which revealed what appeared to be some powder blue briefs. Nigel liked Jeanine, but said he wanted Phillip to show more. Mary said Jeanine was fabulous and was glad Phillip cleared a jump of a couch that proved tricky in rehearsals. Toni said it was "adorable," but that they needed to be better than adorable.
Toni quickly got a chance to let us know she is on the verge of receiving a Living Legend of Hip Hop award. Mary and Nigel both said they aren't totally sure what to expect from the remaining dancers, and Nigel said it was tough to say who will end up in the Top 10.
This week the dancers were asked what they'd do with their lives if they weren't dancing.
Karla & Jonathan: Karla said if she wasn't dancing, she'd be a journalist. Jonathan said he'd want to be an acrobat for Cirque du Soleil. The couple was served up with a Dave Scott hip-hop routine. Karla had the hip-hop swagger down in rehearsals, but Jonathan struggled a bit. How would they pull it off on stage? Nigel said there was no excitement in the routine. He said the chemistry the couple had last week wasn't there this week. Nigel wanted to take bets from the crowd that Karla & Jonathan would be in the bottom three. After his tirade, even Cat Deeley suggested Nigel got up on the wrong side of bed. Mary agreed that they weren't together on this one. Toni said it felt a little bit "store-bought" more than "gangster."
Asuka & Vitolio: Asuka said she'd be a jewelry maker if she wasn't a dancer, and Vitolio said he'd be the lead singer in a band. They were hoping their waltz from last week helped give them some chemistry they could carry into this week's jazz routine with Mandy Moore. Asuka broke down in rehearsal after struggling to get the tricky jazz count. Nigel called it "fantastic." Mary said it was "really good" but didn't quite live up to the level of last week. Toni said the couple had potential to develop into a powerful couple, but advised them not to let their technique get in the way of their emotions.
Melissa & Ade: Melissa said she'd be a pilates instructor if she wasn't dancing. Ade said he'd be a satellite engineer. Ade was dubbed "everybody's competition" by Lil C last week. This time, they'd be doing a rumba with choreographer Tony Meredith. They were overwhelmed with the technique in rehearsal. Melissa stumbled at one point for a split second, but caught herself quickly. Nigel complimented Melissa and called her "the sexiest girl up there," and praised Ade for giving Melissa a strong partner to undulate against. Mary said she was buying what they were selling. Toni fanned herself at the sensuality of the performance, and then she praised Tony Meredith and his partner for being so hot themselves.
Janette & Brandon: Brandon said if he wasn't a dancer, he'd be a lighting designer, and Janette said she'd be a bank loan processor. A week after their super-fast disco, they drew a hip-hop routine with Dave Scott. Nigel said Brandon impressed with his hip-hop style, and said Janette also "worked it" while dancing outside of her element. Mary agreed that they hit it. Then she gave a little scream and called them "rock stars." Toni said they nailed it and had a connection.
Kayla & Kupono: Kayla said she'd like to be a model if she weren't a dancer, and her new partner Kupono said he'd be a costume designer. For their first dance together, they drew a Viennese waltz with choreographer Jean Marc Genereux. Nigel said it was beautiful and elegant, but it wasn't going to make anybody stand up and cheer (and, of course, the crowd stood up and cheered). Mary called it elegant and flowing and "totally believable." Then Mary took the unusual step of putting them on the Hot Tamale Train for a slow, elegant Viennese waltz. Toni said she really liked the routine and said Kayla was "something else" and called her "really and extraordinary dancer."
Randi & Evan: Randi said she'd be a teacher if she wasn't dancing and Evan said he'd probably be working in a custom car shop. They came a bit short of the judges' expectations last week, and this week they were thrown the challenge of a Mia Michaels contemporary dance that focused on Randi's butt. Nigel said it was something that would be remembered. Mary said they were terrific and called it one of the best numbers of the night. Toni poured more love onto Mia Michaels, saying that if she were a dancer on the show she'd be hoping to pull Mia's name out of the hat each week.
Caitlin & Jason: Caitlin said she'd be in broadcast journalism if she wasn't a dancer, and Jason said he'd probably be playing soccer -- not in the pros, but maybe in college. After landing in the bottom three last week, Jason figured it was "only up from here." They drew a paso doble with Jean Marc and Frances Genereux. Nigel worried that Jason, at times, was performing to the audience more than to his partner, but said a lot of it was "exceptionally good." Mary said it was a strong performance, but said Jason lost his posture here and there.
Jeanine & Phillip: Phillip said he'd like to be an inventor if he wasn't a dancer, and Jeanine said she'd be an actress. They landed in the bottom three and wanted to redeem themselves with a Broadway number with Tyce Diorio. Phillip ripped the seam in the back of his pants, and Nigel had the great privilege of asking Phillip to turn around and show the large rip, which revealed what appeared to be some powder blue briefs. Nigel liked Jeanine, but said he wanted Phillip to show more. Mary said Jeanine was fabulous and was glad Phillip cleared a jump of a couch that proved tricky in rehearsals. Toni said it was "adorable," but that they needed to be better than adorable.
Thu, Jun 25, 2009
Another Thursday means another guy and another girl would go home on "So You Think You Can Dance."
The night started with a spicy Latin-style group number choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin, Tabitha and Napoleon that was almost too hot for TV.
After an explanation of the rules for the night, host Cat Deeley introduced the judges and Nigel quickly took a moment to acknowledge the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
"I don't know where you even begin to describe a global superstar like Michael Jackson," Nigel said. "He changed the face of music and dance in the world -- not just in this country, but in the world."
He extended his wishes and prayers to Jackson's family, but said, "I hope their grieving is only short, because this is a life to celebrate. This is a life that remains inspirational to anybody who listens to music, anybody who wants to dance. Everyone, I think, we've had on this show has said, 'I started dancing because of Michael Jackson.'"
With that, they played a clip of Jackson's "Thriller" to head into the first commercial break, "and after that we'll forget all of our sadness and get on with the show," Nigel said.
Cat said that despite an emotional day, they had to get on with the results with the first five couples.
First up were Asuka & Vitolio, who Nigel loved but left Mary feeling a little unfulfilled. They were in the bottom three.
Janette & Brandon "worked it," according to the judges, and were safe for another week.
Randi & Evan made quite an impact with a Mia Michaels routine that put the spotlight on Randi's butt. "Your butt made the cut," Cat said, telling them they were safe.
Jeanine & Phillip's Broadway routine was fun, but Nigel said Phillip had to grow more as a dancer. They were safe.
Melissa & Ade did a sensual rumba that Mary and Nigel both loved, with Nigel saying, "What a difference Ade makes." They were safe.
Karla & Jonathan frustrated the judges with a poor hip-hop performance and Nigel wanted to bet the crowd that the couple would be in the bottom three. Nigel was right. He said he wasn't proud of getting it right. He said "they didn't get themselves together."
Caitlin & Jason and Kayla & Kupono the last two couples waiting to find out which one of them would take the final spot in the bottom three. Kayla & Kupono were safe, leaving Caitlin & Jason in the bottom.
Toni said she wasn't surprised to see Karla & Jonathan in the bottom, and she was not going to second-guess America's decision.
Cat was blown away by the Rage Boys Crew, the guest performers for the evening, a group made up of a bunch of young guys, including a little dude who couldn't have been older than 10 and had some serious moves.
In this order, the bottom three performed their solos: Asuka, Vitolio, Karla, Jonathan, Caitlin and Jason.
While the judges deliberated, electro-pop band The Veronicas, performed.
Nigel said the vote was unanimous among the girls. First, he told Caitlin she was growing in confidence every week and turned in the best solo of the night. She was safe.
He told Karla she looked a little desperate during her solo and wasn't as strong as they believe she has been in the past. He told Asuka she was an exciting performer, "but we do feel as if you are not growing in the competition." With that, Asuka was out.
Nigel said the vote among the guys was not unanimous. He started with Vitolio, who he said always showed a great deal of promise, but then doesn't always deliver. Nigel told him not to hold back. Next, he asked Jonathan to step forward, noting that "we continually find you, too, in the bottom three." Nigel said he didn't believe Jonathan had brought the dancing required to win. Nigel told Jason his solo was "full of desperation." But Jason was safe.
Nigel told Vitolio and Jonathan than neither of them were particularly strong at this point, but Vitolio was staying and Jonathan was out.
The night started with a spicy Latin-style group number choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin, Tabitha and Napoleon that was almost too hot for TV.
After an explanation of the rules for the night, host Cat Deeley introduced the judges and Nigel quickly took a moment to acknowledge the passing of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.
"I don't know where you even begin to describe a global superstar like Michael Jackson," Nigel said. "He changed the face of music and dance in the world -- not just in this country, but in the world."
He extended his wishes and prayers to Jackson's family, but said, "I hope their grieving is only short, because this is a life to celebrate. This is a life that remains inspirational to anybody who listens to music, anybody who wants to dance. Everyone, I think, we've had on this show has said, 'I started dancing because of Michael Jackson.'"
With that, they played a clip of Jackson's "Thriller" to head into the first commercial break, "and after that we'll forget all of our sadness and get on with the show," Nigel said.
Cat said that despite an emotional day, they had to get on with the results with the first five couples.
First up were Asuka & Vitolio, who Nigel loved but left Mary feeling a little unfulfilled. They were in the bottom three.
