BuzzSugar

Chatting with the So You Think You Can Dance Gang on Tour

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:30:27 PDT

If it hasn't already, the So You Think You Can Dance tour might be making its way to a city near you soon! Last week, this season's top dancers came close to me in Oakland, CA, and I got a chance to hang out backstage with Chelsea Traille, Mark Kanemura, Katee Shean, Joshua Allen, and Jessica King. We chatted about life after SYTYCD, the rigor of the competition, what the judges were really like, and lots more. Check it out:

Buzz: Hi guys - how's the tour going so far?
Mark: Good - it's fun. The traveling is fun.

Do you get to interact with the fans at all? Are they what you expected the fans of the show were like?
Katee: Afterwards, we get to talk to them and stuff.
Mark: Yeah, you expect them to be young, but there are older ones.
Chelsea: A lot of women obviously, but I mean, grown men, fathers. I know a lot of married couples who watch together.

So what is more rigorous, the touring or the television competition?
Mark: I think the television competition was, by far. Just because it's not just physically draining but mentally draining.
Chelsea: The part about the show is you're cut off from reality. You're in your bubble, you don't really get the gist of how real it is because you watch it together, you film it together. The only live interaction that we get with the audience are the people that come in the studio, but other than that it's like tunnel vision.

To check out more of what we talked about, including Jessica's injury,

Speaking of rigor, the injuries got serious this past season. It made us wonder how dangerous this competition felt.
Chelsea: Yeah, but dancers are athletes.
Jessica: I think this show is probably one of the most intense situations a dancer can be in because not only is it strenuous on your body but it's mentally and emotionally draining as well and you don’t have time to sleep or regroup. And then each week it's like, "I got it, I can do this" and then they change it. "Oh, now you have two dances," "Oh now you have a new partner," "Oh, by the way, now you have two solos," "Oh and three group routines." So the more it builds, the harder it gets. It takes a strong person, you know, stronger than me [laughs], to make it through to the end.

Yeah, you guys had to switch gears a lot. How was it switching to new partners?
Katee: It was definitely difficult, I think, and it was almost funny because we'd watch everybody else in rehearsals and when you'd see your partner with somebody else, you're like, "That’s weird."
Jessica: You get a little jealous too!
Katee: Yeah! It’s weird how, like, crazy protective everyone had become over their partners because you'd been through so much together.
Jessica: It's funny because now it's all over and we're still like that. You build such a bond.

If you could have kept one partner throughout the entire competition, which dancer would each of you have picked?
Katee: See! No, we can’t do that.
Chelsea: Plead the fifth.
Mark: I mean, when I got Courtney for the last week, it was like the smoothest partnership. I don’t know what happened - it just really worked with us.
Chelsea: You all got to be friends by that point, too, so . . .

Let's talk judges. How hard was it to hear their criticisms each week?
Chelsea: Oh, we're our worst critics.
Katee: We probably critique ourselves more than anything the judges could say.
Jessica: You have to remember, it's not just the judges, it's all the people watching too. One of the things I got a big response from was, "Oh my gosh, Mia Michaels was so mean to you. We can't believe how you handled yourself." And it's like, I kind of built a wall. She would say things and I couldn't let it in. Especially as someone that we as dancers, we respect her so much, that it would hurt my feelings if I was going to really listen to it. It was really nice to have my partner step in and defend me.

Did the judges have different feedback for you on the air than off the air? Were they encouraging off the air?
Mark: We didn’t really get to hang out with them.
Joshua: The boys sometimes. [Nigel] would come into rehearsal, but we would be focusing on our stuff. And on the judges, a lot of what they were saying, they're masters. Nigel's really smart, he used to be a choreographer, and he knows a lot of things.

What about Mia Michaels? She seems like the coolest to hang with.
Joshua: She is, but she's hard.
Chelsea: I would call her fierce in every aspect. In her feedback and extreme in her creativity - she literally gives you every inch of herself in a piece. And she demands even more of that back. Which is fine, every choreographer should.

