SYTYCD Season 8 - 20, still!

From the opening number, I thought "Really, Chris and Ashley? You're going to be boring THIS early?"

Cat was appropriately awestruck for Debbie Reynolds. Legend. Ary.

Ryan & Ricky, contemporary. Or jazz. Whatever.: From the moment they started, I thought - "Well here are two people who, even if both WERE presumably attracted to the opposite gender, would never, never have sex." That was just GOOFY-looking. And the costume they put that girl in was raunchy, not the dance. Less spandex crotch shots, thank you.

Caitlynn & Mitchell, contemporary: Open-mouthed gaping does not equate to emoting. That is all.

Wadi & Missy, cha-cha: THAT didn't seem to come naturally. His steps were too small. She looked like she learned how to do this for a pageant.

Iveta & Nick, Bollywood: From the interstitial, I was hoping Nick would tell us "What people don't know about Iveta is that she did NOT lie about her age. She really is only thirty!" But nope, it was boring. Anyhoo. Maybe it's really hard for tall people to dance Bollywood, because it looked like it took Nick forever to finish every move. She was innocuous.

Robert & Miranda, hip hop: I did not get the teacher/student part of the routine, but the bird-iness was cute. Her movements looked a bit too elongated at times, but I think she gave great face. It was fun.

Clarice & Jess, contemporary: She was beautiful. He was tragic.

Jordan & Tadd, Viennese Waltz: I address the TV, before the dance begins: "Why are they making Tadd do the Viennese Waltz, which is always boring, when he is hot and I do not want him voted off???" OK, then the dance happened. She did pretty well. He looked like he could get a lot better at this - which sounds negative, but I mean he could get better quickly. Like within a few episodes. I am also willing to argue he was alluding to past ignorant dancer comments and meant to be funny when he said "Vietnamese Waltz", and didn't mean that really WAS his initial reaction.

COMMERCIAL SIDEBAR. The Huggies diaper jeans commercial makes me think of this. And also, wasn't that an SNL skit?

Melanie & Marko, jazz: It looks like it should have been faster. But I'm going to blame choreographer Mandy Moore for that because she often sucks, and I LURV these two dancers. I think Melanie may be this season's dancer for whom I have no objectivity. Because I'm also willing to argue that she knew exactly who Nigel was talking about when he said "the gods of Terpsichore", and part of her delayed knowing little nose twitch and giggle was because he meant to say "the goddess Terpsichore". (Thank you, Wikipedia. But you may believe I totally already knew that if you'd like.)

Alexander & Sasha, hip hop: I think Taboleon missed with this one - I would have liked a lot more eye contact. I didn't think this expressed joy or relief, just emotive stomping. This could have been incredible, and genuinely moving, as Part Two to their Katee & Joshua piece where she is upset he is going to war, but this was nowhere near as good. It relied on saying "Here's a moving story, so be moved!" instead of actually being... moving. And damnit, it made me think more of the choreographers than the dancers. Who were fine, I guess.

Chris & Ashley, Broadway: MOST IMPROVED! I really enjoyed that, and what a great routine to show off a hip-hop dancer. I also believed that yes, these two could possibly have sex. I wasn't expecting them to pull of my favorite routine of the night. 'cuz yup, it was.

Prediction for the bottom three couples: Ryan & Ricky, Caitlynn & Mitchell, Wadi & Missy, Iveta & Nick, Clarice & Jess... aw shit, that's too many already, huh?

OK. Bottom three. Caitlynn & Mitchell, Iveta & Nick, Clarice & Jess. (Because I have a feeling Ryan and Wadi might already have fanbases who could keep them in a bit longer.) They save Caitlynn & Mitchell, but it won't matter because they'll be gone before the top 10.

SYTYCD Top 10

Bold prediction before anyone even dances: 3 girls in the bottom tomorrow. It takes them longer to develop a following, and this sped-up format won't allow anyone to find their legs. Pun TOTALLY intended.

Marginally better intro - the camera style tonight seems to be "half her body, then full body shot, then garbled shot of the next dancer running up to take her spot". None of the dancing intros were that spectacular anyway. Most notable - Melinda wore horrid high-waist shorts. NO. Plus Robert needs to stop making goofy faces. He is too handsome to be that goofy - it just comes off as weird.

Instead of wasting all that time showing each and every person drawing all-star names out of a hat, how 'bout just giving us a dance routine with the left-over dancers? Because a Twitch and Neil number would be pretty kick-ass.

Cristina, Paso Doble: OK, now I think I see the difference between salsa and ballroom. Salsa is bent, and curvy, and in constant motion. Ballroom is straight, and has excellent posture, and requires effortless precision. Cristina is a salsa dancer, and not ready for the Paso Doble.

Adechike, Contemporary: Oh no, Mandy Moore, how is he supposed to smile when this crappy song is playing?? The smiling just made him look insane. I was too distracted by the shittiness of the song choice to even notice the dancing. So I guess it had lots of extensions and fluidity.

Alex, Broadway: See, now THIS guy was ready to do Paso Doble. But the jazzy Broadway wasn't his element - he's too precise, and too elongated. Yeah, he hit everything, but there was nothing dirty about it. And it should've been at least a leeeeetle bit dirty.

Ashley, Jazz: WOW. That was STELLAR. Granted, it's her wheel house, but she was terrific. Very quick, and fluid, and pretty, and fun. Oh wait - it was jazz, not contemporary. But Nigel was right - it wasn't jazz, anyway.

Billy, Crump: Well, no surprises there. It certainly could've been a lot worse, but it also didn't look like it came naturally. Some of the twists and jumps were actually really cool, and I think he had a good understanding of the physicality of the dance. He just ain't buck.

Robert, Argentine Tango: Well, he's a very pretty tango frame. But his flicks seemed to end too soon, and he wasn't as quick as the dance demanded.

Melinda, Contemporary: The word that kept coming to mind was "flat-footed". Which is weird, because she DID point her toes and all, so maybe it was just... flat.

Jose, Bollywood: The DVR has been on pause while I got distracted by a hundred other things, bc I am looking forward to this roughly... not at all. OK, pressing play and... you know what b-boy would've killed this? Legacy. Sigh. This kid is no Legacy. BUT - he was game, and I was actually rather impressed that he never looked LOST. Not as bad as I'd feared, and actually fun to watch. Y'know, if he hadn't compared himself to Legacy off the bat I might've been able to warm up to him quicker, bc he was pretty cute.

Lauren, Lyrical Hip-Hop: Well that wasn't very lyrical at all. I thought it was choppy, and didn't go as far as it could have with the story. It was too much set-up, and not enough delivery.

Kent, Jazz: Surprisingly awesome - he packs a lot more power than I had originally thought, and pulled off masculine better than I expected. Oddly enough, may have been my favorite this evening, even though it was a Tyce Joykiller DiOrio number.

Bottom 3: Cristina, Melinda, and... Adechike. Even though I did predict 3 girls, I think Ashley's number was really great, and people will respond to Lauren's dramatic talent (and it was late in the show).

The All-Stars were still SO much better than the contestants that it was often distracting.

SYTYCD Week 1 Results

Why isn't there anyone from Season 6 in the opening credit sequence? That's weird. They had time to remix it over the winter, y'know.

Opening: Yay! It's just the contestants! Glad they got to do this on their own. The piece itself looked kinda sloppy, though. A lotta "girls as ropes", which was kinda weird.

The first four come up, and it's already clear my predictions were off last night. Also clear that the director learned nothing - way to miss the music cue and make Kat look bad (Kat is awesome so I doubt the overly long awkward pause was her fault). Anyhow, this cluster is not looking good for Lauren. But FAKE OUT! Which is totally OK if Kat does it, but not OK at all when the judges do it. I realize this seems hypocritical, but I can live with myself in this instance.

