Aaaaaaaaand Billy Bell is back IN! After getting spanked for not dancing on the results show, that is. Seems that he was better on Thursday and said he wanted to wait it out. Good for him, I say. Gave America a chance to drool over some other dancers for a change. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Billy Bell fan. It’s just…whatever–what happened last night you ask?

The top six performed again on SYTYCD, after the judges made a never before made decision to NOT cut anyone last week because they couldn’t make up their frackin minds. I don’t blame them, really, but in the back of my mind I’m thinking: “how much longer does Casanova Jose have? I mean really?”

Cat looked luscious in a drape-y python print number, much better than last week. Good work, kitty! This week the contestants get to talk and reveal secrets they now know about each other–which I find intriguing.

First up is little Kent, who has a Jean-Marc and France Cha Cha Cha with lovely Anya. His second Cha Cha! And I have to say, all face-pulling aside, the kid is an amazing dancer. Lots of head popping, though. And looks like a little slip in the lift near the end. The camera angle was wide, though, I could be mistaken. But a pretty exciting dance with a great song choice. Mia spanks Kent again for his face–which he still really needs to work on. He defends himself a little (guts, babe), but he agrees that he needs to change it.

Next on the floor is Robert, who drew a Contemporary with sweetie Kathryn and choreographer Stacey Tookey. I absolutely loved the very first movement of this piece with Kathryn’s leg coming up over the army bag (crazy extension) and Robert coming up behind her. Very tender and desperate. Very well danced by both and the story and emotion was right there for us to see. Robert is a super strong partner and this piece really showcased that. Did LOVE the twist at the end that it’s HER going off to war and not him. Great moment. Nigel praises Robert for his growth and maturity and I would have to heartily agree with him. He’s fab and definitely my second fave to win this season.

And then Mia went further with Robert to say this delicious item that pretty much all dancers should listen to: “Allow your emotions and the reality of what you feel be the catalyst of your movement. Allow that to let you begin to move from there. And then it won’t look like you’re dancing steps to then try to conform and speak through steps, you’re speaking through your soul. And then your steps are secondary. And that will take it even to another level.” Thank you, Miss Mia for that lovely Mia Michaels Dance Quote, that’s why I heart ya.

Jose’s solo is the first of the night, and here’s what his fellow competitors have to say about him:

• clueless in the cutest way (this is Lauren’s comment)
• he’s a fighter and like my brother
• smooth, explosive and kind hearted
• the most focused and determined person
• he’s like a wise tortoise

Pretty interesting. Safe to say they like him a lot. There’s that personality again. His solo is good and I love the music, but it’s so much more about his personality than his dancing now. I feel like his solos are exactly the same. Maybe that’s my unfamiliarity with break dancing but…

AdeChike picked a Tyce DiOrio Jazz routine with Courtney and Tyce says it’s the nightclub up in Spanish Harlem. Yummy! Dizzy Gillespie is the music, so here we go! This is fun and super well dance with a ton of sparks flying between the two. I think this some of Tyce’s finest Jazz choreography. I feel like I’m watching an early 60′s B movie with fantastic music and hot , out of control dancing where everyone wears shades and is possibly toking in the back room (you know those movies). And they looked like they had a ball. AdeChike is my babe, and his note from Nigel was to just let go. Have abandon and not make it look like moves. It’s a good note from him, because it’s what will give him the edge to win.

Lauren’s solo is next and here’s what her peers had to say about her:

• she’s the only girl
• she’s crazy, hyper, loving
• she has two bunny slippers she’s named Joshua and Leviticus
• she’s the baby sister, everyone wants to look after her
• she’s a ball of energy, hyperactive

Looks like Lauren is definitely the baby of the bunch that everyone wants to take care of. That’s good for the only girl in a group of guys. She does her “Natural Woman” dance, which is a great choice after all the things that were said about her. I love her when she dances to Aretha, she becomes part of the music and part of Aretha’s voice. Lovely.

Jose very luckily pulls a Hip Hop with Comfort choreographed by Marty Kudelka and Dana Wilson. From the video before you can see that Jose and Comfort have a great chase game kind of dynamic which should be great for the piece. They use “Try a Little Tenderness” by the great Otis Redding which goes right to my soul. Hip Hop to Otis? Love it more than words can say. Their costumes are just awesome, straight out of the late 60s old school, you think they just left a blues club and are ready to hook up or get a ride home. This is a great new spin on Hip Hop that is so refreshing. Low on tricks, high on story and charisma. I really loved this piece. As usual Jose loves and wants the girl, and his tone with her is very much the spirit of the dance. He does get smacked for the flappiness of his arms by Nigel, Mia thought there was no swag in him and Adam said dance from the intention of the piece (meaning Jose changed it). Ouch.