Janette & Brandon "worked it," according to the judges, and were safe for another week.
Randi & Evan made quite an impact with a Mia Michaels routine that put the spotlight on Randi's butt. "Your butt made the cut," Cat said, telling them they were safe.
Jeanine & Phillip's Broadway routine was fun, but Nigel said Phillip had to grow more as a dancer. They were safe.
Melissa & Ade did a sensual rumba that Mary and Nigel both loved, with Nigel saying, "What a difference Ade makes." They were safe.
Karla & Jonathan frustrated the judges with a poor hip-hop performance and Nigel wanted to bet the crowd that the couple would be in the bottom three. Nigel was right. He said he wasn't proud of getting it right. He said "they didn't get themselves together."
Caitlin & Jason and Kayla & Kupono the last two couples waiting to find out which one of them would take the final spot in the bottom three. Kayla & Kupono were safe, leaving Caitlin & Jason in the bottom.
Toni said she wasn't surprised to see Karla & Jonathan in the bottom, and she was not going to second-guess America's decision.
Cat was blown away by the Rage Boys Crew, the guest performers for the evening, a group made up of a bunch of young guys, including a little dude who couldn't have been older than 10 and had some serious moves.
In this order, the bottom three performed their solos: Asuka, Vitolio, Karla, Jonathan, Caitlin and Jason.
While the judges deliberated, electro-pop band The Veronicas, performed.
Nigel said the vote was unanimous among the girls. First, he told Caitlin she was growing in confidence every week and turned in the best solo of the night. She was safe.
He told Karla she looked a little desperate during her solo and wasn't as strong as they believe she has been in the past. He told Asuka she was an exciting performer, "but we do feel as if you are not growing in the competition." With that, Asuka was out.
Nigel said the vote among the guys was not unanimous. He started with Vitolio, who he said always showed a great deal of promise, but then doesn't always deliver. Nigel told him not to hold back. Next, he asked Jonathan to step forward, noting that "we continually find you, too, in the bottom three." Nigel said he didn't believe Jonathan had brought the dancing required to win. Nigel told Jason his solo was "full of desperation." But Jason was safe.
Nigel told Vitolio and Jonathan than neither of them were particularly strong at this point, but Vitolio was staying and Jonathan was out.
Wed, Jul 1, 2009
The top 14 dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance" set out on Wednesday to stay in the competition, but first they'd have to get by the judges, and notorious choreographer Mia Michaels was the one who joined the regulars this week.
Mia jumped right into the spotlight immediately, showering herself with attention after she was asked immediately after her introduction whether her opinion of "any" dancers has changed since the audition rounds. Remember, she famously ripped Brandon, saying she didn't know what the other judges, Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, saw in him. She said her opinion had changed "for the better," but "without naming names," although everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.
This week, the dancers talked about their highs and lows throughout the competition, thus far. It really turned into the dancers just cataloging their dances to this point.
Janette & Brandon: Speaking of Brandon, he and partner Janette were up first. They were doing a cha cha cha with Jean Marc Genereux and his wife Frances. Nigel said it was "possibly the best damn cha cha I have ever seen on this show." Mary gave the couple "two first-class tickets on the Hot Tamale Train." Mia took her chance to make amends with Brandon. She told him she's toughest on the dancers in whom she sees the most ability and potential, and Brandon cried. "You're going to love me and hate me on this journey," Mia said, "because I'm going to dig in and take you to a place where you've never been because you are -- you're amazing." She said Janette had been "on fire since Day 1."
Kayla & Kupono: Kayla and Kupono were matched up with Sonya Tayeh for a contemporary routine that Sonya called "dark." Nigel said he was seeing a new man in Kupono. He said "everything about it was absolutely tremendous." Mary again praised Kayla for her legs and her moves, and said they had great chemistry as a couple. Mia said it was Sonya's best piece on the show, and she told Kupono he's "growing."
Randi & Evan: Randi and Evan went Broadway with choreographer Joey Dowling, who said it wasn't a traditional musical theater piece, but had a lot of power. Joey said the couple struggled, despite her high expectations. Nigel thanked Joey for bringing back the throwback style that was a bit of an homage to Bob Fosse and others. Nigel had some critiques, but said they were still among his Top 10. Mary said they were getting crazy watching such great dancing, and said it was "entertaining." Mia said something was missing for her and they didn't take the performance to the level where she thought it could go.
Caitlin & Jason: Choreographer Brian Friedman promised to give Caitlin and Jason a unique jazz dance, in which Caitlin was meant to portray an alien female who's come down to Earth and is approaching the last man on Earth, with whom she is meant to procreate. Nigel rightly said it was "very weird." He said they both committed themselves 100 percent, but then he commented on the costume Caitlin was wearing, calling it a "dancing condom." Mary said it just didn't sit right with her. Mary said Brian Friedman probably wasn't going into this one thinking it would be the greatest piece he's done, but he was having fun with it. She didn't care for the costume, either.
Jeanine & Phillip: It was hip-hop time for Jeanine and Phillip as they met with Tabitha and Napoleon, who gave them the added challenge of chaining the dancers together. Napoleon admitted the idea sounded great at the time when they thought of it, but he was getting nervous about it as the rehearsals wore on. The element of danger was always there, but they pulled off the routine without falling over the chain. Nigel said if they keep dancing like that, they should "be chained together for life." Mary said it was incredibly creative and praised them both before telling Jeanine she was "crazy good" and took her breath away. Mia said she was a bit distracted by the chain, but they did a great job. Jeanine made a little faux pas, talking about how much they were working with the chain to get the performance just right, saying, "we have chains all over our apartment."
Melissa & Ade: Choreographer Thordal Christensen gave them a routine from "Romeo & Juliet," and Melissa said it had always been her dream to play Juliet. Melissa wore point shoes, a "So You Think You Can Dance" first, for the traditional dance. "Who would have believed that in five seasons, we're now doing traditional ballet on 'So You Think You Can Dance'?" Nigel said. He called it "a really big first." Mary said she loved it and called it "really beautiful." She said they put her "in a dream-like state, and, honestly, I just didn't want to wake up." Mia said she was excited they were celebrating classical ballet on the show, and that "it was danced as well as it was danced."
Dizzy Feet Foundation: There was a segment dedicated to talking about a new scholarship program called the Dizzy Feet Foundation, founded by Nigel Lythgoe, "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and Katie Holmes, among others, to help make dance education to some underprivileged children. Check out dizzyfeetfoundation.org for more information.
Nigel also announced that Katie Holmes' dancing tribute to Judy Garland, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, will air on the show's 100th episode on July 23.
Karla & Vitolio: Performing for the first time together after losing their partners last week, Karla and Vitolio were introduced to Jean Marc and France Genereux for the dreaded quickstep. Nigel praised most everything, only criticizing a couple of spots that were a little too rigid. Mary said "so much for the kiss of death dance," saying they brought the quickstep to life. Mia said Jean Marc was a genius and said the piece was amazing. She told Vitolio he confuses her, because he's often too wild and needs to get more consistent. She told Karla that she sometimes looked a little scared, but she loved the dance.
Mia jumped right into the spotlight immediately, showering herself with attention after she was asked immediately after her introduction whether her opinion of "any" dancers has changed since the audition rounds. Remember, she famously ripped Brandon, saying she didn't know what the other judges, Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, saw in him. She said her opinion had changed "for the better," but "without naming names," although everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.
This week, the dancers talked about their highs and lows throughout the competition, thus far. It really turned into the dancers just cataloging their dances to this point.
Janette & Brandon: Speaking of Brandon, he and partner Janette were up first. They were doing a cha cha cha with Jean Marc Genereux and his wife Frances. Nigel said it was "possibly the best damn cha cha I have ever seen on this show." Mary gave the couple "two first-class tickets on the Hot Tamale Train." Mia took her chance to make amends with Brandon. She told him she's toughest on the dancers in whom she sees the most ability and potential, and Brandon cried. "You're going to love me and hate me on this journey," Mia said, "because I'm going to dig in and take you to a place where you've never been because you are -- you're amazing." She said Janette had been "on fire since Day 1."
Kayla & Kupono: Kayla and Kupono were matched up with Sonya Tayeh for a contemporary routine that Sonya called "dark." Nigel said he was seeing a new man in Kupono. He said "everything about it was absolutely tremendous." Mary again praised Kayla for her legs and her moves, and said they had great chemistry as a couple. Mia said it was Sonya's best piece on the show, and she told Kupono he's "growing."
Randi & Evan: Randi and Evan went Broadway with choreographer Joey Dowling, who said it wasn't a traditional musical theater piece, but had a lot of power. Joey said the couple struggled, despite her high expectations. Nigel thanked Joey for bringing back the throwback style that was a bit of an homage to Bob Fosse and others. Nigel had some critiques, but said they were still among his Top 10. Mary said they were getting crazy watching such great dancing, and said it was "entertaining." Mia said something was missing for her and they didn't take the performance to the level where she thought it could go.
