Final Four on So You Think You Can Dance?

You know, last week the judges talked about how they were worried that the finale couldn't live up to last week's show. And after tonight, I can see why they were worried. Tonight's finale was good, but not nearly as good as last week. Yes, there were some high points. But it seemed like they didn't save the best for last.

First, the dancers choose their styles by random draw. So while I think that if Sabra loses, it's because of the styles she chose, it wasn't anyone's fault - it's random. But why producers chose the styles they did is beyond me. Yes, there should have been a hip hop and a ballroom routine. I would have thought that everyone would have the opportunity to dance in a style that they know well. I also didn't understand some of the choreography. A good example was the fox routine that Lacey & Sabra did. I liked it, but I couldn't agree more with Nigel's statement that the finale isn't the place to experiment. And why didn't a producer step in and say that early in the week, when something could have been changed? A lot of the problems that the judges had with the dancing were really problems with the choreography.

Last week there weren't really any problems with the dancing. But tonight just seemed to lack that same spark. Perhaps it's because of the dancers that were eliminated. But something was missing. It's clear that the judges/producers want Danny or Lacey to win. From their comments at the start of the show that they were looking for "America's favorite dancer, not America's best dancer," to the way they critiqued , they clearly have an agenda. There's no question that Sabra is a better dancer than Lacey, but Lacey has a much better chance of winning it all.

So who do I think will win? That's a tough call. Based on the entire season, Sabra SHOULD win. Week after week, she has been nothing but phenomenal. Based on tonight, well...I think it should be Danny. Danny really has been good all season as well. But who WILL win? I think it's a close vote, but Lacey will come out on top. She has a lot of fans, has the name recognition with her brother, and is riding the praise from tonight's show.

The Final Six Dance

The final six danced tonight on So You Think You Can Dance?, and I agree with Nigel - it's going to be tough to top this week's dancing on next week's finale! Tonight's show was amazing. Simply amazing.

It's hard to critique when there was such good dancing all around. Lacey & Pasha were amazing dancing together. Their hip hop routine was one of my favorites of the season. Pasha's solo wasn't great, but the other two were so good that hopefully no one will remember him dancing with an empty dress (and how strange was that?).

Lauren & Danny were also phenomenal. I loved the choreography for both of their routines tonight - I think they won the choreography lottery! Both of their solos were good as well.

Sabra & Neil were my favorites of the night. Their jazz routine, well, WOW. It was so different than anything we've seen on the show, and they danced it so well. I liked their paso & solos as well.

Before tonight, I would have picked Sabra to win. But I have no idea after tonight's dancing. Every way I look at it I can't choose. Sabra has been so good all season, and was phenomenal again tonight. But Lacey and Lauren were phenomenal as well. And the guys? Geez lousie, I have no idea. How can you choose?

I'm Back...Thoughts on the Last Week in Reality TV

After another short vacation (don't you just love summer?) I'm back. Of course, reality tv didn't take a break, and things were nuttier than ever. Some thoughts on the past few weeks...

Age of Love
Yes, I actually stuck with this until the end. What a horrible show, and it only got worse as it went on. And if you're shocked that he chose a 20-something instead of the 48 year old, please stop reading this blog now. Not to be rude, but come on - are you really that stupid? I mean, did JEN even think that she would be chosen over Amanda? And how creepy would it be to introduce your boyfriend to your son, and realize that they're closer in age than you are? Ugh.

Fat March
This one is a new one, and I loved it. I know, I love any show where fat people are on scales. And these aren't just fat people - these are 500 pound fat people. The premise of the show is so basic that it's interesting - fat people walking. And with the monetary twists (that they personally lose money when people drop out or are voted out, and they don't have to vote anyone out), it's a mind game as well. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays out.

Shaq's Big Challenge
I know, I haven't really written much about this yet, mostly because I sat and watched the entire season in two days. I don't know why - it was on my tivo, and, once again, I like watching fat people on scales (even fat kids, I suppose). Parts of it were really interesting to me, especially the parts in the school. As a teacher, I am appalled by what is served in most school cafeterias, especially considering that it is the one hot meal that many of our students get each day. Frozen foods that are just reheated are the easiest way to go, but certainly not the healthiest. And even in schools where fresh, healthy foods are a choice, so is ice cream and cookies, so can you guess what most students buy? I applaud Shaq, Tyler Florence, and the school for being so willing to make the changes. I also am shocked at the lack of physical education in most schools. It's not that hard to work PE into the schedule - it's just a matter of doing it. As for the show itself, well, it made me realize why I don't teach middle school anymore. Let's just leave it at that. :)

Big Brother
What a few weeks it has been on Big Brother. So much has been going on...I was bummed beyond belief to see Nick get voted off, especially in the way he was. He didn't deserve to be back-doored like that. I also really feel for Eric. He's playing a rough game by voting the way that America tells him to. I thought that he would always have the option to do what America said - that in the end, he could decide how to vote. That would have been a good choice with the Nick vote - if he had voted off Nick, then it would be very easy to pin the vote from the week before on Nick. Sigh...

