# So You Think You Can Dance - Season 7



## Gertie Kindle

Guess who's judging at the NYC auditions?  Our old friend, Mia.  Mark Kanemura is also there.  

As of Friday, no new cities had been posted on the sytycd website.


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## Gertie Kindle

Ooops, my bad.  Here are the audition dates.

Miami, FL
Monday, January 18, 2010
COMPLETED

New York, NY
Monday, January 25, 2010
COMPLETED

Dallas, TX
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
6405 Boaz Lane
Dallas, Texas 75205

Nashville, TN
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Acuff Theatre
2804 Opryland Drive
Nashville, TN 37214

Chicago, IL
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Cadillac Palace Theatre
151 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601

Los Angeles, CA
Friday, March 26, 2010
Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90014


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## Gertie Kindle

Movies coming up with sytycd alums:

*STEP UP 3D (6th August)*

DANCERS: Stephen 'Twitch' Boss (Jason), Joshua Allen, Katee Shean, Ivan Koumaev, Ashlee Nino, Jonathan 'Legacy' Perez & Kevin Hunte

_No longer set in 'high school' or 'the streets', this new Step Up movie takes its characters to the Parisian underground dance scene, where world class dancers compete against eachother&#8230;so expect a whole lot more dancing than the previous films_

*BURLESQUE (24th November)*

DANCERS: Chelsea Traille (Coco) & Paula Van Oppen (Anna)

*MOVE (2010, TBA)*

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, Tyce Diorio, Mandy Moore, Brian Friedman, Dave Scott, Shane Sparks, Doriana Sanchez, Andy Blankenbuehler, Desmond Richardson, Dwight Rhoden, Debbie Allen, Toni Basil, and many many more!

DANCERS: Danny Tidwell, Travis Wall, Benji Schwimmer, Ivan Koumaev and possible many others.

*LEADING LADIES (2010, TBA)*

CHOREOGRAPHERS: Melanie LaPatin (starring as Sheri Campari)

DANCERS: Benji Schwimmer (Cedric Michaels), Katee Shean, Courtney Galiano, Kherington Payne & Sara VonGillern

_A musical drama centered around a ballroom circuit family._


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## Margaret

Do you know when season seven will be shown on television?


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## Gertie Kindle

Margaret said:


> Do you know when season seven will be shown on television?


They usually televise the auditions in May. I haven't seen a firm date, yet.


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## Gertie Kindle

Confirmed to dance at the Oscars

Season one:
- Nick Lazzarini

Season two:
- Travis Wall
- Ivan Koumaev

Season three:
- Jaimie Goodwin

Season five:
- Kayla Radomski
- Kupono Aweau
- Caitlin Kinney

Season six:
- Russell Ferguson
- Jakob Karr
- Kathryn McCormick
- Ellenore Scott
- Channing Cooke
- Noelle Marsh
- Legacy Perez

Choreographers:
- Lil’ C

The Oscars will air on March 7th, 2010 at 8PM on ABC


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## Gertie Kindle

And Season 7 starts May 27.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Thanks for all of this great info, Gertie. I'm definitely going to see those movies when they come out. Can't wait for season 7 to get underway, though I have to say that I'm happily enjoying the Olympics here in Vancouver right now. The city is really energized! Kind of makes ya want to dance in the streets.  

Debra


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## Gertie Kindle

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> Thanks for all of this great info, Gertie. I'm definitely going to see those movies when they come out. Can't wait for season 7 to get underway, though I have to say that I'm happily enjoying the Olympics here in Vancouver right now. The city is really energized! Kind of makes ya want to dance in the streets.
> 
> Debra


Wow, you're right there. Go for it. Dance in the Streets.


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## Gertie Kindle

Just bumping this thread since some of you are still posting in the season 6 thread.


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## F1Wild

Thanks for the link, Gertie!

I just read about a few of the changes for season 7:
-there will be 10 finalists (instead of 20) - five women, five men - with one contestant eliminated each week instead of two. 
-the dancers will also be partnered with past contestants instead of each other for the first time.  Way cool!!!


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## Margaret

F1Wild said:


> I just read about a few of the changes for season 7:
> -there will be 10 finalists (instead of 20) - five women, five men - with one contestant eliminated each week instead of two.
> -the dancers will also be partnered with past contestants instead of each other for the first time. Way cool!!!


Interesting! Have you heard why they are making the changes?


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## Gertie Kindle

Sounds almost like DWTS to me.  One pro (past contestant) dancing with one star (new contestant).  Wait and see.

Maybe since Lacey isn't doing DWTS this season, she'll be back.


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## F1Wild

Margaret said:


> Interesting! Have you heard why they are making the changes?


No, but I can imagine narrowing the field down to 10 makes for more exposure for the best contestants and less time spent on eliminating 2. Maybe they want to utilize the talent that has made it across their stage. Plus, I think they get higher ratings when past dancers are on and we all know it's all about the ratings!


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## F1Wild

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Sounds almost like DWTS to me. One pro (past contestant) dancing with one star (new contestant). Wait and see.


Which ones are past contestants on DWTS - besides the one partnering Miss Boobs, I mean Pamela?


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## Gertie Kindle

F1Wild said:


> Which ones are past contestants on DWTS - besides the one partnering Miss Boobs, I mean Pamela?


I didn't mean DWTS past contestants. I meant sytycd past contestants. I was trying to compare the new format to DWTS. Failed miserably, didn't I. 

Sounds like fewer dancers means a shorter season. Hope not.


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## Margaret

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Sounds like fewer dancers means a shorter season. Hope not.


I agree. This is one of my favorite summer shows. I am always sad to see the season end. However, if only one person is knocked off each week instead of two, it might not affect the length of the season. I guess they are not worried about keeping the number of girls vs. guys balanced this time around.


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## loca

BTW, this show has popped up in similar format all over the world.  I know of at least 3 countries where they run something similar.


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## cheerio

Lets just say I will not be auditioning


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## Gertie Kindle

loca said:


> BTW, this show has popped up in similar format all over the world. I know of at least 3 countries where they run something similar.


It's in quite a few countries and they're the same franchise with the same name and the same logo.

Natalie Fotopoulos from Season 2 moved to Greece to choreograph for the show there. It must have been difficult until she learned Greek. Dan Karaty judges for the Dutch show. Brian Freedman judges for the British show. Nigel's ex-wife judges the Australian show.

There's a lot of crossover.


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## F1Wild

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I didn't mean DWTS past contestants. I meant sytycd past contestants. I was trying to compare the new format to DWTS. Failed miserably, didn't I.
> Sounds like fewer dancers means a shorter season. Hope not.


Ahhhh, clear as mud.  Sorry for not getting it. I think part of the problem with me is that I was in the UK for the starts of these shows and so don't know several of the "formers".


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## Gertie Kindle

F1Wild said:


> Ahhhh, clear as mud.  Sorry for not getting it. I think part of the problem with me is that I was in the UK for the starts of these shows and so don't know several of the "formers".


I missed Season 1, but have watched it ever since. I'm hoping for Lacey since she's not on DWTS this season. Benji, Travis and Dmitry have all done choreo for the show, so they are a possibility. I would love seeing Danny again, but I think he's given up dancing for his magazine.


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## Gertie Kindle

Here is a list of all the changes.  It makes a little more sense ... I think.

1. There will only be a Top 10 this year. 5 girls, 5 boys.
2. Only one (new) contestant will be eliminated each week.
3. The contestants will not pick their own genres anymore. (~cough~) They will draw photographs of an all-star and that will dictate their style. The all-stars will never be out of their element.
4. 10 contestants from the past six seasons will partner season 7’s Top 10.
5. Only the new contestants will be judged. The all-stars will be asked to leave the stage after the performance.
6. America will vote for their favorite dancer, and one of the bottom 3 will go home.
7. The Top 10 will rotate partners from the all-star dance pool.
8. Mary Murphy will be off the permanent panel and will choreograph and guest judge again.
9. Mia Michaels will be back.
10. The all-stars will not choreograph their routines, they will learn as a normal partner.
11. The finale will be the original format, dancing solos, with each other, groups, etc. No all-stars to our understanding.

The only two all-stars confirmed are Twitch and Cathryn McCormack.


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## F1Wild

Very smart, IMO!!  I'll bet as many tune in to see the past contestants as the current ones...maybe even more.


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## Gertie Kindle

Here's the list of past contestants (all stars) that will partner the contestants.  There are 12 of them, so I guess they'll be switching off.

Twitch
Kathryn McCormick
Pasha
Anya
Allison Holker
Ade
Comfort
Lauren
Mark
Dom
Courtney
Neill

Mark's been on tour with Lady Gag, so I guess that's over.  Pasha and Anya are on tour with Burn the Floor along with Artem and Karen from Season 1.


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## F1Wild

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> ...There are 12 of them, so I guess they'll be switching off.
> 
> Twitch


Or Twitching off.....


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## Gertie Kindle

F1Wild said:


> Or Twitching off.....


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## F1Wild

Now if the arm fell off it would be a true "twitching off"!


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## Gertie Kindle




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## Gertie Kindle

Bumping this up cuz it's getting close!!


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## F1Wild

Yup, actually seeing TV ads for it.


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## Gertie Kindle

Mia is replacing Mary as a permanent judge.  What?  No more hot tamale train?


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## crebel

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Mia is replacing Mary as a permanent judge. What? No more hot tamale train?


Oh No! I love Mary and the hot tamale train.


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## Gertie Kindle

crebel said:


> Oh No! I love Mary and the hot tamale train.


If Mia's a permanent judge, she can't choreograph. I love her as a choreographer, but I don't like her judging all that much.


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## crebel

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> If Mia's a permanent judge, she can't choreograph. I love her as a choreographer, but I don't like her judging all that much.


I agree. Do you know why Mary isn't judging?


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## Betsy the Quilter

I think I read Mary is going to be doing some of the auditions and be a guest judge?

(She drives me crazy, but I don't watch it regularly enough to really have a vote, LOL!)

Betsy


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## Gertie Kindle

crebel said:


> I agree. Do you know why Mary isn't judging?


Here's one article.

Mary Murphy out? Mia Michaels in?
Well, kind of.

FOX has confirmed that popular, Emmy-winning choreographer Mia Michaels has signed on to "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 7, taking a permanent spot on the weekly judging panel.

She will sit alongside fellow judges Adam Shankman and Nigel Lythgoe and yes, it's true, Mary Murphy will be M.I.A.

Murphy is not leaving the show altogether, but will instead return as a guest judge and, because she's not judging each week, she'll also have to opportunity to choreograph.

Murphy, who is a ballroom expert, will no doubt lend her expertise to the dancers saddled with that style this season.

Murphy will also be seen as a judge during the audition episodes, just as she has been in all the previous seasons.

In fact, Korbi TV caught up with Murphy during Vegas week and got her thoughts on Season 7's prospective talent.

And judging by the Season 7 "gang sign" she throws up at the end of our interview, we're thinking she's cool with what's to come...


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## Angela

so ready for season 7!!!


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## Gertie Kindle

Courtney Galiano and D.J. Guthrie (Lacey's boyfriend who danced to the Gypsy Kings on DWTS) are headed out on the Glee tour.


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## Gertie Kindle

Our alums have been pretty busy.

Kathryn McCormack (about 1:3 is in a Dove commercial with Lea Michele.






Ellenore was on One Life to Live today. I missed seeing her. I got back home when the show was half over. When did One Life to Live become a musical? I haven't watched soaps in years and never watched that one. I almost fell off my chair when one of the actors started to sing which turned into an ensemble.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Angela said:


> so ready for season 7!!!


Me too! It's my favorite summer show, but didn't Mia announce that she was leaving the show to work on other projects last season? What happened? Personally, I'd like to see more rotating judges. I think some of the choreographers are excellent judges, and Adam Shankman gets on my nerves after a couple of episodes. Way to hyper for me. I love Little C's commentaries.

Debra


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## Gertie Kindle

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> Me too! It's my favorite summer show, but didn't Mia announce that she was leaving the show to work on other projects last season? What happened? Personally, I'd like to see more rotating judges. I think some of the choreographers are excellent judges, and Adam Shankman gets on my nerves after a couple of episodes. Way to hyper for me. I love Little C's commentaries.
> 
> Debra


That's what Mia said. Guess she changed her mind. I'd rather see her come back as a choreographer. She also said she would be on the Canadian show.

Here's worse news. Tony Basil may be back as a judge. I'll take Shankman over her any day.

And the worst news of all ... I may not be able to get any spoilers this year. They are now taping the performance show the same afternoon that it airs.


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## Marguerite

I still didn't understand how you got the spoilers last time!


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## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> I still didn't understand how you got the spoilers last time!


From people who went to the Monday tapings.

Last year they had everyone sign a form that if they revealed anything about the show, they would owe Fox $1M. Obviously, that didn't work, so they changed the taping to the afternoon of the show. Then they'll probably lock the audience in a dungeon so they can't rush out and tweet the show from their cell phones.

Fox is tough.


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## Marguerite

Don't you live on the east coast?  You must be very connected!  I can't wait until it begins.


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## Gertie Kindle

In the meantime, we have Glee!!


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## Gertie Kindle

Kherrington is the newest member of The Pussycat Dolls.


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## Marguerite

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Kherrington is the newest member of The Pussycat Dolls.


Very interesting.


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## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> Very interesting.


Isn't it? She just doesn't seem like a Pussycat Doll to me.

Kherrington's character in _Fame_ said that she had been offered a place with Complexions. Okay, Kherrington's a good dancer, but I couldn't buy her as Complexions material. But it's just a movie so they can do anything they want.


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## 13500

Hi,

Do you mind if I join you? I love So You Think You Can Dance! It is my family's favorite summer show. 

Thanks.


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## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> Hi,
> 
> Do you mind if I join you? I love So You Think You Can Dance! It is my family's favorite summer show.
> 
> Thanks.


Glad to have you. I've been watching since Season 2.

What do you think of the new format?


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## 13500

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Glad to have you. I've been watching since Season 2.
> 
> What do you think of the new format?


I've been watching since Season 2 also, but I did miss this past fall's season. (I'm a football mom )
Anyhow, I am interested to see how this pans out. It will be fantastic to see some of our favorites dance again with the new kids. I just hope it doesn't turn into a "Dancing with the Stars" sort of feel. Not that there is anything wrong with that show, I just prefer "So You Think You Can Dance."

I am glad Mia is back, but I wish she was eligible to choreograph more. Her pieces are always wonderful.

What do you think?


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## Margaret

I like Mia better as a choreographer than as a judge, but can't wait until the season starts.  My daughter and I always watch together.


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## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> I've been watching since Season 2 also, but I did miss this past fall's season. (I'm a football mom )


You didn't miss much.



> Anyhow, I am interested to see how this pans out. It will be fantastic to see some of our favorites dance again with the new kids. I just hope it doesn't turn into a "Dancing with the Stars" sort of feel. Not that there is anything wrong with that show, I just prefer "So You Think You Can Dance."


That's my worry, too. I want it to be sytycd, not DWTS. But we'll see Pasha and Anya and Allison. Can't wait for that.



> I am glad Mia is back, but I wish she was eligible to choreograph more. Her pieces are always wonderful.


Yeah, just when I was getting used to Mary Screams. I suppose she'll choreograph with Dmitry assisting.


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## Marguerite

I, for one, am tired of the screams but am looking forward to Mary's choreography.  I am kind of glad that only the worst will go.  So often one of the partners was great and the other threw the dance to the bottom.  I think that many good dancers may not have stood a chance due to their partner.  I only hope that the partners that they will be dancing with give us the same variety of styles that we have been used to seeing.


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## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> I, for one, am tired of the screams but am looking forward to Mary's choreography. I am kind of glad that only the worst will go. So often one of the partners was great and the other threw the dance to the bottom. I think that many good dancers may not have stood a chance due to their partner. I only hope that the partners that they will be dancing with give us the same variety of styles that we have been used to seeing.


There are 12 all-stars and 10 contestants. The all-stars will be dancing in their own style, but won't be choreographing the dances.

So, if female contestant #1 pulls Samba, she'll be partnered with Pasha (be still my beating heart), e.g.

We'll just have to wait and see.

And they're still going to be in the Kodak theater, which I don't like.


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## Marguerite

The other one was just a little cozier and they used the stairs so well in so many dances.  I miss the intimacy of it.


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## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> The other one was just a little cozier and they used the stairs so well in so many dances. I miss the intimacy of it.


Me, too.


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## 13500

Me, too. I liked the feel of the old studio better. The rounded stage lent itself to intimacy. 


I am looking forward to seeing Neil dance again and Mark. They were always interesting to watch.

Can't wait until tomorrow!


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## geoffthomas

Other than her screams, I liked Mary as a judge. Hope she can provide emmy award level choreography.
And I loved *most* of Mia's choreography (especially the award-winners) but wasn't too fond of her judging. I felt she was "smarmy" and she tended to pick on the girls.

But this is indeed my favorite "dancing" show.

Let the games begin.


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## hsuthard

I agree that Mia was much too harsh on the girls with her judging, in general. She tended to pick favorites rather than objectively critique the dance just performed it seemed. But I still loved to hear what was going to come out of her mouth next! She's so not PC. As a result, I take all of her comments with a grain of salt. I loved her choreography, and I'll definitely miss that. But she wasn't my favorite choreographer (Mandy Moore is). 

Is it time to start yet??


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## austenfiend

It will be interesting to see how the new format works.  I think it will take away some of the interest/excitement having the contestants dance with an all-star in the all star's own style.  I always like to see how people step up when out of their comfort zone - especially if both people that are dancing together are out of the zone.

I totally agree with other's comments about the new theatre/stage.  I loved the old stage, it was much more intimate.


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## Angela

I kinda got used to Mary's screaming and I am looking forward to seeing how the new format will play out... BUT, mostly I am just SOOOOO glad for the season to be starting!!    This is my favorite!!! DWTS and AI are just fill-ins for me.


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## Margaret

Looking forward to tonight!


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## Gertie Kindle

The all-stars are dancing on Ellen today.  Can't wait for 8pm.


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## Angela

soooo ready for tonight!!


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## Gertie Kindle

I got all excited before they even started the theme song.  

I think tonight is NYC and Miami. I know Alex Wong tried out, so maybe we'll see him tonight.

Maybe with only 10 we won't have any obvious cannon fodder.

Kayla from Season 6 is off to Paris to dance with JLo.  Unbelievable.


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## Gertie Kindle

This first girl reminds me of Mia.

Mia is looking at her weirdly.


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## Gertie Kindle

Gisselle and Henry.  I expected them to be fantastic since they dance in Burn the Floor.  I want to see that audition again.


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## Margaret

It is going to be very difficult to cut this group down to only ten, and the auditions have not even been completed yet


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## geoffthomas

I really thought that the young man from the "bad" neighborhood in Miami showed extraordinary talent - he should absorb choreography nicely.


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## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> I really thought that the young man from the "bad" neighborhood in Miami showed extraordinary talent - he should absorb choreography nicely.


He was very good. He made it through to Vegas, I think Liberty City is worse than bad. Anyone who can fight their way out of it deserves lots of props.

When Edward was auditioning (red shirt, black tights) I thought he was good enough for Complexions or Alvin Ailey. Turns out he is with AA.

Watching Giselle and Henry dance (Burn the Floor) and the other ballroom guy in Miami, really points up the difference between show dancing and competition dancing.

They only showed Alex Wong for like two seconds, but I'm sure he made it to Vegas.



Margaret said:


> It is going to be very difficult to cut this group down to only ten, and the auditions have not even been completed yet


You are so right.


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## Gertie Kindle

First spoiler of the season.



Spoiler



There will be five girls and six boys. Don't know why. Guessing one extra in case if illness or injury.


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## Gertie Kindle

Second spoiler of the season. Well, the first part isn't. Just the air date of the intro show: June 10, 2010 at 9pm/8c.



Spoiler



Choreographers and all-stars only. No contestants, yet.

Sonya Tayeh (jazz) - Neil Haskell, Courtney Galiano

Tyce Diorio (broadway) - Allison Holker, Lauren Gottlieb

Mia Michaels (contemporary) - Ade Obayomi


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## hsuthard

Is Billy from Season 6 coming back?


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## Gertie Kindle

hsuthard said:


> Is Billy from Season 6 coming back?


He was supposed to go straight through to Vegas. I'll let you know as soon as I hear. I'm anxious to find out myself. He is fantastic.


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## Gertie Kindle

Alex Wong and Billy Bell spoiler.



Spoiler



Nigel said that both made it to Vegas, but only one made the top ten. Hah, I'm guessing that's why we have 5 gals and 6 guys. Only one will be in the top ten, but they'll both make the show.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> He was supposed to go straight through to Vegas. I'll let you know as soon as I hear. I'm anxious to find out myself. He is fantastic.


He is fantastic and I remember Billy well from last year. Like everyone, I'm interested to see how the new format plays out. My main concern is that we won't get a chance to know the contestants as well when they're around for a short time compared to last year.

I enjoyed Thursday night's show, but could live without all the tears from the judges. Goodness, we're just getting started and Mia and Shankman are choking up already.

Debra


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## Gertie Kindle

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> He is fantastic and I remember Billy well from last year. Like everyone, I'm interested to see how the new format plays out. My main concern is that we won't get a chance to know the contestants as well when they're around for a short time compared to last year.
> 
> I enjoyed Thursday night's show, but could live without all the tears from the judges. Goodness, we're just getting started and Mia and Shankman are choking up already.
> 
> Debra


They're only going to eliminate one a week, so we're going to have a full season.

I'm not too sure about the new format either. The biggest positive for me is seeing the all-stars.


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## 13500

Somewhere college students are watching SYTYCD intently, drinking every time Adam or Mia cries.  

Hey, that's not a bad idea...


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## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> Somewhere college students are watching SYTYCD intently, drinking every time Adam or Mia cries.
> 
> Hey, that's not a bad idea...


Wait until Adam sees Billy Bell. He practically sobbed last year.


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## Gertie Kindle

Some of the top 11 have been confirmed


Spoiler



Teddy didn't make it. I didn't even see him in the top 24 list.


.


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## Gertie Kindle

The top 11 have been posted. What I suspected about


Spoiler



Billy and Alex is true.



I won't post names but I'll give you their styles.



Spoiler



Girls: salsa, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical.

Boys: breaking, ballet, (4) contemporary



Chicago and L.A. auditions tomorrow at 8pm.


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## Gertie Kindle

Adam's assisted arabesque wasn't as good as his booty shake last year.


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## Gertie Kindle

Vegas callbacks tonight at 8pm.


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## Gertie Kindle

Choreographers for the intro show are: Wade, Travis, Sonya Tyce and Mia. With who they gave Mia, it's bound to be a dynamite piece.


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## Gertie Kindle

Anybody watching the auditions? Tonight was Dallas and Nashville and Part One of Vegas week.  

Nashville was completely devoid of talent.  The only good thing was Brian Gaynor came back on. He's formed a dance crew and Nigel invited them to be on the show.

Vegas week was great. Got to see Alex Wong (still fantastic) and Billy Bell (even better than before) do solos. Another great solo from Adechike Torbert. Brought tears to my eyes.


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## crebel

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Anybody watching the auditions? Tonight was Dallas and Nashville and Part One of Vegas week.
> 
> Nashville was completely devoid of talent. The only good thing was Brian Gaynor came back on. He's formed a dance crew and Nigel invited them to be on the show.
> 
> Vegas week was great. Got to see Alex Wong (still fantastic) and Billy Bell (even better than before) do solos. Another great solo from Adechike Torbert. Brought tears to my eyes.


I did get to see most of last night's show. The solos you mentioned were awesome. I missed whether Billy Bell made it through to the next round. I loved having Mary there to judge in Vegas, but she was pretty quiet!


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## Gertie Kindle

crebel said:


> I did get to see most of last night's show. The solos you mentioned were awesome. I missed whether Billy Bell made it through to the next round. I loved having Mary there to judge in Vegas, but she was pretty quiet!


Yes, Billy made it through. Nigel said that between Billy and Alex, only one made it to the top 10.


Spoiler



But since there's really a top 11, they both made it to the show. Can't wait to see Mia choreo for them both on the intro show.



So far, the guys who made the show are pretty spectacular. I'm only really impressed with one of the girls. If we don't want to have an all guy final four, the girls better step up their game.


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## 13500

I agree. The guys are much stronger so far. Vegas is crazy hard this time.


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## Kristan Hoffman

WHOOPS I'm late to the party!! My bad.

TOTALLY love that Alex Wong is back. And I scared the dickens out of my friend who was watching with me because I saw a guy from my college dance group in the Dallas auditions. Turns out he made it to Vegas but then got cut. Honestly, I think he would have made it in one of the early seasons -- he is SO talented.

Kristan


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## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> WHOOPS I'm late to the party!! My bad.
> 
> TOTALLY love that Alex Wong is back. And I scared the dickens out of my friend who was watching with me because I saw a guy from my college dance group in the Dallas auditions. Turns out he made it to Vegas but then got cut. Honestly, I think he would have made it in one of the early seasons -- he is SO talented.
> 
> Kristan


This is a very competitive season. Alex, Billy, Adechike, Anthony, Kent. Teddy got cut and his audition was fantastic. Guess they're not making it in the choreography.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

If Billy and Alex are both in the top 10, it will be a spectacular season. I've seen some great female dancers but at the moment, no one stands out for me.

Debra


----------



## Ciar Cullen

oooh ooooh ooooh A SYTYCD thread! With House (my only other show) off for the season, this is the only show I watch after the Evil Day Job. I take the night off from writing to watch. 

I really don't like the paring down to 10 (actually 11). I want to see more of the new people. Anyone else not like this format? I guess if you're hardcore from day 1, you might like the all stars, but I've only been a fan 2 seasons.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ciar Cullen said:


> oooh ooooh ooooh A SYTYCD thread! With House (my only other show) off for the season, this is the only show I watch after the Evil Day Job. I take the night off from writing to watch.


It's definitely a must watch for me.



> I really don't like the paring down to 10 (actually 11). I want to see more of the new people. Anyone else not like this format? I guess if you're hardcore from day 1, you might like the all stars, but I've only been a fan 2 seasons.


I'm a fan since Season 2, the best season ever. You won't know Alison Holker who was eliminated in the top 8 in Season 2. I never got over that one. But she's coming back as an all-star. 

I'm reserving judgment on the new format. Another advantage is less cannon fodder. But then some of the people I thought would be cannon fodder end up doing pretty well.

Benji has formed a band called The Weekend Forecast. Their first single will be on Itunes in about two weeks.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Benji and Lacey will be singing a duet on the album. Benji as frontman?

Here's a link to a sneak peak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPwpEISGs3w&feature=related


----------



## Marguerite

Ciar Cullen said:


> I really don't like the paring down to 10 (actually 11). I want to see more of the new people. Anyone else not like this format? I guess if you're hardcore from day 1, you might like the all stars, but I've only been a fan 2 seasons.
> 
> I am waiting to see. I usually only remember the top 10 anyway. I have watched every season and I wish that we could see them too but I guess more people would know the later seasons. The up side to this is that the dancers won't be in danger of being cut because of a bad partner. I think that over the seasons there were some cut that should have been given a better chance with a better partner.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

OMG only this group will understand. My husband works evenings, and I usually take that time to write, except when this show is on. He just called. They're slow. He's coming home a 8. There is no way he's going to sit through that, and we live in a one-bedroom flat. Crickey. Don't have Tivo. 

I haz a major sad


----------



## Marguerite

Ciar Cullen said:


> OMG only this group will understand. My husband works evenings, and I usually take that time to write, except when this show is on. He just called. They're slow. He's coming home a 8. There is no way he's going to sit through that, and we live in a one-bedroom flat. Crickey. Don't have Tivo.
> 
> I haz a major sad
> 
> Tell him that the romance of the dancing makes you want to cuddle and........ supply wine and his favorite aphrodisiac.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Top 11 spoilers.



Spoiler



Lauren and Malindo, Jose Ruiz, Alexia make top 11


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I feel so bad for Anthony.


Spoiler



I hope he comes back next year.


----------



## crebel

I would rather have


Spoiler



Anthony


 than


Spoiler



Jose


 and if they added a 6th guy, why didn't they make it a top 12 and add


Spoiler



Ryan


 instead of letting her go.

I love several of the guys,


Spoiler



Lauren


 is the only female I'm excited about at this point.

I think there was more crying, both judges and dancers, in this single show than all the others put together!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

crebel said:


> I would rather have
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Anthony
> 
> 
> than
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Jose
> 
> 
> and if they added a 6th guy, why didn't they make it a top 12 and add
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Ryan
> 
> 
> instead of letting her go.





Spoiler



I think Anthony's injury was a big reason for letting him go. He better be back next year.

Yes, they should have kept a 6th girl.





> I love several of the guys,
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Lauren
> 
> 
> is the only female I'm excited about at this point.





Spoiler



Agree there, too, but we didn't get to see much of Ashley. I think Melinda is going to be the first to go.





> I think there was more crying, both judges and dancers, in this single show than all the others put together!


Lil C finally make me breakdown. It got to be too much.

I'm really excited for this season.


