MEL31602's blog

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Final Four Revealed

2009-07-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hey all I'm pulling double duty tonight and recapping both the performance and results show of
So You Think You Can Dance. Like I said in my last post as long as Brandon and Kayla make it through I'll be satisfied, though I'm guessing Melissa and Ade will go home since they both are not as popular as the other four.

Cat is wearing a blinding green shiny dress with her hair pulled back. Not really a great look for her- she looked much better Wednesday night.

The opening number is to "Send in the Clowns" by Judy Collins. The dancers come out from a giant box wearing odd circus costumes. I guess the dance is about sad clowns, but I'm bored right away. The guys do all do a cool jump thing at the same time that gets cheers from the crowd. The whole routine was just weird to me- maybe it was seeing such a slow sad dance while the dancers had on ridiculous makeup. Evan waving to the crowd sadly at song's end was heartbreaking though. It was a Tyce routine, which may be why I didn't like it.

Cat announces that tonight all four Emmy-nominated routines from this season will be performed live! Yay!!!! I wonder if the producers read all the fan complaints about the lack of dances from last season in the 100th episode and decided to remedy that. I'm especially looking forward to the "Bleeding Love" and "Mercy" dances- the other two from last year I honestly don't remember but I know one of them was Will and Jessica. And to top it off Sean Paul is performing his newest song. Wow sounds like quite a show!

First off we have a recap of last night's shows, aka more filler a la American Idol. Why does Cat call last night's samba "sexy" when it failed in that department. I like the hip hop number more in these clips than I did when I saw it live. The judges loved Melissa and Evan's first number but not their second. Brandon and Kayla were the best of the night.

Right after the break we get the results- already? I guess that means they are revealing the bottom four even though there are only six dancers left. First up are the girls. For what it's worth, Jeanine is on the left, which means she is likely safe. She was very good last night. But we don't find out any of the results at first; Cat just goes down the line recapping what the judges said about each dancer. Kayla seems to get the most cheers of the bunch. Cat now will announce one person in the finale- I'm guessing not necessarily the top vote-getter though. Indeed Cat says it is not necessarily the top vote-getter, but they won't have to do a solo. Why don't they just have everyone do solos? It's not like it will take up that much more time to see two short solos? Anyway the first person into the finale is.... Jeanine. I was hoping for Kayla but this is not really a surprise- she is immensely popular and had a solid night last night even when Ade was not keeping up with her. Oddly only Mary and Lil C give her a standing ovation. Lil C says Jeanine has an appetite for success and she shows it every week.

Next up is the first Emmy-nominated piece of the night, Tyce's "Silence" aka the Adam and Eve piece danced by Jessica and Will. What the hell has Will done to his hair- it's all in cornrows and he has a beard?? It looked a lot better last season but his body still looks great. He was my favorite male last year so I was annoyed when he got cut as soon as he did. I don't remember this piece from last season and even now it's boring but at least Will looks as strong as always. Even the crowd doesn't cheer it that much. I would have much rather seen the "No Air" dance rather than this one but oh well.

Now we have our male results. Of course Cat goes through the judges' comments for all the guys before revealing the results. This time Ade is on the left, whatever that's worth. He gets a lot more cheers than I thought he would. In fact it sounds like he got slightly more than Evan did. Brandon doesn't get as many cheers as I thought he would- that's not good. And the first male in the finale is... BRANDON!!!! YAY!!!! Okay now I don't even care who else goes home for the guys as long as he is safe. The only bad thing is we don't get to see his nearly naked solo again. He is in tears! Only Mary stands up for some reason. She calls out Mia and Lil C for not liking him at first (you go, girl) and says he has proven himself every week. She tells him he must believe in himself more, which he does.

Next up is the "Mercy" dance, choreographed by Mia and danced by Twitch and (my overall favorite last season) Katee. Wow Katee is fierce is this number. I kind of forgot how slow it starts out but once she gets going it is great once again. Twitch was only okay but Katee made up for it with her power and anger. Katee even stays in character as they bow, refusing to take Twitch's hand. Afterwards though they share a cute hug.

After the break we go right into the next number, a tango from former contestant (and DWTS pro) Dmitry Chaplin, danced by Chelsie H. and Joshua. I honestly don't remember this routine at all either. Considering I don't remember this routine it is very good. Chelsie in particular shines even though she is partnered with the season 4 winner. I love the fast part towards the end and overall I can see why this was nominated for an Emmy. Aw more hugs with Cat after their performance!

Now we have solos from the four remaining semifinalists not yet in the finals. First up is Melissa, doing her same routine from last night with little choreography. It does have a bit more dancing in it than last night's solo did though. I like Ade's solo even better the second time, and he adds a backflip at the end to boot! I guess he figured if it's his last dance he might as well go out with a bang.

And now another surprise guest- the winners of season 1 of America's Best Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez! I've never actually seen them perform, so all I know about them are those masks they wear at each performance. They dance to "Freak-A-Zoid" by Midnight Star with a giant mask statue behind them. In all honesty I'm not that impressed. Most of their routine is locking and break dancing, neither of which I am big fans of. They are quite good at what they do but I've seen better hip hop dance groups on America's Got Talent.

BTW, I REALLY want to see "Post-Grad". And not just because Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights is in it (though that doesn't hurt...)

After the break we see the "Bleeding Love" routine by TabNap, danced by Mark and Chelsie! Yay! This was one of my favorite routines last season even though overall I was not rooting for Mark or Chelsie. Just as good the second time around. This dance also seemed to get the most applause out of the four. I really hope this one wins the Emmy, though I think all are worthy except for Tyce's.

Now back to the solos. Kayla's solo is also just as good the second time around, though I still find it odd that she smiles rather than get into the emotion of the choreography. Wow Evan's solo is great too! Love the flip at the beginning and the twirls at the end. Too bad he's not this good in the partner dances or I would like him more...

The final guest of the evening is Sean Paul, singing his hit song "So Fine". Oh yeah I've heard this before, but it's getting late and I don't really like this song so I'm just going to fast forward. Yay for DVR!

So all that's left are the final results. First up are the girls. I hope it's Kayla but I don't care that much now that Janette is gone. Indeed Kayla is safe, so the first person eliminated tonight is Melissa. No big surprise there- she would have gone last week if not for the cancer dance. Kayla looks more relieved than surprised like the other finalists did.

I just realized this past week that this goodbye song is "Already Gone" by Kelly Clarkson, and the reason I always think it sounds like "Halo" is because it actually has the same backing tracks. The writer of both songs gave the same backing tracks to both artists to use on different songs. Whoops. Of course we get her highlights from this season, including her cancer dance and her en pointe dance. Melissa says she did things on this show she never thought she could, like hip hop (even though it was in a group number). That's weird that she never did hip hop in a partner dance- luck of the draw I guess. She wishes good luck to all the ballerinas out there and thanks her husband in the crowd (who is way hot, btw).

Now it's down to the guys. This should be the interesting one. One could argue Evan was better last night but Ade has been better overall and is the more versatile dancer. Nigel points out that there are no losers on this show- every dancer in the top 20 gets exposure and a chance to work with great choreographers. Well said. He reminds us we lost Mark and Chelsie at this point last season, and now they are part of an Emmy-nominated routine. He says the only loser this week is the dance world for losing Merce Cunningham, an avant-garde choreographer who died Sunday at age 90. I've never heard of him but for Nigel to mention him on the show he must have had a great impact on dancing. So now for the results. The final dancer in the top four is... Evan. Not a big surprise but still disappointing that such a strong dancer like Ade got cut. All the teenage girls around the country can rejoice. Ade seems perfectly happy with his place in the top six- he's still smiling as his highlight package comes up. He says he'll remember being up on the stage with all the energy and all his friends he made. Aw that's so sweet.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Did America pick the right finalists (I say yes except for Evan)? Who do you think will win the title next week (I honestly have no idea)? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top Six Perform

2009-07-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hey all sorry again for the late post but I fell asleep really early last night and then woke up 12 hours later. Too bad I'll have to start getting up early for school in a few short weeks...

Anyway I'm still shocked and upset by Janette's ouster last week. Now I don't really have anyone else to root for except Brandon. You figure if the dancers are paired tonight with the one partner they haven't been with then Melissa and Evan, the two least versatile dancers left on each side, will be partnered up. Hopefully this will finally allow people to see that Evan is a much weaker dancer than Ade or Brandon but his fanbase is so huge he'll probably make the finals no matter what. I've never been a fan of Jeanine so I wouldn't mind if she left as long as Kayla stays but like I said I really don't care about the females now that Janette is gone.

Cat is looking chic with straight hair and a cute blue outfit to go with it.

During the intro solos the cheers for the guys are pretty even, while Jeanine gets by far the most for the girls. I think she's the female favorite with Janette gone- Melissa is going to get tons of backlash since she would have gone last week if not for the cancer dance, and a lot of people think Kayla is too smug and are tired of the judges' constant praise of her.

It turns out the partners are still picked at random this week, so we could end up with the two weakest dancers (Melissa and Evan) not being paired up. I did see Brandon and Melissa paired together at the end of the intro, though I'm not sure if that means anything.

Like last week each duo will have two partner dances plus individual solos and a group number. That's four dances each.

Lil C is back on the judging panel this week, which means lots of "buck"s and other words I don't quite understand. Lil C thinks the results so far have been based on what the public prefers. In other words he thinks the public was wrong (which they were). Mary comes right out and says she was shocked to see Janette go. She also wisely tells the viewers to vote for those who have stood out throughout the show, not just tonight. Nigel advises the dancers to bring out their personalities and stand out from the crowd like the top four (and Gev) did last year. Otherwise fans will vote for the choreography and not for the dancers themselves.

First up is the men's group number, choreographed by Sonya. The piece is inspired by Willy Wonka, or "dark and abstract" according to Evan. Ade calls it a very strong piece, which is good for him and Brandon, not so much for Evan. As Brandon points out, since there are only three people on stage it will be easy for the audience to notice mistakes. Brandon gets thrown in the air and Evan is lifted across the stage- that looks cool.

The song is "True Romance" by She Wants Revenge. The costumes are certainly odd, with bright yellow gloves and lightening bolts on purple and black plaid pants. Wow do they throw Brandon high in the air! And Evan stands on top of Ade and Brandon too! It's a cool, powerful routine with lots of tricks and flips thrown in. It's hard to keep my eyes off of Ade and Brandon because of how strong they appear. From what I saw Evan held his own but still showed that he's the weakest of the three. Ade in particular stood out early in the dance.

Lil C says he has wanted to work with Brandon and Ade together for the whole season so he is living through Sonya now. He loves Brandon's dedication and says Ade is proving him correct by continuing to have strong performances (earlier in the season Lil C told America to watch out for Ade as a favorite to win, and he was right). He commends Evan for not getting swallowed by the other two, which he didn't, though he still was the weakest of the three. I do not think he was as visible during the routine as Lil thought though. Mary loved the dance and how they all moved at the same time during it. Nigel praises Evan for doing moves outside of his comfort zone. Boo for praising Evan- that will just get him more votes from the teen girls. Not that the praise is entirely undeserved, however- Evan was considerably better than I thought he would be at a dance that requires real strength.

The first pairing is Jeanine and Ade, who have not been paired together before so at least there is still hope of a Melissa/Evan "weakest dancers left" partnership. And of course we get to see another clip of the cancer dance from last week while Jeanine talks about how great Ade is. They are doing a samba with Louie van Amstel. Good to see him back doing choreography- it's been a few weeks I believe since we saw him last. However, it is not a traditional structured samba, which makes the dancers happy. Jeanine calls it "adjusted but classy". The dance is supposed to be hot and sexy, though they keep stumbling in rehearsals.

The song is "LoveGame" by Lady Gaga. For a samba? Really? The two of them are dancing it well but I don't get the sexiness from them at all. They almost seem to have no chemistry there on the dance floor. Ade is moving his hips well but is mostly just smiling to show off his sex appeal and Jeanine seems to be trying to put on a sexy face but I'm not really getting it from her either. Ade also looks a bit awkward at times during the dance itself.

Mary says the first 15 seconds were great but once the samba started it fell apart. Ade hopped around too much and they didn't do the samba rolls well. Lil C thinks Jeanine looks amazing (is he turning into Paula Abdul???) but the routine fell flat. Again Ade gets much of the criticism, this time for frolicking too much- that could be why I thought it wasn't sexy. Nigel agrees, saying Ade has to learn to change his style based on the routine. He thought Jeanine was terrific, however. Watching it again I still think they were too hard on Ade, though perhaps his poor dancing is why the routine seemed less sexy as it should have been. Either way this is good news for Evan.

The first solo of the night is Kayla's. She dances to "You Found Me" by The Fray (awesome song!). Technically it is danced very well but she seems to spend a bit too much time getting up from being on the floor. Also she doesn't quite get into the emotion of the dance as much as I would like her to.

The second couple is indeed Melissa and Evan, so all six dancers will be performing with the one partner they haven't danced with yet. Makes you wonder how "random" the pairings really are. At least now the two weakest dancers are together. There is also the height issue, as Melissa is much taller than Evan. However, she is going to wear heel when they dances, unlike Kayla when she partnered with Evan earlier this year. That sounds like a strange decision since it will really put the focus on the height difference and not on the dancing (though maybe with Evan that might be a good thing...)