Caitlin & Jason: Choreographer Brian Friedman promised to give Caitlin and Jason a unique jazz dance, in which Caitlin was meant to portray an alien female who's come down to Earth and is approaching the last man on Earth, with whom she is meant to procreate. Nigel rightly said it was "very weird." He said they both committed themselves 100 percent, but then he commented on the costume Caitlin was wearing, calling it a "dancing condom." Mary said it just didn't sit right with her. Mary said Brian Friedman probably wasn't going into this one thinking it would be the greatest piece he's done, but he was having fun with it. She didn't care for the costume, either.
Jeanine & Phillip: It was hip-hop time for Jeanine and Phillip as they met with Tabitha and Napoleon, who gave them the added challenge of chaining the dancers together. Napoleon admitted the idea sounded great at the time when they thought of it, but he was getting nervous about it as the rehearsals wore on. The element of danger was always there, but they pulled off the routine without falling over the chain. Nigel said if they keep dancing like that, they should "be chained together for life." Mary said it was incredibly creative and praised them both before telling Jeanine she was "crazy good" and took her breath away. Mia said she was a bit distracted by the chain, but they did a great job. Jeanine made a little faux pas, talking about how much they were working with the chain to get the performance just right, saying, "we have chains all over our apartment."
Melissa & Ade: Choreographer Thordal Christensen gave them a routine from "Romeo & Juliet," and Melissa said it had always been her dream to play Juliet. Melissa wore point shoes, a "So You Think You Can Dance" first, for the traditional dance. "Who would have believed that in five seasons, we're now doing traditional ballet on 'So You Think You Can Dance'?" Nigel said. He called it "a really big first." Mary said she loved it and called it "really beautiful." She said they put her "in a dream-like state, and, honestly, I just didn't want to wake up." Mia said she was excited they were celebrating classical ballet on the show, and that "it was danced as well as it was danced."
Dizzy Feet Foundation: There was a segment dedicated to talking about a new scholarship program called the Dizzy Feet Foundation, founded by Nigel Lythgoe, "Dancing with the Stars" judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and Katie Holmes, among others, to help make dance education to some underprivileged children. Check out dizzyfeetfoundation.org for more information.
Nigel also announced that Katie Holmes' dancing tribute to Judy Garland, choreographed by Tyce Diorio, will air on the show's 100th episode on July 23.
Karla & Vitolio: Performing for the first time together after losing their partners last week, Karla and Vitolio were introduced to Jean Marc and France Genereux for the dreaded quickstep. Nigel praised most everything, only criticizing a couple of spots that were a little too rigid. Mary said "so much for the kiss of death dance," saying they brought the quickstep to life. Mia said Jean Marc was a genius and said the piece was amazing. She told Vitolio he confuses her, because he's often too wild and needs to get more consistent. She told Karla that she sometimes looked a little scared, but she loved the dance.
Thu, Jul 2, 2009
It was going to be an extra long holiday weekend for one guy and one girl on "So You Think You Can Dance" as another Thursday night brought about another round of eliminations.
After a picture perfect (sorry, couldn't resist) opening dance routine in which all the dancers emerged as characters in a painting who came to life after the art gallery closed, host Cat Deeley brought out the first two couples: Karla & Vitolio and Randi & Evan. Cat promised us that one of them was safe and the other was in the bottom three. Randi & Evan were safe, meaning Karla & Vitolio were in the bottom three.
Nigel said the couple were "no strangers to the bottom three," and said they would cope with it OK. We'd find out with their solos later in the evening.
Among the next three couples to the stage were Janette & Brandon, who sent the judges into a tizzy with their cha cha cha. They'll ride the Hot Tamale Train all the way to at least next week.
Kayla & Kupono and Melissa & Ade remained on stage awaiting their fate. Both couples wowed the judges and the audience with their performances the night before. Melissa looked a little down when Cat asked, "Would classical ballet translate into votes?" The answer was yes, and Melissa's frown was turned upside down. That left Kayla & Kupono in the bottom three, and Mia Michaels said she was completely shocked. She said the couple was important to the competition and needed to stay in it.
The final two couples to the stage were Caitlin & Jason and Jeanine & Phillip. Did Caitlin & Jason's alien dance prove too weird for viewers to handle? The final couple safe, Cat announced, was Caitling & Jason. That meant Jeanine & Phillip were among the bottom three couples.
So the bottom six dancers performing solos were Karla, Vitolio, Kayla, Kupono, Jeanine and Phillip. Mary said she couldn't wait to see Phillip's solo, and Cat noted that we haven't seen Jeanine do her own style, contemporary.
It's worth noting that Vitolio chose the potentially ominous "Here Comes Goodbye," by Rascal Flatts.
Be our guests: Dancers Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey kept the classical ballet groove going with a traditional pas de deux that Cat noted was a dazzling display of "strength and beauty."
Kelly Clarkson popped in later to perform her new single, "I Do Not Hook Up."
Cutting time: Nigel came back to the judges' table and said they were unanimous with their decisions tonight. He told Jeanine that it can be a challenge dancing with a partner who gets as much attention as Phillip, but her solo was the best of the night, and he sent her back to safety.
Nigel told Kayla she was one of the judges' favorites, but said she was "exceptionally static" in her solo and was "not really dancing from the heart." He then told Karla that was "without question, a very, very good dancer," but she hadn't "captured the star quality" that she'd had in the beginning. He sent Karla home, meaning Kayla was safe.
Nigel then addressed the guys, and asked Phillip to step forward. He told Phillip he was unique and "absolutely superb" at what he does. He told Phillip he'd get more chances to master the other forms of dance, because he was safe.
Nigel next told Vitolio he always presents himself "brilliantly," but doesn't end up delivering. He then knocked Kupono for a weakly choreographed solo, saying "we need so much more passion from anybody who is going to be on this show." Kupono would get opportunities to prove himself, because he was safe, meaning it was the end of the road for Vitolio.
After a picture perfect (sorry, couldn't resist) opening dance routine in which all the dancers emerged as characters in a painting who came to life after the art gallery closed, host Cat Deeley brought out the first two couples: Karla & Vitolio and Randi & Evan. Cat promised us that one of them was safe and the other was in the bottom three. Randi & Evan were safe, meaning Karla & Vitolio were in the bottom three.
Nigel said the couple were "no strangers to the bottom three," and said they would cope with it OK. We'd find out with their solos later in the evening.
Among the next three couples to the stage were Janette & Brandon, who sent the judges into a tizzy with their cha cha cha. They'll ride the Hot Tamale Train all the way to at least next week.
Kayla & Kupono and Melissa & Ade remained on stage awaiting their fate. Both couples wowed the judges and the audience with their performances the night before. Melissa looked a little down when Cat asked, "Would classical ballet translate into votes?" The answer was yes, and Melissa's frown was turned upside down. That left Kayla & Kupono in the bottom three, and Mia Michaels said she was completely shocked. She said the couple was important to the competition and needed to stay in it.
The final two couples to the stage were Caitlin & Jason and Jeanine & Phillip. Did Caitlin & Jason's alien dance prove too weird for viewers to handle? The final couple safe, Cat announced, was Caitling & Jason. That meant Jeanine & Phillip were among the bottom three couples.
So the bottom six dancers performing solos were Karla, Vitolio, Kayla, Kupono, Jeanine and Phillip. Mary said she couldn't wait to see Phillip's solo, and Cat noted that we haven't seen Jeanine do her own style, contemporary.
It's worth noting that Vitolio chose the potentially ominous "Here Comes Goodbye," by Rascal Flatts.
Be our guests: Dancers Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey kept the classical ballet groove going with a traditional pas de deux that Cat noted was a dazzling display of "strength and beauty."
Kelly Clarkson popped in later to perform her new single, "I Do Not Hook Up."
Cutting time: Nigel came back to the judges' table and said they were unanimous with their decisions tonight. He told Jeanine that it can be a challenge dancing with a partner who gets as much attention as Phillip, but her solo was the best of the night, and he sent her back to safety.
Nigel told Kayla she was one of the judges' favorites, but said she was "exceptionally static" in her solo and was "not really dancing from the heart." He then told Karla that was "without question, a very, very good dancer," but she hadn't "captured the star quality" that she'd had in the beginning. He sent Karla home, meaning Kayla was safe.
Nigel then addressed the guys, and asked Phillip to step forward. He told Phillip he was unique and "absolutely superb" at what he does. He told Phillip he'd get more chances to master the other forms of dance, because he was safe.
Nigel next told Vitolio he always presents himself "brilliantly," but doesn't end up delivering. He then knocked Kupono for a weakly choreographed solo, saying "we need so much more passion from anybody who is going to be on this show." Kupono would get opportunities to prove himself, because he was safe, meaning it was the end of the road for Vitolio.
Thu, Jul 9, 2009
"So You Think You Can Dance" finally got down to the Top 10, but not before an exhilarating group performance to The White Stripes' "Seven-Nation Army."
It was Nigel Lythgoe's 60th birthday, but there was one gift the judge and executive producer was missing. Nigel explained that there were plans for a big Michael Jackson tribute performance with various choreographers pitching in with multiple dance styles to be performed to several of Jacko's tunes. But the rights to use the music on the show were denied, so there was no such dance.
Judge Mary Murphy said it will be tough when, starting next week, the judges no longer have any say in who stays and who goes.
The first two couples to the stage were Caitlin & Jason and Jeanette & Brandon. The first couple in the bottom three was Jason & Caitlin, for the third time. Mary said the couple hadn't recaptured the magic they had in their first piece on the show, the Bollywood dance.