----------



## crebel

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> I think Anthony's injury was a big reason for letting him go. He better be back next year.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think you are probably right and I agree, he better be back next year!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> I think Melinda is going to be the first to go.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Again, we are sympatico!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lil C finally make me breakdown. It got to be too much.
> 
> 
> 
> When he was talking to
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Kent
> 
> 
> ? I sobbed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


----------



## crebel

Okay, I don't know what the heck I did with all those quote boxes in that last post , but I guess I kept the spoiler tags intact!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Spoiler



I love Kent. I think he'll do really well. He's got a lot of talent, but he's against some stiff competition.



I think this could end up being a battle of the contemporary guys.


Spoiler



I consider Alex to be contemporary even though he's ballet.


 We could very well end up with four guys in the top four.


----------



## geoffthomas

My favs are Lauren and Adike.


----------



## Marguerite

OMG how could they NOT take Anthony?  He was the only really manly dancer that was great!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> My favs are Lauren and Adike.


Lauren is def my fave gal with Alexie second. I haven't seen enough of Ashley to know how I feel about her.

Adechike is absolutely great, but the guys are so strong, I can't put one over the other yet. It depends on how they do out of their wheelhouse.

I think Kent is going to surprise us all. When he did the contemporary with Anthony and Alex, you could see the technique and the performance, especially when they showed the clip.

On the other hand, Geoff, you can usually pick 'em.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> OMG how could they NOT take Anthony? He was the only really manly dancer that was great!


And you know how Nigel loves manly dancers.

I honestly think it was because of his injury. I'm really hoping he comes back again next year.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I saw part of it, but I didn't see them not take Anthony  
He's the one with the hamstring problem, right?

Did they take the tap dancing alternative chick?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ciar Cullen said:


> I saw part of it, but I didn't see them not take Anthony
> He's the one with the hamstring problem, right?


Right, Mia broke the news. I think he was the only "no" that they told personally. All the others got a phone call. That's one of the reasons I think it was because of his injury and I also think that he was told to come back next year and they would put him through to Vegas.



> Did they take the tap dancing alternative chick?


Yes. I think she's going to be the first or second one to go. We'll see.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Aw, Anthony. He was one of my favorites. Well, he needs that hamstring the rest of his life, and further injury could kill a dancing career.


----------



## austenfiend

Okay, I'll say it.  I LOVED Kent!  Not only his dancing, but I just love his personality.  And the whole Nigel wandering all over middle America just cracked me up.  Question - since they started with the top 10 (11), who will tour...all of them?  (I'll bet Gertie knows the answer to this!)


----------



## Gertie Kindle

austenfiend said:


> Okay, I'll say it. I LOVED Kent! Not only his dancing, but I just love his personality. And the whole Nigel wandering all over middle America just cracked me up. Question - since they started with the top 10 (11), who will tour...all of them? (I'll bet Gertie knows the answer to this!)


The top ten always tour with two alternates. I'm guessing they'll all go plus the all stars.

I'm with you on Kent. I so hope he does well. He's got the burn going.

the flushing toilet cracked me up.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here are the spoilers for tonight.



Spoiler



- Jason Glover (S5) and Channing Cooke (S6) assisting Travis Wall.
- Chaz Buzan assisting Mia Michaels.
- Ryan & Ashleigh Di Lello assisting Jason Gilkison.
- Casey Castellano assisting Tyce Diorio.

Wade Robson (jazz) - Top 11, All-Stars
Travis Wall (contemporary) - Mark Kanemura, Kathryn McCormick, Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman
Sonya Tayeh (jazz) - Neil Haskell, Courtney Galiano, Robert Roldan, Adé Chiké Torbert
Tyce Diorio (broadway) - Allison Holker, Lauren Gottlieb, Melinda Sullivan, Ashley Galvan, Alexie Agdeppa
Mia Michaels (contemporary) - Ade Obayomi, Alex Wong, Billy Bell
Nappy Tabs (hip hop) - Stephen "Twitch" Boss, Comfort Fedoke, Dominic "D-Trix" Sandoval, Jose "Full Deck" Ruiz
Jason Gilkison (latin ballroom) - Pasha Kovalev, Anya Garnis, Cristina Santana


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Was anybody watching?  I was standing a foot away from the TV so I wouldn't miss anything.  I am so stoked for this season.  No obvious cannon fodder.  The choreography was brilliant.  

Sorry, I can't possibly pick a favorite right now.  

Rewound the tape and I'm watching the opening number.  All goosebumpy again.


----------



## hsuthard

I was so annoyed tonight! I found it really distracting having the all stars there. I really wanted to see the top 11 dance, but it was hard to even pick them out. I think especially because they're new and I'm not familiar with all of their faces yet. I thought I would like it better, but so far I don't. 

But whoa, that Pasha has gotten even better! yowza, he was smokin'!


----------



## Brenda M.

hsuthard said:


> I was so annoyed tonight! I found it really distracting having the all stars there. I really wanted to see the top 11 dance, but it was hard to even pick them out. I think especially because they're new and I'm not familiar with all of their faces yet. I thought I would like it better, but so far I don't.
> 
> But whoa, that Pasha has gotten even better! yowza, he was smokin'!


Totally agree with this! I couldn't tell who was who. I loved the dancing, but wanted to see the new ones stand out more. I don't think I am liking the new format.


----------



## crebel

The beginning group number with Fame was awesome, loved, loved, loved it.  I didn't like the multiple couples dancing together either, agreeing that I couldn't tell who was who.  I don't think they will keep that format for the voting shows since they kept calling this the "performance" show.  There wasn't anybody I didn't like, even Melinda (she sure has long legs).

Pasha was in fine Chippendales form, don't you think?!  That was also some serious ink on Mia's shoulder.  Her dress was off the shoulder one time, and I thought I was looking at fabric pattern until I realized it was her tatoo.

I think it is going to be a great season!


----------



## 13500

It was a great show, don't you think? Very entertaining. I think it will be easier to judge the newcomers dancing once it is just one couple on stage. On the newbies behalf, however, there were only a few times when they didn't hold their own against the All-Stars. 

hsuthard--you are correct--Pasha was smok'in!

My favorite is Alex Wong. He is magnificent, so precise, elegant and strong. I still think the guy dancers outshine the girls, which is unfortunate. The girls need to step it up a bit. 

Loved Travis' jazz number. Loved the hip hop. Not as crazy about the Sweet Charity number, but love Tyce.
Mia's stages of life was magical. I don't know how she does it--hitting raw emotion by creating dance tableaus like that. Amazing.


----------



## Marguerite

I really didn't like the latin number.  It always looks awkward to have a threesome and didn't do any favors for the contestant.


----------



## 13500

Marguerite said:


> I really didn't like the latin number. It always looks awkward to have a threesome and didn't do any favors for the contestant.


She could not hold her own against Anya. Who could?


----------



## austenfiend

The show last night...hmmm, the dancing was marvelous but I, too, find it distracting with the all-stars.  And I don't think this is going to be fair as far as judging goes.  For example, the contestant will dance with an all-star in the all-star's field.  For a lot of people, if they really loved the all-star, the votes will go to that "team" doing the dancing.  So contestant will get votes not only for how they danced and how popular they are (crowd favorites), they will also get votes if their all-star is a fave.  Personally, I'm one of those that thinks "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".  I've always liked the way it's been done in the past, and the numbers of people watching has not declined, so...

Pasha...sigh.  Mia is so in touch with her emotions, the piece was wonderful.  Opening number, stellar.  I watch all the talent and am amazed - I can barely walk across the room and not trip over something!


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Yeah, Mia's piece made my cry. I've lost a bunch of family members and my siblings are disabled now, and it really struck a bittersweet chord. What talent.


----------



## geoffthomas

I am still favoring Lauren and Adechike.

And while I do think the lads are (as a group) stronger, I think Lauren has "performance".

Just sayin......


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> She could not hold her own against Anya. Who could?


So true. But who could steal the stage from Pasha? No one. He has definitely gotten hotter. Still haven't gotten the drool stains off my TV.


----------



## Marguerite

I thought also that the newbies were more of the after thought to the all stars.  I am not sure that they need to be in the performance piece in the beginning.  Didn't they already have their moment of fame?  Shouldn't it be all or at least mostly about the contestants?  Just my humble opinion.  That being said the number was terrific but it didn't showcase those we have to vote for.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> I thought also that the newbies were more of the after thought to the all stars. I am not sure that they need to be in the performance piece in the beginning. Didn't they already have their moment of fame? Shouldn't it be all or at least mostly about the contestants? Just my humble opinion. That being said the number was terrific but it didn't showcase those we have to vote for.


Even in the intro show last year, it was hard to see them as individuals. I think the problem is that huge stage. I think we'll see them to better advantage next week when it's one on one.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here's a partial line-up for Wednesday.



Spoiler



Billy & Lauren - Broadway - Tyce Diorio
Alex & Allison - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh
Ashley & Neil - Contemporary - Tyce Diorio
Adéchiké & Kathryn - Contemporary/Jazz - Travis Wall
Cristina & Mark - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh



Looks like no one is being blasted out of their genre yet. The last one might have some trouble, but with Mark there, maybe not.

Glad to see


Spoiler



Adechike get a Travis routine. I think he can handle it.



I'll keep you posted.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Full line-up. Let me know what you think.



Spoiler



Billy & Lauren - Broadway - Tyce Diorio
Alex & Allison - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh
Ashley & Neil - Contemporary - Tyce Diorio
Adéchiké & Kathryn - Contemporary/Jazz - Travis Wall
Cristina & Mark - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh
Lauren & Ade - Contemporary - Mandy Moore
Robert & Courtney - Broadway - Sean Cheesman
Jose & Comfort - Hip Hop - NappyTabs
Kent & Anya - Ballroom - Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin
Alexie & Twitch - Hip Hop - NappyTabs
Melinda & Pasha - Ballroom - Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin



Melanie LaPatin's movie with Benji, _Leading Ladies_, opened in NYC two nights ago.


----------



## geoffthomas

Looks like they are giving


Spoiler



Jose


 a great first day - both his genre and a partner that will help him look good.


Spoiler



Adéchiké


 will get to dance with the fair Kathryn and dance contemporary - should be a good night for him also.


Spoiler



Lauren


 with Ade will have strength and also contemporary.
Looks like only


Spoiler



Alexie and Melinda


 will be challenged by being out of their comfort zones.

Or have I mis-understood?

Just sayin......


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Looks like they are giving
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Jose
> 
> 
> a great first day - both his genre and a partner that will help him look good.


That's some break he got. Looks like somebody gave the hand of fate a little arm twist.



> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Adéchiké
> 
> 
> will get to dance with the fair Kathryn and dance contemporary - should be a good night for him also.


And Travis choreo which I think he's strong enough to handle. A good triple-whammy.



> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Lauren
> 
> 
> with Ade will have strength and also contemporary.


Looking forward to that.



> Looks like only
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Alexie and Melinda
> 
> 
> will be challenged by being out of their comfort zones.


I would add


Spoiler



Kent


to that.


Spoiler



I keep thinking about Ricky and Nathan. Great contemporary dancers, boyish looks and charm, failed miserably at ballroom. Add Anya to the mix who is sophistication personified (among other things), and I'm afraid Kent will end up looking like an awkward teenager.



I'm not as worried about


Spoiler



Melinda. She showed up well in choreography, she's older, has a high performance level and a strong leader in Pasha.



Should be quite a show.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Hi everyone, well, I agree with many of the comments about the all-stars being a distraction, and that's the danger with this season: that the all-stars will overshadow the competitors. But then, I thought about it, and realized that this week was merely an introductory exhibition night and on competition nights it will be (I assume) one competitior on stage with one all-star which will make it much easier to tell them apart and evaluate.

I was absolutely thrilled to see Mark, Neil, Courtney and Lauren back. Part of the attraction for me is to see these dancers perform again and what a fabulous opportunity for them! A great paying gig (presumably) with tons of TV exposure which could land them future jobs.

All in all, I was thrilled with the dancing. It was a delight to see everyone perform in their style, and good to see Wade Robson and Sonja and Travis, etc.

I can't wait to see how this season plays out!

Debra


----------



## hsuthard

I agree about Kent. His youth can really be tough to swallow doing


Spoiler



ballroom


.


----------



## geoffthomas

Has this been a Loooooonnnnnggggg week for you?
It seems that with the excitement of the 2.5.2 K2 and DX upgrade, we have not been active on this thread.
And it also seems like the week is dragging.
I WANT to see the first pairings.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Has this been a Loooooonnnnnggggg week for you?
> It seems that with the excitement of the 2.5.2 K2 and DX upgrade, we have not been active on this thread.
> And it also seems like the week is dragging.
> I WANT to see the first pairings.
> 
> Just sayin.....


Yes, it's been very long. No DWTS, no Glee, and have to wait until Wednesday for sytycd. I've never seen spoilers released so early in the game. I think that's made the wait longer. All the stars are saying they're worn out from the rehearsing.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Who's with me tonight?  

Was anyone dancing with Billy?  I don't think so. That was great Broadway by Tyce and an irritating comment by Mia.

Billy is flawless.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Respectable effort by Christina, but Mark actually did all the work. Yes, it was Sonya and Mark all the way. 

Glad the judges are praising her because a lot of us watched Mark through this.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Jose and Comfort, bad costumes, bad lighting. Couldn't really see what they were doing.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Adechike and Cathryn were well-matched technically, but disappointing routine.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Giving Melinda jive was closer to her style. She should have done better. Just not enough.

Pasha is so versatile. It's one of the things I loved about him from the beginning. He's good in every style. And we got the eyebrow.


----------



## B-Kay 1325

Gertie, I love all of your comments but it isn't even 6 pm where I live and SYTYCD doesn't come on until 7 pm so I can't comment with you.  I'll have to leave this thread until after the show is over.  See ya later!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

B-Kay 1325 said:


> Gertie, I love all of your comments but it isn't even 6 pm where I live and SYTYCD doesn't come on until 7 pm so I can't comment with you. I'll have to leave this thread until after the show is over. See ya later!!


I'll be here for a while. Just had to go away for a little bit to compose myself after Allison and Alex. Beautiful.

Alexie is definitely cute. Wait until you see Adam 20 years ago. Very cute.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Lauren was good. She's a terrific dancer and performer. I think the problem was Mandy Moore's choreo. It's always so bland.

Kent's up next. I'm so afraid this is going to be a clunky tug boat being hauled around by a sleek clipper ship.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I have never been so happy to be wrong. Kent was fantastic and kept up very well with Anya. It was so entertaining and well-danced. 

I loved that Adam compared Kent to Dom and Gev. Now I know why I really like him cuz I loved Dom and Gev.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ashley is a lovely dancer, but she's going to have to step it up if she's going to stand out.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Loved Sean Cheeseman's choreo. Loved Robert and Courtney dancing it together. Definite chemistry.

I think Robert and Alex both beat out Billy, partly because of the choreo and partly because of their partners.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I have never been so happy to be wrong. Kent was fantastic and kept up very well with Anya. It was so entertaining and well-danced.
> 
> I loved that Adam compared Kent to Dom and Gev. Now I know why I really like him cuz I loved Dom and Gev.


I couldn't agree more. I thought Kent doing ballroom would be a train wreck. Instead, it was really gleeful. What a likeable, talented guy.


----------



## hsuthard

I missed the first 75 minutes, I'll have to see it online. I really want to see Billy and Alex, the clips looked very good. I thought Kent really did a great job. He did not seem 18 dancing with Anya, unless it was a very naughty 18 LOL. That was fun to watch. I liked Neil much more than Ashley, she didn't do much for me.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I think either Adechike or Melinda will be going home. Adechike still has a problem with choreo. Jive was close to Melinda's style and she should have done way better. She was too tight because she dances Gregory Hines style (not that he wasn't great, I just didn't like his style). She would have done better to watch some old Nicholas Brothers tap dancing.


----------



## geoffthomas

Adechike was dissappointing.  allstar-Catherine looked great. nice routine. criticism was justified. boo hoo.
alex fab.
billy great.
kent wonderful but yeah looked like a kid in with the lionness. 
lauren needed to be showcased better.
robert was neat.

somebody will be low-points.


----------



## austenfiend

Okay, so last night I'm just getting ready to sit down (at 10pm) to watch my DVR'd SYTYCD that I've been waiting for excitedly all day (oy, I have GOT to get a life!).  It had just barely started and my son comes running in with a friend that's sleeping over.  "Mom, can we watch a movie down here?"  REALLY?!?  So I sat in the dark with them and watched Flight of the Phoenix (remake not original).

That being said, I'm so glad I check the boards first thing in the morning because, my memory being what it is, I had forgotten all about it!  After reading all your comments I'm looking forward to it even more!  So I'm going to slip away and watch it while the boys are still sleeping!

have a great day everyone!


----------



## B-Kay 1325

I agree about Adechike and Melinda, both need to step it up.

I did not agree with the judges about Lauren I thought she did far better that what the judges stated.

This is just MHO but I really do not like the judges gushing over the Coreographers every dance, their focus should be on the dancers and that should be what they are commenting on, a mention at the end of their comments OK but not the over excited gushing, it detracts from the dancers performance and is not always warranted.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

B-Kay 1325 said:


> This is just MHO but I really do not like the judges gushing over the Coreographers every dance, their focus should be on the dancers and that should be what they are commenting on, a mention at the end of their comments OK but not the over excited gushing, it detracts from the dancers performance and is not always warranted.


They didn't gush over Mandy Moore and I think it was that choreo that didn't show Lauren at her best. I think she's safe, though.

I get really ticked off when they gush over Travis. He's good, but they started gushing way before he got good. They never liked it that Benji won, and I think they overcompensate by overpraising Travis.


----------



## Brenda M.

So, was Alex really *that* good? Yes, he was good, awesome even. But, the best of ALL time on SYTYCD? I just didn't really see that. But, hey I am not a dancer. 

Kent's personality just shines thru and I love it. He's just so likeable.


----------



## geoffthomas

Brenda, thank you for saying that. Yeah Alex was really good. But I am not sure that I could say that he was the best ever.
Just as, while I like Jose, I would not be able to say that he was the best B-boy ever on the program - just don't believe that.

So the judges are given to exagerate (either positive or negative) - I guess to add to the entertainment(??)

Just sayin....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Brenda M. said:


> So, was Alex really *that* good? Yes, he was good, awesome even. But, the best of ALL time on SYTYCD? I just didn't really see that. But, hey I am not a dancer.
> 
> Kent's personality just shines thru and I love it. He's just so likeable.





geoffthomas said:


> Brenda, thank you for saying that. Yeah Alex was really good. But I am not sure that I could say that he was the best ever.
> Just as, while I like Jose, I would not be able to say that he was the best B-boy ever on the program - just don't believe that.
> 
> So the judges are given to exagerate (either positive or negative) - I guess to add to the entertainment(??)
> 
> Just sayin....


Yeah, they do love their hyperbole.

I was thinking last night how much I'd like to see Alex and Danny (also ballet) dance together. Then I decided against it. Danny is grace and style and Alex is power. Mia nailed it. He's a dancing beast.

We all know that the best doesn't always win and too often the best might not even make the top 4. Allison, Pasha, Chelsie, Mark just to name a few from my book.


----------



## B-Kay 1325

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> They didn't gush over Mandy Moore and I think it was that choreo that didn't show Lauren at her best. I think she's safe, though.
> 
> I get really ticked off when they gush over Travis. He's good, but they started gushing way before he got good. They never liked it that Benji won, and I think they overcompensate by overpraising Travis.


I wasn't necessarily talking about Lauren's dance specifically, just the choreography in general. I do agree with you about Travis, he's good but I don't think he's as good at the judges tend to gush about every time he's the choreographer. I also think you're right about their feelings of Benji winning over Travis. In MHO I think that America got that right, I love to watch Benji dance and I have also loved the dances he has choreographed, fun, energetic and entertaining.

I also agree with Brenda M. and geoffthomas, I don't think Alex was the best ever, even tho he is good. There have been way too many great performances that to pick one as "the best ever" is just wrong, especially on the first night of competition.


----------



## Brenda M.

I am NOT happy with who went home tonight!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Brenda M. said:


> I am NOT happy with who went home tonight!!


Me either. Think it should have been Melinda. Jive isn't that far from tap and she should have danced it better. Didn't like her solo, either.

Not that Alexie was all that great, either, but I thought she did much better last night than Melinda.


----------



## hsuthard

I agree, Melinda had my vote to go. I was a bit surprised the bottom three were all girls, are we going to get down to six boys?!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

hsuthard said:


> I agree, Melinda had my vote to go. I was a bit surprised the bottom three were all girls, are we going to get down to six boys?!


I think Lauren is the only one who can give the guys a run for their money. I think we're at least going to have all guys in the top four.


----------



## geoffthomas

I am finding myself in serious disagreement with the judges (and their statements-which affect voting) this season.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> I am finding myself in serious disagreement with the judges (and their statements-which affect voting) this season.


You'd think after the "Will Agenda" they would learn that they can only shove someone down our throats so much before the voters rebel.

I disagree with their comments about Alexie, but I can see why they eliminated her out of the three. Her solo was blah and typical contemporary. Her style is Jazz and she could have done something so different.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

It's so hard because you see someone doing a bland cutsey thing compared to someone doing a angsty contemporary. Seriously--even though it wouldn't work logistically for the show, no one should go home until everyone has had to dance in every style...


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ciar Cullen said:


> It's so hard because you see someone doing a bland cutsey thing compared to someone doing a angsty contemporary. Seriously--even though it wouldn't work logistically for the show, no one should go home until everyone has had to dance in every style...


Nigel warns the contestants time and again that they need to be prepared to dance for their life. Honestly, I wouldn't go into the competition without several edgy solos all ready to go. Make it hard for the judges to decide. Someone has to go, but at least give it your best shot.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ok, I can't actually scroll down and read what people have been saying here (and I've been deleting emails as soon as they come into my inbox!) because I still haven't seen this week's episodes, but I just caught up on TWO weeks ago (Top 11 announced and then the showcase episode) and DANG this season has talent!!!

My only complaint is that, as much as I love having the "All Stars" around, they make it a little harder to watch the contestants... Anyone else worried about that? Or worried about Season 7 contestants getting votes based on their All Star partners' popularity?

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Ok, I can't actually scroll down and read what people have been saying here (and I've been deleting emails as soon as they come into my inbox!) because I still haven't seen this week's episodes, but I just caught up on TWO weeks ago (Top 11 announced and then the showcase episode) and DANG this season has talent!!!


Def some SERIOUS talent.



> My only complaint is that, as much as I love having the "All Stars" around, they make it a little harder to watch the contestants... Anyone else worried about that? Or worried about Season 7 contestants getting votes based on their All Star partners' popularity?
> 
> Kristan


I was concerned until Wednesday's show. If the dancer is good, the all-star only enhances their performance. If the dancer is so-so, you'll be drawn inevitably to the all-star. An example of each comes clearly to mind, but since you haven't seen the show yet, I won't comment.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here's the link to the video Benji choreo'd for LeeAnn Rimes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJNqrVe2PPs

He's in it, too, but not enough for me. I'd rather watch Benji dance than listen to her sing.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I was concerned until Wednesday's show. If the dancer is good, the all-star only enhances their performance. If the dancer is so-so, you'll be drawn inevitably to the all-star. An example of each comes clearly to mind, but since you haven't seen the show yet, I won't comment.


Okay, finally caught up!!! I don't know if Alex & Allison's piece was the "best ever" but yes, the judges always exaggerate, and in fairness, it *was* the only piece that made me cry. I mean, it was undeniably beautiful, and at times I thought Alex was better than Allison (and Allison was fabulous). So yeah, definitely light years ahead of the other contestants.

I'm in agreement with everyone on the boards here, except that I don't particularly care for Jose. He gets compared to Legacy, but Legacy was extremely humble and wanted to learn. With Jose, I just get the "whatever happens, happens" attitude. He's happy and grateful to be there, maybe, but that's where his emotional depth ends for me. I don't see... passion.

Also, I agree with Shankman that Lauren wasn't really listening/taking it in. My guess is she knew the dance wasn't that great and so she didn't try as hard. I agree that Mandy Moore's piece was blah, but that doesn't mean Lauren shouldn't try to make it better. I mean, Ade did.

Oh, and this may be an extremely unpopular opinion, but Billy Bell annoys me. Fantastic dancer? Yes. Absolutely. Endearing personality? Not to me, not one bit. Kind of like Brandon, I think he knows he's "the shit," but he's trying not to come off arrogant. Only I bought it more from Brandon...

(Disclaimer: I do have a habit of not liking things that are super hyped up, at least not while they're so popular. Like Harry Potter or Twilight, I can only deal with them once the fervor has died down. It's possible that's biasing me against Billy...)

So anyway, now that I've seen all the dances, I'm curious, Gertie: Who did you think was helped by their All Star, and who did you think was hurt?

I think Kent was helped (because his adorableness with a bad partner would have just come off as kind of pathetic), and I thought Melinda was hurt, because she was so stiff whereas Pasha was... well, Pasha. 

I also would have preferred either Melinda or Cristina going (or Jose!) but I can understand why it was Alexie based on her solo. I just didn't think she belonged in the bottom 3 to begin with.

My bottom 3 probably would have been Lauren, Melinda and either Ashley or Robert. I love Robert, but was I the only one who didn't see all the fuss about the African piece? I didn't even think Courtney did that great at it, and I adore Courtney.

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Well I do agree that the "partners" had as much impact as the choreography.

Kent was terrific and Anya helped him so the sum was really good.
Billy is good but he was helped by a terrific Tyce Choreo and Lauren (who was great in the piece IMO).
Alex fab, Sonya Choreo fab, Allison fab - win/win/win.
Ashley was hurt by a Choreo and partner that were beyond her.
Adéchiké (one of my favs) did not perform beyond "real good" and Kathryn (oh my how could you take your eyes off of her and look at him?).
Cristina ok, but again *Mark*, my god Mark and Sonya Choreo both probably also beyond her.
Lauren - we all agree she is the best girl and the Choreo was not very good and you are right Ade did good with it so why didn't she? So the Choreo and partner hurt her too. 
Robert -nice Courtney wonderful and the routine was not good IMO. Other "African" pieces in the past have been very nice, not this one But I think only the Choreo hurt him, Courtney helped IMO.
Jose & Comfort - Hip Hop - NappyTabs I agree that I don't see any improvement in him (because his is already good). He got to do his specialty, with a partner who specializes in the same thing. Win/win/win.
Alexie & Twitch - Hip Hop - NappyTabs I just think Alexie did her best (nice) and it was not her style - bad for the first week. result axe.
Melinda & Pasha - Ballroom - Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin I think Melinda did ok and Pasha made her look bad by comparison.

I would suggest that some of the "pros" helped their partners by dancing to their strengths and some of the "pros" just showcased their own wonderful abilities. IMO - what do you think?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Well I do agree that the "partners" had as much impact as the choreography.
> 
> Kent was terrific and Anya helped him so the sum was really good.


Kent did amazingly well and he got into the spirit of the dance so he held his own with Anya.



> Billy is good but he was helped by a terrific Tyce Choreo and Lauren (who was great in the piece IMO).


I watched Billy in that piece, not Lauren. She's a good dancer, but I would argue that she's mid-list at best because of lack of personality.



> Alex fab, Sonya Choreo fab, Allison fab - win/win/win.


Yes, yes and yes.



> Ashley was hurt by a Choreo and partner that were beyond her.


I'd put Ashley mid-list, too. She's got to step up if she hopes to hold her own against the all-stars.



> Adéchiké (one of my favs) did not perform beyond "real good" and Kathryn (oh my how could you take your eyes off of her and look at him?).


Kathryn was one of my faves from last season. I'm glad they brought her back. Adechike has to learn choreo. He had a problem with it in Vegas and I don't think he's going to make it very far.



> Cristina ok, but again *Mark*, my god Mark and Sonya Choreo both probably also beyond her.


Cristina wasn't able to keep up with Anya and Pasha in the intro, either. I watched her very closely, twice. I don't think she'll be able to do much better than she has. She just can't handle complex choreo.



> Lauren - we all agree she is the best girl and the Choreo was not very good and you are right Ade did good with it so why didn't she? So the Choreo and partner hurt her too.


Lauren has to let go and not concentrate so much on the steps. She's good enough to keep up with Ade and it could have been a good partnership despite the so-so choreo.



> Robert -nice Courtney wonderful and the routine was not good IMO. Other "African" pieces in the past have been very nice, not this one But I think only the Choreo hurt him, Courtney helped IMO.


I have to agree with Nigel on this one. Robert is a dark horse. I actually like him better than Billy. He and Courtney were well-matched and my eyes weren't drawn to one or the other. It was a well-integrated partnership.



> Jose & Comfort - Hip Hop - NappyTabs I agree that I don't see any improvement in him (because his is already good). He got to do his specialty, with a partner who specializes in the same thing. Win/win/win.


Even though Nigel made a point of saying breaking is different from hiphop, I feel Jose got a break with Comfort and the style and the choreo.



> Alexie & Twitch - Hip Hop - NappyTabs I just think Alexie did her best (nice) and it was not her style - bad for the first week. result axe.


Had Alexie done a solo in her style (jazz) she would have been able to do something stronger and might not have been axed.



> Melinda & Pasha - Ballroom - Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin I think Melinda did ok and Pasha made her look bad by comparison.


