Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Castro Vlog's from San Jose

SYTYCD - Top 12 - SPOILERS

If you want to know what they are going to be dancing, check the link. If you don't want to know, please don't click on the link.

Thanks to TWoP, for finding information on IDF about what would be danced.

Friday, July 4, 2008

SYTYCD - Top 14 - Results

The night started off with a fabulous Broadway group routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio to Money, Money. Pure awesomeness.



The Bottom 3 couples were Kourtni and Matt, Comfort and Thayne, and Courtney and Gev. I was a little bit surprised that Comfort and Thayne, and Courtney and Gev were both in the Bottom three, yet Will and Jessica were not. Oh well. Maybe I should vote.

Anyways, each of those six dancers performed a solo routine for the judges.

Kourtni:


Matt:


Courtney:


Gev:


Comfort:


Thayne:


Also, Robert Muraine (the amazing popper who made it to Vegas only to quit) was back! He performed yet another awesome solo for us...and there may be a dance-off between him and Phillip Chbeeb on the finale! Squeep!!!



After it was all said and done, Kourtni and Matt were both sent home.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

SYTYCD - Top 14 - Video

All videos here include both the prepackage clip and the judges comments.

Jessica and Will - Jive


Comfort and Thayne - Broadway


Kourtni and Matt - Hip Hop


Chelsie and Mark - Jazz


Kherington and Twitch - Paso Doble


Katee and Joshua - Contemporary


Courtney and Gev - Hip Hop


Jessica and Will - Lyrical Jazz


Comfort and Thayne - Smooth Waltz


Kourtni and Matt - Mambo


Chelsie and Mark - Foxtrot


Kherington and Twitch - Contemporary


Katee and Joshua - West Coast Swing


Courtney and Gev - Broadway

SYTYCD - Top 14 - Commentary

So tonight, they are really switching things up on us. The Top 14, in the same pairs as last week other than our new couple, will be performing two routines each. TWO routines...already...wow. This is pretty early in the season for that, and I have no clue how they are going to fit 14 routines, plus pre-packages, and judges comments into 2 hours. More than likely, we will be seeing some very, very short routines. Joining Nigel and Mary on the judging panel are new-comers Tabitha and Napoleon.

Jessica and Will - Jive (Tony and Melanie) - Prepackage clips are going to be extremely short tonight, it seems. Something seems to be missing from this jive...like maybe energy? I'm not sure. They seem tired, and like they are just trying to get through it, so it isn't nearly as energetic or fun as it should be. Some of the tricks are nice, but overall, this jive didn't do much for me. And it will likely will be extremely forgettable by the end of 13 more performances.

Comfort and Thayne - Broadway (Andy Blankenbuehler) - Okay, I LOVE West Side Story. LOVE!!! And it is good to see some Broadway choreography on the show done by someone other than Tyce Diorio for once. Not that I don't love Tyce's choreography - I do - but change can be a good thing. I think that they nailed certain parts of this routine, and other parts fell a bit flat to me. I think that they had pretty decent chemistry between the two of them, which is a bit surprising to me. Overall though, they did a pretty good job, and I really enjoyed the choreography. Nigel was a bit tough on them though. Ouch.

Kourtni and Matt - Hip Hop (Cicily and Olisa) - Another one by the two of them, huh? Ugh. It makes me almost want a Dan Karaty routine, I dislike their choreography so much. Granted, I have to say that this one is far different from anything else I can think of seeing from them before. In a few places, you actually need to have a partner and it isn't just the two of them dancing the exact same thing standing next to each other. So...as far as the dancing is concerned...um...just NO. They weren't hitting very hard, they weren't in sync with each other in a lot of places, and honestly, the entire routine was insanely forgettable. And was it just me, or was it CRAZY short? I felt like it was over before it started. So...Nigel...can we please stop asking these two choreographers back??? Pretty please with a cherry on top?

Chelsie and Mark - Jazz (Mandy Moore) - Really fast, interesting routine here. The chemistry between these two is killer, as usual, and they danced really well. I loved the quirky lifts that they did, and they fully told the story that Mandy gave them to tell. Mary needs to get a new line this season. LOL. We know that you loved it, and you aren't putting a damper on anything. Great job, kiddos!

Kherington and Twitch - Paso Doble (Tony and Melanie) - Twitch's shoulders are up too high, or something. His posture isn't quite right. He looks insanely hot though (did y'all see those abs?!!?!?!?!). They played their parts well, though not quite as well as I would have wanted. I think they did a respectable job with this, though it wasn't the best paso doble I've ever seen. The lifts were unreal though!