I thought that the plane thing added a very interesting wrinkle. I saw an interview with Nick last week, and he said that the planes fly over all the time. Usually they lock them all inside until the plane is gone (Nick actually asked people to stop sending planes because it stinks to be on lockdown inside!). But with the HoH, I guess they just had to let them see it. It could completely alter the outcome of the game. Even if Eric pulls out the vote, it has changed his alliance and has cast a shadow of doubt over his game play. I do, though, wonder what CBS will do if he gets voted out. Here's hoping that he figures out a way to pull it off.

So You Think You Can Dance?
The dancing was SO good again last week. I was shocked the week before that Kameron went home, and totally bummed last week to lose Dominic and Sara. Sara lost the dance lottery. Her hip hop routine was good but completely overshadowed by the horrible costumes (and did you love how Adam Shankman asked if they had been Punk'd by wardrobe?). And Lacey's first routine wasn't very good, but she (by the luck of the draw) got to dance Mia's routine about her dad. There's no way anyone was going home after dancing that. So we had to say goodbye to Sara and Dominic. This week is the last episode before the finale, so they'll be dancing to get in the final four. And my pick for the final four (being written before tonight's episode airs...)...Lacey, Sabra, Pasha, and Danny.

Oh yeah - I don't normally comment on the "game show"-type reality shows. I like both of the singing shows, but only because I know all the lyrics (they're actually both pretty bad, but I like to play along). But last night I tried to watch Power of 10. I say tried, because I could only make it through 10 minutes. What a horrible show. I can't believe that Drew Carey got the Price is Right gig after that.

Top 10

We're down to the top ten on So You Think You Can Dance?, and everything changes. New partners every week, each dancer performs a solo and a partner dance, and the voting is all that counts. The solos certainly make the blogging difficult this week! But I LOVE the change this year that they all danced the same solo. It's the first time I've felt like I could really compare dancers side by side. And there was clearly a difference. Let's see...

Jaime kicked off the solos in a big way. She really is a phenomenal dancer, and you could see it in her solo. Her routine with Dominic was ok...I worry about her for tomorrow since all the judges could talk about was Dominic. Kind of a bummer for her again (since she was with Hok up until this week).

I love Dominic. But you could tell in his solo that he is not a trained dancer. And while I didn't think his routine with Jaime was as bad as the judges said, it wasn't great. I don't think it's totally his fault - what was he supposed to do when the choreographer gave him a Spanish Viennese Waltz?

Sara has to be one of the favorites to win the competition. Her solo was phenomenal, and when you realize that she is a b-girl, well...holy cow. I thought it was way better than Nigel gave her credit for - I'm glad that the other judges were so positive. Her disco routine was also excellent. If I was going to vote, I would vote for Sara tonight.

Pasha's solo was pretty good. But I really liked his hip hop routine with Lauren. Who knew that he had that in him? He should be safe for sure!

Ok, I can see why they kept her Lauren! Her hip hop routine with Pasha was really good. I didn't like her solo as much as the judges, but it was definitely well danced overall. (it just didn't show as much emotion or connection with the piece as Sara or Lacey).

Neil is supposedly a contemporary dancer. But I wasn't enthralled with his solo tonight. He did an excellent job with his disco routine though, so it will be close with him whether or not he will stay this week.

After Sabra's routine with Kameron, I would bet that she will be in the final four. Soaring through the air like that was amazing. Her solo was really well danced, but she clearly took a different spin on it than some of the other girls. For those of you who don't usually watch dance, it's impressive how much change you can make by changing the emotions in the very same piece of choreography.

During his routine with Sabra, I wasn't thrilled with Kameron. I agree with the judges...Lacey really had been carrying him and you could tell tonight. His solo was pretty good, but I can see him being in the bottom two (three?) tomorrow night.

Lacey's technique in her solo wasn't as good as some of the other girls', but she is quite the performer - maybe the best in the bunch. The emotions in her dance were amazing. Her performance with Danny was also really good. She was in her element with the style, and she carried both of them.

Danny's solo was good - he's got the contemporary technique down. His routine with Lacey was good too. He kept up with Lacey for the most part, and I think he'll be safe tomorrow night.