Melinda should have done better than she did. Jive is kicks and flicks and not that far off from tap. Another case of the dancer not putting out the effort so our eyes were drawn to the pro.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Geez, I'm quite late to the party again, here, but I agree with many of the comments made. I absolutely loved Alex and Allison's routine. It was the best dance of the night for me, but I also thought Kent did a spectacular job. I've never seen a dancer enjoy himself so much on stage.

I thought the judges were being hard on Lauren, but I can see where they were coming from. She didn't have much connection with her partner. I really enjoyed Billy and Lauren's footloose routine, and Jose did better than I thought he would.

I'm not a fan of Robert's. His dancing doesn't bother me, but his wide-eyed, over-reaction to positive comments makes me wonder if he's still acting when he's hearing the results. There's something about his manner that strikes me as superficial and shallow, but I've seen others do this in previous years and get it together near the end. I also thought Melinda would go, but I think it's inevitable the next couple of weeks.

As for the judge's praise of choreography, yes, it's often too prevalent, but in this show the right routine with the right dancers can propel a competitor to the finale and give the choreographer an Emmy nomination, so choreography is just about as important as the dancers themselves.

Debra


----------



## austenfiend

Lauren is a terrific dancer, but all I could think of during her dance was "would you PLEASE stop looking at the audience!"


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here we go. Partial lineup.



Spoiler



Billy & Comfort - Krump - Lil' C
Alex & Lauren - Broadway - Tyce Diorio
Ashley & Mark - Jazz - Travis Wall
Kent & Courtney - Jazz - Tyce Diorio

Also choreographing:
- Tessandra Chavez (contemporary?)
- Stacey Tookey (contemporary)
- Jean Marc Generaux (waltz?)
- Dave Scott? (hip hop)


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Um, Billy


Spoiler



crumping


 might be the highlight of my life... It's either going to be spectacular, or spectacularly disastrous.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Um, Billy
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> crumping
> 
> 
> might be the highlight of my life... It's either going to be spectacular, or spectacularly disastrous.
> 
> Kristan


I'm leaning toward the latter, unfortunately. At least we'll be able to watch


Spoiler



Comfort


if it gets too painful.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Here we go. Partial lineup.
> 
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Billy & Comfort - Krump - Lil' C
> Alex & Lauren - Broadway - Tyce Diorio
> Ashley & Mark - Jazz - Travis Wall
> Kent & Courtney - Jazz - Tyce Diorio
> 
> Also choreographing:
> - Tessandra Chavez (contemporary?)
> - Stacey Tookey (contemporary)
> - Jean Marc Generaux (waltz?)
> - Dave Scott? (hip hop)


Yikes, I'm worried about the first lineup you mentioned. But no worries about Kent and Alex's match up.

Debra


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Another partnership.



Spoiler



Adechike and Allison, contemporary, Stacey Tookey. Talk about giving someone every chance. If he can't do this, he should go.


----------



## geoffthomas

Wow - Gertie I really have to agree with you on this one.
What a gift to


Spoiler



Him


.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Wow - Gertie I really have to agree with you on this one.
> What a gift to
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Him
> 
> 
> .


He was lucky that Allison put enough emotion into that routine for both of them, but the judges caught him out.

If Nigel thinks the Billy/Krump _experiment_ failed, I can't wait to hear what he says about Jose/Bollywood.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Yeah, Adechike's smile faltered, but I'm with Nigel: it was a huge improvement. At least he's taking the criticism and really trying.

Unrelated: DUDE, I feel like I saw a COMPLETELY different dance than what the judges saw with Melinda and Ade... :\

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Melinda did a good job, but Stacey didn't give her much to do. If she had to do Travis or Sonya, she would have had a much harder time of it.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

You think so?? Grah, what am I watching? I thought she looked stiff and childlike. Amateur. I thought I could have danced that just as well.

Perhaps it was just because Ade was so much better...

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Um, Jose just totally won me over with the strength of his positivity. He clearly was SO out of his element, but tried SO hard, and really looked like he was enjoying himself. I take back what I said last week about his attitude.

Also, gah, how gorgeous is Kathryn?!?!?!? I still sometimes wish she had won her season...

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ooookaaay, I will say that Jose's Bollywood was not cringeworthy.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I am so glad Lauren pulled that off. She was so connected throughout that whole routine.

Are Cat and Dom going to play that little game through the whole season? He's so cute.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Sorry, Jidges, but I thought Kent was pretty strong in that dance. 

Hoping for Melinda, Adechike and Jose in the bottom with Melinda going home.


----------



## Brenda M.

kristanhoffman said:


> You think so?? Grah, what am I watching? I thought she looked stiff and childlike. Amateur. I thought I could have danced that just as well.
> 
> Perhaps it was just because Ade was so much better...
> 
> Kristan


I totally agree. she looked so stiff and like she was just doing steps to me. I have no idea what the judges were seeing.


----------



## Brenda M.

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Sorry, Jidges, but I thought Kent was pretty strong in that dance.
> 
> Hoping for Melinda, Adechike and Jose in the bottom with Melinda going home.


I thought Kent was great too. It's going to be hard for him to be sexy because if how he's been portrayed, but I think he did a really good job.


----------



## Brenda M.

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I am so glad Lauren pulled that off. She was so connected throughout that whole routine.
> 
> Are Cat and Dom going to play that little game through the whole season? He's so cute.


Loved Lauren's performance! She was totally into it and very believable.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> You think so?? Grah, what am I watching? I thought she looked stiff and childlike. Amateur. I thought I could have danced that just as well.
> 
> Perhaps it was just because Ade was so much better...
> 
> Kristan


Melinda did well, but not great. I don't think she's got what it takes to stay in this competition and I hope she gets voted off before it gets too painful.



Brenda M. said:


> I thought Kent was great too. It's going to be hard for him to be sexy because if how he's been portrayed, but I think he did a really good job.


I totally believed Kent as the beast in that dance. Just because he's got an engaging personality doesn't mean he can't bring it when it counts. He brought it in spades.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Just read a poll.

Lauren and Dom 27.7%
Kent and Courtney 25.5%
Christina and Pasha 14.5%
Ashley and Mark 13.3

I'll try to remember to check dialidol tomorrow.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Wow, I totally agree with this. The audience was barely clapping. It lacked heart. I was left with a "huh" feeling.



kristanhoffman said:


> Yeah, Adechike's smile faltered, but I'm with Nigel: it was a huge improvement. At least he's taking the criticism and really trying.
> 
> Unrelated: DUDE, I feel like I saw a COMPLETELY different dance than what the judges saw with Melinda and Ade... :\
> 
> Kristan


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Okay, I'm past cougar age, so don't think I'm a pervert or anything, but I actually thought Kent WAS sexy. His partner thought so too. And I think Nigel missed the point of his...ahem...role in the pairing.


----------



## hsuthard

I agree about Kent, maybe it's not so apparent to Nigel, but I think Kent IS kind of sexy (in that 19-year old boy kind of way at least). I've been very impressed with the maturity he gets across.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Sometimes I feel like the judges purposely pigeonhole people for the sake of creating "characters" on the show. Kent's personality, to me, does NOT overshine his performance or believability. He's completely different during the feedback portion than when he's dancing.

That said, he is "bigger" during the feedback than when he's dancing, and like Mia said, it would be great if he could not just inhabit his characters, but make them BIG, like himself. A great example of someone who does this well is Mark, I think. At least, that's who I thought of when she made the remark.

(Oh, Twitch too!)

I also feel like the feedback portions are just 5-minute echoes this season. There was ONE minor disagreement last night; otherwise Mia just says what Nigel says, and Shankman just says what Mia says. It's getting kinda boring for me.

And, one last complaint: Does anyone else hate when the lights/background are the same color as the costumes??! I feel like it's so much harder to watch. Only one dance last night seemed well lit/colored to me, and Nigel remarked on it too. (Robert & Anya, if I recall correctly.)

Oh, random aside: Did y'all notice Travis' reaction to Nigel's criticism of his "jazz" choreography?? And then when Nigel commented again later that Tyce had, thankfully, choreographed true jazz, they showed Travis again and I think (based on my amateur lip reading) he said something along the lines of, "Great, he hates me." I did think Nigel kind of harped on it a bit, but I can see why he was annoyed, and I'm kinda glad he called Travis out. (Although couldn't he have done it privately? Perhaps this was a bit of staged drama?)

Kristan


----------



## austenfiend

Overall, last night didn't do much for me.  Random, pretty much useless perspective from me -

Lauren was much better, thankfully.
I liked Jose's Bollywood, because of his personality.  I especially enjoyed watching random pieces of costume flying all over the place throughout the performance!
I thought Kent did an excellent job.
I felt like the judges were trying to balance out last week's love fest by being harsh with everyone this week.  I miss Mary.
I agree with the lighting complaints.  I felt like I was missing a lot because sometimes the lighting/background/costumes were all the same, and then other times the spot at the back of the stage was glaring right into the camera.
All right, I'll say it, I don't like the format this season.  I feel like having the allstars is keeping me from clicking with the contestants.

I was so much looking forward to last night, and ended up being very disappointed.  sigh...


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Sometimes I feel like the judges purposely pigeonhole people for the sake of creating "characters" on the show. Kent's personality, to me, does NOT overshine his performance or believability. He's completely different during the feedback portion than when he's dancing.
> 
> That said, he is "bigger" during the feedback than when he's dancing, and like Mia said, it would be great if he could not just inhabit his characters, but make them BIG, like himself. A great example of someone who does this well is Mark, I think. At least, that's who I thought of when she made the remark.


Totally agree about Kent. He plays up the little farmboy image, but he's pretty quick with the comebacks. Once he's on the dance floor, he's a totally different animal.

Mark does everything well. I could watch him dance all day. I thought he and Ashley complimented each other very well and did justice to Travis' choreo.



> And, one last complaint: Does anyone else hate when the lights/background are the same color as the costumes??! I feel like it's so much harder to watch. Only one dance last night seemed well lit/colored to me, and Nigel remarked on it too. (Robert & Anya, if I recall correctly.)


Oh, yeah. Totally destroyed Peter and Pauline last year in that Wade Robson piece.



> Oh, random aside: Did y'all notice Travis' reaction to Nigel's criticism of his "jazz" choreography?? And then when Nigel commented again later that Tyce had, thankfully, choreographed true jazz, they showed Travis again and I think (based on my amateur lip reading) he said something along the lines of, "Great, he hates me." I did think Nigel kind of harped on it a bit, but I can see why he was annoyed, and I'm kinda glad he called Travis out. (Although couldn't he have done it privately? Perhaps this was a bit of staged drama?)
> 
> Kristan


Yes, I saw that. Thanks for interpreting what he said. Travis has been the golden-haired boy and was overpraised when I didn't think he deserved it. Yes, I like his choreo and sometimes it's outstanding, like last night, but they need to be more objective about him.

Nigel often opens his mouth before putting his brain in gear.

Here are the dialidol results.

Raw numbers: (top 3) Kent, Lauren, Billy; (bottom 3) Adechike, Ashley, Alex

Dial Idol Score shows only Billy and Alex safe and maybe Kent. All the others are vying for last place. Busy signal confirms this.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Here are the dialidol results.
> 
> Raw numbers: (top 3) Kent, Lauren, Billy; (bottom 3) Adechike, Ashley, Alex
> 
> Dial Idol Score shows only Billy and Alex safe and maybe Kent. All the others are vying for last place. Busy signal confirms this.


Really? Billy just has legions of fans, I'm sure. He still doesn't do it for me -- or hasn't yet -- but apparently I'm in the minority.

And what's Alex doing in the bottom 3?? (I thought you said he was safe?) I would definitely put Melinda in there instead, and boot her. Or even Cristina.

Even though I really like Lauren and Ashley, America doesn't seem too impressed. I think Nigel's fear about ending up with all guys is fairly legit...

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Really? Billy just has legions of fans, I'm sure. He still doesn't do it for me -- or hasn't yet -- but apparently I'm in the minority.


I loved Billy last year. This year, his broadway co-star, Robert, is outshining him.



> And what's Alex doing in the bottom 3?? (I thought you said he was safe?) I would definitely put Melinda in there instead, and boot her. Or even Cristina.


Dialidol looks at the numbers three ways; raw numbers, busy signals, dialidol score. With two out of the three showing Alex safe, I have to go with that.



> Even though I really like Lauren and Ashley, America doesn't seem too impressed. I think Nigel's fear about ending up with all guys is fairly legit...
> 
> Kristan


Yes, that is a concern. That's why I think if a guy ends up in the bottom, he's gone, especially if it's Adechike or Jose. Even if Alex drops into the bottom, I think he's safe.

My bet is for Adechike. He hasn't really lived up to his promise and they gave him two contemp routines in a row. Allison carried him through this one. I just gave up watching him and watched her instead.

I think they'll give Jose another chance. He's the only b-boy in a sea of contemps, plus he's kind of fun.


----------



## 13500

I agree with many of the posts here. Melinda's performance was amateurish at best. She should go home tonight. Of course, I thought she should have gone home last week, too.

I thought last night was blah. For all of the talent these dancers have, I was expecting to be blown away by something, but I was not. It seemed like previous seasons were all about the dancers' technical abilities, but this time, the judges are letting some fairly large technical things slide, like Billy's terrible crumping and Jose's awful Bollywood (sp?) attempt. I think they both would have been destroyed by them in previous seasons. It's not just about the performance, you still have to do the style well.

Just my two cents for the day. We'll see what happens tonight.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ah, okay, thanks for explaining the dialidol thing. My boyfriend used to check in there when he was a big Idol fan, but I've never really understood it. 

Sigh. I'd be sad to see Adechike go. I know he hasn't lived up, but I think he could grow so much.

That said, Allison was EXCELLENT last night. She really shined. I didn't start watching until Season 3 or 4 (whichever had Sabra) but I'm falling in love with Allison now.

I'm still iffy about the new format. On the one hand, I do love seeing some of my old faves again. On the other, I agree that sometimes you get drawn into watching them instead of the contestants. And seriously, how awkward is the feedback portion for them? Whether they walk off right after they dance, or they stay and stand there mutely, it's just weird.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan, Allison was Season 2 and I've never gotten over her elimination in Top 8. I've finally come to accept that when you get that far, you're really up against some stiff competition and no matter who goes home, I'm probably going to be unhappy.

Her goodbye dance was heartbreaking. Ivan was her partner for the first half of the season and he was crying. Natalie absolutely broke down. Travis let her dance off him, and he was trying his best to hold it in.

I couldn't find the youtube for that, but here's Allison and Ivan in a Tyce contemporary. It was the first time Ivan (hip-hop) didn't drag her down. Brought tears to my eyes and I still get goosebumpy every time I watch it.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh, I didn't realize she was the bench girl with Travis! After watching the video you linked to, I also watched a couple others on YouTube, one of which had a CLIP of Travis crying while she danced off/around him.

I love/hate when all the other contestants cry when someone gets voted off. It's very telling. Like, people were devastated when Alexie left -- which says to me that she had a fantastic personality and they all loved her. Versus... well, I can't think of a great example, but there have definitely been times where you see people who are trying to look sad, because that's what appropriate/expected, but in reality they don't care *that* much. Their friends were safe.

_Edited to add: So I love it b/c it gives me more insight to the dancer's personality, hate it because they're leaving so it's too late!_

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Oh, I didn't realize she was the bench girl with Travis!


The park bench girl with Travis was Heidi, Benji and Lacey's cousin.



> After watching the video you linked to, I also watched a couple others on YouTube, one of which had a CLIP of Travis crying while she danced off/around him.


That's the one I was talking about. Allison's farewell solo.



> I love/hate when all the other contestants cry when someone gets voted off. It's very telling. Like, people were devastated when Alexie left -- which says to me that she had a fantastic personality and they all loved her. Versus... well, I can't think of a great example, but there have definitely been times where you see people who are trying to look sad, because that's what appropriate/expected, but in reality they don't care *that* much. Their friends were safe.
> 
> _Edited to add: So I love it b/c it gives me more insight to the dancer's personality, hate it because they're leaving so it's too late!_
> 
> Kristan


Yeah, I know what you mean. A lot of time all the huggie/lovie stuff is phony, but when there are tears when someone is voted off, you know it's real.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Whoops, about Heidi vs. Allison! I misunderstood the tribute clip. It was about Travis, and Allison, not Travis AND Allison. 

Remember what I said about the crying being telling? Yeah, case in point tonight. Only Ashley looked teary-eyed. Everyone else was just like, "Okay." And Cat had to tell the audience to get on their feet.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> Whoops, about Heidi vs. Allison! I misunderstood the tribute clip. It was about Travis, and Allison, not Travis AND Allison.
> 
> Remember what I said about the crying being telling? Yeah, case in point tonight. Only Ashley looked teary-eyed. Everyone else was just like, "Okay." And Cat had to tell the audience to get on their feet.
> 
> Kristan


I think they were all relieved that Robert didn't go. If a talent like him gets booted off this early, they're all in danger. His solo worried me. Looked like he winged it.

Melinda should have been out the door. <sigh>


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I TOTALLY THOUGHT HE WINGED IT TOO! Which really disappoints me.

That said, yes, I'm glad he didn't go, and was fine with either of the other 2 leaving. Nigel definitely gave a warning to the guys, though.

Side note: You know what I realized I kept thinking subconsciously? "Cristina is nowhere near as good or as charming as Asuka." Sigh. I really liked Asuka.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kristanhoffman said:


> I TOTALLY THOUGHT HE WINGED IT TOO! Which really disappoints me.
> 
> That said, yes, I'm glad he didn't go, and was fine with either of the other 2 leaving. Nigel definitely gave a warning to the guys, though.
> 
> Side note: You know what I realized I kept thinking subconsciously? "Cristina is nowhere near as good or as charming as Asuka." Sigh. I really liked Asuka.
> 
> Kristan


She was cute. Every time Cat said her name, I had to wonder who she was talking about. It sounded so strange.


----------



## kari

I'm disappointed that Melinda didn't go tonight.  I think they sent the wrong one home.  She was in the bottom 2 for 2 weeks in a row - that should have done it.  

And how long are they going to keep choosing who goes home anyway?  If it's up to America, why aren't they sending home the person who received the least amount of votes?  

Whoever said they didn't particularly like Billy --- I'm in the minority right there with you.  He just doesn't do it for me....several other boys this season are better IMO.  Plus I find him to be a bit obnoxious. 

I know Nigel was quick to declare the new format a success (about 15 mins into the first show -- who is he trying to convince?! haha).....but I'm not convinced.  I like seeing the "All-Stars" as they call them, but I miss the old style of couples, and I'm already tired of hearing about how the contestant was "eaten alive" by the professional.  What do they expect?!

Okay, enough from me --- I hadn't commented yet this season so I had a lot to say!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> And how long are they going to keep choosing who goes home anyway? If it's up to America, why aren't they sending home the person who received the least amount of votes?


The judges have always chosen who went home up to the top ten. Then the voters take over completely. I'm guessing they'll choose for another two weeks, maybe three.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The judges have always chosen who went home up to the top ten. Then the voters take over completely. I'm guessing they'll choose for another two weeks, maybe three.


Yeah, I know, but we're already at top ten now, right? So I was just wondering how long it would continue. I thought maybe with this new format and starting off with only 11 dancers, they wouldn't do that at all. In other words, they started this season at the point they would have already stopped doing that.


----------



## B-Kay 1325

Melinda should have gone home!!  There is just something about her that is a bit klutzy to me.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Well, I can't say I'm totally surprised by the results and Melinda will likely go home next week. It's interesting, though that all three of the bottom 3 dancers received a lot of praise from the judges, and that Billy and Jose who clearly had problems with their styles were voted safe. As always, it comes down to personalities and ability to perform and both Billy and Jose performed with their hearts.

I'm beginning to have doubts about this year's format. It doesn't seem too farfetched to see that the competition is going to end up with five male finalists and no girls, well maybe one. It's going to become too one-sided and will the viewers stick with an-all male roster?

Debra


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

If it's good dancing, I'll watch. I mean, it'll still have females, they'll just be the All Stars.

That's said, I'm still not sold on the new format. I would rather have a mix, I think: sometimes paired with All Stars, sometimes paired with each other. I think there's also a lot of growth that can occur when you're paired with someone at your level and you're both trying to grow.

Kristan


----------



## 13500

I agree, Kristan. I think it is much more difficult to build a connection when you are dancing with someone different each week. That's why we are not seeing the chemistry we have in previous seasons. 

I'm not sure if it is fair to pair the new dancers with the all-stars, since clearly the all-stars have been performing professionally now since their seasons of SYTYCD and are far and above more polished. 

On another note, I was shocked that Melinda did not go home. Don't understand that choice.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I can't figure out if I dislike Melinda because she seems phony, or because she is phony. Either way, her lack of warmth is probably hurting her as much as anything. I am afraid that vulnerability goes a long way with voters. But based purely on dance, her lack of versatility (not that she's not damned talented) will probably knock her out next week.

I'm kinda sick of Mia. It's more like she wants someone to have a major therapy breakthrough with every performance. You want to see heart, but sometimes a rhumba is just a rhumba, ya know? I do wish Mary were there  to critique the noncontemporary more.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ciar Cullen said:


> I'm kinda sick of Mia. It's more like she wants someone to have a major therapy breakthrough with every performance. You want to see heart, but sometimes a rhumba is just a rhumba, ya know? I do wish Mary were there to critique the noncontemporary more.


LOL! Yeah, I kind of think all 3 judges are doing that this season. And there's no "fire" to the feedback portion. Sometimes Mary got on my nerves, but at least she kept it interesting.


----------



## kari

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> Well, I can't say I'm totally surprised by the results and Melinda will likely go home next week. It's interesting, though that all three of the bottom 3 dancers received a lot of praise from the judges, and that Billy and Jose who clearly had problems with their styles were voted safe. As always, it comes down to personalities and ability to perform and both Billy and Jose performed with their hearts.
> 
> I'm beginning to have doubts about this year's format. It doesn't seem too farfetched to see that the competition is going to end up with five male finalists and no girls, well maybe one. It's going to become too one-sided and will the viewers stick with an-all male roster?
> 
> Debra


Based on Nigel's comment to Robert last night, I tend to think they will let a boy go next just to try to keep it even. I don't think they should do that -- if it ends up all boys then so be it, they are the best dancers. I would really hate to see one go home undeserved just because he is male. Besides Billy can kind of count as a girl.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

kari said:


> Besides Billy can kind of count as a girl.


LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!! So not PC, but SO hilarious.

Honestly, it's not even that he's effeminate (at times a lot of male dancers are) but something about him is obnoxious to me. Kent is playing the wide-eyed youngin' role a lot more believably.

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Well I think both Billy and Robert seem a little week-wristed.

but Kent may be play-acting. I am not sure that he is so country-boy as is being protrayed.
And I have been to Wapakonnetta, OH - not the cornfield it is being portrayed as either.

But the show is great entertainment.

While I do like Mia (most especially as a choreographer), I am tiring of her.  When do we get Little C as a judge - want to hear his bodacious comments.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

geoffthomas said:


> When do we get Little C as a judge - want to hear his bodacious comments.


Yes! He is superb. And so profusely adept at tapping in to the root of the dancers' emotional spirits and translating their meaningful sentiments into verbal poetry, which expresses the soul of elegance and positivity.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Well I think both Billy and Robert seem a little week-wristed.


Robert even more than Billy.



> but Kent may be play-acting. I am not sure that he is so country-boy as is being protrayed.
> And I have been to Wapakonnetta, OH - not the cornfield it is being portrayed as either.


I agree. He does come out with some pretty sophisticated zingers. That being said, he's a terrific dancer.

And why were you in Wapakonetta?



> While I do like Mia (most especially as a choreographer), I am tiring of her. When do we get Little C as a judge - want to hear his bodacious comments.


Agreed again, but Mia is a permanent judge and so is Adam. We might see her choreo a group dance, but that's about it.

I really dislike her as a judge. Remember that comment she made about Jessica to Will? Remember she compared Will to Desmond Richardson? No way is he any where near Desmond Richardson and never will be.


----------



## geoffthomas

About Wapakoneta:

My sister and her husband and children lived in St. Marys, OH - nearby. There has been a long-standing rivalry between St. Marys and Wapakoneta.  At one time both were being considered for the county seat.  Wapakoneta won the prize.  Wapakoneta is also the birthplace of Neil Armstrong and is now the home of the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum.
And as a further piece of info - the St. Marys mentioned above should not be confused with Marysville, OH - the home of Scott's lawn products, the US manufacturing plant for Honda Accords, and the home of the Ohio Correctional Facility for Women.  This Marysville was known as "Where the Grass is Greener" (was actually their town slogan). But you don't really need to know this.

So Wapakoneta was home to the Miami tribe before they moved, and then the Carolina/Georgia Shawnee moved there - Tecumseh and Black Hoof.  So you see there is a lot to know and love about the place.

Sit and watch the grass grow.

Just sayin....


Oh, yeah - I grew up in Ohio - in Cleveland though - a little bigger city.


----------



## hsuthard

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Yes! He is superb. And so profusely adept at tapping in to the root of the dancers' emotional spirits and translating their meaningful sentiments into verbal poetry, which expresses the soul of elegance and positivity.


You are hilarious! LOL I love it!


----------



## kari

Kristan Hoffman said:


> LOLOLOLOLOL!!!!! So not PC, but SO hilarious.
> 
> Honestly, it's not even that he's effeminate (at times a lot of male dancers are) but something about him is obnoxious to me. Kent is playing the wide-eyed youngin' role a lot more believably.
> 
> Kristan


Agreed. In fact I think I said that earlier (or last night - can't remember) --- his feminine ways aside, Billy is just obnoxious to me for some reason and gets on my nerves a bit.

I don't know what Kent's deal is but I find him absolutely adorable. His face always makes me smile.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Wow, Geoff. You really do know all about Wapokonetta. Nigel could have used your help.  

Thanks for all the interesting info.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Partial spoilers. I can see some people being in trouble.



Spoiler



Adechike & Lauren G. - Hip Hop - Dave Scott
Billy & Kathryn - Contemporary - Stacey Tookey
Ashley & Ade - Contemporary - Dee Caspary
Lauren F. & Neil - Broadway - Joey Dowling
Melinda & Pasha - Salsa - Fabian Sanchez
Alex & Twitch - Hip Hop - Nappy Tabs
Jose & Anya - Samba - Dmitry Chaplin


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ooo! I am _really_ looking forward to seeing Alex tackle that style. Jose... will be interesting, lol. And for the love of all that is good in this world, I hope Melinda doesn't do well. Nothing personal, she's just not doing it for me on the show. (I miss Alexie, sniff sniff.)

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Alex and who?  that's not boy/girl.

Melinda will be in trouble - sorry just my expectation.

Jose will have to step it up or this will be the end of him.

Just sayin......


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Spoiler



ALEX YAAAAAAY!!!!!

I want Alex and Ashley in top 10. Lauren was great too, but those 2 are my faves.

Jose survived. Melinda, not so much.



Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> ALEX YAAAAAAY!!!!!
> 
> I want Alex and Ashley in top 10. Lauren was great too, but those 2 are my faves.
> 
> Jose survived. Melinda, not so much.
> 
> 
> 
> Kristan


Oh, yeah.


Spoiler



Alex


 absolutely blew me away. There was a reason they kept him for last. Wow, wow, wow.

As for


Spoiler



Ashley


, I was thinking how seamlessly she was dancing. She reminded me of Allison.

I think this is the end of


Spoiler



Melinda


. If she ends up in the bottom three again, she's history.

After that, I think they'll start eliminating guys. They don't want an all guy top four, but after


Spoiler



Alex's dance with Twitch


, I think they can see it would work.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Despite my agreement with their general feelings (like or dislike), I will say that I thought Mia was unnecessarily harsh in her comment to


Spoiler



Melinda


, and that I thought they went overboard in their praise of


Spoiler



Ashley


. (And


Spoiler



Jose


, I think -- I was on the phone for that, but it seemed like they were really applauding him, and I just thought he was okay.)

Oh, and I LOOOOOOVED


Spoiler



Adechike


 tonight! I forgot him because he went first, but I was beaming the whole time he danced. I know he doesn't get a ton of love on this forum (or at least he didn't seem to) but I've liked him from the start for some reason.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Despite my agreement with their general feelings (like or dislike), I will say that I thought Mia was unnecessarily harsh in her comment to
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Melinda
> 
> 
> , and that I thought they went overboard in their praise of
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Ashley
> 
> 
> . (And
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Jose
> 
> 
> , I think -- I was on the phone for that, but it seemed like they were really applauding him, and I just thought he was okay.)


Adam is more straightforward than harsh and he said the same.



> Oh, and I LOOOOOOVED
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Adechike
> 
> 
> tonight! I forgot him because he went first, but I was beaming the whole time he danced. I know he doesn't get a ton of love on this forum (or at least he didn't seem to) but I've liked him from the start for some reason.
> 
> Kristan


I loved him in Vegas, but felt he didn't love up to his potential on the show. He got his style twice and showed nothing. But tonight? I thought he should switch from contemporary to HipHop. He was really good.


----------



## austenfiend

Okay,


Spoiler



Alex


 --- SHUT UP! That was one amazing dance!


