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So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: The Top 12

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0800

Last night, two more dancers were out on So You Think You Can Dance - can you believe we're only one episode away from finding out who's in the top ten? I thought this week's dances were much more entertaining than last week's, so let's discuss the dances from Tuesday night and last night's eliminated contestants! Photos courtesy of Fox

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So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: Top 18 Becomes 16

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:30:00 -0800

I'm surprised at how into this season of So You Think You Can Dance I already am; in only the second competition show so far, we watched some amazing pieces, and now I can say I've already been rocked by eliminations. Let's talk about the newly ousted dancers and the most memorable dances of the night! Photos courtesy of Fox

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So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: First Dancers Eliminated!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:34:51 -0700

The emotional roller coaster of So You Think You Can Dance begins! The dancers competed for the first time on Tuesday, and with the enthralling routines came the first two contestant eliminations. We're now down to 18 dancers, and I'm so happy and relieved to finally be in the throes of the competition. I'm ready to talk results, the guy and girl eliminated, and the most memorable dance routines of the night (spoilers ahead!).
Photos courtesy of Fox

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SYTYCD: Which Dancers Do You Like So Far?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:30:50 -0700

It's Vegas week on So You Think You Can Dance, which means that the contestants who've gotten a ticket to Nevada get evaluated again before they get to go to LA.

All of the judges are on hand to watch the dancers try out different dance styles out of their comfort zones to see if they can be put through in the competition, and the high stakes mean the dancing is rigorous. It's stressful just watching talented people struggle with different dance genres, and many don't make it. But for those who do, I'm already pegging my faves.

I'm into krumper Russell Ferguson, whose partner dance to "Disturbia" rocked Adam Shankman's world, and liked Teddy Tedholm, the argyle pants-wearing naif who shockingly owned his hip hop routine (but was cut in ballroom). By the by - I was disappointed when the judges cut Ryan Kasprzak because of his weak performances. I really thought he'd be a part of season six. But anyway, as for the girls, I'm declaring myself a huge fan of Elinore Scott right now.

Who are you impressed with in these early stages?

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Season 5 Finale

BuzzSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:00:45 -0700

So You Think You Can Dance season five has come to a close, and we're already talking about (not to mention talking to) the winner. But there's still much to discuss about Thursday's results show.

What did you think of the favorite routines, the group numbers, and the overall results? To chat about it, just read more.

If there was anything shocking in Thursday's show for me, it was Kayla finishing in fourth place. I think this is where the "favorite" part of the America's favorite dancer title really took over: She's incredibly proficient technically, but I'm not sure that her personality won a huge segment of the audience over. Compare that with Evan, who finished above her despite a rough outing and harsh comments from the judges on Wednesday. He had the whole Kodak chanting his name at one point - and I think that's a likability thing, not a dancing thing.
That said . . . when it came down to Brandon vs. Jeanine for the final two, I knew I'd be happy with either winner. It was a cool feeling and not unlike how I felt during this year's American Idol finale. Brandon had obviously been a strong competitor from the start, but Jeanine really came on strong later in the season. Is there a moment you started to think she could win? For me, it was her Travis Wall-choreographed duet with Jason - but I'm not sure I really believed she could take the title until her solo on Wednesday.
I always love seeing which routines the judges pick as their favorites. Were there any surprises for you in this set? When I saw Jeanine and Phillip come on the stage, I was sure it would be the chained-together hip-hop routine. I was shocked that it was a number I barely remembered from the first week of the season! There were actually a couple of early routines in there: I'd also nearly forgotten Kayla and Max's ballroom number from the first show.
I wasn't at all surprised to see Melissa and Ade's breast cancer routine again (and I'm glad Tyce could share his friend's joy), nor was I shocked to see the addiction routine. I was surprised by Debbie's pick of the "Calle Ocho" group number - but I have to say, it was so much cooler than I remembered. I'm glad to have gotten to see it again.
Looking back, which do you think was the strongest couple of the season? I have to go with Brandon and Janette. They were the only couple to have two routines in the judges' favorites.
What did you think of Australia's favorite dancer? Could she compete here? On a related note, I think Sonya is quickly becoming my favorite SYTYCD choreographer.
The littlest Rage Boy just kills me. He's so tiny!
I was worried Evan wasn't going to end up with any routines in the favorites! But no - "the butt routine" made an appearance. That's definitely in my top tier for the year, so I was thrilled that it got an encore. But I did feel terrible for Evan that he had to get sent home while wearing that silly, oversized suit.

