We Have a Winner!

After a summer of really fantastic dancing, we have a winner on So You Think You Can Dance?. I'm pretty bummed - not because of the winner, but because now we're stuck with one less watchable show on television.

As you know, we're down to Heidi, Donyelle, Benji, & Travis. And "America" got it right - these really are the best four dancers from the competition. The producers also did a great job of filling out the show with some of the best performances from the season. Each of the top four got to choose their favorite routine, and the judges (or at least some of them) chose favorites as well. I was annoyed with the cheesy voice-overs that each contestant did, but I loved seeing their favorites. Heidi had to feel good that both guys chose a routine with her - she is clearly the best female dancer in the competition. I also loved that I got to see all of my favorites. Although did anyone else notice that the routine that Mary chose was never actually performed on the show? It was an all new routine, just so she could see Dmitry & Natalie dance together. Strange.

Way too early in the show we find out that Heidi & Donyelle have been eliminated. I don't know how anyone could be shocked - if they had told Heidi she won, what would have been the point of the second hour of the show. And even though I love Heidi, I don't think that either of the girls dance up to the level of Travis & Benji.

So we're down to Benji & Travis, or "Tranji," which I still think is the worst nickname ever. Even as they were dancing their hip hop routine together at the end of the show, I kept hoping that they would somehow declare the show a tie. But, of course, someone has to win. And not surprisingly, Benji was crowned America's Favorite Dancer. I'm pretty pleased with myself that I was on the Benji bandwagon from week one, and so excited that someone that I was rooting for actually won. He is going to be great dancing in that Vegas show, and I wouldn't be surprised if Travis gets an offer to dance in it as well (the show is choreographed by Mia Michaels, who, along with being my new favorite choreographer ever, already said she would like to hire Travis). What a great show & a great season - I can't believe I have to wait till next summer to see it again.

Last Night of Dancing on So You Think You Can Dance

Back from a mini-vacation to my friends’ wedding, and it’s good to see that my internet connection still stinks. So nice to know that I pay for the privilege of only being able to get online every now and then. Thanks Verizon for fixing that.

Anyways, because of the internet nonsense (and to be fair, Verizon was nice enough to not provide me with phone service for a few days as well), I’m a bit behind on the blogging. Rather than recap (short version – I LOVE Chilltown), let’s just move on to tonight’s finale (well, the last performances) of So You Think You Can Dance?.

“America” got it right with the final four. No surprises, just four dancers who could each win the competition. Fantastic. Tonight they will each dance with the others (three pair dances each), dance a solo, then one last group number. Should be good.

Early on in the evening, Nigel declared that Heidi is the best female partner in the show. I couldn’t agree more. She is a great dancer on her own, but phenomenal dancing with a partner. Her first dance with Travis was crazy – did you see the lifts that they did? Her dance with Benji was also spectacular. I was less impressed with her performance with Donyelle, but that had a lot to do with the choreography. It also had a lot to do with the fact that she usually plays so well off of her male partner, and there wasn’t that type of energy (nor should there have been) with Donyelle.

Speaking of Donyelle, I have been such a fan of hers through the whole show. But I think she was outdanced tonight by the other three. Her first dance, the Viennese waltz with Benji, was really beautiful. The judges didn’t like it, which was surprising. It was a great song choice for them, and a fitting way to end their journey together. They didn’t like her Broadway routine with Heidi either. But her contemporary dance with Travis was amazing. I have become such a fan of Mia’s choreography, and the two of them together were so beautiful to watch.

Somewhere in the middle of the show tonight, I actually laughed out loud. Travis & Benji (or “Tranji” as they want to be known as…a really unfortunate pairing of the names if you ask me…) was dorktastic. Their hip hop routine was perfect for them, and showed why I think that it will be one of them who will win the competition. They are both phenomenal dancers, and are amazing performers. Of course, I don’t really understand why Nigel was asking to see Dmitry’s chest instead of Benji’s…so strange. Aside from the question of why he wants to see anyone’s chest, did you see how remarkable built scrawny Benji was? For those of you who don’t think dancers are athletes – HA.

Getting back to the guys, I’ve been a fan of Benji’s since the beginning of the auditions. And he didn’t disappoint tonight. Even though the judges didn’t like his Viennese waltz, I thought it was beautiful. And he can’t go wrong dancing club salsa with Heidi. But Travis tonight may have won my vote. He started so strong with his disco routine with Heidi. And his contemporary routine with Donyelle was perfect. I think he also had the best solo of the night.

So who will win the competition? That’s a tough call. I think it should be one of the two guys. I’m not even sure who I’m rooting for – too bad they can’t “tie”. Now, who will actually win? This is where the numbers game gets interesting. I think the vote will be very close all around. But I think that in the end Benji will win with Heidi a close second. And all four of them will have great careers in dance ahead of them.

The Top Six Dance...

We’re down to the top six dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, and, unlike on some of those other shows, anyone could win.

The first couple of the night was Natalie & Ivan. Their first dance was just ok – the jive is a hard dance to pull off, especially for a hip hop dancer like Ivan. Natalie was much better than him, although considering that he hasn’t had any formal training, Ivan was pretty darn good. Both of their solos were fantastic. I think I may now be an Ivan fan. And even though the judges didn’t like it, I thought that their contemporary routine was good. I especially liked the choreography, even if the execution wasn’t perfect.