Luckily for Evan he is doing Broadway this week with Tyce. Though if I remember correctly last time he did Broadway it wasn't that good. Anyway Evan is a groom-to-be who oversleeps and is late to his wedding with Melissa. Melissa is married in real life though, which is a bit awkward. Evan is getting into the dance with all the personality and flashiness of the routine. It really does seem like his kind of routine. Tyce thinks they just have to have fun with the dance and they will do well.

The song is "Get Me to the Church On Time" from My Fair Lady. The best part about the dance is Evan doing the whole thing in his boxers! Seriously Evan really brings his personality to the routine, which allows him to overshadow Melissa. Even so I still don't love the choreography- it's mostly a lot of running and jumping around on stage, and Evan doesn't seem to be hitting the steps as hard as he should. His personality saves the routine but still I found myself bored halfway through.

Lil C thinks Evan didn't live up to his expectations, and I agree. He thought they danced it well but they could have aimed for excellence. Again I agree- they could have brought more to the dance than they did. Mary disagrees, calling it fun and entertaining even though it could have been more out there. She also thinks Melissa has not taken a wrong step in this competition and held her own in this genre. Nigel says Melissa has inspired other ballerinas to audition but they can't adapt to other genres like she can. I don't know if I agree but whatever. He adds the routine was more personality-based than choreography based, and Evan did bring enough personality to the table. I didn't like the routine as much as they did but I do agree it was more about personality, which Evan certainly showed. That alone might save him from elimination, and dancing in his underwear certainly won't hurt.

Ade is next to do his solo, set to "18th Floor Balcony" by Blue October. I think this is one of his strongest solos so far, though it does drag a bit at the end and the music still doesn't quite match the choreography. Brandon and Evan are known as strong soloists also so I don't think the solos will make much of a difference with the guys this week anyway.

The last pairing is of course Kayla and Brandon. Their first dance is a contemporary piece by Stacey Tookey. They are both contemporary dancers I believe so this should be a strong dance hopefully. Kayla is a mistress of a married man who doesn't have the strength to leave Brandon. They are struggling having chemistry with their new partners, but Kayla hopes they can make it believable. Not helping matters is Stacey's tough choreography for the semifinals. There are few pauses in the routine, but Kayla thinks it could be amazing if they pull it off.

The song is "All I Want" by Ahn Trio. This is definitely the best routine of the night so far. They nail all the choreography and are almost perfectly in unison when they have to be. And yay for Brandon ripping dancing shirtless for much of the routine! I don't really feel the chemistry between the two when the camera is far away but I do see the emotion when there are closeups on the faces, especially Kayla's. Kayla's solo in the beginning was also really beautiful.

Lil C says it was intense and beyond amazing, and he is almost in tears. He thinks this is the first time Kayla has been with a partner good enough for her. Mary says they are both staying on the hot tamale train and calls the dancing "brilliant". She calls it perfection on the dance floor. Nigel says Stacey is now a star choreographer on this show. He agrees with me in saying the chemistry wasn't all there (likely because they had just been paired together a week earlier) but technically it was brilliant. Exactly. But even with their lack of chemistry I still think it was still the strongest routine of the night so far, and based on their comments the judges seem to agree.

The next solo is Melissa's, who dances to "I Put a Spell on You" by Nina Simone. The routine doesn't seem to have much dancing in it until the end- much of it is her walking around the stage and smiling naughtily at the camera. I think she needs a strong second dance or she is likely gone.

Before each duo's second dance we find out what being in the finale would mean to each contestant.

Jeanine says it would be the most unanticipated success of her life since she auditioned for this show on a whim. The experience has shown her how much she is capable of. Ade says he can't believe he has made it this far and making the finale would mean the world to him.

Their second number is a TabNap hip hop number. It is Jeanine's third hip hop number, and Ade's second, so you figure they will have the proper technique and style down. The dance is about two friends getting evicted from their apartment who take out their anger on the boxes of their belongings. Jeanine is falling down a lot, especially when she has to jump over and between Ade's legs like they are a jump rope. As Ade puts it, Jeanine is getting quite close to the "family jewels" at that part of the number.

The song is "Move (If You Wanna) by MIMS. They start out off stage and then jump onstage, seeing the eviction notice and going nuts. I can't really keep my eyes of Jeanine in this number, who is really selling it with the angry expression on her face. Maybe it's because of his cap that blocks his face but I don't really believe Ade's anger, and he doesn't seem to be hitting the moves hard enough for my taste (I'm not sure if he's supposed to be though), at least compared to Jeanine. Jeanine nails the jump rope move, and I love the ending where they put boxes with frowning faces over their heads! Overall I still think Jeanine outshined Ade but it was better than their first number for sure.

Lil C says he wishes moving was always that fun. He thinks they danced it better than he thought they would. He adds Ade took advantage of his earthy movements and pulled Jeanine down into the dirt with him, whatever that means. Long story short, it was buck. Mary goes back and says Jeanine was great in their prior samba since she forgot to say that before. Mary thinks the two of them won't be getting eviction notices after that performance. So basically she thinks Melissa and Evan are out. She thanks Ade for bringing his butt down from his last hip hop number. Nigel adds this is a routine that could have been applauded just for the choreography but thinks they really got down in the choreography. I didn't think Ade was as good in this routine as they said but I agree Jeanine was great. I was so focused on her I didn't really watch Ade that much so that could have been why I wasn't as impressed with him. Jeanine should definitely be safe tonight but Ade's status depends a lot on Evan's next number.

Next up is Brandon's solo, done to "O Fortuna (from Carmina Burana)" by Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and Kurt Prestel. Hey he's completely nude save for small briefs! Dang he has a lot of muscles in his chest. Aside from that the dancing is great as well. Not my favorite choreography from him but still super strong technically as always. Wow the judges give him a standing ovation afterwards- I've never seen that for a solo. I didn't think it was that good but it was still the best of the night so far.

Melissa came into this competition knowing she was the oldest ever on this show and had no training in styles other than ballet so she's proud and surprised at how she's done. Evan realizes the finale is in his grasp so he must bring it extra hard.

They are doing a quickstep from Louis. It's called the "dreaded" dance because it is really fast and hard to dance. I have a feeling this is going to be a disaster. Louis really got on Evan's case in the rehearsals, and Melissa doesn't really trust Evan to do the strong movements. Louis is struggling with their height difference but adjusts the routine so you can't tell as much.

The song is "As Long As I'm Slingin'" by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. It's actually a lot better than I thought it would be. It seems kind of slow for a quickstep but Melissa does well and Evan, while a bit awkward in spots, seems to hold his own. Once again his personality really shines through, and he has enough strength for the lift at the end. Not amazing, but not a disaster either.

Louis gives them a standing ovation. Lil C says Evan danced bigger than he has on the show before but his retractions still were not strong. He thinks Melissa did a fabulous job, which I guess she did- I was honestly too focused on Evan to notice, waiting for him to mess up. Mary says it had life at the beginning but then fell apart. She thinks the lift at the end was good but it was not really quickstep. She wanted to be wowed but wasn't. Well it wasn't really a "wow" kind of dance but like I said it certainly wasn't horrible. Nigel jokes Melissa is acting like she is the Cloris Leachman of this show when she's only 29. He thinks the only part that lost energy was the Lindy Hop section in the middle. He says it wasn't one of the best routines tonight (which it wasn't) and now anything can happen since these two are two of the favorites. Since when is Melissa a favorite? I think Melissa had a good night but since all the women have been good tonight she may be in trouble.

The next solo is Jeanine, who gets huge cheers when she walks out on stage. She dances to "Feedback" by Janet Jackson. Like the other female solos tonight it was a bit too much personality and not too much dancing, but it was better than Melissa's. The dancing itself was quite good and showed off her strong sexy side, though at times it was a bit too delicate-looking for my tastes.

The last solo of the night is Evan, who comes in with a strong flip. The song is "Lady is a Tramp" by Sammy Davis Jr. As usual he performs a strong, fun solo. I actually like this one better than Brandon's, though Brandon's was more technically demanding. All of the guys' solos have been strong tonight, yet they have been weaker in the partner dances except for Brandon.

Being in the final four would prove to Brandon that he's a good dancer. Uh, I think either way you've proven that, Brandon. Kayla has worked hard before and while being on the show and making the finals would show that her work has paid off. Unfortunately they are doing another one of the dreaded dances, a disco from Dorianna Sanchez. Though last time Brandon did a disco I remember it was quite good. Dorianna made Brandon do pushups before they started rehearsals. The routine is more like a circus, according to Kayla. Dorianna wants to challenge them at this point in the competition.

The song is "Dance (Disco Heat)" by Sylvester. Great flips by Brandon early on! Wow this routine is fast! The routine is full of tricks and lifts, most of which they seem to nail, though Brandon appears to almost drop Kayla on one occasion. I don't really like the choreography itself but they do dance it well, especially Brandon. Kayla started out a bit weak but turned it on quickly. After their strong first routine they both should be safe anyway.

Lil C rambles something about having to listen to the music when faced with challenges and that this removes the darkness and they did that. I guess that means he liked it. He then says Kayla got between the "pockets" of the music. He thinks Brandon inspired Kayla to excel, especially since he has done disco before. They made each other better, and he got tired just watching it. Mary says they hit a home run tonight with both their dances and they nailed their lifts. Mary stands up and yells at Brandon for having self-esteem problems and blows a kiss to Kayla. Nigel says it is easy to get caught up in the music and speed of a dance, so he decides to critique it professionally by running around and screaming like a crazy man. I guess that means he liked it too. He loves how they have shown versatility with their two routines tonight. I still didn't love this routine but they danced it well and were definitely the strongest couple of the night. If they are not both safe there is something seriously wrong with this show.

All that's left is the women's group number. They are doing a Sonya number as well, this one about superheroes. Sonya thinks all three of them have different strengths but have the same lines. Kayla is Storm, Jeanine is Wonder Woman, and Melissa is Buttercup (like the Powerpuff Girl??? Since when are they superheroes). They have trouble with their sychronization in the rehearsals along with memorizing the choreography. Jeanine even smacks Kayla in the face- sabotage? (haha)

The song is "Kick It (Stereoheroes Remix)" by Nina Martine. They come out in leather outfits with their initial on their belt buckle. I really don't like this choreography- it reminds me too much of cheerleaders at a football game. They are dancing it well for what they are given though. No one really stands out as being really good or really bad- they are all pretty solid despite the weird choreography. I liked the men's routine better as a whole.

Lil C compliments Sonya and then says a whole bunch of big words about how they have to work together and stand out from each other. He thinks they were all too courteous and didn't stand out from each other, which I agree with. He calls it amazing but wanted more than that. Mary wonders what comes after amazing. She calls them strong, versatile, sexy, and talented dancers and adds Kayla stood out since she had tougher choreography. She even thinks they should perform at Comic-Con next year! Ha that'd be awesome. Nigel loved the chemistry but agrees no one stood out since they were all great. He loves Melissa's little tutu on her costume, which I agree is awesome!

Overall it was kind of a weak night- I wasn't blown away by any of the routines, though Brandon and Kayla's contemporary was my favorite by default. I think the girls were stronger at the partner dances (except for Brandon) but the guys had a better group number and better solos. Brandon and Kayla should be safe for sure, so it should come down to the other four for two spots. I thought Melissa's solo was the worst for the girls and Ade's for the guys (though only because Brandon's and Evan's were so strong). Melissa also wasn't quite as strong as Jeanine in the partner dances, so I'm guessing she'll be out. Evan and Ade were actually much closer tonight than I though they would be. Overall Ade has been better though so I hope he sticks around, but as long as Brandon and Kayla get through I won't be too upset.

So what are your thought's on this week's performances? Who deserves to make it into the top 4? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: No Second Performances?

2009-07-28T21:30:00.001-07:00

Hey all we are finally up to Vegas week on America's Got Talent. Now it's up to the judges to decide who will move on to the top 40 and fight for America's vote. My early favorites are Kevin Skinner, the Eriam Sisters, Kelli Glover, and Ciana, the eight-year old singer from last week. I think all four have a good chance to make the semifinals, and Kevin Skinner is a lock of course.

Nick Cannon starts out saying how huge it would be for an act to play in Vegas, like the winner of the show will get to do. Last year it was only a one night gig at Vegas though- I wonder if that changed this year. And of course in the clip they show a huge sign of Terry Fator, season 2 winner and by far the biggest success story this show has had.

Right now there are over 160 acts, so over 120 will be cut by the end of the week.

This year the judges made some early cuts before the acts even get to perform again for the judges. That seems a bit harsh to me- why not let the acts all perform and see which ones improved from their first audition? Maybe some of the fringe acts would really shine in that situation.

The judges are shown deliberating while watching clips of all the auditions. I'm worried that Piers and David both say an act is not going to win while a clip of Kelli Glover's audition is being shown. I know that doesn't mean anything but I fear they may cut one of my favorites without getting to hear her again.

The acts are split up into four groups, a la American Idol. It is unclear how many of the four groups will be going on to the next round. I'm assuming only one group will be cut but you never know.

After the judges' dramatic entrance David tells the contestants some of them will be cut right now. Group A includes that genius Asian piano player, the Obama impersonator the yodeling dominatrix, Barbara Padilla, those kid dancers who dress up like clowns, that jazzy singer who auditioned last year, the kid ballroom dancers, Acrodunk and a bunch of others, and they are through to the next round.

Group B includes those kid dancers with the red wigs, the magician who floated the microphone in the air, Ciana, the cleft lip singer, and others. Wow Sharon announces that they are going home. Too bad I really liked Ciana and the magician. That boy guitar prodigy Tallan got cut too! Wow I can't believe they cut him and Ciana and left the Obama impersonator and the clown kid dancers.