Now here’s what everyone says about Mr. Billy:

• he’s messy, leaves clothing all over the place
• he’s helpful and willing to lend a hand
• he’s focused but can crack a joke
• he’s loud
• he is a crazy, sarcastic, outgoing, nutjob

Hmmmm…interesting. I would have not thought all that of him. But then I see his solo and I get that extra layer of him with those comments. Can’t quite explain it, but there it is.

Now we get to hear what’s been said bout Kent:

• he is the cutest little competitive farmboy
• silly and oblivious
• kind, generous and a great person to have around
• (Billy has to think of something nice to say)
• he’s a cool kid and a ladies man
• he’s a baby brother to me

He dances solo to “A Song For You” covered by Eliott Yamin, which I didn’t know he did. Very nice and the best since the original done by Donnie Hathaway. No face pulling here for Kent. This is a damn good solo. It just kinda goes to show how a dancer can really fully connect with a piece of music. Really, really good, I was moved.

Lauren draws a Broadway number by Tyce with All-Star Allison. Yea! A two gal piece, been waiting for this. And Lauren needs to really pull it all out, Allison is really the queen of Broadway. Lauren is great here, but I just can’t take my eyes off Allison, she’s really got the Broadway style and feeling down and gives it all. Fun piece, but not my fave of the evening. Judges gush over her, they love it. Nigel thinks she’ll be in the finale.

**Side note: has anyone noticed that Mia is much, much harder on the guys than on the girls? Not that Lauren ever deserved a beating, but I’ve never heard Mia say one negative thing about her. Agree? Disagree? Let me know!**

Now here we go, listen to what the contestants had to say about Robert:

• the songbird of our generation
• always singing and surprisingly well
• arrogant sideburns (what?)
• the class clown of the group
• goofy

Now, class clown is way different than a crazy nutjob and it makes me like Robert even more. His solo is great once again, he really knows how to channel the music and express it. Well done.

Billy gets to dance this week with Ade to a Stacey Tookey Contemporary. Yea, I love Ade! This is the story of a homeless man and a high-powered business man. And then they realize they are old friends. I’m very interested. This was an outstanding piece and I really loved it. The moment when they realized they knew each other could have been longer, but their discovery of each other and the emotions and frustration and anger that came out of them after the moment of discovery were really wonderful. There are far more girl and boy in love routines than something like this, which is another thing that makes it so special. Nigel notes that he’s glad they made their non-decision last week and kept him. I agree.

What does everyone say about AdeChike?

• a man of many names (Cheeky is one)
• Mr. personality, best friends with everyone
• ladies man
• flirtatious, loves to compliment the ladies
• a magician, puts a spell on the ladies

So AdeChike is the lady killer. Cheeky does his solo in jeans and I am wondering how do dancers dance like that in JEANS? Will someone tell me, please? Because I sure as heck can’t do lateral splits in my Gap 1969 jeans.

Next Jose draws Kent to do a Spencer Liff Broadway dance where the two of them are girl watching. Jose claims Kent has no game but is jealous of how he can simply turn his head and the girls scream. Very cute. And the piece is very cute as well, no doubt. I love this 50s style Donald O’Connor/Gene Kelly stuff. I can’t keep from looking at Jose, but for all the wrong reasons. Kent kills this piece and Jose, while his personality is completely present, dances the entire thing like a break dancer, which is not really what the piece calls for. All of Jose’s jumps were very compact, with his legs very close and bent towards his body, instead of length and air underneath them. And oddly enough, I am harder on Jose than Mia is this time around. Kent is named a contender for the title.

Lauren draws AdeChike to do a Foxtrot by Jean-Marc and France. Is this the first Foxtrot of the season? Will it be the kiss of death? We’ll see. It’s a sexy Foxtrot to “Fever” covered by Beyonce, so it’s not the normal dance. Definitely not your normal Foxtrot, but it just didn’t light my fire as much. I liked the last few moments though. I think the judges were right in that it wasn’t danced like a ballroom dance and so it just didn’t go right.

Robert picks Billy and they get a Bollywood dance choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajaan (love that name). This is Indian fused with western dance and the story is two actors vying for the same role in a Bollywood movie. The music is from “Bombay Dreams”, which I am excited to hear. They have to dance in sync in throughout nearly the whole dance and they are not always exactly together which is a little distracting. The two are super cute together and really attack the moves and this is a super challenging and endurance-testing dance form which they do really well. And apparently Robert is a big, cheesy hamburger. I will concur.

Hamburgers and Pizza aside, it’s not hard to deduce who will be going home tonight. Well, one at least. And I will be sorry to see him go. Who will be the second? Who? Who? ;o)

Well hello, once again! I thank you all for being so patient with me, we are fully in our beautiful new home and getting settled. Now that we have our UVerse cable installed (love it), I won’t be missing ANY more episodes of this season’s SYTYCD (whew)!

I’m so behind I don’t even know who was eliminated last week. Oh, Cristina. Sorry, doll, I liked you.