Next up were my favorite couple ever, back together again, Donyelle & Benji. Their broadway routine was great – they are just so perfect together. I liked their hip hop routine too, although not as much as I liked their hip hop from the first week. Benji’s solo was phenomenal. But did you see the sign that was behind Benji after his solo? Some girl was holding up a sign that read “BEN-G!”. Does she not realize that his name is Benji? Yikes. Donyelle’s solo was good too, although she looked like something was wrong at the end.

The couple of the night was definitely Heidi & Travis. They started with the smooth waltz, which was simply beautiful. Their solos were also the best of the night. This is totally inside dance, but the way Travis came out of his turns was amazing. He is a phenomenal dancer. Heidi’s solo was fantastic too. They capped off the night with an Afro-pop routine that was the performance of the show. It was so good I watched it twice (thank you tivo).

So who will be in the final four? That’s tough. Who should be in the final four? Travis & Benji for sure…Heidi & Donyelle for the girls. But who will America vote in? That’s a little trickier. The girls are all really close talent-wise, but I think Heidi and Donyelle have wider fan bases than Natalie. The guys are harder, since Ivan isn’t quite as good as the other two, but I think has more fans than Travis. I noticed that the judges kept talking about him tonight, as if to remind people to vote for him instead of Ivan. Should be an interesting results show to say the least.

Did you SEE that routine??

No solos tonight on So You Think You Can Dance?, just two dances per couple. I guess they realized that having them dance the same solo two or three times was a bit excessive. Thanks.

I had high expectations for the first couple of the night, Donyelle & Travis. They’re two of the most talented dancers in the competition, and are so much fun to watch. They started with a creepy hip hop routine. I hated the masks. REALLY hated them. It was so unfair to them to make them dance in masks. Aside from the fact that they couldn’t see each other (which explains why at some points they were a little off), we couldn’t see their faces. As Nigel said, so much of dancing is in the face. If they had done the exact same routine without the masks, it would have been a million times better. Their second dance was quick step. Admittedly, this wasn’t such a great routine either. Hopefully people will recognize what great dancers they are, realize that they sort of pulled the short stick with the routines tonight, and vote them through anyways.

Allison & Ivan were next up, with a very lucky pull to be paired together again. Their chemistry is amazing – they dance together better than they dance apart. Their tango was so good – so hot, really. And for as hot as their tango was, their hip hop routine was even better. The choreography was perfect for them – it was so amazing to watch.

Ryan must have been so excited this week – he’s been waiting to dance with Natalie the entire show. Too bad his dancing didn’t mirror his enthusiasm in their first routine. They danced disco, and he just didn’t seem to get it. I kind of felt bad for Natalie – even though they aren’t getting votes as a couple, his dancing could easily put her in the bottom two. They pulled it together for the second dance, really helped by the fact that they were dancing contemporary (both of their strengths). The routine was beautiful. And even though I still think Ryan will be going home, it was nice to see him show why he belongs.

The couple of the night was definitely Heidi & Benji. Let’s just review…they’re cousins…they dance together…professionally. They started with a Broadway routine that was fantastic. But for as good as it was, it couldn’t even begin to compare to their second dance, the club mambo. I agree completely with the judges – that was the best performance of the competition. It was so polished and so professional. I don’t know how they can’t be considered favorites to win the whole thing.

We’re really down to it on the voting. The guys are a little easier – I think Ryan is the clear choice to go home. Not sure who will be the other guy in the bottom two (or even if they’ll bother with a bottom two tomorrow), but just based on tonight’s dancing I think it will be Travis. The girls are much harder, especially when you look at their dancing from the entire show. I think it will probably be Allison & Natalie in the bottom two, though, with Natalie going home.

We're Down to 8 Dancers...

Tonight’s the first night on So You Think You Can Dance? where the votes actually determine who will go home. It’s also the first night where voters voted for individual dancers instead of couples. Should be interesting.

After a really strange group number (great choreography…odd odd odd costumes & makeup…) we find out which dancers are in the bottom two. No surprise that Martha was in the bottom two girls; I was a little surprised about Natalie. I guess it was her or Allison, and they were both really good last night. The guys were no surprise at all – Dmitry & Ryan both deserved those bottom spots.

Next, to stretch the show out a bit, I guess, all four danced their solos again. I was kind of disappointed that they all did the same solos as last night. I would have thought they would mix it up a bit, but oh well. We also had a performance by some hip hop artist that I fast forwarded through (hooray tivo!). There was also mention of a tour of the top ten. Since my husband doesn’t believe me that I want to go, if you live in the DC area and want to go with me, let me know. (hee hee!)

Finally, we get to the results. America got it right, and Martha & Dmitry are going home. Of course, they dance their solos one more time (because if we didn't like it the first time, and we didn't like it the second time, the third time in 24 hours is bound to be GREAT). What a shame that we won’t have to look at his chest anymore. Darn.

New Partners on So You Think You Can Dance?