Up next were Randi & Evan and Jeanine & Phillip. The next couple in the bottom three were Jeanine & Phillip.
Finally, Melissa & Ade and Kayla & Kupono were called to the stage to see which couple would claim the final spot in the bottom three. Melissa & Ade slipped into the bottom three for the first time all season.
The six dancers fighting to stay alive were Caitlin, Jason, Jeanine, Phillip, Melissa and Ade.
Be our guest: DJ David Guetta and Kelly Rowland paid a visit to perform her single, "When Love Takes Over."
To the results...: Nigel said the judges came to their decision from a positive standpoint, focusing on the girls they wanted to keep, rather than who they wanted to cut. But someone had to go, and it was Caitlin's time, meaning Melissa and Jeanine would live to see at least another week.
Nigel said the judges were, again, unanimous in their decision with the guys. Then he told Phillip that it was the end of the road for him.
Still, he'll be hitting the road, along with Caitlin, as Nigel announced that he's secured them both a spot on the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour, which is normally reserved for just the Top 10.
It was Nigel Lythgoe's 60th birthday, but there was one gift the judge and executive producer was missing. Nigel explained that there were plans for a big Michael Jackson tribute performance with various choreographers pitching in with multiple dance styles to be performed to several of Jacko's tunes. But the rights to use the music on the show were denied, so there was no such dance.
Judge Mary Murphy said it will be tough when, starting next week, the judges no longer have any say in who stays and who goes.
The first two couples to the stage were Caitlin & Jason and Jeanette & Brandon. The first couple in the bottom three was Jason & Caitlin, for the third time. Mary said the couple hadn't recaptured the magic they had in their first piece on the show, the Bollywood dance.
Up next were Randi & Evan and Jeanine & Phillip. The next couple in the bottom three were Jeanine & Phillip.
Finally, Melissa & Ade and Kayla & Kupono were called to the stage to see which couple would claim the final spot in the bottom three. Melissa & Ade slipped into the bottom three for the first time all season.
The six dancers fighting to stay alive were Caitlin, Jason, Jeanine, Phillip, Melissa and Ade.
Be our guest: DJ David Guetta and Kelly Rowland paid a visit to perform her single, "When Love Takes Over."
To the results...: Nigel said the judges came to their decision from a positive standpoint, focusing on the girls they wanted to keep, rather than who they wanted to cut. But someone had to go, and it was Caitlin's time, meaning Melissa and Jeanine would live to see at least another week.
Nigel said the judges were, again, unanimous in their decision with the guys. Then he told Phillip that it was the end of the road for him.
Still, he'll be hitting the road, along with Caitlin, as Nigel announced that he's secured them both a spot on the "So You Think You Can Dance" tour, which is normally reserved for just the Top 10.
Wed, Jul 15, 2009
The Top 10 are set, which meant Wednesday was the beginning of a whole new competition on "So You Think You Can Dance." The judges no longer hold any sway when it comes to determining who stays and who goes as the decision is now left entirely to the voters. Another wrinkle starting this week is that voters are dialing in for their favorite individuals, rather than couples.
The dancers now have to pick their partners from a hat, as well as their dances, throwing a whole new set of variables into the mix -- including the potential for some mismatched dancers, in terms of size.
Guest judge Debbie Allen joined regular panelists Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe this week, and she said three of her top guys and three of her top girls are still in the competition.
Up first was a Bollywood routine by the top five girls, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan. NIgel said the fivesome was one of the most beautiful groups of girls he's seen work together in the show's history. He said all five of them were fantastic and were "lacking nothing." Mary added that the five girls were "absolutely stunning," and said she could see any one of them in the final. Debbie agreed, calling the performance "an amazing cultural fusion." She agreed that it was the best top five group of girls the show has ever had.
Kayla & Evan: Kayla thought it was cool to have a partner with such a unique style as Evan, who noted that he's the shortest guy and Kayla is the tallest girl. That could pose a problem when it came to ballroom dancing. Just their luck, they pulled the Viennese waltz with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. In the end, Evan wore heeled boots and Kayla wore flats. Nigel said it wasn't much of a Viennese waltz and more like a regular fast waltz, but he praised the way they danced what they were given by the choreographers. Mary said Evan's motionless turns were not good enough and it didn't flow. She said Kayla was taking it to another level and called her "fabulous." Debbie called it an unexpected surprise and said Evan handled his "big woman." She then dubbed the couple "White Lightning and Gene Kelly."
Jeanette & Ade: Jeanette pulled Ade's name out of the hat, which made for the opposite height difference in that Ade is the tallest guy in the competition and Jeanette said she was the shortest girl (which might call for a standoff between Jeanette and Randi for confirmation). They drew a hip-hop routine from Tabitha & Napoleon. Nigel said they both danced great. Mary said it was "funky" and was "a lot of fun." She called Jeanette "a spicy little hot tamale from Miami." Debbie said the dance wore her out and made her want to jump on stage and join them.
Jeanine & Jason: Jeanine said it wasn't so hard to look at Jason all day, which made her new partnership nice. They landed a contemporary routine with Season 2 finalist Travis Wall, who was choreographing for the first time. The crowd loved the passionate routine that probably lacked a little subtlety. Nigel praised Travis for his first routine, and said they'd both become stars. Mary was at a loss for words. She literally didn't speak for a moment before belting out, "You two are stars!" She wept as she told Jason not to let anyone underestimate his strength and power, and she told Jeanine were light keeps shining "brighter and brighter and brighter." She did her first-ever silent scream, apparently as a favor to the sound tech. Debbie added to the love.
Randi & Kupono: When the couple was announced, Kupono said he wanted to put Randi in his pocket because she's "teeny-tiny." They pulled a paso doble with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Nigel made up for his criticism of Tony and Meredith's choreography this time, and said the dancing didn't match the choreography. He said it didn't work for him. He said he lost Kupono about halfway through the routine. He said there was "very little passion" between them and it wasn't "authentic in any way." Mary said some dancers would rise to the new challenges and some would not, "and this is falling somewhere below the 'not' for me." She said "mediocre will not cut it." Debbie said it was hard not to agree, noting some awkwardness and wondering whether the couple lacked trust.
Melissa & Brandon: Melissa and Brandon scored a Broadway routine, a piece from "Hair," choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. Nigel said it was great and "brought back so many memories" for him. Mary said it was unbelievable and said they were the stars of the show. Debbie said they were seamless and called it "a joy to watch."
The top five guys closed the show together with a group performance, an African dance choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Nigel said the routine was one of the toughest they've ever had on the show. He said no one stuck out in a bad way because all the guys held their own.
The dancers now have to pick their partners from a hat, as well as their dances, throwing a whole new set of variables into the mix -- including the potential for some mismatched dancers, in terms of size.
Guest judge Debbie Allen joined regular panelists Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe this week, and she said three of her top guys and three of her top girls are still in the competition.
Up first was a Bollywood routine by the top five girls, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan. NIgel said the fivesome was one of the most beautiful groups of girls he's seen work together in the show's history. He said all five of them were fantastic and were "lacking nothing." Mary added that the five girls were "absolutely stunning," and said she could see any one of them in the final. Debbie agreed, calling the performance "an amazing cultural fusion." She agreed that it was the best top five group of girls the show has ever had.
Kayla & Evan: Kayla thought it was cool to have a partner with such a unique style as Evan, who noted that he's the shortest guy and Kayla is the tallest girl. That could pose a problem when it came to ballroom dancing. Just their luck, they pulled the Viennese waltz with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. In the end, Evan wore heeled boots and Kayla wore flats. Nigel said it wasn't much of a Viennese waltz and more like a regular fast waltz, but he praised the way they danced what they were given by the choreographers. Mary said Evan's motionless turns were not good enough and it didn't flow. She said Kayla was taking it to another level and called her "fabulous." Debbie called it an unexpected surprise and said Evan handled his "big woman." She then dubbed the couple "White Lightning and Gene Kelly."
Jeanette & Ade: Jeanette pulled Ade's name out of the hat, which made for the opposite height difference in that Ade is the tallest guy in the competition and Jeanette said she was the shortest girl (which might call for a standoff between Jeanette and Randi for confirmation). They drew a hip-hop routine from Tabitha & Napoleon. Nigel said they both danced great. Mary said it was "funky" and was "a lot of fun." She called Jeanette "a spicy little hot tamale from Miami." Debbie said the dance wore her out and made her want to jump on stage and join them.
Jeanine & Jason: Jeanine said it wasn't so hard to look at Jason all day, which made her new partnership nice. They landed a contemporary routine with Season 2 finalist Travis Wall, who was choreographing for the first time. The crowd loved the passionate routine that probably lacked a little subtlety. Nigel praised Travis for his first routine, and said they'd both become stars. Mary was at a loss for words. She literally didn't speak for a moment before belting out, "You two are stars!" She wept as she told Jason not to let anyone underestimate his strength and power, and she told Jeanine were light keeps shining "brighter and brighter and brighter." She did her first-ever silent scream, apparently as a favor to the sound tech. Debbie added to the love.