So I called 2 out of 3 - and I'm sad I got Cristina right, bc she's cute and I think it would be great to watch her learning curve.

The professionals, doing a piece from "Come Fly Away": That was fan-TAS-tic. To make a gross over-simplification, dynamics in music often involves playing with volume - and I love how they added dynamics to this piece by altering the speed. VERY cool.

Solos:

Melinda taps to James Brown, and throws in some entertaing James Brown impressions. But the piece had no levels - it was just kinda hunched over, and moved in one horizontal line across the stage.

Alexie does a boring slow graceful stretching of limbs contemporary dance.

Cristina does a standard latin solo number. Also with no levels. Although it appears she moves in 2 diagonal lines, rather than one straight line across the stage.

Oi, none of those were very compelling. So I'm thinking it'll be Alexie, even though it's really cruel. But she doesn't seem to offer much in the way of bringing any variety to this season.

Usher: I didn't find that memorable, but I approve of Usher in general, and appreciate it when the show feature performers who actually spotlight dance in their act.

Justin Bieber video: I actually like this kid's voice, and had "One Time" in heavy rotation on my iPod after I downloaded it free on iTunes. I was set to be annoyed by the odd placement of this video on SYTYCD, until - BEAT FREAKS and POREOTIX were in it! And what may have been We Are Heroes but I couldn't quite tell! Dance shows collide and I LOVE IT!!!

So it is indeed Alexie, but as Adam said - the girl is hirable. She seems spunky enough to overcome, but I feel for her.

SYTYCD Top 11

I rewatched the showcase episode - just the dance numbers - and found I did not find the show quite as cheesy as I did on first viewing. I blame 1. the astroturf in the opening number, which created a jarring color contrast and 2. Tyce DiOrio's crappy Broadway routine. Yeesh, his stuff is a total joykill.

Dance intros: WTF happened here?!? Did they tell the new director this is a DANCE show, and the camera should be on the DANCERS?!? "Let's have no close-up for the very first dancer, cut the second one in half, hide the third one behind the audience, and for the fourth... just her arm!" That was AWFUL. AWFUL!

Billy Bell: Broadway, by Tyce "Joykiller" DiOrio. And my joy? Is killed. This routine was lame, and Billy couldn't pull off being a tough guy. Which is actually kinda hilarious, bc I never thought Kevin Bacon was all that tough in Footloose until just this moment.

Cristina: Jazz, by Sonia "All-My-Routines-Are-Starting-to-Look-the-Same" Tayeh. As a standard Sonia number, this was OK. But if she was supposed to actually evoke a snake with her movements, it wasn't fluid enough at all.

Jose: Hip-hop, by "Generally Entertaining" Taboleon. He was a bit clunky.

Adechike: Jazz, by Travis "How-Ya-Like-Me-NOW,- Benjy?" Wall. This was good, but it played right into his strengths. So I wasn't wowed, because it wasn't anything I wasn't expecting to see.

Melinda: Jive, by Tony and "Hellz YEAH I Can Still Dance This Shit If Need Be" Melanie. Starting with jive? Yowch - this is always a tough one for the newbies. Melinda was NOT the exception. While she tried to put on a show, she didn't interact with Pasha at all, which is not good in especially partner-centric ballroom.

We're (almost) at the halfway point, a digression on this year's format. I am struck in every routine just how much better the "all-stars" are than the contestants. It is distracting, and it seems really unfair. Since it's week one, it would be hard for anyone to demonstrate a great deal of chemistry with a partner - and that is especially so tonight, when only one person in the pair really has to be nervous.

Alex: Another Sonia piece. No doubt, boy has mad skilz. No criticism of his dancing - this one played to his strengths and let him give some good face. the first NOT to be overshadowed by his partner (and not just because I didn't think Alison was that great before - she's a lot better now.) Partner connection might have been easier to convey because this choreography actually discouraged eye contact anyway. Also- Dear Everyone: I have heard that Hallelujah song quite enough now, thank you.

Alexie: Another Taboleon piece. Cute. Adequate. Wish she looked at her partner more and the audience less.

Lauren: Pop Jazz by Mandy "My Hair Is Distracting" Moore. I like this girl, and I liked her in this. Same partner-connection complaint, but big kudos to her for being fearless. Granted, I think Ade probably inspires some confidence that you will not be dropped on your head.

Kent: Cha Cha by Melanie & Tony. Oof. His form was TERRIBLE. He looked like a kid pretending he knew ballroom, and all he remembered about it was that ballroom guys pull lots of ridiculous faces. Which is exactly what he himself just said, so now I'm in love with him, bless his little heart.

Ashley: Lyrical Jazz by Joykiller. She was lovely. This is the first time I've had a chance to really see her dance (she blended in to the showcase number and I had a hard time picking her out) (although they DID show her arm in the intro, so there was that) and she seems like the standard talented contemporary dancer who will at first seem blandly good but might later develop a spark to be one of the bestest ever (like Kathryn).

Robert: African Jazz by Sean "Don't Laugh At My Name" Cheesman. Before watching, I'm already excited because I'd been hoping they'd spend more time on African Jazz. His movements were a little too pretty for this piece, but he's hot so hopefully he'll be sticking around so they can rough him up some.

BOTTOM 3 PREDICTION: Cristina (too early in the line-up), Melinda (stuck with ballroom and didn't nail it), Adechike (too many other contemporary boys, and they had bigger followings going into this).

Who I'd Cut: Jose. He bores me. I've been annoyed since he said he was better than Legacy in the audition rounds because - he's no Legacy. Or Gev. Or Dom (as annoying as he is, kid is an uh-mazing b-boy). Or even Phillip Chbeeb (who I still love as a solo artist but wow he was not very good at anything else).

Finished watching too late to vote, but I might have had to go for Kent because of the Aw shucks factor. I mean, COME on. That kid is ADORABLE.

Season 7-11

Kathy trivia fact: I was 7 lbs 11 oz. at birth, resulting in a lifelong relationship with the Slurpee.

OK, so SYTYCD. I have been slow to start recapping this season for a few reasons, but chiefly among them - I'm not all that excited. I will probably learn to love this plucky crew as I have in years past, but I am very, VERY skeptical of the format change.

First off, I had NO PROBLEM with 20 dancers. I LIKED 20 dancers. I thought it was FUN to watch people pair up and see what sort of chemistry resulted between the contestants. Katee and Joshua! Gev and Courtney! Sabra and Dominic!

While the audition rounds seemed especially painful this year, they probably weren't any worse than they were in year's past. I take no joy in watching delusional nutcase after delusional nutcase baffle the judges with their narcissistic refusal to acknowledge what little talent they possess. The pathos was laid on WAY too thick, and I was pretty irritated when the show tried to manipulate me into crying about the dancer who was overweight - Oh, the humanity! And this season seemed very light on people dancing in unusual styles who weren't going to make the show - Cloggers! New Orleans bounce! Juggling! (OK, that last one is just on my wish list.)

The hour-long "I'm sorry to tell you this trick is going to be so overplayed that it will be meaningless and wasn't that much fun the first time but you're out... of toilet paper because I was just in your bathroom playing dress-up sparkle bath product bride, but don't worry because there's more toilet paper... in LA where you're going to be on the show!" ... was really, really grating and way too long.

So now we're finally at our top 11 (kinda irritating that they couldn't pick a number and mean it, but not gonna harp on that much) - and the season is once again chock full of contemporary dancers and very little else. Not that contemporary dancers aren't talented, but come on!