The rules change this week on So You Think You Can Dance? – gone are the partners that they have been dancing with for the past five weeks. Instead, they randomly draw a partner for the week (along with their dance styles), dance two dances with that partner, as well as a solo performance. Oh boy.

And here’s my first real complaint about the show (ok, the second…I still don’t understand why two couples each week dance hip hop…) – why are they mixing the solos in with the couple dances? Aside from the fact that it’s confusing, it makes the blogging tricky (and be warned, I have a lot to say tonight). Sigh... So, in the order of their solos…

Donyelle rocks. That’s all there is to it. She has been consistently the best female dancer throughout the show. And I had totally forgotten that she is actually a hip hop dancer. After watching her solo, all I can say is WOW. She was paired this week with Dmitry, and started off with the lindy hop. She was great – there was so much energy, it was amazing. To think, too, that she has been nursing a hurt foot makes it even more amazing. Her samba was fantastic too. She should sail through to next week.

I’m so done with Dmitry. I’m just not all into the bare chest open shirt thing. His solo was absurd – there is a lot more to dancing than throwing open your shirt. His lindy hop with Donyelle was fine. She totally outdanced him. The contrast between her energy and his lack thereof was quite striking. I think that Nigel finally started to see that he’s not as good as everyone thinks. (especially considering the comments about his lack of shirt later in the show) He was good in his final dance with Donyelle. The samba is one of his specialties, and in that specialty he did a good job. I’m hoping that he’s one of the bottom dancers tomorrow night.

Another person who I’m done with is Martha. She started off the show dancing hop hop with Ivan, which should have been extremely exciting. I know that if I had to be stuck with hip hop (I am just SO not funky), I would be so stoked to be with Ivan. But she was complaining about pulling hip hop and complaining about the fact that some dancers have been getting by based on their partners. How ironic, since it seems like she has really been getting by on the strength of Travis. Their routine was good, but she was totally overshadowed by Ivan. (and did you see how much better Travis was without her?) Her solo wasn’t very good either. There just wasn’t much to it. Her second dance with Ivan was the smooth waltz, which was just ok. The judges were pretty harsh, and I think that the criticism was probably warranted. She’s my pick to go home this week.

I admit it – I have become such an Ivan fan. He started off tonight dancing hip hop with Martha. And just as Martha seemed disappointed with the arrangement, I was bummed that he wasn’t dancing with Allison anymore. Their piece last week was so breathtaking. Anyways, even though I didn’t like the choreography, Ivan did a fantastic job with the routine. His solo wasn’t quite as good – as the judges said, it was a novelty routine with the skate shoes. (of course, it took me a second to figure out that he had wheels on his shoes…) But I agree with what Ivan said at the end – he’s trying to entertain the crowd. He finished up his night dancing the smooth waltz. The judges weren’t fans, and rightfully so – neither of them did a great job with it. I will say that it was less of a disappointment for Ivan than Martha, considering Ivan is a hip hop dancer, but it still wasn’t great. Hopefully people will take his dancing from the past few weeks as a whole and keep him on the show tonight.

Heidi has always been such a strong dancer. And her performance with Travis was nothing short of incredible. Their paso doble was spectacular. They had great chemistry as well – I think that Ryan has been holding her back a bit. Her solo was good too – she’s definitely spunky! She capped the show off dancing contemporary with Travis. Mia clearly choreographed the routine for the two of them, and she was fantastic. I loved loved loved the routine, and she was wonderful in it.

Travis is one of the best male dancers in the competition. And his paso doble showed that. I was just floored by the dance. I also think that Martha was holding him back – his performance with Heidi was so far above anything he had done with Martha. His solo was also spectacular. He’s a pure dancer, someone who you just want to sit and watch over and over again. His final performance was the amazing contemporary routine that Mia choreographed for him and Heidi. I thought that Ivan and Allison last week were the most amazing contemporary routine ever – he and Heidi just gave that performance a run for their money. It was so amazing – I didn’t want to even blink because I was scared I would miss something. Not only was he spectacular, he helped Heidi to be as well. Freakin’ brilliant.

Natalie has been so hot the past five weeks with Musa. So I was wondering what would happen when she was paired with goofball Benji. Turns out, she has great chemistry with Benji as well. Their jazz routine was great – I think that dancing with Musa has overshadowed what a great dancer she really is. I also think that she took the judges’ criticism from last week to heart, and her dancing was much more open and yearning – it was great. That openness was clearly evident in her solo as well. Her dancing is showing a lot of emotion, and she’s positioning herself as one of the top girls in the competition. Her final routine was hip hop, and she and Benji did a good job. The judges didn’t love it, but it was pretty good. I really like Natalie – I think she’s good to go for another few weeks.

Benji has been one of my favorites since the first auditions, and he still is. He has been so amazing with Donyelle, so I was worried about how he would do with Natalie. But it turns out that he was so amazing with Donyelle because he’s just an amazing dancer. Watching his jazz routine with Natalie, I almost forgot that his specialty is West Coast swing. That’s right, that amazing jazz performance was done by the current champion of West Coast swing. His solo was fantastic too. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen him dancing solo, and it was worth the wait. The reaction of the crowd was great too; I guess I’m not the only one who’s a Benji fan! His last routine was hip hop with Natalie. It was good actually, especially considering that neither of them dance hip hop. But I couldn’t help but compare it with his hip hop routine the first week with Donyelle, which I think was a lot better. I don’t think he’s in any danger of going home this week.