Katee and Joshua - Contemporary (Mia Michaels) - I've been waiting to see Joshua do a Mia Michaels routine, with really high hopes. And he is absolutely not disappointing. The running lift thing where he was helping her to run - wow...great connection between the two of them, fabulous choreography. I really didn't want it to end. That was AMAZING. I loved all of the lifts, I loved the way they did the beginning perfectly in sync, it was just perfection. And as good as Joshua has been in all of these routines, Katee has been right there with him. It may surprise people more with him because he is the hip hop guy...but she is fantastic. She needs to get some props for all of that. Dammit Mia, you are starting to make me love contemporary dance.

Courtney and Gev - Hip Hop (Cicily and Olisa) - Ugh. Another routine from them. I guess one tonight wasn't enough. He's a bit too smooth for me in this routine, and she is a bit too bouncy for me. I would prefer if they met somewhere in the middle. Freaking BORING choreography. They did okay with it. I wanted more. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great.

Jessica and Will - Lyrical Jazz (Mandy Moore) - I actually really like how Mandy choreographed the use of this shirt as a prop and integrated it into the dance. I really needed more emotion from Jessica on this one though. She seemed to be just coasting through the routine, and not playing the part that Mandy gave her to play. Will is GORGEOUS! Wow. And the lines he hit were fabulous. I need to see him with a different partner. She had no emotion, no passion...I wasn't feeling it, and I don't think she was either.

Comfort and Thayne - Smooth Waltz (Edward Simon) - Who saw these lines coming from little miss Comfort? Wow. I'm impressed. She was gorgeous in those lifts. And I felt the connection between the two of them again. I think I was wrong about not liking this pairing. They are really, really good together! Was it the best waltz ever? No. But it was really pretty good. I really hope that if they are in the bottom three tomorrow night, that at least she sticks around.

Kourtni and Matt - Mambo (Alex Da Silva) - That spinning lift was insanely slow. It should have been flying, but it dragged ass all over the place. Matt's arms are funky again, and I'm sure Nigel will have something to say about that. I really wish they had better hip action going on, and their footwork feels labored. All in all, this just really didn't work on a lot of levels. Should have been all sorts of down and dirty and sexy, and there was just none of that going on. I have a feeling that they will definitely be in the bottom three again.

Chelsie and Mark - Foxtrot (Edward Simon) - Now this is nice and smooth! I don't know how Mark does it, but he really looks like an old school silver screen gentleman in this one! Can I just say that Bon Jovi should never have been performed like this though? Great chemistry between the two, great (and DIFFICULT) choreography, awesome hold and good footwork...really good! I enjoyed this a lot, aside from the music. Paul Anka doing It's My Life??? *shuddering*

Kherington and Twitch - Contemporary (Mia Michaels) - Again, I've been waiting to see Twitch work with Mia, and see what she pulls out of him. Interesting slanted bed on stage there. Hmmm...I actually really am loving this! They keep tossing themselves on and off of this bed, and the way she interpreted the lyrics of this song is intriguing, even if it is a bit literal. I would have liked to see a bit more use of the stage overall, but it is really cool to see a dance that pulled me in as well as this did, without using more than about a six foot piece of the stage. Very, very cool again, Mia. And can I just say that I love that we're getting to see so many of these guys without shirts on tonight?

Katee and Joshua - West Coast Swing (Benji Schwimmer) - I loved the WCS that Benji did last year for Pasha and Sara, so I'm really hoping to see something just as amazing tonight for Katee and Joshua! Cute dog! It's a lot slower than what I was expecting, but I can definitely see a touch of Benji in several of these moves. I think they did a really good job with it. Adorable ending. Hee! She really stood out and shined in this one, which I think is really good for her.

Courtney and Gev - Broadway (Andy Blankenbuehler) - Hmmm...I'm not so sure about this one. I wanted to really like this, but I felt like he really did a much better job than she did. She tried to do it, but her arms and hands were off, somehow. He really did a great job with playing a character for the show, and she fell pretty flat to me. Again, this choreography was very, very different from what we get from Tyce, but it is a really refreshing change.

My Top 3 Couples: Katee and Joshua, Kherington and Twitch, Chelsie and Mark (I know, I know...huge surprise, huh?)

My Bottom 3 Couples: Jessica and Will, Kourtni and Matt, Courtney and Gev (barely below Comfort and Thayne)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

SYTYCD - Top 14 - SPOILERS

Once again, I will just link to them for those who want to know, so that those who stumble upon them and don't want to know aren't spoiled.

TWoP Spoilers

Some of the things included in these spoilers are REALLY surprising to me. I am really curious to see how it all pans out tomorrow night.

Monday, June 30, 2008

SYTYCD - Season 2 and 3 Group Performances

Over the last few years, some of the most interesting, creative choreography pieces have actually been the group numbers, not the competitive pieces. I thought I'd share them with y'all. Enjoy!