I am pleased to see the all-stars because I really do like each of them very much, and I'm happy they are getting work. And I was thrilled to see Mark's goofy little pose at the beginning of the "Fame" number, but as I continued to watch I thought... what is this reminding me of? With all the dancers that I already know doing a staged number to a cheesy song with an obvious theme? Then it hit me. THIS SHOW HAS BECOME SOLID GOLD. NOT a good sign.

The show begins, and... they're going to dance with the all stars right off the bat??? This is going to be distracting, because I would like to watch the NEW people and learn to like THEM.

New format, you have distressed me mightily. I'm having a tough time focusing here.

It is beginning to look like I'll be fast-forwarding judges this season. This self-adulation is unbearable.

I...I...I feel as though I have finally realized the Emperor is naked. Was this show always so CHEESY???

Cristina is the first stand-out for me, but that could also be because she only had 2 others to work with.

Billy and Alex only have to work with ONE all star? I am all ready to complain and THEN... Shit, that was amazing. What a gift Mia gave these three - it spotlighted everyone well, and Ade was just fantastic.

Sonia, on the other hand, kinda screwed the new guys by showcasing Neil right off the bat. Yeah, Neil is incredible, but we KNEW that.

OK, show. Please have some mojo back when the competing begins.

Tuesday the 15th

SYTIt'sAlmostOver

• Has anyone ever said anything interesting in the "I made the finals" interviews? No.
  
  


• Kathryn and Ryan, Samba. Must admit - it is pretty hard to complain about Ryan being shirtless here. And Kathryn was delightfully sinewy. It was a pretty hot number.
  
  


• Ellenore and Jakob, Broadway. There were roughly 78 splits in this routine, and it was just kind of ridiculous. Tyce Diorio is lame. Ellenore and Jakob are aweseome.
  
  


• Ashleigh and Russell, Lyrical Jazz. Russell made my jaw drop - he was really spectacular here. His extensions were great, and while I thought the signature Sonia jerkiness was forced, he committed to it and looked like he really felt the piece. And Ashleigh - was apparently also in this, but I don't think she did much beyond get lifted. It reminded me of her early work with Jakob, where she also didn't do anything.
  
  


• Ryan and Ellenore, Jazz. This piece was a lot of fun! Ellenore was amazing - her robotic skills were fantastic. Ryan wasn't nearly as good as she was.
  
  


• Jakob and Ashleigh, Fox Trot. I didn't care. I didn't care A LOT. It wasn't a particularly strong piece for Jakob, and Ashleigh still bores me.
  
  


• Russell and Ellenore, Paso Doble. Wow, Russell is nailing it tonight - what a good time to peak! And... I didn't hear the pairing and assumed it was Kathryn and didn't realize it wasn't until they came up to the judges. So - actually, that's pretty good because I was thinking Kathryn was nailing it as usual, and I haven't seen Ellenore dance before where I didn't immediately think "Yup, that's Ellenore."
  
  


• Kathryn and Jakob, Contemporary. While they both danced this passionately, and were both amazing, and I really recognized Kathryn's signature style here - I found myself thinking "Yeah, this is good, but it's not great like the piece Jeanine and Jason did last season."
  
  


• Ashleigh and Ryan, Contemporary. It was fine. She still pulls too much face. Y'know what bugs me? If they love each other so much, why are they always crying about it? Gah!
  
  


• Kathryn and Russell, Hip Hop. I think Russell may have just won this. WILD CARD!!! And I was wondering if Kathryn did any other hip hop? Because she couldn't hit it hard enough.
  
  


• I'm really not sure what the outcome is going to be tomorrow. Based on tonight, I say give it to Russell. Based on the season, Jakob or Kathryn or Ellenore. Probably Jakob. So to summarize - not Ryan or Ashleigh.
  
  


• I wish they had gone one more week, so it could have been a really deserving final four, and so they would have each had time to solo. Because since the voting is for just one person anyway, I think it was a shame not to see each person dance individually.
  

Tuesday the 8th

SYTIt'sTuesday

• It took them an awful long time to explain why Ashleigh wasn't in the dance intro tonight. Didn't want to see her go out this way, but I don't think she's going to prove popular enough to get through to tomorrow without dancing. Oh, and now it will be way easier for America to not vote Ryan in either. Dad's prediction was the 2 of them, and I agreed, provided they weren't paired up tonight.
  
  
• Kathryn and Ryan in aw damnit disco. ENOUGH DISCO. Anyway, I didn't see the storyline at all. And it was well done, but still disco, so I don't care anymore. Just don't care.
  
  
• Jakob and Mollee, Viennese Waltz. Jakob is the MIDAS of dancers, because this was my very favorite Mollee routine ever. I really liked it - I thought they danced it beautifully, and it was very sweet. That last lift was SO CUTE.
  
  
• P.S. What's this nonsense about having a finale with a top 6? Poor planning, Fox. That's too many dancers. Although I must admit the back-to-back seasons were too close together, and while I still love this show, even MY enthusiasm has waned.
  
  
• Ellenore and Legacy, Contemporary. I was put off by the "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" rip-off, BUT, can't argue that they did it really well. They were incredibly acrobatic, but I kinda missed more... dancing.
  
  
• Jakob. Holy shit, that kid is so good. SO. GOOD. I'm gonna call it right now - he will be the first best dancer to win this competition.
  
  
• Russell and Ashleigh, SHAAANNNNEEEE SPAARRRKKKKSSSSS!!! Yay. YAY! And Russell KILT this. Just flat out killed it. It was so much fun to watch him do his own style.
  
  
• Mollee. Good on her - this one did NOT look like a cheer routine. It was pretty good.
  
  
• Ryan and Kathryn, Cha Cha. Well he better be good at this, but - still don't think it'll save him. And he WAS good! It reminded me of back during the auditions when I thought he was going to be fun to watch. The ending pose was so fantastic. This was indeed hot.
  
  
• Legacy. The phone was silly, but I still loves me some old school b' boy moves. I would totally give him money if I saw him dancing on the pier.
  
  
• Ellenore. I think she would be the most fun to watch dance spontaneously, like at a party or something. She just looks so improv, and fun!
  
  
• Russell. Santa costume cute, and the wacky thing he did gliding with his feet was unreal. But the teddy bear was silly. What's up with the props tonight, kids?
  
  
• Jakob and Mollee, Broadway. Nicely done - sense of humor, and fun to watch. If Mollee had been paired with Jakob early on, maybe I could've liked her the whole time.
  
  
• Kathryn. Ooohhh... I loved her twisty pretzel moves!
  
  
• Ellenore and Legacy, Hip Hop. Not strange enough. Shane Sparks could've made this even weirder. Like the transformer routine.
  
  
• Ryan. You know who else did better ballroom solos? Pasha. And Dmitry. Plugging his wife was nice, but wish he could've done it without choking himself up.
  
  
• Russell and Ashleigh, Bollywood. Wow, looks like hip hop is good training for Bollywood, because Russell was once again TERRIFIC. I love that kid.
  
  
• Looked like everyone was peaking tonight, EXCEPT - sadly - Legacy and Ellenore. Still think it's likely Ashleigh and Ryan go home tomorrow, and Jakob for the win in the finals!
  
  

Wednesday the 2nd

SYTYCDResults

• Who did Kat's make-up? Matte red lips and flesh colored dress? No.
  
  
• Group Number - Mad Max and Billy Joel together at last! Uh... This was fun, and featured a whole lotta Jakob being AWESOME, and also seemed to give everyone a little showcase moment. Or at least each of the boys.
  
  
• Nooooo... it should have been Mollee and Noelle. Not Kathryn. Damnit. Prediction: a not so joyeux Noelle.
  
  
• The men? I concur. Prediction: G'night, Ryan.
  