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Overall, how do you feel about season five? Are you any more or less likely to check out season six in the Fall?

So You Think You Can Dance: Meet the Final Four

BuzzSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:30:09 -0700

Can you believe that this time next week, we'll be talking about which So You Think You Can Dance contestant was named America's favorite? On Thursday, we took our last step before next week's big finale: sending one final guy and one final girl home, paving the way for the final four to perform. So, who got through and who was stopped just short? Did your predictions come true? To talk about Thursday's results, just read more.

They started the show together, and they said goodbye together: Melissa and Ade were the final two contestants to leave before the finale. I can't be too surprised, especially on the girls' side: Kayla's been the most-praised dancer of the season (not that that saved Janette last week, but still), and Jeanine's really come on strong these past few weeks. Once it was down to Melissa vs. Kayla, the answer seemed obvious; even Melissa seemed to know what Cat was going to say before the results envelope was open. Melissa's solos were never quite as expressive as the other remaining girls', and I think she just made less of an overall impression throughout the season. Still, she's a great inspiration to all the ballerinas who worried about being able to master SYTYCD's range of styles, and I hope she goes on to great things - I just love watching her dance.

The guys' elimination was a bit more of a toss-up, especially once Brandon was sent to safety. That left Evan and Ade, and - in what I think was a true test of Evan's popularity - Ade was the one to head home. I've seen a lot of "why is Evan still here?" comments these past few weeks, here and elsewhere, but apparently a lot of people still really love him. I think the introduction of the solos on competition nights has really helped him: He absolutely shines on his own, in his style, in a way he rarely has in duets - even Broadway duets. Ade, meanwhile, had a bit of a rocky time on the show, some weeks up and other weeks down. This week was a relatively down one for him, just when he needed to come on strong.

So that leaves Jeanine, Kayla, Brandon, and Evan to duke it out next week, and for the first time, I'm wondering: Could Evan really win this thing? Or do you still think a girl will take it all - and if so, which one? If Brandon breaks out another solo like he did on Wednesday, does he have a shot at the title? Is there one dancer you'd say is a favorite going in? I'm going to go out on a limb and say Evan won't win, but between the other three, I think it's a total tossup.

Some other thoughts on Thursday's show:

Best Cat quote of the season? "You break my heart, you sad clowns."
Speaking of Cat, I think it's time for her to retrain the audience to scream jidges, not judges. It's starting to sound a little too normal.
It's good to see last season's contestants back, and I'm totally digging Will's new hair! I'm bummed that Cat didn't chat with any of them, though. I would have loved to hear what they're up to these days.
Did last year's classic routines stand the test of time? I can't believe I hadn't noticed how much more Katee had to do in "Mercy" than Twitch. And I'm impressed with how well Chelsie and Mark recaptured "Bleeding Love," since so much of that routine is about passion and for all I know, they haven't danced together since the tour.
I just love watching JabbaWockeeZ. Their moves (plus the "Ramalama" redo last week) made me wish we could have gotten some cooler group numbers this seasnon.

So, who do you think will win it all?

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance: The Final Half-Dozen!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:30:07 -0700

So You Think You Can Dance brought a lot of glitz and special guests - but no mercy - to its 100th episode celebration on Thursday. Other shows might have let the dancers off easy with a non-elimination round during such a festive celebration, but not SYTYCD. Amid all the Emmy-nominated routines and much-anticipated Katie Holmes performance, the show cut its field from eight dancers to six, just as planned.

And what an elimination it was. This was such an odd night, as I'd expected it would be after Wednesday's performances. Three of the most-praised dancers from the season wound up in the bottom four, so whatever happened with the elimination was bound to be shocking.

To chat about it and check out a bunch of episodes from the 100th episode and party, just read more.

I expected craziness from this elimination, but I did not expect that to mean Janette going home. Janette? Mia's "favorite-favorite-favorite"? She was obviously beloved by the judges, and I thought she'd steadily improved and made herself known over the course of the competition - plus, I was pretty sure her fan base was solid. Was it her choice not to do a salsa solo? Was it Evan dragging her down? Was it a false sense of security that she'd be around for a while? Whatever it was, I'm really shocked not to see her in the final four.

And speaking of Evan . . . OK. I like the guy. I love his solos. I think he's adorable. But as an all-around versatile dancer, he isn't on par with Jason, who I thought really came into his own these past couple of weeks. I'm not surprised his fans kept him around another week, but now it seems time for him to go. That said, I think that unless Ade draws another emotionally resonant routine next week, he'll really need to step it up to make sure he's safe.

