Wednesday, June 24, 2009
delayed again!
Sorry guys - travelling this week and couldn't watch tonight. If only FOX would put this show online, I could blog from afar. Look for this week's post on Friday.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
So You Think You Can Dance (season 5) - Top 18
Saturday night and I'm finally getting to this week's show - it's been a crazy week!
Lil C on the judging panel. Any bets on how many minutes into the show we get our first "that was buck"? I can't wait to hear his prolific, pontificating prose!
How is it that Cat gets prettier every week? She is gorgeous.
Yea! Auditions for season 6 back to Salt Lake City (where they belong).
RANDI & EVAN - Jive / Louis
Yep, that was F-U-N! This is a great couple with a lot of energy. I thought Randi really came out swinging tonight. She had so much personality in her face and movement. Based on the audition rounds, I wasn't sure she would be able to match his personality, but I was wrong. I agree with Mary and Nigel that I was expecting Evan's dancing to be better. (Ugh! I hate to say "I agree with Mary and Nigel.")
MELISSA & ADE - Jazz / Sonya
Sonya is so cool and quirky. The choreography and music was fantastic. However, I'm not sure if I'm buying Melissa in this. They were fantastic last week with a very emotional contemporary routine, but I don't think Melissa can pull off the persona needed for this. I never really got the whole "naughty ballerina" thing. It might be her personality in the video packages that I'm not liking. I like them and I hope she can range out more, because Ade is fabulous and she is a very good technical dancer. Oh, there's our first "buck" at 8:23 pm. Maybe Lil C sees something I don't.
CAITLIN & JASON - Hip Hop / Shane
I know you all love Shane, but I'm kind of hit or miss with him. This...is a HIT! It was original, had some surprises and highlighted the dancers' strengths. Jason is an amazing dancer and I can't wait to see more. Caitlin is also fantastic and her acrobatics are cool. She did have a moment like last week in the middle where she seemed to lose focus and energy. She needs to find a way to hold it together for a minute and a half each week.
JANETTE & BRANDON - Disco / Doriana
I know that disco is a 70s genre, but I'm glad to see Doriana bring something fresh to it. It was fast, fun and had great lifts. I've been missing a great routine from Doriana since the Sara/Neil disco in season 3 - finally! There seemed to be a pretty big mistake toward the end, but Janette recovered well. I wasn't really convinced about these two toward the end of the auditions and last week (like Mia and Lil C), but I'm back to liking them.
ASUKA & VITOLIO - Waltz / Louis
I love Louis' approach of making this more of a lyrical piece and tapping into personal emotion, and the music and movement reflected that. Now this is really nit-picky, but I wish their costumes had matched that same tone. Why were they in very traditional waltz costumes? Hmmm... Much improvement over last week. These two were like dead fish last week. Tonight they were beautiful. There were moments where Vitolio's technique wasn't perfect, but I can look past that. I'm so glad Louis is on this show. He must love the freedom of choreography (no rules), the quality of the dancers and exposure this show has.
KAYLA & MAX - Pop Jazz / Brian
Yea! I am so glad Brian Friedman is back. He was one of my favorite choreographers and I have missed him (but wtf is he wearing in the rehearsal?). This routine was great. I loved the characters and Kayla brought it to life in such a big way. Max was a little overshadowed, but overall, it was fab!
KARLA & JONATHAN - Contemporary / Stacey Tookey (new choreographer)
I think "Falling Slowly" might be the most covered song of the past year (with good reason - it's a great song). I wish she would have used Kris Allen's or The Fray's version instead. I like Stacey. Her choreography fits in well with the show and I look forward to seeing more. These two were deservedly in the bottom two last week and for me, the weakest link left. This was quite good, but based on what we've already seen tonight, I think they might be in trouble again. She is gorgeous and a good dancer, he is a hot little latin dancer, but I don't think they have much appeal.
JEANINE & PHILLIP - Tango / Tony
Tony, Tony, Tony...That was a pretty hard Tango for two people with no ballroom experience, and this early in the competition. It wasn't perfect, but they held their own. Unfortunately, there was something about Jeanine's posture the whole time that was really bugging me, but she still looks hot. It won't matter, though. With how popular Phillip is with the audience, they could sit in the middle of the stage and roast hot dogs for the next 4 weeks and still sail through to the top 10.