What's Cat really like?
Joshua: Cat is the coolest! She loves us.
Mark: Everybody always asks if she’s really as nice as she seems . . .
Joshua: She was nicer.
Chelsea: She's sweet. She talked to us like people. It was really cool to have that, like, real interaction in the midst of all that.
Jessica: There’s not much of it though, it's just right back stage before countdown - like, we don't get to sit and have dinner.

What's up next for you guys? What's the dream dance career?
Katee: Keep working, keep dancing.
Joshua: I would still like to dance a lot, a lot of different things. But overall I'd like to be a recording artist. So coming from a dancing background is cool, but I've always wanted to sing, too.
Jessica: We can't forget right now that we're on our own tour, and that is itself such a dream. We're not dancing behind anybody, we're headlining. So to ask that question, yeah, we have future goals, but this is huge.
Joshua: Yeah, that is what's crazy - it's such a blessing.
Chelsea: There's always the next dancer, the next generation on your heels. This is a conveyor belt industry.
Joshua: Yeah, I would say we have to work even harder - we're always going to have to prove ourselves.

Tell me some fun anecdotes that we didn't see on television.
Chelsea: I eat like a monster. Mark is so freaking funny! You would think he was quiet - he says hi, and it's just the timing, but it's funny.
Joshua: He doesn’t dance like he acts either. Like, I thought he was crazy when I first saw him
Jessica: We all did! It was like, stay away from that dancer . . .
Katee: But later, all the girls were together and it was like, "Oh, who is that?"

How'd you get into dance? What are your tips for people who dream of dancing?
Chelsea: Class junkie!
Jessica: Not just a class from one person - you have to put yourself in as many different classes as possible and in really uncomfortable positions.
Chelsea: All I did was academics, and it was all dance.
Jessica: Friday nights didn’t happen . . .
Joshua: They happened for me, but I had to give up track and football. All my homeboys were like, "What are you doing?" They were like, "For real? You’re gonna go do like, jazz or something?" You definitely have to give up things and if your friends are your friends, you're gonna know and . . . look where we’re at now.

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance: Jessica's Out!

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:30:50 PDT

Big news for So You Think You Can Dance fans from Monday's session at the TCA press tour. Jessica King, who slipped into the top 10 last week, is out with an injury, and Comfort's taken her spot in the competition.

Nigel Lythgoe wouldn't be specific about the nature of her injury or the time that it happened - though he said he hopes Jessica herself will be available to do that on the show this week. Comfort hadn't left LA yet when Jessica had to drop out, and she was back in rehearsal as of Monday morning.

In fact, all of the top 10 dancers were in rehearsal, which was a bit of a bummer, since I'd really been hoping to check out Twitchington in the flesh. Instead, we got a foxtrot from Kourtni and Matt (who really are that tall) and a solo from Thayne (who really is that smiley) before Nigel, Mary Murphy, Cat Deely, and Mia Michaels took the stage for some Q&A. Some highlights:

Mary explained that she'd been using her "hot tamale train" expression for years to describe dancers - typically fiery ballroom dancers. The hot tamale train typically doesn't pull into the station during more emotional performances, no matter how much Mary likes them; she's usually too close to crying for that. Also, if some couple gets two tickets on the hot tamale train, that means Mary thinks they're headed for the finale. Now we know.
Mia doesn't think she's a mean judge. "I'm just being very honest," she said. She insisted that in rehearsals she's "Mama Mia" and the dancers look to her for tough love.
When the choreographers work with the dancers, they have an hour and a half on Friday and three hours on Saturday - and that's just about it.