As surprising as the eliminations were, I suppose I would have picked those two to head home over the other dancers in danger. I've been wondering if Kayla truly has the fans to keep her in the competition or if most of her praise comes from the judges, and I guess the jury's still out. Brandon's appearance in the bottom three felt more like a fluke than anything; I guess he just couldn't go up against Evan's popularity and Ade's emotional punch this week.

Some other thoughts on Thursday's show:

Did Katie Holmes's performance make you grin or groan? I thought it was pretty cute. The routine didn't blow me away with its difficulty or anything, but it got me smiling.
Holy cow, "Ramalama" was insane. In general, I thought all three classic routines held up well - and "The Hummingbird and The Flower" was actually even cooler than I remembered. Did they meet your expectations (or possibly even exceed them)?
I'm so ashamed of myself, but that dang montage made me teary. I was OK till "Light and Day" started playing. Then I lost it. So many great and powerful moments! Well, and Sex.
Which former contestants were you happiest to see? I was glad to glimpse so many familiar faces, both on stage and in the audience, but I really wish we could have heard from them about where they are now.
Could Cat have pecked Janette any harder during her farewell?
Does Janette's elimination just roll out the red carpet for Kayla to be the top female dancer of the season? Or can Jeanine or Melissa catch up?

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So next week's a big one. Who are your bets for the final four?

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance Is Down to Eight!

Molly — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:30:00 -0700

Fresh off their four Primetime Emmy Nominations - yay - it was elimination night on So You Think You Can Dance. We went from 10 to eight, which means it was the first time that the judges didn't get the final say. It's all up to us from now on, so lets take a look at who we said goodbye to last night.

It was a love fest on the stage, especially with Nigel MIA, but there were some surprises with who was in the bottom two for guys and girls. To read more about the episode and thoughts on who went home just read more.

Randi's solo was the same old same old from her. She's adorable for sure, but it was her time to go. Mary Murphy gave her a backhanded compliment by saying she's so great but had no standout moments all season. Melissa's solo wasn't my favorite either -I think she's beautiful and didn't think she would be in the bottom two, but need to see some more solo excitement. It was sad to see sweet Randi go, but when we're this far along, every elimination is sad.

As for the guys, I still wasn't loving Kupono's solo for the second time. Ade flat out didn't belong in the bottom two, to me. His solo was amazing again and clearly had the crowd going wild. Hopefully seeing him on the verge of elimination will motivate his fans to pick up the phone next week. I know I'll be there for him! Kupono is handsome, but there's still some serious eye candy in the top four guys.

Some other thoughts:

Did you like getting to look back on the Emmy-nominated performances?
Are the teases for season six getting you excited?
Congrats to Nigel on his brand new degree, but I still missed him!
I still think Evan's days are numbered, but now I'm not so sure about the girls. Who do you think should be worried about next week?

Don't forget to enter my contest to win a trip to the finale!

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance Rundown: Meet Your Top 10!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:30:31 -0700

Moving from the top 12 to the top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance means a lot of things: a guaranteed spot on tour, a new partner, and continuing to have a chance at the title of America's favorite dancer. So Thursday's results show was a big one, as we learned which dancers survived this crucial cut and which would be heading home.

In the end, half of the result surprised me, while the other half was fairly expected. Know what I'm talking about? Want to share your thoughts? Just read more.

Phillip? I didn't think it would happen. I thought it should happen, frankly; he hasn't taken to other genres with the same grace and gusto that, say, Dominic or Hok did in past seasons. But I figured the producers would want him on the tour, so when he ended up in the bottom three, I assumed it was a formality. But no! Phillip headed home, just shy of the top 10. Now, in terms of the tour, it doesn't matter: It's pretty common for the 11th and 12th dancers to be a part of it, at least as alternates, and Nigel wasted no time assuring us that would be the case with Phillip. I suppose that's a win-win for everyone.

Caitlin's elimination was much more expected. She, I think, is the perfect example of what Nigel said was a persistent issue this season: She's a technically accomplished dancer, but she hasn't become a star. She's so quiet and calm and controlled, but I think that worked against her; I've been a fan, but I know a lot of you didn't feel that connection. So after her third trip to the bottom three, it was finally time to say goodbye - though I'm glad she, too, will be touring.

