Levy on TV

Pilot Review: Community

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:51:00 +0000

NBC. Thursdays at 930.
Starring: Joel McHale, Chevy Chase, Danny Pudi, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, Yvette Nicole Brown, John Oliver, and Donald Glover

Community seems to suffer from the same problem that caused me to abandon Parks and Recreation, just not to the same degree. That problem is, well, what is enthralling enough about this group of people that I should watch it? This then gets branched into the two real problems with communities pilot: Who actually are these people and how do they (and the show) exist outside the classroom/college?

That first paragraph makes it seem like I didn’t like Community. Which is not really the case. It was enjoyable. There were definitely a few moments where I was solidly laughing. Joel McHale is actually really good, on his game and sharp as Jeff, the lead character, a suspended lawyer who ahs to go back to school. McHale has always shown a really quick wit and a knack for snarky delivery, so this isn’t really a surprise. I expected Joel McHale to be good, he was.

But, and this gets back to the earlier part of this review, he is the ONLY character to be developed beyond personality tics. We get like two lines of exposition for everyone else and then these “quirks” or, as I call them, “Chances for fun or extreme annoyance” (it’s a mixed bag, in this group). A character is more than a background summary and a tic, and pretty much no one in the pilot is a full-fledged character. As I said, some of them show promise. The show deserves another shot if only for the fact that pilots are always a little shaky on fleshing everything out; I mean, you have to intro the whole show, you can’t be expected to intro every element of it. Currently, Community is a weaker element of NBC’s comedy stable, hopefully with more time it irons out who these characters are and lets us actually experience them. For now, with the better Modern Family, I might have to say ABC has the better overall comedy lineup. But Community is good enough to get…

Rating: I’ll Give It Another Shot

Pilot Review: Modern Family

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:58:00 +0000

ABC. Wednesdays at 9.
Starring: Ariel Winter, Ed O’Neill, Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Nolan Gould, Rico Rodriguez, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vergara, and Ty Burrell

I really hope ABC is not duping me into saying this but: ABC’s comedies might be close to rivaling NBC’s lineup. Because between ABC’s acquisition of Scrubs (which, darn it, I still have hopes for), the immensely under-rated and quickly-rising-up-my-list-of-favorite-shows Better Off Ted, and now Modern Family, they might actually have a comedy lineup to challenge NBC’s current quality level.

If you didn’t pick it up from that first paragraph, I really liked Modern Family. I was all set to groan my little blogging heart out over the tired ABC family comedy clichés I was expecting, only to be surprised by a large number of genuinely funny moments, executed by a cast that works well together and has pretty darn good comedic timing. I found myself genuinely liking all three storylines pretty much evenly, and there wasn’t even a single character that got to me, as most shows, even the ones I like, tend to have. Simply put, Modern Family is no According To Jim (aka: It’s actually really good). In fact, I almost want to give it more credit, because a number of the actors in it have grated on me from other projects, but Sofia Vergara had great timing, and Ty Burrell actually maybe even being my favorite character. Even the kid actors, who can tend towards the ever-so-grating end of the spectrum, were solidly funny.

Back to that ABC vs. NBC challenge I was talking about earlier, I’m holding off on crowning a winner in that battle until I watch “Community”, but with me stopping with Parks and Recreation after the second episode and my dwindling interest in “The Office”, ABC’s line-up seems to be a serious threat to their comedy throne. 30 Rock will hopefully be as strong as always, but Modern Family and Better Off Ted just may take the throne.

Rating: Definitely Worth Another Viewing

So You Think You Can Dance 8/6- Our Season 5 Champ Is Crowned!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Well, folks, it's finally here. Tonight we crown Ameriker's Favorite Dancer for the fifth time! (Ameriker's Fifth Favorite Dancer?). This season really feels like it flew by. Cat looks, um, what's the word, STUNNING, in a little white number. Maybe the slightest bit over tanned, but still, she's like catnip.

Note: This is a somewhat abridged recap. For a complete version of the night's events, head to sytycd.ca

Wait, seriously, we're repeating Tyce's Brand New Day routine as the group routine tonight? Not Mia's "Higher Ground"? Or NappyTabs and Dmitry's one? Because this wasn't the top 20's group rotuine, was it? No, right? Then why pick this one? I mean, there are some cool parts, and everyone gets at least a little moment to shine, but I MUCH would have preferred to see a bigger, more out there version of Higher Ground.

Jeanine or Brandon get the biggest cheers upon mention of their names. There were 21.6 million votes last night. Impressive. We've got SEVEN jidges on the panel tonight: Lil' C, Mia (who looks great), Tyce, Honey Child Debbie Allen, Shankers (!), Mary Murphy (apparently auditioning for the role of Tiffany Case in a Diamonds are Forever remake?), and Nigel.

Tonight, all our jidges are picking favorite routines from this season to see all over again. Shankers is the first jidge to pick a routine from this, and it's NappyTabs' first routine of the season, with Chbeeb and Jeanine. Really, that's the one you pick Shankers? I will say, it shows Jeanine's growth over the season that she's actually drawing my attention more than Phil. This number was good, but was it finale good? I still don't think so. As my viewing partner suggests, it's probably to remind people that Phil will be on the tour.

Nigel's pick is Brandon and Janette's Argentine Tango. Now, THIS is a dance that I wanted to see again tonight. And, um, this is still really good. It maybe doesn't pack the same punch it did the first time, but Janette is still Ri.Dic.U.Lous. Um, can someone remind me how she didn't make the finale? Seriously, what happened there?

Debbie Allen is up next with Asuka and Vitolio's Top 18 Louis Van Amstel waltz? Again, this is one of the routines we're getting tonight? I mean, this one I understand somewhat more than the other one, but there were such better routines this season, at least IMO. Maybe because I don't have the strongest memories of this dance, but it's quite beautiful.

Mary's favorite is Jeanine and Jason's Travis routine, which is another one I wanted to see tonight, so thanks Mary. I notice that the heart pendant is red this time as opposed to silver. I don't know, but this small detail somehow makes it a bit more distracting. I forgot how good these two were in this number. Jeanine actually missed a catch on the locket this time. The kiss also is less of a "wow" moment this time, but this number is still amazing, and will be remembered in future seasons.

Mia is the next to pick an encore routine and she’s going with Kayla and Max's Samba, which was hot hot HOT, IIRC. It'll be interesting to see this one again, It's still high energy, and great, and it makes me wish Max had made it farther into the competition. However, I can only wonder if right after this number, they're going to eliminate Kayla. It seems like it's about time for them to eliminate someone. But White Lightning is not the one who should go out first. And, wow, I forgot about that RIDICULOUS ending.

Debbie's next pick is that NappyTabs and Dmitry collaboration that was far better than Brand New Day, so why not just do that at the top of the show? This one still rocks, in case anyone had questions that it wouldn't. And that dancing in water part is still ridiculous and sexy. Brandon, Ade, Kayla, Karla, Janette, and Jeanine are all the real standouts in this one.

Our next guest is the winner of SYTYCD Australia Talia Fowler, choreographed by Sonja. Now, THIS, is awesome. This is the kind of stuff I wanted more of from Sonja this season, which is not to say that Sonja disappointed this season, but rather I wanted more edgy stuff from her. Talia actually reminds me of Jeanine somewhat, both in look and, to an extent, movement. But this was really, really good. Kudos to Sonja.

Lil' C's pick is next and he's going with "Jai Ho all day." Of course, he has to wax rhapsodic for like a minute before letting us see the dance. He also calls Caitlin and Jason extra buck. You know, the amount I remember NOT being wowed by the top 20 performance show, it's making an impressive showing on the finale. Although my favorite routine from that night still hasn't popped up yet. Bollywood isn't my favorite style on the show, it's entertaining but never leaves a particularly lasting impression on me. That being said, they still do this routine well. And Jason ends with a kiss again. He's a kissing bandit, that Jason.

The top 4 are brought out on stage, and one is getting cut. . The dancer in 4th place is... Kayla. White Lightning, I'm sorry to see you go. You were awesome, you know it, and Shankers knows it (as do the other judges). Her video package only reminds what a powerhouse she was.

Shankers is next to pick another encore routine, and it's gonna be Mia's Butt routine, which was fun, and I'm excited to see again. I liked Randi, and was sad that she just completely fizzled without Evan and when saddled with that terrible Paso Doble wig. She actually seems to be dancing with much less abandon this time, and is even better than she was the first time. If we had seen THIS Randi Top 10 week, I suspect we might have had a different latter half of the season.

Mary, the show's queen of scream, is picking the next one, and it's Jeanine and Brandon's Paso Doble from last night. OK, is it wrong that I'm expecting Cat to eliminate one of these two at the end of the number? This is still really good. Their intensity is bonkers.

up, it's time for Elimination number two. At least they bring Evan back on stage. The next person getting cut and our third place finisher is... Evan! Wow, I did not see that one coming. I mean, I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of glad that he was the cut. Brandon deserved to finish above him. Evan is a great performer and tons of fun to watch. He brought Broadway styling to the mainstream which is great. And the kid is adorable. But he was outdanced by Brandon last night. He thanks everyone and says he never imagined he'd be at this point in the competition. He's ecstatic to have been a part of this and he's going to take as much away from it as possible. You can see that Evan is holding in the tears until the commercial break, which is kind of sad. Awwwww.

Nigel’s picking the next routine, Mia’s addiction piece. Am I the only one who thinks it's cruel to make Kayla dance after eliminating her? I acutally think Pono is MUCH better this time and Kayla is STILL managing to portray vulnerability like whoa. Although I guess maybe that's easier after being told that Ameriker doesn't love you as much as the other three? Anyway, this is another one that's sure to remembered from this season. Mia is crying at the end. As are Shankers and Kayla it seems.

The Rage Boyz Crew, that kids group who I didn't think were amazing last time they performed, are back. They've maybe stepped up their game this time, or at least put their strongest dancers up front. I mean, they're kids, and they're still far better dancers than I will ever be. But this still isn't like, jaw-dropping or anything. I'd much rather see more things like the SYTYCD Australia solo. Although the moment when they throw the littlest kid like 15 feet in the air is awesome.

There's only time for two more judges routines, and one of them better be that Wade Jazz. But Tasty is next and he's picking a Doriana disco featuring Brandon and Janette, which means I'm guessing that the other routine won't also be Brandon and Janette, to which I say What The Eff? You include that Chbeeb and Jeanine NappyTabs but not that ridiculously amazing Wade Jazz? Asuka and Vitolio's waltz? SERIOUS OVERSIGHT on the jidges part. I mean, this number is still great. But this or the Wade Jazz? The Wade wins every time. The only reason I can think of for Wade's number being conspicuously absent is that they needed the staircase and couldn't bring one to the Kodak. At least, that better be the reason. If it's any reason than that, that reason is unacceptable.

Time for our last piece, and Mia is, as expected, picking Tyce's cancer routine. Which was beautiful, and I'm glad to see it again, but I want my Wade Jazz dammit! Tyce also reveals that the friend he choreographed this for is cancer-free today. That's nice, and I mean that with zero snark. Rewatching this makes me miss Ade in the finale. I think he would have been awesome in that LaurieAnn number versus Brandon.

There's a surprise, though, first. A Mia routine, the top 8 one in paritcular. I notice the judges table is conspicuously absent as Cat intros the number. Methinks cameo appearances are coming. The editing on this one is really really terribly choppy. It's completely ruining any sort of flow the number should have. And yup, there are our jidges. Althouhg, Lil' C isn't there. Um, what's up with that C?

Jeanine and Brandon are back on stage and it's time to find out who America's favorite dancer is. After over 21 million votes, Ameriker's Favorite Dancer Is... JEANINE! Jeanine is, completely understandably, overcome with emotion. She never thought she would be giving an acceptance speech at the Kodak, but she thanks the academy. Ok, that's kind of awesome. She thanks her mom for pushing her to dance. What she'll remember most from this experience is:
1) Right now. (Great answer)
2) The other dancers
3) Travis' piece for her and Jason
4) Cat (who is jokingly appalled to be number four)

The confetti goes off (although noticeably over the audience, not the stage) and the dancers all run up and hug each other and awww. The dancers all may holding up some sort of hand signal for season five. All I know is that it's gotta be better than "4 Real." So, that was our season folks. I had a good time. Did you? I’ll be back for season 6 but, until then, I'm Nate Levy, Good Night Ameriker!

So You Think You Can Dance 8/5- Performance Show Finale Goodness!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Hey all! Can you believe that the finale is already here? This season kind of feels like it flew by. I'm not sure if it'll be as memorable as say, seasons 2, 3, or 4, but overall, I think I enjoyed myself. Cat is wearing something that is a wee bit too baggy to be very flattering on her, but she's still pulling it off. The intros feature everyone doing their best moves. Kayla is impressive, but Brandon is banoodles. If we consider this round one, Brandon is most definitely ahead. Tonight features everyone dancing with everyone else, per the usual. Jidging tonight are Mary, Nigel, and Shankers! Yay Shankers!

Note: This, as always, is the abridged recap. For a fuller version, head to sytycd.ca. Oodles more finale goodness there...

The final four have a Wade and Amanda routine about two football jocks and two cheerleaders who are too much to handle. The video package makes it look awesome. It's too Lady GaGa, which takes it down a notch in my book. So, I don't want to bee too cheerful, but everyone is kind of NAILING this. Everyone is greatly in character. The choreography is fun fun fun. If anything, they all won this round. Maybe White Lightning by a nose, but a great start to the show.

Evan and Jeanine are the first couple to dance together, with a Sonja Tayeh contemporary. . The routine itself is pretty great, and they are both doing it well. Jeanine is a bit more in control in the routine so she's coming across a little bit better but this is still some of the best dancing we've seen from either of these two this season, at least in my opinion. I'm not sure how memorable this routine is going to be, but I certainly liked it as I watched it. Shankers thought Sonja's choreography was awesome too, because it showed both their strengths and was fun to watch too. Mary thought they would be a good partnership and she was right. Nigel tells Evan he has to be more in command of the stage in his upcoming routines.

Cat sits down with Brandon, who says the show is super-tough but he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. but the big revelation is that Brandon didn't think he'd make the show and he doesn't see it in himself some times. He's blind, maybe? Because the boy can DANCE. His final solo is to the bombastic Dies Irae, and he's just as crazy good as always. He may actually slip at one point but he covers it exceptionally well. He ends with such power and manages to get out of a split using only his legs. To quote my viewing partner, "Jesus." Shankers says “That is COMPETING!” Mary got goosebumps. Nigel thought he wiped out the competition.

Kayla and Brandon are up next, with a Tasty Oreo Broadway where he's putting his own spin on things. So it'll be kitschy, overly literal, and only meh? Despite the best efforts of the costume and lighting people to distract me, I'm actually watching the routine and they are dancing it fantastically. The routine itself could be better, but they are dancing it to the extreme and doing it fantastically well. They were awesome. The routine itself wasn't up to their level. Shankers loved it so much he has to stand up. Mary thought they were rockstars, dancestars, and frontrunners. I get the last two, but if they're such rockstars, why can't we have them performing instead of Kristinia DeBarge? Nigel thought they were strong together and fantastic.

Jeanine’s solo is next. . Jeanine started dancing at age 3 and faced challenges dancing when she was younger. Her favorite routine was Travis’ Top 10 Contemporary. Cat mentions the apparently unchoreographed "Full On Smoocharamaroony" That needs to become a part of the SYTYCD Vernacular. Lets make it happen folks. Anyhoo, Jeanine's actual solo is like tango-ed out or something and it's an interesting direction to take, and certainly one that makes me take more notice of her. She doesn't choreograph her ending well though, and the whole thing judged as an overall was a little lacking. Shankers is so happy for her and lavishes her with every compliment possible. He says she fought Brandon back. Mary thinks she's peaking at the right time and that she's elevated every partner she's been with. She’s in the final two, as far as Nigel is concerned.

Evan and Brandon are up next with a LaurieAnn Gibson Pop/Jazz routine. It's about two guys battling for a number one spot. I'm shocked. Because if there's anything that one could critique about LaurieAnn's previous number on the show it's that it wasn't literal enough. That being said, the routine itslef is... ok. It's ridiculously hyper-literal to the situation, which grates, at least for me. Brandon is also crushing Evan, this round clearly goes to him. I'm gonna say this one isn't gonna be particularly memorable as the night goes on. Shankers thinks Evan got dusted and gets booed. Why? Mary also thinks Brandon did a better job. Nigel thinks Brandon out-personalitied AND out-danced Evan.