Randi & Kupono: When the couple was announced, Kupono said he wanted to put Randi in his pocket because she's "teeny-tiny." They pulled a paso doble with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. Nigel made up for his criticism of Tony and Meredith's choreography this time, and said the dancing didn't match the choreography. He said it didn't work for him. He said he lost Kupono about halfway through the routine. He said there was "very little passion" between them and it wasn't "authentic in any way." Mary said some dancers would rise to the new challenges and some would not, "and this is falling somewhere below the 'not' for me." She said "mediocre will not cut it." Debbie said it was hard not to agree, noting some awkwardness and wondering whether the couple lacked trust.
Melissa & Brandon: Melissa and Brandon scored a Broadway routine, a piece from "Hair," choreographed by Tyce DiOrio. Nigel said it was great and "brought back so many memories" for him. Mary said it was unbelievable and said they were the stars of the show. Debbie said they were seamless and called it "a joy to watch."
The top five guys closed the show together with a group performance, an African dance choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Nigel said the routine was one of the toughest they've ever had on the show. He said no one stuck out in a bad way because all the guys held their own.
Thu, Jul 16, 2009
The top 10 dancers stormed the stage in a Japanese inspired number choreographed by Wade and Amanda Robson on "So You Think You Can Dance." The producers were in a mood for celebrating on Thursday after receiving word that four choreographers -- Mia Michaels, Tyce DiOrio, Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo, and former "Dance" contestant Dmitry Chaplin -- received Emmy nominations that morning.
Guest host Debbie Allen was seated at the judges' table alongside regular Mary Murphy, but Nigel Lythgoe was missing from the panel because he was out receiving an honorary doctorate of arts from the University of Bedfordshire in England. That sounds made up. I'm just saying.
It didn't matter, though, because the judges were pure window dressing on Thursday as they no longer had a say in who stayed or who left. The vote, for the first time all season, was entirely in the hands of the voters.
To the results: The five girls came on to the stage to learn their fate. First up was Jeanette, who got the news that she was safe.
Randi, who'd disappointed the judges with a lack of chemistry with her new partner Kupono, was in the bottom two girls.
Jeanine was safe after thoroughly impressing the judges. She ran off stage into a quite close embrace with Jason.
Kayla, who'd been described as "White Lightning" by Debbie Allen, and Melissa, who amazed the judges Wednesday, were left to find out their fate. Melissa fell into the bottom two.
Season 6 Preview: Host Cat Deeley previewed some of the best and worst of the next season of "So You Think You Can Dance," which will air in the fall for the first time.
Back to the results: The top five guys took the stage to find out who was safe and who was in danger.
Jason was up first and, after receiving a standing ovation Wednesday, received another week of safety from the voters.
Evan was next, wearing his Gene Kelly-esque white suit and black bow tie. After less-than-flattering remarks from the judges (except for Debbie), Evan learned he was safe.
Kupono, who'd disappointed the judges with his performance with Randi, also disappointed the voters and landed in the bottom two.
Ade and Brandon were left. Ade was "mesmerizing," according to Debbie, and Brandon gave what the judges called a "seamless" performance. Ade was in the bottom two.
Looking ahead: Next week's episode, the show's 99th, was going to feature guest judge Mia Michaels and special guest Ellen Degeneres. Thursday night's results show, the 100th episode, would also feature a trip down memory lane, with highlights of the show's most memorable performances, and a tribute to Judy Garland by Katie Holmes.
Flying solo: All four dancers in danger were given 30 seconds each to show off their solo skills even though they wouldn't have any effect on the results.
Be our guest: The Black Eyed Peas stopped by to perform their new single, "I Gotta Feeling," which likely made Perez Hilton switch the channel. Taboo came on stage wearing a replica Michael Jackson jacket from the "Thriller" video. Once the performance was over, he opened the jacket to reveal an MJ T-Shirt, as did apl.de.ap.
Exit, stage left: Randi and Melissa awaited word on which of them would go home, but Cat put the suspense to rest quickly by telling Randi her dance number was up.
Ade and Kupono stood side by side for the final word from Cat, and Kupono was told he'd have to take his funky outfits and charming personality somewhere else, because it was time for him to go.
Guest host Debbie Allen was seated at the judges' table alongside regular Mary Murphy, but Nigel Lythgoe was missing from the panel because he was out receiving an honorary doctorate of arts from the University of Bedfordshire in England. That sounds made up. I'm just saying.
It didn't matter, though, because the judges were pure window dressing on Thursday as they no longer had a say in who stayed or who left. The vote, for the first time all season, was entirely in the hands of the voters.
To the results: The five girls came on to the stage to learn their fate. First up was Jeanette, who got the news that she was safe.
Randi, who'd disappointed the judges with a lack of chemistry with her new partner Kupono, was in the bottom two girls.
Jeanine was safe after thoroughly impressing the judges. She ran off stage into a quite close embrace with Jason.
Kayla, who'd been described as "White Lightning" by Debbie Allen, and Melissa, who amazed the judges Wednesday, were left to find out their fate. Melissa fell into the bottom two.
Season 6 Preview: Host Cat Deeley previewed some of the best and worst of the next season of "So You Think You Can Dance," which will air in the fall for the first time.
Back to the results: The top five guys took the stage to find out who was safe and who was in danger.
Jason was up first and, after receiving a standing ovation Wednesday, received another week of safety from the voters.
Evan was next, wearing his Gene Kelly-esque white suit and black bow tie. After less-than-flattering remarks from the judges (except for Debbie), Evan learned he was safe.
Kupono, who'd disappointed the judges with his performance with Randi, also disappointed the voters and landed in the bottom two.
Ade and Brandon were left. Ade was "mesmerizing," according to Debbie, and Brandon gave what the judges called a "seamless" performance. Ade was in the bottom two.
Looking ahead: Next week's episode, the show's 99th, was going to feature guest judge Mia Michaels and special guest Ellen Degeneres. Thursday night's results show, the 100th episode, would also feature a trip down memory lane, with highlights of the show's most memorable performances, and a tribute to Judy Garland by Katie Holmes.
Flying solo: All four dancers in danger were given 30 seconds each to show off their solo skills even though they wouldn't have any effect on the results.
Be our guest: The Black Eyed Peas stopped by to perform their new single, "I Gotta Feeling," which likely made Perez Hilton switch the channel. Taboo came on stage wearing a replica Michael Jackson jacket from the "Thriller" video. Once the performance was over, he opened the jacket to reveal an MJ T-Shirt, as did apl.de.ap.
Exit, stage left: Randi and Melissa awaited word on which of them would go home, but Cat put the suspense to rest quickly by telling Randi her dance number was up.
Ade and Kupono stood side by side for the final word from Cat, and Kupono was told he'd have to take his funky outfits and charming personality somewhere else, because it was time for him to go.
Wed, Jul 22, 2009
It was a special night on "So You Think You Can Dance" Wednesday as the show marked its 99th episode with special guest judge Ellen Degeneres. Host Cat Deeley also welcomed back Dr. Nigel Lythgoe to the show. The executive producer and judge received an honorary doctorate degree last week and missed the results show because he was back at University of Bedfordshire in England for the ceremony.
Emmy-nominated choreographer Mia Michaels was on the panel for the big show, which was padded with two dance styles from each couple, a solo from each dancer, and a big group number choreographed by Season 2's Travis Wall to start the night.
Jeanette & Evan: A Sonya Tayeh contemporary routine was ordered up for Jeanette & Evan, forcing Evan into a style with which he isn't very comfortable. Nigel told Evan he was "finally getting more" of what he's been asking for all season. Ellen said she could do that, then described the wine spritzer she drank before the show, calling it rich and full-bodied, among other things. Mary said Evan was "spot on" and told Jeanette she "just can't take a wrong step out there." Mia told Evan he's a great dancer but she wanted more, then she told Jeanette she's her "favorite, favorite, favorite this season."
Jeanine & Brandon: Brandon pulled Jeanine's name out of the hat and they got a waltz with choreographer Hunter Johnson. Jeanine was looking forward to being elegant, which cued the clips of her falling over her own two feet during rehearsals. Could they pull it together on stage? Nigel called it an "extremely tough" routine and said he didn't like the music, saying it was too slow. He said he was "a little disappointed" and said he didn't get what he's hoped from them. Ellen went on a tangent about something Twyla Tharp once told her when they were standing in line together, but said she enjoyed the performance. Mary said they "did it respectable," but she would have liked some things a lot stronger. Mia said there were so many hiccups and "stuck moments" that it didn't take her away, and usually the waltz does.
Melissa & Ade: Melissa and Ade were reunited, and it presumably felt so good. They drew a cha cha with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. They were a little overwhelmed early on, but Melissa thought they'd be OK with a lot of practice. Nigel said it was "really good," and that the routine gave him a lot of material to show off with. Ellen asked, "Are you two carpenters? Because you nailed it!" Mary said the execution of the material was nailed, but she felt like everything was in slow motion and it exposed a couple of problems, like Ade's "bum" being lifted two high and Melissa's feet being too far turned in. Mia told Ade she thought it was his worst performance all season because it was "kind of thrown all over the place" and he wasn't getting down and dirty. She told Melissa she did an excellent job of breaking down the ballerina's alignment she's used to and letting her hips loose.