ASHLEY & KUPONO - Hip Hop / Shane
Bring it Shane! That was such a cool idea - I loved the shadow thing. These two were so good last week, but I didn't realize Ashley was going to be that strong again. The judges are right, this wasn't Kupono's best moment, but I still think they could be front runners. It lost a bit of strength in the fast part, but I liked it overall.
Nigel was not very annoying tonight. He wasn't obnoxious and actually said a few funny things.
The level of performance was so much better than last week. All the early reports for the season and some of your comments were in the camp of "the best dancers of any season." I wasn't really on board with that until tonight. That said, it's going to take a lot for this group to win my favor over last season's top 8-10.
Lil C on the judging panel. Any bets on how many minutes into the show we get our first "that was buck"? I can't wait to hear his prolific, pontificating prose!
How is it that Cat gets prettier every week? She is gorgeous.
Yea! Auditions for season 6 back to Salt Lake City (where they belong).
RANDI & EVAN - Jive / Louis
Yep, that was F-U-N! This is a great couple with a lot of energy. I thought Randi really came out swinging tonight. She had so much personality in her face and movement. Based on the audition rounds, I wasn't sure she would be able to match his personality, but I was wrong. I agree with Mary and Nigel that I was expecting Evan's dancing to be better. (Ugh! I hate to say "I agree with Mary and Nigel.")
MELISSA & ADE - Jazz / Sonya
Sonya is so cool and quirky. The choreography and music was fantastic. However, I'm not sure if I'm buying Melissa in this. They were fantastic last week with a very emotional contemporary routine, but I don't think Melissa can pull off the persona needed for this. I never really got the whole "naughty ballerina" thing. It might be her personality in the video packages that I'm not liking. I like them and I hope she can range out more, because Ade is fabulous and she is a very good technical dancer. Oh, there's our first "buck" at 8:23 pm. Maybe Lil C sees something I don't.
CAITLIN & JASON - Hip Hop / Shane
I know you all love Shane, but I'm kind of hit or miss with him. This...is a HIT! It was original, had some surprises and highlighted the dancers' strengths. Jason is an amazing dancer and I can't wait to see more. Caitlin is also fantastic and her acrobatics are cool. She did have a moment like last week in the middle where she seemed to lose focus and energy. She needs to find a way to hold it together for a minute and a half each week.
JANETTE & BRANDON - Disco / Doriana
I know that disco is a 70s genre, but I'm glad to see Doriana bring something fresh to it. It was fast, fun and had great lifts. I've been missing a great routine from Doriana since the Sara/Neil disco in season 3 - finally! There seemed to be a pretty big mistake toward the end, but Janette recovered well. I wasn't really convinced about these two toward the end of the auditions and last week (like Mia and Lil C), but I'm back to liking them.
ASUKA & VITOLIO - Waltz / Louis
I love Louis' approach of making this more of a lyrical piece and tapping into personal emotion, and the music and movement reflected that. Now this is really nit-picky, but I wish their costumes had matched that same tone. Why were they in very traditional waltz costumes? Hmmm... Much improvement over last week. These two were like dead fish last week. Tonight they were beautiful. There were moments where Vitolio's technique wasn't perfect, but I can look past that. I'm so glad Louis is on this show. He must love the freedom of choreography (no rules), the quality of the dancers and exposure this show has.
KAYLA & MAX - Pop Jazz / Brian
Yea! I am so glad Brian Friedman is back. He was one of my favorite choreographers and I have missed him (but wtf is he wearing in the rehearsal?). This routine was great. I loved the characters and Kayla brought it to life in such a big way. Max was a little overshadowed, but overall, it was fab!
KARLA & JONATHAN - Contemporary / Stacey Tookey (new choreographer)
I think "Falling Slowly" might be the most covered song of the past year (with good reason - it's a great song). I wish she would have used Kris Allen's or The Fray's version instead. I like Stacey. Her choreography fits in well with the show and I look forward to seeing more. These two were deservedly in the bottom two last week and for me, the weakest link left. This was quite good, but based on what we've already seen tonight, I think they might be in trouble again. She is gorgeous and a good dancer, he is a hot little latin dancer, but I don't think they have much appeal.