Kayla and Jeanine have a Mia Michaels contemporary that takes place from Stage-Left to Stage-right. I find myself focusing on Kayla a lot more than Jeanine, but they're both doing a very good job. Jeanine's movements are bigger, but I'm not sure if that's what the number calls for so much as the slight bit of restraint Kayla is putting into it. Although for the last 10 seconds or so, Kayla falls apart a little bit. But it was a fantastic routine. Shankers just can't say enough about how much he loves them. Mary thinks they laid their heart and soul out there on stage. Nigel reiterates Mary’s comment regarding Jeanine peaking at the right time.

Evan's solo is up next, but first, he has a sit-down sesh with Cat. The brothers Kasprzak (no relation to the Brothers Karamazov) story is retold, especially when he mentions that being away from his family is the toughest thing. His favorite routine was the Butt routine. Evan, for as much fun as he's clearly having, is not dancing nearly big enough. It's all small little movements which just don't give a sense of greatness to his solo. It's exactly what they tore into Kupono and Lauren "Misha Chan" Gottlieb about when they danced this small. Shankers thought he took an interesting, calculated risk. The solo did enough for Mary. Nigel thinks he has something special, but he still hasn’t grown enough for Nigel’s liking and that solo wasn’t up to Jeanine and Brandon’s levels.

Kayla and Evan are the next routine. They've got a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Jive. m absolutely watching Kayla more than Evan in this routine, and, especially coming off Nigel's criticism that Evan needs to control the stage, he is almost a little bit of a disappointment here. He's not bad, he's just kind of... there. I mean, Kayla has some rough moments where Evan pulls her through, but she was the one this routine showed off, not him. Shankers loves Tony and Melanie but didn’t think that was a finale-level routine. Mary calls the routine phenomenal but tears into Evan on technique before telling Kayla she stole the show. Nigel thought Evan brought personality and wonders where this personality has been from Kayla all season.

Kayla’s the last soloist of the night. She wanted to start dancing because of Singin’ In The Rain, she likes the nickname “White Lightning”, and her favorite piece was Mia’s addiction piece, which was probably her best work all season. Um, when did Kayla finally learn how to chroegraph a solo? Because this is really frickin' good. Her best solo all season. I think she was better than Jeanine. Shankers didn’t think the solo showed off who she is, but dubs her one of the best dancers the show has ever had. Mary says she’s gifted and touched by angels. Nigel doesn’t want the audience to be fooled by ideas that she’s entitled or doesn’t need their votes.

Brandon and Jeanine wrap things up with a Louis Van Amstel Paso Doble. This is really really good. They’re nailing the intensity, dancing it to the hilt and without abandon (Jeanine is just throwing herself around the stage). I missed the judges comments for the most part, but they got a standing ovation and Nigel said they edged the other two out as front runners.

Shankers and Mary evade the question of who will win. Nigel says it should be Brandon or Jeanine.

ROUTINE RANKING:
1) Kayla and Jeanine
2) Kayla and Brandon
3) Brandon and Jeanine
4) Jeanine and Evan
5) Top 4
6) Evan and Kayla
7) Brandon and Evan

SOLO RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) VERY CLOSE- Jeanine
4) Evan

OVERALL RANKING FOR THE NIGHT:
1) Kayla
2) Brandon
3) Jeanine
4) Evan

OVERALL RANKING FOR THE SEASON:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) Jeanine
4) Evan

So You Think You Can Dance 7/30- And We Have Our Finalists...

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:04:00 +0000

Cat is in something green and shiny and it's oh-so-much-better than her simple ensemble from last night. Cat Deeley, please dress more ostentatiously from now on. In close-up, Cat looks very 80s kinda-sorta. At least, I see it. It's kind of fab.

Note: It's the second to last week, everyone knows this by now, right? This is the abridged recap. For a full version, go to sytycd.ca

Tonight's group routine is to send in the clowns, which is maybe their way of preparing us for the next round of auditions? The number itself is actually quite beautiful, so much so that I know it can't actually be the Tyce piece I would have guessed from the ridiculous costumes/makeup/set design. Seriously, the choreography in this is just beautiful. In fact, I kind of love this. The number ends with Evan waving goodbye. An omen of things to come? But holy what-the-what, it WAS a Tyce? For serious? Nice, Mr. Tasty. Kudos. Um, also, the four emmy nominated routines from last season are gonna be performed. Which means MARK AND CHELSIE ARE BACK! HUZZAH! Oh, and Twitch, Joshua, Katee, Jessica, and Will too...

Anyhoo, our top 3 girls are up on stage and one's about to be sent to the finale. Jeanine is up first, and... we have to wait until we hear about everyone to find out who's guaranteed to be there to the end. The first girl going to the finale is.... Jeanine. Good for her. I still don't get it, but clearly enough people are seeing something I'm not.

Our first encore performance is Jessica and Will doing Tyce's "Adam and Eve" piece from last year. So, serious question. Was Jessica always this good last year? Because she's great. Will, as always, is astounding. But if Jessica really was this good last season, I was really misjudging her harshly. Anyways, the number is still beautiful, it's probably better than "Cancer."

It’s time to send one of the boys to the finale. It really should be Brandon. The first guy going to the finale is... Brandon. Well, at least it's deserved. I mean, the boy can DANCE. Anyone who disputes that is... well... blind.

It's time for another encore routine, this time it's "Mercy" featuring Twitch and Katee. Um, this number was oodles of fun last time, and it's even moreso this time. They really go for the kiss this time. Actually, I probably liked it a little more the first time, but it's still a wide margin better than a lot of what we've seen this season. Katee is still absolutely flippin fantastic, in case any of you were wondering.

The next encore is Dmitry’s “A Los Amigos”, featuring Chelsie and Joshua. Hoo boy is this sultry. Can someone please explain to me how Chelsie didn't make the finale last season? The girl is fantastic. I mean, look at the facts, she's the only one in TWO of these numbers. And she is selling it hardcore this time too. Not that Joshua is bad, but he just can't compete with her.

It's time for the bottom four's solos. First up is Melissa. I still think this is an utterly fantastic solo.

Ade is the next solo. It's still ridiculously good. Better than it was last night. At least, I think so.

The Jabbawockeez are now doing a routine. They won the first season of America's Best Dance Crew, a show I haven't watched but apparently should if it often features dancing this cool. Then again, it has Randy Jackson too, doesn't it, and that's a big no-no. The white masks creep me out a bit at first, but I've completely come around to them like 20 seconds in. But yeah, this is really awesome.

It's time for the encore I've been waiting for, "Bleeding Love" by NappyTabs featuring Mark and Chelise. Yay Mark! Yay! Sorry, he's just maybe my favorite contestant ever, so I'm excited to see him back. And he's even better than Chelsie in this number. But seriously, this number is just really really really good. I remember not being wowed by this the first time I saw it, but I was a complete idiot back then. Can Mark somehow make the finale this season? Can I massively write-in vote for him right now?

Kayla's doing her solo again now. It looks even more frantic this time. Kayla's a really really good dancer, and if she's not in the finale I'll be upset, but she really needs to work on choreographic a jaw-dropping solo for the finale if she does.

Evan's got even more energy this time it seems. As I said last night, his solos are always tons of fun to watch. I just wish it was a little less of the same thing each time.

Sean Paul's up now, performing his song "Get Fine." Relative to the other performances this season, it's not terrible. Which means it's not good really, it's just not "make-your-ears-bleed" bad (cough cough Sean Kingston, Kristinia DeBarge, Kelly Rowlands, and the Black Eyed Peas). And he's got back up dancers who are actually dancing, so he certainly gets points for that.

The final girls results are up. girls. It's either gonna be Kayla or Melissa. The other girl advancing to the finale is... Kayla, which means Melissa is going home. This was the right decision. I'm a big fan of Melissa's, but Kayla totally deserved the spot over her.

Now it’s the boys turn. . Nigel, who had been mercifully silent up until this point tonight, takes the last moment to pat himself on the back and he FINALLY makes mention of the passing of Merce Cunningham, to which I say about time with that. The other guy making the finale is... Evan, which means Ade is going home. I'm sad, but not entirely surprised. I kind of prepared myself for this, so I'm fine with losing Ade. Now at least I won't be torn between him and Brandon next week. Cat reintroduces us to our finalists: Brandon, Evan, Jeanine, and Kayla. Is it too early to say Brandon FTW?

So You Think You Can Dance 7/29- The Top 6 Make The Final Push

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:06:00 +0000

So, folks, we're down to our top 6. This was the week we lost Mark last year, so I fear what top 6 week will bring this year. However, tonight's 2 hour long show is guaranteed to bring the filler, so at least we know that's there. Excited? Cat is wearing something purple and, in all honesty, fairly boring. Plus, I'm completely not feeling her hair tonight. In good news however, it's ON! Melissa's intro is all about moving one of her legs. Brandon is just crazy good, Kayla has more life than usual (I might describe her as a firecracker based on this), Evan is cute, Jeanine is good but not necessarily memorable, and Ade is great and ends by jumping into a split. Yowza. Guest jidging alongside Mary and Nigel this week is Lil’ C.

Note: As per the usual, this is the abridged recap. For a full version, head to sytycd.ca

The top 3 guys are starting off this week with a Sonja routine, which she describes as Willy Wonka-esque. Color. Me. Pumped. Like super-pumped. And, um watching this number, I was absolutely right to be pumped. This ROCKS. Every one of them has a bunch of great moments. My eyes were probably most drawn to Brandon, but this is twisted, fun, dynamic, and has great musicality. Evan may fall out of sync at the end too, but overall, really good start to the night. Lil’ C thought all of them were fantastic. Mary just loved it, yes she did! Nigel agrees with what’s been said and doesn’t think past seasons could match this level.

The first pairing is Jeanine and Ade, doing a Louis Van Amstel Samba. It’s to Lady GaGa, so I automatically have problems with it. Thankfully, the dancing seems to be pretty good. They're certainly having fun, although I'd say neither is connecting to the other amazing. They're doing the steps and nailing the feeling great, I just would have liked a bit stronger vibe between them. Mary loved the first twenty seconds but if fell apart after that for her. Lil’ C did not get the explosion of excellence he needed. Nigel thinks Ade didn’t alter his style enough for the genre, but that Jeanine was great, which is easier for her because she’s pretty.

Kayla has the first solo of the night. It’s quite good, although it gets a bit busy at the end. But it’s certainly a very good solo.

Evan and Melissa are up with a Tyce Broadway routine. The costuming is a little sparse and not in the good way, because it distracts. That being said, this routine is actually a ton of fun, but because of the performance. Evan's footwork is great, but Melissa outshines him on leaps. They're kind of adorable together though. Lil C thought it was an A, but he wanted an A+. Mary thought it was fun and entertaining. Nigel thought it wasn’t technically demanding, but they needed personality to sell it and they succeeded.

Ade's solo is, as always, full of huge leaps, spins, and dynamic movement. I, as always, really enjoyed it. And his choice to wear an open button down actually helped seriously because it draws the eye to his actual movements, which is great.

Kayla and Brandon are the last pair to perform together. They've got a Stacey Tookey contemporary about a married man's mistress. This is really fabulous. Brandon is phenomenal. Like, absolutely amazing. Kayla is also no slouch and bringing. But overall, this routine is just amazingly good. I will definitely be rewatching this one. Definitely an A+. Lil’ C calls it beyond amazing. Mary loved every second of it. Nigel thought they were technically excellent.

Melissa is soloing to Nina Simone, so points for that. Her pointe feet perfectly hit the tinkling piano keys, so points for that. She looks amazing dancing, so points for that. She may not have the most motion, but it shows a level of restraint that certain dancers, ahem, lack in their solos. I found myself more excited by her solo than either of the previous ones.

Jeanine and Ade are back with a NappyTabs hip-hop routine. Unfortunately, they're still not connecting. Early on, it almost seemed like they were dancing two different routines. I don't think it's my bias that tells me that Ade is dancing circles around Jeanine though. She just kind of seems fatigued. But this was not the knockout performance that either of them needed. Lil’ C felt Ade finally had that dirty groove he’s shown in the past. Mary thinks they won’t be going anywhere after that performance. Nigel is glad to applaud them instead of the choreography, because they got down.

Brandon's solo is next and he's again soloing to something overly bombastic. However, his dancing is just amazing. Like, the boy should be asked back to choreograph, that's how good it was. All three judges give him a standing ovation.

Melissa and Evan are back with a Louis Van Amstel quickstep. It's certainly more fun than the typical quickstep, and these two are still adorable together. Comparing this to something like Asuka and Vitolio's awful week one quickstep this is a revealtion. Compared to the other number this week, I'm not sure how this is gonna stack up. But it's definitely fun. Why does that word follow Evan around?
Lil’ C thought Evan danced bigger than he ever has before and that Melissa was fabulous. Mary found the choreography amazing but their dancing fell short. Nigel wouldn’t call it one of the best routines of the night.

Jeanine's solo is next. It's got personality, and it's fun, but, I'm sorry, I still don't see what everyone sees in her. Like, I found it to be the weakest solo so far. Please, can someone explain the Jeanine love to me?

Evan's solo wraps those up for the night. His solos are always so much fun to watch, and this one is no different. I love his style.

Kayla and Brandon deliver our final partner routine of the night, a Doriana Sanchez disco. Dancing-wise, this. is. AWESOME. Production-values wise, however, sheesh, could the lights and camera focus be any more distracting. Thankfully, by the middle the soft-focus of the beginning is gone, but dear lord, this is just banoodles on the actual dancing and performance front. Kayla in particular is phenomenal, not that Brandon is anything less than flipping fantastic. Kayla can't breathe at the end. Lil’ C rambles and makes no sense whatsoever, but I think he liked it. Mary thinks they had a home-run night tonight. Nigel loved it so much he gets up and runs around.

Our final routine of the night is the top 3 girls getting THEIR Sonja routine, about superheroes. This isn't as good as the boys number, but its still good. Kayla probably draws the most focus, but they all appear to be on roughly an even level. Again, though, the lighting and camerawork/editing is doing them NO favors. Lil’ C thought they were all a little too held back. Mary thought they were all strong, versatile, and sexy but that Kayla stood out as best. Nigel loved their chemistry and found their strength equal.

ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Kayla and Brandon- Contemporary
2) Kayla and Brandon- Disco
3) Top 3 Boys- Contemporary
4) Melissa and Evan- Broadway
5) Jeanine and Ade- Hip-Hop
6) Melissa and Evan- Quickstep
7) Top 3 Girls- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Ade- Samba

SOLO RANKINGS
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jeanine

OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Kayla
3) Melissa
4) Evan
5) Ade
6) Jeanine

WHO SHOULD GO HOME: Jeanine had the weakest night. Sadly, Ade was probably the worst of the boys tonight. However, I agree with Mary that this should be an overall evaluation, so I think it should be Evan and Jeanine going home tomorrow night.
WHO WILL GO HOME: Beats me.

So You Think You Can Dance 7/23- Top 8 Results/100th Episode Extravaganza!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Hey folks! Tonight’s our top 8 results AND our 100th episode extravaganza! Excited? I am. Cat is wearing a sparkly dress that has a tiger on it. Her hair is also quite voluminous tonight. I have to say, on the Glorious/Gloriously Awful scale, it falls toward the latter, rather than the former. Although, the more I look at it, the more I kind of like it.

Note: As always, this is a somewhat shorter recap. For a fuller version, head to sytycd.ca

Tonight's group number is a Broadway number that I'm betting is Joey Dowling because it's really good. I'm a little surprised that they have a Broadway group number considering Katie Holmes' tribute to Fosse coming later tonight. No one really stands out as better than anyone else because I have NO idea who anyone is. Which is almost kind of a good thing because it means I only focus on the dancing, which, as stated above, is really good. I'm a fan. Better than Wade's Geisha piece last week, that's for sure. But weirdly enough, it's a Mia routine. I did NOT see that coming.

There’s lots of jidges padding and video recaps. They are not worth mentioning beyond this sentence. I'm glad to see a few former favorites there in the audience (Shoutouts to Pasha, Shortney Galliano, and the gone-way-too-soon Chelsea Traille (S4)).

Girl results are first. Melissa is up first and she is... SAFE. Not all that surprised, but I hope this safety carries over to Ade as well. Kayla is one of our bottom 2 girls however. Kayla doesn't deserve to go home for last night's performances, but I'm not sure who does, so there's that. Between Jeanine and Janette, the other girl in the bottom two is Janette, who does not really seem all that surprised at the news.