Now two groups are left and only one will be going through to the next round. So that means they cut about half the people in one swoop. Group C has Grandma Lee, the guy who stuck a fish hook through his nose, the annoying young singer who plays piano, the old guy dancer, and the dog dancer. Group D has the old lady dancer and Kevin Skinner, which I assume means Group D is through since there is no way Kevin is being cut. But I thought I saw Voices with Glory in Group C. Hmm... Turns out both groups are going through. I'm happy for the fish hook guy, Kevin Skinner, and both older dancers but I still can't believe they put the bad kid singer in (the one with the curly hair who plays keyboard) and not the good one (Ciana).

Hey the violin playing triplets who can't sing got through, along with one of the magicians and the boy break dancer. Only 25 acts were cut in this early round, presumably acts the judges thought had no chance to win. I would beg to differ on Ciana and Tallan though...

Seriously- the dancers where the small girl lifts the fat guy gets through and Ciana and Tallan don't??? What's wrong with these judges???

Also through are the bass singer, the Asian teenage singer with the big jazz voice, the singing group of post office workers, and a bunch of others who celebrate in Vegas that night. Love the danceoff between one of the hip hop dancers and Carol Lugo (the 62-year old woman dancer).

Now all the acts have been summoned to the holding area, and the judges are still deliberating, especially over the magic acts, singers, and dancers. OMG the David Hasselhoff song guy got through- I want to see him perform just to see what he will do next!

They especially are debating over the hip hop dance acts, which are all very similar to each other. The judges can't decide which one is the best.

They are having such a hard time they decide to talk to some of the acts individually. First up is Keith Johnson, a singer who I believe sang "Walking in Memphis" in his first audition not nearly as well as Eli Mattson did last year. The second one is Pete, the Obama impersonator. Overall I like the singer better since he has some talent and the Obama guy was not funny at all.

Piers was not impressed with Keith's singing but thinks he looks the part. David believes he gets the audience's attention. Of course Keith tells the audience how he has a kid at home he wants to make proud to garner up some sympathy points.

Pete wants to tell the judges his act is not a joke for him. Who said that it was?

Keith breaks down in front of the judges, and Pete adds that he has been doing comedy for 40 years. But Keith has been working his whole life for his. Neither of them are going to win, but I'm rooting for Keith. Piers correctly points out there are better singers than Keith, which may doom him since I don't remember seeing too many impersonators besides Pete. Keith cries some more in front of the judges, and they turn to deliberate. Keith though is still cut by the judges. That's heartbreaking to watch even though I agree with the judges' conclusion about there being better singers.

Pete says being cut would be devastating to his career. He of course is put through to the next round, so James Brown Barack Obama lives for another day.

Wow wait they are filling spots in the top 40 already? Without even giving the acts another chance to perform? That's kind of weird... I thought this was just cutting them down to the top 70 or whatever. No way does this guy deserve to be in the top 40 but I guess they needed an impressionist.

Next in the theater is Arcadian, the Billy Elliot-like dancer. He wants to show kids it is okay to not be jocks. He should get through I think. David fears he may be too young (he's only 13)- but there are younger acts in this show. Yay he is through! Good for him he was great! Aw his mom looks so happy.

Other acts in the top 40 include Acrodunk (no surprise there), the Platt Brothers (those brothers who wore the blue suits and flipped over each other), the Blue Man group wannabes (really?), the David Hasselhoff song guy (yay!!!!), the Asian teen singer, the kid ballroom dancers, the girl rock singers (really?), Mosaic- the a capella group from last week (yay again!), the Cowboy Tenors (I didn't think they were that good but I did enjoy them), the yodeling dominatrix (yay!), and a good tap group I don't remember.

It seems like they are going for a lot of variety this year, which explains why so many novelty acts are getting through over all the singers and dancers.

Next up is Anthony, the 74 year old disco dancer. I figure he is probably out since they didn't put him in the montage. I think Carol Lugo is better anyway. Anthony says he never thought this would happen and getting through would make his life complete. But alas his time on AGT has come to an end. I'm okay with this if Carol gets through. Tony looks really annoyed and says he won't come back next year. That's too bad he really does have talent.

Next to see the judges are Euphoria, Destined 2 Be, and Breaksk8, three dance groups. Breaksk8 were the ones on skates who were just okay. Destined 2 Be are very good hip hop dancers, and Euphoria is a group of dance teachers who in the brief clip shown look like the best of the three.

Piers says they could not decide which group to send home so he is challenging them all to dance to the same piece of music. In 12 hours the judges will watch each of them and decide based on that who to send home. That sounds fair- why didn't they do that for the other acts? He guarantees not all of them will be going through.

The last two magicians are Drew Thomas and Joseph Constantine. Drew was the one who had the floating sheets with the ladies who came out under them. Then he went into a closet on the stage and re-appeared under one of the sheets. Joseph Constantine is the one who barely got through because the judges thought his act had been done a hundred times before. This led to a big debate between Piers and David. I actually liked him better than Drew though I liked the one that was cut already the best. Joseph reminds us he lost his house recently and almost quit magic because it wasn't paying the bills. He has a good story but the judges seem to like Drew better.

The judges couldn't decide whether to put one of them through or none of them through. Joseph is indeed cut. He and his wife are in tears but promise to be together no matter what. And as I figured Drew is put to the finals. He was good but his act got a bit repetitive with the sheets until the end. Hopefully he'll take it to the next level in the quarterfinals.

After the break we find out the fate of the Spiritual Harmonizers, the postal workers who sing together. I still don't agree that the lead singer sounds like Stevie Wonder- in fact I thought he was the weak link of the group. Since the other a capella group already got through I wonder what will happen to these guys. They'll probably get through but after seeing some of the other mediocre acts get through who knows.

David tells them they are very good but there are a lot of other singing acts, including a capella groups. Wow they are cut. I do like Mosaic better but since they got the "pimp" spot at the end of the show I thought for sure they would go through. To their credit they were gracious in defeat.

More cuts: Two more dance acts I don't remember, the belly dancer woman, Bang a Rang (a tai chi dance act), and two burlesque acts.

Next up is Haido Torres, the break dancer/contortionist dude. I didn't love his act but he is good at what he does. He should get through though since his act is so unique. His mother is supporting him even though he's never had formal dance lessons. He says being in Vegas has let him believe in himself. The judges toy with him a bit and tell him it is a hard decision. Sharon wishes him well and says they are glad to have discovered him before anyone else. Of course it's just for suspense as he is put through to the finals. Aw he calls him mom afterwards and she sounds so excited!

After the break we catch up with Lawrence, the bass singer who I liked only when he sang higher notes. He has been chasing this dream for a long time and needs a break like this. Also learning his fate is Kevin Skinner, who I'm sure will get through since he's a favorite to win.

I think both will get through but if only one will it is Kevin for sure. Kevin feels out of place in Vegas- it's like a different world to him. He feels this is his time to shine and getting through would make his family proud.

Kevin tells the judges it would mean a lot to him to go through, and Lawrence says the same. David says the judges deliberated a lot on Kevin, and Sharon says Lawrence is going up against a lot of other good singers. But indeed both of them are going through to the next round, which may be bad news for Kelli Glover and the other singers on this show.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Were you surprised by any of the cuts? Who are your early favorites from the people who got through tonight? Mine are Kevin Skinner, the David Hasselhoff song guy, and Mosaic. Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Shocker of the Season

2009-07-23T19:28:00.001-07:00

Hey all it's time for the 100th episode extravaganza on So You Think You Can Dance. And for the first time this season I have no clue who will go home. This could be the week of a shocking elimination since everyone had at least one good dance last night. If I had my way I would send home either Jason or Evan for the men and Jeanine for the women (I know she's really popular but she always seems too dainty when she dances- even during that jazz number last night she really paled in comparison to Brandon). Realistically I predicted Jason and Kayla last night to go home but I've read there is some backlash to the cancer routine, as people think the judges overreacted to the routine. These people believe that if the dance was not about cancer it would not have gotten nearly as good of a reaction. This is probably true, though I still think the dance was amazing, even if the judges' sobbing was a bit much. But if that's the case Melissa could be in trouble as well, and I wouldn't miss her too much. As long as Brandon and Janette stay I'll be happy.

Cat is wearing a leather outfit with a gold jaguar? printing on it. I don't think I could pull that outfit off put it looks great on her.

We open to the Top 8 group number, set to "One" from A Chorus Line. The contestants are all in white and standing in front of broken mirrors. They then turn the mirrors around and stand behind them before coming out in front one by one. Evan looks particularly dashing in this part, but then again it is his style so he should do well. They then start doing sharp movements perfectly in unison before breaking off into parts. I really enjoyed this routine, and I'm usually not a fan of the Broadway dances. I loved the ending where they all threw one arm in the air like the determined dancers they are. Turns out it was a Mia Michaels routine- so I guess it wasn't Broadway style after all. Maybe that's why I liked it so much. And Mia choreographing it explains the weird broken mirrors in the beginning.

Ellen is gone from the panel tonight, thank goodness. There's only so many ways you can say "you were amazing" without sounding redundant. Plus most of her jokes weren't funny.

The best thing for Mia about this show is seeing former contestants come back and move on to the next phases of their lives, like becoming choreographers. Cut to shot of former contestants in the crowd. I see Josh and Katee (yay!) from last season, along with Comfort. And is that Caitlin Kinney seated on the other side of Josh? And Courtney G. is back too! I loved her last year and was happy she made the top 4- she was my second favorite girl after Katee. Mary says this show has changed her life and had been a lot of laughs and tears. So many performances on this show have touched her over the years, and she is grateful to have been involved. Nigel thinks television at its best can unite a country, and he thinks that happened with the cancer dance last night. I think that's a bit of an exaggeration but whatever. He claims to have gotten tons of emails about that dance, including one from Olivia Newton-John (herself a breast cancer survivor), who said the routine said more than words could. It does seem like cancer survivors are those who were most touched by the dance obviously, but I still think the sobbing last night was a tad over the top. The camera cuts to Tyce, and we also see shots of Jessica, Kherington, and Twitch from last season in the background. I guess they must have invited most of their former finalists back for this special night. I wonder why Idol didn't do something like this a few years ago when they reached their 100th show; they just treated it like any normal episode.

Cat then introduces a montage of clips from the past five seasons. Since I didn't watch the first three I likely won't recognize most of these. It starts with some auditions, and I catch Josh, Kayla, a bunch of people falling, Gabrielle (the girl who got ten thousands chances in Vegas this year), Sex (again???), Brandon and Kupono. Vegas week highlights include tears, injuries, Jason leaping in the air, Twitch doing a midair split, and Comfort and Josh crying on stage. Then we move to the live shows, where we see a Katee routine I vaguely remember from last year, the Katee and Josh Bollywood dance, a dude STANDING ON HIS HEAD in a solo (that's awesome), Nigel and Mary dancing (not together, though I wish I could have seen more of their routines), Twitch with his glasses and crunk teeth (again, not at the same time), Cat with the same glasses and teeth (at the same time), Brandon and Janette (yay!), Mary screaming, Twitch and Comfort together (a lot of Twitch in this package- what happened to Josh and Will???), the popping competition from last year's finale, Phillip and Jeanine celebrating, Nigel acting like a crazy man,
and all four winners being surrounded by confetti. Whew!

After the break we get a recap of last night's routines. Evan still got too much praise after his first number, and too little after the second number. I still liked Brandon and Jeanine's waltz more than the judges did. Oddly they skip over Melissa and Ade in the recap so they can show the cancer number last. I wonder why they didn't have that be the last dance in the performance show too- going after the cancer dance might have lessened Jason and Kayla's vote total. I still don't like Melissa and Ade's cha cha. And the song from that cancer dance has been stuck in my head all day. I'm surprised it didn't get more cheers from the crowd when it was shown in the recap.

The girls are all onstage together. First up is Melissa. She is safe, which surprises me a bit. That means either Jeanine or Janette, two of the early favorites, are in the bottom. Or both of them could be. I hope it's Jeanine but I fear Janette may be in danger. Next up is Kayla, who I'm guessing is in the bottom based on her location in the line. Indeed she is. I wonder if Janette was hurt by backlash/fan complacency after Mia called her her favorite dancer of the season. She may have been, as she is indeed in the bottom. I do think overall she had the worse night of the two, as her first dance was not that good and neither was her solo, though her rumba was slightly better than Jeanine's pop jazz. But I wonder if this means Evan is in the bottom too.... And if it is not Kayla going home I will throw something at my TV (well not really, but I'll be upset).

Up next we get Hok and Jaime from season 3 doing a Wade Robson routine set to "The Chairman's Waltz"- aka "The Hummingbird and the Flower". I've never seen this routine before so I have nothing to compare it to. The routine is kind of a mating dance between the two, and I love how well they portrayed the creatures involved. It's not really my kind of dance but it was done very well, especially when they each laid on the ground and pointed their toes. And I definitely felt the chemistry between the two of them.