JEANINE & PHILLIP - Tango / Tony
Tony, Tony, Tony...That was a pretty hard Tango for two people with no ballroom experience, and this early in the competition. It wasn't perfect, but they held their own. Unfortunately, there was something about Jeanine's posture the whole time that was really bugging me, but she still looks hot. It won't matter, though. With how popular Phillip is with the audience, they could sit in the middle of the stage and roast hot dogs for the next 4 weeks and still sail through to the top 10.
ASHLEY & KUPONO - Hip Hop / Shane
Bring it Shane! That was such a cool idea - I loved the shadow thing. These two were so good last week, but I didn't realize Ashley was going to be that strong again. The judges are right, this wasn't Kupono's best moment, but I still think they could be front runners. It lost a bit of strength in the fast part, but I liked it overall.
Nigel was not very annoying tonight. He wasn't obnoxious and actually said a few funny things.
The level of performance was so much better than last week. All the early reports for the season and some of your comments were in the camp of "the best dancers of any season." I wasn't really on board with that until tonight. That said, it's going to take a lot for this group to win my favor over last season's top 8-10.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
SYTYCD post delayed
Sorry guys - no blog tonight. I opted for a very fun dinner with friends instead. I won't be able to watch until Friday afternoon. Hope the show was great. The anticipation will kill me for the next 36 hours, but alas, I have to work (and sleep now).
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Welcome... to So You Think You Can Dance Season 5
I'm so excited!!! Cat is looking as gorgeous as ever and Nigel, Mary and Adam are ready to dazzle us with their (uh-uh) wisdom.
Jeanine & Phillip - Hip Hop / Tabitha & Napoleon
I really wish they would have started the show with something original. If I had to guess what Tabitha & Napoleon would do for episode #1, it would have been this song and this exact routine. In fact, we've seen this before. It's called Mark & Chelsie's Bleeding Love routine last season (similarities go even as far as Jeanine's outfit being almost identical to what Chelsie wore). I generally like Tabitha & Napoleon, but this is so cliche. The story and "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" choreography exactly follow the lyrics of the song. It's like a 5th grade talent show. I rewound it and watched again hoping I might like it better the second time, but no such luck. I can't really even form an opinion of the dancers. I'm sure they'll sail through, though, since Phillip has already had so much camera time and Jeanine is really pretty. Apparently the judges don't agree with my assessment. I think it's a little early for Mary to be screaming.
Asuka & Vitolio - Broadway / Tyce
Maybe I need to step away and get an attitude adjustment, 'cause I didn't love this either. It was fine, but didn't really blow me away. I do think these two are a great pair and we'll see some great stuff coming from them in future weeks if they stick around.
Karla & Jonathan - Cha Cha / Tony
Hmmm..... that should have been hot, but it wasn't. Karla is really pretty, but her movement was so klunky. Apparently you can't teach just any dancer to move her hips for a latin dance.
I really don't want to be so negative, but I'm waiting for this to get good!!! Maybe the judges are watching a different show than I am.
Randi & Evan - Jazz / Tyce
Getting warmer. I liked it.
Those two look tiny next to Cat and I love Randi's hair.
Paris & Tony - Hip Hop / Tabitha & Napoleon
Hope this is better than the other one... Much better. I liked it. And, nice product placement.
Caitlin & Jason - Bollywood / Nakul
I've liked both of these two throughout the auditions. I love that they are paired together. Jason was great and Caitlin had some good moments (the handstand at the beginning), but she had some not so good moments too. Maybe this routine was too hard for week one, but this isn't Dancing with the Stars, these are trained, professional-level dancers. Step it up, girl. This was not even close to as good as Katee & Josh's bollywood last year.
Janette & Brandon - Fox Trot / Louie
I don't really have much to say - positive or negative - except the lift at the end was cool. I don't have much interest in either of these two and I've had a weird feeling since the first audition that Janette would make it to the top 20, then be the first girl elimintated. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
Ashley & Kupono - Jazz / Wade
Loved it! Wade is a genius - again. That was fantastic and I really liked Ashley & Kupono. Kupono's movement quality is so cool. I'm so glad Wade is around in week 1 and can't wait to see more from these two dancers. After auditioning for the show 4 times, Ashley hit the jackpot with a fantastic partner and Wade Robson!
