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Russell Talks Winning So You Think You Can Dance

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:30:59 PST

It's been barely 24 hours since America declared its new favorite dancer on So You Think You Can Dance: Russell Ferguson. The krumper showed an incredible amount of growth outside his chosen style, and won over both the hearts of the judges and voters. The busy champ had a chance to talk to reporters this morning to discuss his victory, his history with krump, and his next plans.

On being injured last night and then winning: At the end I was pretty much running off adrenaline. It was very stressful after that, because I wasn't able to do the final performance, which is important to me, but I got to dance the dance I injured myself on. My dad came backstage and was just talking to me and calming me down, and said everything was going to be OK, and I just went out there with my head high.

To hear what else Russell had to say, including why he pulled former contestant Kevin on stage with him, just

On why he pulled Kevin up on stage when he won: Kevin just has been with me through this whole journey. He's like a brother to me, and I felt like I should share that moment with him.
On his previous training: I've been doing hip hop all my life, and so I figured if I was going to take on any big dance projects later in life, I would have to learn other things to be well-rounded in the dance field. I did four years at Boston Arts, I did University of the Arts, so I got a good amount of training.
On his intentions when he auditioned for the show: I was just hoping that America would change its views on krump and what it was about so they could be more familiar with it. I knew I was going to be able to get that message across, but winning is a big bonus.
On how he got into krumping: It was love at first sight. Being on the Internet and looking at different trailers from the old documentary Rize when it was coming out - just watching that got me into it. I taught other people how to do it once I learned it myself, and it just spread.
On his favorite performance of the season: I would have to say the Afro-jazz frog dance. It was just really exciting and kind of brought me back to my roots a little bit. It felt real; it felt natural and great.
On what's next for him: I'm just going to invest my money and try to get into a lot of movie projects, try to get in some dancing, see what can happen.
His closing remarks: I just love America.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Russell Is the Winner of So You Think You Can Dance Season 6!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:43:54 PST

Season six of So You Think You Can Dance is all over, and America has declared its favorite dancer: Russell!

Although I had a couple favorites I was thinking of in addition to Russell, I can't imagine having a more emotional response to a winner. Russell was so appreciative, so exemplary of the growth that this kind of show can bestow, that I can't imagine the honors going to anyone else.

What do you think of the finale's results?

Photo courtesy of Fox

SYTYCD: And Now, Some Words From Our Winner

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:30:44 PDT

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

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 PDT

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 PDT

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

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 PDT

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 PDT

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,

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

What to TiVo: Thursday

Maggie Pehanick — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Duets (new, series premiere)
10:00 Rookie Blue (new, season premiere)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (new, with guest Charlize Theron)

8:00 The Big Bang Theory (repeat)
8:30 Rules of Engagement (repeat)
9:00 Person of Interest (repeat)
10:00 The Mentalist (repeat)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (repeat, with guest Johnny Galecki)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guest Alfred Molina)

8:00 So You Think You Can Dance (new)

8:00 The Office (repeat)
8:30 The Office (repeat)
9:00 America's Got Talent (repeat)
10:00 Awake (new, series finale)
11:34 Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guests Glenn Close and the winner of American Idol)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Will Smith and Bill Paxton)

9:00 The Vampire Diaries (repeat)

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

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:40:10 PDT

So You Think You Can Dance season eight has a winner! Melanie is taking home the honors after last night's final round of performances against the others in the top four. Like Nigel predicted, a girl won, and her fellow female Sasha came in second, followed by Marko and Tadd in third and fourth place.

Melanie has proved versatile and impressed lots of folks all season long - I called Melanie as one of my early favorites, and the judges have been favoring her as well. This win is no surprise to me, but were you rooting for someone else, or are you happy that Melanie is the season eight winner?

Photo courtesy of Fox

Glee-ful Highlights From Episode "Heart"

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:38:32 PST

It's Valentine's Day at McKinley, and everyone gets in on the action in this week's episode of Glee. For the lesson, Mr. Schuester wants everyone to choose a great love song to perform, which means a lot of the action takes place in the relationship department. Finn and Rachel try to get everyone excited about their upcoming nuptials; Brittany and Santana deal with scrutiny of the nature of their relationship, and Mercedes and Sam may love each other, but they just can't seem to get it together.

At first, I was pretty excited that "Heart" was going to be an episode full of musical numbers, but it feels a little plot driven for my taste. Regardless, there's a lot happened this week, so get in on all details after the jump.