Spoiler



Nappy/Tab


...awesome job!!! Thank goodness for DVR, cuz that one got replayed numerous times. Did anyone else get that sick feeling in the pit of their stomach when it starts with him sitting on the couch. You think about the dancer, the style of the dance and you hope that you are not about to be witness to a train wreck. But, where is the Hot Tamale train when you need it?!?!?
I wish the judges would just lay off


Spoiler



Kent


. Especially since the comments are not technically dance-related.
I'm not a


Spoiler



Melinda


lover, but I felt that judge's comments were harsh. You made your decisions, you gotta live with them.


Spoiler



Ashley


 - Mia sounded like she was trying to write a poem or something! I liked the dance, but there was one point when she was flailing on the floor and it made me think of a fish flapping on the deck of a boat.
Good start to the show.


Spoiler



Adechike


 just made me smile.
If I was


Spoiler



Jose


 I think I'd feel bad. How many different ways can you be told that your dancing is just not that good?


----------



## KindleMom

I have never watched SYTYCD before.  I have many DWTS friends who have told me I should, and Season 5 & 6 I tried, but never made it past auditions.  This season I skipped auditions and that was the trick, apparently.  I LOVE this show!  

In a nutshell, I can't stand Melinda or Billy.  He really needs to use some teeth-whitener, btw.

I loooove Kent, Lauren, Alex and Jose.  Weird, I know.  But that's who is speakin to my soul right now.  I'm not a dancer so it's mostly about likability to me.  Except for Melinda.  That was a horrible whatever she did last night...

Now I'm sad I missed Allison in Season 2.  I wish there were full episodes (good quality) available somewhere because I'd love to see more of Allison.

I'm also really like all the all-stars.  Twitch, Lauren, Mark - there are others but this show isn't about them.

And I love the judges!  Much nicer and more entertaining than on DWTS.  And Cat - she's spectacular.  Why couldn't DWTS replace Samantha with someone like Cat?  Brook Burke only wears monotones and is always falling out of the top of her dress.  It really gets old...  And I won't even mention the horrible "interviews..." 

And apologies for bringing up DWTS, but that's what I know.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

KindleMom said:


> I have never watched SYTYCD before. I have many DWTS friends who have told me I should, and Season 5 & 6 I tried, but never made it past auditions. This season I skipped auditions and that was the trick, apparently. I LOVE this show!
> 
> ...
> 
> And apologies for bringing up DWTS, but that's what I know.


Pssh, no worries. And welcome to the wonder that is SYTYCD! 

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KindleMom said:


> I have never watched SYTYCD before. I have many DWTS friends who have told me I should, and Season 5 & 6 I tried, but never made it past auditions. This season I skipped auditions and that was the trick, apparently. I LOVE this show!


YAY and welcome.



> In a nutshell, I can't stand Melinda or Billy. He really needs to use some teeth-whitener, btw.


This is the first time I haven't liked Billy. Melinda should have gone last week.



> Now I'm sad I missed Allison in Season 2. I wish there were full episodes (good quality) available somewhere because I'd love to see more of Allison.


I never got over Allison's elimination in Top 8. Soooo wrong. She's all over youtube. Look back a couple of pages and you'll see my favorite Allison/Ivan dance. She has always been my favorite female contemporary dancer.



> I'm also really like all the all-stars. Twitch, Lauren, Mark - there are others but this show isn't about them.


Be sure you watch results tonight. Courtney said her and Mark are going to do one of their favorite dances. It has to be The Garden by Sonya Tayeh. I'm goosebumping just thinking about it.



> And I love the judges! Much nicer and more entertaining than on DWTS. And Cat - she's spectacular. Why couldn't DWTS replace Samantha with someone like Cat? Brook Burke only wears monotones and is always falling out of the top of her dress. It really gets old... And I won't even mention the horrible "interviews..."


Cat is wonderful. So warm and genuine. I can't believe she's never been nominated before. She's up for a Teen Choice award, but what is wrong with the adults that they can't see how great she is?



> And apologies for bringing up DWTS, but that's what I know.


Most of us watch DWTS, too. Can't get enough dancing, but sytycd is better.


austenfiend said:


> Okay,
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Alex
> 
> 
> --- SHUT UP! That was one amazing dance!
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Nappy/Tab
> 
> 
> ...awesome job!!! Thank goodness for DVR, cuz that one got replayed numerous times. Did anyone else get that sick feeling in the pit of their stomach when it starts with him sitting on the couch. You think about the dancer, the style of the dance and you hope that you are not about to be witness to a train wreck. But, where is the Hot Tamale train when you need it?!?!?


That was so spectacular, I kept jumping up and down and clapping. He absolutely held his own with Twitch and surpassed him, I think. No wonder they kept that dance for last.

If Melinda doesn't go tonight, I'm afraid I'll throw something at the TV. I'd better keep some pillows handy in case.


----------



## geoffthomas

So the best first.

Ok so to put this all in perspective, if I were to dance....well picture John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn....Ok not a pretty picture.

that being said.....I thought Alex was incredible.  Could have started and ended the show with that.

I agree that Melinda should go...but the judges were awfully unkind.  She was better than that.  Just because they made a mistake and should have sent her home last week was no reason to tear her apart - I thought this was her best effort and I thought she had improved (isn't that what the competition is supposed to be about).  But she is still the bottom of the barrel - IMO.

Kent was loveable, talented and still did not look like a lover. (but that is ok).

Adechike was terrific. Showed why he was my original favorite. Nice improvement.

Robert can go home.

Billy danced pretty good.  But I agree that he failed to develop chemistry.

Lauren  and Ashley were dreamy - keep them.

And I thought Jose was going to be dead meat again.  Didn't like his routine last week, even though his personality was great.
This was good, I thought.  And all the judges could talk about was his personality.  Which is great.


----------



## Margaret

I loved watching Courtney and Mark dance to The Garden.  It will be great to see it again.  Melinda is not one of my favorites, but it was cruel for Mia to say that keeping her might have been a mistake.  If a mistake was made by the judges, Melinda had nothing to do with it.  It cetainly was not her fault.  Christina also did not need to hear this.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I just watched Alex's HipHop four more times. It becomes more incredible every time I watched it. I compared his movements to Twitch and he was right on target every time. Even more astounding is how he kept his feet flat when for years he's been used to pointing his toes. 

When Baryshnikov made White Nights with Gregory Hines, he said the hardest thing was to work heel/toe instead of toe/heel.  Alex made that transition look effortless.


----------



## austenfiend

geoffthomas - just had to say that the description of your dancing ability just cracked me up!!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Opening routine ... despite great soul stirring music, choreo seemed lackluster to me.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Opening routine ... despite great soul stirring music, choreo seemed lackluster to me.


OMFG it sucked. I couldn't even finish watching. And the dancers clearly weren't into it. And they used that song last season!! BAH.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> OMG it sucked. I couldn't even finish watching. And the dancers clearly weren't into it. And they used that song last season!! BAH.
> 
> Kristan


Yeah, I was just wandering around the internet, thinking about getting some iced tea. usually, the group numbers are terrific.

And I think Billy is going to be bottom three.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Yeah, I was just wandering around the internet, thinking about getting some iced tea. usually, the group numbers are terrific.
> 
> And I think Billy is going to be bottom three.


I can live with that. Basically my top 5 are safe, so I could care less what happens to the others. #meanbuttrue

Did they say who choreographed that opening number??

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I can live with that. Basically my top 5 are safe, so I could care less what happens to the others. #meanbuttrue
> 
> Did they say who choreographed that opening number??
> 
> Kristan


Yeah, some new guy, but I wasn't interested.

And it's definite. Mark and Courtney are dancing The Garden. I'm stoked.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Billy's shirt? Awful. Billy's solo? Awesome.

Sigh. If only that kid didn't irrationally annoy me so much.

Kristan


----------



## Brenda M.

Finally they sent the right one home!!!


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Brenda M. said:


> Finally they sent the right one home!!!


FOR SERIOUS.

And once again I notice: none of the other contestants were crying. (Also, Melinda's farewell remarks seemed... odd. Self-centered. Cold.)

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Billy's shirt? Awful. Billy's solo? Awesome.
> 
> Sigh. If only that kid didn't irrationally annoy me so much.
> 
> Kristan


They talk about Kent not manning-up. What about Billy? And he doesn't have Kent's fun side. But yes, his solo was absolutely awesome. Mia is right. It's freaky the things he can do with his body.

Notice that Melinda danced a cappella tonight. She took what they said about her musicality to heart.


----------



## Cindy416

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> When Baryshnikov made White Nights with Gregory Hines, he said the hardest thing was to work heel/toe instead of toe/heel. Alex made that transition look effortless.


Just have to add that I LOVE White Nights. When Baryshnikov and Hines were dancing together, I was tOtally speechless, which doesn't happen very often to me. ;-)


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> They talk about Kent not manning-up. What about Billy? And he doesn't have Kent's fun side. But yes, his solo was absolutely awesome. Mia is right. It's freaky the things he can do with his body.
> 
> Notice that Melinda danced a cappella tonight. She took what they said about her musicality to heart.


Yeah, I actually thought her solo was better than Robert's by a long shot. BUT his body of work on the show has been better than hers.

(His personality is starting to grate on me too though...)

Basically my 5 are Alex, Ashley, Adechike, Kent, and Lauren, in that order (Alex = #1).

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Cindy416 said:


> Just have to add that I LOVE White Nights. When Baryshnikov and Hines were dancing together, I was tOtally speechless, which doesn't happen very often to me. ;-)


It's the best part of the movie. I could've used another ten minutes of them dancing together.



Kristan Hoffman said:


> Yeah, I actually thought her solo was better than Robert's by a long shot. BUT his body of work on the show has been better than hers.


I liked what Nigel said to her. He really softened the blow, which he doesn't usually do.



> Basically my 5 are Alex, Ashley, Adechike, Kent, and Lauren, in that order (Alex = #1).
> 
> Kristan


Not to jinx Alex, but he basically has to break a leg not to win this. If he keeps up last night's level of performance, he's a cinch.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Not to jinx Alex, but he basically has to break a leg not to win this. If he keeps up last night's level of performance, he's a cinch.


A) You jinxed him!! I instinctively knocked on wood, lol. I'm superstitious...

B) I dunno, people often backlash against the most popular contestant on these reality shows. Alex is lucky/different in that, unlike a lot of the most talented/popular people on other shows (specifically I'm thinking about Alex Lambert and Crystal Bowersox) his personality isn't polarizing. He isn't "weird." He's just a wholesome (seeming) Asian guy that dances like he's using up the whole world's quota of skill and passion. So yeah, I hope there's no backlash against that.

Billy is probably just as talented, but he's polarizing. {shrug}

Kristan


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Coming to this late, but seriously, Billy's irking me too. I am not sure the guy has had anyone tell him he has something to fix in a long time. Nothing he can't do in a dance company, of course, but for TV, his haughtiness does not translate well. Robert's gosh golly seems ungenuine to me, and I think it may overtake his good looks and talent.

I thought Alex and Twitch...well, I was nearly twitching on the couch. That was amazing. Simply amazing. 

So happy to see Melinda gone. She's talented and very egotistical. Bleck.


----------



## hsuthard

Do you guys remember when Josh and Twitch danced together when they were in the final four of Season Four? It was a Russian thing, I think, and it was amazing, too. 

I'm still thinking about how great that dance was with Alex and Twitch, mind-blowing!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

hsuthard said:


> Do you guys remember when Josh and Twitch danced together when they were in the final four of Season Four? It was a Russian thing, I think, and it was amazing, too.


Yes, Russian Trepak. Wonderfully choreographed, beautifully danced and performed.



> I'm still thinking about how great that dance was with Alex and Twitch, mind-blowing!


I've watched it about four times.


----------



## kari

Hi everyone,
I was busy last week and didn't get to pop in and comment, but I did watch the show.  I pretty much agree with everything said here -- Loved the Alex and Twitch number and glad Melinda is finally gone. The judges did make a mistake last week -- too bad they realized it too late.  They should have listened to Nigel.  Oh well, too late now but I agree they were rude to her and didn't really need to say that.  Typical though -- at least it wasn't as bad as Nigel picking on poor Evan's face last season.  

I'm ready for next week's show!  Still waiting for America to determine who leaves instead of the judges.  Maybe they'll just leave it as is so they can pick the winner. LOL  (As a side note -- I wonder if Melinda had the lowest number of votes last weeks and they saved her.  Would love to know if America had it right all along.)


----------



## Marguerite

What it comes down to for me is that, although Billy and Robert are talented, I just haven't warmed to them.  Billy could not hide his disbelief that anyone would not think that his dancing was perfect. Plus he is too effeminate for a male lead for me.  So is Kent, but I really think he is a genuine guy and I like him.  Robert is fake.  No two ways about it.  Playing to the audience regarding his mom"s "Really hard life".  Come on.  He told too many personal things about her that just played up the negative. I felt Melinda was fake too.  Every move and facial expression is calculated for those two. 

I still think that Lauren"s solo of At Last, in Vegas,  was one of the best female solos I have ever seen on the show.  I want to see more of that.  I keep hoping. 

The other girl left, I am blanking on her name, came out of nowhere for me the last show.  I hadn't even really noticed her until then.  I will hold judgement until I see her agian.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> I still think that Lauren"s solo of At Last, in Vegas, was one of the best female solos I have ever seen on the show. I want to see more of that. I keep hoping.


Agreed. That solo was outrageous. The trouble is Lauren is such a smooth, professional dancer. She's playing to the second row, balcony, instead of the audience right in front of her.



> The other girl left, I am blanking on her name, came out of nowhere for me the last show. I hadn't even really noticed her until then. I will hold judgement until I see her agian.


Ashley. I always liked her. She is absolutely graceful and seamless.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Allison hurt her ribs so she's out this week.  Katee will be taking her place. It'll be good to see her again.


----------



## hsuthard

I've been wondering where the disco is this season? It's perennially my favorite dance, and I would really love to see Kent dance it. His youth should help him in this dance, I hope.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

hsuthard said:


> I've been wondering where the disco is this season? It's perennially my favorite dance, and I would really love to see Kent dance it. His youth should help him in this dance, I hope.


I think the only one with feet fast enough to dance Doriana's disco is Melinda and she's gone. Maybe Jose with Anya?


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Actually I think Kent would be great at disco too. Him and Courtney or Lauren! I think it's his sunny personality that makes us think he'd be a good fit.

Alexie would have been great at it too... {sighs bitterly} Thank goodness there's still Alex. One of my Asian A's lives on, lol.

YAY for Katee coming back!! Haha to a "backup All Star." I wonder how that contract/conversation went...

Also, I read somewhere that part of the reason Mary Murphy isn't on the judging panel this year is that she wants to choreograph. So, um, where is she?

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Actually I think Kent would be great at disco too. Him and Courtney or Lauren! I think it's his sunny personality that makes us think he'd be a good fit.


If one of the guys gets disco, he'll probably partner Anya. Lauren is contemporary and Courtney is Jazz.



> Alexie would have been great at it too... {sighs bitterly} Thank goodness there's still Alex. One of my Asian A's lives on, lol.


Alexie was definitely eliminated too early.



> Also, I read somewhere that part of the reason Mary Murphy isn't on the judging panel this year is that she wants to choreograph. So, um, where is she?
> 
> Kristan


Surprised she hasn't choreo'd yet. Dmitry works with her and he's choreo'd already.

I was just watching my tape of the intro show and I had to laugh when Jason Gilkinson said how hard it was to choreo ballroom for three dancers. In his Burn The Floor: Floor Play, he choreo'd a Rhumba for one woman and about ten men. Smokin'


----------



## kari

Oh wow, did y'all catch the news about Alex?  That sucks.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Poor Alex. I'm hoping against hope, but I'm afraid he's out.

Lauren was fantastic. She held her own with Pasha. Great cha-cha, too.


----------



## Brenda M.

I feel so bad for Alex! Poor guy.  

Did you guys notice how they kept saying Jose was genuine and didn't have an ego? Lauren is good, but she's so cocky it drives me nuts.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I like Comfort better when she's tough, but she and Dave Scott both held back for Kent. More Nappy Tabs than Dave Scott and he did well with it.


----------



## kari

I thought they were too hard on Adechike tonight.  In fact, Mia was just downright rude!


----------



## hsuthard

Mia really needs to be a bit kinder when she doesn't like a performance. It comes across as though she doesn't like the dancer. 

For me, Adechike and Jose are neck in neck, for opposite reasons. I love watching each of them dance, though.

I'm just devastated about Alex, though. Devastated!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

If the doctors say Alex can dance next week, which I doubt, he'll be safe and either Jose or Adechike will be eliminated. If he can't dance next week ...


----------



## 13500

I echo your weeping sentiments. My heart sank for him. If it is a torn ACL, that's at least six months or possibly his career. Poor Alex!


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> If the doctors say Alex can dance next week, which I doubt, he'll be safe and either Jose or Adechike will be eliminated. If he can't dance next week ...


Jose or Adechike? I'm actually thinking it is Robert's time to go if he ends up bottom 3 again. Yes, he's a wonderful dancer, but the public isn't connecting with him for whatever reason.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> Jose or Adechike? I'm actually thinking it is Robert's time to go if he ends up bottom 3 again. Yes, he's a wonderful dancer, but the public isn't connecting with him for whatever reason.


I don't think so. You heard what Nigel said about Robert. I don't think he's top four material, but it's not time for him to go yet.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I don't think so. You heard what Nigel said about Robert. I don't think he's top four material, but it's not time for him to go yet.


I know -- I guess I just don't see how they can continue to keep someone who is in the bottom 3 every.single.week. That said, Alex is probably out and the rest are all safe for another week.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> I know -- I guess I just don't see how they can continue to keep someone who is in the bottom 3 every.single.week. That said, Alex is probably out and the rest are all safe for another week.


It's all my fault. I said somewhere, maybe here, that the only way Alex could lose was to break a leg.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Oh Gertie, why did you jinx him? I was so sad for Alex. That's such a serious injury. I hope that they are being overly dramatic for effect. If not, he has a long road ahead for him.

I found the entire thing to be dull as dirt last night. Billy? I nearly fell asleep during that "stellar" performance.

Mia needs better antidepressants I think.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ciar Cullen said:


> Oh Gertie, why did you jinx him? I was so sad for Alex. That's such a serious injury. I hope that they are being overly dramatic for effect. If not, he has a long road ahead for him.


Probably what they'll do is have the other bottom people dance for their life and either eliminate one of them, or announce at that time that Alex can't come back and eliminate him. I don't think they'll tell us until the end of the show.



> Mia needs better antidepressants I think.


The worst part about her remarks is she thinks she's being so sweet and helpful. I want Mary back, screams and all.


----------



## Margaret

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The worst part about her remarks is she thinks she's being so sweet and helpful. I want Mary back, screams and all.


I agree. It was very mean when she critiqued Adechike's Bollywood routine by saying how much she missed Alex. She never said that she wanted to see the two guys dance together, it was more like it's a shame Alex wasn't here so we could have seen this done right. It also wasn't particularly useful for her to tell Robert that he needs ballet lesson for the second week in a row. Obviously he can't go out and get them now. I think the judges should be honest and not just gush over the contestants, but they can be kind as well. Mia also needs to lose the headband.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that Alex's injury is not as serious as a ruptured tendon.


----------



## kari

And where is Mary anyway?  She was supposed to be off the judging panel so she could choreograph -- have I somehow missed her or has she really not been on there yet?

I agree they need to get Mia off the panel and back on choreography. She makes rude comments that are not helpful in any way.


----------



## Brenda M.

I am tired of Mia too and do think they were too hard in Adechicke. I like how Cat piped up about how they were okay with Jose putting his spin on Bollywood, but not Adechike. 

I so hope it's not Alex tonight!


----------



## hsuthard

Brenda M. said:


> I am tired of Mia too and do think they were too hard in Adechicke. I like how Cat piped up about how they were okay with Jose putting his spin on Bollywood, but not Adechike.
> 
> I so hope it's not Alex tonight!


Wasn't Cat great last night? I was yelling at the tv when Mia was being so rude and I was so happy when Cat spoke up. I think she put Mia in her place nicely


----------



## geoffthomas

If Alex has an injury, he also may not be able to go back to the ballet job that he left.
It would be terrible if he had no-where to go.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> If Alex has an injury, he also may not be able to go back to the ballet job that he left.
> It would be terrible if he had no-where to go.


Edward Villella warned Alex that he wouldn't hold his place, but I'm not worried about Alex. As soon as he's back on his feet (so to speak), he'll have tons of offers.

Anya and Pasha will be performing together tonight. YAY


----------



## 13500

I thought Cat brought up a valid point about them letting Jose slide, while lambasting Adechike. I do understand Mia's comment about "flailing" though. He needed to keep his head straight and let his arms and legs do the moving. That was how his dance partner was doing it. Wasn't it fantastic to see a pro Bolywood dancer? It goes without saying I am sorry it came at Alex's expense, (I still weep for him per my last post) but it was great to see.

On another note, I am not a big fan of Kent and his "deer-caught-in-headlights" thing, but I think his performance with Lauren was the most honest of the evening, which really surprised me.

Anya and Pasha? Awesome! Can't wait.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Mia choreo'd the group dance. Can't wait for that, too.  Should be a good show except for the possibility of losing Alex.  

Dial idol has Billy and Kent safe with Alex (of course), Ashley and Adechike in the bottom.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I'm only just watching now (went to see Eclipse last night with girlfriends from work, lol) but DANGIT, no Alex?!?!?!? SUCKS. For us and for him. I teared up when Nigel quoted the thing about "only in my heart." 

Man, I almost don't even care about watching this if Alex isn't dancing...

(Key word: ALMOST.)

_Warning: These are my reactions as I go. I apologize in advance for it being longer than Moby Dick. Which I haven't actually read, but heard/assumed is long._

LOLOLOLOL to Billy outing Jose for talking about Lauren's butt!!!!! That made me like them both a little more, lol.

HOT DAMN Lauren & Pasha's dance was like SEX on the dance floor! And I can't stand the song they danced to, but they were really working it. She looked amazing. That's the first time I've really FELT her performance.

... Why do choreographers always feel compelled to work Jose's tricks in? I mean, I get that it's great if you CAN (the way NappyTabs incorporated Alex's personality/style to their hip hop) but it feels forced to me in this contemporary. Ugh. (And it only further accentuates how awkwardly he's dancing to this.)

(ARE THEY KIDDING?!?!??! THE JUDGES ARE PRAISING HIM FOR THIS?!?!??!?!?!?!??!? RAWWWR. It was not good. He looked like a child. Ashley saved that dance.) (Were Nigel's comments about Jose's attitude spot-on? Yes. And that's great. I *like* Jose. But this is a dance show, not an A-for-effort show...) (Am I being too harsh?)

Kent AND Comfort look great in this! So... cool! Out of sync sometimes, it seems, but honestly I don't mind.

Yay for Adechike and Courtney too! The moves got a little redundant, but the personality from both of them was great. And I think Mia's way off, because it was the choreography that wilted, not Adechike. And what the heck is Shankman even talking about?? Blargh.

ROCK ON, CAT DEELEY, lol. Refereeing the judges. And this is why she is awesome.

Yay Katee! She's still great. I can't even watch Billy, lol, because I am glued to her. (Well, and because his stupid costume blends into the background too much.)

NINJA HIP HOP?! I HEART IT! And this is why I adore NappyTabs.

Is it just me or (so far) has this night been LEAPS AND BOUNDS above the others?

This doll dance with Robert and Kathryn is okay, but not wowing me, especially not after everything else.

Hmm, do you think Nigel was reading oooouuuurrr forums?? ;P (When he made that comment about how people online think Robert is arrogant.)

DAMN. Adechike in that Bollywood number? Incredible. I mean, I didn't love the dance, but I recognize how tough that must have been, and I think he did it well, and with a beautiful smile on his face. (I agree with Shankman's comment about "snap" though.)

This is probably my least favorite Travis Wall choreography. Like I said about Mandy's, it seemed like the moves were just moves. Lauren and Kent danced well, it just didn't do anything for me. (Dude, are Lauren & Kent really together? Or just moved by the piece? They'd be cute...)

Sorry Jean Marc and Francois, but this quick step is boring me... If it's the "dance of death" why on earth do they keep doing it?! Why doesn't SYTYCD just eliminate it as an option?

Okay, I have to watch the rest later tonight, but I just read through all the comments y'all made while I was "away" and apparently I'm a bit on my own tonight, lol. The first half (with the All Stars) was great, anyway. The second half hasn't been as fun... (Maybe the last couple numbers will really wow me??)

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Well if the judges can be believed and if Alex is unable to practice then they must send him home.
Otherwise if the outcome is as you mention, they will eliminate Adechike.  They have made it clear that they are through with him. And they have said that it would seem impossible to send all the girls home.  Besides Ashley was really good.

I really thought that Billy was nowhere close to as good as the judges said.
And I thought Robert let everyone down some.
Kent was neat.
I thought Jose did a terrific job.
And I thought Lauren may have been the best of the night.
Ashley was real good too.
And poor Adechike got stuck with the bollywood. (Sorry but I barely condiser that dancing). But I am not a fan of crumping either.

The outcome is often determined by what style and partner and music and choreographer you are given.
Especially when the field is pretty even as it is this year - no real standouts cause most of them are really good.

Just sayin......


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Y'all's speculations are making me really sad, b/c you're eliminating contestants I love!

My bottom 3 would be: Jose, Robert, Billy. And any/all of them can go, I don't care.

I heart: Alex, Adechike, Ashley, and Kent. And Lauren too, but less than the other 4.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I agree, Geoff. If Alex can't dance, they'll send Adechike home. But we've been surprised before by who is in the bottom three.

If Alex _can _dance next week (which I doubt) and Ashley and Lauren end up in the bottom with him, this could be the traditional Top 8 shocking elimination.


----------



## Brenda M.

Ashley in the bottom three?? I don't get it! I am glad Mia apologized to Adechike.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Brenda M. said:


> Ashley in the bottom three?? I don't get it! I am glad Mia apologized to Adechike.


Ditto!!!

I think Adechike got the sympathy vote because of Mia's big mouth.


----------



## crebel

Brenda M. said:


> Ashley in the bottom three?? I don't get it! I am glad Mia apologized to Adechike.


Unbelievable! I do think Mia looks great tonight.


----------



## crebel

This stinks!  I thought he would win it all.  I hope he physically can come back next year.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I missed tonight's show because of LeBron's announcement, but I'll catch up tomorrow. Can someone just tell me real quick: Was his injury deemed too long-term? Will they allow him to compete again next year or is this it?

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I love Alex, but I can't believe Nigel invited him back for next year. It's great for us and for him, but I don't think it's right this far into the competition.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

YAAAAAY! Omg I don't care if it's not fair. Actually in a way I think it is. We all know he deserves a real chance to see how far he can go. He wasn't eliminated b/c of votes or judging, but b/c of injury. If he's strong enough to come back, I'm glad he'll get the chance.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Oh, yeah. I'd be happy to watch Alex dance through the next 10 or 12 seasons. 

But what if another dancer, not of his caliber, gets injured. Will they let that dancer come back? I don't think so.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I agree that it sets a dangerous precedent... But I also think Nigel has the balls to say, We made that decision once, but we're making a different one now.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Just had a thought. Maybe he's inviting Alex back as an all star for next year.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ooo, I could go for that! That would be "safer." I still feel that Alex deserves the "crown" though. Or at least a real chance at it.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Ooo, I could go for that! That would be "safer." I still feel that Alex deserves the "crown" though. Or at least a real chance at it.


Yes, he does. The man is phenomenal.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I love Alex, but I can't believe Nigel invited him back for next year. It's great for us and for him, but I don't think it's right this far into the competition.


Agreed. I was surprised by that.


----------



## austenfiend

My heart just broke for Alex.  You can tell that the other dancers were upset by this as well, he appeared to be very well-liked.  This was completely different than when a couple of other dancers were eliminated (Melinda?) and the remaining contestants were like "uh, bye bye!"  This was the first year that I watched a contestant from the beginning and felt strongly that they would win.

Nigel wasn't clear about next year.  He could have just meant that Alex could audition again, but then he wouldn't even have needed to say that.  I liked the thought of him being an 'all star', but I'm hoping that they go back to the old format next year anyway.  Gertie - good point.  If a less strong dancer was injured, that would have been the end for them.


----------



## austenfiend

So, what Nigel meant to Alex ... he'll have a spot at the Vegas auditions next season.  I'm hoping that his surgery/rehab go well, that he's able to go back to his job, and that he'll be available for the auditions next season.  I'd love to see more of him!


----------



## 13500

I feel so bad for Alex. I hope this injury does not ruin his career. That would be tragic.

I can't believe Ashley and Billy were in the bottom??!!?? Sometimes I don't get the voters.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

So now that Alex is gone (sob), who is your new top contender? I'm thinking Kent. 

Ashley, Billy and Robert aren't connecting with the voters. Adechike is getting the pity vote which probably won't last, and Jose is getting the personality vote. Lauren is kind of up and down.