Now we find out the bottom two guys. First up is Ade. This should be interesting. But we do not find out his results until Cat speaks to Jason. Hmmm. That means either Brandon or Evan are also in the bottom, unless they really decide to switch things up. But no, Jason is in the bottom, and Ade is safe for another week. Good for Ade, but now I'm REALLY worried about Brandon.
I still think Brandon and Evan could both make the finals, but clearly one of them is not as popular as I thought. I hope Evan is in the bottom but I fear his rumba and solo put him over the top. And my fears are correct as Brandon is indeed in the bottom. Some boos from the crowd, but they are overcome by squeals for Evan. Stupid little girls keeping him in the contest when he is the worst dancer left. Anyway that means both my favorites are in the bottom along with the two I picked yesterday to go home. This could end very well or very badly for me.

While the dancers prep for their solos we get Mia Michael's Emmy winning "Bench Routine", aka a routine danced to "Calling You" by Celine Dion done by Travis and Heidi. The routine starts off a bit dull for me but picks up when Travis lays on the bench with Heidi below him. I can see why Travis is so popular- for me his is miles better than Heidi in this routine. I do love the lift where she jumps off the bench into Travis' arms, but I still wasn't wowed by it as much as viewers probably were when they first saw it.

After the break we get the solos, which once again don't matter so I won't comment on them that much. Kayla's solo is good though watching it again she seems to take too long to start with the actual dancing. Jason doesn't get too many cheers before his solo. He does a lot of great leaps and spins, but I still find the rock music a bit distracting. Janette does her slow solo again and I still don't like it. I do find myself digging Brandon's solo more than I did last night. Still wasn't his best, but my favorite of the four.

Then we get "Ramalama (Bang Bang)", a group number from season 2. And choreographer Wade Robson joins them in the dance. Unfortunately I can't tell which one is Wade since they are all made up and I don't know the dancers from this season. The routine is really creepy, but in a good way. It's like the zombie routine from last night times a thousand. I especially love the dancing during the chorus of the song. I did find myself fascinated by the routine and wondering what was coming next, so it was entertaining in a weird way. It was my favorite of the three encore dances tonight.

And now the moment we've all been waiting for (or not)- the Katie Holmes performance. First we cut to an interview with Katie where she talks about the Dizzy Feet Foundation and her Judy Garland homage. She will be dancing AND singing during the routine. By the way, I really don't like her hair cut that short.

Wow there's like a whole set and everything- it looks more like a movie than a dance. Katie gets out of one of those ugly vintage cars on a quiet suburban street. She looks stunning in a white dress and black shawl, though the makeup seems a bit over the top. Wow she can really sing! Who knew? Is that Mark from season 4 looking at her as she stands by a pole? Oh it turns out only that part of the routine is on the set- the rest is on the stage with a bunch of black-suited backup dancers. They all collapse around her as Katie re-enters, this time in a black hat and sexy dress. I think Joshua is a backup dancer as well. She really doesn't do that much dancing, at least compared to the guys, but she does well with what she is given. And that voice is really something I did not expect out of her- a very jazzy, 1950s vibe to it, which fits this song perfectly. The guys towards mostly just lift her around the stage and onto a table, then back off of it. Still I quite enjoyed the number much more than I thought I would.

Now all that's left is the results. But first Cat turns to Nigel, who thanks Katie Holmes, Dion Beebee (the director of photography for the routine), and Tyce, who choreographed and directed it. And it turns out Joey Luft, Judy Garland's son, is in the crowd. I bet he was tearing up during that great tribute to his mother.

So NOW it is time for results. I'm really nervous about my favorites going home tonight. First up are the girls. WOW. Janette is going home. Okay I'm not throwing my remote at the TV like I said but I'm still shocked and angry. She was my favorite female dancer this season, and I really don't like any of the others that much. I think her slow solo plus Mia's huge praise might have done her in. Even the crowd seems shocked. I do love the shot of Kayla's grandparents crying in the crowd- they are so cute.

By the way, I love this exit song. Though everytime I hear it I think it is "Halo" only to find out otherwise. Of course they show Mia last night saying Janette was her favorite of the season, which like I said before probably hurt her more than helped her. She says in her package she will never stop dancing, so good for her. Cat calls this the shock of the season, and I think she is right unless Brandon goes home tonight too. Mary and Mia give Janette a standing ovation. Nigel admits that Janette was his favorite too and that America got it wrong.. Well Brandon is still my overall favorite but Janette was my favorite for the girls. Stupid cancer piece! If not for that routine Melissa would have been out instead!

Janette says this show made her realize how much she loved dancing. She was in school for finance but now wants to follow her dreams and be a dancer instead. Way to pick a career with very little income! Just kidding- it's great that she is sticking to her passion no matter what.

Okay if both my favorites are voted off in the same episode I will have no idea who to root for anymore. Thank goodness it is Jason leaving and not Brandon. Well at least America got it half right. And hopefully now Brandon's fans will vote in full force next week to keep him in for the finals. Plus there will be no more cancer pieces to propel Ade (hopefully!). Jason gives Cat a big hug upon finding out his fate. Hey there's a different goodbye song this time- is it the same one they play for the guys every week? I can't remember.

After the recap all the contestants and judges surround Jason on stage and he thanks everyone who has supported him over the years. He seems like a cool guy but I would gladly let him leave if Brandon gets to stay.

Now I have to pick a new female favorite. I guess it's Kayla but I really don't like any of them that much.

And we get confetti at the end to celebrate the 1ooth show! Poor Janette and Jason having to see that confetti and happiness and knowing they are going home. They don't seem too upset by it though.

So that's it for tonight's show. Were you as shocked by Janette's elimination as I was? Who is your new female favorite now? And what did you think of Katie Holmes? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent- A Kid Singer Who Can Actually Sing

2009-07-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone we are down to the LAST audition show. That means next week we get Vegas week and then we finally start with the live shows. Is it just me or do the auditions episodes seem to have lasted even longer this season? Anyway on with the show....

Tonight's auditions start out in LA, and we get our usual judges' intro. Boo I thought they got rid of this last week. Oh well- that's what DVR is for.

The first act is Breaksk8, a group of friends trying to turn their hobby of skating into a career. They grew up in a rough neighborhood and will do anything to get out of there. Like their name suggests they do dancing while on skates. They show great coordination (this coming from someone who can barely skate on skates, let alone dance on them), but the act gets boring kind of quickly. One guy does a cool spin on two wheels at the end, but the rest of the choreography was kind of slow compared to other break dancing acts I've seen. Yes I know they are on skates, but that doesn't mean the routine can't be a bit faster. They are good enough to go to the next round though, which they do.

Good act montage: Mosaic is an a Capella group that is very good. I wish we could have seen more of them. The Lollipop Girls are a burlesque act we don't see much of but they are very sexy. Recycled Percussion plays drums on paint cans and ladders. That's cool, but I've seen that kind of thing a lot before. Jeffrey Ou is an insanely good 18-year-old piano player, though I can't listen to piano for more than a few minutes without getting bored. SQ Entertainment is a dancing group much better than Breaksk8 who flip over each other and give a high energy performance. We then get images of other people who get through but we don't see what the acts are.
Koshka Raenelle has a very good voice, though there are other singers I like better in this competition.

After the break we meet Ciana Pelekai, an 8-year-old singer. NO NOT ANOTHER KAITLIN MAHER!!! We already have that other precocious girl who got through who can't sing but hopefully this one is semi-decent. She started singing to copy her older sister- aw. She tries to imitate Beyonce- hopefully not the sexy side of her! She says if she won the million dollars she would buy her family a new house. Holy crap she's actually good. I'm amazed. She's not the best singer ever but she is way better than any of the other kid singers I've heard on this show. If Kaitlin can make the top 10 this year this girl certainly can too- she's just as cute and way more talented. Piers says she should start looking for a new house for her parents, and says he has never heard an eight-year-old with a voice like that, and neither have I. Sharon calls it amazing. David says there is nowhere to go but up. She is off to Vegas and really has a shot to do well in this competition.

Up next is Joseph "JoJo" James, a choir director from California who has been singing his whole life. He wants to use his God-given talent to satisfy God's will. I have a feeling this guy is going to suck. He sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and as I figured it is horrible. He basically shrieks the entire song at an obnoxiously high pitch. Luckily the judges put the audience out of their misery quickly. David says it sounds like air being let out of a balloon. Joseph still insists he has a "gift" but the judges disagree and send him home.

Bad act montage: Brian and Anthony Lockard play the same piano at the same time, and not very well. Inara Darko sings decently until she shrieks the high note at the end. And why did she have a guitar accompanying her? Scott Renkes and Darren Kessner just crawl around on stage and on top of each other. Franklin Ruehl, PhD sticks straws in a potato. Seriously. I think it's supposed to be science but I don't get the scientific or the entertaining part of that act.

The last act before the Susan Boyle extravaganza is the Beale Street Flippers. They are a group of four friends who do backflips on the street for tips. Of course they have a sob story, coming from the projects where most people become thieves. Their act is basically doing flips across the stage while one guy stands in front and moonwalks/dances. They are very good at what they do but lose my interest pretty quickly. They end with one guy backflipping over the other three, which I have to admit is pretty cool. Sharon says they are young and fabulous. David says they are the best flippers ever on the show, which is true, but I still can't sit through that type of act without being bored. Piers says "flipping incredible" and they are the last act of the season off to Vegas.

Before the Boyle madness we get a recap of the best auditions. With an American flag and other US landmarks as the backdrop- that's a bit much, you think? Luckily that is short-lived, and we move on to the actual talent. Kevin Skinner! The Eriam Sisters (for two seconds)! Viva the dancing dog! And there aer some bad auditions thrown in to boot. The David Hasselhoff song guy!!! Wait I liked him- why is he with the bad auditions?? Oh wait they are back to good ones again, including the cleft lip singer, Kelli Glover!!!!!, more Kevin Skinner, that precocious kid singer from a few weeks ago who pales in comparison to Ciana, the 60-year old female dancer!!!!, Barbara Padilla (the opera singer), Arcadian, and Voices of Glory and the bass singer getting more screen time than they deserve in this montage.

So that leaves about 15 minutes of Susan Boyle phenomena. We get an intro from Meredith Vieira that treats this interview like it is being shown for the first time, even though I think it was shown on the Today Show the same morning this episode aired. Oh well. The intro gives us some background on Susan's life before she became a Youtube phenomenon. She apparently has mild brain damage from being starved of oxygen at birth. That actually explains a lot.

Susan has a shorter haircut and is wearing makeup, and actually looks pretty in her purple dress. Piers talks about how she does not look like a typical pop star. Well duh. They replay Susan's audition clip with the judges acting shocked, which will always be my favorite part of the clip. Piers claims to have gotten texts from around the world right after that performance aired. The video has been viewed 300 million times (wow!).

Susan claims she does not want this journey to end. Meredith asks Susan when she knew she was gifted, and Susan claims she is not- she is just lucky. There is some truth to that though- people really need luck some to get to the finals of these reality shows. Just getting passed the preliminary rounds is often a matter of chance- what the producers like and don't like.

Susan's mother always encouraged her to sing, and when she died Susan gave up on singing. But then she decided to honor her mom's memory by going for her dream. That is a cool story. She was nervous going to the audition, but wanted to prove to herself and her mother that she could do it.

Then comes her downfall. She had a shaky performance in the second round of the show, and at the same time was dealing with articles claiming she attacked journalists. And, as we all know, she lost out to Diversity, a dance group who I actually think did better than Susan on that night (I watched their audition, and they were good not great, but really stepped it up in the finale and deserved to win). Susan was gracious in defeat, but was rushed to a hospital for exhaustion after the finale. She claims she just needed to get away for a few days. She just couldn't handle the sudden fame, which is understandable.

On the live tour for the show Susan has still been getting standing ovations. Meredith then pulls out a doll that supposedly looks like Susan but just looks like a dark-haired, pale woman wearing a tiara.

Meanwhile Susan is in the studio recording an album that will come out in the fall. Susan won't reveal many details, but Meredith has heard it is not all showtunes, which somewhat surprises me.

Apparently Prince William from England, the lead singer of Rascal Flatts (don't know his name), and Jon Bon Jovi have all given shout-outs to Susan over the past few months. But apparently one of Susan's biggest idols was Donny Osmond. So of course Donny sends Susan a video message wishing her good luck on the album. He even says they can do a record together, redoing "Puppy Love" as "Susan Love". Okay that was sweet at first but got corny really fast. He then promises to do a "Donny and Susan Show" instead of "Donny and Marie".

But as we know Susan's biggest idol is Elaine Paige, whom she referenced in that famous audition video. I've actually heard of Elaine Page but watching a clip of her their voices are very similar. Apparently she is the first lady of British musical theater, which may be why I've never heard of her. And of course Meredith then surprises Susan by saying Elaine is backstage waiting to meet her. Susan's reaction was a bit anticlimactic- she kind of just sat there in awe of the presence in front of her. Elaine says Susan has a "glorious" voice. To wrap up the interview Susan does a duet of "I Dreamed a Dream" with Meredith and let's just say Meredith should stick to her day job.

So what are your thoughts on this week's show? Were you as impressed with young Ciana as I was? Who are your early favorites to make the finals? And what did you think of Susan Boyle? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 8 Perform

2009-07-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all I'm still bummed by the elimination of Kupono last week but luckily we have a (mostly) strong group of dancers remaining to help cheer me up. Also tonight Ellen DeGeneres serves as a guest judge, and from what I've heard, provides a lot of laughs. I also heard the early routines tonight are subpar but one routine will make everyone in the studio cry. Well I didn't cry at Jason and Jeanine's dance last week like everyone else did but maybe tonight will be different.

Cat is wearing a sleek gold dress, and she looks gorgeous with her hair back in a ponytail.