Our first encore performance is Hok and Jaimie doing "The Hummingbird and the Flower" by Wade Robson. This is still really, really, really good. The intricacies of the hand motions alone sells me on this dance. Even if Hok wasn't the all around strongest dancer his season, he still had exactly what was needed to nail this number. And he still does. Jaimie is still good. And still not the most memorable dancer for me. She doesn't leave that large of an impression on me this time around.

Boys' results are up next. Ade is up first, and please please please please please let him be safe. But they hold his results until after they talk to Jason. Diabolical, Ms. Deeley. Diabolical. One of these two is safe, one isn't. The dancer in danger is... Jason. Ade is SAFE! Hip Hip Huzzah To the Nth Degree! Obviously, the other guy in the bottom is Brandon or Evan and, in a true testament to Evan's fanbase, Brandon is the one who is in danger.

Our next encore routine is Travis and Heidi doing the bench. And THIS is still absolutely amazing. With Hummingbird, I didn't feel that same initial "WOW" as when I first saw that dance. With this one, that same feeling is still there. This is still hauntingly beautiful, although Travis' slide down the bench is a wee bit rougher this time around. But it's still absolutely banoodles.

Everyone repeats their solos from last night. It’s a yawn, except for Brandon, who is still amazing.

It's time for the encore we've all really been waiting for: "Ramalama" featuring the original top 10 of season two AND Wade Robson, dancing the number. And this is still just like ridiculously ridiculously amazing. I may or may not take back my statement that Higher Ground was the best group routine ever. But I still posit that it's a close second. Also, while Wade can clearly dance, I feel like his presence here diminished the number because I was playing "Spot the Wade Robson" instead of watching the dance.

Next, it's time for the Katie Holmes Tyce Broadway piece. Bear in mind, it's a Tyce Broadway routine, so my enthusiasm is... muted. We get a nice interview with Katie. That's... nice. So, the routine is entirely pre-recorded because it takes place on an external stage. And which also means this could be edited to the wazoo and we wouldn't know it. Also, I have to say... Wait a tick, was that Mark? I'm pretty sure it was. There seems to be a minimal amount of dancing for her to do, but she's doing what she's given alright. OK, now I'm pretty sure that was Mark because I'm pretty sure that's also Joshua. What's weird though, is that those two appear to be the only alums there. Did I just completely fail to recognize the others?

Girl results are up first. Between Kayla and Janette, the girl going home is Janette. She takes the news well. Nigel says that Janette was his favorite too and he was really rooting for her to win. Boys’ results are next, and between Jason and Brandon, Jason is the one who’s going home. He seems to know this before his name is even read though. Well, folks, do you agree with tonight's results? Looking forward to another hundred?

So You Think You Can Dance 7/22- The Top 8 Get It Together In The Second Hour

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Hey folks! Tonight, our top 8 perform for our votes! Tonight is also part of SYTYCD's 100th Episode Extravaganza, featuring Ellen DeGeneres as a guest jidge! I'm really hoping Ellen brings the funny, Mia brings the bitchy, Mary brings the crazy, Nigel brings... his presence?, and Ade and Melissa bring some seriously high-quality dancing in order to further those two. I already know I'll be voting like mad for Ade tonight. Cat is wearing a golden wrap dress that looks like it was wrapped by 8 year olds. And yet, as always, she looks gorgeous. I'm convinced she must have some sort of Dorian Grey thing going on. The great intros are courtesy of Evan (trying to look as much like Twitch as possible), Ade (who is, um, what's the word, jaw-dropping), Jeanine, and Brandon (who does Ballroom? What the what?).

Notes: Folks, I would think we know the deal by now. This is the abridged recap. For a full version, go to sytycd.ca

Tonight starts with a group routine choreographed by Travis Wall that’s a futuristic rave. t's good, but not the best group routine of the season. It's fun to watch. I guess the two who grab my attention most throughout the routine are Ade and Kayla, although Jeanine, Jason, and Brandon are also deserving of mention as above the others. Nigel calls everyone terrific. Ellen makes a lot of jokes. Mary says everything was great. Mia is beyond proud of Travis and had a blast.

The next routine is Evan and Janette’s first routine of the night. I... like it. But it's really not jumping off the screen for me. I can kind of see the body awkwardness Evan was talking about, as Janette seems more committed and into it. I can't see the "meaning" of the dance in there all that much, well, I guess I can, but I feel like that's because I'm looking for it. All in all, solid but not amazing. Nigel is finally getting what he needs from Evan. Ellen makes jokes before telling them they were great. Mary liked it overall, but could have used more grit at the end. Mia found Evan too adorable for Sonja’s choreography and then tells Janette that she is her favorite this season.

Kayla solos next, and it’s my favorite solo from her this season. She's gotten rid of that over-crowded feeling her first ones had, and she just seems happier now. It may be a little too minimalist, but I was certainly a fan.

The next couple is Brandon and Jeanine, doing a Hunter Johnson waltz. It gets off to a really rocky start with Brandon lowering Jeanine from a lift with an exceptional amount of labor. I think this is the most I've ever seen Brandon fazed, because this is the first time it really seems like he's counting out steps to me. There's some beautiful movement in there, but the footwork seemed to be severely lacking. It gets a solid OK from me. Nigel didn’t get enough from them, but places the blame nearly entirely on external factors. Ellen makes Twyla Tharp jokes and calls them fantastic. Mary can’t stand up and scream for them. Mia finally gets around to actually blaming them for the lackluster-ness of the number.

Jason is our next soloist. It's good, but not as good as his solo from last week was. It picks up heavily towards the end, but it seemed more reserved and thought out than natural. It's certainly better than I used to expect from him; the boy is stepping up his game from the early part of the season.

Ade and Melissa are the next couple, doing a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Cha Cha. don't think I'm just blinded because I love these two, but this seems like bringing it to me. Melissa is hot and sultry and spicy and Ade is powerful and seems like he's having fun. He could be a little more sultry, and there's one part where it looked like Melissa was about to do the wrong move before Ade corrected her. But it ends awesomely and is by far, for me so far, the best of the night. Nigel calls it very good then nitpicks. Ellen asks "Are you two carpenters because you NAILED it!" Mary thought the execution was there, but doesn’t think either dancer did that well. Mia thinks this was Ade’s weakest performance of the season, but that Melissa did an excellent job.

Janette is soloing next and it's... a contemporary solo? It's an interesting strategy, but not one that fully works in her favor. She lacked her traditional spiciness, which is kind of why I like her so much. Also, Cat and Janette standing next to each other is very comical, since Janette barely reaches her shoulder.

Jason and Kayla are our final pairing of the night and they've got a Tyce Broadway. Audible groan. I don't know if it's just my really low expectations for Tyce routines, but this one is surprisingly pretty good. I mean, it starts off really strong and loses steam as it goes on, but it's still miles better than typical Tyce. She's better than he is, but neither of them is awful. I'd rank it below the Cha Cha and probably on par with the Sonja. Nigel thinks it was great for both of them. Ellen makes a much weaker “nailed it” pun. Mary though it flowed effortless. Mia says "I seem like the only sane one up here and that's scary." Truer words were never spoken Mia. She loved the piece, and LURVED Kayla.

Ade's solo is next. Obviously, I'm biased and think he's amazing, but I don't think this solo is going to win him new votes, which worries me. It's a wee bit labored and it looks like he came this close to not landing the backflip.

Janette and Evan's second performance is next, a Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin Rumba. This seems to be continuing the slow motion theme of the night. But I have to say, this is actually pretty good and Evan is a real surprise. Because he's kind of got the sultry thing this time. He almost falls coming out of a spin though. janette was actually a touch TOO subdued for me, and the footwork looked a bit sloppy at times, but it was actually a really really good one for me. Nigel didn’t see passion from Evan and had problems with his face. Ellen loves Evan’s face and that routine. Mary critiques them almost entirely from a technical standpoint. Mia agrees with Ellen.

Melissa's solo is next and it's all kinds of awesome. I accidentally typed some of that last sentence in caps and thought about keeping it, that's how much I like it. It's the first time she's really jumped off the stage for me.

Brandon and Jeanine have a LaurieAnn Gibson pop-jazz routine. N ot gonna lie, I think the star of this routine is Brandon's abs. This is, in all honesty, not doing a whole lot for me. Again, it's completely not jumping off the screen for me. He is distinctly better than her, especially because, to me, she seems to be phoning in a good amount of the number. All in all, a weaker number for me. Nigel loved it and he thinks the night finally begun for him. Ellen thinks they were unbelievable. Mary thinks was strong, powerful, and dynamic. Mia thinks they were so powerful and they WERE the dance.

Evan's solo is next and he botches a hat trick and it's still oodles of fun to watch, but nothing groundbreaking. My viewing partner very accurately points out "He's much more Donald O'Connor than Gene Kelly". I totally agree.

I'd love to critique Jeanine's solo which is up next, but my FOX feed has completely died on the video front. I'm getting audio, but no video whatsoever. However, it turns out it’s just the HD feed. Unfortunately, I can’t rewind to see her solo though, so you’ll have to find that somewhere else.

Melissa and Ade are up next with a Tyce contemporary about a woman with breast cancer. Tyce really is SO MUCH better doing contemporary routines. And this is amazing. They are both absolutely fantastic, and this time I KNOW I'm not just being biased. If the judges don't like this, I'm just going to start muting them. One of the absolute best routines of the season. The emotions, the dancing, the feeling. To quote Ellen, they NAILED it. Everyone on the panel is crying. Nigel says this is why he loves dance so much, calling it one of the most memorable routines on the show ever. Ellen feels priviledged to have seen this done live. Mary was touched deeply and will never forget it. Mia wishes she had the strength they had in that piece.

The final solo of the evening is Brandon and it's more fun than we've usually seen from him. His musicality is ridiculous, as is his flexibility and his overall skills. To quote Ms. Deeley "I mean, seriously. You're like a race horse."

Kayla and Jason are ending the number with a Shane Sparks routine that's clearly based off Thriller, since Jason is a zombie that converts Kayla into his zombie lover. It's not bad, but it's not overwhelmingly good either. Kayla's not as bad as I expected her to be and Jason is doing reasonably well, but in the end it's still fairly good and after coming after that last number, I mean, how much could acutally be expected. Nigel thinks this season’s hip-hop FINALLY came together with this number. Ellen loved it. Mary thinks they did exactly what Shane wanted them to do. This is Mia’s favorite Shane piece ever.

ROUTINE RANKINGS:
1) Melissa and Ade- Contemporary
2) Janette and Evan- Rumba
3) Kayla and Jason- Broadway
4) Melissa and Ade- Cha Cha
5) Jeanine and Brandon- Pop/Jazz
6) Kayla and Jason- Hip Hop
7) Janette and Evan- Contemporary
8) Jeanine and Brandon- Waltz

*SOLO RANKINGS:
1) Brandon
2) Melissa
3) Ade
4) Evan
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
As stated above, my feed cut out for Jeanine’s solo, hence no ranking.

*OVERALL RANKINGS:
1) Melissa
2) TIE- Ade and Evan
4) Brandon
5) Kayla
6) Jason
7) Janette
8) Jeanine- Based on what I saw, I’d rank Jeanine at the bottom of the pack. Her solo would have had to have been very good in order to move her up from here.

Who’s Going Home: I have no clue. I think Tyce’s piece may have saved Melissa and Ade though.

So You Think You Can Dance 7/16- Top 10 Become Top 8

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Hey Folks, it's Dance Time! Cat is again rocking the shiny, although I preferred her previous shineness. This one looks a wee bit disheveled. Tonight's group number is Asian themed, danced to Janet Jackson, and featuring the girls all dressed up vaguely like Geishas. If I had to guess, I'd say Brian Friedman did this one, but honestly, I'm not feeling this one all that much. Kayla and Jeanine stand out to me. But not by that wide of a margin. That was a Wade and Amanda? Really? Maybe I'll have to rewatch, but it's meh for a Wade... Cat mentions the show’s four Emmy nominations, but I wish they’d mention how preposterous it is that Cat was snubbed. Our Jidges are back, except, wait, Nigel's not there! He's graduating and getting an honorary degree, so it's Ladies' Night on SYTYCD! Is the feeling right?

Note: As always, this is a quick recap. For a version with more words, head to sytycd.ca

The girls result are up first. Janette is safe first, before Randi face tells everyone that she’s in the bottom before Cat even has to announce it. Jeanine is safe next, and between Kayla and Melissa, the final spot of safety goes to Kayla.

The boys are up after the break and Jason is quickly sent to safety. Evan is next and I’m surprised, because he’s safe too. His popularity must be bigger than I thought. Pono is completely not surprised that he’s in the bottom. And I am FLABBERGASTED and VERY UPSET that Ade is the other member of our bottom 2. People, this is unacceptable.

When we get back, Cat tells us all about next week’s special shenanigans. Mia Michaels and Ellen Degeneres are gonna be on the panel, there’ll be new performances of a few old favorite routines. Plus, that Katie Holmes person, whoever that is.

Everyone in the bottom gets a chance to solo again.

Randi's solo is better tonight, probably because she's accepted the fact that she's going home. She seems more peaceful this time. Mary says Randi wasn't memorable, yet somehow thinks this could be construed as a compliment. Debbie thought Randi's solo was powerful last night, but thinks she looks better tonight. She's also had enough of the Paso Doble, which, after last night's performance, I totally get it. She may also call it a Paso Dobly

Kupono's solo is next, and again, it's good. He also may know his fate, especially if he's against Ade in the bottom two. But he just seems to have more fun with it this time. Mary has no idea what's gone wrong with Kupono. He's a bad seed, I tell ya! A Bad Seed! She then says he didn't do good enough last night, and his solo kinda sucked too.

The next soloist is Melissa. Her solo shows off her ballet pointe and other ballet-ness both heavily and quite well. Overall, it's better than Randi's solo. Debbie thinks America is getting spoiled, aka Melissa is getting lost in the cracks and tells her to step up her solo.

I'm going to make the best of a bad solo and just enjoy that Ade gets to solo again. Because yet again, it's utterly Amazing and Fantastic. Although he's a little shakier on the backflip this time. Mary says Ade is a star, and Mary has no idea what he can do differently, since clearly America is as blind as the Emmy nominating panel.

Next up performing is the Black Eyed Peas, who I no longer consider a musical group because any group that unleashed "Boom Boom Pow" on the world I don't think can be considered "musicians." They're performing "I Gotta Feeling", which does absolutely nothing to change my opinion. At least this one has a melody? A back-up dancer emerges out of the crowd, but it seems more just like some girl jumped up on stage and joined them than anything clever. OMG, did I just hear them say "Mazel Tov"? This is terrible. To think I once mildly liked them. I will say it's high energy though.

The girls’ results are up first. The girl going home tonight is... Randi. She knew it, and seems if not to be fine with, to at least accept it.

The boys are next. If there is any justice in this show, Ade will be safe. But I have no faith, and am on pins and needles. The boy going home is... Kupono. Phew. I mean, my favorite is saved and my least favorite is gone. Not gonna lie, I'm very happy about that result. Cat plugs next weeks festivities before signing off for the week…

So You Think You Can Dance 7/15- Top 10 Perform!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:50:00 +0000

Cat looks fab in a little green number. She has really been on the mark this summer in her styling... The best intros are courtesy of Ade, Brandon, Kayla, Evan, Melissa, and Jason. Especially Brandon. Especially. Guest jidging tonight is Debbie Allen.

Note: As always, this is a be-shortened recap. For the full one, head to sytycd.ca

Top Five Girls number kicks off the night, with a Nakul Bollywood routine! I like it, but I don't think it gonna be the most memorable routine ever. No one in particular jumps out, although Kayla maybe grabs the most attention. Oh, and that section with the masks on the back of their heads was kinda super-duper creepy. Just sayin'. Overall though, I liked it a good bit. He thought all 5 had everything. They're on his hot Bangers and Mash train. See, Nigel, that just sounds dirty coming from you. Mary says Bollywow! Debbie thinks these is the best top 5 girls ever.

Kayla and Evan are up first doing a Viennese Waltz with Tony Meredith And Melanie, who has earned her way out of parentheticals. And OMG, it's to Kiss From a Rose, which makes me endlessly happy. I dig this a bit, but sadly, I'm not sure I love him in it. I can feel that he's trying to dance tall, but I'm not sure he's 100% doing it. Kayla is, as always, graceful and beautiful. I hope those on the Kayla hate train because of her attitude have started to disembark. There's one crazy lift spin thing n there that I love too. By the end, I kind of find them adorable together but I was definitely a fan. Nigel had issues with the choreography but doesn’t praise them highly either. Mary says Evan was a technical disappointment. Debbie thinks Evan handled his big woman.