For a little more - including a new pairing Nigel accidentally revealed - just

Courtney and Joshua will be dancing together! Woohoo!
Nigel was still obviously upset when asked about Robert quitting earlier this season. "No dancer should quit," he said. "At any point. Ever." He said he'd be curious to see if Robert backed down from his potential dance battle with Phillip Chbeeb next. Ouch.
Nigel's philosophy on SYTYCD, American Idol, and other shows where the audience votes: "The public often get it wrong. But at the end of the day, they sort of put it right - it's along the way they get things wrong." He used as an example Tamyra Gray getting kicked off Idol but Kelly Clarkson rightfully winning.
Nigel noted that that the past two years, the finale has pitted a brilliant dancer (Travis, Danny) against a brilliant performer (Benji, Sabra) and the performer has come out on top.

Photo courtesy of Fox

American Idol Gets Ready to Crown a Winner and to Possibly Say Goodbye to Jennifer Lopez

Katie Henry — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:22:45 PDT

American Idol finalists Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips went out on a high note last night, with each hopeful singing their heart out for the judges, studio audience, and fans watching at home. Each contestant performed three songs, one chosen by the show's producer, Simon Fuller; one of their choice; and an original single they'll release should they win. Jessica kicked things off by belting out Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" followed by Celine Dion's "The Prayer," and she took her final turn on Idol singing her potential single, "Change Nothing." Phillip, who won the coin toss and chose to perform last, began his night with Ben E. King's "Stand by Me," followed it up with Billy Joel's "Movin' Out," and closed the show with his coronation song, "Home."

All eyes were on the finalists. However, Jennifer Lopez stole a moment of the spotlight in a sexy, asymmetrical see-through bodysuit. Jen will be back on the stage again tonight to perform her latest track, "Follow the Leader." It could be J Lo's final curtain call, as her future on the show is still undecided. Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery briefly spoke about J Lo's rumored departure from Idol, saying, "I'd hate to see her go. Whatever happens happens. She's got a lot going for her, so she'll be fine."

Salma Hayek and Several Hollywood Leading Ladies Join the Men of Madagascar 3 in Cannes

Lindsay Miller — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:19:02 PDT

Salma Hayek, Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts, and Jada Pinkett Smith each made their own style statement on the red carpet at today's Cannes Film Festival premiere of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. The ladies joined several of the animated movie's male stars for the debut following a photocall for the film yesterday. Salma arrived at the premiere in Gucci. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, and Martin Short - who all lent their voices to the project - were decked out in tuxes. Sacha Baron Cohen, who has been busy promoting his film The Dictator, wasn't able to join the group for the festivities, despite voicing the lemur King Julien XIII in the franchise. We're live on the scene at the annual celebration of cinema this week, so if you've missed any of the action, catch up with our gallery of all the Cannes Film Festival pictures so far!

Jessica Alba Gets a Head Start on Mother's Day Celebrations in NYC

Lauren Turner — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:19:30 PDT

Jessica Alba continued her string of recent public appearances at the Outstanding Mother Awards in NYC yesterday. She chose a printed Narciso Rodriguez dress for the event, which honored Nina Garcia and Gayle King, and topped the look off with a leather jacket for a visit to the Anderson studios later in the day. Jessica's other obligations this week included a stop by the Biggest Baby Shower Ever with her Honest Company cofounder Christopher Gavigan and a glamorous night at the Met Gala. Jessica chose a metallic Michael Kors gown for her turn in front of the cameras at the fashionable bash.

The fun should continue for Jessica since Sunday is Mother's Day, and she's just one of many celebrity moms who have welcomed children within the last year. She gave birth to Haven in August, making her oldest daughter Honor a big sister.

Danny Seo Celebrates Earth Day With a One Kings Lane Tastemaker Sale to Benefit Charity

Guest Writer — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

We're excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo.

Late last year, I had the privilege to sit down with one of the co-founders of One Kings Lane, Ali Pincus, and talk about our favorite places to shop, how I'm addicted to the home shopping site, and to talk about ways I could get involved with One Kings Lane. We came up with the idea for me to do a TasteMaker tag sale where I could collect some of my favorite vintage and antique items from my home and put them up for sale on the site. I agreed under one condition: if we could donate the proceeds to my favorite charity, Baby Buggy.