  
• The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. Who knew synchronized b-boying was so PRETTY? Loved it.
  
  
• Noelle - well, that solo was the best thing I've seen her do. But she can still go. And I still would have rather had Bianca around longer.
  
  
• Ryan - boo, recycled solo. Even though he was corny, I think all the ballroom guys should seek out Benji Schwimmer for solo advice bc he was generally entertaining.
  
  
• Kathryn - aw, honey, I love you but boo, recycled solo. And it was better yesterday.
  
  
• Nathan - best solo of the night. It was really good, and I love his dance - I just wish... he had seasoning, I guess, so he came across as more likable. Brilliant dancer, maybe shouldn't talk.
  
  
• Snoop Dogg. And QWEST CREW WOOOOHHHOOOOOOO!!!! And a bunch of other dancers, so I liked this. Because while it was a musical act, it mostly featured dancing and how the music worked to inspire movement.
  
  
• So , for Noelle, keep in mind Kherington also went out #5 and she managed to book the remake of Fame. And Nathan also has a lot of potential to have a dance career. (And I think Ryan is likely to go next week. Not that I don't like him, I just don't think he's as well-rounded as the other guys (Jakob), or as spectacular in his style (Russell).

Tuesday the 1st

SYTYStill Watching? Hmm...

• Noelle and Ryan, Hip-Hop. This left me bored, and I was struck by how much Noelle looked like Tabitha while she was dancing. Or like she was imitating Tabitha. Ryan kept up, but he looked like a performer on an old variety show trying to do a hip new routine.
  
  
• Legacy and Ashleigh, Contemporary. This routine was REALLY neat, and I loved how they kept using each other as platforms. Their sync was hit or miss, though - there was one section where they were mirroring each other, face to face, and just as I was thinking "WOW, they're really timing this well" they got... off. I admit that I enjoy watching Ashleigh dance a lot more now than I did in the beginning - but the face pulling still gets to be a bit much. Not that Legacy is much different, actually, but his fit the tone of the piece better. The ending pose with Legacy on his head was WAY cool.
  
  
• Mollee. No doubt the girl is athletic, but her solos have a "cheerleader" vibe rather than "dancer".
  
  
• Russell. He is AWESOME. Creative disrobing, a fall into an elbow stand, and the last leap into a one-legged squat? C. Razy.
  
  
• Kathryn and Nathan, Broadway. Oh, she is just too adorable. So classy, and she danced that beautifully. He? Looked kinda oily. I'm having a hard time getting past his "Little Prince" personality, but was also bugged bc he ALSO pulled faces like mad. If he and Ashleigh got paired, it would be very, very painful.
  
  
• Noelle. She does look joyful. Some of her extensions were a bit off. Pretty standard contemporary fare.
  
  
• Jakob and Ellenore, Quickstep. Cute little routine, and I liked the separated section. Ellenore looked a bit stiff, but that may have been because she was doing this well. I think they would have scored 2nd or 3rd in an actual Quickstep contest.
  
  
• Ryan. Had a really impressive leap in there where he reached his head back and almost touched his toes. And has anyone used "Rock You Like a Hurricane" for a Paso Doble yet? Bc that would totally work.
  
  
• Kathryn. Gosh, I like her. This was a pretty piece - nothing earth-shattering, but pretty.
  
  
• Mollee and Russell, Lyrical Jazz. I was distracted by the lame song and the even lamer remix of the song. And I think it was kind of lame choreography overall. I kept getting bored and had to remind myself to keep watching. They danced very well, this piece just felt hollow to me.
  
  
• Nathan. Has some beautiful movement, but... is he acting here? Or just freaked out bc he isn't as popular as he thought?
  
  
• Noelle and Ryan, Smooth Waltz. The opening made me laugh out loud, bc it is exactly what I would do if I were pretending I could waltz. And sweeeep the arms, and looook awaayyy, and sppppiiiiiiiinnnnn in my floaty dress.... Yeah, that's all I got for this one.
  
  
• Ellenore. Oooohhh, she's from Santa Cruz.... Her quirkiness just became even more endearing. And this was the first solo I wanted to rewind and watch again. Heart her.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Legacy, Hip Hop. That was dull. Just - dull. I blame Dave Scott. Nothing happened, and Ashleigh looked like she was trying awful hard.
  
  
• Nathan and Kathryn, Rumba. He was a good frame, but again with the faces. She was still splendid, but I don't think she killed it with the Latin here.
  
  
• Legacy. Wow. WOW. See, now I love him because I believe only Legacy can do what Legacy does, y'know?
  
  
• Ellenore and Jakob, Contemporary. Fan-freakin'-tastic. That head to head section at the beginning was killer. They were so perfect for this piece. (And I totally agreed with Adam Shankman that this was like "The Garden" part 2.)
  
  
• Ashleigh. Solo samba rolls - pretty cool.
  
  
• Russell and Mollee, Jive. I loved Russell in this piece. Mollee was OK, a little clunky. I think Pasha and Anya did a great job choreographing this piece. It was fun, but I think it would have actually been great if it had still been Russell and Noelle.
  
  
• Jakob. Huh. That was a surprisingly generic contemporary male solo. Good and all that, but... just good.
  
  
• Prediction: Jakob and Legacy are safe, Ellenore and Kathryn are safe. I think Ryan and Noelle may be going home.

Wednesday the 25th

SYTTheyAreHalfwayThere

• I totally thought the group number was by Sonia. It was wacky. I watched twice, but mostly bc I was having a lot of trouble figuring out who everyone was - and then trying to think who I was forgetting. (Noelle? Ryan? Things don't look so promising for you because I apparently find you forgettable. You're like the Bashful of the 7 Dwarfs - I thought of you last when naming everyone.)
  
  
• And in the ridiculously long talk to the judges segment, I did a Sudoku puzzle, filled the dishwasher, and made a mix CD for my Thanksgiving drive. So thanks for that waste of time, show.
  
  
• The look on Karen's face pretty much telegraphs "Yeah, I'm going home, let's get this over with so I can stay stoic during my clip package."
  
  
• Join me in shipping Kathryn and Legacy? They're beautiful dancers, and both sweetly ridiculous in their emotional displays.
  
  
• Woooowwwww. Adam Shankman called Nathan out on his clip package! AWEsome, and true, and something I don't think ANYONE on the show has ever had the nerve to admit these clips are reality-TV staging.
  
  
• I am irritated that Ellenore and Ryan are in the bottom, but not concerned. We will not lose my Ellenore. We will NOT.
  
  
• Professional dancer - Paloma Herrera. DAMN she was en pointe a lot. (But still kind of put me in a ballet coma.)
  
  
• Karen - Honey, by now you have had enough time to choreograph a reasonable solo. That wasn't it.
  
  
• Victor - He is incredibly athletic, but that was... well... not masculine. Y'know? And the backward stage crawl is an odd recurring theme this season. Clearly, Legacy has a very specific one nailed (his "crabwalk" on his hands), but Nathan also used a very similar crawl in his solo last week.
  
  
• Mollee - Dollee Dinkle at the hip hop school and your cheerleading coach must be proud. I had to watch that last spin a few times to find out if the twist on her foot to land herself on the ground was intentional. Maybe?
  
  
• Nathan - I actually thought he was more noticable in the group number tonight. He didn't seem to do anything in this solo, except the wacky little sit spin. Maybe Adam's personal attack on his shallow jet-skiing hobby got to him, because he looked more upset than impassioned.
  
  
• Ellenore - I love this girl. Hope this had enough content for the judges - her solo still seems to showcase her quirkiness rather than her dancing, but that's also what makes her so much fun to watch.
  