Jason & Kayla: The final couple announced was Jason and Kayla and they drew a jazzy Broadway routine with Tyce DiOrio. The couple struggled to find their chemistry at the outset, but hoped to make the best of it. Nigel said Jason's toes and feet were "absolutely terrific" and that some bits reminded him of Gene Kelly. He told Kayla she was a great dancer and can do anything that's thrown at her. He said it was one of the best routines he'd seen this week. Ellen said she didn't know what to say and that she really just wanted to come to a taping of the show and the spot on the judge's panel was a good seat. Mary said everything was great, Jason was suave and Kayla was riding first class on the Hot Tamale train. She even pulled out a train whistle, which she tooted. Mia said she felt like the only sane person on the panel. She told Jason to open up his upper body because it was destroying his lines. Mia told Kayla she should sing and act because she could take Broadway by storm. She said, "When look in the dictionary at 'girl,' 'perfection' and 'star,' there's a picture of Kayla."
Jeanette & Evan, Part 2: The couple pulled the rumba with Tony & Melanie. Nigel said Jeanette had the sensual, sexy thing down pat, but "there just didn't appear to be anything passionate" in Evan's face. He told Evan to perform with his face more. Ellen said she loved Evan's face and eyes and said the problem with being in L.A. is that everyone's face starts to look exactly alike. She added that she thought Jeanette was incredible. Mary said Evan did "a very good job." She called Jeanette a little hot tamale. Mia agreed with Ellen, telling Evan that not everyone has to be a sex pot and said that not a lot of people bring what Evan does to the stage. She said she wasn't sure if she wanted to see Evan be sexy, but he did it ... with a Zoolander face. She added that she didn't have to say anything more about Jeanette because she said it all earlier, when she called Jeanette her favorite dancer in the competition.
Jeanine & Brandon, Part 2: For their second routine, Jeanine and Brandon drew a pop jazz routine with Laurieann Gibson, who told them not to think it, but to dance it. Nigel said "that's all I'm asking." He wanted more performances like that at this point in the competition. He said it was "the flattest night" he'd ever experienced on the show until this performance. Ellen said she was "that happy, too." She said it was "really, really unbelievable." Mary said it was "strong" and "powerful," and asked Nigel, Mia and Ellen if they could hear it. Then she shouted the Hot Tamale Train shout. She also said they were going to ride that train into the finale. Mia said Brandon was so powerful and congratulated Jeanine for keeping up with him.
Melissa & Ade, Part 2: An emotional contemporary piece about a woman with breast cancer was choreographed for Melissa & Ade by Tyce DiOrio. They were convinced this performance was less about their steps and more about conveying the story. Nigel said the performance showed him why he loves dance so much, "because it can express so many emotions without any words." Nigel got choked up as he spoke and said he would be "hugely surprised" if Tyce didn't earn another Emmy nomination. He said he couldn't think of a better couple to have danced it and praised Ade for his strength, which gave Melissa the courage to do some of the jumps she did. Ellen said she'd been wanting to come see a taping live for a long time and that she felt "so privileged" that she got to witness that and she'd always remember it. "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she said. Mary said it was taking her back to a scary place and said she, too, would never forget it. She, too, wept as she spoke. Mia was crying before she even started talking, calling it "an important piece of work." She said she wished she had the strength that they had in their performance for her daddy. And she thanked Tyce and Ade and Melissa.
Kayla & Jason, Part 2: For their second performance, Kayla & Jason had to present a somewhat disturbing hip-hop performance in which Jason portrayed a zombie who'd taken Kayla as his personal zombie mistress. Nigel said he enjoyed the Michael Jackson inspiration and said it was why he brought Shane back. He said it was another example of how the second part of the night "knocked the ball out of the ball park." Ellen told them if they keep dancing like that, "you'll have your own talk show some day." Mary said they "hit it hard" and that she "loved every second of it." Mia told Shane it was her favorite piece he's ever done on the show and that she loved the final image that had Jason lift Kayla as if he was strangling her. "It was disturbingly hot," she said.
Emmy-nominated choreographer Mia Michaels was on the panel for the big show, which was padded with two dance styles from each couple, a solo from each dancer, and a big group number choreographed by Season 2's Travis Wall to start the night.
Jeanette & Evan: A Sonya Tayeh contemporary routine was ordered up for Jeanette & Evan, forcing Evan into a style with which he isn't very comfortable. Nigel told Evan he was "finally getting more" of what he's been asking for all season. Ellen said she could do that, then described the wine spritzer she drank before the show, calling it rich and full-bodied, among other things. Mary said Evan was "spot on" and told Jeanette she "just can't take a wrong step out there." Mia told Evan he's a great dancer but she wanted more, then she told Jeanette she's her "favorite, favorite, favorite this season."
Jeanine & Brandon: Brandon pulled Jeanine's name out of the hat and they got a waltz with choreographer Hunter Johnson. Jeanine was looking forward to being elegant, which cued the clips of her falling over her own two feet during rehearsals. Could they pull it together on stage? Nigel called it an "extremely tough" routine and said he didn't like the music, saying it was too slow. He said he was "a little disappointed" and said he didn't get what he's hoped from them. Ellen went on a tangent about something Twyla Tharp once told her when they were standing in line together, but said she enjoyed the performance. Mary said they "did it respectable," but she would have liked some things a lot stronger. Mia said there were so many hiccups and "stuck moments" that it didn't take her away, and usually the waltz does.
Melissa & Ade: Melissa and Ade were reunited, and it presumably felt so good. They drew a cha cha with Tony Meredith and Melanie Lapatin. They were a little overwhelmed early on, but Melissa thought they'd be OK with a lot of practice. Nigel said it was "really good," and that the routine gave him a lot of material to show off with. Ellen asked, "Are you two carpenters? Because you nailed it!" Mary said the execution of the material was nailed, but she felt like everything was in slow motion and it exposed a couple of problems, like Ade's "bum" being lifted two high and Melissa's feet being too far turned in. Mia told Ade she thought it was his worst performance all season because it was "kind of thrown all over the place" and he wasn't getting down and dirty. She told Melissa she did an excellent job of breaking down the ballerina's alignment she's used to and letting her hips loose.
Jason & Kayla: The final couple announced was Jason and Kayla and they drew a jazzy Broadway routine with Tyce DiOrio. The couple struggled to find their chemistry at the outset, but hoped to make the best of it. Nigel said Jason's toes and feet were "absolutely terrific" and that some bits reminded him of Gene Kelly. He told Kayla she was a great dancer and can do anything that's thrown at her. He said it was one of the best routines he'd seen this week. Ellen said she didn't know what to say and that she really just wanted to come to a taping of the show and the spot on the judge's panel was a good seat. Mary said everything was great, Jason was suave and Kayla was riding first class on the Hot Tamale train. She even pulled out a train whistle, which she tooted. Mia said she felt like the only sane person on the panel. She told Jason to open up his upper body because it was destroying his lines. Mia told Kayla she should sing and act because she could take Broadway by storm. She said, "When look in the dictionary at 'girl,' 'perfection' and 'star,' there's a picture of Kayla."
Jeanette & Evan, Part 2: The couple pulled the rumba with Tony & Melanie. Nigel said Jeanette had the sensual, sexy thing down pat, but "there just didn't appear to be anything passionate" in Evan's face. He told Evan to perform with his face more. Ellen said she loved Evan's face and eyes and said the problem with being in L.A. is that everyone's face starts to look exactly alike. She added that she thought Jeanette was incredible. Mary said Evan did "a very good job." She called Jeanette a little hot tamale. Mia agreed with Ellen, telling Evan that not everyone has to be a sex pot and said that not a lot of people bring what Evan does to the stage. She said she wasn't sure if she wanted to see Evan be sexy, but he did it ... with a Zoolander face. She added that she didn't have to say anything more about Jeanette because she said it all earlier, when she called Jeanette her favorite dancer in the competition.
Jeanine & Brandon, Part 2: For their second routine, Jeanine and Brandon drew a pop jazz routine with Laurieann Gibson, who told them not to think it, but to dance it. Nigel said "that's all I'm asking." He wanted more performances like that at this point in the competition. He said it was "the flattest night" he'd ever experienced on the show until this performance. Ellen said she was "that happy, too." She said it was "really, really unbelievable." Mary said it was "strong" and "powerful," and asked Nigel, Mia and Ellen if they could hear it. Then she shouted the Hot Tamale Train shout. She also said they were going to ride that train into the finale. Mia said Brandon was so powerful and congratulated Jeanine for keeping up with him.
Melissa & Ade, Part 2: An emotional contemporary piece about a woman with breast cancer was choreographed for Melissa & Ade by Tyce DiOrio. They were convinced this performance was less about their steps and more about conveying the story. Nigel said the performance showed him why he loves dance so much, "because it can express so many emotions without any words." Nigel got choked up as he spoke and said he would be "hugely surprised" if Tyce didn't earn another Emmy nomination. He said he couldn't think of a better couple to have danced it and praised Ade for his strength, which gave Melissa the courage to do some of the jumps she did. Ellen said she'd been wanting to come see a taping live for a long time and that she felt "so privileged" that she got to witness that and she'd always remember it. "It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she said. Mary said it was taking her back to a scary place and said she, too, would never forget it. She, too, wept as she spoke. Mia was crying before she even started talking, calling it "an important piece of work." She said she wished she had the strength that they had in their performance for her daddy. And she thanked Tyce and Ade and Melissa.