Brandon is our first soloer, and he's just soooooo good. Like, I'm sad we didn't get him to solo earlier. But, yeah, he's just awesome.

Janette and Ade are up next, with a NappyTabs Hip-Hop. But I kind of love this, and especially Ade, who is only gaining more ground on everyone else as my absolute favorite. Janette's gradual strip during the routine was awesome, but maybe a wee bit hoochie. They are maybe slightly out of sync for a bit in the middle there, but yeah, this is great. Ade is just truly awesome and is now jumping out to me, which YAY. Nigel loved it and thinks Ade has oodles of funk. Nigel stupidly has pencils in his hair, and says he's gonna try to talk Mary out of his clothes. Cat, in a fit of awesome, says "That is a terrible visual". Mary screams that it was funky. Debbie wanted to join them on stage.

Randi solos for the first time, and it's good, but I have the feeling the jidges might call this desperate. Randi laughs hysterically at the end of her routine. It's somewhere in that abyss between cute and creepy.

Kupono's solo is next. As much as I don't like the guy, I have to admit I like this solo quite a bit. It's fun, and a better side of Kupono than we've seen recently.

Jeanine and Jason are next, doing a Travis Wall contemporary. Yay Travis! Wowzers, this is kind of utterly fantastic. Jason is the best I've ever seen him by a wide margin. And if this was the judges' insidious plan, it's absolutely working on me because she's amazing. The routine is also incredibly sexy, but yeah, just amazing. And it ends in a really passionate kiss, that acutally elicits a vocal "damn" from me. Everyone, jidges and audience, are on their feet cheering. Nigel loved it, Mary is lost for words, and Debbie found them magical.

Melissa's solo is next and it's good. Not like jump off the couch amazing, but very good, and her flexibility at the end is astonishing.

Evan's solo is next and where has this Evan been all season. Like, it makes me sad watching this, because the more I watch him, the more Evan seems like a one-trick-pony, who can only do stuff like that there. But he's awesome at this.

Kayla's solo is next, she seems to have much more joy in this solo than she's had in any of her others. It's quite good.

Randi and Kupono are next, with a Tony Meredith and Melanie Paso Doble. Randi is in an absolutely awful wig, that at first distracts but fails to fully cover up problems right from the get go. They're really trying, I'll give them that, but it just seems vaguely farcical. But Randi pulls off serious better than I would have expected. You can see she also almost falls one point. Yeah, technically, you can really see all the little cracks. And he also drops her at the end and tries to cover it, I'm pretty sure. Nigel thinks they didn’t dance well enough for the choreography. Mary didn’t feel strength, but felt caution. Debbie felt awkwardness.

Ade's solo! Yay! And it's, yet again, amazing! Double yay! Seriously, I hope people are just jumping on the Ade train, because he totally deserves it. I will support him to the end.

Our next soloist is Jeanine. Her solo is pretty good. Not breathtakingly fantastic, but she has good musicality and is compelling to watch.

Jason is our last male soloist, and he's soloing to Muddy Waters, which automatically moves him up in my book. This solo is also utterly fantastic, and is maybe a bit slow, but the quality of movement, musicality, and feeling were all 100% dead on.

The final couple is Melissa and Brandon, doing a Tyce Broadway. They're doing their best here, and in fairness to Tyce, it's one of his better Broadway routines probably, but after two weeks of Joey Dowling, this just don't jump out to me. They're dancing it the best they can though. Nigel calls it fantastic, Mary calls it groovy, and Debbie thought they evoked harmony.

Janette is our final female soloist. And she's all spicy Miami in her solo, and her footwork is phenomenal. I mean, it's a ballroom solo, so it's not mind-blowing, but I'd place it in the top half of the girls certainly.

The final routine of the night is a top 5 boys African number. Unlike the girls, there are clearly a few who stand out above. Jason, Brandon, and Ade are all better it seems. Although you can see signs of fatigue in all of them during the routine. Also, Evan is not trainwreck bad, which is a pleasant surprise. I'd say the girls Bollywood number was better overall. Their choreographer seems very happy with them. Nigel again thought everyone was equal, but was proud Evan didn’t suck. Mary adored the dance. Debbie feels like a world traveler tonight.

Routines Ranking:
1) Janette and Ade
2) (in a very close second) Jeanine and Jason
3) Girl’s Bollywood
4) Boy’s African
5) Kayla and Evan
6) Melissa and Brandon
7) Randi and Kupono

Solos Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Brandon
3) Jason
4) Janette
5) Evan
6) Kayla
7) Jeanine
8) Kupono
9) Melissa
10) Randi

Overall Ranking:
1) Ade
2) Jason
3) Janette
4) Brandon
5) Jeanine
6) Evan
7) Kayla
8) Melissa
9) Kupono
10) Randi

So You Think You Can Dance 7/9- Who Makes The Tour?

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Tonight’s the last cuts before the tour! Let’s see how this plays out, shall we? Cat is wearing something blue with a giant neck thing. I'm... perplexed by it. And not prepared to judge it yet… The opening is fairly cool, and maybe MJ-inspired? I'm betting it's Brian Friedman or Shane Sparks. Nearly everyone looks really good, but Kayla is kind of more awesome than everyone else. And Randi looks scarily like Billie Piper. It's throwing me off something fierce. But I enjoyed the opening. And it's great how they all salute Cat as she walks on stage. Apparently, it was a NappyTabs. Color me surprised. Didn't expect that from them. Nigel, who is a 60th birthday boy today, informs us that they can’t do an MJ memorial because Sony wouldn’t clear the music. Boo Sony!

Note: You know the drill. This is abridged. Where's the full one? Sytycd.ca

First two couples are up on stage are Caitlin/Jason and Brandon/Janette. Hmm, I wonder which of these two is in the bottom… Yup, it’s Caitlin and Jason. Shocker!

Up next, Randi and Evan face off against Jeanine and Chbeeb. I’m rooting for the former, although I’m guessing most are rooting for the latter. But I’m victorious this round, because Randi/Evan are safe, while Jeanine and Chbeeb are dancing for their lives.

Finally, the last two couples are up on stage. Melissa and Ade vs. Kayla and Kupono. Ok, so Adessa are my favorite couple and Pono’s my least favorite dancer, so guess which couple I’m rooting for to be safe? If you guessed Adessa, you’re right! Which is why I have sadface to the max. Pono/Kayla are safe, Adessa not. Also, pretty sure Pono screamed "Shut The F*** Up!" and wildly overcelebrated. And Tyce is being mean to Ade. Boo hiss Tyce! Boo Hiss!

Cat sneaks us a peak of a season 6 audition. It’s someone named Teddy and I like it quite a bit, although at times it’s overly flaily. Ok, wait, I realized that this S6 auditions highlights thing is a really sneaky way of implanting favorites in our head before the season even begins. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ms. Deeley and the Producers: Master Cat-Nipulators...

Solo time!

Caitlin's first. Ok, it's cute and well acted, but this is a defeated solo if I've ever seen one. And why shouldn't she be? Does she really stand a chance?

Jason's next. Ok, the judges are going to totally call this one too busy, or desperate, or whatever their watchword is for this season. I, on the other hand, think it rocks.

Jeanine's turn. And sadly, she's still wearing that gold disaster. It picks up somewhere in the middle, but after last week, this is a let down. It seemed a bit complacent to me. Then again, the judges guaranteed she'd be here next week, so why not?

Ok, so it's Chbeeb doing hip-hop. Of course it's just ridiculously awesome. And super-duper brownie points to Chbeeb from using that future aria from The Fifth Element. Awesome song choice. But his solo last week was maybe a smidge better too.

This is our first time seeing Melissa solo, and it's entirely on pointe. It's also good, not great. I mean, I don't know ballet, this may be fantastic, but I wasn't all that captivated by it.

Ade, my favorite, is our last solo. Um, and this. is. AMAZING. Amazing song, amazing musicality, amazing quality of movement. AND HOLY CRAP DID YOU SEE THAT FLYING CARTWHEEL! Tyce, you better take back every single word you just said. Cat's got the Deeley Chills.

Music performance. It's Kelly Rowland and David Guetta. She's clearly not lip-synching, and I know this because she sounds kind of awful at least at the get go. But, hey, for once, good back up dancers! Kelly Rowland gets somewhat better, but this is still pretty bad. I mean, not "Fire Burning" bad. Or even Kristinia Debarge bad. But it's just anemic and not very fun to watch and not very good to listen to. But hey, at least she's not lip-synching. And when the backup dancers do their little solo parts it's actually fun, if only the camera would actually pay attention to them instead of Kelly Rowland.

RESULTS! Girls are up first, results are unanimous. Nigel thinks a lot of the dancers have achieved their star potential yet. They're evaluating from a positive point of view tonight. Caitlin is called up first and Nigel basically dismisses her immediately. She's already crying, and I feel bad, because I did like her, she just didn't shine as much as she needed to. Her video package is all nice a warm and fuzzies. And it features her doing that back-bend thing a bunch. That's gotta be a good stretch.

Now it's the boys turn. They're again unanimous, and again, they did it with a positive spin. Phil is called forward first and called unique at what he does, but they're upset with his lack of versatility and he's going home tonight. What the what? Seriously? I mean, like, for reals? Don't get me wrong, I'm not broken up over this, but wowzers, didn't see that one coming. Nigel assures us that he's already spoken to the producers and both he and Caitlin are gonna be on the tour. His video package features a lot of noodle limbs. Which is good, since that's when he really shined.

Phil is really emotional, and really was glad to have the opportunity to grow. Awww, warm and fuzzies are back. Jeanine actually looks really shaken. And not to get all Machiavellian, but if Jeanine is really the chosen one, this is a great strategy of funneling Phil's votes to her. And Jason is really upset to see Caitlin going it seems. Well, we now have our top 10 folks. What do you think?

So You Think You Can Dance 7/8- The Top 12 Perform

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Hey folks! Tonight, our top 12 try to cut a rug and not get cut before the tour. Wow, did Mia Michaels write that last sentence? Cat looks smashing and Old Hollywood glamorous in a simple black dress. However, she may or may not have gotten a haircut. And if she did, personally, I think it's marvelous. The great intros tonight are courtesy of Jason, Brandon, Philip, and Kupono. Maybe Ade and Melissa too. They weren't great, but they're my favorite couple, so i guess they get an automatic boost? Tyce is guest jidging tonight. Everyone’s doing two routines tonight, so instead of laying this out chronologically, I’m doing it by pair:

Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more lengthy take, head to sytycd.ca
Melissa and Ade

Disco by Doriana Sanchez
It’s really high energy, and Melissa looks like she was plucked from the Saturday Night Fever extras pool. I watch her more, even though Ade seems to be doing a slightly better job with the dancing. And OMG, Melissa was just in a lift and had her legs in a 180 degree line. She should get super-duper bonus points for that, which should completely nullify the fact that she falls at the end of the routine. But know what, she recovers greatly. Nigel loved it, Mary calls them a Disco Pick-Me-Up, and Tyce says “That Was Friggin Great.”

Waltz by Ron Montez
Really, as a couple, they're SO connected. And that's what's really selling this routine. I mean, it's pretty and graceful to look at, but it's going to be memorable because of how awesomely connected they are. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but has a technical critique for ade. Mary found it beautifully danced, but didn't feel enough power from Ade on something called "the twinkles." Tyce calls it well-danced.

Kayla and Kupono

Contemporary by Mia Michaels
Mia looks very at peace when working with them. This routine is about addiction. This is also really good, but I'm not sure if Kupono's really in the character. I mean, he's hitting the moves well, but I don't actually feel the connection to the character in him. He's just kind of... glaring. Kayla, on the other hand, is just BONKERS good. Like, her face reads it completely, she NAILS every move, and just inhabits the dance. However, the routine itself is fantastic. Nigel thought it was great, Mary keeps them on the Hot Tamale Train, and Tyce thought they brought more than just steps.

Broadway by Joey Dowling
Joey seems like an awesomely demanding choreographer. The rehearsal packages with her are great, because she's clearly just so unimpressed with her raw materials. I don't know though, there's something about this routine that I just don't love. I mean, they both seem to be doing the movements well, but I'm just not connecting to this routine in any sort of major way. Kayla looks fantastic, but I don't have much else to say. Nigel didn’t think it had the necessary emotion, Mary found it really dynamic, and Tyce didn’t think they made it part of their world.

Caitlin and Jason

Foxtrot by Tony Meredith
This is a pretty darn good Foxtrot. Jason isn't really quite connecting all that greatly with Caitlin, but they're both dancing it well. They look the part fantastically, and Caitlin is doing a really good job selling it all. Nigel thinks they made it all look simple, Mary found it tremendous, and Tyce thinks they looked like stars and captured the essence.

Lyrical Jazz by Mandy Moore
Mandy is excited to bring out their strengths, because they're both basically in genre. Mandy describes it as a kitchen-sink routine. For both being in genre, sadly, I do not find this to be the most captivating of dances. Don't get me wrong, they're both doing very well. There's some awesome hand work in there. They dance it well. But I just didn't hone in on it. It didn't jump off the screen for me. Nigel found it very technically well-done, Mary didn’t feel the magic, and Tyce thought it was good but they needed to take it a step farther.

Jeanine and Philip

Russian Folk Dance
This isn't their fault at all, but it's just really bad. The choreography, just isn't enertaining to watch. They're doing their absolute best to sell it as entrtainment, and Philip does a great Trepak, and then shows in some Hip-Hop-ish stuff. And Jeanine does her best with the funner bits she has, but that's just a terrible dance to saddle a couple with. Nigel can’t fault them for how awful it was, Mary found it believable, and Tyce thinks they did well with what they were given.

Jive by Tony Meredith
Phil is greatly awkward about the sexiness of this one. I probably preferred Evan and Randi's jive from earlier this season, but it's much better than I expected to be. Phil is nowhere near as bad as I expected him to be. And Jeanine is just great to watch. She is drawing me in like whoa, and not just because she's shimmying while basically making direct eye contact with the camera and viewer. Miles better than their first routine, and a very very solid routine. Nigel calls Phil the best he’s ever seen him out of his style, Mary was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t a trainwreck, and Tyce asks us to call 1-800-Fan-Freakin-Tastic.

Randi and Evan

Hip-Hop by NappyTabs
I have to say, I'm really impressed by how well Randi is handling this. I mean, they're both good, but I kind of expected her to be pretty bad at this. But she's probably even the better of the two. They're both nailing the emotions of the number, and in all honestly, I would probably say this is my favorite hip-hop routine so far this season. I really really liked it. Nigel liked it a bit and particularly that they weren’t urban-ified. Mary was expecting a trainwreck but didn’t see one. Tyce liked the storytelling.

Samba by Pasha and Anya
Randi is out of her comfort zone. Pasha and Anya want it to be hot, intricate, and different. It's certainly intricate, and also really cool, but these two have problems pulling off the sultry. It's fun to watch, but it doesn't have that Samba sexiness. It picks up a little bit a the end, and there's some great footwork and flips, but without that sexiness, it's just missing something. Nigel thinks they did everything the could but it wasn’t hot enough. Mary found it to be a slow sizzle by wanted it to be more dynamic. Tyce wanted more fierceness.

Janette and Brandon

Argentine Tango by Leonardo and Miriam
They spoke a lot of Spanish in the rehearsal, which Brandon doesn't speak. But even if he didn't understand what they were saying, it's pretty clear that he got what they were doing. I mean, Janette is the stand-out here, but Brandon is no slouch. My only criticism of him would be that at times, you can see it on his face that it's not coming naturally to him. But Janette is fantastic. Her footwork is great, she nails the emotion, and she is just amazing to watch. All three judges give them a standing ovation. ‘Nuff said.

Jazz by Wade Robson
We're like 15 seconds in, and its AWESOME. Like, quite possibly my favorite routine so far this eason. They're both rocking the movement, the feeling, and they're just both ridiculously amazingly fun to watch. Yeah, that's my favorite routine of the season so far. Major major kudos and a half to them. Nigel thinks there’s nothing they can’t do. Mary screams “The best for last!” Tyce thinks they have that thing.