----------



## crebel

When this season started, I didn't think any of the women stood a chance.  With Alex out, Lauren has more possibilities.  I think Adecheke is a beautiful dancer, but no charisma.  Kent may surprise us all - he has certainly surprised me already.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

You know, I should have been editing or writing this evening, but after a hard day at work, I just tooled around and watched TwAlex hip hop. God, that was incredibly uplifting--and I'm not even sure why. Sometimes things come together in a perfect storm of goodness. I will really miss Alex. I feel so bad for him. I know it's a risk in the art, of course, but he's so...root-for-able. 

I feel like I did when Barbaro broke his leg. At least they won't have to put Alex down.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> So now that Alex is gone (sob), who is your new top contender? I'm thinking Kent.
> 
> Ashley, Billy and Robert aren't connecting with the voters. Adechike is getting the pity vote which probably won't last, and Jose is getting the personality vote. Lauren is kind of up and down.


Yep, I think Kent and Lauren are officially my favs now.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

My prediction is Kent or Lauren, but my heart is with Adechike, Kent, and Ashley. I guess I have a thing for underdogs? Or maybe it's the letter A...

Kristan


----------



## Marguerite

I keep thinking of the idea that Kent could win like Benji did on sheer likeability but I still like Lauren too.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> I keep thinking of the idea that Kent could win like Benji did on sheer likeability but I still like Lauren too.


I think last year's winner, Russell, is a better example of that. Benji was very versatile and took a commanding lead right out of the gate. Travis was a very slow starter and definitely not as versatile as Benji, although technically, Travis is stellar. He didn't show me anything until his solo in top 12, I think. That was the first night his mom, Denise, was there and he pulled something out from deep inside. It was wonderful. He also outdanced Benji in Sexy Back, but Benji had many more outstanding dances.

When Kent isn't mugging for the camera (and I don't buy that wide-eyed farm boy bit  ), he is a fantastic dancer. So is Robert, but I think his extreme perkiness does him a disservice. Billy dances from the outside, but not from the inside.

I like both Lauren and Ashley and with Alex gone, they each have a shot at the top 4. Lauren is the kind of dancer you see in Broadway musicals. She just needs to let go every time, not just every other time. I could watch Ashley dance contemporary every day. Now that she showed what she could do with that hip-hop, I think she moved herself into contender position.

Just realized, both Lauren and Ashley's breakout dances were with Dom. I always said that Sabra was nothing without Dom. Love that boy.


----------



## Margaret

I just found out that the song "Jar of Hearts," which Billy and Kathryn danced to last week, was written and performed by a girl that I taught in grade school.  I can take no credit for her musical talent and had no part in her musical training, but I still got a thrill when I made the connection.  Great work, Christina!  I still would not be sad if Billy was the next to go though.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Margaret said:


> I just found out that the song "Jar of Hearts," which Billy and Kathryn danced to last week, was written and performed by a girl that I taught in grade school. I can take no credit for her musical talent and had part in her musical training, but I still got a thrill when I made the connection. Great work, Christina! I still would not be sad if Billy was the next to go though.


That is so cool. At least take credit for getting her promoted to the next grade without which she would not have had any incentive to make something of her life. 

Besides, you never know what word you said that might have been an inspiration for her in the future, even something sunk deep in her subconscious.

Yeah, take credit. Teachers deserve all the credit in the world.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Just realized, both Lauren and Ashley's breakout dances were with Dom. I always said that Sabra was nothing without Dom. Love that boy.


Oh, that I have to disagree with. I could never take my eyes off Sabra when she was dancing, there was just so much joy radiating from her. And I don't recall ever thinking of her and Dom... I LOVED her table dance with Neal, for example.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Yes, the table dance with Neil was one of Sabra's best.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Once again Cat was ignored by the Emmys. Please vote for her at

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/10/worst-emmy-snub-2010/

Maybe if she wins this one, Fox will get behind her next year.


----------



## Marguerite

I for one will not be sad to see Billy go.  I admit that I was one that did not vote for him.  I just have such a hard time thinking of him as a male lead.  He is too effeminate and too much like a little boy.  Kent is a little boy too but he has so much joy that he is fun to watch.  Also, I think that he doesn't take criticism well.  That said, he is a fabulous dancer. If I were in charge of the bottom three it would be Adicheke, Billy, and Robert.  I just have not warmed to any of them.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here's Alex's latest blog entry. Great photo of the Top 11, plus he posted videos of his dances with Allison and Twitch.

His surgery is tomorrow.

http://thewinger.com/2010/so-you-think-you-can-dance-4/


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Hi everyone, 

I've been away for a few days, but taped everything. So, like many of you, I'm not surprised or displeased to see Melinda go. Her personality didn't bother me, but she just didn't have the skill of the other dancers.

And I was sad to see Alex go. Something tells me he would have won the competition, so which gives some of the other dancers a better chance to win. Look at it this way, we've got something to look forward to next year because we'll see him dance again. By the way, that hip-hop routine with Twitch was absolutely amazing, one of those routines I won't ever forgot.

I'm still not thrilled with the 5 guys to 2 girls ratio and hope they change that part back next year. I still envision a 4-male finale, which wouldn't be as interesting to me.

What I'm really finding tiresome is our three judges. Gosh, I wish they'd rotated Adam and Mia, or I wish that Mia in particular would think before she speaks. She beginning to sound like a total jerk. I miss little C and Debbie Allen and others.

Debra


----------



## Gertie Kindle

We could definitely do without Mia. I never liked her as a judge but she's a great choreographer. 

I like Adam because he gives the dancers good practical advice. He's a director, so he knows what to say and how to say it. I loved when he bowed to Alex and said "This is your world and I'm just a visitor."

I don't think anyone will forget Alex and Twitch's routine. Alex was so outstanding and Twitch was the perfect foil for him. I watch it a lot.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Partial spoilers.  I don't know if we'll get the full line-up before tomorrow night.

General spoilers:
- Louis van Amstel has two pieces this week.
- Dmitry Chaplin choreographed a rumba this week.
- Jose has two all star dances

Robert & Allison – Contemporary – Travis Wall
Kent & Neil – Jazz or Broadway – Tyce Diorio
Kent & Adéchiké

They have to put Jose with the all stars so he doesn't drag down his partner. JMO. Kent and Neil should be great. Hope it's jazz and not broadway. 

I'm hoping Ashley gets the rumba with Pasha. That should be good, too.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Courtney says she is dancing in feathers and heels and a headdress. Hmmm.

Alex is out of surgery and he said it went well. Here's the pic he posted.

http://yfrog.com/28f2ggj


----------



## Margaret

Thanks for the previews and the updates!


----------



## geoffthomas

Today is Dmitry Chaplin's birthday - Russian-born in 1982, American dancer, So You Think You Can Dance finalist.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Today is Dmitry Chaplin's birthday - Russian-born in 1982, American dancer, So You Think You Can Dance finalist.
> 
> Just sayin.....


Oh, you scooped me, Geoff. WTG.

Here's one for you. Who's in the shirt?

http://tweetphoto.com/32634099


----------



## KindleMom

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Oh, you scooped me, Geoff. WTG.
> 
> Here's one for you. Who's in the shirt?
> 
> http://tweetphoto.com/32634099


Kent? 

I'm excited for tonight! I'm trying not to focus on the lack of Alex but glad he's getting the treatment he needs. I really hope he can dance again.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KindleMom said:


> Kent?


You got it.



> I'm excited for tonight! I'm trying not to focus on the lack of Alex but glad he's getting the treatment he needs. I really hope he can dance again.


I imagine it will be quite some time before he knows for sure. They initially told him he had to rest for three months. I'm guessing he's in for some rehab and a slow return to dancing. Slow is better than not at all.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

And the drama continues. Ashley has a broken rib and won't be dancing tonight. Remember, Jessica King had a broken rib and had to drop out of the competition (if you believe that story). Ashley may have to drop out, too, which means they'll bring Melinda back as the last person eliminated.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Here's the update for tonight. Still not complete.

Robert & Allison - Contemporary - Travis Wall
Robert & Ashley
Kent & Neil - Jazz - Tyce Diorio
Kent & Adéchiké
Jose & Courtney - Broadway - Joey Dowling
Jose & Dominic - Hip Hop - NappyTabs

Mark said something a couple of weeks ago about being voted off the show. I don't think he meant that literally, but I guess they're not going to use him any more this season.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> And the drama continues. Ashley has a broken rib and won't be dancing tonight. Remember, Jessica King had a broken rib and had to drop out of the competition (if you believe that story). Ashley may have to drop out, too, which means they'll bring Melinda back as the last person eliminated.


Oh no, Ashley!  GAWD I hope they don't bring back Melinda! I vote Alexie! She was totally robbed of a real chance to shine.

Btw, is there a reason not to believe that story about Jessica? I'm honestly curious and, haha, naive/trusting, so no, I never doubted what they said.

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Mark said something a couple of weeks ago about being voted off the show. I don't think he meant that literally, but I guess they're not going to use him any more this season.


 But they do have more dudes than they need, considering how many of this year's contestants are male.

Kristan


----------



## Brenda M.

That stinks about Ashley!! I so don't want Melinda to come back. Ugh!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Oh no, Ashley!  GAWD I hope they don't bring back Melinda! I vote Alexie! She was totally robbed of a real chance to shine.


Yes, Alexie would be better, but they always go with the last eliminated.



> Btw, is there a reason not to believe that story about Jessica? I'm honestly curious and, haha, naive/trusting, so no, I never doubted what they said.
> 
> Kristan


Yes, they destroyed that girl in order to make Will look good. If she did break her rib, it was because Will kept dropping her. Then they bring in Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson to choreo a pas de deux for him and Katee who was the most outstanding female contemporary dancer that year. That was after Mia compared Will to Desmond Richardson. Never. Not on his best day could he hold a candle to Richardson.

It was all such a put-up job and I'm glad the voters saw through it and kicked him out. I lost all respect for Debbie Allen after that. She thought she had another Gene Anthony Ray and she was so wrong.


----------



## geoffthomas

Well I must admit that that episode did prove that there are "hidden agendas" on this program.

And I am always suspect about the reality in such reality shows.
After all it is all about entertainment and ratings.
There was that "to do" over American Idol and the "rigged" voting one year.
I enjoy the dancing and the choreography on these shows and this one especially does entertain me.
But I would not be surprised to hear that it was all scripted.
But it would not matter to me.

Just sayin......


----------



## KindleMom

A reality show that's not real?  

This is my first season of SYTYCD.  I'm sorry I've missed all this drama.  I may have to look for old episodes on hulu or something.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I'm with you, Geoff.  It's the dancing that matters. At least, unlike other competition shows (Project Runway, Top Chef, Design Star), they don't have the contestants ranking on each other.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Forgot about the new rules. If Ashley can't dance, she'll automatically go in the bottom three. If the injury will keep her out for next week, she'll be eliminated.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Mark says he hopes his name gets picked out of the hat. Maybe he'll dance with Lauren?


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Yay Mark! Yay disco! It's like they were reading our board. 

(And YAY for them not hating


Spoiler



Adechike


 tonight! At least so far.)

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Yay Mark! Yay disco! It's like they were reading our board.


Mark should dress like that more often.  Lauren was unbelievable.



> (And YAY for them not hating
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> Adechike
> 
> 
> tonight! At least so far.)
> Kristan


I think Adechike should give up contemporary. His personality comes out in other styles. I'm so glad he didn't drop Anya. When they showed that first lift in slo-mo, he nearly missed. I thought he did very well. I actually watched him and not Anya the whole time. Wow can that woman dance.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I missed the first few minutes. Did Cat say anything about Ashley's injury?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Boy, Allison and Robert really felt that piece. Teary.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Excellent piece. I wasn't too sure about it when it started (seemed cheesy) but then when it picked up they really, really sold it.

I still think Ade/Melissa in This Woman's Work is the ultimate "issue" dance for me from SYTYCD, but this makes my top 3.

Re: Ashley's injury-
They just said "rib pains" from what I recall, and that doctors advised her not to dance (but didn't say she *couldn't*) so I'm hoping that it's not too serious!

Jose was really abominable in that number. I'm glad they finally called him out on it. And was he genuinely disappointed, or was he playing up the puppy dog eyes/face? I couldn't tell...

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Excellent piece. I wasn't too sure about it when it started (seemed cheesy) but then when it picked up they really, really sold it.


Yes they did. I'm still crying.



> Re: Ashley's injury-
> They just said "rib pains" from what I recall, and that doctors advised her not to dance (but didn't say she *couldn't*) so I'm hoping that it's not too serious!


Hope that's all it is. My source said broken ribs.

Sorry, love Anya, but she can't jive. She blew that dance with Danny back when she competed. Billy was okay, but it was hard to see because he and Anya were so out of sync.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Really? I thought they did good. For once Billy didn't annoy me, perhaps because he was terrified of messing up so his ginormous ego couldn't get in his way.

Kristan


----------



## Brenda M.

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Really? I thought they did good. For once Billy didn't annoy me, perhaps because he was terrified of messing up so his ginormous ego couldn't get in his way.
> 
> Kristan


He didn't annoy me either in this one - for once. But, I had a hard time getting past the song being so cut up.

And, I loved "Fix Me". I've always loved that song though. As you guys said, when the song picked up, it was so great!! Fast contemporary - cool.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Really? I thought they did good. For once Billy didn't annoy me, perhaps because he was terrified of messing up so his ginormous ego couldn't get in his way.
> 
> Kristan


I know. I was seeing something different than the judges. I will just have to stand alone on this one.

As for Kent, now that Alex is gone, he has a real shot at taking the title. Neil is so athletic, but Kent was right with him.


----------



## Brenda M.

Are Tyce and Lauren together? Did you see them sitting together in the audience?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Brenda M. said:


> Are Tyce and Lauren together? Did you see them sitting together in the audience?


She was probably his assistant on this one. She used to be Brian Freedman's assistant.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

LOVE the shoes concept!! If I ignore Lauren and Billy's faces (because they were totally not connected to each other), the dancing was fantastic.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> LOVE the shoes concept!! If I ignore Lauren and Billy's faces (because they were totally not connected to each other), the dancing was fantastic.
> 
> Kristan


Adam said it. That dance was happy-making. The music, the costumes, the choreo and the dancing. It was all there.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ho-ho, check this out.

http://twitpic.com/25cq8u


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

LEGACYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Brenda M.

a hickey FROM Cat?? Or just from Cat's pictures?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Brenda M. said:


> a hickey FROM Cat?? Or just from Cat's pictures?


Good question. Just the fact that anyone would give Kent a hickey is weird.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> LEGACYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Would love to see him dance again.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kent just stunned me with that performance. He has grace and strength. Adechike is technically very good and very strong, but he doesn't have Kent's vulnerability and emotion.

Yes, Kent could go all the way.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Okay, I believe now that Jose really was that heartbroken by the first routine's criticism. He clearly wanted this, and he did a great job in the bboy number. (Actually I thought he might have been a little sharper/more on the beat than Dom...? But it's hard to tell from just one watch-through.)

I really hope that Kent and Anya's popularlity can help carry Adechike through this round. Billy did good but he can still go, for me. And despite what I just said, Jose can too. Nigel's right: no one else could do what he did tonight, BUT he can't do what anyone else can either.

IF Ashley can dance, I'd love to see her, Adechike, Lauren, and Kent in the finals. If not, I don't really care who gets the fourth spot.

And omg is anyone else DYING for it to be August 6th already?! STEP UP 3D!!!

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Kent just stunned me with that performance. He has grace and strength. Adechike is technically very good and very strong, but he doesn't have Kent's vulnerability and emotion.
> 
> Yes, Kent could go all the way.


I'm a few minutes behind now because I went to shower, but WOW I loved it! Chike's leap was AMAZING!!!! Yes, Kent has the facial performance down better, but if you watch Chike, he performed it too. At the key moments, but not consistently. That's definitely what he has to work on, but I hope he'll get a chance to keep learning it on the show!

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

No Pasha/Ashley rumba. boo-hoo


----------



## Brenda M.

Kristan Hoffman said:


> IF Ashley can dance, I'd love to see her, Adechike, Lauren, and Kent in the finals. If not, I don't really care who gets the fourth spot.
> 
> Kristan


My final 4 would be Kent, Ashley, Robert and Lauren. With Kent winning it all. If Lauren can't dance then Adechike.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> No Pasha/Ashley rumba. boo-hoo


I would have LOVED to see that, omg. Can they just air the rehearsal videos or something?!

The disco was eh. Kathryn was gorgeous as ever, and Robert was fine, I just thought that it wasn't Doriana's best disco. I agree with Mia that it felt "thin."

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I would have LOVED to see that, omg. Can they just air the rehearsal videos or something?!
> 
> The disco was eh. Kathryn was gorgeous as ever, and Robert was fine, I just thought that it wasn't Doriana's best disco. I agree with Mia that it felt "thin."
> 
> Kristan


Have you ever seen a Tre Armstrong disco? She choreos for sytycd/ca.


----------



## kari

Kent wow'd me tonight.  Loved him on both dances - and he out-danced Neil!  Very impressive.  He's definitely my top pick. 

Also loved Lauren and Billy's number with the shoes- I actually liked Billy on that one.     Robert was awesome in his style tonight, and I thought he did great in the disco number, even though I don't care for disco.  

So my favs are definitely Kent and Lauren - tonight sealed the deal.  I love Jose but not necessarily for his dancing. lol  He was great tonight in his style, but I still thought Dom out-danced him.

Hard to imagine who will go home this week, unless Ashley has to be eliminated b/c of her injury.  Such a shame if that happens.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Nope, never seen a Tre Armstrong piece... I don't watch the Canada or Australia versions. (Are they still doing Australia?)


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Nope, never seen a Tre Armstrong piece... I don't watch the Canada or Australia versions. (Are they still doing Australia?)


Both are worth watching if you can find them. I'm pretty sure they're still doing Australia. Nigel's ex is a judge.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Cat and Mark. I think he should keep the tattoo. 

http://yfrog.com/izshwmej


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I didn't feel last night very much. I don't know if it's because I was such an Alex fan or not. Yes, I got teary on the "Fix" routine a bit (and I just lost my mom), but I really believe the story behind the dance got me more than the dance, although it was lovely.

Does anyone else feel like they are really trying very hard to resell this show now that Alex is off? It feels scripted this season as well. And the script keeps changing. "Let's praise/damn xxxx" tonight is the feeling I'm getting. I love seeing the all-stars, but honestly, with these injuries, the dancers are dropping like flies. One more and they'd have a tough time dragging it out to end the season. I also wonder if the injuries are partly a result of folks having to go into other disciplines too quickly, etc.


----------



## Marguerite

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Cat and Mark. I think he should keep the tattoo.
> 
> http://yfrog.com/izshwmej


I hope that he doesn't keep it it would definitely limit him. It looks great for this number but would it hurt him in dance roles in which it wouldn't be appropriate? I think so anyway. Billy and Robert are my two favorite to be eliminated. I just flat out don't really like them. They can dance but I haven't seen a great personality from either of them. Interesting that they were together when they got the news that they were in.

What do you all think of the new format now? I still like the other in that you get to meet the dancers more without the all stars. It has been great seeing them but I think that it takes away from the contestants. I do like that we can eliminate one at a time. I think that the all stars should come in as even numbers need to be made but not until then. What do you think? I also miss Mary. Where is she? No choreography or anything. I will admit that her screams got on my nerves because she did it too much but now I miss them. Mia is also trying to be too nice this season. I loved it when she would reality check someone. I think that she is trying to revamp her image.


----------



## Marguerite

. I also wonder if the injuries are partly a result of folks having to go into other disciplines too quickly, etc. 
[/quote]

It may be that the dancers feel really pressured to step it up too fast dancing with an "expert" right off the bat. They really have to do well not to be shown up.


----------



## geoffthomas

Hmmmm.
IMO - good stuff.
Lauren was STRONG.
Kent was talented - and he "helped" Adechike, again IMO. Agree that he outdanced Neil.
I rather liked Jose in the first number (yes I did see him miss his mark a couple of times) and I thought he was better than Dom (in some ways).  Loved Jose and Dom together.
Robert was finally "manly" in the Travis choreo. Of course he was doing Travis' moves and Travis is very manly. Did not like him so much in the disco.  Of course almost anyone would look bad next to Kathryn.  And disco tends to make almost anyone look less manly - look back at Travolta.  
Billy was better.
Adechike was almost there.

Hopefully Ashley will go through.
Jose (as has been said) is very strong at what he does but shows weakness in other styles - but is learning.
Adechike is also growing but is "off" each time.
Robert is starting to become inspired and work hard but still don't see the spark.
And the light is out in billy - for me.

So my only required keepers are Kent and Lauren.
(and hopefully Ashley).

Just sayin.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

If you want to watch Robert and Allison again, it's here.

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/7876900/20876176


----------



## KindleMom

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> If you want to watch Robert and Allison again, it's here.
> 
> http://video.yahoo.com/watch/7876900/20876176


I haven't seen the show from last night yet. I know, bad girl! That was incredible. Thank you for posting. I really need to make time to watch the entre show...

Allison is amazing. From what I've seen (this season only) she brings out the best in everyone she dances with. She is so full of hear/emotion and always makes her partner look their best. Love her!

How could she not have won her season? I don't think I've seen a better dancer when it comes to gelling with a partner. Every routine this season she's been in has been spectacular.


----------



## Marguerite

I think that it was very hard to take my eyes off of Allison.  Robert was a support player in that piece....at least for me.


----------



## KindleMom

Marguerite said:


> I think that it was very hard to take my eyes off of Allison. Robert was a support player in that piece....at least for me.


Good point! She was definitely the stronger of the two. In fact, I think many others could have been put in Robert's place with the same impact.

Like I said, she is amazing. And she does bring out the best in her partner whoever it is.


----------



## Annalog

I saw this show last night at my mom's house (first timein a few seasons due to no TV). Is anyone else bothered by the camera shots where the arms in the air from the audience members blocks the view of the dancers feet?


----------



## geoffthomas

Now that you mention it.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KindleMom said:


> I haven't seen the show from last night yet. I know, bad girl! That was incredible. Thank you for posting. I really need to make time to watch the entre show...
> 
> Allison is amazing. From what I've seen (this season only) she brings out the best in everyone she dances with. She is so full of hear/emotion and always makes her partner look their best. Love her!
> 
> How could she not have won her season? I don't think I've seen a better dancer when it comes to gelling with a partner. Every routine this season she's been in has been spectacular.


I've said it before and I'll say it again. I have never gotten over Allison's elimination Top 8. She started out dancing with Ivan Koumaev. Think Jose with lead feet. Even with that, you could see how wonderful she was. Ivan didn't come alive until week three or four. After that, it was a partnership made in heaven.

The irony is that she was eliminated before Ivan. Everyone was crying, including me. Good thing because it spoiled my aim as I was throwing stuff at the TV.


----------



## KindleMom

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The irony is that she was eliminated before Ivan. Everyone was crying, including me. Good thing because it spoiled my aim as I was throwing stuff at the TV.


LOL Gertie! Thanks for that.  I really needed it because I finally caught that amazing dance on my TV. Much better than on video because I got to hear the background for the story and judges comments.

Tears are still rolling down my cheeks. My kids have been asking me, "What's wrong mom?" I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was kid. It was horrible. I can so relate to that dance and what Travis was trying to convey in wanting to fix his mother. He did it amazingly.

If you haven't seen Allison's blog from today, it's worth a read. It has a message to Travis's mom, Travis and Robert. Very sweet.

http://www.allisonholker.com/blog/

So Gertie, it didn't end all bad. Allison came back! I hope your TV survived your bad aim.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KindleMom said:


> LOL Gertie! Thanks for that.  I really needed it because I finally caught that amazing dance on my TV. Much better than on video because I got to hear the background for the story and judges comments.
> 
> Tears are still rolling down my cheeks. My kids have been asking me, "What's wrong mom?" I lost my mom to breast cancer when I was kid. It was horrible. I can so relate to that dance and what Travis was trying to convey in wanting to fix his mother. He did it amazingly.


Allison has been very close to Travis since they competed together.

Travis' Mom not only trained him, but Danny Tidwell who was on S3. He dances contemporary ballet, although he gave up dancing after the season. He was also phenomenal. See if you can find Hip Hip Chin Chin, a samba he danced with Lacey or the contemporary he danced with Lauren.



> If you haven't seen Allison's blog from today, it's worth a read. It has a message to Travis's mom, Travis and Robert. Very sweet.
> 
> http://www.allisonholker.com/blog/


I didn't have time to read it this morning. I'll get to it in a bit.



> So Gertie, it didn't end all bad. Allison came back! I hope your TV survived your bad aim.


I just love her.

Right now, I'm glad I have my supply of pillows beside my chair so if my aim is better tonight, I won't hurt my TV. I have the feeling that if Ashley can live to dance another day, the wrong person will go home. If Ashley is eliminated, I'm still going to be unhappy.


----------



## Brenda M.

My TV is acting up - only on the channel with SYTYCD!!!!!!! I am getting a headache trying to watch it, but have to.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Allison's blog was sweet, but I wish she'd lay off all the crazy fonts and colors... 

I believe Travis's mom not only trained Danny Tidwell, I thought she adopted him too.

I'm pleased with the Bottom 2 + Ashley tonight. I hope Ashley isn't the one to go!!

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Allison's blog was sweet, but I wish she'd lay off all the crazy fonts and colors...
> 
> I believe Travis's mom not only trained Danny Tidwell, I thought she adopted him too.
> 
> I'm pleased with the Bottom 2 + Ashley tonight. I hope Ashley isn't the one to go!!
> 
> Kristan


Yes, Denise did adopt Danny, and there's a third brother (actually Danny's brother) who hasn't tried out yet.

Crossing fingers it's Jose. If Ashley is can dance next week, I'm sure Jose will be going home. The judges know he's gone as far as he can.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

This sucks.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> This sucks.


You said it.


----------



## Brenda M.

Poor Ashley.


----------



## Margaret

So sad for Ashley!  I did think that Jose's solo was better than I have seen him do before, but he still would have been my choice to go.


----------



## crebel

Why didn't Nigel give her an automatic come-back for next season?  It seems like he set the precedent with Alex and would only be fair.  All he said was she can still go on tour.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

crebel said:


> Why didn't Nigel give her an automatic come-back for next season? It seems like he set the precedent with Alex and would only be fair. All he said was she can still go on tour.


You know, at first I was going to say that I am not surprised Nigel made an exception for Alex, but now I'm wondering if he did so *because* Alex can't go on tour with them...? I hadn't thought of it before, but it does make *some* sense. (Or at least, it's a pretty good justification for the discrepancy.)

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Yeah odds are that Ashley will be a working professional before the summer is over.
She is too good to just go back to dancing school. Or whatever.
But we don't get to see any more of her on the show - boo.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

We don't know yet how Nigel is bringing Alex back next year. He could come back as an all-star or as a dancer on a results show, just like he brought back Brian Gaynor, Phillip Chbeeb and Robert Muraine.

Right now, Alex is wishing they would just let him get up and walk.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Alex says he got a mosquito bite inside his cast. 

@dizzyfeet
  
Ashley will be invited back to Vegas next year if she doesn't do the tour. FOX feels you can do one or the other. I'm hoping she'll tour!

Thoughts on this decision, everyone?


----------



## geoffthomas

They do the show in order to get exposure, get to be known and full-time work.
She will definitely get that now.


So she doesn't need to finish the show.

Just sayin......


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> They do the show in order to get exposure, get to be known and full-time work.
> She will definitely get that now.
> 
> So she doesn't need to finish the show.
> 
> Just sayin......


Agreed. Same with Alex. He can write his own ticket.

Billy Bell is from my area and every Wed night the news has something on him not needing to win. He owns his own dance company; Lunge Dance Collective.


----------



## L.J. Sellers novelist

I know I'm behind here, but I LOVED the routine Lauren and Billy did to Boogie Shoes (KC and the Sunshine band.) I have it taped and I've watched it a few times. My kind of dance.  
L.J.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

L.J. Sellers said:


> I know I'm behind here, but I LOVED the routine Lauren and Billy did to Boogie Shoes (KC and the Sunshine band.) I have it taped and I've watched it a few times. My kind of dance.
> L.J.


Finger snapping, toe tapping good. Loved it.


----------



## geoffthomas

Today is Chelsea Hightower's Birthday.










Just sayin.....


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ah, yes. Chelsie said she's been getting birthday wishes all month. Great poster of her, Geoff. I'm so glad she's doing so well.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

It's Robert Roldan's birthday, too. He may end up being the last man standing. We seemed to have moved from the injured A's to the injured B's. *Billy has hurt his knee and won't be dancing tonight. *

The show is changing it name to So You Think You Can Survive.

Dmitry Chaplin choreographing samba and paso doble this week.

Robert & Lauren G. - Jazz/Broadway - Tyce Diorio
Jose & Allison - Contemporary - Sonya Tayeh


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Is it awful that I'm kind of glad not to watch Billy tonight?

Sigh. He seems like he's probably a nice guy IRL, but (treating them like characters) I'm ready for him to be written out.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Is it awful that I'm kind of glad not to watch Billy tonight?
> 
> Sigh. He seems like he's probably a nice guy IRL, but (treating them like characters) I'm ready for him to be written out.
> 
> Kristan


That's okay because I know you don't want him to be injured, just off the show.

So, Jose will probably get another free ride. If he messes up Allison or even steps on her toes, he's going to have to answer to me.