  
• Ryan - That was kinda silly and the shirt was UG-ly. Pretty typical latin male ballroom dancer solo, but not one of the better ones they've had on the show.
  
  
• Prediction - hasn't changed. Karen and Victor are outta here. Even though an argument could be made to axe Ryan, the show is probably pretty enamored with the idea of putting a married couple in the top 10 for the first time. And the show will still have an incredible contemporary dancer with Jacob.
  
  
• Shakira - it was OK. I'm glad it had dancing, but I was thinking it's hard to watch "stand in a formation and dance" choreography on a show that has more intense and exciting group numbers. But I suppose that wouldn't work from a vocal performance standpoint, bc you don't want attention taken away from the singer. I wouldn't put up with it. :-)
  
  
• I think Karen lost steam after week 2 or 3, and I wonder if that's when things started going south with her husband bc she just didn't have the same self-assurance.
  
  
• Oh no. Don't pan to the Mom. That made me sad. Pobrecitos. Victor seemed like a really nice kid and he was extremely powerful, but he looked like a contemporary dancer in everything he did.

Thursday the 24th

SYTIt's Already Next Tuesday?

• Brief recaps tonight - kinda late, kiddos, but I want to get my first impressions up.
  
  
• Ryan and Ellenore - Lindy Hop. For the first time, I thought he looked a lot more comfortable than she did. Some great stuff, especially the "lemon twist" lifts where he swung her around, stepped over her, she did the splits, and they did it again. (Coffee grinders with front flares. Thank you, Adam Shankman.) He seemed sharp, but she was just a bit - tentative? Off her game? I don't know - it just wasn't all there.
  
  
• Kathryn and Legacy - Jazz. It was very cool, but I didn't get "he really wants her" from this. Legacy just had serious face on, not quivering lust. Kathryn was fantastic. I applaud Sonia for working plenty of b-boy moves into her piece for Legacy to do, but don't think it advanced her stated theme. (And I totally want them both in the final 4. With Russell or Jakob and Ellenore.)
  
  
• Victor and Karen - Tango. Meh. It wasn't great. She also seems off her game tonight, and Victor danced well, but his face just reads so - fake. Like a kid wearing an expression that he thinks is a serious face.
  
  
• Mollee and Nathan - Hip Hop. They did this well - like 2 white kids who are really good at hip hop. Nathan's overacting was kind of annoying, but I think that's mostly because I find his immaturity kind of annoying.
  
  
• Russell and Noelle - Samba. I thought this was very good - and Noelle was terrific. I was relieved to see Russell handle this one, since I was frightened by his fox trot last week.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Lyrical Jazz. It was OK - based on the preview, I was hoping it would be softer. Then it was a lot of "Jakob can leap! Jakob has great extension!" and Ashleigh - kinda looks the same to me as she did in her other routines. Not in a bad way, but like some musicians always kind of sound the same. Anyway, I don't dislike her the way I did in the beginning but I still don't find myself rooting for her.
  
  
• Ellenore and Ryan - Broadway. Fabulous. They were both great, but I really couldn't take my eyes off her most of the time. This showcased Ellenore really well, and showed off her quirkiness and grace.
  
  
• Legacy and Kathryn - Viennese Waltz. This one choked me up. And here's where. There's a moment where Legacy's arms are out, waiting for Kathryn to show him where to go next, and she looks back at him with the most patient, encouraging face. The choreography was brilliant - "Let's give him a character who doesn't know how to dance so we can write off any mistakes he made! "- but Legacy went beyond that to look like someone who CAN do this just ACTING like someone who can't. By far, my favorite Generaux/Mousseau piece ever.
  
  
• Karen and Victor - Hip Hop. They sure looked intent. But it wasn't all that good. Their sync was weird. I think this late change in partner was tough for these two.
  
  
• Nathan and Mollee - Can Can. This was kind of a hot mess, and I put most of the blame on Tyce. He said it was originally a partner dance, but the partner work was ridiuclously minimal. The whole routine looked like it had no idea where it was going.
  
  
• Noelle and Russell - Contemporary. They danced well, and it's great to see Russell handle a contemporary piece. Tyce is annoying the shit out of me - I can't put my finger on it, but it just seemed - to lack cohesion. I guess. I don't know, mostly I want to smack him.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Cha Cha. Good for her, because she killed in her style. And was better than Jakob. Damn her for making me like her. Jakob did well, but did NOT look like a ballroom dancer to me.
  
  
• Prediction: Victor and Karen, Mollee and Nathan, Ashleigh and Jakob. Because I am not alone in my Ashleigh irritation, even though she did great work tonight. If I had watched in time to vote - it would have been for Kathryn and Legacy.

Wednesday the 18th

SYTYCD! Results!

• Huh. My Fox affiliate appears to be airing tonight's episode in "extra narrow vision". Or my DVR somehow magically squished this, which wouldn't surprise me much. In any case, this sucks for watching DANCE. F%$@.
  
  
• So now we've gone from focusing on the word "favorite" in "America's favorite dancer" to the word "dancer". Will we talk about the deep meaning in "America's" next time? Or add another word to this phrase? Cut the results show down to a half hour and stop babbling, jidges.
  
  
• Not so surprised that Mollee and Nathan are in the bottom 3, but a little surprised it's Russell and Noelle who were safe as opposed to Channing and Victor. Although I am thinking it's likely Russell has quite a fan base, since he's awesome.
  
  
• Pre-solo prediction: Adios Kevin and Mollee. Note - yay, the screen is fixed! Back to normal view!
  
  
• Nakul - I love that he's performing with his group, and want to see MORE of the choreographers. His knee spins were SO SMOOTH. I wasn't expecting the facial expressions to be so broad - I wonder why he doesn't stress that more when he's working with the contestants?
  
  
• Karen. She used more of the stage this time, and certainly created a character - but I think she needed a "big move", and this lacked that.
  
  
• Kevin. It's good, and I love gliding - but same thought as last week. He doesn't strike me as the best at any of his hip hop moves, and to be a stand-out hip hop performer on this show you have to look like you can do something no one else can figure out how to do. I guess the back bend falls are different, but... not different enough.
  
  
• Channing. And Victor. I have the same comment about both - technically fantastic. On the verge of having a distinct personality, but not quite. (His rise to the toe-stand was pretty cool, though.)
  
  
• Mollee. The most fun so far, and reminded us that she has gymnastic talent, which I don't think has been showcased yet. The music and costuming were a little "Dance Squad!", but she's young.
  
  
• Nathan. OK, THAT was the best one. Quirky and strong, and did not disappoint. I really do want to see him dance more, I just want to see him dance with someone other than Mollee.
  
  
• New predictions. Still Kevin, and... Karen joins him, bc the judges will think her appearing in the bottom twice in a row means America is not all that into her. (My preference? Would be Kevin and Channing. Mollee bought a little cred with me after her solo.)
  
  
• Musical guest. Orianthe, "According to You". I've been listening to this song bc it was free on iTunes, and it's cute. And I'm impressed with her guitar playing, but live her voice was a bit flat. ALSO, and MORE IMPORTANTLY. WHY doesn't this show feature dancing with every musical guest? For pete's sake, DANCING WITH THE STARS does this. Show, do you want to be LESS than Dancing with the Stars? DO YOU?? Yeesh.
  
  
• Huh. So the judges agreed with me about Channing - I think this girl had more potential, but something about being on the show really watered her down and she never felt at ease.
  
  
• HAHAHA they called Victor out on the pirouettes. And I would not watch a show to find "America's Favorite Pirouetter". It would make me dizzy. Anyway, bye bye Kevin. Not sure how you stuck around this long, but you seem like a well-meaning young man.

Tuesday the 17th

SYTYCD!