Rankings for the Night (By Couple):
1) Janette and Brandon
2) Melissa and Ade
3) TIE- Kayla and Kupono, Randi and Evan
5) (by a hair) Caitlin and Jason
6) Jeanine and Philip

Rankings for the Night (By Dance)
1) Janette and Brandon- Jazz
2) Kayla and Kupono- Contemporary
3) Melissa and Ade- Disco
4) Randi and Evan- Hip Hop
5) Janette and Brandon- Argentine Tango
6) Caitlin and Jason- Lyrical Jazz
7) Jeanine and Philip- Jive
8) Melissa and Ade- Waltz
9) Randi and Evan- Samba
10) Kayla and Kupono- Broadway
11) Caitlin and Jason- Foxtrot
12) Jeanine and Philip- Russian Folk Dance

Who’s In Trouble: Jason and Caitlin and Philip and Jeanine are likely to land in the bottom. Evan and Randi’ll probably round that out.
Who’s Going Home: Caitlin is dunzo, I’m guessing. For the guys, I’d say it’s between Jason and Evan. Which is sad, since I really like both those guys. Can we get rid of Pono instead?

Pilot Review: The Cleveland Show

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:53:00 +0000

The Cleveland Show
FOX. Sundays at 8:30

So, I’d say I’m a fan of Family Guy. It’s nowhere near must see TV for me, but it still is mostly amusing, and can on occasion be very funny. However, moreso than any other comedy on TV, it completely misses the mark and ends up in wildly unfunny/disgusting territory.

I’m not sure what I was entirely expecting The Cleveland Show to be then, other than, you know, a second version of Family Guy. There are still random absurd cutaways, pop culture jokes that hit, pop culture jokes that miss, and various other stock characters. Which is to say that The Cleveland Show is about just as watchable as Family Guy, could be good for a laugh but not TV you need to go out of your way to see.

To be fair, there are some very funny things in the pilot. Cleveland’s new neighbor, a Christian Conservative bear (literally, a talking bear, I wonder how long until a shit in the woods joke occurs) with a pseudo-European accent, is probably the best character in the show, and brings some comedic energy to the scenes he’s in. And in one either very clever or entirely preposterous moment, there’s a jab at black sitcoms made by white people based on stereotypes. Which is kind of what The Cleveland Show is, making Seth McFarlane either an idiot or a hypocrite, I’m not sure which. But it’s the most interesting moment of the whole pilot.

That being said, this is much more like late era Family Guy than pre-cancellation. The tone of the show is still uneven, and, save Cleveland, none of the main family members are particularly funny. There are moments, but overall, it’s just not a laugh riot. I’d be interested whether to see if they balance out the tone, figure out a way to be more than just Family Guy 2.0, or take the show down a different road altogether, maybe something more along the lines of the now-much-funnier-than-Family-Guy American Dad. So, basically, this gets a rating that falls somewhere between…

RATING: If Nothing Else Is On/I’ll Give It Another Episode

So You Think You Can Dance 7/2- Fourteen Becomes Twelve

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Note: This is the abridged version of the night's proceedings. For the fuller version, head to sytycd.ca

Cat is wearing a short, shiny, silver number and I am a fan. See, Karla, that's how you do shiny.

Tonght's group number seems to be about costuming as many people as horribly as possible. Because, honestly, that's all I can focus on. How awful EVERYONE looks. The choreography looks... ok. I'm betting this is a Tyce. And I get it's Broadway, but really, you put Evan in a Phantom of the Opera mask? The few who manage to overcome their preposterous costuming are Brandon, Ade, Janette, and maybe Kayla and Melissa. So I guess that puts them ahead of the pack? Yup, it’s Tyce, called it.

The first two couples are immediately on stage to get results. Either Karla and Vitolio or Evan and Randi are safe. I know that I’m rooting for the second couple here. Which is why I’m happy that they’re safe. Vitolio seems surprised by the result, and I am surprised by Vitolio’s surprise.

After the break, three more couples are up on stage. Brandon and Janette are immediately safe. Either Kayla/Kupono or Melissa/Ade are in the bottom three. It better be the first of those two, considering Melissa and Ade are amazing. And the SYTYCD Gods are smiling on me tonight, because Kayla/Kupono are also in the bottom three. They were good last night, and probably don’t deserve to be down there, but better them than Adessa. Adessa all the way!

Going into the break, we see Chbeeb and Caitlin hugged together across from Jason and Jeanine all buddy buddy. Guys, this isn't Swingtown. Partner swapping doesn't start until after top 10 week. Get it straight.

Coming back from the break, both couples are up on stage and there’s one bottom three spot left. Chbeeb’s fanbase will probably carry them through, even though they were worse than Jason and Caitlin last night. But the Gods continue to like me, because the Chbeeb is finally heading to the bottom three. He and Jeanine are happy to prove why they’re there. I’m interested to finally see Jeanine do her own style.

For the first time all season, the terms Stars of Dance seems just ridiculously accurate. Desmond Richardson and Patricia Hachey are doing some classical ballet, and it's great. She slips at one point, but otherwise, her pointe seems phenomenal, he seems to do everything he needs to with grace and style. It's great. Makes the Rage Boyz Crew look like, well, boys. The judges give them a standing O.

SOLOS
Karla- She’s good. I can see some frantic-ness in there though. Lets be honest though, she doesn’t stand a chance against the other two girls.

Vitolio- It’s just like all his other solos, meaning I like it but I’m sure the judges will call it desperate (their favorite solo critique word this season)

Kayla- In all honesty, I prefer Karla's solo. She's good, but not great. It ends really strongly though. Cat asks Kayla why she thinks America hates her. She gives answering her best shot, but it's an unfair question. Bad Cat!

Kupono- His solo is... minimal, at least to me. It's almost more about the feeling. But, I can totally see the judges hating this.

Jeanine- Boy do I wish we could see more of her doing this, because she's bonkers good. It's a bit ballet, but I feel the emotion, connection, and she just looks amazing doing that.

Philip- OK, so we all know when Phil can do what he wants, it's going to be ridiculous. And, of course, it is. Tons of fun, he's just preposterously good when left to his own devices. But come on, we all already knew this.

The judges disappear back stage and leave us with Kelly Clarkson, performing "I Do Not Hook Up." I've always kind of liked Kelly Clarkson, so I'm happy for once, going into a performance. Who knew that was possible. What's great is it's completely clear she's not lip-synching. And the song is actually pretty good too (I hadn't heard it before because I don't really listen to contemporary popular music). My only complaint would be that absolutely no one on stage is dancing. But know what, I'd much rather have something like this than endless weeks of Sean Kingston's anemic back-up dancers of Kristinia DeBarge's pop-strumpet prowling. And, for the record, Kelly can still pretty much command the stage.

Results time, and the girls are first. The judges are unanimous. Shocker. They love Jeanine, tell Kayla to dance from the heart, and tell Karla she never captured the star quality they thought she had. She’s going home. I know, I know, none of us saw this coming. [sarcasm] I do feel bad for her, she got stuck with a weaker partner and just never got the chance to shine that she needed. But it's true, she just never demonstrated star quality, at least to me. Do you all disagree?

The guys are up next, and again the judges are unanimous. Phil is great at what he does but still needs to grow in other styles. Kupono better do better than tonight’s solo in future weeks. And Vitolio never lived up to his star potential either, which is why he’s going home tonight.

Cat gets us to give one last round of applause to Karla and Vitolio before bidding us all adieu for the night. Everyone seems really sad to see these two go. Like, moreso than other weeks. Makes my cold, snarky heart feel bad. Anyways, see you all back here next week!

So You Think You Can Dance 7/1- Top 14 Kinda Rock It

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Wow. I'm kind of surprised we're already at top 14 week. I can't remember past seasons quite moving this fast. That may just be my spotty memory though. I’m hoping for a good night, so lets see if we can’t make that happen, shall we?

Note: As always, this is the abridged recap. For a more complete rundown of the nights events (now in fancy live-blog style!) head to sytycd.ca

Janette and Brandon: They’ve got a Jean-Marc Genereaux (and France! Hi France!) Cha-Cha. I'm just not 100% feeling this. t gets significantly better as it goes on. Brandon gives great face and lots of great winks to the audience. It picks up by the end, but I was expecting something a little bit stronger. Nigel thinks it was the best damn cha-cha the show’s ever had. Mary gives them two first class tickets on the Hot Tamale train. Mia has changed her tune on Brandon because he’s amazing.

Kayla and Kupono: They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh contemporary. I like it, quite a bit. Kupono is actually impressing me quite a bit, and Kayla, despite, being a little bit of a prop, is also great. It's not like crazy "The Garden" banoodles, but it's really really solid. I could have used a touch more grit in it, but quite good overall. Nigel is happy to see them reach their potential. Mary says Sonja played to their strengths and they’re staying on the Hot Tamale train. Mia calls it Sonja’s best and makes the umpteenth incorrect comparison between Kupono and Mark.

Randi and Evan: They’ve got a Broadway routine choreographed by Joey Dowling. It's like 15 seconds into it, and I already think this might be my favorite Broadway routine ever. They're both BANOODLES and fantastic. I love the movement. I get a little bit of a mad scientist feeling from his face occasionally, but it's just like awesome in pretty much every way. Sheer awesome. All the judges are idiots, because they didn’t love it as much as I did and weren’t impressed with Evan. Yet the only thing they can find to nitpick is their wrists. C’mon people.

Caitlin and Jason: They’ve got Brian Friedman pop-jazz about an Alien destroying the world and then impregnating the last man on earth. So it’s gonna be light and happy this week. What in the hell is Caitlin wearing? I can't even focus all that much on the dance because I'm completely distracted by her... ensemble? What I see of the dance, I kind of like. It's not jaw-droppingly good, and they're probably heading to the bottom three again. But the more I watch the routine, I like the movements. There's a lot of cool in there. Nigel likes that they committed 100% to it, but wishes Caitlin were dressed skimpier, calling her a human condom. Cat says "Safety first." Cat is full of win. It didn’t sit right for Mary. Mia says Brian probably doesn’t think this is his best work, but thinks they danced it well.

Jeanine and Philip: They’ve got a NappyTabs hip-hop involving a chain. Well, Phil is crushing this, as is completely expected. Jeanine pales in comaprison to him, as expected. But she's doing her best to hold her own, and thankfully, they've got one of the better NappyTabs routines. I have to say though, the chain is a distraction, because I'm watching it to see whether it's going to mess them up. Didn’t love it in the end. Nigel calls it tremendous, Mary found it to be incredibly creative, but Mia kept on getting caught up in the chain-ography.

Melissa and Ade: They’ve got a Thordal Christensan Pas-De-Deux. Utter. Beauty. Melissa's pointe is fantastic, as expected. Ade is there mainly for her, but when he's given things to do, he does them with aplomb. Pas De Deux needs to be on this show a lot more. These two are still the most connected couple on the show, and nail the emotions of the routine perfectly. Nigel mainly pats himself on the back for having classical dance on the show, but calls it superb. Mary just loved it and didn’t want to wake up. Mia found them to be brilliant.

There’s a video package introducing the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which will award scholarships to talented, underpriveleged dancers. My mean heart can't say anything bad about this, so I’ll keep this brief. You can go to dizzyfeetfoundation.org to find out more.

Karla and Vitolio: They’ve got a Jean Marc (and still France) quickstep, aka the kiss of death. Awww, Karla just looks utterly terrified. She keeps looking down at her feet. They put on a brave face despite knowing their fates, but I mean, it's the quickstep. Better dancers have tried and failed to conquer it. They put as much personality as they can muster into it, but it's just fighting a losing battle. Nigel loved the choreography, Mary liked it overall, and Mia thinks Jean-Marc is a genius and they danced it well.

My Rankings for the Night:
1)Randi and Evan
2) (in a virtual tie) Melissa and Ade
[big jump]
3) Kayla and Kupono
4) Janette and Brandon
5) [very close to 4] Caitlin and Jason
[medium sized jump]
6) Jeanine and Philip
7) Karla and Vitolio

Who’s In Trouble: Karla and Vitolio are guaranteed a bottom 3 spot. Jason and Caitlin are pretty much too. I’m confounded as to who couple number 3 is gonna be. Kayla and Kupono? Melissa and Ade? Will Phil’s fanbase fail to save him this week due to perceived safety?
Who’s Going Home: Obviously, Karla and Vitolio. Not even a question.

Summer Appointment TV: Wipeout and So You Think You Can Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:46:00 +0000

So, this is parts two and three of that week-long series. It was a busy day yesterday, so instead you get two posts combined into one here. Huzzah? Anyway, the two shows being chronicled today are my two must-watch reality shows of the summer, that sadly air at the same time as one another. Thank god I don’t live in the age where there was only the chance to watch things on the television when they aired. Or, (shudder), when there were only three channels. God bless those old fogeys for putting up with that.

Wipeout

Pound for pound, I know of no funnier on all of television. And I do mean “pound for pound,” because the whole insane, amazing, always watchable pleasure of this show is people falling down in the funniest ways possible. Seriously, that’s the whole conceit of the show “lets make people attempt and fail to do obstacles that will result only in the funniest spills ever.” And by the gods of slapstick, they’ve done exactly what they set out to do.

Seriously, the obstacles on this show are just insane. There’s always the big balls, because NO ONE can do them. But as if they weren’t entertaining enough, they’ve added a giant motivator that swings at you and knocks you into the big balls if you wait too long. And it’s oh so glorious.

But there’s just so much more too. The giant air bag that they have to race each other across (where if someone jumps on when you’re already on there, you’ll likely go flying), the Hurt-les, which seem to be timed to inflict the most comical pain as possible, the crazy sweeper, which is just insane, and so many more. Sure, the laughs may all be 100% juvenile (I mean, it’s people falling down in funny ways), but don’t all of us have a kid somewhere inside? Oh you don’t? Fine, Scrooge, leave me to my Wipeout while you go watch you Masterpiece Theater. I don’t care. I’ll just keep watching and laughing my hind quarters off at things like this:

Or this:

Seriously, the laughs just don’t stop.

So You Think You Can Dance

So transitioning from the moronic yet amazing to the simply just amazing, So You Think You Can Dance is my third appointment show of the summer. If you’ve read this blog, you know what a big role SYTYCD plays. In fact, you likely found this blog because of it. And it’s not just because people liked my Dance recaps (You like them! You really like them!), it’s because SYTYCD is pretty much the best of the talent competition shows out there, and is steadily and surely closing in on Amazing Race as my pick of the best reality show out there period.

And that’s because these people are all bonkers talented. Which is not to say that the people on Idol aren’t. But, as a batting average type of thing, SYTYCD blows Idol out of the water talent-wise. Every member of the top 20 is wildly talented in at least some way (or at least nearly every member, cough cough Tony). Dance is also just more captivating to watch than singing, it’s about motion, which is critical in any sort of moving visual medium. It’s broad ranging, exposing different styles of dance that would not get seen on the other inferior dancing shows.

Plus, no discussion of SYTYCD’s greatness would be complete without mentioning Ms. Cat Deeley, the hostest with the mostest who was ROBBED of an Emmy last year and hopefully will not suffer the same mistake this year. She is pretty much perfect, caring when she needs to be, fun when she needs to be, cute as a button, often fashionable or at least entertaining in her faux pas. She is everything that the show needs, and much more charismatic and likeable than Ryan Seacrest. She holds the show together.

So, that was yesterday and today’s heaping dose of my opinion on what you may sorely be missing out on this summer. Love these shows? Think I’m an idiot for loving these shows? Dance fans, insulted that I included the show with Wipeout? Even after seeing those clips? Well, then comment!

Summer Appointment TV: True Blood

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:38:00 +0000

So, folks, it’s kind of been a while since I wrote anything that wasn’t SYTYCD related. My bad. But this is the first post in a weeklong series that will only partially focus (one day) on Dance. This week is dedicated to highlighting the five summer appointment shows, the shows that I feel an overwhelming desire to watch on a weekly basis. Sadly, there are only about five shows that I feel make this cut, so a weeklong series works out quite well. Before I start, I want to mention two shows that didn’t make this list for logistics reasons, shows, however, that are most definitely appointment TV for me:

Harper’s Island- This has turned into an addictive little show for me. I can’t wait for the next episode, especially the closer we get to the finale. This past week’s episode was the best hour of TV I’ve seen in a few weeks. It may have seemed cheesy, and may have started out the same way, but it’s turned into a must-watch fun little mystery. Sadly, only the two hour finale is left.

Rock of Love Bus/Real Chance at Love Charm School- Let’s be honest, the only reason this particular VH1 show would have made the list is because it’s the show they’re airing right now. VH1 is always appointment TV for me, and it just didn’t feel right listing this one just because it happens to be on right now.

All that being said, and acknowledging Psych, which would have made this list but doesn’t start airing until much later this summer (Boo! Hiss!), let’s get down to business, shall we?