First up is AdeChike with Lauren doing a nerdy hip-hop. Very hip, cute and fun. And what’s THIS? Sexy nerds–right up my alley. Hip-hop with a gigantic measure of personality and hot chemistry mixed right in. A perfect recipe in my estimation. I wanna get up and move myself, I am enjoying this so much. Judges luh-huv it. A good sign for AdeChike, as it seems that he has finally “shown up” to the party. This is a great piece from choreographer Dave Scott, must get a mention in for him.

Next is Ashley and Ade doing a piece from newcomer Dee Caspary. The piece is very fast and flowy and has a lot of power. It seems to have all the right elements, but I still feel it’s missing something. Like it’s too fast the whole way through. There is a short pause, but for me it’s not enough give and take in the dynamics. Dee was true to his word, she does practically no movement without help from Ade. I watch it again just to be sure that I’m not missing something, and it still bugs me a little. Masterfully danced by the both of them, but possibly just too rough and tumble for my tastes and hard to digest visually. Judges love it, now I feel bad. Oh well. Purple breezes and glasses of scotch.

And oh, it’s been so long I forgot–SOLOS! Billy’s up first with amazing purple stretch jeans, amazing flexibility and a love to just get it all out there. Well done.

Robert is up next (wow, what a story with his mom, huh?) dancing a Sonya Tayeh jazz number with all-star Courtney. Sonya’s goal is to show America how wrong they were to put him in the bottom last week. These two are in great synch with each other; when they do the moment where they jete together, it’s perfectly in time. I don’t quite get the ferocity from Robert that Sonya really wanted from him, but they looked really go together. His main note is to study ballet. I take this moment to note that they actually don’t ever dance ballet on this show. Hmmm. Not exciting enough? What about traditional Russian dancing. Was THAT exciting enough? Just sayin’, is all.

Jose’s solo is up and he uses one of my fave super soul classics, James Brown’s “Super Bad”. And it’s the original, no sampling here. You go, Jose. He’s a cutie and his solo rocked.

Tapper Melinda’s inspiration is old time hoofer Dr. Harold Cromer whom she has studied with for a few years. It’s really fun to see a youngling studying with a true seasoned pro. She’s got to show her sexy side with a Salsa by Fabian Sanchez and with Pasha. Right out of the box she’s got the hotness, but her heel gets stuck in her dress and even though she has to get it out, she doesn’t miss a beat. Love the stuff on the floor. Ok, this is hot stuff and super super good. She’s really enjoying her self and who wouldn’t dancing with the Pash?? But wow, she gets crushed by the judges. What am I missing here? Plus, Adam Shankman and Mia Michaels both say that she should have been let go last week instead of Cristina. This really frustrates me and I’m going to move on now.

Kent has is solo next. He’s a super cute ball of energy, but it’s too much reaching out and up for me in the solo.

Alex comes out of the gate with his sheer perfection solo to music from Planet of the Apes (odd, but so right) and I have to rewind it twice. Love this guy, because not only has he got the chops that can’t stop, he has the emotion there and ready to go when its needed. Sigh.

Next Lauren and Neil are up with an Joey Bowling Broadway number, and I’m looking forward to this. Broadway always needs a huge amount of chemistry, a lot of back and forth between the couple and they had it, just not in spades. Mia points out that as an athletic dancer, Lauren needs more femininity, and I would agree with her. Just a little more sauciness. And yes, the dress broke, but then we’re just watching the dress and not her. I enjoyed the dance, though, Joey gives good Broadway.

Ashley gets her solo next, and I don’t quite get her first count of 8 because she barely moves. But then she’s gone and all over the stage. Powerful, but I don’t get her as a dancer in this infinitely short amount of time. Right about now is when I say that I think they should get rid of solos all together and just keep the dance for your life. It is really tough to find just the right combination of elements to please everyone yet show off the best of your abilities in 20 seconds. Give em a break.

Interestingly enough, Billy Bell’s inspiration is Legacy from season 6. Wow, that is actually super cool that a dancer who moves like Billy was inspired by a breaker who moves like Legacy. Neato. Billy and Katherine do a contemporay by Stacey Tookey. This piece is a great balance of dance and emotion through dance and connection–which they had the most of at the end moment, as Nigel pointed out. Katherine was there for him 100% of the time (damn she’s really good) and he didn’t quite match her with being there in the moment. Technique, check. Emotion,

Robert’s solo is next to Ray Lamontange, who I adore. His solo hit me in a good place (where would that be you ask), and I just was able to sit back, watch and enjoy. He’s really gorgeous to watch dance like that alone. Ahhh.