Allison was so amazing last week with Ivan, so I was sad to see her paired with Ryan. Pulling contemporary was a huge bonus for her. The choreography from Mia was amazing – even my husband commented on how difficult it looked. And she danced it really well. She is a really strong contender in this competition. Her second routine was Broadway, which is a tough style. But she really shined. I especially loved how she handled her hat falling off – Nigel was right – that was a mark of a true professional. Her solo was good too. I don’t think she’s as good as someone like Donyelle, but I would be surprised if she was eliminated.

At some point, the judges commented that there seems to just be something missing from Ryan’s performance. I felt that way tonight as he danced contemporary with Allison. I thought that he would be good at the routine, because contemporary is his specialty as well. But even though most of the dancing itself was technically good, there was just something missing. That same feeling of something missing carried into his second routine with Allison where they danced Broadway. Once again, he had the steps right, but you couldn’t help feeling like the performance was somehow empty. He tried to pick it back up with his solo, which was pretty good. He really is quite good technically; it’s a shame that he doesn’t dance better with his partners.

If I were going to vote tonight (I know, I know, what am I doing voting for this thing?), it would have to be for Donyelle and Travis. They were by far the best two dancers of the night. I might throw a vote to Heidi & Benji as well. I’m thinking that Martha will be the bottom girl, and either Ryan or Dmitry will be the bottom guy. Should be interesting to see what happens without the judges making the final cut.

The End of the Road for Two More Dancers

A little late on the blogging after spending Thursday night watching the Red Sox lose an extra-innings heartbreaker. But thanks to the magic of tivo, I’m just about caught up.

This is the last week of the current partner format on So You Think You Can Dance?. Starting next week they’ll dance with random partners as well as dancing solos. The voting will also be by solo dancer, and there’s no judges choices – the bottom dancers go home. I’m not sure how I feel about that…we’ll see what happens with my favorites!

I think that the bottom three were right, based on the performances Wednesday night. It’s not even that their performances weren’t good – it’s that the top three performances were that good. But even before the solos, it seemed like the judges decision would be an easy one. Aside from the fact that Dmitry has been in almost every bottom three since the voting started, he and Ashlee are the clear choices to go home.

The solos were not much help again this week. No surprise that Dmitry danced shirtless, and even though he’s good looking, I don’t see what all the fuss is about. The other solo that I didn’t think was great was Natalie’s. That surprised me a little; it might just be the difference between great choreography and what comes out of her head (there are phenomenal dancers out there that can’t choreograph their own dancing to save their lives). I also appreciated what Travis said after his solo (which was fabulous) that he hasn’t really gotten to show America why he’s in the competition – he may be one of the only dancers who hasn’t pulled his own specialty yet. So, I’m pretty confident that Ashlee & Dmitry should go home, but it might just be Natalie & Musa. Hmmm…

No real shock then when Ashlee was eliminated. (although did you see the reaction from Ryan when Natalie was told she was safe?) But for whatever reason, the Dmitry-lovefest continues and Musa is going hime. (although Nigel finally did mention that it’s not enough to just come out and show your abs) It’s a real shame – Musa’s solo was so phenomenal, as was his performance Wednesday night.

Next week we have new partners, and hopefully Donyelle will have healed enough by then to dance (she didn’t dance in the ridiculous group number because of an injury). Should be interesting…

A HOT night of dancing...

I feel a little bit dirty for watching So You Think You Can Dance? tonight. The choreographers have decided that sex sells, and for nearly all of the couples their chemistry was on display in all its glory.

Natalie & Musa have always had great chemistry, and their hip hop routine was hot. Musa totally carried the routine with his dancing – he’s one of the best hip hop dancers I’ve ever seen. Did you see those moves? Holy moly. Natalie was there…really just to rub up on Musa though. Wow.

Heidi & Ryan were next with the cha cha. That seems to be Heidi’s specialty, and she was great tonight. Ryan was good too, especially for never having danced cha cha before.

The performance of the night was Allison & Ivan, who danced a contemporary routine. It made Mary cry; it made my jaw drop open. It was brilliant – the choreography was amazing, and the dancing was perfect. Their technique was right on, and the chemistry was amazing. If you didn’t like contemporary dance before, I don’t know how you wouldn’t after seeing that.

I felt bad for Dmitry & Ashlee having to follow Allison & Ivan. And golden boy Dmitry just couldn’t cut it when it came to pop. He just wasn’t very good, and you could tell that the judges didn’t know how to mesh that performance with the fact that he’s clearly been their favorite. Ashlee was fine – it just wasn’t great.

Martha & Travis were next, dancing the fox trot. It was nice, and on other nights it would be good enough to keep them safe from the bottom three. But after seeing the really hot performances at the top of the show, it just wasn’t as good.