Season 2

Top 20 - choreographed by Brian Friedman to Technologic




Top 18 - choreographed by Dan Karaty to Get Up Offa That Thing




Top 16 - choreographed by Shane Sparks to Poison




Top 14 - choreographed by Mary Murphy to Footloose




Top 12 - choreographed by Doriana Sanchez to Born to be Alive




Top 10 - choreographed by Wade Robson to Ramalama




Top 8 - choreographed by Tyce Diorio to Cell Block Tango




Top 6 - choreographed by Mia Michaels to Hide and Seek




Season 3

Top 20 - choreographed by Wade Robson to Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See




Top 18 - choreographed by Shane Sparks to It Was All in Your Mind




Top 16 - choreographed by Tyce Diorio to Lioness Hunt




Top 14 - choreographed by Adam Shankman to You Can't Stop the Beat




Top 12 - choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereaux to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy




Top 10 - choreographed by Mia Michaels to The Moment I Said It




Top 8 - choreographed by Shane Sparks to Get Up




Top 6 - choreographed by Wade Robson to 2:19


David Cook: Rare Solo Songs

This is a fan tribute video, put together to a couple of David's rare solo recordings. The first song is typically called Optimistic to a Fault by fans (I don't think anyone is really aware of what David actually calls it), and the second song is Dear Heaven. Check them out!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

SYTYCD - Favorite Performances from Season 3

Continuing with the theme I started yesterday, now I'm going to post some of my favorite performances from the third season of So You Think You Can Dance. This is the season that I first started watching the show (I only caught Season 2 on a weekend long MTV marathon), so it holds a very special place in my heart. Enjoy!

Top 20 Week

Kameron and Lacey - Contemporary


Jesus and Sara - Pop-Jazz


Jimmy and Shauna - Broadway


Top 18 Week

Pasha and Jessi - Jazz


Dominic and Sabra - Contemporary


Kameron and Lacey - Broadway


Top 16 Week

Kameron and Lacey - Quickstep


Dominic and Sabra - Rumba


Hok and Jamie - Jazz


Top 14 Week

Danny and Anya - Contemporary


Pasha and Sara - West Coast Swing


Dominic and Sabra - Hip Hop


Neil and Lauren - Jazz


Top 12 Week

Pasha and Sara - Jazz


Neil and Lauren - Contemporary


Top 10 Week

Kameron and Sabra - Contemporary


Danny and Lacey - Samba


Pasha and Lauren - Hip Hop


Top 8 Week

Dominic and Lauren - Rumba


Neil and Lacey - Latin Jazz


Neil and Lacey - Contemporary


Pasha and Sabra - Broadway


Top 6 Week

Pasha and Lacey - Hip Hop


Neil and Sabra - Jazz


Neil and Sabra - Paso Doble


Top 4 Week

Danny and Neil - Contemporary


Neil and Lacey - Lindy Hop


Neil, Danny, Lacey, and Sabra - Broadway

Saturday, June 28, 2008

SYTYCD - Favorite Performances from Season 2

So I've been taking a trip down memory lane, looking back at some of my favorite, stand-out performances from So You Think You Can Dance from seasons past. I never saw the first season, and I did look up a few performances on Youtube from that season. I'm not sure if I'm just not finding the right ones, or if the first season just really doesn't hold up in comparison, but I wasn't too terribly impressed with what I found. Part of my problem may be that whoever the host was, she drove me nuts. Also, they used a lot of choreographers who aren't still involved with the show, and frankly I wasn't all that impressed with many of them. I think that they made a lot of tweaks with the format of the show between the first and second seasons, and it is working much better now. Anyways, I'm going to take this trip starting with Season 2. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Top 20 Week

Benji and Donyelle - Hip Hop


Travis and Martha - Broadway


Top 18 Week

Musa and Natalie - Contemporary


Benji and Donyelle - Cha Cha


Top 16 Week

Ryan and Heidi - Cuban Rumba


Ivan and Allison - Argentine Tango


Top 14 Week

Benji and Donyelle - Viennese Waltz


Dmitry and Ashlee - Contemporary


Top 12 Week

Ivan and Allison - Contemporary


Benji and Donyelle - Broadway


Top 10 Week

Travis and Heidi - Paso Doble


Travis and Heidi - Contemporary


Benji and Natalie - Jazz


Dmitry and Donyelle - Samba


Top 8 Week

Ivan and Allison - Argentine Tango


Ivan and Allison - Hip Hop


Benji and Heidi - Broadway


Benji and Heidi - Mambo


Top 4 Week

Travis and Benji - Hip Hop


Donyelle and Heidi - Broadway


Benji and Heidi - Salsa


Final Four Group Dance - Wade Robson