Jose’s influence was Bruce Lee, and this is not the first time I’ve heard a breaker talk about Bruce as an influence. It has been said that Bruce’s fighting style was the basis for the creation of break dancing. Jose gets to do a Samba with Anya (and Dmitry Chaplin, welcome back), and here we go. Right away he looks like a solid partner with the catch off the table. The arms aren’t quite there but he’s pretty darn good for a B-Boy doing frickin’ samba. And he loved dancing with pretty Anya. I actually couldn’t take my eyes off him. The judges echo my sentiments. Whew, I’m not completely crazy, huh.

Melinda does her tapping to Alicia Keys and I’m really not sure what the judges were talking about her musicality. Sounds perfectly fine here to me. I liked it.

Kent gets to tackle a jazz piece by Mandy Moore with Allison. Kent’s lesson is to be a MAN. While he held is own with Allison in the choreography, there was no sizzle between the two of them. Allison is such a hottie tottie and and she was right there for him, but he wouldn’t bite (to her, that’s to say; he loved to play to the audience). And the song is Heartburn for gawd sakes! Burn, baby burn!

AdeChike supposedly raised the roof with the dance for his life last week and I’m looking forward to this solo. Strength, power and beauty. That coupled with gentleness is what gives this guy his swag.

Lauren. Here is a gal who knows how to pack everything needed into a 20 second solo. Technique, passion, leaps, new stuff, emotion, audience connection, connection to the song, restraint. Pure satisfaction.

Alex’s NappyTabs hip-hop number with Twitch is probably the most anticipated tonight, since guys are rarely put together at this stage of the show. And I have to sincerely say, this is THE MOST enjoyable number of the entire show for me, I’m practically yelling at the screen “yeah!” at the top of my lungs. Excellent work done by Alex, I would have never known that he had no experience with hip-hop. He had the moves down, and was perfectly in synch with Twitch, and great chemistry with him to boot. The whole concept was a home run with the song “Outa Your Mind”, the story with the shrink/patient, the NappyTabs moves, throwing in Alex’s ballet, on and on and on. Amazing. Alex has sealed himself as my early front-runner favorite on the show. Early prediction, he could win it!

Whew! That was a whirlwind. Who will be in the bottom and who will be safe? We’ll find out tomorrow!

I read a couple of reviews of the Oscars performance last night, and I don’t agree with all of them. There are a bit of naysayers about the hosting, the dancing, the choice to honor John Hughes (as opposed to other Honorary awards recipients), having “NPH” sing for the opening, etc. etc.

I thought it was a good show. For gawd’s sake, people, it’s nearly four hours of awards and presentations! How is Mr. Adam Shankman (director of the Oscars show) going to please everybody, all the time? He’s not, so there.

I thought two hosts, especially such as Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin was a super idea. Hey guys, I loved Chris Rock even more and I’m sure they paid Shankman NOT to hire him again. His first choice was actually Sacha Baron Cohen–a revelation even beyond Chris Rock. But they pulled back on the idea, thinking that it would just be too much for most of the people in the room (much less the rest of the US, who are quite more conservative than us here in Hollywood) to handle. Darn.

But Steve and Alec did a great job. Steve’s quip about both himself and “Gabby” Sidibe’s first starring movie roles were as a “poor black child” made me roll. Too young to know what he’s talking about? Check out Steve Martin in The Jerk,it’s a comedy classic. This was still when Steve was a “wild and crazy guy.”

Now, I do get the protests about honoring John Hughes instead of one or more of the Honorary Awards recipients (lovely Lauren Bacall, bigger than life Roger Corman and outstanding cinematographer Gordon Willis). But, as a child of the 80′s, it was really great to look back at all his films and really know that he knew who I was as a teenager. He knew and was able to display it, with charm, humor, grace and humility, for those of us suffering from teenage-itis to share. He was a great filmmaker and I’m so sad that he had to depart too soon.

And then there’s Adam’s choice to have the John M. Chu’s Legion of Extraordinary Dancers perform to each of the movie score nominees. Popping and locking to the theme from a war movie??–was the protest I heard.

Look. I get it that it was a bit different than your usual fare. But doncha get it? Music–any and all music–inspires movement. And that can be any movement of any kind. So yes, music from a movie about the war in the middle east can inspire LXD to move. And that they did amazingly well. And actually, the piece to “The Hurt Locker” score was my favorite of all of them (and the stunts done for the “Avatar” score were crazy good). Face it, naysayers. Popping, locking, b-boying, breakdancing, hip-hop, krumping, freestyle. It’s all here to stay and they are ALL legitimate art forms.

Yea for Dance! And Yea for a great Oscars night!

Last week we learned that the famed Mr. Adam Shankman (judge on So You Think You Can Dance and director/choreographer of Hairspray) would be holding auditions for dancers in the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Telecast. A story by Sandy Cohen was published on the ABC Entertainment website and gave a really nice, personal recount from three dancer’s point of view. Pictures were also published of Adam with Travis Wall next to him, and Adam dancing with the auditioners. Really great to see him in action! You can read the full story here. Enjoy!