Going into the final performance, I was worried for Benji & Donyelle – they’ve been my favorites from the start, but had a tough act to follow tonight. They had broadway, which was perfect for them. Their performance to music from Hairspray was fantastic, and I agree with Nigel – it will likely be the two of them in the final.

My prediction? Well, for the first time this summer, I actually picked up the phone to vote. A bunch of votes for Allison & Ivan; a bunch of attempts to vote for Benji & Donyelle (it was busy each time). If there’s any justice, they will be the top two couples. I’m not sure who the other “safe” couple will be; probably Natalie & Musa. Who will go home? It should be Dmitry & Ashlee, but I think that the judges will ride the shirtless Dmitry bandwagon one more week and say goodbye to Ryan & Ashlee instead.

Last Dance for Jessica & Jaymz

It’s results night on So You Think You Can Dance?, and it somehow feels anticlimactic. Go figure.

The big group routine this week was my favorite so far. I liked the choreography (although I could have done without the constant mugging for the camera), and appreciated how Benji was paired with Heidi (his cousin) front and center.

We found out the bottom three relatively early in the show (thank you, producers, for at least attempting to not drag this out!). No surprise that Benji & Donyelle and Natalie & Musa were both safe. And “poor” Dmitry finally got a reprieve with Ashlee and was safe as well. Jessica & Jaymz, Heidi & Ryan, and Allison & Ivan filled out the bottom three, and I’m not really surprised at all.

I keep trying to pick who will go home before they actually dance their solos. And even though I keep getting it wrong, I don’t see how their solos can save Jessica & Jaymz. Jessica’s solo was good (the toe shoes on that stage were a huge risk), but she looks like she is dancing in her underwear (and hey, maybe the judges will like that…). But Jaymz’s was some sort of strange bull fighter thing…maybe the judges will like that as well. Heidi’s solo was excellent – she will move on for sure. I didn’t like Ryan’s solo, but you could tell that he has quite a bit of dance training. Allison’s solo was also good – you could tell how much of a better dancer she is than Jessica. And even though I’m not a fan of the style of dance, Ivan’s solo was also really good. This is so the end of the road for Jessica & Jaymz.

So, after a performance by some guy hoping to sell CDs (and do people really even buy CDs anymore, or just download songs?), the judges said goodbye to Jessica & Jaymz. If only everything was this easy.

Salsa...hold the chips...

Even though I hate to sit through nearly 40 minutes of filler, I guess that I appreciate the “unseen” audition tapes. They’re way better than bios of the contestants (because do we really need to know what their favorite flavors of ice cream are?) like they do on Idol. And while I don’t know for sure, I would imagine that in the next couple of weeks they will start to dance solos, which will fill the show back out again.

Heidi & Ryan started the actual show out with hip hop. The dancing was fine, but I was totally distracted by Heidi’s outfit. What on earth was she wearing? And I was glad that Dan said something about it looking like a cheerleading routine – I was thinking the same thing.

I really like Martha and Travis, and their salsa tonight was great. It was especially good, considering the rehearsal piece that we saw before they performed. The judges were really tough on them – I just don’t imagine that the people who are voting would notice the nitpicky things that Mary pointed out.

Dmitry & Ashlee really surprised me. Aside from the fact that it was their first time dancing together (and I feel bad for Dmitry that this is his third partner), they had never danced a contemporary routine before. I wasn’t a huge fan of the choreography, but they did a good job with what they had. And I totally disagree with Dan – I though that Ashlee was better than Dmitry. Her contemporary technique was dead-on…I don’t understand why the judges were so picky about the position of Martha’s feet, but never mentioned how good Ashlee’s were. I’m also not on the “Dmitry-is-a-phenomenal-dancer” bandwagon…perhaps if he put a shirt on I would like him more.

Natalie & Musa were next with a disco routine. I usually really like them, but I didn’t really like this performance. The tricks were fantastic, but the rest of the routine was really flat. It moved slowly, and I don’t know if that was the choreography or the dancing. Of course, the tricks and the chemistry will keep them safe for another week.

Benji & Donyelle are so my favorite couple. Their waltz was beautiful, and they have fantastic chemistry. Of course, the whole “Vietnamese Waltz” and channeling his “inner Dmitry” thing was hilarious. They’ll sail through to the next round for sure.

After Benji channeled his inner Dmitry, Allison & Ivan had to channel their inner Benji. They pulled West Coast swing, and while not as good as Benji or Heidi, they put on an entertaining performance. Allison is actually quite good – Ivan is getting better each week, but has also learned how to show her off.

Jessica & Jaymz finished out the show with the second hip hop routine of the night. They weren’t fantastic, but I liked that Jaymz fought back with the judges a bit. Hip hop for a classically trained dancer is VERY difficult, and I don’t think the judges gave them any credit (while they give credit to the hop hop dancers who dance contemporary). But I don’t think either of them will make it past this week.

The bottom three is tough again this week. I think it will come down to Dmitry & Ashlee and Jessica & Jaymz, which will be hard for the judges, since they’ve both spent some serious time at the bottom. But I think that the love affair with Dmitry will continue, and Jessica & Jaymz will go home.