Evan has awesome nerd glasses on for his early solo. All of the solos are pretty strong tonight, especially Brandon with his fast footwork and Janette with her sexy hips.

Tonight each duo will do two dances. Like last week the bottom girl and bottom guy will be eliminated on Thursday's 100th episode extravaganza.

For some reason I thought Ellen would be replacing Mary this week, but it turns out there will just be four judges. Hopefully they won't run overtime like Idol did this season. Mia is also on the panel this week as the third (now fourth) judge. Ellen gets the loudest cheers of the judges. Nigel is referred to as a "doctor" by Cat after he received his honorary degree last week, and even his name caption says "Dr. Nigel Lythgoe". Congrats!

Nigel thought this show would never work when he first found out about it and is happy to see he was wrong. Ellen learned all her dancing on the street, or actually from a man in her gated community named "Edwardo", who actually taught her something besides dancing- wow. That exchange was just weird. Everyone laughed but I really didn't find it that funny. Anyway Mary thinks the show keeps getting better and better and she has no clue who will win. And she calls Nigel "English Muffin" again! Mia finds it hard trying to outdo herself with each dance she choreographs, but once there is no challenge it is time to quit. That's great advice. She adds the show really pushes her as an artist.

Each performer will also do a group dance and a solo along with their two partner dances. Wow four dances- hope these contestants have a lot of stamina!

Travis was invited back to work with the top 8 on their group number. His dance is supposed to take place at a rave in the year 2300. It is a fusion of styles where each contestant gets a solo in their own style. That sounds kind of cool. Jeanine says the dance is not hard, but very fast.

The song is "Let it Rock" by Kevin Rudolph, which means I'll have that song stuck in my head all night. Some cool hand choreography early on as the contestants put their hands and nothing else on stage. They come out in lit, colorful outfits that make it hard to tell who is who. This is... weird. They are all kind of just standing there doing their own thing and dancing slower than I thought they would be. When they dance in unison it is better but still not really wowing me. It's still slow and the movements don't really match the music. On the plus side, Ade did another backflip and Brandon did some cool jumps at the end.

Nigel enjoyed the routine and compared it to Lady Gaga. He thought they were all terrific. Really? No one stood out as being bad but that's because the routine was so weird it was hard to watch individual dancers. Ellen takes fake credit for the wardrobe and claims she at first wanted Christmas lights but this works better. So I guess she's here more for comic relief than actual judging tonight. Mary thinks the dancing, costumes, and choreography were great, and she can't find anyone to pick on. Mia is proud of how well Travis has done at a young age. She also agrees to wear one of the costumes with Ellen Thursday. That I have to see. I didn't enjoy it as much as the judges did but there was no way they were going to criticize Travis after his great routine last week. I do think that the dancers did well with what they were given though.

Cat then gives us a sneak peak of the 100th episode. We get some highlights from past seasons and a graphic calling it the "Best Dance Show on Television". I think Dancing with the Stars has something to say about that but whatever. All the Emmy winning routines will be re-performed (with Wade appearing as a dancer in his own routine), along with Katie Holmes' Judy Garland tribute.

But first we must get through tonight's performances. The first couple is Evan and Janette. Boo that Janette got the worst male dancer on the show. They are doing a Sonja jazz routine where they are trying to get each other to shut up. The anger intensifies throughout, but Evan is not used to the intensity. Janette says she will pester Evan backstage to annoy him so he really will want to shut her up during the routine. Awesome!

The song is "Move (Metrononomy Remix) by CSS. This routine is kind of weird also. The constant mouth covering is just distracting, and I don't feel the anger between them at all, especially from Evan. At one point they are supposed to move their arms in a circle but Evan looks more like he is drowning with the way he flails his arms. I do see them getting more intense in their faces as the dance goes on but I still don't really believe it from Evan. Janette seemed to do okay with what she was given but this was one of her weaker routines.

Nigel says their personalities are coming out and Janette brought out the best in Evan. Ellen says it was hard-hitting and then start talking about the wine she had beforehand. Mary says it was fun but Evan could have been rougher. Still he was better than she thought he would be. Nigel then covers up Mary's mouth like the two did in the routine. Mary then resumes and says Janette doesn't take a wrong step. Mia thinks Evan took a step in the right direction by changing up his character but she is too cute to do that kind of choreography. She also says they need to hit it harder in the top 8 (I agree!!!!). She concludes by saying Janette is her favorite dancer this season. I'm surprised she came out and said that because now fans might get complacent and not vote for her. I am not surprised, however, by her choice, since Janette is my favorite female dancer and my second favorite overall after Brandon. Anyway I side more with Mia in that the routine was technically good but not hard hitting enough for this stage. Plus the choreography was weird too but of course the judges will never criticize that unless it's a Russian folk routine.

The first solo is Kayla. She dances to "The Moment I Said It" by Imogen Heap. She really seems to get into the music and dances a beautiful routine. The only negative thing is that her big smile doesn't seem to fit the style of the dance. But her extensions are great as always and she does some great jumps as well.

After the break we see our second couple, Brandon and Jeanine. So two of the best on the show are paired together- this routine should be good, though after reading that all the early routines were subpar (which so far, they were), my expectations are low. They are doing a waltz with Hunter Johnson. Jeanine is looking forward to being all flowing and graceful, but Hunter warns they have to be soft and powerful at the same time. Brandon is struggling with all the vocabulary and keeps zoning out during the lessons. Both are out of their comfort zones. Uh oh.

The song is "May it Be" by Hayley Westenra. The routine starts out with Jeanine on Brandon's shoulders, and they look a little awkward coming down from the lift. The dance technically looks okay but is kind of boring at first. It gets better towards the middle though, especially when the execute a cool lift where Jeanine wraps her arms around Brandon's shoulders and he lifts her up in the air without using his hands. They do another cool lift at the end, but overall the dance was decent but not too memorable. I did like it better than the first number though.

Nigel says the routine was tough and the music was so slow it felt like pulling teeth. I totally agree- that's what made the routine kind of dull. But he points out that this is of course not their fault. He adds he didn't get enough control and is disappointed in two of his favorites. Ellen disagrees, going on a weird rant about a German lady in a bathroom and then saying they were fantastic. Mary says the waltz was very slow and any pro would struggle with that speed, but they did a respectable job. She thinks they could have done more with it, and I also agree. Mia says if Brandon hadn't been daydreaming in rehearsal they would have been better. Ouch! She wanted to be taken away to another world but was not. Watching it again I do notice some wobbles but I still enjoyed it more than the weird first routine, especially in the second half of the waltz. I think the judges were too hard on them and not hard enough on Evan in the first dance.

The next solo is Jason, who dances to "Slowdance on the Inside" by Taking Back Sunday. The routine is danced well technically but is too slow for my liking, especially with the rock backing music.

Aw Jason's brother (who looks just like him with shorter hair) is in the audience cheering him on. I wonder if he's a dancer too...

The next couple is Ade and Melissa, being reunited after dancing apart for just one week. They are doing a cha cha with Tony and Melanie. Ade is worried about the speed, while Tony thinks the toughest part is the technique. Melissa too is struggling with all the steps and is a bit overwhelmed.

The song is "Yeah (Como Goza Mi Morena) by Chino Espinoza Y Los Duenos Del Son. Wow way too long of a title. It actually just sounds like a Spanish version of "Yeah" by Usher, which is kinf of distracting since all I keep thinking of is that version of the song and how it does not fit a cha cha at all. As for the dancing, it doesn't seem to have nearly enough spiciness for a Latin dance. I never like cha chas on DWTS, and this one almost seems to be in slow motion at times. Ade moves his hips well and all but overall the dance was kind of weak for me. But then again like I said I never like cha chas.

Nigel says there were good sexy moves but warns Melissa not to purse her lips and to work on her hips. He thinks Ade could have sizzled a bit more but it was well danced. Ellen asks if there are carpenters because they nailed it. Wow corny joke alert- she is fitting right in! The judges seem to like this dance a lot more than I did. Luckily Mary is more critical, saying Ade's butt was up too much which made it not that hard-hitting. So THAT was the problem. She thinks Melissa put too much effort in and lost her sexiness a bit. Mia thinks that was Ade's worst dance of the year since he didn't get down and dirty enough. I don't know if it was his worst dance but I agree he didn't bring enough heat. She realizes it is hard for Melissa to move her hips that much with her ballet training so taking that into account she did a great job. I think this dance was worse than the Evan/Janette dance, and since Ade was in the bottom last week he may really be in trouble tonight.

The next solo is Janette, dancing to "Seduces Me" by Celine Dion. Celine Dion? That's not really salsa kind of music. She moves around the floor very well and really shows emotion but I prefer her spicy salsa solos to this one. She did but some hip shaking action in that was great but the rest was only okay.

The final couple is of course Jason and Kayla, two of the least popular dancers, so they could be in trouble as well. They are doing a Broadway dance with Tyce. Jason is caught up in the music and Kayla is trying to make him focus on her. The routine is jazzy, which fits both of their styles, but it is so smooth they can't make mistakes. Kayla wacks Jason a few times in rehearsal but Tyce still thinks it will go well.

The song is "Mr. Monotony (from Jerome Robbins Broadway)" by Kim Criswell. This routine is by far the best of the night so far. The two of them let their personalities shine, especially Jason, and their movements are smooth and fluid. Jason seems to be channeling a bit of Evan, as he looked just like a taller, darker version of him, and Kayla uses her sex appeal and extensions well. Overall a great end to an otherwise pretty subpar first round of dancing.

Nigel says that style is beautiful to watch and then compliments Jason's feet. He even gets a Gene Kelly comparison. Well I compared him to Evan, who has been compared to Gene Kelly, so I guess that's kind of the same thing. He adds Kayla can do anything that is thrown at her. He thinks the dance was one of the best of the evening at showing off their personal talents. I'd take that a step further- it was THE best of the evening so far. Ellen says she wasn't expecting to judge, she only wanted a good seat to the show! Ha. She then says she'll invite them over afterwards so they can hang some pictures since they are good nailers. Okay that joke was old the first time she said it. Mary thinks the number flowed effortlessly, which it did. She adds Jason was cool and suave while Kayla gets a ticket on the hot tamale train. I actually thought Jason was better but both were very good. Mia loved the fusion of styles and thinks they danced it amazing, but tells Jason to work on his upper body to improve his lines. She thinks Kayla would fit right in on Broadway and win Tonys. Wow that seems like a bold statement after one dance. Mia adds that Kayla's picture would be next to "girl, perfection, and star" in the dictionary. Wow. Now I see why people don't like how much she is being pimped by the judges. I thought Jason was the standout in the dance but all they could talk about was Kayla. Either way those two deserve to be safe this week after clearly winning round one, while Melissa and Ade could be in big trouble.

The next solo is from Ade, dancing to "Hater" by Various Production Artist. Well at least it's not a ballad like last week. But still the dancing does not seem to match the choreography. The dancing itself though, is one of the best so far.

Evan and Janette's second dance is a rumba from Tony and Melanie. Great the other ballroom dance that I never like. Plus the dance is romantic, which will be hard for two new partners. Evan must be masculine in the dance, while Janette must be feminine. She is plenty feminine, but I don't think Evan has mastered the art of masculinity yet. And indeed Janette is doing great, but can't get the sexy Latino out of Evan.

OMG THEY ARE DANCING TO "HEARTLESS" BY KRIS ALLEN!!! Immediate bonus points for song choice (even though I know the dancers have nothing to do with that). I don't know if it's the music but I'm really liking this. Maybe it's that Evan reminds me so much of Kris Allen right in the beginning of the dance.The passion is so great I can feel it through the screen. Evan does much better than I thought he would, though I notice a few slip-ups and awkward moments towards the end. And halfway through his face starts looking weird, like he's crazy or something. But it is still so sexy and emotional that I feel like I'm watching a contemporary routine rather than a ballroom one (which is definitely a good thing). And Janette was great as always, especially getting the sexiness out of her partner. Overall it was one of my favorites of the night.

Nigel says he loves the choreography but it is a hard type of dance to get votes for because it's not a "wow" dance. He thinks that is perfectly Janette's style but that Evan didn't have passion in his face (hence the "crazy" look that I mentioned). Nigel blames Evan's droopy eyelids and says it led to a lack of chemistry. Wow I thought just the opposite. Ellen however loves Evan's eyes and the uniqueness of it. She also loves his essence and how he's not like just another dancer. She also loves Janette. It seems like Ellen is just going to say everyone is good because she doesn't want to criticize- like the guest judges on Idol a few years back. Mary agrees with me and thinks Evan did a very good job especially with a slower rumba. She especially loved the lift. She thinks Janette has the patent on spice and flavor and Tony and Melanie brought it out in her. Mia agrees with Ellen that Evan brings a unique quality to the stage and that he pulled off the sexiness. She doesn't think she has to say anything else about Janette since she said so much before. These two rebounded from an odd start and should both be safe given their huge popularities and this strong second routine.

The next soloist is Melissa, dancing to "Heads Will Roll" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Maybe it's her outfit but this reminds me much more of an exercise routine than a dancing routine. She just some nice moves but it's mostly a bunch of poses that don't seem to fit together. My least favorites solo so far.

Brandon and Jeanine will hope to rebound from their waltz (which I still think was the second best routine of the first round) with a pop jazz routine from new choreographer Laurieann Gibson. Brandon and Jeanine are nervous about how much work the routine is going to be. The dance doesn't have a story, which makes me nervous. Laurieann thinks if she can prepare them they could win the whole show, and she acts like a drill sergeant in rehearsals.