• I was feeling rather ambivalent about coming home to make dinner and then realized 2 awesome (and unrelated) things: I had everything I needed to make burritos, and it's SYTYCD night. Aw yeah.
  
  
• Intro dances: Nathan impressed. And did you catch the Legacy-Russell bro hug on their way offstage? I'm going to ship them.
  
  
• Judge opening: ENOUGH with the Botox jokes. It was funny the VERY first time, and even then? Not as funny as they seem to think. Notice how Cat escaped posting her picture. That's why she is the consummate host - it ain't about her, she's there to facilitate. Give Cat an Emmy!
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob: Hip hop. OK, you just KNOW Jakob and his buddies were dancing to "Bye Bye Bye" in their talent show. Awesome. So the screens were used to good advantage here in this number - the text message was a little silly, but established the scene well. And - I liked Ashleigh in this one. There, I said it. I liked her. I even paid more attention to what she was doing than Jakob. While I usually find her over-emoting annoying, it worked in this piece. I don't know that either of them was great at hip hop, but they weren't distracting. And the lift - flip was fantastic. The quibbles I had were more with some of the choreography looking goofy (specifically, coming out of the threading section with the leg pumping and downturned heads - kinda hip-hop-sad-Charlie-Brown dancing), but not the dancers. This was good.
  
  
• Kevin and Karen: Broadway. All right, these kid pix are making me soft. I'm going to end up liking everyone tonight. But - still don't care much for Kevin's dancing. He looked so stiff, poor thing. And the rehearsal clip package did them NO FAVORS bc it basically showed all the things they couldn't nail. Karen is still really good, and was very cute (as opposed to sexy), but the whole piece just seemed - tentative.
  
  
• Noelle and Russell: Foxtrot (oh dear). Hey, I forgot they pulled this before. That doesn't seem quite fair. But I actually LIKED him the first time, so maybe... hmm. He looks more awkward this time, and their opening seemed realllllyyy off. It didn't look like he lacked confidence, he just took a long time to find a groove, and always looked like - a novice. She looked good. I loved her little kicks as she slid down his back after the lift. I give them credit for selling this, but I think it fell short.
  
  
• Victor and Channing: Jazz. I am confused by Channing bc she SEEMS like she should be more fun (her kid pix were charming) and yet... she comes off as dull. Competent, but not much fun. (This season's Kayla?) The music was rather distracting for this one - not bc I didn't like it, I did - but it was so much more staccato than their movements were. And I found the staging at the end very strange - she runs all the way back to the cage while he stays front and center? I give it a meh.
  
  
• Kathryn and Legay: Paso Doble. I could almost be over the Paso Doble, bc it can be so cliche and dull. But when it is good, it is VERY good. (e.g. Sabra's donut drop down Neil's body.) HOLD THE PHONE. I am all for shirtless Legacy (six-pack - WOW), but is THAT how a Naval Admiral would dress? I think not. He handled the chest-puffing parts well, but everything in close hold looked awkward. And the lift at the end was kind of a mess. She was fine. I think this was their weakest performance to date. I still love them, but this showed they are certainly still vincible.
  
  
• Ryan and Ellenore: Contemporary. Ryan's bunny costume pix? Most humbling so far. Heehee. Travis Wall? Sooo gooood. Picking the right music? Key. This piece? My favorite tonight. Next sentence? Just as short. They were both fantastic.
  
  
• Mollee and Nathan: Pop Jazz. OK, first kid pix that made me like them a little less. Nathan was a brat, and Mollee was a creepy pageant kid. I still think this pairing did neither of them any favors. As for the dance, it felt like it could have been really good, except they got out of sync so many times. They both had the right intensity, they just didn't have their timing down.
  
  
• Why was I more hung up on actual dancing while the judges' were more hung up on selling personality this week? My vote: Ryan and Ellenore. My bottom 3 prediction: Kevin and Karen, Noelle and Russell, Victor and Channing.

Wednesday the 11th

SYTYCD!

• OOOoooohhh, I forgot there would be a group dance number! YAY! And this one was fun and spotlighted my boy Legacy and my girl Ellenore well. Although the boys were distractingly out of sync at the beginning.
  
• Adam Shankman, thank you for admitting that America can't "get it wrong" because the show is set up for the most popular (and not the most talented) to win. Can we stop saying that now, and instead say that the voters are a bunch of cretins and/or hicks when that is what they mean?
  
• Ellenore and Ryan. Not an undeserved fate. (I still lurv her, though.) Peter and Pauline. Also not undeserved. (And they're likely to go home, bc the judges never really seemed that into either of them.) Karen and Kevin. Also predictable, bc they went early and were forgettable, and the judges were so vehement about how Mollee and Nathan would need "protecting" by the voters that they GOT that protection. (Oh, and I would rather see Kevin go home than Peter, but that's not likely.)
  
• Professional dancers! I love that they have added this to the results show. And HOLY FUCK the Alvin Ailey dancers were AMAZING. It is startling to watch the contestants on this show and think they're really good, and then see actual professionals and realize how much further dance can go. I loved how sinewy the male dancer's arms were in the opening, and how still the first female dancer's upper body was when she did the backwards tip-toe run across the stage. And the pose the last female dancer froze in at the end? Just beautiful.
  
  
  SOLOS
  
• Ellenore. I love how quirky she is, and still graceful.
  
• Ryan. This showcased his talents well - his retractions were great.
  
• Pauline. Meh. How come so many of the "dance for your life" solos looks so unrehearsed when so many of these dancers turn in great audition performances?
  
• Peter. Boy can tap. And I do like goofy guys with swagger. But I think he may have needed to imbue this with more of a character, instead of just guy tapping.
  
• Karen. I can't recall ever seeing anyone use less of the floor. Eh.
  
• Kevin. He just doesn't reach me. He does stuff well, but doesn't do anything in a way that makes me think I haven't seen it done better by someone else.
  
• Sticking to my prediction. Pauline & Peter.
  
• The decision: It feels like Nigel is pimping the Season 5 dancers to sell the rest of the tickets to their tour. And damnit, for a minute I thought Peter might make it. RATS.

Tuesday the 10th

Aw yeah. SYTYCD!

• Intros. Kat Deeley's slicked back hair? Awesome. I kinda miss when she used to dress crazy more often. Bring back the crazy, Kat! Dancing: Channing, I still think there might be something there and I look forward to seeing her athletic side come out with a different partner. Victor, I'm going to take last week's comments back: enough with the spinning. And I doubt the girl weighs enough to donate blood, but Pauline's choice of outfit was VERY unflattering.
  
• Karen and Kevin: Disco. I will not separate this from other disco bc it's just MORE DISCO AND ENOUGH ALREADY. So she's divorcing her husband? That's a bummer - they were really cute. Anyhoo, the dancing. Y'all, I just don't think Kevin is very good. I thought he looked clunky. Karen was good (and I need another adjective for "good" - something better than "adequate" but not hyperbolic like "terrific"), and the death drops (yeah, that's probably the technical term) were very impressive - but this performance was not stellar. And I forgot the whole part about her leading until Mary Murphy brought it up again.
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob: Jazz. She's the epitome of a... book nerd? Is that... a thing? Jakob is Jeanine's best friend??? Aw, I like him more now. And... they had me at "Relax". The styling for this one was fantastic. And I really don't have anything negative to say about Ashleigh this time, except that Jakob is still clearly better and makes her look like she's not doing much. Her back is mighty flexible. Overall, quite good.
  
• Peter and Pauline: Quickstep. (Oh dear - I'm nervous for them.) He choreographs folks with special needs? And I already thought he was adorable. Pauline eats a lot? Um, see my intro comment. So the dance. I'm... still nervous. They looked like people who are really good dancers attempting to do a totally unfamiliar dance for the first time for fun at their friend's dance class. Or something.
  