12 Wins in a Row!

The most important reality news of the night (ok, the most important for me at least) is my Boston Red Sox. With a spectacular play by Coco Crisp in the 8^th (and, of course, my uncle’s favorite joke…if Coco is named MVP, will he be on the cover of a Wheaties box?), and a couple of home runs, they won their TWELVTH STRAIGHT GAME. That’s right – 12 straight. They also tied the major league record for consecutive error-less games. Oh, I am so happy. And thanks to the power of tivo, I did also catch the results show for So You Think You Can Dance?.

I’m not sure which I hate more, the large group songs on Idol or the large group dance numbers on this show. Tonight’s looked like the halftime show at a college basketball game. These are such good dancers – why do they make them do this?

I could have done without the schmaltz about Ivan’s father calling him at 6 am. Did Nigel just say that that call made the program worthwhile? Oh come on.

So our bottom three tonight are Ben & Ashlee, Jessica & Jaymz, and Dmitry & Aleksandra. I don’t think that Aleksandra’s solo can save her – the judges were so harsh on her for the past two weeks. But I think the solos for the guys will really matter; it’s a much harder choice.

The solos were good tonight. We got to see a side of both Ashlee & Ben that we haven’t gotten to see yet – I don’t think they’ll go home tonight. Jessica and Jaymz each did a good solo as well, although it was hard to tell if Jaymz meant to go off the stage at the end or not. It also seemed like Jaymz was pretty much resigned to the fact he might be leaving. Aleksandra & Dmitry rounded out the solos nicely. I really appreciated how nice Dmitry was about Aleksandra, especially after how he acted towards his previous partner.

Another note about this show versus Idol – even though I don’t think that the solos make much of a difference in the judge’s decisions, it rounds the show out much nicer than just the naked cruelty of Idol.

As expected, Aleksandra was cut, but not before Nigel apologized for his harsh words last night. Of course, he made up for that niceness quickly while yelling at Ben and Jaymz. I guess I understand where he was coming from, but there was bound to be a better way to say it. In the end, Ben got cut, which was a little surprising. So next week Dmitry will try out partner number three with Ashlee. Oh dear.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Another night of dancing, and I’m getting more and more into So You Think You Can Dance?. I can’t believe I didn’t watch this show last summer.

Ashlee & Ben started the show with a hip hop routine. I liked it…the choreography was a lot lighter than some of the other hip hop we’ve seen, which suited Ben a lot better. Of course, I doubt that anyone will top the hip hop of Benji & Donyelle from week 1; they’ve set the bar so high I don’t think anyone can top it.

Heidi & Ryan were next with a hot Cuban rumba. The choreography was amazing, and was tough – it is SO hard to dance to music like that with no melody. They were amazing…such a change from last week! I can’t imagine that they’ll be in the bottom three this week.

New partners Aleksandra & Dmitry did a really good job with the waltz. It seemed like Dmitry is really happy to be with a new partner, and the two of them look good together. I don’t agree with the judges’ criticism – it seemed a bit harsh. I’m not sure how the voting will go – they might be safe even with the comments from the judges.

Ivan & Allison pulled the Argentine tango, another dance style I’ve never heard of. And watching Ivan during rehearsals in his sneakers, I wasn’t too optimistic. But it was a lot better than their last attempt at Latin dancing, though – Ivan has come a long way in a short amount of time. It was a good performance – they’ll be safe for sure.

Donyelle & Benji got stuck with pop jazz (which just seems like they made up, doesn’t it?), but continued to show why they’re the couple to beat. They’re just so good together. I hated the hair on both of them, but I loved watching them dance. They have great chemistry, and they’re two of the strongest dancers in the competition.

Natalie & Musa also have phenomenal chemistry. But they pulled quick step for this week. The judges didn’t like it that much, but I thought it was fun. Who knew that Musa could dance like that? :)

Jessica & Jaymz were next with a contemporary routine. As a dancer, this was my favorite style to dance, and it seemed like they were excited at first to pull it. But the transition from ballet to contemporary is hard, and it wasn’t made easier by the low expectations from their choreographer (although I understood what they were all saying about “competition dancers”…it’s a whole different style, and competition dancers generally aren’t that great). I loved the choreography, and they exceeded expectations by far. It was really enjoyable to watch them dance.

Finally, we capped off the show with Travis & Martha. They were the second hip hop routine of the night (which, again, makes no sense that there are two hip hop routines each week). I hated Martha’s outfit, but their dancing was really good. I think that some of the judges’ criticism was based on the choreography. And I was glad that Travis pointed out that he’s a contemporary dancer; Musa got so much praise for going out of his comfort zone, while no one seems to notice about him.

So who do I think will be in the bottom three? I agree with Nigel – it’s much harder this week. The only two I would be shocked to see in the bottom are Benji & Donyelle. I know, I know, avoiding the question. My bottom three would be Ben & Ashlee, Aleksandra & Dmitry, and Natalie & Musa. And it might be the end of the road for Ben & Ashlee.

We're Down to 8...

It’s time for results on So You Think You Can Dance?, and while Cat Deeley (the host) doesn’t drag it out like Ryan Seacrest, there’s still the element of naked cruelty. And there’s the added element of the fact that the bottom three has to dance again for the judges. What fun.