The dance is to "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks. Yay for another great song choice! And fittingly the two are dressed in sexy camouflage. The routine is pretty much them just standing there dancing, which for me makes it less entertaining than the prior routine, but they absolutely nail the choreography. They hit the moves so hard it almost looks painful, especially Brandon. At one point Jeanine grabs on to Brandon's back and they both reach out like they are trying to escape. Brandon then stands parallel to the floor and leaps over Jeanine. That routine was intense but I still really liked it. My only complaint is that Brandon was hitting it so hard Jeanine seemed a bit weaker in comparison.

Nigel says this is what he was asking for the whole night. He thought this was one of the flattest nights to date (remember he didn't like the rumba either) until now. He adds that Jeanine kept up with Brandon and that Brandon's strength matched the strong choreography. Ellen thinks they made it appealing to join the army with their skimpy costumes and calls it "daaaaaaaancing". Mary calls it strong, powerful, and dynamic and puts them on the hot tamale train. It seemed too powerful for me to be put on the train but dancing-wise they deserved it. She also predicts they will both make the finale, which is probably true, though viewers always hate it when judges say stuff like that. Mia thinks they went inside the dance or something like that. She thinks Brandon is a powerhouse and Jeanine did well keeping up. She calls it a "wow" dance, which it certainly was, though I wasn't as crazy about Jeanine as they were. I still think I liked the rumba better but it is close. These two also are certainly safe this week after that routine and their large popularity. That is bad news for Melissa and Ade, who so far are the only ones without a standout routine.

Next to do his solo is Evan, who dances to "Old Devil Moon" by Jamie Cullum. Is that the same outfit he wore for his solo last week? His routine is just so much fun to watch, especially with his personality shining through. He messes up some of his hat choreography but even so it was one of my favorite solos.

Right after the break we get Jeanine's solo, set to "Let the Drummer Kick" by Citizen Cope. Oh I've heard this song before but never knew who sang it or what it was called. I've never been a fan of her solos but this one was her best to date for me.

Next up are Melissa and Ade doing an emotional contemporary piece choreographed by Tyce. Melissa is playing a women who has breast cancer. I bet this is the one that makes everyone cry. Ade is a friend there for Melissa to lean on. Melissa thinks the hardest part is portraying the emotion and not focusing on just the steps. Ade thinks if they do it right it will be a very powerful piece that people can relate to.

The song is "This Women's Work" by Maxwell. Wow this routine is just as emotional as promised. I didn't cry but it still was moving for me through the screen. Melissa even has a scarf on her head to make it seem like she lost her hair. I don't even know what to write because that routine was so powerful. There were lots of great jumps by both Melissa and Ade, and I could see Melissa's anger and fear on her face. I loved Ade carrying Melissa around on the stage and supporting her. Another one of my favorites tonight. In fact it's probably my favorite.

The audience is in tears, as are the judges. Nigel says that showed him why he loves dancing- it can express so many emotions without words. He would be surprised if that piece is not nominated for an Emmy next year, as would I. He calls it one of the most memorable routines on the show and agrees with Melissa that the routine is more about the emotions not the steps, which it was. He also thinks they were the perfect couple to dance this, which makes sense with Melissa's vulnerability and Ade's strength. He adds Ade's strength allowed Melissa to do the jumps in the dance, and Melissa's maturity helped send the message of the routine. Ellen feels privileged having seen that dance and calls it the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Mary is crying the most and thinks she'll never forget the dance. She loves their vertical lift and how effortless Ade made it and how well Melissa trusted Ade during the dance. Nigel is turned around in his chair he is crying so much. Mia can't even talk she is crying so much and mentions how this dance shows the journey of the millions who try to beat cancer. She wishes Ade's strength could have been there for her father, who I'm guessing has or had cancer. She thinks Melissa is already there in terms of skills. That routine just saved them from going home and now puts the pressure on Jason and Kayla. They unfortunately have to dance right after this routine, so no matter what it will likely be a letdown. While their first round dance was strong it was not as good as these last three routines, so they will likely be in trouble this week.

The last solo of the night is Brandon, who comes out shirtless (yay!) dancing to "Ain't Nothing Wrong with That" by Robert Rudolph and the Family Band. He dances it well but even this seems like a bit of a letdown after that last routine. I do love the flips at the end though.

Jason and Kayla are doing a hip hop routine with Shane Sparks. Jason is a zombie who turns Kayla into his zombie mistress. This sounds like one of those weird routines you will either love or hate. Shane says they have to stick every move, and Jason thinks they will scare the panel and hope to scare the audience.

The song is "They're Everywhere" by Izza Kizza. The routine is danced well but they don't seem to be hitting the moves hard enough. And like I suspected it feels like a letdown after the last emotional routine. Still it was entertaining in a fun way, and danced very well, but it didn't blow me away like other dances tonight.

Nigel likes the Michael Jackson-inspired part of the routine. He did enjoy the routine and thinks the last few dances have saved tonight's show. Ellen thinks they will have their own talk show someday. Mary thinks Jason got bid by rabies and did what Shane wanted. They did, but that kind of routine just pales in comparison to an emotion one. She gives both of them screams. Mia says it is her favorite piece of Shane's on the show and loved Jason strangling Kayla at the end.

So overall the show ended well after a slow start. My favorite was Melissa and Ade's contemporary, followed by Evan and Janette's rumba and Brandon and Jeanine's jazz. I think Jason and Kayla are in trouble simply because they didn't have a wow number like the others. Their routines were fun, and the last one was memorable, but weren't the type to blow people away. It will be interesting to see who else is in the bottom four though. We could have a "shocker" with Brandon, Janette, Jeanine, or Evan there. Though Evan did have one of my favorite solos along with Kayla so that should help him garner votes as well.

What are your thoughts on tonight's show? Who do you think will be in the bottom four? And what did you think of Ellen as guest judge? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: MySpace Has Talent

2009-07-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all we are finally winding down these auditions. Now all that is left is those who auditioned via MySpace. I'm not exactly sure how this worked but we'll soon find out.

Apparently these MySpacers submitted videos, but the auditions work the same way. So what was the point of the videos? Were they like the early round auditions on Idol, meant to weed out the mediocre so that all that are left is the horrible and the great? I guess so. Now that I think about it AGT probably has those early rounds too so the judges don't have to see too many acts.

First up is "El Vegas", aka Jerry Katz. Elvis impersonator complete with backup dancers. But one of those said backup dancers tells Nick backstage that Jerry is crazy. Ha! He starts singing and right away it is awful. Piers has to cover his ears the singing is so offkey, but despite the audience booing the other two judges let him keep going. The backup dancers/singers don't even do anything except stand there, and they can't sing either. Wow that was painful- I can't believe the judges let him finish. Piers says it was the most wacked act ever. Sharon says the act was a letdown. David says he didn't know what was going to happen, which is why he didn't X him, but he still doesn't know what happened! Well the backup dancers lifted up an American flag at the end of it, and that's about it. He is sent back home to NJ.

Bad act montage: The Jumping Eagles have a jump rope act, which actually could be cool if done well, but these guys keep getting caught in the rope and bumping into each other. Shaun Berkey has a worse voice than Jerry Katz and sings something unrecognizable. Don Baldaramos pours water on his head and does a monologue of some kind that is just him yelling really loudly. Shaunie is sparkly, sexy, and a decent dancer but a horrible singer.

Next up is Ashley Groff, a high school senior who even has a fan club on MySpace. She used to sing along with children's songs when she was younger and has loved singing ever since. Wow she's horrible! I really thought she was going to be great but she's just offkey and then lets out a deafening scream. David oddly doesn't X her and lets her finish with another animal-like scream. David calls her Linda Blair from "The Exorcist". Piers was genuinely scared. Sharon calls her unique but thinks this is the wrong vehicle for her. They tell her no, and the judges are getting bored.

The next act is Ishaara, a Bollywood dance group. They are a group of college friends from Berkeley, CA. They would love to be the first Bollywood act in Vegas. I really love their costumes! Most of them are Indian but is white with blonde hair. The dance starts out a bit slow but once it gets faster it is very good. They are really in unison and I love the parts where the guys and girls dance separately. And they dance to "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire", which is a great song. One girl even does great spins in the middle of the number. They get a standing ovation from the crowd, which well-deserved. David calls it terrific. Piers calls it entertaining and original. They get three yes's and are off to Vegas.

The Flash do some cool acrobatic juggling on each other's shoulders, but we don't get to see too much of them.

Duo Design are two Poles who do a unique act that requires mental and physical skill. They practice all night in their basements. They come out with their shirts off, which makes Sharon happy. They start out with one guy balancing on the other one's head (!!!) and doing some stretching moves. That's cool, though it gets boring after a while. Piers agrees X's them. So they move onto their next trick, where one guy balances on the other's neck while the latter is on his hands and knees. I don't think I could watch that for an hour show in Vegas but they are good enough for the next round. Sharon says they have unbelievable control. Piers calls them oddly compelling and admits the audience liked them. David says they have an alien look (they are bald) but the act is alien cool. Awesome choice of music with the Star Wars theme in the background. Piers says no because it is too weird for him, but David and Sharon say yes and they are off to Vegas. Good for them, though I don't think they'll make top 40 unless they add more tricks. Next time they promise to include the judges in the act! Okay that I got to see.

After the break we meet Eddie Green. He started doing his act in a club but got such good reviews he was invited back as a regular. His friends and fans have told him for years to audition for this show. He has "a different type of puppet act"- okay.... He comes back with a giant doll version of Tina Turner. But apparently his act is dancing with the puppet and having her lip sync. That's it??? That's not really a talent. The judges X him quickly. Piers wonders what he does besides run around the stage. Eddie claims he impersonates puppets. Piers adds the expression on his puppet's face- horror and bemusement- says it all. That puppet's face is creepy. He is sent home to his club full of apparently blind fans.

Next up is Marcus Terell and the Serenades, a group of four friends- Marcus with three beautiful girls. They're doing a tribute to classic rock with a modern twist. They do a cool version of "Hit the Road Jack". The girls start out a bit offkey together but Marcus saves it with his great voice. The girls get better as the song goes on minus the poor harmony on the last note. They were good, not great. Piers says Marcus needs to ditch the Serenades because alone he is a star. The girls seem to agree that Marcus outshines them. I agree he has the best voice but I think the girls have potential. They mostly just need to work on their harmonies. Marcus says he'll never ditch his friends. Aw. Sharon says the girls' voices were rough but that can be fixed. David agrees the girls need to work on their voices. David says yes, as does Piers (based on their potential). So both Marcus and the Serenades are off to Vegas.

After the break we meet a college student named Charles DeWayne Dorsey Jr. He is a singer and keyboard player. His parents are his number one fans and are always there to guide him. Aw. His dream is to perform around the world and get enough money for his mother to retire. Double aw. He sings and plays "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and he has a very good voice, though not really my kind of music. He defintitely has the Stevie Wonder vibe going for him and is certainly good enough to go to Vegas though. Sharon says he has "it" and a bit of star quality. She adds he has a great smile, which he does. David agrees he has talent. Piers thinks they have found a star. He gets three yes's and is off to Vegas. I didn't quite love it as much as they did but he does have talent.

Good act montage: Encore is a super fast and entertaining dance troupe. Alycia Cooper is a comedian who I didn't think was that funny but the crowd seemed to like. N2UN is a great piano-violin duo- a lot like Nuttin' But Stringz from last year but with a piano. Kara and Corey Britz are a singer and guitar player respectively who are one of the best of the night. Kara has a great voice and Corey has some nice backing music.

The last contestant of the day is "Heavy Vee" who is a dancer despite being overweight. She thinks she has the talent and confidence to win this show. She moves her body very well for her size but mostly just flails around without any rhythm. Wow they finally ended the show with a bad audition- I'm surprised. The crowd turns on her and the judges do as well. Piers says she moved only three inches in the whole routine. The other two give her no's also but Heavy Vee says she still hopes to inspire others who are overweight to follow their dreams. I do like her attitude. But then before Heavy Vee can walk off Nick comes out on stage and offers to be her dance partner. The two prance around on stage, and Nick is hilarious, smacking her butt and everything!! That was awesome!

David thinks this was the best session so far, and I agree it was strong. I enjoyed all the acts that got through, especially Kara and Corey and Ishaara. Tomorrow night is the last round of auditions, which apparently must be short since we are also getting Susan Boyle's Today Show interview.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Any standouts so far? Post your comments below.

Hell's Kitchen Season Premiere Recap: The Return of Robert!

2009-07-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all so I'm now going to start blogging a third show- Hell's Kitchen. I watched the end of season 3 and all of seasons 4 and 5, and while I used to love the show I have grown tired of the incompetent chefs on the show, especially since I have recently discovered Top Chef, where the contestants actually know how to cook. Luckily from what I've read this season starts out with a lot of disasters, but overall the talent level is higher than usual (according to Chef Ramsay himself). I also heard that Season 2 winner Heather will be a sous chef this season and that several contestants will confront Gordon and one will almost threaten him. It should be an interesting season to say the least.

After an intro I skip so that I won't be spoiled as to what happens this season, we cut to JP standing impatiently outside the restaurant waiting for the bus of contestants. He even speaks in French (that is French, right?). JP is tired of being yelled at by customers and Chef Ramsay, so he gives the contestants a little warning before they enter. And we get another shot of JP running into the glass door! Ha! So he decides to give them some tips- courtesy of past contestants on a screen inside the restaurant.