So I'm not really sure who will be going home tomorrow night. For the guys, I think it will be close...it will come down to who has more fans. On technique alone, it should be Dominic. But I think (and hope) that he has enough fans to keep him safe and send Neil home. The girls are really tough. They're all so good, so it's almost like finding the worst of the best (or, as my husband likes to say, the skinniest kid at fat camp). I think that we'll be saying goodbye to Jamie tomorrow as well.

Not a Shocker on SYTYCD

Well, the top 10 is set on So You Think You Can Dance?, and I'm not that surprised. Don't get me wrong - I have no idea how Anya & Danny got into the bottom three. But once they did their solos, the judge's decisions seemed pretty clear. Hok had to go. He probably should have gone even earlier, especially considering there are other B-Boys that are just as good as him, but are far more versatile. And Anya? Well, you knew they wouldn't send home Jamie, not after all the praise they heaped onto her. And when it came down to it, they definitely have some love for Lauren. I don't know if it's favoritism (since she has connections to the show outside of being a contestant) or if they feel bad that she's been dancing with Neil all these weeks. I guess we'll see next week.

Were Those Dancing Welders?

It was a strange night of dancing on So You Think You Can Dance? tonight. Two couples really separated themselves from the pack, while others were good, but not great. And we had the constant reminder that whoever made it through this week would be in the top 10.

The two top couples were amazing - Sabra & Dominic and Anya & Danny were phenomenal. I don't think there's anything else to say - the four of them were simply amazing.

Rounding out the top three tomorrow night, I think, will be Sarah & Pasha or Lacey & Kameron. Sarah & Pasha were really good tonight. They were each so out of their element, and you would never have known. Lacey & Kameron were also good - better, I think, than the judges gave them credit for. I think that Sarah & Pasha were a bit better, but they have a lot of fans, so it could be close.

Destined for the bottom two are Jamie & Hok and Lauren & Neil. It's funny - before the show started, I said to my husband that everyone I was rooting against was out. But I could root against both of these couples. I loved Tyce's choreography for Jamie & Hok, but I agree completely with the judges - they just didn't play up the characters enough. And Lauren & Neil were good, but not great. The choreography was so strange (and I like strange), but they weren't dancing it together in a bunch of spots.

I don't know how the judges will choose someone to cut - I think that the solos tomorrow night will make all the difference.

Some Thoughts Back from Vacation

Well, I'm back from vacation, and I think I'm almost all caught up with my tivo (though I still have two episodes of Shaq's Big Challenge...with any luck I'll get to those this week, or at least watch them while my husband takes his turn with Harry Potter this weekend (just because it's his birthday doesn't mean I'll let him read it all first!). I'll talk about Big Brother 8 in another post, but have a few thoughts on Age of Love and So You Think You Can Dance?.

A word about Age of Love - even though I set my tivo to record it, it didn't. It's one of the few times that my tivo has chosen to not record something - for all you who think that your tivo has a life of its own, this may back that thought up. Never fear, though - I watched the episodes I missed online. I think I may be the only one. It really is train wreck television. I am rooting for the 40s, and was rooting for crying Mary to be sent packing sooner than she was. She was crying so much that I was seriously worried for her that she was becoming dehydrated. Get that girl some Gatorade! The show is getting really low ratings (go figure), so I wouldn't be shocked to see the last few episodes condensed. I wouldn't be sad either - I've invested enough time in it that I care to see who wins, but it would be great to do it in less time.

So You Think You Can Dance? has me annoyed this summer. I love the dancers - in fact, I think that they're the most talented group ever on the show. And I love the choreography - holy cow, what I would give to work with some of them. So what's annoying me? The judges. I actually think that they're doing an excellent job of judging on performance night (and I LOVED the guest judge last week - he's an amazing choreographer, and did a great job pointing out the parts of the performances that look easy but are actually ridiculously difficult). But their choices to cut have been a bit suspect. They got a lot of heat for cutting Jessi (though I agree that it was the correct decision). And what was their fascination with Cedric? He should have gone home week 1 (or maybe not even have made the top 10). I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when the judges aren't involved with choosing who goes home.

More Amazing Dancing

Another great week of dancing on So You Think You Can Dance?. I wish it was on every night. Really.

Before I started watching the show, I had never even heard of krump. But now, it’s one of my favorite styles they do. Sara & Jesús were incredible. You kind of expected it from Sara, but Jesús was amazing too.

I feel so bad for Shauna. She went from being partnered with Jimmy (who was really good) to being partenerd with Cedric (who isn’t). Shauna danced really well. And I agreed with Mary that the choreography was clearly designed to highlight her and almost hide Cedric. She did nearly all of the dancing. They’ll probably be in the bottom three again, and hopefully it will just be Cedric that goes home.