Aleksandra & Jason, Dmitry & Joy, and Heidi & Ryan were in the bottom three. No real surprises, even though I thought that Ivan & Allison would be there instead of Heidi & Ryan (but they weren’t great either). So they’ll all be dancing solos later in the show.

Before we get to the solos, a question about the girls. Why are so many of them convinced that essentially dancing in their underwear is a good idea? I’m shocked how many of them are pretty much just dancing in bras and boy shorts. It just doesn’t seem comfortable (wouldn’t you be worried about keeping covered up?), and it’s not even that attractive. Hmmmm.

Anyways, the solos were good again this week. Of course, we learned last week that the solos don’t make a whole lot of difference in the voting. I especially liked Heidi’s solo – she’s a LOT better than she showed yesterday.

A quick break to watch Rhianna lip sync while the judges ponder who should go home. I’m lucky that I mostly listened to her performance instead of watching it.

So, after the judges deliberated, it’s Joy and Jason that are going home. I think that the judges got it right out of the six that they had to choose from. And Aleksandra & Dmitry are now partners (question answered…), which should be interesting, since they will be working together for the first time, while all the others will be on their third week with their partners. Oh well…I guess this is what happens when you’re in the bottom three!

A Hot Night on So You Think You Can Dance?

It’s week two of competition on So You Think You Can Dance?, and it’s already starting to get interesting. New this week – a clip of each couple pulling their style out of a hat, which answers the question of how the styles are assigned. And with that randomness comes some interesting dancing.

Martha & Travis started the show off by krumping. I had never really seen krumping before, and while it’s not my thing, you could tell it was really hard. They did a great job with really tough choreography – I was impressed.

Jamyz & Jessica were next with the foxtrot. They were very clear about how un-excited they were with their dance style, but it was so beautiful. They danced smoothly together; hopefully it will be enough to keep them out of the bottom three.

Part of pulling a style at random is that sometimes you get very very lucky. But even with that lucky draw, you have to dance the routine. So Ivan, (a hip hop dancer, remember) & Allison had hip hop, but didn’t capitalize on that selection. It was just really flat, and there were parts where they weren’t dancing together. Compared to the hip hop routines from last week, it just wasn’t nearly as good.

Joy & Dmitry weren’t much better with their samba. Joy clearly was tentative in her dancing, and might have even missed a few of the step combinations. I agree with Mia – it wasn’t very good at all.

Natalie & Musa turned the show around with their contemporary routine. It ROCKED. The choreography was excellent, and they dance so well together.

Heidi & Ryan were this week’s choreography victims. And since they had the same choreographer that did Natalie & Musa’s routine, I’m not sure what happened. They danced fine for what they had, but they’ll likely be in the bottom three.

Ben & Ashlee were much better this week. Even though they weren’t sure about the style, the choreography suited them more than the cheesy 80s dance they had last week. I agree with Nigel that just because you don’t like the style of dance doesn’t mean the dancers weren’t good. For American Jive, they did a good job.

Aleksandra & Jason were the second hip hop routine of the night (and, once again, why are there two hip hop routines, but not two of any other style?), and once again a hip hop dancer (Jason) pulled his own style. They did fine with it – I liked them better than Allison & Ivan, but I guess that’s not really saying much. I think that the hip hop choreographers tonight also weren’t as exciting as last week’s, and choreography makes a HUGE difference. And, unlike on American Idol where the singers control their song selection, the dancers have no control over the choreography.

Benji & Donyelle finished the show off with the cha cha. They’re one of my favorite couples, and they didn’t disappoint tonight. They made it clear that they are both phenomenal dancers, and are likely the couple to beat. I also liked Nigel’s comments to Donyelle at the end. Weight is a HUGE issue in the dancing community, where eating disorders are as common as sore toes. It’s about time that people recognize that fabulous dancers don’t have to be a size 0.

So who will be in the bottom three? That’s tough, since it’s not just dancing, it’s personality as well. (and I didn’t do such a good job predicting last week!) I think it will probably be Allison & Ivan, Joy & Dmitry, and Aleksandra & Jason. And who will go home? Sigh…Joy just wasn’t good at all, but I think it will be Allison & Ivan, since it would be their second week in a row in the bottom three. But you never know…

First Round of Cuts on So You Think You Can Dance

I really thought I knew who would be in the bottom three tonight on So You Think You Can Dance?. Between my dance knowledge and ridiculous number of hours logged watching reality tv, I thought I had a lock on this one. But clearly I am new to the show, and new to how the voting works – I only got one of the bottom three couples (Ivan & Allison) correct. Go figure.

So the bottom three have to dance solos to determine who will go home. But the time that they have to dance is so short – I don’t know how you would even prepare for that.

All of the girls were good – I don’t think that they were the bottom three girls. Erin was good, as was Allison. Allison really showed that Ivan was the weak link in that couple – she is a lot better than her dance with him showed. Jessica was really good too. I think that Erin will probably be going home, based mostly on her performance with Stanislav.