Baby Buggy, in case you aren't familiar, is the wonderful nonprofit founded by Jessica Seinfeld that has the motto "Love, Recycled." It's so appropriate because they accept lightly used baby gear, clothes, and new baby and children essentials to help families in the greatest need. They are a clearinghouse of sorts that works with a network of nonprofits who call Baby Buggy with a wish list of goods they desperately need. And like a fairy godmother, Baby Buggy always comes to the rescue. With the proceeds from this sale, Baby Buggy will be able to buy the most needed essentials to help families in need. In the spirit of Earth Day, selling vintage and antique items is green for Mother Earth since it's reusing what already exists; the sale proceeds will coincidentally help many mothers here on Earth.

In this special CasaSugar post, I'm excited to give you a sneak peek at three items for sale and the unique story behind them. I've traveled the world for work and always found time to visit out-of-the-way antique stores, flea markets, and galleries to search for beautiful things. I hope whoever buys these goodies will cherish them as much as I have over the years.

Indian ArrowHead Collection When I was filming my TV show "Simply Green with Danny Seo" (all episodes on Hulu now), I made a point to visit a small antique store in the sleepy town of Point Pleasent, PN. Down an alley and past a blacksmith shop (of all things!), I found a little antiques store that was going out of business. Rummaging through box after box, I came across a collection of mounted arrowheads, all hand mounted on colorful felt with a hand pounded metal backing in glossy black frames. What I loved about these pieces is that clearly someone had scavenged the woods of Pennsylvania for each arrowhead, cleaned them, and displayed them in a very beautiful and interesting pattern. I also love the pop of color in the background.

Keep reading to learn about two more special items from the sale

Let's Be Social: This Week's Best Celebrity Snaps From Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Brittney Stephens — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 04:00:00 PDT

This week, celebrities shared some of their exciting social media shots from all across the globe. Emma Roberts, Lauren Conrad, and Kate Bosworth all snapped pics at Coachella, while Jaime King and Lana Del Rey cruised around together in Beverly Hills. Jessica Alba had a ball with her family in Tokyo, but when it came to really capturing our attention, Doutzen Kroes's delicious-looking Oreo cake made our mouths water. Click through now to see the week's cutest celebrity candids, and don't forget to follow FabSugar on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

Jessica Simpson Enjoying the End of Her Pregnancy

Allie Merriam — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:15:25 PDT

Jessica Simpson is as happy as can be before her baby's arrival, says Ken Paves - Us Weekly
Watch Anderson Cooper's latest giggle fit - People
Prince Harry's new lady friend Mollie King looks an awful lot like Sienna Miller - Lainey Gossip
Kristen Bell tells what Veronica Mars is up to now - HuffPost Entertainment
A former House star gets naked for a cause - TooFab
Will Girls be the year's best new show? - The Daily Beast
Title and release date out for J.K. Rowling's next book - Hollywood Reporter
Zac Efron shows how to unhook a bra - BuzzFeed
Mel Gibson has a new Hollywood feud - ET
Jenna Fischer collaborated with her husband on a new movie - Rotten Tomatoes
Could Jen and Justin be planning a Greek wedding? - Wonderwall
Marc Anthony officially files for divorce from J Lo - Lifeline Live
Details on an unreleased Britney Spears track - Zap2It
Check out Anne Hathaway's Catwoman ensemble! - Celebitchy

Sugar Shout Out: Twisted Updos Straight From Spring's Runways

Brittney Stephens — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 23:55:36 PDT

Fab's Top 10 Celebrity Looks of the Week - Jessica, Olivia, Thandie, and More!

Hannah Weil — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:27:58 PDT

The best way to sum up this week's batch of celebrity style might just be to say these looks are fresh - seriously. Each of our favorite celeb style sightings this week has that effortless blend of Summer ease and glamour. Nothing's overdone or too complicated, as evidenced by Jessica Alba's blazer and jeans combo, Olivia Palermo's breezy top and bright shorts, and Thandie Newton's boho-sweet dress. Just click on for the rest of this week's top 10.