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

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:30:50 -0700

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 read more.

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

"So You Think You Can Dance": Final Four, Finally

BuzzSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 08:31:29 -0700

Well, Nigel Lythgoe's plan to keep spoilers from leaking about the "So You Think You Can Dance" final four worked like a charm, even though the couples in question are well on their way to performing their routines for the finale. The dragged-out wait for results this week only made me more anxious to see which guy and which girl would not be advancing to the finals.

On the girls' side, Lacey was the first to get through to the finals, leaving what I thought was a fairly easy choice between Lauren and Sabra for the final round. The guys' side seemed a bit tougher, with Danny making it through first and the second slot coming down to Neil vs. Pasha. To see who made it in, read more

Sabra claimed the second girls' spot in the finale (no surprise there), but I really wasn't sure where the line would fall on the guys' side. In the end, Pasha was sent home, while Neil advanced to the finals.

I mostly agree with the decision. I don't think Pasha's solos were ever strong enough to earn him the "America's Favorite Dancer" title, and Lauren disappointed me for several weeks (though sadly, I thought she was finally coming into her own). I wish one of the other girls - Sara or even Jaimie - could have had Lacey's spot in the finale, but barring that possibility, I'm satisfied with the results and eager to see what the choreographers cook up for us in the finale.

What about you? Do you agree with the decision? Is there an eliminated dancer you'd most like to bring back? And is anyone else starting to get the feeling that Danny could actually win this thing?

Photo courtesy of Fox

"So You Think You Can Dance": Down to 10

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 09:34:19 -0700

If "So You Think You Can Dance" is really about finding America's favorite dancer, then it's unfortunate that someone who seemed to be a crowd favorite is heading home so soon. But Hok - always the recipient of the loudest cheers when the dancers perform - was eliminated on this week's results show, with the judges saying that while he's genius at his own style, he's not versatile enough to continue.

Anya will be joining Hok on the way home - but barely. The judges split 2-1 over whether she or Lauren would get to stick around; in the end, I think three weeks of having to dance partnerless ballroom solos did Anya in.

Once I saw that Hok and Jaimie, Lauren and Neil, and Danny and Anya were in the bottom three, I sort of figured Hok and Anya were out of time; the judges have consistently questioned each of their abilities to dance outside their preferred style, and this is the point in the competition where versatility matters most. Danny and Neil both delivered strong, high-flying solos, too, further hampering Hok's chances to move on. I think it was the right call, but I still can't understand what kept sending Hok to the bottom three in the first place; his votes just must not have matched the roar from the crowd every time he takes the stage.

After three weeks in the bottom three, Anya must have seen this elimination coming. While this was my favorite of her three solos, it clearly couldn't stand up to Jaimie's crazy leaps and kicks. Lauren delivered an OK performance, not fantastic but better enough than Anya's to keep her around. Honestly, at this point I'm having a hard time remembering why I rooted for Lauren when the competition started.

Next week, everything changes, with the partners being randomly assigned and the voters directly determining who gets eliminated. What did you think about tonight's round? Are you sad Hok won't be going on tour?

Photo courtesy of Fox

"So You Think You Can Dance": The Top 12 Compete

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:27:16 -0700

It's a big week on "So You Think You Can Dance," with tonight's elimination determining which 10 dancers will get to go on tour. Unfortunately, I didn't think some of the dancers who have been the strongest thus far performed their best last night, and I'm wondering what that will mean for tonight's elimination. Will someone totally surprising be headed home? Or will the dancers with the biggest fan bases pull through regardless of how they did?

This was also a week with some truly bizarre choreography, and I think that will go a long way toward determining who stays in. I loved Neil and Lauren's Mia Michaels-choreographed contemporary routine - though I kept thinking I was watching a Sprite commercial with those green and yellow gloves - but I'm sure a lot of people didn't know what to make of it. On the other hand, Sara and Pasha's jazz number (above) just felt like a lot of shimmying and suspender-pulling to me, but I'm sure other people loved it.

Surprisingly, Danny and Anya were among my favorites for the night; they actually communicated with the audience, for once, and Danny seemed to loosen up on stage. I don't know if it was being given a Fred Astaire-type role to play or getting that talk about his arrogance last week, but Danny finally seemed to be trying to be a favorite dancer, not just a great one. And, equally surprisingly, Lacey and Kameron were among my least favorites; I'm not a fan of any routine that involves one partner sitting in the corner for a while while the other shows off, and the parts when they danced together weren't very strong. To see who I think could be in the bottom three, and to see a gallery of photos from the performances, read more

It's a tough week to guess the bottom three because so much has to do with personal taste. I think Lacey and Kameron, Hok and Jaimie, and Sara and Pasha could be in trouble tonight, but if it turned out to be the other three couples entirely, I wouldn't be at all surprised. What do you think?