----------



## kari

Wow.  Do we know how bad Billy's knee is?  I wonder if he will be okay to dance by next week or if yet another dancer will be out this week due to an injury.  It kind of seems like they're pushing them too hard -- this is getting ridiculous.

On another note, anyone know the date of the finale this season?  I can't find it anywhere, and I'm trying to find out if I'm going to have to miss it or not.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> Wow. Do we know how bad Billy's knee is? I wonder if he will be okay to dance by next week or if yet another dancer will be out this week due to an injury. It kind of seems like they're pushing them too hard -- this is getting ridiculous.
> 
> On another note, anyone know the date of the finale this season? I can't find it anywhere, and I'm trying to find out if I'm going to have to miss it or not.


We're at Top 6 tonight, so next week will be Top 5 (or Top 1 depending on how many more injuries there are), and the week after should be Top 4. That's just my guesstimate. I don't know if they are going to handle the finale the same way they have done in past years.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Wow, I didn't even watch Twitch!!! Lauren did a fabulous job.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Was Twitch on the stage with Lauren? Didn't notice. She was wild.

Watching Jose and Allison all I could think was Sonia sure took it easy on him. Her choreo was edgy as usual, but didn't require much expertise.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh, I don't think she took it easy on him. I think Nigel's right (and was thinking the same thing, so I'm glad he said it): Sonya was purposely hiding Jose's weaknesses. Very clever, but left me a little bored. And the combination of the music and the simplistic moves made it a little cartoony for me. Thank goodness for Allison.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Loved this routine by Tyce. Robert is more impressive every week.


----------



## geoffthomas

Lauren was great.

Jose was ok. Pro Allison was terific - did you see the leg muscle control of hers?

Robert looked good but  Laulren helped him to look even better.

Ade had a nice solo.

Fun so far.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Not sure how I felt about that sonia piece but I love Kent.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> Lauren was great.
> 
> Jose was ok. Pro Allison was terific - did you see the leg muscle control of hers?
> 
> Robert looked good but Laulren helped him to look even better.
> 
> Ade had a nice solo.
> 
> Fun so far.


Agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Courtney says Billy is feeling better.

Adechike and Comfort just blew me away. And I've always loved that Alicia Keys song. They did it justice.  Thank you N/T. 

If I remember correctly, Five Guys Named Moe was the first steppin' routine (S4).


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I think that was my favorite solo of Jose's! It has been a pretty good night overall, but I think the stars for me have been Lauren, Adechike, and Kent.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I think that was my favorite solo of Jose's! It has been a pretty good night overall, but I think the stars for me have been Lauren, Adechike, and Kent.
> 
> Kristan


Adechike's solo and his dance with Comfort were both outstanding.

Hopefully, Jose will be in the bottom and Billy can dance so that Jose will go home. After that, as long as Lauren and Kent are in the top 4, I'm good.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

A missed hand-hold and problems with that last lift. Robert was good, but it was Lauren's dance all the way.


----------



## Brenda M.

I just watched Ade and Comfort's hip hop - wow. Awesome. And I wasn't a fan of either of them. 

And, count me in with the rest that is glad Billy's not dancing tonight.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> We're at Top 6 tonight, so next week will be Top 5 (or Top 1 depending on how many more injuries there are), and the week after should be Top 4. That's just my guesstimate. I don't know if they are going to handle the finale the same way they have done in past years.


Thanks Gertie. Sounds like we're probably just a couple of weeks away from the final...which works good for me. That said....seriously, how much longer are the judges going to keep choosing who goes home?! In 2 weeks, they might be deciding who wins!


----------



## geoffthomas

I agree that Lauren was alone on the stage - for me.
Robert was ok, but I disagree with the judges, Lauren was fab.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> Thanks Gertie. Sounds like we're probably just a couple of weeks away from the final...which works good for me. That said....seriously, how much longer are the judges going to keep choosing who goes home?! In 2 weeks, they might be deciding who wins!


I hope not. They might continue sending home up until the finale, but if they don't let Ameriker vote on the winner, it will give the judges too much control. I don't mind if they send home tomorrow and next week, but after that, it should be up to us.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I was sorry to see Adechike flub that Paso. It should have been much stronger. The choreo and the music were both strong, but they didn't live up to it.

See, Nigel, I remembered Five Guys Named Moe. I loved that dance. Gev, Mark, Twitch, Joshua and Will.  

Unbelievable that Kent did that steppin routine as well as he did. That is some tough stuff to do.

BTW, Antonio redid Chuck Maldonado's bedroom on HGTV. Just a bit of trivia.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Eh, I always find Paso Doble boring, I knew I wouldn't enjoy it tonight... I think Jeanine's the only one who ever made it even remotely interesting for me...

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Eh, I always find Paso Doble boring, I knew I wouldn't enjoy it tonight... I think Jeanette's the only one who ever made it even remotely interesting for me...
> 
> Kristan


I think Jeanine's Paso with Brandon won S-5 for her.


----------



## kari

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Eh, I always find Paso Doble boring, I knew I wouldn't enjoy it tonight... I think Jeanette's the only one who ever made it even remotely interesting for me...
> 
> Kristan


I feel the same way....


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Whoops, Jeanine!! I can't believe I misspelled her name! She's one of my all time faves, plus as a person whose name is constantly misspelled, I am usually pretty careful about that. Ugh need more sleep. 

Anyway, I predict Jose or Chike gone (-_-) unless Billy can't go on (which seems unlikely given that Nigel basically said Billy chose not to dance tonight). 

Did anyone else find Shankman's comment to Allison about not getting knifed to be a little odd/un-PC?

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Anyway, I predict Jose or Chike gone (-_-) unless Billy can't go on (which seems unlikely given that Nigel basically said Billy chose not to dance tonight).


Hopefully Jose. Adechike had a good night last night. At least two out of three.

Courtney said Billy is feeling better, so I think they'll keep him over anyone else.



> Did anyone else find Shankman's comment to Allison about not getting knifed to be a little odd/un-PC?


I missed that. I was busy fighting over the TV with my granddaughter. What did he say? He better not have said anything bad to Allison.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

During Jose & Allison's package, Allison said something about how cute Jose was, but (joking) how she was being careful not to do anything to upset his girlfriend.

After they performed, Shankman said something like, "You better keep an eye on the audience for his girlfriend. We don't want you to get knifed."



I think the comment flew under a lot of people's radars, because there was a little other talking/laughing over it, but I was just like, Wow, awkward...

Kristan


----------



## geoffthomas

Yeah, the judges are too used to being prima-donas in their little community.
I think all of them are lacking in social skills for dealing in the public eye.

Just sayin......

and I think Luaren, Kent and Adechike were wonderful.


----------



## kari

Yep, I agree it will be Jose's night to go.  Billy has been cleared to dance - he just chose not to.  So I think they will keep him for next week.  I'm sure it's Jose's time, but I sure will miss seeing him.  His smile and sweet personality just light up a room.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Interesting that Legacy was assisting Dmitry. Guess he was was there to give Jose some moves.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Interesting that Legacy was assisting Dmitry. Guess he was was there to give Jose some moves.


That's the only thing I could figure. Kind of odd.


----------



## L.J. Sellers novelist

I noticed the knife comment too and thought it was a bit of an ethnic slur. I also felt bad for Jose because the dance types he got stuck with were not audience pleasers. That can make or break a close vote. (Of course, he is the least technically talented of the group.)
I loved the jazz number with Kent and Kathryn! 
L.J.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Lauren G and Neil are dancing tonight. Could it be Wade's Devil and Angel routine? That was Neil's break out dance. He was so close to going home before that.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

So what's your take on the Billy Bell/no one going home thing? Did is sound like a subtle reprimand "you were cleared to dance" or a ploy to keep things interesting? I'm on the fence. Who could fault a guy for wanting to ensure he doesn't suffer a career-ending injury? 

Cringing while the girls screamed during the ABT feature. I think you should have to be 50 to be in the audience. Guh.


----------



## geoffthomas

Well second first - the pre-teen-ish crowd gets in the way of what amounts to beautiful dance.

As I mentioned yesterday, I think the judges have lost track that they are on TV (and are not the stars).
This is entertainment, not a showcase for their antics.
That being said, I don't think Billy was "put in his place" as much as I think they elevated him and made it clear that he can do what the others cannot - take a week off to rest and get by with it.

I was trying to watch the expressions on the three "safe" performers' faces as this was announced.  And it looked to me as if they were crestfallen.  What had they worked hard for - everybody got passed through.  Their hard work was for nothing.  And now two people will be in jeapardy next week.  So if you had a good week this time and a bad week next time, good-bye for sure.  Just doesn't seem fair.  

Just sayin......


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Billy thought he would get a free ride this week and it backfired on him. Yes, he was reprimanded and he deserved it. 

The doctors said he could dance. If they thought he would re-injure himself, they would have said rest the knee and you can dance next week.  This was his choice and patently unfair to the other contestants.

The judges did the only fair thing they could do right down to the things they said to Robert and Jose to make it even. They're couldn't eliminate Jose because at least he competed. They couldn't eliminate Robert, at least not yet, because he's a better dancer than Billy and again, he competed. They couldn't eliminate Billy because he can dance next week.

Billy has been a disappointment this season and if he lands in the bottom three, he's going home with Jose. I think the voters will speak volumes and put him in the bottom three. I'm throwing all my votes to Robert, but I think it's going to be Kent, Lauren, Robert and Adechike in the top four. Nigel said the voters decided the top three weeks ago.

Who knows. The judges love Robert over Billy, but they may decide it the other way around.


----------



## austenfiend

I was yelling at the tv when Nigel announced that no one was going home.  That being said, unfairly, I would have preferred that Billy go - something about him just bothers me.  I did feel that it was totally unfair that he got a week of rest - that will show up next week.  The dancers must be exhausted!!  I, also, thought the safe dancers looked shocked, and not in a good way.  In a way it was saying that all the work they did this week was for nothing.  I was highly disappointed in the outcome of the show last night....


----------



## B-Kay 1325

I was disappointed as well at the outcome.  I felt that the comments that Nigel gave to Jose and especially Robert were just to have something to say, yes Jose needs to grow and his lack of training is certainly showing in a big way but I do agree his breaking has improved but not enough to "save" him every week.  Robert has shown a lot of growth, IMO.  I thought Robert out danced Artichoke this week and was surprised to see him in the bottom 3 again (I guess that he doesn't have a good audience base) so Nigel's comments were way off base especially if you remember the judges comments of the night before.  I think they gave Billy a "free" ride this week, they have never allowed a dancer to sit out a week (and there have been several injuries over the past seasons) any one who was injured before has danced through it and taken their chances that they had enough votes to go on.  This is a competition and I can't think of any other venue that will allow you to sit out to rest and still continue.  Diminishes the level of competition somehow for me.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

B-Kay 1325 said:


> I was disappointed as well at the outcome. I felt that the comments that Nigel gave to Jose and especially Robert were just to have something to say, yes Jose needs to grow and his lack of training is certainly showing in a big way but I do agree his breaking has improved but not enough to "save" him every week. Robert has shown a lot of growth, IMO. I thought Robert out danced Artichoke this week and was surprised to see him in the bottom 3 again (I guess that he doesn't have a good audience base) so Nigel's comments were way off base especially if you remember the judges comments of the night before. I think they gave Billy a "free" ride this week, they have never allowed a dancer to sit out a week (and there have been several injuries over the past seasons) any one who was injured before has danced through it and taken their chances that they had enough votes to go on. This is a competition and I can't think of any other venue that will allow you to sit out to rest and still continue. Diminishes the level of competition somehow for me.


This is why I'm off the Billy train. He put them in a very awkward position. I don't care if he outdances Desmond Richardson next week, they better eliminate him.

Artichoke? I love it.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Just about to watch last night's show, but I read y'all's posts. I'm not sure how to feel about their decision (lots of weird ones this year, it seems) but I LOVE the nickname Artichoke! Lol.

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Well for crying out loud... Robert's solo was great. The last 10 seconds in particular. And Jose... just so dang earnest! He reminds me a bit of myself, actually. He's a little out of his league, but always pushing forward to see how far he can go -- and how far he can grow.

Also, the DJ Smart fellow. How did I miss him during tryouts??

Enrique + auto tune = awful.
Allison + that dress = SMOKIN'.

I so want that dress (and that body to go with it, lol).

I do think Nigel reprimanded Billy, but not as strongly as I probably would have. After watching, I do think this is unfair. I trust that Billy knows his body and didn't want to risk his career -- fine. But there are consequences to any decision, and as we've seen this year, SUPPOSEDLY to any injury. And yet, Billy escaped.

(Also, I hate his fugly gold shoes.)

On the plus side, I think everyone was clearly and genuinely happy about Jose getting to stay -- no doubt due to his wonderful personality.

Next week I would like Billy and either Robert or Jose to go. Probably Robert. Kent, Lauren, and Chike are plenty of contemporary for anyone.

Kristan


----------



## prairiesky

OK...jumping in here.  I have watched each season.  Don't know much about dance but I know what I like.  First, I don't care for this season's format.  The all stars are wonderful, but I prefer more contestants.  Three dancers having injuries: something is wrong here.  I agree that the dancers that had made it through to next week looked shocked; especially Adechike.  My favorites are and have been Lauren, Robert and Kent (though I get really tired of the preteens going gaga over him).  I can't even predict how voters will decide on two to go next week.  I believe that preteens and young teens have taken over voting here as well as American Idol.  I mean really, who has time to sit and vote over and over and over again except kids.  Once the judges leave voting to the public, all bets are off.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

prairiesky said:


> OK...jumping in here. I have watched each season. Don't know much about dance but I know what I like. First, I don't care for this season's format. The all stars are wonderful, but I prefer more contestants. Three dancers having injuries: something is wrong here. I agree that the dancers that had made it through to next week looked shocked; especially Adechike. My favorites are and have been Lauren, Robert and Kent (though I get really tired of the preteens going gaga over him). I can't even predict how voters will decide on two to go next week. I believe that preteens and young teens have taken over voting here as well as American Idol. I mean really, who has time to sit and vote over and over and over again except kids. Once the judges leave voting to the public, all bets are off.


Grandma, here, votes. I can hit that redial button as fast as any teen. Although I don't vote with my cell, too.

I like the new format and I like that the judges will decide up to the final four. The preteens/teens can decide the bottom three, but they won't be able to keep saving their faves just because they're cute.


----------



## B-Kay 1325

OK, I admit it I guess I didn't proofread my post as well as I thought.  I never meant to misspell Adechike's name.  Sorry about that.


----------



## Annalog

B-Kay, did you use the spellchecker? That could have changed his name for you.


----------



## crebel

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Grandma, here, votes. I can hit that redial button as fast as any teen. Although I don't vote with my cell, too.
> 
> I like the new format and I like that the judges will decide up to the final four. The preteens/teens can decide the bottom three, but they won't be able to keep saving their faves just because they're cute.


Me, too, on all the above.

I was disappointed with the judge's decision last night. If the Drs. cleared Billy and he chose not to dance Wednesday night, then I think he should have had to dance for his life on Thursday with Robert and Jose or go home because he couldn't/wouldn't compete. He already got a second chance just by being on this season, he shouldn't have had a third freebie. JMHO.


----------



## kari

crebel said:


> I was disappointed with the judge's decision last night. If the Drs. cleared Billy and he chose not to dance Wednesday night, then I think he should have had to dance for his life on Thursday with Robert and Jose or go home because he couldn't/wouldn't compete. He already got a second chance just by being on this season, he shouldn't have had a third freebie. JMHO.


I agree with you. Not fair to the other contestants at all.


----------



## B-Kay 1325

Annalog said:


> B-Kay, did you use the spellchecker? That could have changed his name for you.


As a matter of fact I did, but didn't think I clicked on the change button, apparently I did.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

B-Kay 1325 said:


> As a matter of fact I did, but didn't think I clicked on the change button, apparently I did.


A happy mistake if I ever saw one. Now I never have to remember his name, just artichoke.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Hi everyone, I've been away so I tried to catch up on reading all of your comments.

This is definitely turning into one weird season, and it's a bit of a disappointment all round, especially when some of the strongest male dancers we've ever seen are competing.

I'm ambivalent about last night's decision, though I pretty much expect to see the same three guys in the bottom next week. Jose will certainly go as his lack of technique becomes more exposed every week.

Nigel's right: something's wrong, given that there's been two serious injuries and one minor one. Are these dancers working too hard and with too little rest for the sake of producing a two-hour show every week? 

And the judges are becoming more annoying every week. Watching Mia and Adam trying to come up with creative, insightful, witty responses that too often result in strange or even inappropriate comments is tiresome.

I love seeing the all-stars, but as I've said before, I don't like the lack of balance in the male to female ratio. Clearly things need to be fixed for season eight.


----------



## ValeriGail

I don't like Billy, haven't from the beginning.  Though there are times when he wows me within a dance, often times it feels like the allstar always out dances him.  And, like someone else said, there is just something about him that just gets to me in a bad way.  Its like the first impression gone bad that goes on and on twice a week for months!  

I was disappointing with the decision to keep him in.  I know that Jose doesn't dance as well technically, but he is so darn likable.  And I thought he did well in his number with Alison.  Robert, I'm torn with him.  I like him sometimes and other times I don't.  But I don't get that "oh crap its his turn" feeling like I do with Billy.  I've actually watched several of Robert's Dances a couple times because they were really good (his Dance with Allison last week was just awesome)  This week, it was Adichike and Comfort's dance that had me captivated.  

Billy's knee didn't stop him from dancing on the stage at the end of the results show.  He was up there shakin' it with the other contestants.  Granted he wasn't Stepping.  Still, it irked me to see him up there after he refused to dance.  I wanted them to force the issue at the results show, to make him dance or he leaves.  Instead, now we lose two next week which just doesn't seem fair to the ones that dance for their lives this week.  Wasn't their and issue last season with Billy too?  Its like enough is enough.  (this is the first season I've watched since Courtney was competing, I think that was season 3?  though I could be wrong)

My favs are Kent and Lauren.  I think they are awesome.  I've liked Kent since I first saw him dance in the auditions, and Lauren grew on me.  She's just freaken amazing.  I really liked Ashley and Alex too.  Man I wish Alex hadn't gotten hurt.  He was simply stunning on the dance floor.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Nigel said they get to rest one day and they get 3-4 hours of physical therapy every week. Maybe they need new PT's.


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Wow, how did I miss this thread?  My daughter and I are SYTYCD junkies.  Her dream is to go watch a show live.  She took dance for 13 of her 18 years, so really misses it and the show is her fix.  I'm thrilled to see serious dance in the spotlight on national TV and being watched by so many.  My son also took dance for about 10 years and while he loved it and did well at it, he never told the other kids at school that he did it because he didn't want the other kids, particularly the boys, to make fun of him.  Now in high school he goes to school dances and just cuts loose - turns out the girls LOVE that he can dance and the guys are pretty cool about it (jealous maybe that he has a flock of girls around him?).  It is so great to see a show like this make it as much of a guy thing as for girls.

For now, we're rooting for Robert or Adichike (sp?).  Robert looks good in certain roles, but I think Adi is the more flexible performer.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> Wow, how did I miss this thread? My daughter and I are SYTYCD junkies. Her dream is to go watch a show live. She took dance for 13 of her 18 years, so really misses it and the show is her fix. I'm thrilled to see serious dance in the spotlight on national TV and being watched by so many. My son also took dance for about 10 years and while he loved it and did well at it, he never told the other kids at school that he did it because he didn't want the other kids, particularly the boys, to make fun of him. Now in high school he goes to school dances and just cuts loose - turns out the girls LOVE that he can dance and the guys are pretty cool about it (jealous maybe that he has a flock of girls around him?). It is so great to see a show like this make it as much of a guy thing as for girls.
> 
> For now, we're rooting for Robert or Adichike (sp?). Robert looks good in certain roles, but I think Adi is the more flexible performer.


Well welcome!

I'm a big Adechike fan, although overall I think there's a general dominating sense of Kent/Lauren love around here. Which is fine by me! They're certainly very talented. 

Kristan


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I'm a big Adechike fan, although overall I think there's a general dominating sense of Kent/Lauren love around here. Which is fine by me! They're certainly very talented.


I can totally see Kent on Broadway. Wonder if he can sing?


----------



## Marguerite

Adechike, Lauren, and Kent are all great.  I am pretty sure that Billy didn't dance because he didn't want to be shown up in the step number.  He just isn't masculine enough to pull it off and he knew he would look bad next to Kent.  That's why he totally wimped out.  I am so tired of his entitlement crap.  I think that he needs to go!  He hates criticism and doesn't seem approachable at all.  Adechike is blowing me away with his growth and kent and Lauren continue to shine.


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Reminiscing here, but Benji is still my all-time favorite.  Was he from, like, Season 1?  Loved his sister Lacey, too, and glad to see her on DWTS.


----------



## kari

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> Reminiscing here, but Benji is still my all-time favorite. Was he from, like, Season 1? Loved his sister Lacey, too, and glad to see her on DWTS.


I love Benji too! I think he was Season 2?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Yes, Benji was S2 and Lacey was S3. She wasn't on DWTS this past season, but I hope she comes back.

If you love Benji, he's got a band called The Weekend Forecast and they just released their first single on I-Tunes. The vid is up on youtube.  I think the song is called "Right." Yes, Benji sings.


----------



## kari

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> If you love Benji, he's got a band called The Weekend Forecast and they just released their first single on I-Tunes. The vid is up on youtube. I think the song is called "Right." Yes, Benji sings.


Thanks for the heads-up on the video Gertie. Here is the link for anyone interested 



 I actually like his dancing in the video way better than his singing or the song!


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Yes, Benji was S2 and Lacey was S3. She wasn't on DWTS this past season, but I hope she comes back.
> 
> If you love Benji, he's got a band called The Weekend Forecast and they just released their first single on I-Tunes. The vid is up on youtube. I think the song is called "Right." Yes, Benji sings.


The things you learn on Kindleboards! Thanks, Margaret.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> Thanks for the heads-up on the video Gertie. Here is the link for anyone interested
> 
> 
> 
> I actually like his dancing in the video way better than his singing or the song!


Benji acting all tough just doesn't work.  The song was okay, and he doesn't have a strong voice, but at least we got to see him dance some.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I'm still fixated on Alex, and have to move on. I just keep wondering what he would have done. I think he should be on Glee if he can dance again--cause he can actually sing. 

Okay, so what is this Billy x-factor that makes me dislike him so much? I am not biased against overtly gay guys--and I would imagine that some/most of the other males are gay--who cares. I cannot for the life of me figure it out. He's technically great. Robert rubs me the wrong way too. I wonder why these guys don't translate well through a TV screen...?

I really hope Lauren gets to wear some clothes and do something less erotic. It's getting a bit old, and frankly, I think it's detracting from her in a weird way. 

So my guess this week: Jose and Billy go home. Second guess: Jose and Robert.


----------



## austenfiend

Oh, Alex on Glee would be great!!!

I'm in agreement with the thoughts on Billy - I don't think it's a gay/straight thing.  Personally, I think he just thinks SOOOOO much of himself and discounts any criticism that he gets.  Cockiness doesn't work for me...


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Waaahhh! A storm took out my cable and I can't watch tonight. This also means it's not recording!

{sad face}

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh j/k it's back! I'll have to catch the first 30 min online tomorrow. But I jumped into this Courtney/Adechike number...

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh man, I'm so glad I caught this "hip hop" with Jose and Comfort!! I think this is the best he's ever done outside his genre. He performed it really well, even if some of this upper body/arm work looked awkward.

Kristan


----------



## kari

Damn, I hope Lauren is okay.  I could tell all night something wasn't right with her.  She danced great, but I could see on her face she wasn't feeling well or something was wrong.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

kari said:


> d*mn, I hope Lauren is okay. I could tell all night something wasn't right with her. She danced great, but I could see on her face she wasn't feeling well or something was wrong.


You know, I hadn't put two and two together, but now that you mentioned it, that would explain why she looked so pained after her dance with Adechike. I thought she was acting funny. :\

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Went out to dinner tonight with my family so I only caught the last three dances.  Kent was fantastic in that Broadway with Jose.  

Yes, I noticed Lauren looked pained but I thought that it was because Adechike kissed her. 

I wasn't that thrilled with Billy and Robert's Bollywood. It looked like they tried to outdance each other, especially Robert and it was too theatrical.

Tomorrow should be very interesting.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I agree about Billy and Robert's Bollywood; couldn't believe Nigel said it was so fantastic.

But I did really like both of their solos. I missed Jose's, but I thought all of the other solos tonight were fantastic. And I really enjoyed the packages about what the other contestants thought of them! Why couldn't we have gotten to know them like this a little sooner? I mean, it's sweet to see their families and all, but there's hardly anything new or interesting that's going to be revealed through that, you know? What parent isn't going to say, "We love ____, s/he has always loved to dance, and we're so proud, they're gonna make it to the finals!"

I did love Ade and Billy's contemporary, and Jose's acting tonight (more than his dancing). Kent and Lauren shone as usual. They are the two obvious winners, regardless of how this shakes out. Behind them it comes down to preference.

Kristan


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Was on the road tonight, so I missed all but the last dance.  Glad I can catch up here.

Need. More. Details.


----------



## kari

I was also shocked that they praised the Bollywood dance like they did - esp. Nigel saying it was one of the best ever??  I was thinking the exact opposite -- one of the worst I've seen on the show!

Kent and Lauren were awesome as usual.  

I thought it was interesting that Jose has been dealing with a groin injury and managed to keep it under wraps and keep dancing (only quietly sitting out of the group numbers for a couple of weeks).  That says a lot about his character.  As opposed to Billy, who finked out last week and then this week had to point out that he was wearing a knee brace.  

I did think Billy did a great job in the dance with Ade.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I caught a clip of Allison and Lauren at the end. They looked awesome. How was that dance? 

Can anyone tell me who danced with who tonight?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Lauren is in the hospital. dehydration and concussion.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Alex reports that Lauren is fine now. 

On his facebook page, I asked Alex if he was okay financially. He's not. His fans (largely me) are looking for a place in NY for him to stay while he rehabs (at a place where fans are donating funds)! No job, no lodging, no insurance, and Fox has not paid for his surgery or rehab. It's so bad that he is accepting fan help. Shame on Fox.

So I no longer blame Billy for not dancing hurt.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh geez, things sound like a mess... Ciar, you're so wonderful to help him out. 

Gertie, I actually thought Lauren & Allison did NOT look great together, although they got praised out the wazzoo. (Nigel told Lauren she already was an All Star!) They were out of sync in so many sequences, and I thought Lauren really got showed up by Allison (in the sense that I do think Lauren is great, but seeing her next to Allison showed me just how far she could still grow).

Kristan


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I agree, Kristan. Lauren didn't wow me in that either. Crickey Alison is a strong woman. You know, obviously even though Jose is going home, I kinda liked him and Comfort--it was endearing. Not the best dancing, of course, but nice entertainment.

I thought the "Billy has changed dance" was complete hype. He's a fantastic dancer, of course, but that piece and his dancing is nothing you wouldn't see at a pro company. I think they were trying a bit to make up for last week.

I just thought Kent in Broadway was adorable. I haven't been a huge fan of his, but he eats Broadway up like a bag of popcorn. If he could sing, they could do a revival of some old show around him and it would be great.


----------



## geoffthomas

I must admit that the judges are REALLY getting on my nerves.
Mia is a terrific choreographer but......I don't like snarky at all.
And what is that drivel about the bollywood being the best - what a slap in the face to Joshua (who won) who did it fantastically. (and I don't really like Bollywood).

I thought that Lauren was outdanced by Allison in parts of the piece and that she outperformed Allison in others.

Kent was terrific.

Tired of Billy - just am.
Robert is pretty good but he should not be the last standing.

Adechike seems to have stopped growing - nice lad, nice looking, good dancer - was my favorite boy to start with.
I agree that Jose was good with Comfort. Too bad she outdanced him.  It would have been neat if he could have pulled off dancing like the choreographer can.  But he seems to have grown all he can too.

So I still think it ought to be Kent and Lauren for the final.

Just sayin....


----------



## L.J. Sellers novelist

I have to say I loved the Bollywood number, but was surprised the judges did. I think they recognized how physically difficult it was. It seems that so much of this contest is luck of the draw. The judges always go crazy for contemporary routines that tell an emotional story. So for the dancers who draw those styles, they have an opportunity to really shine. On the other hand, nobody gets excited about the foxtrot. 

I want it to be Lauren and Robert in the end, but I don't think it'll go that way.
L.J.


----------



## austenfiend

Watched the show this morning and here are my useless thoughts and ramblings -

Judges - too verbose, too harsh at times (don't come out and tell Jose that he'll probably go home this week), too much praise at times (best Bollywood they've seen?? of course they did quantify by saying 'by two guys')

Billy - he's always bothered me, but it finally hit home WHAT bothers me.  He's always seemed cocky and self-centered but while watching this week's show I realized that he never says 'thank you' when being praised by the judges.  Like he just figures it's his due or something.  Not gracious at all.

Lauren - you could tell she was off this week.  I hope she's feeling better.  I wasn't overly impressed with her number with Allison anyway, just didn't do much for me.

Kent - that kid NEEDS to be on Broadway!  He is perfect in that genre.