Kayla & Jason, Part 2: For their second performance, Kayla & Jason had to present a somewhat disturbing hip-hop performance in which Jason portrayed a zombie who'd taken Kayla as his personal zombie mistress. Nigel said he enjoyed the Michael Jackson inspiration and said it was why he brought Shane back. He said it was another example of how the second part of the night "knocked the ball out of the ball park." Ellen told them if they keep dancing like that, "you'll have your own talk show some day." Mary said they "hit it hard" and that she "loved every second of it." Mia told Shane it was her favorite piece he's ever done on the show and that she loved the final image that had Jason lift Kayla as if he was strangling her. "It was disturbingly hot," she said.
Thu, Jul 23, 2009
There was an hour-long night in store for the special marking of the 100th episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Thursday night.
Despite all the pomp and pageantry, which would include some trips down memory to relive some of the show's greatest moments in its five-year history and a special performance by Katie Holmes, another couple of dancers would be heading home once the results were known.
Mia Michaels said that in looking back on 100 episodes, she most appreciated the professionalism around the show. Mary Murphy got a bit emotional about her time on the show and as she looked back at the faces of many past "Dance" finalists who were in the crowd. Nigel Lythgoe remarked at what kind of special moments the show could provide, including Wednesday night's Tyce DiOrio dancing tribute to breast cancer survivors.
A highlight (and lowlight) reel showed some of the memorable moments in the show's history.
To the results: Cat Deeley brought the final four girls to the stage for the first part of the results reading. She called out Melissa first, who'd been half of one the most talked about single performances in the show's history.
Kayla was next, and Cat broke the bad news that Kayla was in the bottom two girls.
Janette and Jeanine waited for word on which of them would be in the second girl in the bottom two. Janette, who'd never been in the bottom two before, broke new ground by slipping into the bottom.
Memory lane...: Hok and Jamie returned to perform Wade Robson's "The Hummingbird and the Flower" routine.
Back to the results: Ade was the first of the guys to get called out. But before he learned his fate, Cat summarized Jason's Wednesday performances. Jason was the one in the bottom two guys. Ade was safe,
That left Evan and Brandon to find out which of them would take the second bottom-two spot. Surprisingly, it was Brandon in the bottom two, leaving Evan safe for at least another week.
Play it again...: Travis and Heidi returned to perform Mia Michaels' Emmy-nominated "Bench routine."
Flying solo: The bottom four dancers performed their solos.
Encore!: The group that first brought us "Ramalama" was back, including choreographer Wade Robson,
What's up, Holmes?: The highly anticipated Judy Garland tribute performance by Katie Holmes was finally unleashed, but not before she talked about why she became interested in working with the Dizzy Feet Foundation (dizzyfeetfoundation.org).
Who stays? Who goes?: Kayla and Janette were the bottom two girls, and after Wednesday's vote, Janette was sent home.
Nigel said his favorites often don't win, but admitted that Janette was his favorite and he wanted her to win the competition. Janette said she realized how much she loves to dance and that "this is what I'm meant to do."
Jason and Brandon came to center stage to hear their results. The person with the lowest number of votes was Jason. Brandon was safe.
Despite all the pomp and pageantry, which would include some trips down memory to relive some of the show's greatest moments in its five-year history and a special performance by Katie Holmes, another couple of dancers would be heading home once the results were known.
Mia Michaels said that in looking back on 100 episodes, she most appreciated the professionalism around the show. Mary Murphy got a bit emotional about her time on the show and as she looked back at the faces of many past "Dance" finalists who were in the crowd. Nigel Lythgoe remarked at what kind of special moments the show could provide, including Wednesday night's Tyce DiOrio dancing tribute to breast cancer survivors.
A highlight (and lowlight) reel showed some of the memorable moments in the show's history.
To the results: Cat Deeley brought the final four girls to the stage for the first part of the results reading. She called out Melissa first, who'd been half of one the most talked about single performances in the show's history.
Kayla was next, and Cat broke the bad news that Kayla was in the bottom two girls.
Janette and Jeanine waited for word on which of them would be in the second girl in the bottom two. Janette, who'd never been in the bottom two before, broke new ground by slipping into the bottom.
Memory lane...: Hok and Jamie returned to perform Wade Robson's "The Hummingbird and the Flower" routine.
Back to the results: Ade was the first of the guys to get called out. But before he learned his fate, Cat summarized Jason's Wednesday performances. Jason was the one in the bottom two guys. Ade was safe,
That left Evan and Brandon to find out which of them would take the second bottom-two spot. Surprisingly, it was Brandon in the bottom two, leaving Evan safe for at least another week.
Play it again...: Travis and Heidi returned to perform Mia Michaels' Emmy-nominated "Bench routine."
Flying solo: The bottom four dancers performed their solos.
Encore!: The group that first brought us "Ramalama" was back, including choreographer Wade Robson,
What's up, Holmes?: The highly anticipated Judy Garland tribute performance by Katie Holmes was finally unleashed, but not before she talked about why she became interested in working with the Dizzy Feet Foundation (dizzyfeetfoundation.org).
Who stays? Who goes?: Kayla and Janette were the bottom two girls, and after Wednesday's vote, Janette was sent home.
Nigel said his favorites often don't win, but admitted that Janette was his favorite and he wanted her to win the competition. Janette said she realized how much she loves to dance and that "this is what I'm meant to do."
Jason and Brandon came to center stage to hear their results. The person with the lowest number of votes was Jason. Brandon was safe.
Wed, Jul 29, 2009
Down to six dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance," they vied for just four spots in next week's finale in which the results will determine America's favorite dancer and that person will receive the $250,000 prize.
Head judge Nigel Lythgoe nailed it, saying that the final six now have to bring some real personality.
"This is probably our best top 20, but it's been a little equal standard," he said. "But I haven't seen anybody, sort of, pop like Twitch did last year, or Joshua, or Katee, or Courtney. ... They've got to come through now and stand out. At the moment, I think, we're often voting on the choreography and the great routines and people are voting for that."
The dancers would perform four times each -- twice as couples, once in a solo, and once in a group number. Choreographer Sonya Tayeh put together the group routine for the three final guys. The fellas looked liked futuristic oompa loompas in what Sonya called a "Willy Wonka"-inspired routine. It was powerful.
Guest judge Lil C said he loved that Brandon was such a dedicated dancer. He reiterated that people should "watch out" for Ade. He commended Evan for "not getting swallowed by the dominant excellence of Ade and Brandon." He praised Evan for staying "very visible throughout the whole routine."
Mary said she just loved. "Yes I did!" She commended all of them and said "it goes to show why the three of you are standing there together tonight. Congratulations."
Nigel agreed with what the other judges said, but said Evan stood out, "because I've never seen him do anything like this."
Jeanine & Ade: Choreographer Louis van Amstel put together a non-traditional samba for Jeanine and Ade, who promised it would be "very sexy." Mary said the first 15 seconds were hot, but then it started to fall apart. "It looked so novice to me," she said. Lil C said Jeanine looked "amazing," then added, "Wow!" He said he was excited for the pairing, but "it really fell short for me." Nigel said Jeanine did "a wonderful job," but told Ade he had to change his style a bit.
Melissa & Evan: Melissa was excited to be partnered with Evan because of his personality, and he said Melissa would be a great partner. They drew a Broadway piece with Tyce DiOrio. The genre seemed to be right in Evan's wheelhouse. Lil C said he was again excited for the routine and he didn't feel like Evan didn't "take the helm." He said they were both "really good," but came up short of "excellence." Mary said it was "really fun and entertaining." She praised them both and told Melissa, "I still don't think you've really taken a wrong step." Nigel complimented Melissa for adapting so well to every routine despite her ballet background. Nigel said the question for Evan was whether he brought enough personality to the routine. "For me, yes you did."
Kayla & Brandon: Kayla was excited to get a chance to dance with Brandon, who she called strong. They drew a contemporary piece with Stacey Tookey. It was about a mistress and a married man when the mistress couldn't summon the strength to leave him. Stacey pulled out all the stops with the choreography to give the dancers a chance to shine. Lil C said he'd keep it short, calling it "really, really intense," and "beyond intense, that was really, really amazing." Mary reminded Brandon he was on the Hot Tamale Train and was "riding first class." She also called Kayla "exquisite." Nigel called it brilliant, but wished the pair would have had a chance to dance together earlier in the competition so they could perfect their chemistry.
Jeanine & Ade, Part 2: For their second dance, they drew a hip-hop routine with Napoleon & Tabitha. The dance included some work with props (cardboard boxes, because they were portraying a couple that had been evicted from their apartment), and some fancy legwork that made Jeanine fall over a few times in rehearsal. Lil C said they "danced that way better than I thought you were." Mary took a moment to go back to Jeanine and praise her for her work on the samba. Mary said the couple wouldn't be getting an eviction notice after that performance. Nigel said the routine was worth applauding, but they "got down, and it was absolutely fantastic from the pair of you."
Solo shout out: Brandon's solo was worth pointing out because the judges all gave him a standing ovation and Nigel felt compelled to note that Brandon had "just given us one of the best solos we've ever seen."
Melissa & Evan, Part 2: The dreaded quickstep with Louis van Amstel awaited Melissa and Evan. Lil C praised Evan "for dancing bigger than you've ever danced before, for me." He told Melissa she looked fabulous and did a fabulous job. Mary said Louis created a magnificent routine for the second time this week. Mary said it had more life at the beginning, "but as it went along, everything just started to crumble down and just fall apart." Nigel said it wasn't quite one of the best routines of the night.