• Kathryn and Legacy: Broadway. Wow, I hadn't realized she was such a pretty girl - her photos from her volunteer trip really showed what a natural beauty she is. I think they were terrific AGAIN. I love how athletic he is, and how spunky she is. I agree that she could have added some irritation to the sass. More fire would've raised this to the next level (e.g. Katey and Twitch in "The Door").
  
• Victor and Channing: Contemporary. Doesn't it seem like she could've mustered up a little more enthusiasm about lawnmower racing? So the dance was pretty, but... looked like every contemporary piece ever. With more throwing themselves to the floor. And Stacey Tookey, if you do another toxic relationship piece next week, make it something really wild (he's an alien life form that has inhabited her body - y'know, like "Fringe") or your stories will grow tiresome.
  
• Ellenore and Ryan: Hip Hop. Lil C!!! Have we actually seen him choreograph anything yet?? And... I was distracted bc Kherington and Twitch already did a hip hop bank robber dance. So, Lil C? Enthusiasm - waned. Neither Ryan nor Ellenore seemed very comfortable here. He hit it like a white boy trying to hit it, and she was rather lackluster. Plus they weren't very in sync.
  
• Nathan and Mollee: Salsa. I... miss Janette. Sigh. These 2 were OK, and I will give her credit for finally looking sexier. I think she had to spend so much time concentrating on being sexy that she didn't dance all that well. They just didn't look all that competent here. Hold the phone! Nigel's slo-mo recap shows they started out on the wrong feet? That's baaadddd. That should NOT happen.
  
• Noelle and Russell: Afro Jazz. Sounds like fun.... And it was, but I would not have known he was a frog without the intro piece. Although Russell had a few squats and frog leaps that were really awesome. Noelle held her own, but did look a little goofy.
  
• WHO WILL MAKE ME PICK UP THE PHONE? Kathryn and Legacy. Not their strongest piece, but I didn't absolutely love any dance so I might as well call for my favorite dancer so far - Legacy.
  
• BOTTOM 3 PREDICTION: Karen and Kevin (bc admit it, you've already forgotten their number, haven't you?); Peter and Pauline (also early in the show, and not memorable as being all that good); Victor and Channing (don't think they connected to the audience).

Tuesday the 3rd

SYTYCD! D! D!

Opening: Props to Victor for making the standard pirouette interesting.

New Set: Bugs me. Too many lights - it makes me dizzy. And I miss the stairs.

Noelle and Russell: So the style is... tennis? Huh. It could've worked, actually, had Russell been paired with someone who could dance hip hop. OR play tennis. Noelle did not impress. Somewhere during Adam's judging Kat murmured something about "the comfort factor", and I think that was Freudian. Because it would have been fun to watch Comfort dance this one.

Jakob and Ashleigh: Viennese Waltz. I actually didn't mind her so much, and I was surprised that I didn't feel Jakob nailed it. Other than his split jete, the whole thing seemed too literal - too ACTUAL first wedding dance, rather than two professionals. I am looking forward to hearing Adam continue to dissect the choreography - it will be a welcome change from the choreo-butt-kissing that has been going on every other season.

Bianca and Victor: Broadway. She had me smiling within the first 15 seconds - girlfriend OWNED this one. And Victor? He tried. I wish they had had time to find him some sort of coach to lead him in a montage sequence so he could learn to be loose and less careful.

Nathan and Mollee: Bollywood. It was OK, but I was thinking to myself that I wish they hadn't put the 2 youngest dancers together bc I don't think they're going to GROW. It would have been more fun to see Mollee have to work with Ryan (ALL man), and for Nathan to dance with Karen (ALL woman). I will say the lift sequence at the end was pretty, and Nathan's pirouettes WERE awesome. (It's the night of entertaining pirouettes!)

Channing and Phillip: Samba. It felt very careful. They looked kinda terrified, and I think it's bc neither one of them trusted he was strong enough. And Nigel's comment about how the color of her dress suited her well? Reminded me of the time my friend came to school distraught bc she had hit a dog on the way there, and I said, "Well, at least you look great today - that's a really pretty skirt..." and she replied through her messy tears, "Yeah, I'm dressed to kill!"

Kevin and Karen: Hip Hop. I don't think anything actually HAPPENED in this one. It was dull. She outshone him again, but I think that's because there just wasn't a lot for Kevin to do.

Kathryn and Legacy: Contemporary. VERY nice. This was the best pairing of the night, and they both did a tremendous job. I am ready to ship them. I am thrilled to see Legacy can reach beyond hip hop, and that Kathryn is more than just a high-pitched squeak.

Peter and Pauline: Jazz. OMG I heart you Wade Robson. Dancing Starry Night on its own would have been enough, but making them characters FROM the painting? I am re-watching the intro, that's how awesome this idea is. And DAMN that f'ing backdrop, which was clever in principle but made them too hard to see. I think Peter was better, bc he had more drag in his feet and his movement, so it was more creepy. Pauline was pretty good, but she didn't mesh all that well with the piece.

Ellenore and Ryan: Argentine Tango. Oooh... Leonardo the choreographer is back... so hot. Ellenore dancing with the dress caught on her heel was indeed very impressive BUT... this felt too slow.

PREDICTION: Noelle, Pauline, Phillip, Victor.

RESULT: I have gone 3 for 4. Based on the critique, I'm not surprised they put Bianca in the bottom, but I don't think she belongs there.

OK, NEXT PREDICTION: Adios, Noelle and Phillip.

Noelle: Every contemporary girl solo ever, but the low split was nice, and she did seem to dance it like she meant it.

Victor: OK, I know I said it was a theme this evening, but that was a few too many pirouettes. He certainly does have an impressive amount of strength in his movement, though.

Bianca: I think she could have done more with Tootsee Roll - bc it's Tootsee Roll, for God's sake! Anyway, it was cute.

Phillip: Liked his intro, and it was a good tap solo. He'll continue to find work in tap, so good on ya, buddy, thanks for coming.

RESULT: Wait, what?? Bianca's going home? That's crap.

And Phillip? What a rotten week that kid's having. I am now impressed with his ability to show up and keep smiling, and really do wish him a great tap career. Poor thing.

Cat Deeley? Best host on any reality competition award. I have never seen anyone fight tears and be so beautiful and classy and sincere. She is my reality TV best friend.

Tuesday the 27th

SYTYCD!

• I'm dubious about the judge's only selection process this week. I will either feel frustrated - or I will be glad they did it and annoyed when America votes next week.
  
  
• I would like Noelle to just go home bc of the headband. Not even kidding.
  
  
• From the "Your Top 20!" I was impressed with Channing and Russell.
  
  
• Phillip and Channing, Jive. The fact that Phillip does "spoken word" poetry (as opposed to "read quietly to yourself" poetry) does NOT make him less creepy. Technically, their feet looked good, but the whole piece seemed tttoooooooo ssssllooooooooowwwwwwwwww.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob, Broadway. Jakob will surely go on about how he is gonna represent the spirit of ORLANDO! No? Floridians only do that for Miami? Hmm. Anyhow. He blew her AWAY. Even the cameraman agreed - I can't recall other moments when they've followed one dancer and not even kept the other in the shot. I am wondering what the hell wardrobe was thinking - and hoping that sweater was the result of a terrible backstage coffee accident that ruined what he was SUPPOSED to wear.
  
  
• Peter and Ariana, Hip Hop. This is a promising pairing - they are cute with a capital Q. I think the tension was missing in the dance because they just weren't very sharp.
  