True Blood
Sundays, 9PM, HBO

About a week or two before the second season started airing, I watched the premiere of season 1. I managed to race through all of season 1 with days to spare before season 2 premiered. I shouldn’t say managed, actually, I should say thoroughly enjoyed. This show is dark, hilarious, sultry, and just plain entertaining. I mean, I should remind everyone like I love supernatural stuff, but I still think this show is just downright fun to watch.

What’s really interesting to me about True Blood, though, is how much more I care about the rest of the world of Bon Temps than about Sookie and Bill. They’re a little bit meh for me, I’d much rather focus on Tara, Lafayette, Sam, Hoyt, Jessica, Eric, Maryann, the rest of the Fangtasia crew, even people like Arlene and Terry Bellefleur. It’s just an utterly fascinating and gripping world.

Plus, the mysteries are fantastic. I’ve never read the books (I’m only slightly tempted too now, I’m not a big reader, what with being a ridiculous TV addict and all), which means I don’t know what’s coming (OK, well, slightly. I occasionally peek at spoilers) Each week I’m trying to figure out how things are going to play out, what’s coming next for these characters. It’s a show I want to immerse myself in. And it has become absolutely must-watch viewing for me. Can’t wait to see what happens next. And what in the hell is Maryann?

So You Think You Can Dance 6/25- The 16 Lose 2

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:13:00 +0000

Hey Folks,

So, it’s top 16 results night. I gotta say, like most, I wasn’t all too impressed with last night. There were a few great couples (why do I feel like Melissa and Ade aren’t getting the fan love that they deserve?), and, um, one terrible guest judge. Going into tonight, I see the lonely stool of eliminated depression in Jonathan and Karla’s futures, simply because Jonathan stunk more than Asuka and the show’s not gonna get rid of two of its remaining three ballroomers in one fell swoop. That being said, I’m not gonna be surprised if this is the end of Caitlin’s run either. Because this recap is not all about the booty, but rather all about SYTYCD’s top 16 results show, lets get to discussing that, shall we?

Note: This is the slightly abridged version of the recap. For a fuller recap, head to sytycd.ca

Oh hey, remember how yesterday I said Cat was on an outfit hot streak? Yeah, well that ends tonight, with a pantsuit stolen from a Florida retiree circa 1973. Tonight’s opening routine is ballroom-ish, which I can’t remember them ever doing before. And my god is it sultry. Like, the first 30 seconds are all “I wanna be all up on you” looks. And then there’s that wet-outfit contest segment in the beginning. Ade, Karla, Melissa, Brandon, and Janette stand out. And Jeanine certainly stands out in the sultry, because she looks damn good during the wet part. Apparently, it was a collaboration between NappyTabs and Season 2’s Dmitry. I can totally see the mixture in there retroactively. Toni Basil, missing the hat, the only interesting thing about her from last night, is back along with Mary and Nigel. The show addresses Michael Jackson’s death (along with Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett). Nigel kind of makes it more about himself a little bit than the dead people (at least during Farrah’s part). Or maybe it’s just me? Nigel cites “Black and White” as the inspiration for the show. We then watch the Thriller video into commercial, which is always welcome for me. Because Thriller is awesome. If you disagree, you’re an idiot.

The first five couples are welcomed to the stage. I don’t know why they broke them 5-3 versus 4-4, but whatever. Asuka and Vitolio are first and they totally deserve to be in the bottom 3 for that. Asuka in particular. Which is where Cat deservedly sends them. Janette and Brandon are next. Oh look, Toni Basil says street during their video package. Whoodathunkit. Anyways, they’re safe. Good. Randi and Evan are next and these two are adorable looking together. I like the piece a lot more watching the parts during the video package. Methinks I’ll have to go back and rewatch it. They’re safe, or as Cat says, “the butt made the cut.” Jeanine and Philip are next. The routine still isn’t fantastic. They’re safe too. Phil’s fanbase must really be voting in droves. Melissa and Ade are last of this group and they best not be in the bottom. I mean, I really doubt they’d get rid of either of these two tonight, but I thought the same about Max last week. But they’re safe! Huzzah! And if you haven’t figured it out, these are the two I’m really rooting for. Go Adessa!

The remaining three couples are now on stage. Karla and Jonathan are first and wow, he’s even worse looking at it again. They best be in the bottom three. And good, they are. He really deserves to go tonight. Jason and Caitlin are next, and I’m totally not gonna be surprised to see them in the bottom. We have to wait and relive Kupono and Kayla before we hear results though. The final couple rounding out the bottom three is Caitlin and Jason, and, continuing a trend this season, Kupono and Kayla are way too in-your-face about celebrating their safety in front of the bottom three couples. Mary reminds the bottom dancers how many dancers they beat to be there. Toni basically says all three deserve to be in the bottom. Nigel makes Toni get mean. And you know, it’s probably the most interesting she’s been all week. Save for her choice of that hat.

Tonight’s stars of dance (which I accidentally just typoed as satyrs of dance, which would be so much more interesting), is a group of kid hip-hop dancers, the “Rage Boys Crew”. There are some stand out kids and some who just kind of do the moves. By the way, I absolutely don’t feel bad about dissing kids in this recap, just so you know. I mean, they’re all better than I would be, but I’m not putting myself out there on a dancing program, you know? There are a bunch that are really good though. So to recap, I don’t hate all kids, just those that can’t dance well. Cat gets down on her knees and kind of bows down to them.

Dance For Your Lives! DANCE!
Asuka- It’s not as good as her jive solo from week one. This one’s all about doing her sex kitten thing. I’m also pretty sure Cat just flat out called her Oscar.

Vitolio- This. Is. Awesome. This solo is all leaps and grace. Like, there should be no way he goes home after this.

Karla- Karla is, actually, really good for me. I like her movements, I think I maybe even understand what she’s trying to get across. It certainly makes me wonder how much I’d like her if she had a better partner.

Jonathan- Shockingly enough, his solo is actually pretty good too. I mean, it’s mostly tricks and some fancy footwork, and I doubt it’s enough to save him tonight, but it’s a high note to go out on.

Caitlin- Caitlin’s solo is pretty to look at, and it seems graceful. There’s some awesome leg stuff and a great back handstand leap thing. I’m not entirely sure if it’ll save her though.

Jason- Ok, well this is most definitely the final nail in Jonathan’s coffin. Jason is an amazing soloist and, to quote Shankers, so SYTYCD.

The judges disappear backstage, and I kind of hope Toni Basil stays there. Tonight’s musical act is The Veronicas, performing “Take Me On The Floor.” There’s something immediately off about the sound mix, because the lead’s being drowned out by backing percussion. She also repeatedly fusses with her earpiece. These girls look like junkies, but they do sing better than them. The performance is still kind of anemic though. And yet is still miles better than the last two trainwrecks of “performers.” Their back-up dancers are also pretty good. Wait, but one of the Veronicas really looks half-asleep. I’m still thoroughly depressed by the musical “stars” this show has been giving us. Honestly, where are those dancing prostitutes when you need them? At least they know how to put on a show.

SIDE NOTE: How much do you want to bet that like halfway through “More to Love” they introduce a bunch of skinny girls to spice it up? Because FOX is cruel like that. Also, I notice I am writing oodles of side notes on this show. Which is surprising, considering I have no interest whatsoever in watching it.

The girls results are up first, and the judges are unanimous. The judges feel Caitlin’s growing confidence and think she gave the best solo tonight. I’d say at least two boys were better than her, but whatever. Karla is called up next and they felt desperation in her and saw lots of technical flubs in her solo. They love Asuka’s beauty and how much she gives in her performances, but they feel she’s not growing, and she’s going home tonight. Which means the show really is getting rid of two more ballroomers since Jonathan has to be going home tonight, right? Right?

Well, it won’t take me long to find out since it’s the boys turn to find out their fates. They are not unanimous tonight, to which, what the what? How is it not unanimous that Jonathan has to go tonight. They feel Vitolio doesn’t deliver on his promises. They think Jonathan shined last week but was disastrous last night and they wanted more than just gymnastics tonight. They thought Jason was desperate this week, to which, again, what the what? But apparently, he was good enough to get through. The person staying tonight is Vitolio, to which I say, why the hell were the judges questioning this? Jonathan’s exit package reminds me of their contemporary, which doesn’t look as good on second watch. Cat plugs a rebroadcast of this past season of Idol’s Michael Jackson week next Monday before wishing us all goodnight. Well, I have to say, I would probably identify these two as the weakest remaining in their respective genders, so I have no problem with tonight’s results. My only question? Who in the hell voted to keep Jonathan? Would you have?

So You Think You Can Dance 6/24- The Top 16 Perform

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Hey Folks,

So, it’s top 16 night! Which gives us another 8 performances on which to pick who our favorites are and who we kinda sorta maybe think shouldn’t be there much longer (cough Philip cough). I know last week some people found my claim of Mia’s “Higher Ground” as being superior to Wade’s “Ramalama Bang Bang” to be dubious to say the least, but the more I watch it, the more I’m tempted to stand by my statement. It’s just soooooo grood. Which is a combination of great and good, for those who are not familiar with the TeenGirl Squad. But what “Higher Ground” has illuminated for me is that this season has been severely lacking in the Mia department. I wonder if she’s gonna have a reduced role this season or something. I know she’s doing one routine tonight (and none of you better complain about spoilers since your reading a recap), but that still seems like an oddly small amount of Mia for being three weeks into the season. Are you guys feeling a Vitamin Mia deficiency? Anyhoo, on to the dancing! Tonight’s Jidges are Nigel, Mary, and Toni “Oh Mickey You So Fine, You So Fine You Blow My Mind Hey Mickey” Basil.

Note: This is the beshortened recap. For the full version, head to sytycd.ca

Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Dave Scott hip-hop. And, oooh. He’s just awful. Like, save one trick, it’s Matt Dorame doing hip-hop bad. Karla tries her best to hold it together, but she’s just fighting a losing battle. It’s saying something when they get the biggest screams for nailing a simple move. Nigel felt it lacked a necessary danger. He bets the audience they’ll be in the bottom three. Someone is wearing their cranky pants below the judging table tonight. Mary felt no power and it wasn’t in the right groove. It felt store-bought to Toni. Karla accidentally holds up a two instead of a one. Good job Karla.

Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Mandy Moore jazz. I’m just… not getting much out of this. Asuka seems tentative in most everything she does, and she has some weak leaps in there. Vitolio does better, but I’m not connecting to him at all. Remember all those Showgirls references I was making during the audition weeks? Well, this performance would have perfectly suited to Nomi Malone. And Asuka, well, she’s kind of no Nomi Malone. Uncharacteristically weak for Mandy. Nigel calls it fantastic. Mary thought it was good but not breathtaking. Toni tells them not to let their technique get in the way of their emotions.

Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Tony Meredith rumba. Well, this is miles better than anything else we’ve seen tonight. I can’t even speak as to whether their technique is great because they’re so frickin’ connected and sultry that the emotion is being nailed and that’s drawing my focus. But it’s like 5 times better than tonight’s other routines. Melissa also looks great. Cat asks if anyone else feels as if they’re interrupting something. Cat also asks the audience to applaud Melissa’s half-an-outfit. She’s called a Goddess. And she looks vaguely Elizabeth Berkeley-ish. OMG, Showgirls is either taking over my brain or it’s a SYTYCD conspiracy. Nigel throws oodles of love their way. apologizes for that pun but throws oodles of love to both. Mary found it both unbelievable and believable, yet I somehow understand what she means. Toni calls it beautifully done. Also, I’m now officially calling it. Ade & Melissa=New Mark and Chelsie. Adessa for season 5!

Janette and Brandon- They’ve got tonight’s other Dave Scott hip-hop routine. FINALLY. GOOD HIP-HOP. Brandon nails it. Janette is a firecracker and deserves kudos forgoing out there in a leather corset, panties, and semi-fishnets with less leg covering. Which, by the way, she pulls off, because she’s a firecracker. But Brandon is buck. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the best hip-hop the show’s seen, but its certainly the best of the season so far. Nigel though they worked it. Mary thought they hit it. They get a scream. Toni liked Dave’s strategic melding of rock into hip-hop. OK, Toni Basil, we get it, you’re street. Stop using that word.

Kayla and Kupono- Gotta say, I don’t think these two are gonna work, but who knows. They’ve got a Jean-Marc Genereaux (and France!) Viennese Waltz. But I’m pleasantly surprised because it actually works really well. It also helps that they’ve got possibly the least busy lighting and camera work of any number all season. I see moments of weakness, mainly in Kupono, but it’s certainly much better than those first two routines. Nigel thought it was very beautiful but isn’t going to make anyone stand up and heer. Mary found it elegant and flowing and puts them on the Hot Tamale train. Toni really liked it. Toni also maybe sorta revealed she doesn’t watch the show regularly, because she wasn’t sure this week was their first week together.

Randi and Evan- They’ve got a MIA MICHAELS ROUTINE! That’s all about the booty. But it’s Mia, so I’m just excited beyond. Randi is also wearing a “Unitard girl” shirt, which is awesome in so many ways. Unfortuantely, it’s just not that great. I mean, its still good. But it’s missing that zap that other Mia routines have had. Plus they are a bunch of noticeable mistakes including Evan coming really close to falling at one point. It was good, not great. It may have been felled for me by high expectations, but I don’t know. It just didn’t explode off the screen for me. Cat calls them cheeky. Nigel found it beautifully danced and followed through. Mary found them terrific and hypnotizing. Toni thinks they lived up to the choreography.

Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Jean Marc Genereaux (And still France!) Paso Doble. It’s all about fight this week. They dance it exceptionally well, it seems, but I don’t feel the connection between them or the anger. But the dancing itself is pretty freaking remarkable. Although I think their timing to the music is off by the end. Nigel thought there was no connection in their eyes but that they danced it fantastically. Mary thought it was strong, but found Jason’s posture and the characters were only good part of the time. Toni liked it. God, she’s an awful judge.

Jeanine and Philip- They’ve got a Tyce broadway. Ugh, I have low expectations. It’s… cute. And I actually like the choreography much more than I usually like Tyce’s choreography. But there’s an energy that I find lacking. Jeanine is cute as button though. And Philip’s pants appear to have split during the number. But there was something that didn’t work about it. It’s almost like the music just didn’t work or something. Mary loooooves that Phil’s pants have split. She finds it ever-so-hysterical. Nigel thinks Phil still needs to grow more. Mary thought Phil nailed the character but his technique needed work. Toni found it adorable.

My Rankings for the Night:
1) Melissa and Ade
2) Janette and Brandon
3) Kayla and Kupono
4) Randi and Evan
5 & 6) TIE- Jeanine and Philip AND Caitlin and Jason
7) Asuka and Vitolio
big jump
8) Karla and Jonathan

Who Should Be Worried: Karla and Jonathan are obvious. Asuka and Vitolio are also probably gonna be there. Either Jeanine and Philip or Caitlin and Jason will probably round out the group.

Who I’d Send Home: Jonathan and Asuka should go home this week.
Who Will Probably Go Home: Save a miracle, Jonathan is dunzo. I fear for Karla as well.

So You Think You Can Dance 6/18- 18 Minus Two

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Hey folks,

Well, it’s time to say goodbye to another two dancers. Like I said in my recap last night, I’m kind of clueless as to who’s gonna be packing their bags tonight. If I had to venture a guess, Kupono and Asuka are probably done for, which would make me 0 for 2 in Fantasy SYTYCD. What makes me wonder about this poor cousin theory is that I remember last season, at Top 18 week, there were still enough dancers that could clearly be cut without losing lots of potential (cough cough Susie “Cannon Fodder” Garcia cough cough). This week, it’s gonna be kind of tough to pick out anyone who is noticeably weaker than the rest. I can’t promise oodles of funny or wit tonight, since I’m in a little bit of a heinous mood, but I’m gonna try my darndest for you guys tonight. However, just like Mia Michaels, I like to cut (although what I like to cut is long lines, not dancers), so lets trudge forward, shall we?

Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full version, shake a tail feather over to sytycd.ca

Cat is in a completely white pantsuit. It’s… blah. Usually from Cat, I expect greatness or great-terribleness. This falls in that in between chasm of mediocrity. The top 18 is a Mia routine and everyone has what look like Maori tribal tattoos painted on to their faces. It’s… like jaw-droppingly fantastic. I can say in no uncertain words that this season is gonna have turn something incredible in order to knock this off the list of most memorable numbers. I’d go so far as to say that it’s maybe one of my favorite routines EVER by Mia Michaels. It’s just 150% full of win. I can’t even pick out outstanding individuals, because that routine was so good it made EVERYONE seem awesome. Ade, Jason, Brandon, Janette, and Jeanine may stand out just a smidge above the others, but everyone rocks it.