Lacey & Kameron continue to be one of my favorite couples. The quick step is notoriously hard for dancers on this show (like the judges said, it’s often the kiss of death!), but they did a great job. Even if they somehow end up in the bottom three, there’s no way either of them is going home.

I really like Anya & Danny too. It wasn’t a great hip hop performance this week, but it still was pretty good. I agree with the judges that they are clearly the couple to beat.

As I watched Dominic & Sabra, all I could say was “wow.” They were just incredible. I also think about the difference between Dominic & Cedric – Cedric can really only do his style, while Dominic is a superstar regardless of what is thrown his way. I love them both.

I was really surprised last week when Lauren & Neil weren’t in the bottom three. And while they were better this week, I’ll be shocked again if they’re safe.

Whenever I watch the show, I always say that I want to do choreography by Mia Michaels. But tonight, my favorite choreography by far was the jazz routine by Wade Robson. Jaimie & Hok were fantastic; I rewound and watched it three times. Unbelievable dancing.

I’m not a fan of Jessie. But I certainly don’t want to see her leave the competition because of an injury. Pasha did a great job dancing without her, and he should be safe regardless. As my husband said, he just got the “middle-age women” vote. Yikes.

So there’s no question for me that the performance of the night was Jaimie & Hok. I also loved Dominic & Sabra. And my bottom three? Shauna & Cedric, Lauren & Neil, and Pasha & Jessie (sad to say).

Results Make Me Cranky

I've only been back to the blog for about a week, and already I'm cranky. I didn't like that Ricky went home the first week on SYTYCD?, and I HATED the results of the show this past week. I appreciate the fact that "America" doesn't always vote for the best dancers. And that's why I like the format of these rounds of the show - that the judges have a say as well. But given who was in the bottom three last week, I don't agree with the decision the judges made. No doubt it was a hard choice - the bottom three was shocking. But I just didn't understand it. Sending Faina home wasn't such a shock. Based on their solos it should have been Jessi, but she really didn't belong in the bottom three at all. And Faina did. It was the guys that made me so cranky. I don't understand why the judges are so enamored with Cedric. Yes, he's good at what he does. But he's not good at anything else. Think about all those specialty dancers that didn't make it through Vegas for that very reason. Yet somehow he keeps making it through. So we had to say goodbye to Jimmy, who was a really good dancer; the only reason he went home is because he was up against Cedric.

So You Think You Can Dance? is BACK!

My favorite show of last summer was So You Think You Can Dance?, and this season hasn’t disappointed. The dancers are even better than before, and the choreography has been amazing.

Lauren & Neil aren’t my favorite couple. They probably should have been in the bottom three last week, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them there tonight. They’re good dancers individually, but aren’t great together.

I really like Pasha – he might be one of my favorite male dancers. It’s a shame that he’s been paired with Jessi. There’s something about her that just rubs me the wrong way. They were really good this week – I loved the choreography, and they were fantastic.

I agreed with Nigel & Mary about Jaimie & Hok. They were very entertaining, but not so great with the dancing. Jaimie is lucky to be paired with Hok – he seems to have a reasonably large fan base. Otherwise she would have gone home last week. They’re both great at what they do, but not much else; I don’t know how long they can get by in this competition.

Dominic & Sabra were phenomenal. So much of what was in the routine looked easy but was actually very difficult. And to think that Dominic was able to do it makes it even more impressive. I think they’re both favorites to go far in the competition.

Faina & Cedric are another couple who are phenomenal in their fields, but aren’t great outside of them. Their foxtrot just wasn’t very good. They don’t seem to partner well together, and should probably be in the bottom three. I don’t see the appeal of either of them; I wouldn’t be sad to see them go.

My favorite couple last week was Lacey & Kameron, and I loved them again this week. I thought the routine was a perfect mix of pizzazz & sexiness (even if Mia thought it needed more pizzazz). And I agree with the judges that their connection is superb. It reminds me of Benji’s relationship with Donyelle last season. Absolutely fabulous.

Danny & Anya were also phenomenal. They’re a great example of how a good dancer can dance in any style. The difference between them and some of the others who had to stretch beyond their own styles is night and day. They’ll be in the competition for awhile.

There’s something about Jimmy & Shauna that I just love. Their routine this week was so unique and danced so well. I loved them last week as well – they’re definitely a top couple this season.

Sara & Jesús are an interesting couple. They’re so good at their own styles, and there’s something about them dancing together that’s very captivating. During their dance I was thinking the same thing as Mia – the music was all wrong. I watched it back on mute and it was much better.

If “America” gets it right this week, it shouldn’t be hard to choose the bottom three – Faina & Cedric, Lauren & Neil, and Jaimie & Hok. Should be interesting to see if they do, especially since Mary was so adamant that they got it wrong last week.