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Photos courtesy of Fox

"So You Think You Can Dance": And Then There Were 12

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 10:31:05 -0700

I didn't really want to be right about my picks for the bottom three couples on this week's "So You Think You Can Dance" - but, alas. Voters put Danny and Anya, Hok and Jaimie, and Cedric and Shauna at the bottom, and after the solos, the judges sent Cedric and Shauna home.

I think the judges got it right on the guys' side - even though Cedric's solo was my favorite of his gumby-dance performances from the season. He's amazing at what he does, but he does struggle outside of that, and I think it's right to let him go, just as the judges promised they'd do if he landed in the bottom three again. Say whatever you will about his arrogance, but Danny delivered another amazing solo. I am a little worried about Hok, though; he can save himself with his crazy solos, but why is he ending up in the bottom three in the first place? Judging from the roars in the auditorium, he's a crowd favorite; maybe he'd be better with another partner?

As for the girls, though, I'm not sure I agree with the choices. Anya is obviously at a disadvantage soloing as a ballroom dancer without a partner, but even with my lowered expectations because of that, her solo still left me cold (though it was better than last week's strutting). Shauna's solo was strong (though not as good as the one that saved her the week Jimmy went home), and I was sure she'd be ahead of Anya. I didn't like Jaimie's as much, though I thought she'd probably done enough to keep her there and send Anya home. But the judges sent Shauna packing instead, saying she hadn't shown as much growth over the season as the other two. Which I don't buy for a second: She'd been strong in Broadway, hip hop, contemporary and mambo so far, and that's a pretty wide range of styles to tackle.

Do you think the judges made the right call? And which dancers do you think need to step it up for next week?

Photo courtesy of Fox

"So You Think You Can Dance": The Top 14 Compete

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:29:03 -0700

I've said it every week: This year's crop of "So You Think You Can Dance" dancers is good. Really good. But this week, for the first time, I wondered if their overall goodness is making them a little dull. At this point, I feel like I know what to expect from each pair, and even though I love some of the current partnerships (Sabra/Dominic, Lacey/Kameron), I'm ready for things to be shaken up a little.

Talkative Hairspray director Adam Shankman (whose chatty ways I learned about firsthand when I interviewed him recently - check back tomorrow for that) showed up as this week's guest judge. While his rambling comments often rivaled Mary's for sheer length and goofiness, he also offered one interesting bit of commentary on the subject of Danny. Shankman said Danny acts like he's already been named the winner, and he needs to show some humility to go with his fantastic technique. Curiously, there was just a New York Times story on this very topic, asserting that Danny was too good to be on a "talent show" and shouldn't be considered aloof just because he doesn't stoop to mugging for the camera. For my part, I think Danny might be the best dancer in this competition, but I'm not sure I'm seeing the spark that would make him America's favorite dancer. What do you think?

Meanwhile, in another night of goodness, it's hard to pick favorites. Lauren (or should I say "Misha" - how weird was that?) and Neil impressed me this week, thanks to some awesome Wade Robson jazz choreography. Sabra and Dominic were so hot, they were practically on Cinemax. And I have to give a shoutout to Sara and her new partner Pasha for teaming up so well together and delivering a fun West Coast swing number choreographed by none other than reigning dance champ Benji Schwimmer.

To see which couples I'd put in the bottom - and see a gallery of photos from another night with several questionable costumes - read more

I wouldn't be surprised if Danny and Anya end up in the bottom three tonight, despite how strong and talented they both are. Aside from the Great Danny Debate, I think the two of them are almost too precise in their performances, and this time I didn't feel the same connection between them as I usually do. Hok and Jaimie tried hard to sell their waltz, but they couldn't disguise the fact that Hok looked pretty awkward attempting to glide across the stage. And, honestly, I'd put Cedric and Shauna in the bottom, too; I love Shauna, and I thought Cedric really did his best this week and even made Mary like him, but to me, their mambo seemed slow - and possibly dumbed-down for Cedric's benefit.

What do you think? Who was the best of the night? Who will be in danger at tonight's elimination? And what was up with Sara's outfit of sequined bikini, drapey fabric, and exposed faux-panties?

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Photos courtesy of Fox