We immediately (seriously, it’s like 5 minutes into the broadcast right now) get results. Ade and Melissa, Jason and Caitlin, and Phil and Jeanine are brought out. Well, I think it’s pretty clear which couple’s in the bottom here. No surprise, Jason and Caitlin are sent straight to the bottom three, do not pass go, prepare your solo.

When we come back, the next three couples on stage are Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Kupono and Ashley. Again, no surprise when it turns out that Kupono and Ashley are the bottom three couple in this group. Jonathan and Karla maybe celebrate a bit too much right in Ashley and Kupono’s face for my liking. Lil’ C is shocked, yet in the middle about it, because he thought this week showed their vulnerability in a style outside their own.

Side Note: I just rewatched the Mia routine over the commercial. Yeah, I might even go so far as to say it challenges Ramalama Bang Bang from season 2 as my favorite group routine ever. I love it THAT much.

The final three couples are up on stage, but before that, we’re all given a treat of Evan’s brother Ryan auditioning in LA for season 6. And, shocker, he makes it to Vegas. Evan apparently didn’t know, or so he makes hand gestures. The final couple gracing the bottom three is… Kayla and Max? What the What? . Vitolio, just like Jonathan/Karla, over-congratulates himself in Kayla and Max’s face. In fairness, though, the look of Stank emanating from Kayla when she found out her bottom three berth was not pretty. Humbleness, Ms. Rodamski, along with that talent, that’s what we’ll love you for. Look at the all the winners/favorites. They were all pretty humble. Nigel says America must not have gotten Brian Friedman’s choreo.

Tonight’s “World of Dance” dancer is a true Indian/Bollywood dancer (Ok, completely not Bollywood, but more traditional Indian. Or maybe not), whose name goes by too fast for me to catch. It’s good, better than the anemic Argentine tango from last week, but it’s still not as good as I would expect from a “stars of dance” routine.

Also, I just realized, can I get a HALLELUJAH that the creepy, creepy, CREEPY Snuggle the Bear is no longer asking America to dance for him and then let him kill them while they sleep?

Going into the solos, I think Ashley and Max/Kupono are probably in trouble. Kayla, and I kinda think Jason, are guaranteed safety.

It’s Soloin’ Time:
Caitlin: It’s simple, but very pretty and I’m pretty sure I feel exactly what she wants me to feel, so I’d call it a definite success. Better than all three girl solos last week, for sure.

Jason: Jason’s also very good, and, as Shankers said, he is so SYTYCD. Also should be good enough to keep him around for another week. He’s got a bunch of great leaps.

Ashley: It’s… good. Certainly sultry. But I thought Caitlin was better. She spent a few seconds just standing against the banister. That’s not the best way to spend your time. I may actually get one right this week in FSYTYCD.

Kupono: It’s also good, but not fantastic. Jason was certainly better. Cat doesn’t want him to go because she wants to see more of his outfits. That’s not a great endorsement Cat. He also doesn’t know how to manage his time very well because he takes a few seconds to start and clearly ends a second early.

Kayla: I gotta say, it’s not the best solo ever. It looks like a lot of leaps with some dancing in between. But she’s definitely good enough to be kept around.

Max: Max is soloing to Footloose. So I’m already biased to like it. His footwork is also Phe-Nom-En-Ol. He should definitely stay around.

Tonight’s musical guest is Kristinia DeBarge. It’s your typical pop-strumpet pop song. Which is to say its mildly catchy, has a decent beat, but will utterly be forgettable. I do have to giver her credit though, she is actually kind of dancing, and her back-up dancers are by no means bad, unlike last week.

We’re back and it’s results time. The girls are up first. It was not unanimous on either gender tonight. They all agree that if it were up to them, they wouldn’t lose any of this 6. But they’re not gonna change the rules of the competition. They thought Caitlin had great quality of movement and control, she’s safe. They thought Ashley had Hollywood glamour but thought her solo had no substance. They know what a great dancer Kayla is, but they didn’t think she proved that with a crowded solo and she needs to pull it back. Ashley is going home tonight. We get her recap package. In all honesty, I’m probably not going to miss her, but she wasn’t the weakest girl in this pack. It does suck that she tried for four seasons only to get cut second though. Jeanine looks flabbergasted in the pit.

The boys are next. Jason is first, and they found his solo to be exceptionally strong and thinks it’s the best solo of the season. He’s immediately sent to the pit. They felt Kupono also lacked substance, but they liked that he is different and an intelligent dancer who can take on characters. They think Max is incredibly hard-working and know that he is restricted by his ballroom-ness in solos. And yet, Max is the one going home tonight. Sorry, but especially after the solos, that was the wrong decision judges. Again, I didn’t love him, but considering he was the best last night and his solo tonight was really good, I’d rank this as higher up on the SYTYCD injustice scale. It also begs the question who in the hell is going to cook for these people now? They need their strength, people!

Well, folks, what did you think? Was Max unfairly shafted? Did Ashley not seem to really care anymore, as my viewing partner thinks? Was that Mia Michaels routine not Banoodles to the Buck power? And do you feel, like I feel, that a Kayla/Kupono coupling sounds mildly disastrous?

So You Think You Can Dance 6/17- Top 18 Perform

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 02:47:00 +0000

Hey folks,

So, it’s top 18 night! Top 20 night was good, but I fear the “poor cousin” theory may actually prove true. I didn’t find any instant stars on top 20 night, like I did last year with Katee, Josh, and Mark among others. No one just jumped off the screen for me. However, I got high hopes for tonight. After looking at the style/choreographer spoilers for tonight, there’s at least one piece I’m super-mondo-mega excited for. I won’t say which one, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s not NOT Ade and Melissa doing a Sonja jazz. Was that too obvious? Whoops. However, the whole lineup looked like it could have plenty of banoodles moments. What’s that sound I hear? I think it’s the hot tamale train a-rolling down the tracks. Let’s hop on and ride it through top 18 night folks. All Aboard!

Note: This is the abridged recap. For my full ramblings, visit sytycd.ca

Cat looks like she came from some sort of Spanish themed toga party. It’s got weird frills. She still kinda pulls it off though. In our dancer intros, the standouts are Jeanine, Brandon, Evan, Kayla, Vitolio, Randi, Philip, and Janette. Phil’s flexibility scares me a little bit, not gonna lie. Cat lets us welcome the jidges, who consist of Nigel, Mary, and Lil’ C. Lil’ C is usually a pretty good judge, or at least provides us with some great turns of phrase. Then again, he did give off some stank while judging in Vegas. Cat makes a Mary Murphy botox joke, and Mary tries to convince us it was all a dream, and Cat says all her girlfriends love Mary more for it. Nigel tells the dancers not to show them what you can’t do, show them what you can do. I’m guessing that somewhere out there, Tony Bellisimo is saying “Ouch.”

Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel jive. It’s FUN. Like, oodles and oodles and banoodles of fun. I see a long run on the show for them. Lil’ C sees a divinity in Evan and calls Randi a firecracker. Mary thinks it fell a little short, but was really good, Randi in particular. Nigel thinks Evan should have been better, but that they’re tremendous as a couple.

Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Sonja Tayeh jazz routine. I have really high expectations going into it, and it meets them… mostly. I like it a lot. Maybe even a lot a lot. But it’s not Sonja’s best ever. It was like an 8.5 and I was hoping for a 9.5. Lil’ C thought it was buck and tells Ade that he is the competition. Cat chest bumps both dancers. Mary thought it was tough to find anything she didn’t like in it. Nigel though it allowed the dancers to show off their strength.

Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop routine. Jason is much better, constantly drawing my focus, but it’s definitely a weaker effort this week. Lil’ C doesn’t love it, and didn’t see the choreography becoming a reality. Mary thought the chemistry didn’t work. Nigel thought they looked really good doing the routine.

Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Doriana Sanchez disco routine. It’s fun, and is definitely one of the better disco routines the show has ever had. That being said, it’s still disco, so I’m not head over heels for it. Both dancers do very well though. Lil’ C thinks the primary objective of all obstacles is to induce labor so that progression can be born. Make of that what you will. He found it extremely, extremely amazing. Mary thinks they nailed it and gives them screams and a standing ovation. Nigel loves them and praises them all around.

Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel waltz. Louis wants Vitolio to dance with his pain on display. There’s one remarkable part where Vitolio swings Asuka in a circle, but I didn’t love the whole thing. I don’t see the pain coming through, but Asuka seems to be doing a pretty good job. Mary tears up and found Vitolio’s dancing to be very honest. Lil’ C thought his vulnerability balanced out the technical faults. Nigel thinks anyone who wasn’t touched by that routine is heartless. I have no problem being called Heartless. I’ll just pretend the Kanye song is about me.

Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Brian Friedman jazz routine. Welcome back Brian! . Um, this feels trashy and amazing. But I mean trashy in the best way possible. I love it. Utterly fantastic. Kayla, you miss, are banoodles. And Max, well, you’re doing a really good job of keeping up. Lil’ C thinks they picked up Brian’s vernacular. Mary keeps Kayla on the Hot Tamale train and deems Max a surprise. Nigel calls Kayla a front runner and thinks the pair of them are special.

Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Stacey Tookey contemporary. Stacy was a choreographer on SYTYCD Canada, but I’ve never seen any of her stuff. I like this alout. They’re both quite good, but Karla is probably slightly better. They give Cat her first chills of the season. Mary calls them the underdogs who have moved into the spotlight. Lil’ C thought it had the perfect balance of everything needed. Nigel thinks they recovered beautifully from last week.

Jeanine and Philip- They’ve got a Tony Meredith tango. Phil is stone faced throughout the routine, and as such is not really connecting with her. He feels a bit like he’s masquerading here to me. Jeanine, however, is fantastic. Mary applauds Phil for his attitude but kind of tears him apart on technique. Lil’ C thinks Jeanine was, as Mary called her, a hot mama. Nigel hopes that Phil’s fanbase can carry them through to next week. Way to not play favorites Nigel.

Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Shane Sparks hip-hop. I’m not feeling it all that much. It gets better as it goes on, but overall, it’s an eh. Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable. Lil C thinks Kupono dragged Ashley down. Nigel thought it stopped just when he was starting to enjoy it.

My Rankings for the Night:
1)Kayla and Max
2)Randi and Evan
3)Melissa and Ade
4)Karla and Jonathan
5)Janette and Brandon
6)Asuka and Vitolio
7)Jason and Caitlin
8)Jeanine and Philip
9)Ashley and Kupono

Who Should Be Worried: Ashley and Kupono faltered as predicted, and they should definitely be ready to dance for their lives tomorrow. Jason and Caitlin should be prepping too. Philip and Jeanine could well have the fan-base to keep them in, which leaves me stumped as to the final bottom 3 couple. Asuka and Vitolio are at risk if I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t feeling their waltz. Melissa and Ade could also even be at risk, as I could see that being a divisive routine. Or maybe the disco curse will bring down Brandon and Janette.

Who I’d Send Home: It’s a tough call this week. It’d probably be Kupono and Ashley. Or maybe Asuka.
Who Will Probably Go Home: In all honesty, I don’t know. But I think Kupono and Caitlin might be in trouble.

I’d say this was a pretty good top 18 week. I don’t feel as positive towards the poor cousin theory, so that’s something. What did you folks think?

So You Think You Can Dance 6/11- Twenty Minus Two Equals...

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Hey folks,

So, it’s time to lose our first two dancers. As I said last night, I’d personally get rid of Asuka and Tony after last night. They were certainly the least impressive to me. But I have a gut feeling that Paris and Vitolio aren’t long for this season. Let’s see, shall we?

Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full one, head over to sytycd.ca

Cat looks glorious in an olive green dress with a nice bow on the side. Wowzers, Ms. Deeley, wowzers. Keep up with this and I’ll stop paying attention to the dancers.

The opening number is a weirdly futuristic hip-hop number to what will undoubtedly be the worst song of the entire millennium, aka “Boom Boom Pow”. At times it seems like a wee bit of a rip-off of the most memorable group routine ever, the Ramalama Bang Bang Victorian zombies routine from season two. A lot of the dancers have great moments (I’m kind of surprised that Max can move the way he does during this number), and I like it far better than either NappyTabs routine from last night. Maybe that’s because it’s by Shane Sparks, who really should have a much bigger role in terms of the hip-hop dancing this season. His non-presence last season resulted in a dismally low number of great hip-hop routines.

And we jump RIGHT into the results with the first three couples coming on stage. See, this is yet another reason I love SYTYCD. We don’t have to wait 48 minutes for the first bit of results unlike some reality talent shows (cough cough Idol). Kayla and Max, Randi and Evan, and Jeanine and Philip are the first three couples. All are safe. Deserved, deserved, ehhhhh….

As we come back from break, our next four couples are up on stage. Caitlin and Jason and Melissa and Ade are both safe. Ashley and Kupono are safe too. Paris and Tony are the first couple in the bottom three. After another commercial break, Asuka and Vitolio join them, followed shortly thereafter by Karla and Jonathan. Again, both ranked in my bottom four for the night, so I’m neither flabbergasted nor upset.

It’s Soloin’ Time

Paris- It’s… good. Not fantastic. I almost think she was better last night doing hip hop. I’m not as invested in her survival anymore.

Tony- It’s fun, and it displays his comedic personality well, but we’ve seen such better hip-hop on this stage that I still don’t see him stacking up.

Asuka- Ballroom solos are always more difficult, but Asuka’s has a lot of jive in it, which makes it much better than your typical ballroom solo. She just jumped ahead of Paris for me.

Vitolio- Ok, so if this doesn’t earn Vitolio another week, the judges are frickin’ blind. It’s fantastic. Miles ahead of any of the other solos this evening. Cat’s got chills.

Karla- So, I’m a little surprised Karla is dancing a contemporary solo, given the word that she was secretly a hip-hop dancer. Her extension is really remarkable, but I’m not sure I loved the solo. She was better than Paris though.

Jonathan- His solo seems to be more about tricks than anything else, which is what they bounced Marquis way too early for last season. It’s not fantastic, and may have actually just saved Tony.

After having seen the solos, I think I’d bounce Paris and Tony. I was really pro Paris before tonight, but after the solos, she was the weakest in the bunch. And I think my stance on Tony is clear.

Musical performance time, and it’s Sean Kingston, with apparently, the “hit single of the season”, Fire Burning. It’s a song that I’ve never heard before, but I don’t necessarily doubt what Cat said because I don’t really listen to hit music, because its mostly awful. Case in point, this song. It’s really kind of atrocious. I can’t find a melody in it at all, he seems to sing the same note over and over, and he literally runs out of breath at one point despite barely moving during the performance. The one thing that’s clear is that he’s not lip-syncing, because he may trip over the lyrics at one point. To his own hit song. Seriously, at this point, I’d take those dancing prostitutes who usually perform their “music” on one of the early results show over this garbage.

Results time. The girls are up first, and the result is unanimous. Karla is called up first. They tell her she was very good this evening, but she needs to make sure she’s dancing, not just doing steps. But she did enough to be safe. They took everything they’ve seen so far and how many dancers from different genres are in the competition this season, which basically means Paris is going home, since Asuka is one of two (3?) ballroomers this season. They see Asuka as a personality star, and they felt Paris just didn’t bring it enough tonight. Paris is dunzo. She holds back tears as it goes into her goodbye video package. There’s a lot of her making faces in the background of shots, which really shows how much screentime she was given this season. Cat thanks her for being a part of the competition and sends her to the lone stool of eliminated depression.

The men are next, and it’s unanimous again. Nigel says none of them were good enough tonight. He starts with Vitolio and says they didn’t see enough personality from him and he wasn’t good enough either night. Um, judges, were you WATCHING what I was watching? The judges again critique Tony for failing in his style, tell Jonathan that his gymnastics were fun but aren’t gonna keep him around long, and then thankfully dismiss Tony. He just wasn’t up to par, plain and simple. Cat tells him here is just the beginning. Did the judges get it right? I think they did. See you back next week here folks.

So You Think You Can Dance 6/10- Top 20 Perform! 'Bout Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:54:00 +0000

Note: This is the abridged recap. For the full recap, complete with side notes and expanded judges comments, go to sytycd.ca

Hey folks,

It’s Top 20 Week! Which means its time for the actual dancing to start! Can I get a hip hip huzzah, people? So, I’m just going to warn you in advance, this recap may be a bit… odd. I currently have something roughly the size of a tissue stuffed completely up one of my nostrils, as part of a medical procedure. It’s uncomfortable and putting me on edge, so there may be more anger/grumpiness in this recap than usual. However, I am also on painkillers for it, which may make me a bit loopy. So, we’ll see. Either way, it should be entertaining. But enough about me and my nasal problems, let’s get to the dancin’!