Producer and choreographer Adam Shankman, center, watches a dancer perform during open dance auditions for the 82nd Academy Awards Telecast in Burbank, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) (AP)

Producer and choreographer Adam Shankman, center, demonstrates a dance move during open dance auditions for the 82nd Academy Awards Telecast in Burbank, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) (AP)

Think you got what it takes to dance for Adam Shankman on the 82nd Academy Awards telecast? Well then, get your buttinsky over to Burbank, CA this weekend and audition! Eat your Wheatiesand “Break a Leg”!!!

Check out Adam’s video invitation to dancers and the press release here on the Oscars.org website. Ciao!

So even though it seems like we just crowned Russell Ferguson, So You Think You Can Dance has kicked off it’s season 7 auditions in steamy Miami (is it still steamy in January?). Many of the Vegas Week dancers come from this great city, including season 5 winner, Jeanine Mason. Choreographers who joined judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman for the audition process were lovely Sonja Tayeh and “Burn the Floor” choreographer Jason Gilkison.

Here’s a great article by Anthony Jones who spoke to Nigel during the auditions. Nice scoop!

The LA Times today published a great article by Vincent Boucher on costume designers for So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars. This is a great read and gives a little insight on what goes into the creation of costumes for these talented dancers. He spoke with Soyon An who designs for So You Think and Randall Christensen (who is incidentally a former dancer) who designs for Dancing With the Stars for the story. Check it out here on the LA Times site. Enjoy!

'SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE': Show judge Adam Shankman says costumes affect how viewers see the acts. Shown here: Russell Ferguson and Noelle Marsh. (Mathieu Young / FOX)

]]> http://www.dancemomma.com/looks-count-on-tv-dance-shows/feed 0 http://www.dancemomma.com/so-you-think-you-can-dance-crowns-americas-favorite-dancer http://www.dancemomma.com/so-you-think-you-can-dance-crowns-americas-favorite-dancer#comments Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:49:57 +0000 soullldiva http://www.dancemomma.com/?p=365

**SPOILER ALERT**

The night opened with a sexy Top 18 (why not 20?) super hot group dance choreographed by Kelley Abbey and set to “Scared of Me” by Freddie le Grand. My husband even walked by and was distracted by the stockings and garters. “Ooh, those are hot.” Add a red chair to any dance and I’m a happy girl.

Next come the start of the judges favorite dance picks of the season:

Lil’ C’s dance choice is Kevin, Legacy and Russell dancing a NappyTabs Hip-Hop to “Beggin” by Madcon. Even better the second time around, Russell ruled it (of course) and I really love that song.

Adam Shankman: Ellenore and Jakob dancing a Sonya Tayeh Contemporary piece to “Tore My Heart” by OONA & Dave Tweedie. Great choice and I remember him practically orgasming over it last time. This is just a great piece. Love the post at the ending.

Nigel Lythgoe: Derick K. Grant tap number with Philip, Peter and Bianca dancing to “Take the A Train” by Ella Fitzgerald. I love that three, let alone one tapper was in the top 20. Tapping is just a really great form of dance that is not appreciated enough in today’s dance world of extreme acrobatics and hip-hop. However, it doesn’t seem to translate to television the way other dance forms do. So sad.

Mary Murphy breaks the “rules” this time around, and instead of picking the Contemporary piece that Ryan and Ashleigh danced last night, she got them to choreograph a Jive routine themselves. She’d waited all season long to see them dance together and was disappointed they didn’t draw a ballroom style. Their Jive is definitely good, but not nearly as compelling as their contemporary piece from the night before.

Next, guest dancers the Groovaloos perform a street hip hop number. This is a fun, great piece and the breakdancing moves are stylin’!

Continuing with Judges’ Choice, Nigel picks the Dwight/Desmond Contemporary piece with Kathryn and Jakob set to the fabulous song “At This Moment.” Brilliant.

Tyce DiOrio picks the Bollywood number that Nathan and Mollee did wayyyy back when. Ah, the two kids back together. I think that this and their Can Can routine were their best things as a couple.

Then, unfortunately, is about a minute of confusion as quite a few things happened: Cat’s mic went on the fritz and we couldn’t hear anything, then three finalists came on the stage, and Cat is given a hand mic which she starts asking “where’s everybody else, ” and “what’s happening here?” Then we see Russell limp on under Ryan’s help, unexplainedly in pain and tears. He’s hurt his leg. Cat deftly assures him that they will get him help. Then, with pretty much no ceremony Ryan is named 6th runner up. They cut to his video package which really shows him off. I always really liked him, for his dancing and especially for how much he loves his wife (awwww).

After the commercial, Adam Lambert comes on and we don’t get an update on Russell. Adam really smokes, and I talk with my husband about his really hip look, which he dubs “Rockabilly/Metal and Billie Holiday mixed with Freddie Mercury.” I love my husband, he’s so with it.

