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!

Found this really fun video from Jon M. Chu (of LXD fame) on my Twitter list. They are busy busy busy shooting Step Up 3D (I really liked the first two movies, this should be interesting).

Sometimes when you’re on a set at all hours of the night (and have gotten no sleep on your 8 hours off) thinks get kinda weird, wooly and wild.

What better thing to do than freestyle?

Dija see B-Boy Legacy poke his lil’ face in there? Sweet. Thanks for the vid Jon!

I found this video while cruising one of the great SYTYCD sites out there (thanks SYTYCDism!).  Breakdancer Jonathan “Legacy” Perez, fabulous finalist from season 6 of SYTYCD has been busy busy busy exploring, dancing, and making videos of himself. If you find his page on YouTube there’s plenty of them to enjoy. But this one stood out to me, because of the opposite choices he makes. He’s a fast-paced B-Boy who is amazing at tricks, yet the video is mostly still shots of him in action, and closeups of his face (with those big eyes just looking). His usual music fare is of course quick and booming, that would lend itself to his moves. Yet the music he chooses is “Better Man” by James Morrison, a beautiful, soft and flowy lyrical song. Just check it out and see what I mean:

I wasn’t misled when I singled him out as a special dancer with a special heart. He had a revelation during his SYTYCD run, and it’s sticking with him. Keep going, Legacy!

It is safe to say that Ms. Mia Michaels is my favorite choreographer that I discovered from watching So You Think You Can Dance. She is singular in talent, artistry, power and communication. Damn if she knows her stuff. Many of the dances that I have in my Looking Back at So You Think You Can Dance list are hers, and it’s easy to see why.

“Dancing is a feeling expressed from the inside out.”    Mia Michaels

She practices that philosophy every time she creates:

For those of you who don’t know, Mia also choreographed Celine Dion’s monumental A New Day show that was THE show to see in Las Vegas for years. If you haven’t seen it, or clips of it, this is not your normal 10-dancers-hip-hopping-in-a-line-to-the-singers- music-show (and those shows are good too, don’t get me wrong). She really added depth to the show and worked closely with director Franco Dragone (of Cirque du Soleil fame–and incidentally, Mia also worked on “Delirium”) to create an emotional, theatrical experience that blended itself seamlessly to Dione’s epic music catalog.

How ’bout that, huh? I love the way all the really gorgeous male bodies move and ripple together, forming a beautiful frame for Celine. Their movement also really lends itself to the engrossing, obsessive feel of the song. Plus, half n@ked boys are just really nice to look at (thanks, Mia).

“The beauty of art is that there are no rules.”   Mia Michaels

That last quote goes so beyond the “I don’t know art, but I know what I like” way of thinking. If there are rules on art, that limits the depths of creativity for art based in reality: real thoughts, real feelings, real experiences. Society tries to put limits on art all the time, because sometimes that’s easier than confronting art and experiencing it, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Mia certainly has no rules on herself, and can also embrace her darker side. “It was dirty, it was raw, it was ugly…and it was absolutely beautiful.”   Mia Michaels

Just check out this fierce, teeth and claws bared piece to Duffy’s “Mercy” (nominated for an Emmy Award):

Mia has a penchant for choreographing with props–beds, benches, doorways, and some may think it distracts, but I just think it adds to basing it in reality.

Mia can be harsh and abrasive (“I am a cutter and I will cut you!”), but she is also generous and loving. If you watched this past season of So You Think You Can Dance, you witnessed B-Boy Legacy’s transformation from a gifted street dancer to an artist who understands that dance is about communication, and giving everything you have to communicate it.  The more dancers she inspires that way, the better the world will be. And I mean that.

Can’t wait for the upcoming documentary film Move, directed by Kurt E. Soderling and Melinda Songer, featuring Mia and many other choreographers from the dance world. Release date is 2010, but nothing more specific than that. I’ll update you as soon as I know more!

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)

I’m sitting here watching the results show of So You Think You Can Dance and really looking.  Looking at these dancers. On the eve of ‘THE TOP 10″ who has it to make it? Who has real talent, and more than that, who has real heart? Because when it all comes down to it form me, Soullldiva, the Dancemomma, it is about heart. How big is it?  How much do they share of it? Watching the top 10 being revealed tonight (and of course, that ever popular carrot of the TOUR), this is what I’m contemplating.  Let’s see how this unfurls and if I am correct on any of my choices?

Ellenore. This girl is quirky, fun, beautiful and talented. Her emotional range is projected all over the place. From her lustful tango to a hip-hop where her swagger and bravado shows with humor, to her portrayal to a young, impressionable starlet, she has heart and she’s not afraid to show it.

Ryan. It will be interesting to see if my pull to Ryan continues without Ellenore.  But I now recall him immediately catching my eye when I saw him waiting, in agony, to see if his gorgeous wife was in the original top 20. Stunning. Such feeling and heart.  And he absolutely brings it to his dance, and his technical expertise seems to stretch beyond ballroom.

