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SYTYCD: And Now, Some Words From Our Winner

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:30:44 -0700

If you haven't watched tonight's So You Think You Can Dance, go do that before you read the rest of this post, cause I'm about to talk about the winner.

OK, ready? Because I'm actually not just talking about the winner - I'm talking to her!

After Thursday's results show, newly crowned America's favorite dancer Jeanine Mason headed backstage to reflect on her big win, her time on the show, and what's next for her after this Summer's tour. Despite a full night of dancing, Jeanine was bubbly and full of energy (and, amazingly, still rocking some high heels) as she chatted with reporters, hugging every single one of us as she made her way down the line. Here's our chat:

But that's not all. Some of Jeanine's judges, mentors, and fellow contestants also stopped by to share their thoughts on season five. To check out what they had to say, just read more.

Every judge and choreographer I spoke with praised Jeanine and said she'd come on strong at the end of the competition. But there was another name on many of their lips, too: Kayla. The fourth-place finisher was the personal favorite of Mia Michaels, Shane Sparks, and Tyce Diorio, and Tyce in particular had some pretty strong praise for the show's own "White Lightning":

Her journey is going to be so huge that I don't think the world's ready for it. I think that Kayla is a superstar, and I mean a mega-superstar. Academy Awards for her - it'll be the Jennifer Hudson story for Kayla.
Nigel Lythgoe, meanwhile, said he was "delighted and surprised" to learn that Jeanine had won, because it was a result that wasn't expected at the start of the season - or even in the middle of it. "This is something where she grew and grew and grew," he said. "And when Phillip Chbeeb left the competition, I think that gave her the opportunity of growing very quickly - because I think because of Phillip's lack of contemporary dance, she was kind of held back." He said he first truly noticed Jeanine the week after Phillilp went home, and that started her rise.
Adam Shankman said he noticed Jeanine earlier than that - all the way back in the top 20's performance show, when she drew hip-hop. "It was that first night of the show when she did 'Mad' with Phillip" that she broke out for him, he said, "because I was like, 'Wait a second, I think she's a contemporary girl!'"
Evan - who is just as sweet offstage as on - had some lovely words about Jeanine: "Obviously, technically she has this amazing skill, but she has this light and this personality - and that's what is so great. It translates through the glass, through the TV, and that's what makes people pick up the phone."
Kayla, meanwhile, said she'll most remember Jeanine's personality: "She's really open, and she says what she wants to say, and she's very loud, so you always know it's Jeanine!"

Photo courtesy of Fox

Do You Agree With the Winner of So You Think You Can Dance?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:00:46 -0700

Just moments ago, So You Think You Can Dance named America's favorite dancer for season five! Did your personal favorite walk away with the title? Or are you bummed out by the result?

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: And the Winner Is . . .

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:00:03 -0700

Hooray! There's one very happy So You Think You Can Dance contestant wandering the world right now, and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the voters' choice. Then again, after a season like this, it was really anyone's game - so to find out the winner and talk about the finale, just read more.

It's Joshua! Our little semi-trained popper ("a poppah!" says Nigel) and ex-football player, who just got his braces off, who wowed us with his vertical leaps and his versatility is America's Favorite Dancer '08! And based on the season as a whole, I think it was definitely the right choice. I know Joshua disappointed some people in the finale, but over the course of the past couple of months, he rarely let anyone down. He's a humble guy who looked flabbergasted when Cat told him he'd won, and he may have just given me a reason to check out Step Up 3D.

In the runner-up spot: Twitch, who scooted past Courtney and Katee to be No. 2 for the season. Honestly, that surprised me; I figured the top two would be Katee and one of the guys. But Twitch was more likable, and he did have his best night in the finale, which is a good time to really turn things up a notch or two and pick up some extra votes. I would love to see inside their magical results and know how close the voting was. It wasn't much of a surprise that Courtney was first to go, but after that, anyone could have ended up on top - I just thought Katee would be closer.

Overall, the results show had a lot of fantastic moments (and, well, the Jonas Brothers); here were a few more things that stood out to me:

So, where do you think that $50,000 prize for Katee came from? Was the top girl always going to get something (or top guy, if the winner was a girl)? Was it special for her? SYTYCD has tended in the past couple of years not to reveal what you actually get if you win - "You'll be crowned America's Favorite Dancer! And, uh, some other stuff!" - and so it wouldn't surprise me if it was planned the whole season. But it does seem odd for the third-place dancer to get money while the second-place dancer doesn't and call it a matter of gender. Why not just give prizes to the top guy and girl if that's what you want to do?
Overall, I was pretty happy with the judges' choices for the encore numbers - which is no surprise given how many of them were in my personal top 10. The best of the night, by a mile, was Will and Katee's pas de deux, which I thought was even more brilliant and moving than the first time they performed it.
Also, seeing both standout Nap/Tab routines ("Bleeding Love" and "No Air") on the same night was pretty interesting. I may be unpopular here, but I still give the edge to "No Air" - though that may be because I like the song just that much better.
A favorite little moment: Kherington picking up Gev during the dancer introductions in the beginning. Others: Mary screeching "Who was bucker?" to Lil C, Adam Shankman getting all upset about his loss to Miley Cyrus's M&M Cru at the Teen Choice Awards ("We smoked her! But she was hosting the show!"), and the rest of the judging panel trying to imitate Lil C's flowery language (the show is "a prestigious museum that features the most immaculate portraits ever to be painted on the dance floor," etc.).
I have a feeling that the popping battle lost a little something in the translation to TV, but from what I saw, I was definitely on Team Robert. You?

It may be cheesy, but frankly, I loved seeing the judges dance. All Idol could get was Paula's music video; Nigel was up there tapping with 10-year-olds!
I'd totally forgotten this until her highlight reel, but Courtney was in the bottom three the very first week. Way to rally!
Did anyone else have Donnie Darko flashbacks upon seeing Wade's Cirque du Soleil number?
OK, so here's another thing that may make me wildly unpopular, but: The Jonas Brothers. I don't get it. I really went in thinking "Oh, now I'll finally be able to understand what all the hype is about," and instead I was just really disappointed, especially by the two singing Jonases. The one who plays guitar can stay.
I don't think I've ever seen a routine to "Five Guys Named Moe" that I don't like. But where was our number with the top five girls? That would have been fun.
Seeing some of the top dancers from previous seasons was great, especially with the little video postcard they recorded. Has Hok really been on all four seasons in one way or another? Also noteworthy: Lauren has crazy hair extensions, and Sara is a backup dancer (and singer!) for Avril Lavigne.

So, that's our show. Were you satisfied with the winner? Surprised by anything in the finale? And are you buying tickets for the tour?

View 9 Photos ›

Photos courtesy of Fox

Do You Agree With the Winner of So You Think You Can Dance?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:02:19 -0700

The whole So You Think You Can Dance season - from the very first auditions to Wednesday's marathon performance episode - has been building up to this: The crowning of America's Favorite Dancer '08! No spoilers yet (though there may be some in the comments), but just tell me: Do you agree with this year's winner?

Photo courtesy of Fox

"So You Think You Can Dance": We Have Our Winner

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:33:07 -0700

So as I mentioned in the poll earlier today, Sabra Johnson is America's favorite dancer. The 20-year-old dancer got the biggest share of the 16 million votes cast after this week's performance show on "So You Think You Can Dance," netting her $250,000.

I had been rooting for Sabra all season, but Wednesday night's performances swayed me to Danny's side enough that I was just a little disappointed when Cat said Sabra's name. Still, based on the whole season, I think she's a worthy winner. Lacey was the first of the top four to be eliminated, followed by Neil. I'm glad it came down to Sabra and Danny at the top; I really would have been OK with either one of them at the end.

The finale was jam-packed with encore performances of the judges' favorite routines of the season, so to hear a few of my thoughts on the show and the season as a whole, read more

After all the hype the daughter-daddy dance got just a few weeks back, I was surprised how long it took for a judge to mention it as a favorite. In fact, I thought the Greatest Dance Performance Ever in the History of Television might not even get an encore. But it ultimately did, and so I'm wondering: Was it less effective for you the second time around? It seemed a lot cheesier to me.

I've mostly refrained from commenting on Cat's wardrobe this season, but seriously: What was that dress? She looked like she was wearing a hedgehog instead of a skirt. Also, I figured her "dancing" with Nigel was going to be lame, but I didn't think it would be entirely computer-generated.
Sabra might have won the title, but apparently the sleeper favorite among the judges was Sara. She appeared in three of the chosen routines: disco with Neil, swing with Pasha, and that hilarious vagabond jazz routine from the first week.
I'm sure Fox was skittish after the "American Idol" finale disaster and wanted to make sure the show ended right on time, but I was pretty disappointed that the entire crowning of the winner boiled down to: "And it's Sabra! (pause) See you next year!"
This is the first season that I've watched every episode from the auditions to the finale, and I was remarkably impressed with the dancers from the Las Vegas auditions onward. As with any show where voters help choose the winner, I thought a few contestants were sent home too soon and others hung around a bit too long. But overall, I was relatively happy with the top four and thought the top two were spot-on. Yet I've seen comments from many of you who have been more regular watchers in seasons past saying this year didn't quite do it for you. What was missing? Was it a talent issue? Choreography? Personality?