The five finalists come back on stage, Russell on a stool. The 5th place dancer is named: Ashleigh. Her video package is super hot and I for one am glad she overcame her illness to get back into dance.

Next Shankers picks the Ellenore/Legacy Travis Wall Contemporary. I didn’t care much for this the first time around, but seeing it again in a new unit of time endears it to me more. Very innovative, and as Adam said, had risk, danger, chemistry out the butt. He predicts an Emmy award for Mr. Wall.

Ms. Debbie Allen picks the African Jazz piece choreographed by Sean Cheesman for Noelle and Russell. Because Russell is injured, they go to the tape of the dance. Too bad for Noelle, she doesn’t get to do this again. I really loved this piece when I saw it the first time (the Frog Dance, it’s called), and the bit where they clamp onto each other, Noelle’s head down between his legs and flip end over end over end was amazing. Love it.

The four remaining finalists are on stage and they announce the 4th runner up: Ellenore. Her video package just reminds me how original she is, very unusual and quirky dancer. The dance world needs more of her.

After the break, Lil’ C makes his next choice, one the dancers had to “wring themselves dry” for, a Tyce DiOrio Contemporary way back from “Meet the Top 20″ and Nathan, Jakob, Channing and Ariana. This piece is good and each dancer shines in it. But with the four dancers shooting across the stage constantly and jumping up on each other all the time I found it a little hard to focus on.

Next Mary picks the red hot Hip Hop NappyTabs choreographed for Kathryn and Russell from the previous night. Smokin, I mean really. This, of course, is from tape as well.

We’re back from the commercial break, and Mary J. Blige takes the stage, looking absolutely classy. She performs “I Am.” This was really good, but why do they need clips of her videos in the background is more than I know. Hate that screen. H-a-t-e. Got it Fox? Good.

There’s time for one more judge’s pick, and Nigel goes back to “Meet The Top 20″ show and Wade Robson’s piece to the fantastically fierce “Comanche” by the Rebels. This is my absolute favorite group number of the entire season, it just combines so many elements that I adore. Thank gawd they played it again. 60′s style dance, dancers having sound while they dance (“shi-kah!”), girls in satin skirts slit up to their coochies, guys dancing tough as nails, hot and loud sax (yes, I said SAX), clapping, snapping, dance fighting, posing. Do I need any more??????

Ah, pause for a moment. While I watch the screen. OMG. Kathryn is just named 3rd runner up! I really don’t believe it. I really thought she was going to take it. Oh!! Wow, this is a complete surprise for me. After her video package she’s crying and her voice does NOT go up, good girl!! She’s beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and I wish the best things for her.

Ok, recover after that moment.

After the break, Jennifer Lopez reclines in a large silver stiletto on stage. Pretty neat. She calls–SANTA! Very cute. And I love her rhinestone tights. She looks fab and dances great and is probably lip-synching. Who can blame her with all the dancing?

Now it’s time to get down to business. Jakob and Russell come on stage. Well, Russell with Jakob’s help, that is. A few words about the show, dance and America winning as well as the winner of the show. We get to see a video package for both Russell and Jakob. They are really great to look back at, and we get to see Jakob do that amazing jete another 5 more times. Pure Poetry.

The boys look happy and anxious as we come back, and Cat starts her patter. The envelope snaps open. America’s Favorite dancer IS: Russell Ferguson! And BOY is he happy and grateful (and shirtless). He thanks everyone  and says that he has dreamed of this since he was born (“I came out like–what!”).

Well he deserved it. And I picked the winner! Woo Hoo! Well, I know I said that Kathryn would probably get it, but I wished in my heart it was Russell. Yea for America, you voted well.

LONG LIVE DANCE!

Until season 7 of SYTYCD, I’ll be here continuing Dancemomma coverage of dance around the world. Goodnight.

(Images courtesy of FOX Television)

W-O-W, what an evening last night on So You Think You Can Dance!

The Top 8 were set to perform, and right off the bat I was super confused. Wait, what’s going on? Something’s wrong. Then I saw it: Ashleigh did not do her beginning solo. What had happened? Host Cat Deely took a few moments before calling Ashleigh to the stage, and she walked on with her arm in a sling. Oh, injury. How really, really sucky. Apparently she completely dislocated her shoulder that very day doing a dress rehearsal, and was not being cleared by the doctors to dance. And boy, did she want to dance. But she kept it together, and after the next break she came back on stage to give her 888 number, asking for votes. This is really a sad predicament for her. Can her performances and hard work from the past weeks keep her in this competition? I put her in my “long haul” list, and I really hope so. It will be very interesting to see how the results unfold tonight.