First up is Bonnie, season 3 runner-up, who I remember being very pretty and having a great palette. She reminds them to always keep the stove on! This is awesome! Supposedly someone makes that mistake tonight though, and I'm guessing it will be Tennille, who said in the confessional, "Who cooks with no heat?".

Next up is Colleen from last season. Uh, should she really be giving advice??? We see the clip of her giving Chef risotto with sugar instead of salt- I would totally do that by the way, and current contestant Amanda also jokes she would do something like that. I like her already. Anyway Coleen's tip is to taste food before you serve it. Joseph is already claiming he doesn't need the clips, saying this is like being taught to tie his shoes. Which of course means he will make these mistakes later on.

Next is Aaron from season 3, who I only know because he collapsed in the kitchen during the season and had to quit the show. He also cried in front of chef the first week, which causes current contestant Van to call him a sissy. Well I can already tell the guys are just as obnoxious as Chef Ramsay said they would be. Too bad he's a jerk though because he's really cute. Of course he tells the chefs that there is no crying in Hell's Kitchen. This actually is good advice.

Aw that's it for the clips- those were fun! And I wanted them to bring back Matt.. Oh well.

Chef Ramsay then shows up on the huge screen, then in person, right away for them to cook signature dishes.

I always loved the theme song on this show. This season the contestants are in a carnival-like atmosphere.This year's contestants are Sabrina, Melinda, Van (obnoxious cute one), Joseph (who claimed he doesn't need any help on this show), Ariel (who has an evil-sounding laugh), Lovely, Jim, Andy, Tek (who looks A LOT like Ji from last season), Tennille, Louie (who already looks like a hothead), Kevin, Amanda, and Tony (who is shown as a half man, half donkey- awesome!), Suzanne, and Dave. I especially love the part where Tek throws a ball at pictures of JP and sous chef Scott.

Sabrina wants to be the sexiest winner ever (and if she does win, she would be). Kevin already has won several awards as a chef. I'm pegging him as an early favorite.

Before tasting the dishes, Chef Ramsay announces this year's prize. The winner will get to be a head chef at Araxi Restaurant, in Whistler, British Columbia, including being there for the Winter 2010 Olympics.

For the first time ever these signature dishes will serve as the first challenge for the teams. As usual, it's the red women's team versus the blue men's team.

First up is Suzanne's risotto versus Dave's ostrich. Chef calls the risotto undercooked before tasting it. Why would you make a risotto on this show unless it is perfect? Then again it seems Suzanne thinks her risotto is perfect. But both Chef and Dave agree that the risotto is chalky, crunch, and undercooked. Dave greatly respects Chef Ramsay and Dave fears criticism from Gordon would mentally damage him. Chef loves the ostrich, but calls the brussells sprouts undercooked. Surprisingly neither gets a point for their team- I would have though the ostrich alone would have been enough for the men to get the point but I guess not.

Next is Tek's shrimp versus Louie's sausage gravy over biscuits. Tek has been cooking for 10 years but has no current job. Chef enjoys the dish, especially the prawns. Tek even pats herself on the back in the confessionals afterwards. She seems like one of the early favorites to win, and appears to be a nice, honest person as well. Louie is a diner owner who claims he sells five gallons of his gravy dish a week. Chef immediately spits it out, and says it tastes like gunk. Louie is not amused. I think he is the one who is supposed to threaten Chef later. Anyway the ladies obviously get the first point of the challenge.

The third round is Tennille's lamb chop versus former marine Joseph's veal chop and vegetables. Joseph also fails with his brussels sprouts, so much so that Chef asks Joseph to taste one. But Joseph refuses to eat it without a fork. Geez it's just one brussels sprout- I don't think it would kill him to eat one with his hands. He does start out calmly asking for a fork, but then gets defensive when he claims he's "not an animal". Overreacting much? Chef meanwhile enjoys Tennille's dish and gives the ladies the point. So it seems so far like the ladies are the dominant group this season. Tennille then says in the confessional that she'll take autographs later. So she's like this year's Jen I guess- good cook, bad attitude.

Next up is Amanda's French toast versus Tony's mussels . Amanda goes back to get a glass of tequila for each of them, saying it goes well with the dish. Chef Ramsay, however, is not amused, saying French toast only takes three minutes to cook so she should have done more with her 45 minutes of time. I do think he was a bit too hard on her without even tasting the dish but at the same time French toast isn't the type of dish you make when trying to create a good first impression. I do like her kooky attitude though. Tony admits he has never been to culinary school and that he only needs to cook from the heart to do well. Okay... Cooking from the heart is great and all (ask Carla from Top Chef), but culinary school helps too. The dish looks disgusting, though Chef says he has potential and gives the men the point. He probably won't win, but he'll be around a while since Chef usually likes people with little experience but great potential.

After this is Melinda's lobster versus Jim's ahi tuna. Melinda claims the dish is rich and succulent, but she forgets the lobster, which is kind of a key ingredient. Turns out she didn't forget it, but she ruined it while cooking. Chef immediately discards the dish. Chef asks Jim to take off his coat, and Jim admits in the confessional Chef does intimidate him. Chef calls the tuna delicious, and the score is tied at 2.

Next is Kevin's steak with coffee over it versus Ariel's duck. Chef dislikes the coffee on the steak and calls the duck undercooked, so neither get the point. So much for my theory of Kevin being an early favorite. Lovely and Andy are also shut out, though we don't see what either of their dishes are.

So of course it comes down to the last dishes- Sabrina for the women and Van for the men. Sabrina cooks a pork tenderloin that Chef immediately spits out for being too spicy. Sabrina claims in the confessional that the dish reflects her because she is too spicy. I don't even know what to say about that. Van is a muscular country boy from Texas with a great palette (so he claims) who cooks some foie gras that Chef calls intriguing. The men win the challenge, and Van is stoked.

Now of course this means nothing since last year a bunch of the signature dishes were good but overall the contestants stunk, but so far it seems the obnoxious ones can cook (with the exceptions of Joseph and Louie). I'm already rooting for Tek, which of course means she'll get hurt/eliminated early like my favorite Ji did last year.

The ladies must clean up the kitchens as a punishment. Louie says it is right up their ally since they are better at cleaning anyway. So he's cocky AND sexist, which of course means he'll be around for a while just for the drama. Meanwhile the men will get take out from one of Chef's restaurants.

As I mentioned before, Heather from season 2 is back this season as a sous chef. I'm not sure if that's a step up or down from her prior gig.

The men celebrate, the women clean and complain. For dinner they get bologna sandwiches, contrasted with the men's succulent meat dishes.

All the contestants are given recipe guides on their beds to study for the dinner service. The women see them after they are done cleaning and then hit the books immediately. The guys spend all night drinking and partying, not studying, but that seems unfair since they may not realize they have homework waiting for them upstairs. A few of them might have studied instead if they had known.

And of course the men are all hung over the next morning and a little slow getting ready for service, while the women are working like machines. So it seems like the reward for the men was also a curse, which again appears a bit unfair.

Immediately the women are off to a bad start, as Lovely cooked something in advance that is supposed to be made to order. Chef is not amused. I know little about cooking though I'm guessing most items on the menu are made to order, not in advance, and I'm guessing by Chef's reaction that this is common sense in the cooking world. Suzanne immediately takes charge in remedying the situation, though based on her signature dish she'll probably just make it worse.

The new dining room this season is gorgeous, and there are new dishes on the menu as well. The guys apparently have not watched this show before because Chef calls out and order to them and they are silent in response. That's a big no-no. Tony then can't remember the order- another big no-no.

Tek then surprisingly undercooks the scallops, which gets Lovely (whose name does not match her personality apparently) upset because now her pasta must be redone. I understand why that is frustrating though. Jim then only serves four scallops instead of six, and Chef makes him count to six out loud!

The customers are annoyed having to wait for food of course, though I always wonder why this is the case. If you come to Hell's Kitchen while the show is being filmed you have to expect the food to be late/subpar because of the untrained contestants in the kitchen. I know the diners supposedly get paid to come to the restaurant but still they should come there with low expectations.

But tonight there is a special diner coming to eat- Robert!!!!! He's the contestant from last season who had to quit because of his heart disease. I loved him in the beginning then found him annoying as the season went on, but I'm surprised how happy I am to see him on the other side of the restaurant. And it turns out he is not just coming back to eat, but also to get another chance to compete. I just hope he does the same thing with Ji too... Apparently the contestants do not yet know this though. Interesting....

The men's second attempt at appetizers, done by Jim and Kevin, go smoothly. The red team though is still struggling to do the first order, mainly because of Tek's poor scallops. So much for my theory of her being a favorite. The men have moved on to entrees. So I guess the men are strong this season as well. Louie though puts a lamb in the oven without seasoning or searing, which apparently is bad. Searing apparently locks in all the flavors of the meat, so not doing this is a big mistake. The rest of the team does rally to help him though, which is a good sign.

The women are still working on their FIRST order. This time Chef notices the pasta is undercooked, even though the women all seem to think it is okay. Melinda then takes that as permission to throw out the huge pan of pasta, even though all it needed was a few more minutes on the stove. As Sabrina points out, she has a very "deer in the headlights" look to her. Chef yells at her but she still keeps that goofy look on her face.

Louie then moves over to cook the spinach even though he is on the meat station, not the garnish. As Chef points out, when he can't even cook a lamb he really shouldn't be helping out on other stations. Joseph offers to do the lamb, but Chef tells him to essentially shut up, that it is Chef's kitchen and they must follow his rules. I'm surprised Chef wasn't impressed by how Joseph wanted to take charge of the situation- I thought he liked that kind of thing.

In the red kitchen Lovely starts feeling sick and walks out of the kitchen. She starts sitting down and drinking water, determined to get back in the kitchen. It's hard to judge her without knowing how sick she is really feeling. Meanwhile her teammates continue to struggle, this time making a salmon that Chef calls a "bison's penis". Plus the salmon is frozen because Amanda accidentally put it in the freezer and not the refrigerator. Well it's not using sugar instead of salt but it's pretty close. She is kind of a ditz but I still like how reminds me of myself in the kitchen (then again, I'm not claiming to be a chef).

Lovely returns and the team gets back to work, as Louie again tries with the lamb. But this time it is ripped oddly. In fact he has a whole tray of lamb that looks like it has almost been ripped off the bone. I personally don't care if my meat looks like that as long as it tastes good but Chef clearly has higher standards. He kicks Louie out of the kitchen- hopefully for good, but I doubt it. Chef does tell him to pack his bags though, so he may be actually leaving. Which, of course, opens up a spot on the show for Robert. What a coincidence (not)! Louie has a few choice words for the camera on his way out the door of course.

Chef then decides he has finally had enough and tells both kitchens to shut down. Now he decides to talk to Robert about coming back. I guess Robert doesn't even know he is being invited on the show- either that or Robert is a good actor. Robert says yes in a heartbeat (sorry for the poor choice of words there). Aw his wife is crying too- she seems really sweet. I still don't get why he didn't bring Ji back though since she essentially had the same thing happen to her.

After service he calls out Amanda for freezing the salmon, and Melinda for overall being horrible. I think Amanda deserves another shot- she made one mistake, while Melinda and Lovely made more.

The women did in fact set a record for futility by not serving a single entree that night. They are clearly the losing team (especially because he already sent home one guy) and now must decide which three to put up for elimination. I'd say Melinda for sure, and then either Lovely for quitting or Amanda for the fish issue.

Suzanne accuses Melinda of not wanting to be here. I don't know if that's the case, I just think she can't cook. She is immediately nominated to be put on the chopping block. Lovely is the team's second choice, though Tek calls out Amanda for being a ditz. But she claims that was her only mistake, so she shouldn't go home, and I completely agree. The team then seems to stall on which two of those three to put up for elimination, but of course they eventually decide.

The first nominee is Melinda, not surprisingly. The second one (after a commercial break, of course) is Amanda. So of course the team does not listen to me. After throwing out all that pasta and overall doing horribly on appetizers Melinda by far deserves to go home over Amanda, but of course that means Chef will send home Amanda. Amanda says Lovely should be in the bottom two instead of her, but surprisingly Chef only asks Amanda and Melinda to step forward. I thought he would put Lovely in the bottom as well, though even she was not as bad as Melinda it seems.

Melinda claims she loves to cook- but of course that doesn't mean she can cook. Amanda says she never got a chance to show her potential. And the person going home is.... Melinda. Phew that was close. I'm already getting tired of seeing her puckerface every two seconds, and I agree Amanda has potential. Anyway Melinda invites Chef to taste a four course meal from her to see how good of a cook she is. Hopefully she'll remember all the ingredients this time!

Then in a final twist to end the first half of the premiere Chef decides to put Robert on the women's team. Aw I thought he was going to bring Ji back to fill the void but I guess not.

Chef calls Melinda "lost in space" and claims he sent her back to whatever planet she is from. Ha!

Supposedly this is the most shocking Hell's Kitchen ever- of course they say that every week.

As part two starts the men are upset to have lost Robert to the red team. He tells the women how to cook the dishes on the menu, and they call him a savior.

The next challenge involves attention to detail while cleaning shrimp. They must dehead the shrimp, remove the shell, and remove the private parts. Joseph of course calls this "entry-level" stuff. Chef picks Lovely to sit out the challenge to even the teams. The chefs have ten minutes to clean as many shrimp as possible. And boy do they have a lot of shrimp to work with. First Chef has a bin brought it, but then more shrimp starts dropping from the ceiling into the icebin. Well Chef certainly has a flare for dramatics.