Kayla & Brandon, Part 2: Doriana Sanchez whipped up a disco routine that she hoped would top the most difficult ones of the season. She promised a fun, challenging and exciting routine. Lil C said something about seeing things with your ears so that there would be no darkness. Mary said they hit a home run. She yelled at Brandon about saying he had self-esteem problems, telling him he was fabulous and had to believe in himself. Nigel said it was quite easy to to hype a crowd with music and loud screaming, so he gave himself a moment to critique it professionally -- then he proceeded to literally jump out of his seat, shouting and waving his arms in approval for them.
Girls' group routine: Sonya Tayeh came back to choreograph the girls' group routine in which they portrayed superheroes. During rehearsals, Jeanine accidentally elbowed Kayla in the face. Lil C thought they "didn't really go for the gusto" and played it a bit safe. Mary liked it and said they should bring the performance to next year's Comic-Con.
Head judge Nigel Lythgoe nailed it, saying that the final six now have to bring some real personality.
"This is probably our best top 20, but it's been a little equal standard," he said. "But I haven't seen anybody, sort of, pop like Twitch did last year, or Joshua, or Katee, or Courtney. ... They've got to come through now and stand out. At the moment, I think, we're often voting on the choreography and the great routines and people are voting for that."
The dancers would perform four times each -- twice as couples, once in a solo, and once in a group number. Choreographer Sonya Tayeh put together the group routine for the three final guys. The fellas looked liked futuristic oompa loompas in what Sonya called a "Willy Wonka"-inspired routine. It was powerful.
Guest judge Lil C said he loved that Brandon was such a dedicated dancer. He reiterated that people should "watch out" for Ade. He commended Evan for "not getting swallowed by the dominant excellence of Ade and Brandon." He praised Evan for staying "very visible throughout the whole routine."
Mary said she just loved. "Yes I did!" She commended all of them and said "it goes to show why the three of you are standing there together tonight. Congratulations."
Nigel agreed with what the other judges said, but said Evan stood out, "because I've never seen him do anything like this."
Jeanine & Ade: Choreographer Louis van Amstel put together a non-traditional samba for Jeanine and Ade, who promised it would be "very sexy." Mary said the first 15 seconds were hot, but then it started to fall apart. "It looked so novice to me," she said. Lil C said Jeanine looked "amazing," then added, "Wow!" He said he was excited for the pairing, but "it really fell short for me." Nigel said Jeanine did "a wonderful job," but told Ade he had to change his style a bit.
Melissa & Evan: Melissa was excited to be partnered with Evan because of his personality, and he said Melissa would be a great partner. They drew a Broadway piece with Tyce DiOrio. The genre seemed to be right in Evan's wheelhouse. Lil C said he was again excited for the routine and he didn't feel like Evan didn't "take the helm." He said they were both "really good," but came up short of "excellence." Mary said it was "really fun and entertaining." She praised them both and told Melissa, "I still don't think you've really taken a wrong step." Nigel complimented Melissa for adapting so well to every routine despite her ballet background. Nigel said the question for Evan was whether he brought enough personality to the routine. "For me, yes you did."
Kayla & Brandon: Kayla was excited to get a chance to dance with Brandon, who she called strong. They drew a contemporary piece with Stacey Tookey. It was about a mistress and a married man when the mistress couldn't summon the strength to leave him. Stacey pulled out all the stops with the choreography to give the dancers a chance to shine. Lil C said he'd keep it short, calling it "really, really intense," and "beyond intense, that was really, really amazing." Mary reminded Brandon he was on the Hot Tamale Train and was "riding first class." She also called Kayla "exquisite." Nigel called it brilliant, but wished the pair would have had a chance to dance together earlier in the competition so they could perfect their chemistry.
Jeanine & Ade, Part 2: For their second dance, they drew a hip-hop routine with Napoleon & Tabitha. The dance included some work with props (cardboard boxes, because they were portraying a couple that had been evicted from their apartment), and some fancy legwork that made Jeanine fall over a few times in rehearsal. Lil C said they "danced that way better than I thought you were." Mary took a moment to go back to Jeanine and praise her for her work on the samba. Mary said the couple wouldn't be getting an eviction notice after that performance. Nigel said the routine was worth applauding, but they "got down, and it was absolutely fantastic from the pair of you."
Solo shout out: Brandon's solo was worth pointing out because the judges all gave him a standing ovation and Nigel felt compelled to note that Brandon had "just given us one of the best solos we've ever seen."
Melissa & Evan, Part 2: The dreaded quickstep with Louis van Amstel awaited Melissa and Evan. Lil C praised Evan "for dancing bigger than you've ever danced before, for me." He told Melissa she looked fabulous and did a fabulous job. Mary said Louis created a magnificent routine for the second time this week. Mary said it had more life at the beginning, "but as it went along, everything just started to crumble down and just fall apart." Nigel said it wasn't quite one of the best routines of the night.
Kayla & Brandon, Part 2: Doriana Sanchez whipped up a disco routine that she hoped would top the most difficult ones of the season. She promised a fun, challenging and exciting routine. Lil C said something about seeing things with your ears so that there would be no darkness. Mary said they hit a home run. She yelled at Brandon about saying he had self-esteem problems, telling him he was fabulous and had to believe in himself. Nigel said it was quite easy to to hype a crowd with music and loud screaming, so he gave himself a moment to critique it professionally -- then he proceeded to literally jump out of his seat, shouting and waving his arms in approval for them.
Girls' group routine: Sonya Tayeh came back to choreograph the girls' group routine in which they portrayed superheroes. During rehearsals, Jeanine accidentally elbowed Kayla in the face. Lil C thought they "didn't really go for the gusto" and played it a bit safe. Mary liked it and said they should bring the performance to next year's Comic-Con.
Thu, Jul 30, 2009
The final four contestants on "So You Think You Can Dance" were revealed during Thursday night's results show, but not before an hour's worth of music and dance.
The night began with a somber group performance to "Send in the Clowns," choreographed by Tyce DiOrio.
To the results: The final three girls were brought on stage pretty quickly and after going over the recaps of the judges' comments on each of the dancers, host Cat Deeley announced that the first dancer sent through to next week's finale was Jeanine. And the crowd went wild.
Lil C said her place in the finals was "worthy, indeed."
More results: Cat brought the top three guys to center stage to find out which of them would take the second of four spots in the finale. The first guy's spot in the finale went to Brandon. The crowd erupted.
Judge Mary Murphy stood and she cheered for him and couldn't imagine that Mia Michaels and Lil C initially didn't think he deserved a spot in the Top 20.
Memory lane: Jessica and Will from last season performed their Tyce DiOrio routine that earned him an Emmy nomination. Next in the string of Emmy nominees later in the show were Katee and Twitch, who did their Mia Michaels routine from last season. Chelsie and Joshua returned to perform their tango, choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin. Chelsie returned, this time paired with Mark, for their hip-hop routine choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon.
Also, the winners of America's Best Dance Crew, the JabbaWozkeeZ, took the stage and offered up a nice group popping and locking performance. Grammy winner Sean Paul visited to perform his song, "So Fine."
The final word: Cat brought Melissa and Kayla to the stage to announce that the last girls' spot in the finale went to Kayla. That left a smiling but tearful Melissa out of the big finish. "I did things on this show I didn't think I could do," Melissa said.
Finally, Ade and Evan found out that the last spot in the finale would be filled by Evan.
So your finalists for "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 5 are: Jeanine, Brandon, Kayla and Evan.
The night began with a somber group performance to "Send in the Clowns," choreographed by Tyce DiOrio.
To the results: The final three girls were brought on stage pretty quickly and after going over the recaps of the judges' comments on each of the dancers, host Cat Deeley announced that the first dancer sent through to next week's finale was Jeanine. And the crowd went wild.
Lil C said her place in the finals was "worthy, indeed."
More results: Cat brought the top three guys to center stage to find out which of them would take the second of four spots in the finale. The first guy's spot in the finale went to Brandon. The crowd erupted.
Judge Mary Murphy stood and she cheered for him and couldn't imagine that Mia Michaels and Lil C initially didn't think he deserved a spot in the Top 20.
Memory lane: Jessica and Will from last season performed their Tyce DiOrio routine that earned him an Emmy nomination. Next in the string of Emmy nominees later in the show were Katee and Twitch, who did their Mia Michaels routine from last season. Chelsie and Joshua returned to perform their tango, choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin. Chelsie returned, this time paired with Mark, for their hip-hop routine choreographed by Tabitha & Napoleon.
Also, the winners of America's Best Dance Crew, the JabbaWozkeeZ, took the stage and offered up a nice group popping and locking performance. Grammy winner Sean Paul visited to perform his song, "So Fine."
The final word: Cat brought Melissa and Kayla to the stage to announce that the last girls' spot in the finale went to Kayla. That left a smiling but tearful Melissa out of the big finish. "I did things on this show I didn't think I could do," Melissa said.
Finally, Ade and Evan found out that the last spot in the finale would be filled by Evan.
So your finalists for "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 5 are: Jeanine, Brandon, Kayla and Evan.