Bollywood number - was not impressed that much at all.  There seemed to be too much hip hop feel to it.  I didn't feel that they captured the essence of Bollywood dance - I say this because Bollywood movies are a guilty pleasure for me and I've seen a TON of them.

The results show is going to be emotional tonight, for sure!!!


----------



## Ciar Cullen

austenfiend said:


> Billy - he's always bothered me, but it finally hit home WHAT bothers me. He's always seemed cocky and self-centered but while watching this week's show I realized that he never says 'thank you' when being praised by the judges. Like he just figures it's his due or something. Not gracious at all.


THIS! Thanks for figuring it out for me as well.


----------



## kari

I'm glad Alex is reporting that Lauren is fine now -- but I wonder when that was?  I just heard that her condition might be more serious than previously thought.  I hope that's not true.  I guess we'll find out more tonight.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

A) At first I was like, WTF I love Allison but why is she starring in this group number?! Then I remembered what y'all said about Lauren's injury... 

B) LOVED that arrangement of Sting's "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," and Mia's choreography. 

Kristan


----------



## Brenda M.

So surprised by the bottom three! But - that means Billy is going home!!!! There's no way they'll send Lauren packing, so it will be Jose and Billy.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

C) WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!??!?!?

I'm happy with the 3 that are safe... but if the 2 that should go, are NOT the ones that go... I don't know what I'll do.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> C) WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!??!?!?
> 
> I'm happy with the 3 that are safe... but if the 2 that should go, are NOT the ones that go... I don't know what I'll do.
> 
> Kristan


They'll never get rid of Lauren. She's the last girl standing. I shouldn't jinx it.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Thank goodness Lauren's solo was good, because I thought Billy's was fabulous. Hated his scarf though, lol.

Kristan


----------



## kari

Whew, glad Lauren is healthy....and safe.

Was surprised to hear Nigel comment on Billy's "androgynous style" but you know, he probably hit the nail on the head as to why viewers didn't connect with him.  Interesting. 

So now we have the Top 4!


----------



## geoffthomas

I am happy with the results.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

From what Nigel said, there is not going to be a top four finale. He said the voters will pick next week who goes on to the finale the week after. So I guess it's top three? Maybe top two?


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Yeah I picked up on that too, and find it odd to move from 4 down to either 3 or 2. Doesn't sound nearly as suspenseful... I liked the 4-person finales we've had.

I hope next year they will take a best of both worlds approach: have a top 20, bring in All Stars once we're down to 10 contestants (or 8 or 5 or whatever), and for crying out loud, LET AMERICA CHOOSE who goes home. I think we would have had Alexie longer and Billy shorter.

And you know what, Nigel, it wasn't Billy's androgynous-ness that bothered us (otherwise Robert might have been questioned as well). It was his lack of personality beyond being a good dancer. His lack of gratitude. I'm not saying that's his true personality; I'm saying that's what came out on screen. Example from tonight: "What are you going to remember most, Billy?" "Oh, just all the experiences you had. All the memories."

You're going to remember the memories? Thanks, that's helpful. And oh so sincere sounding. (Particularly when followed by Jose's very genuine and appreciative remarks.)

Kristan


----------



## austenfiend

Kristan- I totally agree with your comments.  Billy sounded very insincere, whereas Jose was just as gracious as he's been all season.  What a special young man.  He turned out to be more talented than the judges, America, and to a certain extent, even he himself knew he was.  I'll miss his smile, that's for sure!!  It's exciting getting down to the end, but then I'm bummed waiting for the next season to start!!!

Anyone have any plans for National Dance Day tomorrow?


----------



## Gertie Kindle

austenfiend said:


> Kristan- I totally agree with your comments. Billy sounded very insincere, whereas Jose was just as gracious as he's been all season. What a special young man. He turned out to be more talented than the judges, America, and to a certain extent, even he himself knew he was. I'll miss his smile, that's for sure!! It's exciting getting down to the end, but then I'm bummed waiting for the next season to start!!!
> 
> Anyone have any plans for National Dance Day tomorrow?


I definitely agree about Billy's remarks. Maybe he's just dumb?

I'll be on a train tomorrow, so the best dance I can do is to get thrown from side to side.


----------



## Jaasy

Glad to hear that the judges won't have final say anymore...


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Jaasy said:


> Glad to hear that the judges won't have final say anymore...


Me too. And I'm glad to see another guest judge - a fresh voice in Toni.

Well, I'm clearly in a minority here, but I liked Billy but, as a former (8 years) dance student myself, I base my assessments mostly on the contestant's technique, though performance quality or likeability play a part, sure.

Robert is technically great, but he just strikes me as a plastic guy. A classic example is that stunned, golly you didn't pick me shock on his face when he wasn't in the bottom three for once.

For me, Billy's performances were far stronger than Adechike's last night, but again, he's a popular, likeable guy.

I think Kent will take it all. His fan base appears to be huge. He's a great performer and dancer.

I really think the show needs to go back to basics next season. Out of 11 finalists 2 were knocked out of the competition due to serious injury. Three more are or have battled injuries. That's about 50% which tells me the dancers are being worked too hard. Back in season 2, 3, and 4 I think, dancers only performed once until the finale. This attempt to stretch the show into a two hour event every week is ridiculous. It doesn't need to be that long when only 6 dancers are left to compete.

Debra


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Debra, I liked Billy, too. He lost me when he chose not to dance last week. 

I also agree with you about Robert. I wonder what would have happened if it was a choice between Robert and Billy. Also, last week they told Robert he'd grown as much as he could and this week they told him how much he had grown.  Don't these people remember what they say from one week to the next?

Still love the show no matter what.


----------



## kari

Haha I love the show no matter what too Gertie.  They might aggravate the heck out of me sometimes, and I may vent -- but I still love it.


----------



## Marguerite

I think that if they had less of the all stars at the beginning they might have had fewer injuries.  The less experienced dancers had to keep up with the pros and not be out danced.  Could this have played a part in their over taxing their bodies?  I think so anyway.


----------



## ValeriGail

I was disappointing with the bottom three this week.  I'm not sure why Lauren was there. Maybe voters think others are voting and she doesn't need their vote.. or maybe people are tired of the same "sexy" shake your bon bon dance they make her do every week.  It was a shock to see her in the bottom three.  I was hoping for a bottom three of Jose, Billy and Adichike.  Before the show, I wanted billy gone.  He just irks me.  But, he danced really well in the number with Ade.  (I DID NOT like the Bollywood dance at all).  I thought that Adichike didn't dance well in either of his dances.  I'm sorta tired of seeing him shirtless.  I felt the costuming was totally off in his jazz number, that it distracted me from the dance.  Had he been in big bandish type clothing, It might have made more sense.. but when he's shirtless, all his movements look tribal to me.  Its like we loose his fluidity.  And then dancing with Lauren, he looked lost for most of the dance.  Like he wasn't quite sure he wanted to be dancing right then and was still thinking it over, very detached.  Very strange for me.  The judges all said he did well partnering, which I was shocked to hear.  He looked way out of place.  

Anyway, I was hoping after the show that he would be in the bottom three, going home with Jose (Who I love and wish could stay in, but knew it was his week.  The judges were hitting hard trying to sway the vote with their "opinions".  That is a whole nother post though!).  It shocks me that I didn't want Billy to leave, cause like I said he irks me.  Its just that Adichike has had a couple weeks now where it looks like he's just going through the motions and not stepping it up a notch.  Kind of irks me more than billy, HAHA.  

The judges bug me with their comments.  Specially Mia.  Sometimes I wish someone would just smack her on the back of the head.  I do like Adam though.. most of his comments crack me up and he seems to always have some really good criticism to give.  You know, something that the dancer can take and work with.  Unlike Mia and her sizzle comments.  The woman makes me roll my eyes more than once during the show.  And Nigel always seems like he's trying to sway America's votes.

I'm sad to see Jose go, not so sad to see Billy go.. wish Adichike was gone.  Still loving Lauren (even if they make her shake her bon bon too much) and kent.  But surprisingly really enjoy Robert too.  I'm really interested in seeing how the final is gonna play out.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I seriously hope Adechike isn't in the finale.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I seriously hope Adechike isn't in the finale.


Actually, I prefer Adechike to Robert, as you probably figured out from my last post, Gertie. Every time I watch one of Adechike's solos, I'm thinking oh my gosh, if the Alvin Ailey dance company doesn't sign a contract with him they'd be out of their minds. In a few short years, he could be one of their top dancers, and that's saying something!

Debra


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Marguerite said:


> I think that if they had less of the all stars at the beginning they might have had fewer injuries. The less experienced dancers had to keep up with the pros and not be out danced. Could this have played a part in their over taxing their bodies? I think so anyway.


Your point's well taken, Marguerite. I'm sure the competitors are trying really hard to rise to the all-stars level, and succeeding with some dances! And you can see that the all-stars are working really hard too, but here's the thing: all-stars aren't required to perform 2 to 3 dances plus the group number week after week. Even if an all-star has a busy night, I've noticed that that person usually gets a rest the following week i.e. Neil, Twitch, and Comfort weren't around this week. In my opinion, the show is working the competitors beyond what I would call safe. It's too much over too long a period of time.

Debra


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Bit of a diversion here, but does anyone else miss the screaming 'Hot Tamale Train' reactions of Mary Murphy?


----------



## kari

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> Bit of a diversion here, but does anyone else miss the screaming 'Hot Tamale Train' reactions of Mary Murphy?


LOL Maybe a little. It was fun and always kind of cool when she put someone you liked on the Hot Tamale Train.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Don't get me wrong, I really like Shankman and Mia, but for me this year, the biggest mistake/issue was not the All Stars, but rather not having a rotating panel of judges. The guest judges helped mix things up a bit, but really, it got tiring to hear the same things over and over. I pretty much knew what Nigel, Mia and Shankman were going to say. So yes, I miss Mary Murphy's extreme excitement, and I miss Lil C's rambling, and I miss Debbie Allen's gushing, etc. etc.

Kristan


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> Bit of a diversion here, but does anyone else miss the screaming 'Hot Tamale Train' reactions of Mary Murphy?


I didn't think I'd say this last year, but yes, I'd take Mary over Mia or Adam any day.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I agree that Adechike's solos are fantastic. However, when he has to dance choreographed contemporary with a partner, I have to ask myself what happened to this talented guy. When he dances outside his style, he comes alive again. Can't understand why that is so, but it is. That's why I don't want him in the finals.


----------



## Angela

I know I haven't been around for the discussions this season, but my 2 favs for the finals are Kent and Lauren. I have loved Kent from the very beginning, but didn't become a Lauren fan until about halfway through. I would have loved for Jose to stay one more week and Adechike to have gone home this past week. I have enjoyed watching Jose, but knew he wouldn't make to the end. Kent is my pick for the winner and I love his "faces" even if Mia doesn't.

I will say I don't miss Mary Murphy's screaming, but Mia needs to stick with choreography. I don't see that she adds all that much to the panel. I think it is important to have a ballroom person on the panel because some of the ballroom dances would have gotten very low scores if they had been judged on DWTS. For example, Lauren's first Cha-Cha her hip action was almost non-existent. I think during that Cha-Cha all eyes were on Pasha... I know mine were!!    She didn't get that hip thing going good until the Tahitian dance. 

All in all have enjoyed this season and will keep watching no matter who the judges are and I hope they keep the shows coming!! It has been great seeing the all-stars, but I hope they mix it up and we continue to see others as well and not just the same ones every season.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> I know I haven't been around for the discussions this season, but my 2 favs for the finals are Kent and Lauren. I have loved Kent from the very beginning, but didn't become a Lauren fan until about halfway through. I would have loved for Jose to stay one more week and Adechike to have gone home this past week. I have enjoyed watching Jose, but knew he wouldn't make to the end. Kent is my pick for the winner and I love his "faces" even if Mia doesn't.


I'm not even going to say a thing about Kent winning because this whole season has been jinxed.

Have Kent and Lauren danced together? I don't remember that happening. She's sure going to dance with everyone in the finale. No matter who goes home this week, there will be three contemporary dancers at the end.



> I will say I don't miss Mary Murphy's screaming, but Mia needs to stick with choreography. I don't see that she adds all that much to the panel. I think it is important to have a ballroom person on the panel because some of the ballroom dances would have gotten very low scores if they had been judged on DWTS. For example, Lauren's first Cha-Cha her hip action was almost non-existent. I think during that Cha-Cha all eyes were on Pasha... I know mine were!!   She didn't get that hip thing going good until the Tahitian dance.


I kind of miss the Hot Tamale Train. Mia is just plain mean and Mary never was.

Oh, yeah, Pasha. I hope they give Lauren one more ballroom so we can see Pasha again. Poor Anya has been overworked this season.



> All in all have enjoyed this season and will keep watching no matter who the judges are and I hope they keep the shows coming!! It has been great seeing the all-stars, but I hope they mix it up and we continue to see others as well and not just the same ones every season.


I've really liked the all star format.

Good to see you back, Angela.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh yes, Kent and Lauren definitely danced together! I *think* it was a contemporary, but I KNOW it ended with a pretty passionate looking kiss. One that was supposedly (according to a package later, I think Jose exposed him) unscripted. 

Good point, about needing a ballroom expert. I kind of like this new Toni lady (that's her name, right?). She's tough, but she knows her stuff, and she's not afraid to gush when she feels happy/moved, too.

Kristan


----------



## AnnetteL

When I first started watching, Mary's high-pitched laughter drove me crazy--but now I miss her. She was spot-on with her critiques (especially with ballroom, as others have said). I'm sick of Mia. Not only of her critiques (which don't even make sense sometimes) but her wardrobe. I'm surprised no one has stopped her from going on stage looking like she does some shows. 

I miss the rotating panel of judges too. I've wondered why there were so many injuries this year, and never connected it to the All Stars--that's a good point. Whatever the reason, something needs to be done to prevent them happening in the future. Constant injuries take a real toll on the show.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Oh yes, Kent and Lauren definitely danced together! I *think* it was a contemporary, but I KNOW it ended with a pretty passionate looking kiss. One that was supposedly (according to a package later, I think Jose exposed him) unscripted.


Thanks, now I remember.



> Good point, about needing a ballroom expert. I kind of like this new Toni lady (that's her name, right?). She's tough, but she knows her stuff, and she's not afraid to gush when she feels happy/moved, too.
> 
> Kristan


There's just something about Toni I don't like. She does know what she's talking about and she gives good critiques. Maybe I'm just jealous of her hair. 

Mia has to go. Bring Mary back as a permanent judge and rotate the fourth judge.


----------



## geoffthomas

With or without the screaming, I miss Mary Murphy as a judge.  I agree about her being sharp about ballroom.
And I also miss Little C - no one points out that Jose was "buck".  And the fascinating descriptions Little C would use.  Miss them.
And Toni is a hoot - was terrific on the audition shows.

And the dance with Kent and Lauren was actually quite good for both of them.

Even with all the injuries creating drama, not a bad season - lots of talent.


----------



## Angela

Lauren's and Kent's dance was "The Prom"


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> Lauren's and Kent's dance was "The Prom"


Ah, yes. How could I forget.


----------



## 13500

I have been avoiding the thread until I could watch all my DVR'd episodes from vacation. 

Now that I am caught up for tonight after watching six hours of missed SYTYCD over the last week, can I ask you all something? Why is Billy gone? And why was he in the bottom three so much?

IMHO, he is an extraordinary dancer. The piece he did with Ade last week was magnificent. I just don't get it.

Thanks,
Karen


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

KarenW.B. said:


> I have been avoiding the thread until I could watch all my DVR'd episodes from vacation.
> 
> Now that I am caught up for tonight after watching six hours of missed SYTYCD over the last week, can I ask you all something? Why is Billy gone? And why was he in the bottom three so much?
> 
> IMHO, he is an extraordinary dancer. The piece he did with Ade last week was magnificent. I just don't get it.
> 
> Thanks,
> Karen


Haha, well if you've been avoiding the threads, then you missed all our Billy-bashing.  Basically we agree: he's a technically superb dancer. There's really no debating that. However, we found him to be smug, aloof. His personality wasn't coming through well to most of us, and I'm pretty sure that's what hurt him in the voting. (Although he was really only in the bottom the last couple weeks here, if I recall correctly, and one week it was because he chose not to dance due to a knee injury.)

I'm glad you're all caught up, and hopefully _(edited)_ CAN join us this week and next week for the finals! 

Kristan


----------



## kari

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I'm glad you're all caught up, and hopefully can't join us this week and next week for the finals!
> 
> Kristan


Now Kristan, that wasn't very nice. Why wouldn't you want her to join us?

(LOL yes, I know it was a typo, but it made me laugh.  )


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

kari said:


> Now Kristan, that wasn't very nice. Why wouldn't you want her to join us?
> 
> (LOL yes, I know it was a typo, but it made me laugh.  )


LOL OMG HOW EMBARRASSING!!! I'm so sorry, I definitely meant CAN join us.

Oh... -_-

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> I have been avoiding the thread until I could watch all my DVR'd episodes from vacation.
> 
> Now that I am caught up for tonight after watching six hours of missed SYTYCD over the last week, can I ask you all something? Why is Billy gone? And why was he in the bottom three so much?
> 
> IMHO, he is an extraordinary dancer. The piece he did with Ade last week was magnificent. I just don't get it.
> 
> Thanks,
> Karen


I really liked Billy as a dancer. It wasn't until he chose not to dance two weeks ago when he had been cleared by the doctor that I dropped him. He thought he would get a free week to rest since he hadn't been told not to dance.

He has his own dance company, so I'm wondering if he got himself booted off deliberately because his company is starting to get bookings.


----------



## 13500

Okay, I get the message, especially from Kristan--just kidding.  

I am up to date and ready for tonight and the ensuing conversation ahead.

It will be interesting to see who rises to the occasion tonight.

Karen


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Adechike was outdanced once again. 

If Lauren is doing the AT, I think we'll be seeing Pasha from Russia.  YAY  Maybe Dmitry will choreo. YAY.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I think I have an Adechike bias, because I thought he did just as well as Robert, if not better. I actually wasn't impressed with Lauren in the piece, but I think that had more to do with Tyce than her. (I always find Tyce's Broadway choreo boring...) But Kent DID shine, that I will agree with.

Also, unrelated, but since I'm posting: HATE Cat's hair. Love her sparkly dress.

Kristan


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

WOWOWOWOOWWOOWW! LOVED that, and I usually find the tango pieces boring. This is the first time I've seen a STORY behind a tango. Amazing!!

And Lauren's lines and footwork were fabulous!

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Ah, we got the eyebrow from Pasha. One little fumble, but otherwise perfect from both of them.

I'm a little tired of Mia's ... you just became a man ... you just became a woman.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I think I have an Adechike bias, because I thought he did just as well as Robert, if not better. I actually wasn't impressed with Lauren in the piece, but I think that had more to do with Tyce than her. (I always find Tyce's Broadway choreo boring...) But Kent DID shine, that I will agree with.


It's very rare that I like any Broadway piece, especially Tyce's. His contemporary choreo is great.



> Also, unrelated, but since I'm posting: HATE Cat's hair. Love her sparkly dress.
> 
> Kristan


Yes, and yes.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Ok, and even with my Adechike bias, I was thinking the same thing as Nigel: his back was stiff. And his "flappy arms" weren't as good as Lauren's.

But no one would throw him a bone! :\

Also, the piece is SO not the type to get votes. Why are they doing all these unexciting genres?! I hope the second half is loaded with awesome. (Like NappyTabs!)

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> WOWOWOWOOWWOOWW! LOVED that, and I usually find the tango pieces boring. This is the first time I've seen a STORY behind a tango. Amazing!!
> 
> And Lauren's lines and footwork were fabulous!
> 
> Kristan


She just flowed across that stage. Fabulous. Almost hardly watched Pasha and that's saying something.

Didn't like adechike in that AfroJazz piece. They hit the nail on the head about him. He's just always so stiff. He hardly ever lets himself go. When he does, he's wonderful to watch.

I guess Robert is dancing with Anya. I think that poor girl has been overworked this year.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I'll just say, lovely waltz Robert and Anya. Very elegant, very graceful.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Yay disco! Yay Courtney! I hope this rocks!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kent was a little hesitant on the lifts, but other than that, I think he did great.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Um, boo. That was definitely not one of the better discos.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Compared to everything Kent has done up until now, this disco was not his best dance.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Lauren was fierce and strong and tough and all around great.  She and Ade were well matched.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

They danced fine, but honestly? The only routine I've liked tonight is Lauren's tango. I'm SO blah-ed by the choreography tonight. It's definitely not hyping me up for the finale.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden. My dancing heroes. I wonder who Adechike is going to dance with? Their choreo is tough. This will be very interesting.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Apropos of nothing ... I need pie with ice cream.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Apropos of nothing ... I need pie with ice cream.


LOL!

I feel like Adechike really comes alive with Kathryn! (And who can blame him?)

Totally don't get his costume though. The purple really doesn't fit.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> LOL!
> 
> I feel like Adechike really comes alive with Kathryn! (And who can blame him?)
> 
> Totally don't get his costume though. The purple really doesn't fit.
> 
> Kristan


Especially with Kathryn's red dress.

I really expected more of this piece. I didn't think he would live up to it.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

God, could they be more obviously saying, "Goodbye, Adechike"?!??

:[


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Great piece, and Robert's *moves* were right on, but he was pulling faces the whole time and it really distracted me...


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> God, could they be more obviously saying, "Goodbye, Adechike"?!??
> 
> :[


Not even if they tried.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Great piece, and Robert's *moves* were right on, but he was pulling faces the whole time and it really distracted me...


Well, he was supposed to be clowning.  I have to agree that he outdanced Dom. Not by much, but as much as I love Dom, I watched Robert through the whole thing.


----------



## geoffthomas

The AT was smoking.  Really a wonderful choreo and performed well.
Lauren owned the night in my opinion.
Robert had real good choices and pairing and did well.
Second.
Ade was not sharp. 
And he got some lame stuff. The Afro Jazz hard to look good in.
And Kent was given a mediocre disco routine. And I don't like disco to start with. And he was not crisp.
That last Kent routine was neat.

So I think it should be Lauren, Robert and Kent.
Will see next week.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Breathing, breathing. Just shows what Kent could have done with the dwight/desmond routine. Best dance and choreo of the night.


----------



## 13500

Yup, it is Robert, Lauren and Kent.

Ade needs more training, but has the potential to be really good. He's just not ready yet.

Lauren and Robert were stellar.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

KarenW.B. said:


> Yup, it is Robert, Lauren and Kent.


First time for a three person finale. How are they going to stretch it to a two hour show?

Each of them with an all-star
Each of them with each other
Three solos

With these three in the finale, anything can happen.


----------



## geoffthomas

I wonder if the voters will "get it right".
Just have to wait until tomorrow to find out, huh?

Just sayin.......


----------



## crebel

I think this is the strongest last group ever.  I didn't vote last night, I think they are all talented enough to win and I don't care which one does.  Kent's final dance was my favorite of the evening.


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Breathing, breathing. Just shows what Kent could have done with the dwight/desmond routine. Best dance and choreo of the night.


Haven't been a big Kent fan so far, but yeah, his last number was really, really good.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

geoffthomas said:


> I wonder if the voters will "get it right".
> Just have to wait until tomorrow to find out, huh?
> 
> Just sayin.......


I sincerely hope so.



crebel said:


> I think this is the strongest last group ever. I didn't vote last night, I think they are all talented enough to win and I don't care which one does. Kent's final dance was my favorite of the evening.


Very strong group. Adechike is the only weak link. I don't know if they thought giving him D/D choreo would help him or show up his weaknesses. It did the latter.

I didn't vote either, but that was because I would have to vote for all three.

I really like Robert and Lauren, but Kent is as strong a dancer as Travis. He does his little farmboy act and then comes out onto the stage and turns into a dancing superman.



N. Gemini Sasson said:


> Haven't been a big Kent fan so far, but yeah, his last number was really, really good.


That and Robert's hiphop with Dom. NappyTabs have really outdone themselves this season.


----------



## 13500

I wish Kent would drop the farmboy act. When he doesn't pull a face, he is a strong dancer. He needs to listen to the judges about that, but he doesn't because he is too busy receiving the girls' screams. But, he is young, and who wouldn't want adulation, especially at that age.


----------



## L.J. Sellers novelist

I'm excited to see Robert in the final three, and I voted for the first time last night. I'm usually watching it recorded and too late to vote. I'm curious about the demographics of the voters and I always wonder if that makes a difference. 
L.J.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

L.J. Sellers said:


> I'm excited to see Robert in the final three, and I voted for the first time last night. I'm usually watching it recorded and too late to vote. I'm curious about the demographics of the voters and I always wonder if that makes a difference.
> L.J.


I don't think there's any way of determining the demographics, but some people would say it's the same as the people who make up the live audience. I suspect there are more serious dancers and dance fans than screaming teens.

There's almost always a top 8 elimination shocker. I kind of figure once we get to the top 8, I'm not going to be too happy with who goes home because we're getting down to some really talented people.


----------



## geoffthomas

Well I must admit that I think this group was much more talented than last year's bunch.
Nice group last year and good entertainment, but only about 3 real talents in the 20.
And almost solely strong women dancers - poor showing of male talent.

This year all 10 were GOOD.

IMHO.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Angela

Had to watch it on DVR last night so too late to stop by and join in... Seems most of you felt the same as me... Adechike was the weak link last night. I believe the guy has talent, but he still has some work to do. For once I was glad when Mia said she didn't like it! Through his whole first dance I kept thinking something just wasn't right... any of the other 3 would have out shined him on that one.

The other 3 were so awesome. I am so looking forward to next week and will be happy for any of them to take it. Up until last night I believed Kent and Lauren would be the last 2 standing, but Robert definitely has what it takes. I will be one unhappy camper if any of those 3 are cut tonight!!


----------



## Margaret

Angela said:


> The other 3 were so awesome. I am so looking forward to next week and will be happy for any of them to take it. Up until last night I believed Kent and Lauren would be the last 2 standing, but Robert definitely has what it takes. I will be one unhappy camper if any of those 3 are cut tonight!!


I agree with you. I thought that the judges' comments were fair last night. Adechike is the one who deserves to be dropped, but did anyone else notice that his background piece was the only one of the four shown after the second dance of the evening? The other three were all after the first performance. It was almost as if it were a given that his second dance was his swan song. It just seemed a bit strange to me.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Alright alright, we all know I'm like the only big Adechike fan on this board. (Actually I think there was one more... Where are you??) 

With that bias in mind, I must say, I was APPALLED by how clearly the judges were scooting Adechike off stage. I never felt like SYTYCD was staged or that the judges tried to sway the viewers beyond a reasonable level of raising awareness ("hey folks, we know Bollywood looks fun and silly, but it's actually really effing hard"). But last night, for the first time, it felt like they had a blatant agenda. Like Adechike's leaving was a foregone conclusion. And I think it's awful.

I confess that of these 4, Adechike is probably the one who deserves to go (possibly Robert -- really, if I look back on the overall body of work, I think they were very on par with one another), but I wouldn't put it past voters to create a huge surprise elimination. Not intentionally, of course. But like Gertie said, there's usually a huge shocker somewhere in these final weeks, and I don't necessarily feel like we've had that yet...

Also, in terms of more talent this season vs. last, I just think they've all been on par. I loved Ellenore last year, and the married couple Ryan and Ashleigh both won me over, and I adored Russell. But I don't think anyone will ever compare, in personality and talent, to Season 4 for me... Twitch, Katee, Joshua, Comfort, Chelsea H, Courtney G, Kherington, Mark, Jessica, Will, Gev... I mean seriously!

Kristan


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I'm with you Kristan. I thought that was really bad form for the judges to basically have their exit interview with Adechike last night. He obviously is not a dumb guy and got it, so he gave his own, very heartfelt "goodbye" speech. Terrible. 

They pretty much did the same with Jose and Billy the week before, but less in-your-face. Although I think he is the least strong (in terms of training maybe) dancer left, I wouldn't mind seeing an upset from the viewers just to throw mud in the judges' faces. It's happened before...


----------



## austenfiend

I thought that overall the dance styles could have been better considering this was one of the last shows.  Okay, the tango was excellent, the waltz was excellent and Kent's last number was awesome, but the others....

I'm so tired of the judges, for many reasons: pushing Adechike out the door, "you just became a man/woman", personal agendas (reversal of same sex marriage - this wasn't the place for it), talking like Travis is God/the best choreographer EVER, okay and Tyce was really working my last nerve.

The thing that stuck with me most throughout the night was Cat's birdsnest hairdo.  It was AWFUL and TERRIBLY DISTRACTING!


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

austenfiend said:


> I thought that overall the dance styles could have been better considering this was one of the last shows. Okay, the tango was excellent, the waltz was excellent and Kent's last number was awesome, but the others....
> 
> I'm so tired of the judges, for many reasons: pushing Adechike out the door, "you just became a man/woman", personal agendas (reversal of same sex marriage - this wasn't the place for it), talking like Travis is God/the best choreographer EVER, okay and Tyce was really working my last nerve.
> 
> The thing that stuck with me most throughout the night was Cat's birdsnest hairdo. It was AWFUL and TERRIBLY DISTRACTING!


Yes, yes, and yes!