  
• News Break. Holy crap, a cable snapped on the Bay Bridge! Yikes! It might not go anywhere as cool, but you don't have to worry about that kinda shit on the Dumbarton...
  
  
• Russell, Foxtrot. Wow, he is fantastic. Very graceful, and well-acted. Actually, one of the best foxtrots I think they've had on the show.
  
  
• Bianca and Victor, Contemporary. He is very good in his style. And this is an extremely promising beginning for Bianca! I wouldn't have guessed it was so far out of her style. Well done.
  
  
• Kevin and Karen, Cha Cha. Holy cross promotion, Fox. A song from Glee? Really? Eyebrow raised... and it didn't bother me. Because I was so distracted with how terrible he was. Clearly, the hip in hip hop does not refer to the body part. Yes, she was extremely good, but not so good that I didn't notice him. I noticed. Yikes.
  
  
• Ellenore and Ryan, Contemporary Jazz. Oooh, she should kill this. Yeah, this could be awesome. Any minute now, it's going to get crazy. And... oh, it's over? Huh. They were both good, and I think they did what they were supposed to do, but I just didn't find this all that interesting. I may just be over Sonya.
  
  
• Pauline and Brandon, Waltz. I missed the beginning due to more bridge coverage. Which is a shame, because I believe he's a local boy (Concord) and that means his friends and family missed the beginning, too. I can only assume that he said something like "I guess it's sorta cool that I'm on the show now". Anyway, it was a pretty waltz, and I wouldn't have guessed he had a more abbreviated practice schedule than the others. Pauline sold it pretty well, too - beautiful smile. (And I never say that.) Not sure why Nigel is crapping all over it when he thought Asuka and Vitolio were so good last year.
  
  
• Legacy and Kathryn, Hip Hop. Dave Scott is my favorite tonight. This was awesome. Their musicality was GREAT - I loved the way they found the beats. I am also impressed that it had a fantastic sense of humor without being goofy. The only routine I have felt like rewinding and watching again so far.
  
  
• Nathan and Mollee, Disco. Can we retire disco? I think last season was as good as it is gonna get (Jeannine! and Brandon, Ade! (and Melissa)) , because isn't it always gonna be kinda the same? Prove me wrong, show. Right after another news break?! Seriously, Fox?! Nothing is happening now - the bridge is CLOSED! And if people are driving, they are not watching TV news right now! Argh. So we begin with the dancers mid-run. And talk about prom dances. This was lame. "Adorable" in a best-looking kids at the retro theme party way, but... don't you also sort of hate those kids?
  
  
• OK, I wish they would send Phillip and Ashleigh home because I don't want to watch them. Before I fast forward to the end, I'm going to predict the bottom will be Peter, Ariana, Brandon, and Pauline. I am 3 for... WHAT???? RUSSELL??? Did they SEE Kevin? He was MUCH worse.
  
  
• Ariana. Typical contemporary solo. Meh.
  
  
• Russell. That headspin was sick. I totally heart him.
  
  
• Pauline. Most boring routine ever done to "Magalenha". Sigh.
  
  
• Brandon. Not bad, not thrilling. I hope they plan on letting him try again next season, because this seems cruel.
  
  
• Prediction: Adios Brandon and Pauline, bc they love to eliminate in pairs in the beginning.
  
  
• Ariana? Rats. Now I really wish they sent ol' dopey headband home. (After Ashleigh.)
  
  
• Brandon. And... they'll let him re-enter next year. Because that's good ratings.

Monday the 26th

SYTYCD!!!

• I love the idea of the Top 20 Showcase. I'm really looking forward to seeing why everyone made it this far, and it will also be a good comparison when we see everyone outside their styles tomorrow.

• Group Number - Well done, but sort of a throwback to the latin club number Taboleon did last season. Wade, you can do more. From the dancers, Nathan was a stand-out for me, and I'm concerned about Legacy.

• Hip-Hop. Yeah, still concerned about Legacy. I think the other 2 are going to adapt to learning choreo better. I do love threading, and thought it was a really cool way to show how these dancers can play off each other.

• Contemporary. Tyce. WTF???? Let's make their first dance about... SADNESS??? That's laaaaaammee. Save that shit for week 3 when people start going home. This one should be about joy. I'm glad they showed the slo-mo's of Jakob, bc I otherwise would have missed how spectacular his leaps were.

• Tap. I love their exuberance and confidence - these kids got heart! And moxie! The lighting for this number was distractingly awful - the black and white waterspot background made it look like they were trying to dance in a camouflaged background. Phillip creeps me out a little, and either he didn't get a break-out solo in that number or it was thoroughly forgettable. Bianca had great leg extension, and I think she's going to be just fine this season.
  
  
• Jazz. Still very excited about Ellenore, and Pauline is also very cute. But I think Mary Murphy was being too generous with Molly, because I see exactly what the judges meant when they said she dances like a little girl. Yes, they should pump everyone up tonight, but choose something they did do well. Don't lie to us. We notice.
  
  
• Contemporary. Bad news here, kids. Just read that Billy Bell is already out due to illness, which is a bummer bc his solo really was fantastic. And OMG NO MORE SHOTS OF GROSS INJURIES!!! BLECH! OK, the number. Wow, they had a LOT of synchronization problems. And the girls were utterly forgettable. I am now even more upset about Billy leaving early because he was by far the best part of that routine.
  
  
• Ballroom. I am already prejudiced against Ashleigh. I think she is mediocre, and the face pulling bugs. Her husband? Totally hot. So maybe that's why I hate her, too. Anyway. She was better than I expected. But I was actually rather bored by the whole number.

Wednesday the 21st

Commuting:

• A Story of the Day about Jewish delis - I totally want to try rolled beef, and agree that anyone requesting pastrami on white should be ignored.
• Planet Money - healthcare for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs do sound awful cute, but I doubt I would spend thousands to keep one around.
• World Cafe, and All Songs Considered with a new track from Vampire Weekend! Woo-hoo!
• Half of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me
• Somewhere in one of these I heard a piece on Ben's Chili Bowl and the half-smoke in D.C., but I can't recall where. This was an odd coincidence because...

Evening:

• Man vs. Food, Adam goes to D.C. and his first stop? Ben's Chili Bowl! Now I must go. His next stop featured some woman named Big Momma who is now my favoritest cook Adam has met. She was funny, and natural, and looovvveedd her food.
• SYTYCD - this was a rather irritating selection show, and dragging all of the contestants to a new location (Hollywood) just to dump half of them right away seemed cruel. I am exciteed about Ellenore, though! And Victor! And Legacy! And the krumper! And tapping!
• RW/RR Challenge I only wish Tonya had hit Veronica harder. That girl is awful.

Wednesday the 14th

Morning Commute:

• Culturetopia podcast. Roller derby girls going to watch Whip It - very cute.

Before Band Practice:

• Whatever, Martha. This had been on hiatus in my DVR bc it kept recording the same repeats even though I asked for just new episodes. But I popped it back in the line-up to see if a new season started, and lo and behold it had. I do not care for the new set - it looks cold, and the lighting seems too sharp. I thought it was fun when the sets were less "professional kitchen" and "professional craft area", too, because it was more in keeping with the spirit of "why the Hell does Martha think people can/would do these things at home?"

After Band Practice:

• SYTYCD. These boys are weepy this season. It's interesting that Mia makes all the dancers cry whether she's mean or loving. What on earth position does she put their bodies in that unlocks that? I was about to download the music used for her choreography, "Walking on Air", and it turns out I already have it! Must've been a free single off iTunes or from Amazon. Woo to the HOO! In other thoughts, I believe it will work in that Billy kid's favor that Adam Shankman is moving up to regular judge status this season. This season looks pretty darn promising...