Cat is wearing a white frock that seems to have a spiderweb spun by Liberace all over the front. In the opening everyone dances montage, Brandon, Evan, Janettte, Jason, Kupono, Kayla, Max, Melissa, Philip, and Tony are the ones who impress me the most. No one seems awful though. Jidging (Oh Cat Deeley, I forgot your adorable British pronunciations) tonight are Nigel (who earns a salute), Mary, and Shankers. Yay Shankers!

Jeanine and Philip- They have a NappyTabs routine about a couple that needs to bang before they go to sleep (I think). Ok, so Phil kind of destroys this. He’s, for lack of a better word, buck. Jeanine is doing her best to keep up, and does a pretty darn good job. The routine itself? Kind of meh for me. Shankers thinks the routine is Unreal, Mary was super impressed by Jeanine for being able to keep up, and Nigel thought Jeanine was fantastic as well and thinks she slipped through the editing net. Yeah, because editing doesn’t involve conscious decisions to leave certain people out or anything like that.

Asuka and Vitolio- They’ve got a Tyce broadway routine which apparently features popping/locking. Tyce, since when is there popping on Broadway? The routine is better than normal Tyce, which puts it somewhere in the range of mediocre to good. Vitolio, however is really good. Like, he’s the only one I’m focusing on. But that may also be because Asuka seems really anemic. She’s low energy, her jumping looks weak, and, I dunno, it’s just meh. Routine and Asuka bad, Vitolio good. Shankers found the routine aritifical, Mary also felt the low energy and thought it was safe, and Nigel found their personality lacking.

Karla and Jonathan- They’ve got a Tony Meredith Cha Cha, and seem kind of into it (and each other) in the pre-package. It’s to “Poker Face” by Lady GaGa so I’m already predisposed to not like it. BUT, I think this is the best routine of the night so far, but I’m not sure if it’s gonna hold up over the two hours. They both seem good, and neither really outshines the other. They’re also a bit too smiley for me. But they nailed the sexiness, their partnering was great, they had chemistry, and it was fun to watch. Shankers thought it was really good, Mary liked the roughness of the cha cha, and Nigel thinks they’ll be remembered.

Randi and Evan- They’ve got a Tyce jazz. Tyce’s jazz is usually better than his broadway (e.g. the Adam and Eve routine last year), so I’m hopeful. It’s certainly one of the best Tyce routines I’ve ever seen. This time though, it’s not faint praise. I really like it. Evan is just banoodles. He’s captivating to watch. Randi definitely holds her own too. But it’s really good. I’m a definite fan. Shankers thinks they danced bigger than they are, Mary says this quashed any doubts she had about them, and Nigel thinks they’re a couple that’ll be talked about.

Paris and Tony- They’ve got another NappyTabs hip-hop. NappyTabs were really impressed with Paris, but needed to tell Tony to get meaner. It always seems to me that when NappyTabs do routines, they are 50% great, 50% not great. This is one of the great ones. Paris is crushing this. Tony I’m not as sold by. But I’d almost say I prefer this to the Phil/Jeanine one. Shankers found it hard to focus on their dancing, Mary thinks it wasn’t memorable, and Nigel thinks they were just doing steps, not dancing.

Caitlin and Jason- They’ve got a Bollywood routine by Nakul. Jason is worried about the precision of the movement. Their fingers are worried, and Nakul is worried that he’s throwing too much at them for week one. It’s good, but it’s mostly upper body movement it seems, and I would have lied to see a little bit more full body movement. They’re both really good, but Jason’s precision seems a bit better. But I’m impressed by how well they both handled the tough style. Shankers thought they, and Jason in particular, rocked. Mary scrams, and Nigel thought it was something beautiful to see.

Janette and Brandon- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Foxtrot. Louis is new this season, and is stolen from Dancing with the Stars. I don’t really know about the technique for this, but I know that I REALLY enjoy watching it. They seem effortlessly graceful, they have personality, and Janette and Brandon each have moments where they shine. She’s maybe a little bit better, but they’re both really good. Shankers thought it was absolutely lovely, Mary thinks Janette was like Ginger Rogers tonight, and Nigel was shocked by Janette’s carriage. Mary also tells us that she can’t move her eyebrows anymore because of Botox, and it’s a genuinely great Mary Murphy moment.

Ashley and Kupono- They’ve got a Wade Robson routine about crash test dummies. And… I’m already sold on just the concept. Wade ain’t lookin too good though. It is, to semi-quote Mia Michaels beautifully, disastrously weird. Kupono is just fantastic and Ashley is pretty darn good too. Parts of it are overly distracting and I fear this may just be too out there for America, but I like it a bunch. It’s not my favorite Wade routine ever, and in fact its probably towards the bottom of my Wade list, but that still places it above the entire oeuvre of Tyce and most of NappyTabs. Shankers found their technique to be exquisite, Mary bought the routine 100%, and Nigel felt moved to another world by it.

Melissa and Ade- They’ve got a Mandy Moore contemporary about that moment when you first fall in love. Mandy is a choreographer who has only been getting better recently, so I’m excited. This is… absolutely beautiful. Probably my favorite so far. They both rock it. Graceful, strong, pretty, connected. Shankers found it to be special, Mary gives them a scream and found it totally believeable, and Nigel thinks America has a lot more to look forward to from them.

Kayla and Max- They’ve got a Louis van Amstel Samba. Kayla’s never done ballroom, but Max is ballroom, so he’s looking to help her out this week. To start, Kayla looks stunning. The dance itself is pretty hot. Again, I know nothing about ballroom technique, so I can’t really judge, but their footwork looks great, their connection is great, and they even seem to know how to play to the cameras. It’s quite good, and a good way to end the show. Shankers bursts with praise, Mary places them onto the Hot Tamale train, and Nigel found it sensational.

My Ranking of the Couples:
1)Melissa and Ade
2)Brandon and Janette
3)Evan and Randi
4)Kupono and Ashley
5)Kayla and Max
6)Caitlin and Jason
7)Karla and Jonathan
8)Paris and Tony
9)Philip and Jeanine
10)Asuka and Vitolio

Who Should Be Worried: Asuka and Vitolio and Paris and Tony both definitely need to be prepping solos. Philip and Jeanine will probably be buoyed by Phil’s popularity, so Karla and Jonathan should be worried as well.

Who I’d Send Home: For the guys, it’s definitely Tony. He’s just not on the same level as the others. For the girls, it should probably be Asuka.
Who I Think is Actually Going Home: Since the show always has that one dancer who they keep to try to teach, I have the feeling Tony’s gonna survive this week, which doesn’t bode well for Vitolio. Given the show’s love of Asuka, I’d say it’s a 50/50 shot between her and Paris.

What did you guys think? Pleased with season 5 so far?

I'm Calling You Out: SYTYCD Editors. Again.

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 18:48:00 +0000

So, I know there’s a lot of outrage in the SYTYCD community right now. Oodles of backlash is rising up from the shock elimination of Natalie Reid and other dramas. And while I was sad-ish to see Natalie go, I have a much much bigger problem right now with SYTYCD. Namely, that they need a whole new crew of editors that know how to pay off their audience. Editors, for the second straight season, I’m Calling You Out

Last season, I wrote a post where I called out the editors for overediting the dances to within inches of losing watchability. The editing destroyed all flow of the dance, focused on only one dancer, or some other gaping problem. It was really ruining the season, but they kind of got it together by the end of last season. So it was really disheartening to me this week when I realized that they were having the exact same problem with the beginning of season 5, in a way. See, this season so far, they aren’t ruining the flow of dance, but rather, as we have been talking about so frequently in light of Vegas, the narrative flow of the show.

And one need look no farther than the gaping holes in Vegas week to see this problem unfold. I’m not talking about judging oversight or anything like that, I’m talking about literal holes in information for viewers. As I said all week in my recaps, where in the hell was Kelsea Taylor? Or African Dancer Geo Smith? Or Memphis Juker Marica Flaka? Or Contemporary ladies Anna Dunn and Arielle Taylor? How about our Guerra Sisters? Anyone know Tapper Peter Sabasino’s fate? Did Kellen Stancil dance with an umbrella again?

See, we don’t know. Because, despite these people all being deserving enough to have their entire audition solo shown during auditions, they apparently didn’t merit a single mention (at least by name) during Vegas week. Sure, Peter or Arielle could be seen in the background of shots, but they, and, frankly, us, the people who watched their auditions, don’t deserve any mention of their fates? That’s not cool.

Also, what in the hell did Amanda Kerby, Travis Prokop, or Peter Sabasino do to merit video packages from home if they were either only mentioned by first name when they were cut, summarily dismissed within the first five minutes of the show, or NOT MENTIONED AT ALL? I can kind of understand it in Travis’ case, given what his video package from home entailed and how it fits with Nigel’s message of men can dance too. But really, did we need to see Amanda Kerby’s home life and her dad’s disability if she was just gonna get cut in Vegas with little mention of it? Or have dinner with the Sabasino family if he was never to be seen again? No, we didn’t. This isn’t to say that seeing their audition solos was pointless, it’s actually the opposite. I was glad to see their solos, but I wanted to actually know what happened to them.

So, really, from a continuity standpoint, the show has been dreadful this season. I get why there are certain dancers in the top 20 who we have yet to see anything from (Abe Who?), either because the judges are hoping that they will go gently into that good night, or they want us surprised when they burst out of the gate and knock our jaws to the floor. But what is the point of showing us a complete audition solo, arguably the way viewers are supposed to first invest in a dancer, if we never hear from these people again. I’m not saying that the editors should only show the solos of our top 20, I just wish we could have seen some of these people pop up in Vegas, even if only to see them get cut. In past seasons, they’ve had this problem, but I never questioned it, because (correct me if I’m wrong here folks), we saw more audition episodes. With a greater number of shown auditioners, it’s inevitable that there will be dancers shown getting through and never being heard from again. With this season though, I feel like we only had a limited number of audition cities. And, by not telling us what happened to this fairly small number of people who earned mention from their auditions, you just have angry viewers, who will continually wonder what in the hell happened to Kelsea Taylor.

So You Think You Can Dance 6/4- Season 5's Top 20 Revealed!

noreply@blogger.com (Nate Levy) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 03:30:00 +0000

Hey Folks,

So, since this is the abbreviated version, this recap only features blurbs about those who made it through. So, I guess, spoiler alert? Can a recap really have a spoiler alert? For the full version, visit sytycd.ca. But, since you're here, enjoy the happy happy smiles version of tonight's proceedings...

As we left off last night, Jeanette Manrara is up first. I picked her for my top 20, so I’m hoping she gets through. She had a rough few weeks before Vegas (car accident, boyfriend troubles), so she’s hoping for a bright spot. Nigel teases her for a bit before revealing her to be our first member of the top 20.

Vitolio is our next potential top 20 member. He has an impressive backstory (he was an orphan in Haiti), and I’m shocked the show hasn’t told us about it before. He describes his nerves as a “diarrhea moment.” Lil’ C didn’t like that he was a slow-starter, but that isn’t keeping him out of the top 20. Nigel tells him to bring his fantastic personality into his dancing.

Kayla Rodamski is up next, and I know she’s got a ton of supporters here. I put her in my top 20, but in all honestly, she was my 10th pick. She’s still very talented though. Mia loves that she auditioned and tells her that she is one of a very small number of female dancers who have captivated her. Mia cannot wait for her to tear up this season, because she’s a member of the top 20. So all you Kayla fans out there, get your rejoicing on.

Kupono is next, and I’m still unsold on him, and especially the early comparisons to Mark, which I just don’t see. Kelsea Taylor was the Mark-iest dancer I’ve seen this season. He shows us a checklist he made of things to do today, including Shave, breathe, and make the top 20. Shankers brings up all the Seattle criticism of him, and then makes some stupid joke about the producers having trouble with his name because he’s in the top 20.

Paris Torres, Jeanine Mason, Ade Obayami, Karla Garcia, and Jonathan Pratero are all as well, but apparently don’t merit enough to get individual packages. I would have thought Paris would get one at least.

Brandon Bryant, the ever devisive Brandon, is up next. Mia can’t take him, and says she can’t take what he brings to the floor, it annoys the shit out of her. She sees attitude, and doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. Get your eyesight checked, Ms. Michaels. Debbie vocally disagrees, and Debbie gets it when he dances, and doesn’t judge his personality. He doesn’t impress Lil’ C, but Mary cuts C (Lil’?) off and says she doesn’t want to listen to this crap, and tells Brandon not to question his talent, and that she doesn’t want to listen to it anymore. Nigel, saving us all from having to endure more of this, sends him into the top 20. Mia wonders what’s gonna happen when he has to work with her, but Brandon promises that it’ll be bomb and he wants to show her and Lil’ C what he can do. They seem to accept this. I seem to accept that this was all likely faked drama in order to derail another fantastically talented dancer from cruising away with the title without a challenger (Shades of the Danny Tidwell Arrogance debacle, anyone? Or Will Wingfield supposedly lacking a personality?).

Tony Bellisimo is next, and I’m not at all sold on this kid. He was non-existent before Vegas and I didn’t love his Nigel obsessed solo. His dancing just doesn’t seem up to par. Nigel reiterates this, but says everyone loves his charisma, and apparently, that’s enough to get him into the top 20. Not gonna lie, I see him as an early casualty. It’s up to him to prove me wrong. Nigel says they want to see him grow. Cat notes that now he’s feeling cocky.

Maksim Kapitannikov, Caitlin Kinney (who greatly says “You’re not serious?), Melissa Sandvig (our naughty ballerina), and Jason Glover (who I really dig despite the distinct lack of featuring he’s been given), all are in the top 20, and also all don’t deserve individual packages apparently. Ashley Valerio is next, and this is the fourth time she’s tried out for the show. And apparently, resilience pays off, because she’s in the top 20 too. Her reaction in the hallway is great.

Randi Evans is next, and it’s been a while since we’ve had a cut, so I don’t think this bodes well. Mia likes her tigress body, and thinks she hasn’t stepped into her glory yet, but loves her commitment to her unitards. She is ALSO in the top 20. Damn, it’s been a while since anyone got cut.

Philip Chbeeb is next, and OBVIOUSLY he’s making it through. Like, he was a lock from the moment he set foot onscreen during his audition with Arielle Coker. So, surprise surprise, he’s through. They’re all pleased with his growth, his love of dance overall, and etc. Yeah, shocker, he’s made it.

Which means we’re down to our final two guys and our final two girls. And OF COURSE they are making the brothers Kasprzak face off against each other. Cat hates being the mean one, she tells us. Cat, we could never hate you, no matter how bad the news you have to deliver is.

Deanna Brickley vs. Asuka Kondoh- OK, OK, I know saying versus is not entirely fair. But it’s my recap, so I can do what I want. Considering Asuka is now in the final run for her second season and we’ve never, to my recollection, seen Deanna before, I’m guessing I know how this is going to play out. Debbie says one of them didn’t do enough and didn’t go the distance they needed, and, shocker [sarcasm], it’s the end of Deanna’s journey. Asuka is our final girl in the top 20.

Kasprzak vs. Kasprzak- Cat asks the brothers how they would feel if the other made it. They are very gracious to one another, all hugs and such. Seriously, these two are SO likeable, that I really wish they could both make it. The brothers describe this scenario as their worst nightmare. Nigel points out that they are too similar in style to put both of them through. Nigel makes sure to mention that there’s only room for one THIS SEASON, and tells Ryan to be proud that his choreography got his brother through to the top 20. Evan is our final guy. I’m certainly rooting for him. I love that old timey style.

Here’s out Top 20:
Boys: Ade, Brandon, Evan, Jason, Jonathan, Kupono, Max, Philip, Tony, and Vitolio.

Girls: Ashley, Asuka, Caitlin, Janette, Jeanine, Karla, Kayla, Melissa, Paris, and Randi.

Well, folks, reactions? Any early favorites (For me, it’s Brandon, Evan, Jason, Janette, and probably Kayla or Asuka)? Shocked by how little how much of the top 20 has been featured up to this point? It seems like there’s an awful lot of new names there, which could make this season either a blow-out or a really interesting free-for-all. Either way, you know I’ll be watching. And, I say again, WHERE IN THE HELL WAS KELSEA TAYLOR?