And Ciar, I was kind of thinking the same thing, but at the end of the day, Lauren and Kent absolutely deserve to be up there, so I wouldn't want them upset. That only leaves Robert, and I do like him... So if Adechike goes, then fine, the judges "win." But I hope Fox is paying attention. Too much of stuff like this will leave a sour taste in my mouth, no matter how good the dancing is.

(And to reiterate austenfiend's point, last night, the dancing WASN'T that good, thanks to the routines. With a few notable exceptions, of course.)

Semi-related aside: My boyfriend watched Season 3 with me and actually enjoyed it, so he joined me for a bit of Season 4 too, but lately without Mia's routines he says he's really just not interested. I would much rather have her choreographing than judging.

Kristan


----------



## Margaret

Kristan Hoffman said:


> But I don't think anyone will ever compare, in personality and talent, to Season 4 for me... Twitch, Katee, Joshua, Comfort, Chelsea H, Courtney G, Kherington, Mark, Jessica, Will, Gev... I mean seriously!
> Kristan


Absolutely!!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

The judges, especially Nigel, have pushed their own agenda long before this season. They tried everything they could for Travis to win over Benji but it didn't work. 

All of the third season Nigel drummed into everyone every week how it was time for a girl to win and Sabra did. Danny was clearly miles ahead of her in experience and talent and personality. Lacey, too, but Nigel expressed his displeasure with her when they picked her for the top 20. 

Kristan, I don't see many people mentioning Gev and I think he was very underrated. He was a strong dancer, very versatile and cute as a buttermilk biscuit (Glee reference). I loved him. I knew he wouldn't make the top four because he had some serious competition, but it still broke me up when he was eliminated.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I didn't start watching until Season 3, but I preferred Sabra to Danny because of her sunny personality. That said, I generally just loved her, Danny, and Neal. (I didn't care for Lacey, who over-sexed everything...)

It does seem like Travis has done more/better than Benji, if that's any indication of merit.

Ditto, about Gev. Him and Courtney were just so adorable together too.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> I didn't start watching until Season 3, but I preferred Sabra to Danny because of her sunny personality. That said, I generally just loved her, Danny, and Neal. (I didn't care for Lacey, who over-sexed everything...)
> 
> It does seem like Travis has done more/better than Benji, if that's any indication of merit.
> 
> Ditto, about Gev. Him and Courtney were just so adorable together too.
> 
> Kristan


Benji choreographs and dances in music videos, teaches master classes, choreographs for sytycd Canada, has his own band, sings (nice voice, but nothing special) and writes the music for his band. He's also made three movies one of which is a supporting role and won more swing dance titles since S-2.

Wouldn't take anything away from Travis, believe me. He's turned into a very talented choreographer and was always a very talented dancer. I hope he continues doing choreo for sytycd. And I'm really bummed about his mother, Denise. She's obviously quite a lady.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Oh, haha, pssh. Nevermind about Benji then. I like how I think the whole dance world revolves around SYTYCD and Step Up.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Oh, haha, pssh. Nevermind about Benji then. I like how I think the whole dance world revolves around SYTYCD and Step Up.


It doesn't?   

I watch other dance shows but sytycd is the best.

I'm seriously thinking about going to the movies to see Step Up 3D but I hate paying theater prices.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

I'm glad someone else said Tyce was on their last nerve. He gives me hives. And seriously, that opening number? If you've ever seen Guys and Dolls... I mean, that looked like a lot of especially talented high school kids or something. BAAAAD choreography. That number should not put you to sleep.

And one last gripe: I really like Lauren--very talented, blah blah, and I don't blame her for this. Do they have to freaking sexualize every single move she makes? Besides the "you're a woman now" (and for Gods' sake, isn't she just 18 or 19?), there's all the "that was hot hot hot" talk, the costumes, the choreography for her. They've had her do like maybe one softer piece. Even the freakin hip hop was so over the top sexual.

I would like to see them let her dance in a nearly androgynous style...just once.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Or at least a NON-sexualized female role. Like, the bench piece, or the addiction piece, or the Slow Dancing in a Burning Room piece...

And I've never been a Tyce fan, in terms of judging or choreography. Bleh.

Kristan


----------



## B-Kay 1325

OK, did anyone else think that last nights show was anticlimactic?  I thought it was one of the most "bleh" shows ever.  It seems like the results were forgone conclusion (not that I disagreed with them).  Hopefully the finale will be much better.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

B-Kay 1325 said:


> OK, did anyone else think that last nights show was anticlimactic? I thought it was one of the most "bleh" shows ever. It seems like the results were forgone conclusion (not that I disagreed with them). Hopefully the finale will be much better.


I held my breath to the very end. I've seen too many upsets on this show to be surprised by anything.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I was a little blah-ed. And the contestants didn't even seem to know what was going on with the format - like when Kent didn't know they were still live.

That said, the 3 of them could make for a GREAT finale!

Kristan


----------



## austenfiend

I felt like the show last night was full of "filler" to make the show an hour long.  A couple of sentences, off to break, guest star, off to break, contestant doing a short dance, break.  Jeez, I hope it's better next week!

I do have to say that I find Cat so personable that I'm disappointed that she wasn't nominated for an Emmy of some sort.  BTW, her hair was MUCH better last night.  She had a beautiful dress on as well.


----------



## geoffthomas

Love Cat.
I am sure she is trying to vary her appearance to keep from being boring.
And with a long, lanky, spare frame you can't just show a lot of skin like some other shows.
Really think she is great.
She did seem to be better displayed in season 3 or 4.
Was looking back over the web site and reviewing the pics from all the seasons.

Just sayin.....


----------



## Angela

Cat looked so much better last night.  I watched on DVR so I fast forwarded through all the filler and guests just to confirm the results and was glad there was no upset with my picks. I do hope the finale next week is better. Hopefully I will be able to be home early enough I can join in on the chatter and watch it along with you all.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Well, can't say I was surprised by last night. Robert and Adechike are both great, but Robert is far better at partnering. I'm still in awe of Adechike's solos, though, and think he has a wonderful future as a soloist.

Because there was only a 2% difference between 1st and 2nd place last night, I do think the title is up for grabs between Lauren and Kent. She could actually take it all, which is fine with me. Either one of them is fine with me.

For the first time in the six years I've been watching, I'm glad to see the end of this season. Too much went wrong with injuries, inappropriate comments from judges, the formatting, where only one girl was left with 6 or 7 guys, and far too much padding in the results show, not to mention overworked dancers. I'm Canadian and will get to see the Cdn. version starting shortly after this one ends. Their results shows are only a half hour, which is great.

All in all, though, there's been some terrific numbers (the last one with Kent and Neil was incredible) and the show has done some marvellous things to make dancing cool again.

Debra


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> I'm Canadian and will get to see the Cdn. version starting shortly after this one ends. Their results shows are only a half hour, which is great.


Let me know when it's going to start. Maybe I can youtube or hulu it.



> All in all, though, there's been some terrific numbers (the last one with Kent and Neil was incredible) and the show has done some marvellous things to make dancing cool again.
> 
> Debra


No question I'll be watching that one over and over.


----------



## Marguerite

This whole season was out of whack for me.  I will admit to watching every season including #1.  If the past years were such a success, why did they change it so much?  I really haven't enjoyed this season as much as the first 4.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Marguerite said:


> This whole season was out of whack for me. I will admit to watching every season including #1. If the past years were such a success, why did they change it so much? I really haven't enjoyed this season as much as the first 4.


I didn't watch season 1 because I didn't know about it. Yes, seasons 2, 3, and 4 were the best, especially 2.

You said "as much as the first 4." Yes, 5 and 6 were a little flat. Some great moments, but not the "magic" of the other seasons. I think a lot of people felt that way, so that's probably why the change. Actually, I like the all-star format. If the dancer is good, the all-star enhances their performance. If the dancer isn't good, the difference becomes apparent. It's a good way to sift out the chaff.


----------



## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Let me know when it's going to start. Maybe I can youtube or hulu it.
> 
> No question I'll be watching that one over and over.


Gertie, I'm told it starts on Sun. Aug. 16th, but I'll let you know for sure before it starts. Mary Murphy was a big part of the show last year during auditions and the show, so I'm hoping she's back, which could explain why there's been no word of her at all this season.

Debra


----------



## Jaasy

I wanted to know what happened to Mary and found this article...

http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/so_you_think_you_can_dance/2010_Jul_08_mary_murphy_interview_part_two


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Jaasy said:


> I wanted to know what happened to Mary and found this article...
> 
> http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/so_you_think_you_can_dance/2010_Jul_08_mary_murphy_interview_part_two


Interesting article.

I knew she was involved in the Canadian show (where's she's much more subdued), but not about Australia. Certainly didn't know she was touring with Burn the Floor. What a show that is. I have the DVD of both shows. The original is just okay, but _Burn the Floor: Floor Play_ is outstanding. Pasha and Anya, Maks and Karina were all in the second show at different times.

Definitely didn't know about the abuse she went through. I'm so glad she's come out of it with strength and grace. I miss the Hot Tamale Train.


----------



## 13500

I miss Mary and her comments on footwork and posture, even if she was a little crazy.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I missed the first 15 minutes. I had another commitment and it ran overtime.

So I know I missed Kent's Bollywood and what else?


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I missed the same fifteen minutes...

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I really like Lauren, but she does hesitate from time to time. She's not seamless like Ashley or Allison.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

OK, I'm rooting for Robert for his abs alone.  

Betsy


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I just noticed how tall Robert is. Cat's 5'10" in her stocking feet and then she wears four inch heels. That makes her 6'2" in heels and Robert was nearly as tall. Lauren, on the other hand, barely came up to his shoulder.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK, I'm rooting for Robert for his abs alone.
> 
> Betsy


They are rather extraordinary, aren't they.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

So agree with Nigel. That was not a finale piece from Mandy. That's fine for the first couple of weeks, but we need more serious choreo in the finale.


----------



## N. Gemini Sasson

Betsy the Quilter said:


> OK, I'm rooting for Robert for his abs alone.
> 
> Betsy


That makes two of us.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

I'm just tuning in now. We got AWFUL service at dinner and our whole night has been delayed by an hour. Thank goodness for Tivo!

Kristan


----------



## Angela

I am just not getting home after an 8+ hour road trip to return the gson to his parents! I will be starting up the DVR and see if I can catch up!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

The only way Robert could have improved that performance is to take off his shirt. We should suggest it.


----------



## Angela

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I missed the first 15 minutes. I had another commitment and it ran overtime.
> 
> So I know I missed Kent's Bollywood and what else?


I loved the Bollywood number, now on to Lauren and Twitch.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

First half thoughts:
- Bollywood good, but actually Ashley was pulling a lot of faces...
- NAPPYTABS FTW!!! Twitch and Lauren danced that wonderfully.
- "Whip It" number was... ech. 
- HAHAHAHA I love Cat for giving it to Kent good! *makes kissy noises*
- The pillow choreography was clever, but it didn't move me. (Was I the only one?)

On to part 2!

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Not voting for Lauren. She kept blocking my view of Pasha and his buttonless shirt.

She was exceptional. 

A three way tie is not statistically possible. Okay, I made that up but it sounds right. These three are soooo talented.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Can't wait to hear what Mia has to say about this Malevos compared to her Two Princes routine with Neil and Danny.


----------



## Gertie Kindle

I think Kent was a little more masculine in that piece. Great choreo and tough routine.


----------



## Angela

Kristan Hoffman said:


> First half thoughts:
> - Bollywood good, but actually Ashley was pulling a lot of faces...
> - NAPPYTABS FTW!!! Twitch and Lauren danced that wonderfully.
> - "Whip It" number was... ech.


I agree with you on the first 3 dances. I haven't caught up with you yet!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> First half thoughts:
> - Bollywood good, but actually Ashley was pulling a lot of faces...


I missed the Bollywood. Was it Ashley Galvan that danced it with Kent?



> - NAPPYTABS FTW!!! Twitch and Lauren danced that wonderfully.


I don't always love what NappyTabs does but they have nailed it every time this season. I agree. I want to vote for them. Besides, I think they're adorable together.



> - The pillow choreography was clever, but it didn't move me. (Was I the only one?)


Well, Robert's shirtless costume certainly moved me.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Crap, I said Ashley with Kent in the Bollywood, but I meant All Star Lauren. I sometimes think her name is Ashley because she reminds me of Ashley Tisdale.

Kristan


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Crap, I said Ashley with Kent in the Bollywood, but I meant All Star Lauren. I sometimes think her name is Ashley because she reminds me of Ashley Tisdale.
> 
> Kristan


Okay. I figured Ashley would be resting right until time to rehearse for the tour. That's the most important thing for her.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

Second half thoughts:
- Actually I thought Mandy's routine was rather cute... I liked it way better than Tyce's!
- Aww, Robert's interview (his mom comment) = totally swoon-worthy.
- Stacie Tookey concept was great, dance was... okay.
- "Play It Cool" number, Robert definitely masculine, but again I didn't *care* about the dance... (Am I hoping for too much from the finale??)
- Mmm, Pasha... Oh, I'm sorry, dancing? Yes, I suppose there was some of that. I think Lauren did quite well? (Except her arm when she was being spun near the end...)
- Sidenote: WHY OH WHY must the judges ALWAYS use superlatives? I mean, I guess it's really a problem everyone's had these last few years. Ugh. (I do it sometimes - "best day EVAR" - but I'm obviously joking.)
- Footwork on the last dance was great, but some of the arm movements...? I think maybe the suits were a bad way to go costume-wise. They made the whole thing look so campy. Definitely did not do it for me.

Am I the only one who thought this performance finale, in terms of *choreography*, was lackluster? And the two pieces I liked best were Lauren's (hip hop w/ Twitch and ballroom w/ Pasha).

Kristan


----------



## kari

I loved almost all of the dances tonight and thought all 3 did a fabulous job.  I think any of them is quite worthy of the title.  My favorite 3 finalists ever.  

But I do think 4 dances plus a solo each was a bit much to ask of them.  Amazing they all handled it so well and came out injury-free (as far as we know!).


----------



## Angela

All 3 were really great tonight... hard to call who the winner will be!

I didn't really care that much for last dance though. Can't wait to see how it all turns out tomorrow!


----------



## Gertie Kindle

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Am I the only one who thought this performance finale, in terms of *choreography*, was lackluster? And the two pieces I liked best were Lauren's (hip hop w/ Twitch and ballroom w/ Pasha).
> 
> Kristan


Mostly lackluster. The choreo would have been fine the beginning of the season, but not for a finale. Usually I'm disappointed with the girl/girl routines in the finale (exception being Mia's piece for Kayla and Jeanine), but we didn't have that here.

I liked the Malevos, but it smacked too much of same sex ballroom where one is trying to be the girl. Robert needed to be stronger in this piece and not stick out his butt so much.

Still waiting for Fox to post the video so I can see what I missed and rewatch the rest of the dances.


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## kari

I think the choreo might have been "bigger" and more impressive if they were only asked to do like 2 dances.  I think for 4 dances plus a solo, they couldn't ask but so much of them.  Probably taking it a bit easy with all of the injuries already obtained this season from pushing them so much.  But I thought they were all enjoyable to watch.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist

Mia must have taken some happy pills before the show last night. She loved everything (almost). 
Despite how much I like Robert, I've decided Lauren deserves to win. She's so expressive! And precise. And she connects with the music so perfectly. 
L.J.


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## Gertie Kindle

L.J. Sellers said:


> Mia must have taken some happy pills before the show last night. She loved everything (almost).
> Despite how much I like Robert, I've decided Lauren deserves to win. She's so expressive! And precise. And she connects with the music so perfectly.
> L.J.


I've always been impressed by Lauren's solos. They show her at her best.


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## Marguerite

Ok I voted for Lauren.  I like Kent too but we need another girl.  6 seasons and only two women have won.  Since I could decide between them I went for that as my criteria.


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## Kristan Hoffman

I didn't vote, b/c I'm a bad fan like that (I never vote for SYTYCD or Idol...), but if I did, I'd vote Lauren. Like Mia said last night, I don't think she's really had a BAD routine all season. And like y'all have said, she connects musically, she's always on point and expressive, and she has the technique behind it all.

That said, yes, they are all 3 great candidates, and I am fine with any of them winning.

Kristan


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## Gertie Kindle

I finally got to see Kent's Bollywood. I like the style, but I haven't really been impressed with it this season and Kent didn't change my mind. 

It's a good thing I didn't see it before I voted last night because I might have changed my mind about voting for him. But his emotional investment in his dance with Allison and even in the Malevos tipped the scales for me. 

Robert's "Cool" was also impressive and his last few weeks on the show really showed a change in him. I think he broke out from under Billy's shadow even though I thought from the beginning that he was a better dancer than Billy. 

Lauren brings a professionalism and maturity to her dancing that the two guys lack at least until last night.


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## B-Kay 1325

I really enjoyed last nights show, way better than last weeks, IMHO.  I think someone said that the contestants had to learn 5 routines is week (probably the group dance for tonight), so I thought the choreo reflected that.  For me any one of them can win it tonight, I think they all have a great future ahead of them.


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## prairiesky

I enjoyed all three and will be happy for whoever wins.  My choice is Lauren because she has not faltered all season.


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## Gertie Kindle

Lauren could very well take the crown tonight. She was within two points of Kent two weeks in a row. 

dialidol score and busy % show Robert, Kent, Lauren. The raw numbers say Lauren, Kent and Robert. In other words, your guess is as good as theirs.


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## Angela

I am so upset... My local Fox station is not showing the results show!!! 

They are showing stupid NFL preseason


Spoiler



crap


... AAARRRRRGGGG


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## Angela

It is official.... I hate the Dallas Cowboys and living in an area where they think they everyone and their dog wants to see the Cowboys play football.


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## Kristan Hoffman

AWW, that sucks! I'm sorry... Well, if it makes you feel better, you've seen all these dances before, you know?

(For the record, I have been happy with their choices so far. I remember last season not agreeing with a lot of their "fave" picks.)

Kristan


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## Gertie Kindle

I missed the whole first hour. GS had Pokemon League tonight.

I'm liking this second rendition of Billy and Robert's Bollywood better than the first.


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## Angela

I was about to send my local Fox station a very angry email when I discovered that they will be airing the results show at 11:30pm CT tonight. So I will stay away from this thread until I am able to watch the show for myself. Thanks for letting me rant and rave!  

Still can't believe I have to wait to see my show all because the stupid Cowboys are playing.... and I do realize that me calling the Cowboys stupid may not set well with my fellow Texans here on KB, but despite popular belief, not all of us Texans are Cowboy fans!


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## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> I was about to send my local Fox station a very angry email when I discovered that they will be airing the results show at 11:30pm CT tonight. So I will stay away from this thread until I am able to watch the show for myself. Thanks for letting me rant and rave!
> 
> Still can't believe I have to wait to see my show all because the stupid Cowboys are playing.... and I do realize that me calling the Cowboys stupid may not set well with my fellow Texans here on KB, but despite popular belief, not all of us Texans are Cowboy fans!


I can't believe they did that. Now you have to stay up half the night to watch the show. Humph.


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## Gertie Kindle

Not really surprised at the results, but I'll bet it was very, very close.


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## Kristan Hoffman

to tonight's whole show. I can't say as I was super wow-ed by this season, but there were some solid dancers and some solid dances.

Tonight's finale also reminded me of how much I miss Alex Wong...

Kristan


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## kari

Kristan Hoffman said:


> Tonight's finale also reminded me of how much I miss Alex Wong...
> 
> Kristan


Well, now you sound like Mia.


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## Marguerite

Wow.  I am so glad the winner won.  I am saying this because I am in California and I hate spoilers...there maybe someone who hasn't seen it yet.  It's one of the first times that the one I voted for actually won.  Yippee


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## Jaasy

I'm glad the winner won too, Marguerite.  I'm in Cali too and we're always at the end of the line, I think!

Oh wait, maybe Hawaii...


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## Angela

I finally got to see it and it just now ended. Pretty said when a person in TX has to wait to watch it because of football!!

I knew it would come down to the 2, and either one of them deserved it. I loved them both, although I did vote for #2!


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## Gertie Kindle

Angela said:


> I finally got to see it and it just now ended. Pretty said when a person in TX has to wait to watch it because of football!!
> 
> I knew it would come down to the 2, and either one of them deserved it. I loved them both, although I did vote for #2!


I voted for #2 also because every time #2 danced, I said WOW. I didn't feel that with the winner.


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## Margaret

Very entertaining show.  I thought that the results were fine - either of the top two would have worked, although I voted for the runner-up.  I was glad they showed high lights for both of the final two.  In past seasons, the runner-up was sort of passed over.  Angela - I would have been furious about the football.


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## KindleMom

I also voted for the runner up.  The winner was my fav  in the beginning but as the show went on, 2nd place seemed to grow and improve most and to me was the best dancer.

I loved my first season of SYTYCD but I'm ready for some DWTS.


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## LCEvans

I also wanted #2 to win, but was happy for #1. Both of them are fabulous and I hope to see them dance as all stars.


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## crebel

I was good with either one winning, it was the first time I wished there could be a tie or #1 guy/#1 gal.  Other than injuries making the decision on who would leave several times, I thought this was the best season ever with the most talent up and down the line.


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## N. Gemini Sasson

I'd been on the road all day yesterday (drive 10 hours, ugh) and when I got home the son had sucked up all my satellite internet download doing YouTube, grrrr.  So the internet was a little slow last night and I'm just now getting here.

Have to say, I enjoyed Ellen's dance tons!  Neat to see someone who's not a professional or trained dancer just let loose.  That was the highlight for me.  Makes you feel like anybody can do it (although I'll keep my dancing to in the living room when no one's home).


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## Gertie Kindle

N. Gemini Sasson said:


> I'd been on the road all day yesterday (drive 10 hours, ugh) and when I got home the son had sucked up all my satellite internet download doing YouTube, grrrr. So the internet was a little slow last night and I'm just now getting here.
> 
> Have to say, I enjoyed Ellen's dance tons! Neat to see someone who's not a professional or trained dancer just let loose. That was the highlight for me. Makes you feel like anybody can do it (although I'll keep my dancing to in the living room when no one's home).


Ellen was great. I loved that she was hanging on the door like Katee did in her Mercy dance with Twitch.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Ellen was great. I loved that she was hanging on the door like Katee did in her Mercy dance with Twitch.


Yes, that was a great number. I was surprised that she kept up as well as she did! I also loved that Little C was dancing. Man, his moves were so smooth. Amazing! And I would have been happy with either Lauren or Kent. They were both spectacular.

Gerti, the premiere episode of the Canadian SYTYCD is at 9 p.m. on Sunday night and will be 2-hour episode I think. The same core judges are back Tre Armstrong, Jean Marc, Blake and Luther Brown. They were pretty tight-lipped about whether they will be any changes in the show, so we shall see.

Debra


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## Gertie Kindle

Debra Purdy Kong said:


> Yes, that was a great number. I was surprised that she kept up as well as she did! I also loved that Little C was dancing. Man, his moves were so smooth. Amazing! And I would have been happy with either Lauren or Kent. They were both spectacular.
> 
> Gerti, the premiere episode of the Canadian SYTYCD is at 9 p.m. on Sunday night and will be 2-hour episode I think. The same core judges are back Tre Armstrong, Jean Marc, Blake and Luther Brown. They were pretty tight-lipped about whether they will be any changes in the show, so we shall see.
> 
> Debra


Thanks, Debra. Now begins the search to find the guy who posts the vids. He changes his name just a little every year.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Thanks, Debra. Now begins the search to find the guy who posts the vids. He changes his name just a little every year.

[/quote]

Gertie and everyone, I've just browsed the coming week's TV Week magazine and here's how it's shaping up. The show will be shown on CTV, so if you link on CTV.ca, you might be able to see the show from a link there--or maybe the highlights--but I'm not sure. If you Google So You Think You Can Dance Canada, you might be able to find other sources to watch it from.

Sunday night at 9 will be a 2-hour show, followed by more audition stuff on Monday at 9 p.m., Tues., at 8 p.m., Wed. at 9 p.m., (2 hours) and Thurs., at 9 p.m. (2 hours) the Top 20 will be revealed on Monday Aug. 23. Wow, they're really pushing this through, probably because they want to be done before the new fall shows start. Also, Stacey Tookey, Mary Murphy, Mia Michaels and Dan Karaty will be guest judging on the audition tour. I'll keep you all posted as I learn more.

Gertie, do you want to start a new thread for the Cdn. show?

Debra


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## Gertie Kindle

Yes, go ahead and start a new thread with all that info. Thanks. 

I'll try that CTV link. Maybe it'll work.

So glad to see Dan Karaty judging. Love his smile. Did you know that he judged sytycd in Holland?


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Yes, go ahead and start a new thread with all that info. Thanks.
> 
> I'll try that CTV link. Maybe it'll work.
> 
> So glad to see Dan Karaty judging. Love his smile. Did you know that he judged sytycd in Holland?


No, I hadn't known and I haven't seen him around for awhile either. By the way, Nigel will be guest judging in Canada at some point too.


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## kari

It's not even Wednesday yet and I'm bummed that SYTYCD will not be on.    I loved this season (in fairness I love every season lol) - wish it wasn't over already!  BTW, no mention of a fall show this time around so I guess they've decided to stick to summers only.  Probably for the best -- why wear out a good thing?


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## Gertie Kindle

kari said:


> It's not even Wednesday yet and I'm bummed that SYTYCD will not be on.  I loved this season (in fairness I love every season lol) - wish it wasn't over already! BTW, no mention of a fall show this time around so I guess they've decided to stick to summers only. Probably for the best -- why wear out a good thing?


Didn't this season go really fast?

I'm glad they're not doing a fall season. Too many interruptions.


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## tonyaplank

Oh my gosh, I didn't even know there was a SYTYCD thread here! I love this show! I was happy that the winner who won won as well, but like Kristan, I just still love Alex so much. I've seen him dance live before with Miami City Ballet and he really stands out, even there, and even before he was promoted to principal dancer. He is just so incredibly talented; he is like a miracle. I hope his injury completely heals and we will all have a chance to see him dance again soon. 

Okay, I'm going to have to figure out how to watch the Canada show now!


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## Gertie Kindle

tonyaplank said:


> Oh my gosh, I didn't even know there was a SYTYCD thread here! I love this show! I was happy that the winner who won won as well, but like Kristan, I just still love Alex so much. I've seen him dance live before with Miami City Ballet and he really stands out, even there, and even before he was promoted to principal dancer. He is just so incredibly talented; he is like a miracle. I hope his injury completely heals and we will all have a chance to see him dance again soon.
> 
> Okay, I'm going to have to figure out how to watch the Canada show now!


There's usually a guy who posts the show. He changes his name every year, but I'll track him down.

Debra, did you start the new thread for CA?


----------



## Ciar Cullen

Ack, I forgot to come here to see the reactions here. Dang. Anyway, I was kinda rooting for Kent at the end.
But guess what I've been doing for the last four weeks? Setting up fundraising stuff for Alex. Fox never paid his surgery bill and have not taken on rehab either. He's broke, broken, and still doing it all with a smile. You can't imagine what a pleasure it is to communicate with him. But this is a freaking full time job and I don't know how I get myself in the middle of these things....

Anyway, I just couldn't warm to Lauren for some reason, but I give her all the props in the world.


----------



## Kristan Hoffman

In addition to fundraising, has anyone called Fox to task for ignoring Alex's needs? Considering he got hurt on their show, I would expect they have a certain legal responsibility! No?

Kristan


----------



## kari

Kristan Hoffman said:


> In addition to fundraising, has anyone called Fox to task for ignoring Alex's needs? Considering he got hurt on their show, I would expect they have a certain legal responsibility! No?
> 
> Kristan


They probably have it in their contract that they don't. I'll bet the kids have to sign that they assume all risks.


----------



## Ciar Cullen

It's still in the works, so to speak. But as you might imagine, Alex can't afford to piss off Fox right now. Think they should have "done the right thing" anyway. But hey, who am I to say?


----------



## geoffthomas

While I do agree that Fox should cover the cost of the injuries to the "contestants" - entertainers, if you ask me, I can see the other side.
They do not want to be held responsible for "pre-existing conditions".
And they also probably do not want to hold extensive medical exams as a pre-requisite for the contestants being allowed to compete, either.
But without knowing the existing medical condition, you cannot assume liability.

But I think they should.

Just sayin.......


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## Gertie Kindle

Let us know how we can help. Ellen DeGeneres should be involved.


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## Debra Purdy Kong

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> There's usually a guy who posts the show. He changes his name every year, but I'll track him down.
> 
> Debra, did you start the new thread for CA?


Yep, it's So You Think You Can Dance Canada - Season 3. I haven't posted much yet because I've been busy working and the shows are on every night for 5 nights, but I should be able to catch up by the weekend.


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## Gertie Kindle

If you watch America's Got Talent, Lee Ann Rimes is appearing tomorrow night. Benji choreographed the routine and will be dancing in it.


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## Gertie Kindle

I guess the Emmys are being awarded tonight, although I read they'll be broadcast 8/29. SYTYCD'ers are tweeting winners already.

Mia won for Addiction/Gravity and well deserved.

Just found out it's the creative Emmys so it's okay to look. I'll remove the spoiler tags.

Might hear more from the Glee cast, too.


----------