Melissa & Ade - Contemporary / Mandy
Are you kidding me? I love Mandy, she can do no wrong in my book. I can't even fault her for pulling Richard Marx out of the 80s sappy love song vault. That choreography was flawless and they executed it really well. So many great lifts that showed the strength of both dancers. Now this is something I would usually laugh at Nigel for saying, but the movement was so fluid that it looked like they were one. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Did you get that I love Mandy?
Kayla & Max - Samba / Louie
Very solid samba. It had a lot of energy and Max is obviously very strong at latin. These two should be really fun to watch.
Let me judge the judges for a second: Mary actually said something funny - her botox comment. Clearly all reality show judges like to hear themselves talk, but Adam really does.
In the bottom tomorrow: Asuka & Vitolio, Karla & Jonathan, Paris & Tony, Janette & Brandon.
Jeanine & Phillip - Hip Hop / Tabitha & Napoleon
I really wish they would have started the show with something original. If I had to guess what Tabitha & Napoleon would do for episode #1, it would have been this song and this exact routine. In fact, we've seen this before. It's called Mark & Chelsie's Bleeding Love routine last season (similarities go even as far as Jeanine's outfit being almost identical to what Chelsie wore). I generally like Tabitha & Napoleon, but this is so cliche. The story and "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" choreography exactly follow the lyrics of the song. It's like a 5th grade talent show. I rewound it and watched again hoping I might like it better the second time, but no such luck. I can't really even form an opinion of the dancers. I'm sure they'll sail through, though, since Phillip has already had so much camera time and Jeanine is really pretty. Apparently the judges don't agree with my assessment. I think it's a little early for Mary to be screaming.
Asuka & Vitolio - Broadway / Tyce
Maybe I need to step away and get an attitude adjustment, 'cause I didn't love this either. It was fine, but didn't really blow me away. I do think these two are a great pair and we'll see some great stuff coming from them in future weeks if they stick around.
Karla & Jonathan - Cha Cha / Tony
Hmmm..... that should have been hot, but it wasn't. Karla is really pretty, but her movement was so klunky. Apparently you can't teach just any dancer to move her hips for a latin dance.
I really don't want to be so negative, but I'm waiting for this to get good!!! Maybe the judges are watching a different show than I am.
Randi & Evan - Jazz / Tyce
Getting warmer. I liked it.
Those two look tiny next to Cat and I love Randi's hair.
Paris & Tony - Hip Hop / Tabitha & Napoleon
Hope this is better than the other one... Much better. I liked it. And, nice product placement.
Caitlin & Jason - Bollywood / Nakul
I've liked both of these two throughout the auditions. I love that they are paired together. Jason was great and Caitlin had some good moments (the handstand at the beginning), but she had some not so good moments too. Maybe this routine was too hard for week one, but this isn't Dancing with the Stars, these are trained, professional-level dancers. Step it up, girl. This was not even close to as good as Katee & Josh's bollywood last year.
Janette & Brandon - Fox Trot / Louie
I don't really have much to say - positive or negative - except the lift at the end was cool. I don't have much interest in either of these two and I've had a weird feeling since the first audition that Janette would make it to the top 20, then be the first girl elimintated. I guess we'll see tomorrow.
Ashley & Kupono - Jazz / Wade
Loved it! Wade is a genius - again. That was fantastic and I really liked Ashley & Kupono. Kupono's movement quality is so cool. I'm so glad Wade is around in week 1 and can't wait to see more from these two dancers. After auditioning for the show 4 times, Ashley hit the jackpot with a fantastic partner and Wade Robson!
Melissa & Ade - Contemporary / Mandy
Are you kidding me? I love Mandy, she can do no wrong in my book. I can't even fault her for pulling Richard Marx out of the 80s sappy love song vault. That choreography was flawless and they executed it really well. So many great lifts that showed the strength of both dancers. Now this is something I would usually laugh at Nigel for saying, but the movement was so fluid that it looked like they were one. Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Did you get that I love Mandy?
Kayla & Max - Samba / Louie
Very solid samba. It had a lot of energy and Max is obviously very strong at latin. These two should be really fun to watch.
Let me judge the judges for a second: Mary actually said something funny - her botox comment. Clearly all reality show judges like to hear themselves talk, but Adam really does.
In the bottom tomorrow: Asuka & Vitolio, Karla & Jonathan, Paris & Tony, Janette & Brandon.
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