On with the night, Ryan and Kathryn were up first with a Dori Disco routine. This is another great pairing, with a fun and difficult routine (and the Discos are usually ball busters). Kathryn looked SO gorgeous in her skimpy halter dress (which, interestingly enough was Dori’s doing, I didn’t realize that the choreographers had a huge hand in the costuming, interesting!). Ryan looked…well, disco-y. They did excellent work together and looked like they were having a ball, especially Ryan. He’s such a great partner-ing partner. Kathryn kicked butt and did super well in this new style for her.

Next was Molle and Jakob with my favorite Viennese Waltz–EVER. I’m serious, here, this is a wonder to behold. Fresh, young, full of breath and life. Thank you choreographer Jason Gilkison!!! And thank you to Mollee and Jakob for dancing a picture of young love in springtime, with very intricate steps, fast and energetic (not your usual Viennese Waltz, I’m telling you). They had a beautiful connection, and looked beautiful, Jakob in his white pants/vest/shirt and Mollee in her white blouse and ankle-length sunny yellow pleated skirt, complete with a bow in the back. Fantastic, on all sides, and even though this was only the second of 8 dances, I am not afraid to say my favorite of the night!

Another potential power couple was next: Ellenore and Legacy. They got Travis Wall and a Contemporary number that I was SO excited to see from the rehearsal footage I could taste it. Travis had a concept of two killers that are married and want to kill each other at the dinner table. Very “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Unfortunately, for me this was a little to literal in the fight choreography and a bit one note. I saw a lot of hate and anger and not much lust/love, which it absolutely could have had (would have made for a better dynamic). They used a napkin for most of the dance and traded it back and forth during moves, which I thought was just distracting. And Ellenore’s dress was awful, just looked like two strips of fabric. OK! That said, they danced it extremely well, were very fearless with difficult moves and nearly impossible timing, and they did have a good connection.

Then came Russell and Ashleigh’s Shane Sparks Hip-Hop number. The rehearsal footage showed fantastic clips of Shane teaching Ashleigh how to shake her booty. Super funny! Looking back ( I watched it a couple times), this was probably the BEST Hip-Hop dance of the entire season, very “old school” as judge Nigel Lythgoe said. Russell just exploded off the stage with energy, enthusiasm and smiles. He shines like a star and does excellently. Unfortunately, his partner was so distracting because she was not nearly the caliber of dancer that Russell is (or Ashleigh for that matter). And I thought that was odd, considering she’s Shane’s assistant. Oh well.

Mollee’s solo is the only solo I’m going to mention in this post. And why? Because SHE ARRIVED. To the show, to her womanhood, to the party. I saw this girl for the first time this season with her solo to Alicia Keys’ “Heartburn”, which she also sang along to during her dance. Now, I will say that she had improved last week with Russell and was stunning in her Waltz with Jakob earlier in the night. But this is a dancer who made an entrance here, and I was riveted. She flirted, had fun, flipped and twirled and had me wrapped around her finger. Yeah, this is what dance is all about! Well done to her.

Whew. I get no downtime as Kathryn and Ryan are next with a Jason Gilkison Cha Cha Cha. I learn that Jason is responsible for Burn the Floor, currently on Broadway (where have I been?), no wonder he’s standing out for me. And know how I said his Viennese Waltz was the best I’ve ever seen? This Cha Cha Cha is the BEST Cha Cha Cha I’ve ever seen (enough Cha’s for ya?). Jason rocks the Casbah, baby, I’m in love. I was glued to the screen during this dance, it amazed me. Kathryn and Ryan had a hot chemistry and connection, flirt-y sultriness. Ryan looked so hot in his hat and suspenders, and Kathryn was SO sexy in her fishnets and feathers–great use of feathers, by the way, long straight ones as a skirt instead of the fluffy emu-type. Ryan and Kathryn attacked the choreography with great relish, which was syncopated so well with Joss Stone’s song “Put Your Hands On Me”, great choice. Can I have a cigarette, please? They climb on judge Mary Murphy’s Hot Tamale Train, which she has only done one or two times this season.

Mollee and Jakob once again wipe up the dance floor with a Joey Bowling Broadway number to “Easy Street” from Annie (excellent music choices for this show, that is one of my faves). They are lovely and amazing and cute and mischievous. Did I mention they danced amazingly? This style also suited them well, and Nigel encouraged Mollee to get over to Broadway, they were waiting for her. This looked easy and joyous for them. Brilliant.

Ellenore and Legacy were up once again with a Nappy Tabs Hip Hop dance about aliens. This was good fun, but not fantastic, like I was hoping. The choreography didn’t really push them to their limits of what they could do, although it started off well, with the backwards masks. Shame on Tabetha and Napoleon for not really challenging these two.

After Ryan’s solo, he interrupts Cat while she’s giving his number to give Ashleigh’s number. This is a man who loves his woman. I was touched. What a mensch.