Photos courtesy of Fox

SYTYCD's Brandon and Ariana Talk About Being Cut First

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:30:15 -0700

This week's ousted dancers from So You Think You Can Dance were the first to go since the top 20 were selected. Brandon Dumlao and Ariana Dubose got on the phone with a few reporters this morning, including me, to chat about how they feel after last night's elimination.

Brandon

On the timeline of replacing Billy Bell: I got the call on Friday at 11 in the morning and they told me that I was able to replace another dancer, and it was Billy, in this case. I got on a plane two hours later, it was an hour flight, I landed, got picked up, I went to the studio, found out Pauline was my partner in front of everyone, and then we went straight to rehearsal for Smooth Waltz with Jason Gilkisen. It was such a whirlwind; it was really crazy, but it was such an amazing experience.
On Russell being in the bottom with him: I was so surprised because Russell is of course a fan favorite, and I’m sure the judges love him too. When he was announced, I kind of knew in a way that I might have been going home, because he is amazing and this cast is amazing. Billy - his were such big shoes to fill that I felt it was unfair to take another guy’s spot. I was happy the way it turned out, because I didn’t think it was unfair for me to come in and take another guy’s spot.

To hear what else Brandon had to say and Ariana's thoughts on her dismissal, just read more.

On Nigel's offer of coming back for season seven: I did not expect him to say that. I really thought that that was my only chance to be in the top 20, and I wanted to make the most of it, so for him to propose that to me and let me come back for season 7, if that’s possible, that’s really crazy. Right after I got cut, I went and got into some ballroom classes and took some more hip hop. I’m ready and I’m going to keep taking classes if I can come back next season.
On whether he thinks he may have done better if he'd originally been in the top 20: I think I might have had a better chance just because the judges would have known I’d set the same standard as everyone else, because when I did the waltz they kept saying "you didn’t have enough time," "you didn’t have enough time," because they knew I’d replaced Billy. So I feel like I would have done a better job, and they would have seen I’d done a better job, and would have taken that into consideration with the results. But I’m really happy the way I did and I'm really happy the way everything turned out, because this cast is so amazing; I can’t pick who’s going to win - everyone is going to do so well.

Ariana

On her next plans and whether she'll pursue a career in L.A.: Actually, I’m more focused on New York. I want to dance on Broadway. I also sing and act, and I was singing and acting and dancing before I even auditioned for the show, so the show was just really another path for me. So I’m going to head to New York for a little bit and audition for shows and commercials and movies and just see what happens.
On rumors she could replace Noelle, who was injured this week: I have not heard from Noelle; I hope that she’s doing well. Noelle and I come from the same studio, so honestly I would probably feel a little funny about taking her place. I mean, who doesn’t want a second chance, but honestly I wouldn’t want to be eliminated again.
On her predictions for the season six winner: Honestly, it’s a crap shoot - forgive my language there. Everyone’s fantastic and I don’t think you can count anybody out; it’s going be a week-by-week thing.

Photos courtesy of Fox

Announcing the 2009 Emmy Winners!

BuzzSugar — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:32:15 -0700

Well, the Emmys are over, and we have our full list of winners. Were you guys surprised by this year's picks? (Check out all my Emmy polls here.) I thought the show started out pretty unexpectedly when underdogs Kristin Chenoweth and Toni Collete took home trophies, and there were a few other surprises along the way. Towards the end, though, the big wins seemed pretty predictable with Mad Men for drama, 30 Rock for comedy - no surprises there.

I had a lot of favorite moments of the night - more on those later - but mainly, I just enjoyed seeing Neil Patrick Harris as host. I loved everything from his opening to Dr. Horrible, and most of you thought his opening number was pretty great, too.

For the full list of 2009 Emmy winners, just read more.
COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock

DRAMA SERIES
Mad Men

MINISERIES
Little Dorrit

ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Toni Collette, United States of Tara

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Glenn Close, Damages

MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
Grey Gardens

REALITY HOST
Jeff Probst, Survivor

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael Emerson, Lost

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ken Howard, Grey Gardens

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Cherry Jones, 24

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House Of Saddam

WRITING FOR A COMEDY
30 Rock ("Reunion," Matt Hubbard)

WRITING FOR A DRAMA
Mad Men ("Meditations in an Emergency," Kater Gordon, Matthew Weiner)

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSICAL OR COMEDY SERIES
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Steve Bodow, Jon Stewart, David Javerbaum, Josh Lieb, Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Jason Ross, Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Sam Means, Rob Kutner, J.R. Havlan, Rich Blomquist, Wyatt Cenac, Elliott Kalan, Rachel Axler)

WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Little Dorrit (Andrew Davies)

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
The Office ("Stress Relief," Jeff Blitz)

DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Little Dorrit (Dearbhla Walsh)

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
American Idol ("The Final Three," Bruce Gowers)

ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS
81st Annual Academy Awards" ("Hugh Jackman Opening Number")

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
ER ("And in The End," Rod Holcomb)

LIST OF WINNERS IN THE CREATIVE ARTS CATEGORIES

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me ("Sheila")

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2008

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: SVU ("Swing")

GOVERNORS AWARD
Sheila Nevins, HBO Documentary Films

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING ONE-HOUR OR MORE)
Destination Imagination (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING LESS THAN ONE HOUR)
South Park ("Margaritaville")

ART DIRECTION FOR MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
How I Met Your Mother ("Shelter Island, Not A Father's Day")

ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Pushing Daisies ("Dim Sum Lose Some")

ART DIRECTION FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Grey Gardens and Little Dorrit

ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY, MUSIC, OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
American Idol ("Episode 821-822") and 2008 MTV Video Music Awards

CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock

CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
True Blood

CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Little Dorrit

CHOREOGRAPHY
81st Annual Academy Awards ("Musicals Are Back") and So You Think You Can Dance ("Adam and Eve/Silence")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A HALF-HOUR SERIES
Californication ("In Utero")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A ONE-HOUR SERIES
The Tudors ("Episode 303")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Little Dorrit: Part 1

CINEMATOGRAPY FOR NONFICTION
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations ("Laos")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING
Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment ("What Did I Sign Up For?")

COMMERCIAL
"Heist," Coca-Cola

COSTUMES FOR A SERIES
Pushing Daisies ("Bzzzzzzzzz!")

COSTUMES FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Little Dorrit: Part 3

COSTUMES FOR A VARIETY/MUSIC PROGRAM OR A SPECIAL
So You Think You Can Dance ("Episode 415-416A")

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony" (Bucky Gunts)

DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (Marina Zenovich)

MAIN TITLE DESIGN
United States of Tara

MAKEUP FOR A SERIES, MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A SPECIAL (PROSTHETIC)
Grey Gardens

MAKEUP FOR A SINGLE CAMERA SERIES (NON-PROSTHETIC)
Pushing Daisies ("Dim Sum Lose Some")

MAKEUP FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL (NON-PROSTHETIC)
MADtv ("Episode 1405")

MAKEUP FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE (NON-PROSTHETIC)
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation)

MUSIC DIRECTION
"Streisand: The Concert"

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
Legend of the Seeker ("Prophecy")

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A SPECIAL
Into the Storm

ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC
Great Performances

PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES (SINGLE-CAMERA)
Breaking Bad ("ABQ")

PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
30 Rock ("Apollo, Apollo")

PICTURE EDITING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE (SINGLE-CAMERA)
Taking Chance

PICTURE EDITING (SHORT FORM)
81st Annual Academy Awards and "Stand Up to Cancer"

PICTURE EDITING FOR A SPECIAL (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger"

PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
This American Life ("John Smith")

PICTURE EDITING FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING
Project Runway ("Finale Part 1")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Mad Men ("The Gold Violin")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL
Dancing With the Stars ("Episode 709")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Grey Gardens

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - NONFICTION
"The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Digital Experience," nbc.com

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - FICTION
"The Dharma Initiative," DharmaWantsYou.com.

LIGHTING DIRECTION (ELECTRONIC, MULTI-CAMERA) FOR VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY PROGRAMMING
American Idol ("Finale")

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"The Kennedy Center Honors"

SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAMS
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony"

SPECIAL CLASS - SHORT-FORMAT LIVE-ACTING ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS
"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," drhorrible.com.

SPECIAL CLASS - SHORT-FORMAT NONFICTION PROGRAMS
"Writer's Draft"

CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
Wizards of Waverly Place

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION PROGRAM
Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? With Maria Shriver and Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Coming Home: When Parents Return from War

NONFICTION SPECIAL
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

NONFICTION SERIES
American Masters

REALITY PROGRAM
Intervention

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN NONFICTION FILMMAKING
The Memory Loss Tapes

WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES
Battlestar Galactica ("Daybreak: Part 2")

SOUND EDITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization

SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)
House ("House Divided")

SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization"

SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR AND ANIMATION)
Entourage ("Pie") and Weeds ("Three Coolers")

SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR A SPECIAL
81st Annual Academy Awards and The 51st Annual Grammy Awards

SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A SERIES
Heroes ("The Second Coming/The Butterfly Effect")

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization

STUNT COORDINATION
Chuck ("Chuck Versus the First Date")

TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A SERIES
American Idol ("Episode 834A")

TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony"

VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
The Simpsons ("Father Knows Worst")

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"Chris Rock - Kill The Messenger"