Legacy. I hope this gem can really step it up for his ballroom pieces, because he’ll need it for the long haul. This guy is nothing BUT heart, as he discovered how much more dancing could fulfill him as he performed Mia Michaels moves in Las Vegas. Beautiful. And he’s still experiencing it, seeing how emotional he got last night after his second dance. There is something so special and sensitive about this tough B-Boy. He’s an artist to the core and he’s just now realizing that he can live up to his potential and give so much more in his work. He’s absolutely doing it.

Russell. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this guy could walk across the stage and smile and I’d be riveted. He enjoys every single second of what he does and for me that’s what it’s all about. You have to love what you’re doing, right? And like Nigel, I’ve completely forgotten that he’s a Krumper–a dance style that can be quite harsh, but I totally get with it when he does it. Russell, like Legacy, needs to pull it out for his ballroom pieces, but he’s done pretty darn good with them so far.

Ashleigh. And this is not just because I’ve put my vote in for Ryan. This woman can hold her own. She’s able to very easily portray her love and attraction for her partner, which is an absolute must. And very interestingly, Ashleigh is someone who’s actual body portrays her emotion. The movement of her legs, curve of her arms.  I just get that from her. I dunno. I keep feeling like she has some secret that she’s slowly either letting out or letting go of, and this fires her passion.

Jakob. It will also be interesting to see if Jakob, as with Ryan, will hold my interest when he’s separated from Ashleigh. He has technical out the wazoo and can leap into any type of formation that a choreographer could want. But is the heart there? I watched him last night connect with his partner in their Cha Cha Cha. He absolutely luxuriated in Ashleigh, her body and her movement. But it had emotion, too.  Lust with heart, huh? It’s there and he’s got what it takes.

Those are the few that I have chosen to make it beyond the top 10.  Who will make it to the final performance?  Well…I’m not ready to  speculate on that short list, give me a couple of weeks ;o)

*SPOILER ALERT*

I’ve just watched  Karen be sent home, and I knew that was coming.  Hotness only goes so far, and it took her to the top 12.  As well, a very sad Victor was just eliminated. Neither of them were on my list, so we’ll see how long it can stand up as the dancers are whittled down.

Care to comment, object, offer your own opinion?  I welcome it!

(Images courtesy of FOX Television)

Evan and Ryan (right)

It’s the last elimination round in Vegas for So You Think You Can Dance season 6 and the talent is lining up. I was sad to learn that tap dancer Ryan (brother to Evan, finalist last season) was cut, and earlier than last year. You just wanna put on tap shoes of your own when he starts hoofing it, he will be missed this season. I hope he tries again.

Next up was the group challenge, where they were divided up into groups of 5 and given a random piece of music. They had overnight to choreograph a piece.  The very first group up (with favorite Russell Ferguson) was probably the most notable. They drew a Broadway selection and did a just fantastic combo that melded the best of B’way jazz and street-like moves. Nigel Lithgoe absolutely loved it, and so did I.

Mia Michaels

After that was the (da-da-dummmm) Mia Michaels round.  Before the break, they played snips of quite a few dancers saying how scared they were.  I thought to myself “What?  You get to dance with Mia Michaels and you’re scared????” But then I remembered, I’m not a pro dancer, and I’m not in Vegas with them. ;o)

Here’s the ultimate Mia Michaels dance quote: “Do not give me empty steps.” This she stated to the dancers on stage, knees knocking. And she’s right. Mia is of course known for flat out not liking people who do this and just cutting them. She tells dancers all the time that she cuts, and she likes to cut.  This is a woman who means business.

This year, however, she injected a bit of love to her dancers, with a pep talk beforehand, and a meditation/prayer. What is this? A kinder, gentler Mia Michaels?  Wow!

She was not kinder with her choreography, and I noted how much more difficult this year’s combo was than last.

A B-Boy contestant, Legacy, caught the eye of Mia and the other judges who were blown away by his street interpretation of the steps. He really got the flow and communication of the piece and was able to fill those steps like Mia wanted. Legacy was tremendously moved after his Mia experience, and was visibly emotional as he said she “changed something inside of me.”  He told Mia “Your movement means something and you made me a better dancer.” I LOVE it when dancers really get it about dance. Legacy felt he came out of his comfort zone (which is always a dangerous place for a dancer to be) and moved on to the next round.

Mia, unfortunately, will not be back to So You Think You Can Dance after this round, and her choreography will sorely be missed.

Judges Tyce DiOrio (left), Mary Murphy, Nygel Lithgoe

Next was the Broadway round with Tyce DiOrio.  The girls got “There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This” from Sweet Charity and the boys did a selection from Movin’ Out (for more see my post on Twyla Tharpe). I love it when men dance together, all the macho comes out (and sometimes shirts come off, as with ballroom dancer favorite Matthew Hauer). There’s just something exciting and invigorating about a bunch of men doing a really strong piece with lots of jumps and moves where they leap up and down on their knees. Yum.

After the Broadway round, 38 dancers were left and from that will be the Top 20 for season 6.  Break a leg to them all!