Last is Russell (and Ashleigh’s) Bollywood. And Bollywood it was, with a bit of funk and soul injected from Russell. You could just see it in his movement. Bollywood is so relentless in it’s movements and hand/head/finger/foot positioning (we learn that a wrong hand position can offend in India), and Russell was right there the entire time, never looking tired, and always having that sparkling smile ready. The execution was superb, and judge Adam Shankman said that he radiated pure joy for the art of dance. I whole-heartedly agree. Bonus that Russell’s partner was up-to-speed with him, and when I saw the move that dislocated Ashleigh’s shoulder (leap and swing over the head and around to in front of his legs), my shoulder hurt a little, too.

Needless to say, I am very torn about the finale. They all deserve to be there, including Ashleigh. I want everyone to win. But then, it wouldn’t be a competition, would it? Well, I voted for everyone and put a few extra votes in for my favorites.  Who will be in the finale for season 6? Tune in tonight and find out!

(Images courtesy of FOX Television)

The game changes once again on Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance: America votes and the bottom two dancers go home. No more “dancing for your life” for judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman. That’s it, bye-bye. Kinda sad, considering how hard these kids have worked to be where they are right now. BUT–the show must go on.

Tonight there were sure fire hits and clear misses. There were new partners teamed up, and everyone danced a solo. It was a fast-paced, jam-packed night.  We even learned more about the dancers’ families (always good for a little water in the eyes).

The first hit of the night was Noelle and Ryan’s Hip-Hop number, a clever, flirting-in-the-office scenario. It was cute and sexy, with a lot of great lifts and holds. I felt that Ryan committed to the movement a bit more than Noelle, although she did rather well, too. Overall just a solid piece from the two of them.

The first miss was Ashleigh and Legacy’s Contemporary number, created by Australian choreographer Garry Stewart. This was hard hard hard, and although they worked their butts off, it never quite left the ground. I’ve seen Garry’s company perform before, and this combat-style dance is just not my thing. I saw the potential in the movement, but unfortunately for Ashleigh and Legacy, they couldn’t quite fulfill it. Legacy’s handless headstand at the end rocked, however.

The next hit was Kathryn and Nathan’s Broadway number, which just sang. This was a pretty good pairing, with Kathryn completely shining like a diamond in this style (not a bit of the girlish dancing she got criticized for last time), and Nathan grew up a tad more. They worked well together, very smoothly, even though they could have had more of that “Broadway connection” as Shankman pointed out.

Ellenore and Jakob had a hit with their sweet Quickstep which started a little slow for me but the last quarter picked up immensely and was just lovely. Very good pairing and job well done on this difficult dance.

The surprise hit of the night was Mollee and Russell. Their first number was a Lyrical Jazz. These two really melded well andcomplimented each other.  Russell once again showed his talent for excelling at other dances and Mollee grew more womanly beside her new partner. The dance started off with a lot of holds and lifts but really took off after that, and had a fab move where they linked elbows and he pulled her to spin in the air across him.

Not decided on whether Noelle’s and Ryan’s Smooth Waltz was a hit or miss, as Waltz is just not my favorite, but Ryan sure knows how to waltz across the floor with power and grace. There were great lifts and spins at the end and they were sweet and elegant together.

Very unfortunately for Ashleigh and Legacy, their Hip-Hop was a miss as well. If I could have shook my finger at choreographer Dave Scott I would; how can you POSSIBLY waste Legacy’s talents in a friggin Hip-Hop number?!? And what’s with the cape?  Just weird and disastrous for what could have been a great piece.

Although they get an “A” for huge effort, Kathryn’s and Nathan’s Rumba was a miss for me as well, and simply because they did not connect on a romantic level. Good moments, but a tough one.

The official hit of the night was Ellenore and Jakob’s Sonya Tayeh Contemporary number that was full of power and passion. Their head to head walk across the stage sizzled; here was fantastic chemistry. Plus, their acting chops were really tested as well, and everything was believable. Ellenore and Jakob delivered like no one else. Fabulous!

The last dance of the evening was a hit: Russell and Mollee’s Jive. Super super fun fun from these two. Mollee grew up yet again, and Russell just continued to show his spirit of play as he danced. Strong flicks, fast kicks and a great song choice. How can you go wrong with “Land of 1000 Dances”? Never, I say. Their flirty chemistry was brought to life on stage and this turned out to be a really great pairing.

The solos of note for me were predictable, and…not.

1. Russell: strong precision of movement and personality at the same time. Humor and charm.

2. Kathryn: this girl glows. Beautiful and full of joy. She is now officially on my list from last week.

3. Nathan: surprise for me, but he was so touched and emotional about his family, his dancing and beautiful turns shone. Good Boy.

4. Legacy: great mix of B-Boy moves and feeling. Really awesome.

5. Jakob: probably technically the best dancer here. His joints just are not glued! Wonderful.

I’m on pins and needles. Who will not get enough votes tonight?  I hope you all voted for your favorites!!

(Images courtesy of FOX Television)