As for the other couple in the bottom three, I was surprised but not shocked to see Melissa and Ade end up there. Melissa's a favorite of mine, but I - like Tyce - would like to see more from Ade right quick. He delivered it in his solo, I thought. Here's what I thought overall:

The girls: Caitlin did her usual sweet solo, but I wasn't as impressed with this one as I have been with her others. Jeanine seemed wobbly and off to me, more than we've seen her before - her turns weren't quite centered, and her leaps weren't as high or extended as usual. I had to keep reminding myself that everything Melissa was doing was en pointe and thus a bit more difficult than just doing those moves normally.

The guys: I thought Jason was back in the form he was in a few weeks ago when the judges pronounced his solo the best ever on the show. Phillip did his thing, and it's still an impressive thing, but I wish he could show that he's picked up something new from his time on the show, too. And Ade's solo was just so-so for me until that massive backflip, which was insane.

Based on that, I think the judges made the right call all around.

Some other thoughts on the show:

What do you think of getting to see footage of the season six auditions during the Thursday results shows? Is it a good way to see what we have in store for us come Fall? Or is it unfair because some dancers will have airtime so long before the show?
What do you think of Nigel's statement about this top 20 being technically strong but with dancers who haven't become stars yet? It makes a lot of sense to me. I can tell that a lot of these people are wildly talented, but there are only a few who would get me to pick up the phone and vote.
Phillip's goodbye speech was so, so sweet. I know, I'm too emotionally invested in my reality TV, but I really found it moving.
No special dance guest in addition to the musical guest? Bummer!
Also a bummer: that the show couldn't get cleared to use Michael Jackson's songs for a tribute special. Do you think Nigel calling it out so publicly will make the deal more likely to go through?

What did you think of the results? And have you entered to win a trip to the finale yet?

Photos courtesy of Fox

So You Think You Can Dance: Down to 12!

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:30:30 -0700

After a night of strong performances on Wednesday, Thursday's So You Think You Can Dance results show delivered a few surprises - at least when it came to the dancers who ended up in the bottom three. Were the dancers on the chopping block the same ones you predicted, or were you left wondering where your favorites went wrong? To chat about it, just read more.

So the judges made good on their promise to send Vitolio home if he ended up in the bottom three again, and his new partner, Karla, followed along with him. That wasn't that surprising, I suppose - but the other two couples in the bottom three were. Jeanine and Phillip found themselves dancing for their lives (over a very stunned Jason and Caitlin, who were sent to safety). But the one that shocked me most was Kayla and Kupono, my favorite couple of Wednesday's show, who somehow found themselves in danger. Maybe the Twilight audience didn't turn out to vote for this vampire routine after all?

Here's how it went down during the solos:

The girls - Jeanine finally got to dance contemporary and showed a lot of technique and personality, leading the judges to quickly send her to safety with Nigel saying she performed the strongest solo of the night. As for the other two, Nigel said Kayla seemed static, throwing in a lot of kicks without really dancing from the heart. But Karla hasn't managed to capture the star quality the judges thought she had, so she was sent home.

The guys - Phillip finally got to do his thing for the first time since the selection of the top 20, which is always a joy. The judges said he seemed a little too desperate and overworked and has a lot to do to master other genres - but that's exactly what he'll be doing, as he was sent to safety. As for the other two, Vitolio again didn't deliver the big tricks, while Kupono did a little too much standing around, always a bad sign. But the judges made good on their promise to send Vitolio home if he was in the bottom three again, while Kupono lives to fight another week.

The second Vitolio ended up in the bottom three, I figured he was going home if the judges were remotely sincere about what they said last week. The ladies' side was a bit more of a toss-up, but the judges love Kayla so much, and Jeanine made such a strong impression with her solo, that I suppose the judges had no choice but to send Karla home. While it's sad to see them go, I really wouldn't have wanted to lose any of the others. What about you?

Some other thoughts:

Caitlin and Jason's surprised reaction to being safe - "the aliens did it!" - was one of the more genuine moments of shock I've seen on this show.
I will apparently cheer for Kelly Clarkson anywhere, at any time. I just love her, even if "I Do Not Hook Up" isn't necessarily one of my favorite songs on her new album.
Are the contestants getting rowdy over there in their corner on elimination night? Cat had to do a lot of good-natured shushing of the dancers who had already been sent to safety.
I love the results shows that feature real stars from the dance world. It's so cool to get to see that kind of thing on TV.

What did you think? Were you surprised at who was safe and who was sent home? And have you entered to win a trip to the finale yet?

Photos courtesy of Fox