On the guys side, I really liked Stanislav. I don’t know why he and Erin were in the bottom three anyways, and I think he’ll be ok. Ivan, though, I don’t think will be as lucky. He’s a good hip hop dancer, but not at all versatile. And from his 30 second solo, I think that he knows that he’s going home. Especially with the performance that Jaymz turned in – it was really fabulous.

So the judges take a few moments backstage to decide who to elimante while we get to hear Nelly Furtado (and thank goodness for tivo…I hate that song…way too much like Shakira’s song with Wyclef…).So after the break, the judges come back to eliminate two dancers. Erin is eliminated first…no big surprise. Then, the unthinkable – my tivo ended. Why oh why Fox would you run over? Sigh…thanks to the internet, apparently Stanislav was cut, which makes no sense to me since Ivan was so terrible (get it? Ivan the terrible?). And I guess my question of what happens to the couples who lose their partners goes unanswered for another week.

So You Think You Can Dance?

So far, the only “summer” show worth watching is So You Think You Can Dance?. (I tried to watch Gameshow Marathon, I really did...it was just SO bad. And not so bad it was good; just SO bad.) I watched all of the early auditions on tivo (great fun to watch bad dancers!), and tonight was the first night of competition for votes. I didn’t watch the show last summer, so this was my first look at the show. And as a former dancer (that’s right, I used to dance…even thought about making it a career) this is a great show.

The first part of the show (the early auditions) were a lot like those on American Idol – contestants performed for the judges, hoping to get a ticket to Vegas. Then there was “Vegas Week,” where each day dancers were taught different routines, and slowly cut down to the 10 best girls and 10 best guys. Now, the contestants have been paired up as couples, and they will compete as a couple each week. Each couple was taught choreography (with lots of different styles of dance), and performed them tonight. America votes (just like Idol), but with this show, the bottom three couples then perform solos for the judges, and the judges decide which girl and which guy go home. I assume that the dancers who lost their partners then become a couple (or maybe they eliminate the entire couple?), but I’m fuzzy on that part for sure! Confused yet? I sure am, but so far this is just as good as Idol, but without the bad singing. Fantastic.

Before we start talking about the show though, a word about the contestants. And not about their dancing – they’re all excellent dancers. No, my question is about their names. Who decided that they should spell their names the way the do? Is this something that they have come up with because they’re on television? Or do we have a generation of kids out there that have plain names with ridiculous spellings? Like Jaymz. Or Aleksandra, What is going on?

The first couple was Benji and Donyelle doing an amazing hip hop routine. Sure, they’re the first couple, but I think they’re definitely early favorites. I actually liked them both a lot in the audition rounds, especially Benji. The judges loved them too; they’ll probably sail through the next few rounds.

After Benji and Donyelle, Ivan and Allison were a huge let down. Their club salsa routine just wasn’t very good. Well, to be fair, Ivan wasn’t very good. Allison was MUCH better than he was; Ivan was just a prop. They’ll be in the bottom three for sure.

Next up was Jason and Aleksandra doing a contemporary routine. That style is SO hard, and they did a good job with it – actually, a much better job than I would have thought.

Jaymz and Jessica were next with 70s disco. Overall, they did a good job. Some parts seemed a bit slow, but I think that was the choreography, not the dancers.

I really liked Stanislav during the audition round. But his partner was cut in the final round, so he’s now dancing the paso doble with Erin. For what it was, it was ok…Stanislav was much better than Erin. She’s lucky that he was good enough to probably get them through to another week!

One of the things I like about the show is that each couple has a different style of dance. That is, except for Dmitry and Joy. For whatever reason, they also danced a hip hop routine. They were good (especially considering Dmitry is a ballroom dancer), but not nearly as good as Benji and Donyelle; because they were the only two couples to dance the same style, they will inevitably be compared to each other. I don’t know how that happened, but it wasn’t really fair; I hope they make it through to next week.

Ryan wins the most obnoxious dancer award for tonight. First, he was complaining because Heidi wasn’t the girl he wanted as his partner (which was just stupid…did you see how Heidi danced in the auditions?). Then it turns out that for all that attitude, Ryan just wasn’t a very good dancer. They’ll be joining Ivan and Allison in the bottom three.

The third couple in the bottom three? Probably Ben and Ashlee. Which is really a shame, because Ben was one of my favorites from the auditions. But they got an 80s routine, and not a very good one at that. Nigel thought it was juvenile, and it was, but that was the choreography, not the dancers. In all fairness they struggled with the lifts, but I don’t understand why the choreographer didn’t take some of them out when it was obvious how they would be done.

Not anywhere near the bottom three was Travis and Martha. Their broadway routine was one of the best of the night (although I could have done without Martha’s outfit). They both made a hard routine look so easy, and they were so enjoyable to watch. A top couple for sure.

Finally we had Musa and Natalie. Musa is such an amazing street dancer, so a mambo was quite the challenge. But they did surprisingly good – I was shocked at how well Musa rose to the occasion. And Natalie was smoking – they’ll make it through on the strength of her hips alone.

So even though I’m not quite sure how the elimination process works, I think that America will put Ivan & Allison, Ryan & Heidi, and Ben & Ashlee will be in the bottom three. And if I were going to vote it would be for Benji & Donyelle – their performance held up through the entire show.