Tennille has worked out a quick shrimp-cleaning system while Jim struggles working with shrimp that just had large "last suppers" so to speak. Lovely tries to cheer the red team on but is so half-assed that she is more of a distraction. Joseph sees the women/Robert looking lost on is confident the men have won, but Suzanne is just as confident the women/Robert will win.

Sabrina has seven shrimp cleaned to Chef's standards. Amanda adds an impressive nine to rebound from her near-elimination. Tex adds seven, and Ariel adds six to bring their total to 29. Tennille and her "system" though only had one out of eight shrimp correct, as she forgot to cut out the "sack" in most of them. Robert jokes in the confessional that she should have been able to see the private parts with her glasses. These are the kind of comments from him that annoyed me last year but for some reason this year they seem funny. Suzanne then adds ten shrimp to put the women on the right track. Robert though has only four shrimp to add to the total, chalking it up to his fingers that are as large as the shrimp. Ha! Still they finish with an impressive (I think) total of 44 shrimp.

Now it's time for the men. Andy has seven out of eight, and fish cook Van adds nine to bring the total to 16. Tony adds nine more to bring the total up to 25. Joseph only has five however, but the men still seem to be in good shape. Which, of course, means they will lose. Dave too has a poor showing with only four, but Kevin also has a nice rebound with nine out of nine shrimp. So the score is 44-43 with only Jim left for the guys. Why do I have a feeling he's going to blow it by not having any correctly cleaned shrimp? But right away he has one good shrimp, making it a tie score. His next two, however have sacks, so it is down to the final shrimp. After a commercial, we find out the last shrimp is acceptable, so the men win their second challenge in a row.

Chef calls out Tennille for her poor performance, and she cries in the confessional. What happened to "There's no crying in Hell's Kitchen". For their punishment the red team must prepare the shrimp and lemons for the shrimp cocktails to be served during dinner. The men meanwhile are going out for a seafood lunch in Newport Beach, including dessert on a yacht.

While the red teams prepares the lemons, Tek says she knows them better than people she's slept with. Ha. Ariel of course blames Tennille for the loss, though I'm surprised Robert isn't getting more of the blame. Then again he is supposed to be their "savior" so I guess they are cutting him some slack. Tennille then starts acting like a dictator to make up for her poor showing in the challenge, which of course earns her no friends on her team. She seems like this year's "contestant you love to hate".

At the reward Chef tells the contestants that being yelled at in the kitchen is the only way to get better. Joseph though is not buying what Chef is selling, claiming he came here to win, not to have lunch. Dave calls him "a little hotheaded" in confessional and I think that's being kind. I bet Joseph is the one who will call out Chef in the elimination at the end of this episode. Meanwhile the yacht arrives, with JP as the first mate in tight white pants and a striped scarf! On the yacht the men talk about how great it was talking with Chef about food. Except for Joseph of course, who just sits there shaking his head. Oh yeah he's definitely going to call out Chef later.

Back in the kitchen, Suzanne calls out Tennille once again for not knowing how to clean shrimp, and Tennille calls her "not a good person". This will be a rivalry to watch, though I doubt either of them will last too long on the show.

The men come back all cocky, which fires up Tek (and hopefully the rest of her team) to do well at the next service.

Robert steps up as a leader during the prep for dinner service. He helps them come together after their earlier fighting.

Meanwhile in the blue kitchen Tony is cutting grapefruit when Kevin comes over to show him how to do it properly. Chef then criticizes Tony's cutting, first for it not being done over a bowl, then for the shape the fruit was cut in. It's hard to tell if it was actually Kevin's way of cutting being criticized, though Tony seems to think it was. However Tony does not tell Chef it was Kevin's fault, instead taking the blame himself. I guess he believes in taking one for the team, which is a good attitude to have, but at the same time why take the blame for something someone else did?

Chef then announces that they will be serving scampi tableside during the service. He picks Van to do it for the men, with his charming good looks and big personality. I guess Chef hasn't seen the obnoxious side of him yet. Surprisingly he chooses Tennille to do it for the women so she can make up for her poor challenge performance. I thought he would choose Robert because of his personality but I guess he is needed more in the kitchen. Tennille though looks like she would rather have a cavity filled then serve tableside- this could get ugly.

Before the doors open we see Tony is still cutting grapefruit on the table rather than over a bowl, which gets Chef all riled up again. Now he is behind on the sauce, and Chef almost kicks him out of the kitchen, but surprisingly keeps his cool. I guess he remembers the potential Tony showed in his signature dish.

The tableside servers must coordinate with the contestants doing appetizers so that all the food arrives at the same time. For Van that means working with Tony and Jim, while Tennille must work with Robert and, of course, her new enemy Suzanne. This is going to end very badly.

Tennille tries to charm her customers by saying she is supposed to look like Whoopi Goldberg (which she does). Though she's not sure whether to put on a sex appeal act or not- I would steer clear of that if I were her.

In the blue kitchen Chef calls an order of scallops, and Tony is so excited to be cooking fish that he fires it up right away without communicating with the rest of the team. So the scallops are done but nothing else is ready. Whoops. Tony tries to think positive to deal with the situation.

Lovely then makes the mistake Bonnie warned of by not turning on the stove. She blames Tek for the mistake, but as Tek points out, you should be responsible for making sure your own stove is on.

In the blue kitchen Van starts the scampi but then Chef discovers Tony's scallops were no good. Tony has to break the news to Van, who needless to say is not happy. He even yells at Tony in front of the customers. That's probably not a good idea but he doesn't seem to get much flack for it.

Kevin helps Tony with the scallops, and the appetizers finally go out. Kevin does seem to talk smack a lot, but he seems less obnoxious than the others.

Meanwhile Robert strives for perfection in the red kitchen, but he ends up burning the food. He chalks it up to being overanxious on the big stage, like "trying to bust on the first night of the prom"- Ha! He also sets the stove on fire, and Chef is wondering why he brought Robert back.

JP tries to give Van advice for the tableside service, but Van just tells him to go away. The two must be put into a back room, where Chef tells them to keep their cool. Van still won't listen to JP's advice, and then proceeds to start cooking at a red team table. Well that's what you get for not listening to JP. JP tells Chef there is a language barrier between him and Van since Van is from Texas! I love JP.

Tennille serves a pregnant woman undercooked shrimp, while Van drops a pan full full of shrimp in front of customers. He runs back to get a pan and JP yells at him for running in the restaurant. Van continues to ignore him, so JP confronts him and the two get into a bit of an altercation. Chef takes the two aside before it gets too heated. JP says Van is not respecting the dining room. Chef tells them to work together and warns Van to listen to JP. The two walk back into the dining room, with JP letting "lady" Van go first. Finally someone to put Van in his place and see through that Southern charm!

Meanwhile Tennille is still backed up at the tables, which makes her team and Chef angry.

The men are working on entrees, but Andy has discovered his chicken is raw after cutting it. So he puts it back in the pan, but Chef yells at him for putting cut chicken on a stove like chicken nuggets. I don't see the big deal but then again I'm not a chef. Joseph points out Andy has a meat thermometer on his sleeve so he should have checked the chicken before cutting it. True, but I still don't see why cooking cut chicken is bad- it's still the same meat, just a different shape.

In the red kitchen Sabrina too has undercooked the chicken, slowing up the kitchen. Suzanne tries to take charge and tell everyone what is going on, but Sabrina yells back that she should stay in her own station. So I guess it's not just Tennille that hates Suzanne. I would have a bit more respect for Suzanne if she hadn't messed up the risotto in her signature dish. That makes her seem like all talk. Sabrina refuses to believe that Suzanne is right about the chicken and serves it to Chef anyway. Of course it is raw (even I could tell that), and he yells at Sabrina and throws it on the floor.

Tony is trying to impress with his fish, but falls behind with his halibut and then forgets to season it. Kevin takes initiative and starts cooking at the fish station. I'm surprised Tony lets him do that but it does seem like Kevin knows what he is doing.

Lovely then serves Chef some raw sea bass, but Lovely insists the fish is not raw. She even says in the confessional that he is old and must get his eyes checked! Wow. Then she gives it back to him and it is black.

In the blue kitchen Kevin serves raw fish, which causes everyone to try cooking in the fish station at once. This of course leads to chaos and no food coming out. In the red kitchen Sabrina has burnt the chicken and doesn't even realize it. So then Chef does something he's never done before. Aaand of course it goes to commercial before we find out what that is.

His idea is to serve just shrimp cocktails- since they aren't cooked, the contestants can't mess them up, right? That's his big plan he's never done before? Not that exciting in my opinion.

Both kitchens do well with the shrimp cocktails, but Chef thinks there is no point in cooking any food so he has the kitchens shut down.

Chef calls the night worse than the first night, which is probably true, though at least the red team got appetizers out this time. This night though had more people make mistakes than on the first night, when it was just a select few who were bad. He declares both teams losers and asks each to put up two people for elimination. I would definitely send up Tony for the men for his incompetence along with Van for his cockiness. For the red team I would choose Tennille for sure and then probably Sabrina for messing up the chicken or Lovely for messing up the fish.

Tennille claims she did a great job in the dining room, though as Robert points out, she served raw shrimp. Tony mans up and agrees to go up for elimination. The other men want to nominate Andy, who apparently made more mistakes with the chicken than just cooking it after it was cut. A lot of his food got sent back as well. But unlike Tony he refuses to admit his mistakes, claiming his is more qualified than the other contestants and thus should not be put up for elimination. The red team is debating putting up Lovely as well, though she claims her mistakes were not as bad as Tennille's, which is true. Yet I do think the fact the women was pregnant is not as big a deal as the rest of the team is making it out to be, as Tennille did not know the lady was pregnant until afterwards. She should not get that much extra criticism just because the women was pregnant. Of course she should get plenty of criticism just for serving raw shrimp to anyone.
The women also discuss sending up Sabrina, who calls out Suzanne for saying the chicken was raw. But as Suzanne points out, the chicken WAS raw. Suzanne is a know-it-all and takes charge when she shouldn't, but she was trying to help out her teammate by saying the chicken was not cooked. Sabrina was the one who didn't listen. The men consider putting Van up for elimination because of his attitude, and then, almost proving their point, he yells at them and threatens Jim, who made the suggestion. As Jim points out, Van is a powder keg who can't control his emotions. He even walks out on the deliberations. Well now if he's put up for elimination it's his own fault for not defending himself more.

Only five minutes left- is there time for an elimination?

The red team's nominees are Tennille and Lovely. I guess that makes sense since Lovely has a worse attitude than Sabrina and has made more mistakes overall. Chef asks Joseph to announce the blue team's nominees, but he says they can speak for themselves. Wow I've never seen someone who stands up to Chef as much as this guy does. Anyway their nominees are Tony and Andy. I'm actually surprised they didn't go with Van after what he did during deliberations. But the real drama is just starting, as Joseph just says their names without explaining why he nominated them. Chef asks him to say the names again, this time explaining why there were nominated. But Joseph refuses to do so, just repeating that they know why they are there. Wow. If I were Chef I might eliminate him right here. Instead he asks again to know who the nominees are and why, but Joseph just continues mouthing off, saying "I'm not no bitch" (which, surprisingly, does not get censored). The red team tries to tell him to show respect but he keeps cursing and mouthing off, even taking off his jacket, going face to face with Chef, and asking to see him outside. And then of course the episode ends.

Next week looks really good. Joseph calls Gordon a bitch, and then things really will get interesting. Plus there's a huge fire in the kitchen and someone goes to the hospital (it looks like a blue team member but I couldn't see who).

Anyway that's all for tonight's two hour spectacular. It's hard to pick favorites this early, but easy to pick those I'm not rooting for. I hope Joseph, Van, Tony, Lovely, Tennille, and Suzanne go soon, but based on tonight's show only Lovely and Tennille have really shown incompetence. I am rooting for Tek and Robert, and Jim is growing on me. I started out liking Kevin but it's hard to tell if his take-charge attitude in the kitchen is a sign of poor attitude or just a desire to win.

So thoughts on tonight's show? What do you think will happen with Joseph and Chef's standoff? Any early favorites (or non-favorites)? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 10 Results

2009-07-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all sorry again for the last post but I kind of fell asleep last night and then was doing shopping much of the day today. Anyway after reading some other blogs from the performance show it seems I was the only one who though the paso doble was halfway decent. But an interesting note is dialidol.com is predicting Jason and Kayla to be going home, with only Evan and Randi being definitely safe. Evan being safe does not surprise me, though if this is true it proves Randi is popular in her own right. I know Kayla is unpopular so I wouldn't be shocked to see her go, though she was very good Wednesday night. Jason also was great on Wednesday but I would assume he got more votes after that Travis Wall routine (which I watched again and STILL found boring, but oh well).

Anyway tonight Cat is wearing a shiny blue dress- it's almost blinding to look at, and must be ever more so in person.

The group dance is to "So Much Betta" by Janet Jackson. Maybe it's a Michael tribute without his music. The guys come out in black with pyramid hats, and then an angel girl is passed around them. Two other girls are fierce in white, and two others are fiercer in red. The routine seemed shorter than usual but I enjoyed it. The sychronization of the dancers at the end was great as well. It was a Wade/Amanda Robson routine. Hey I didn't know Wade's wife choreographed also. They're like TabNap but not shown together as often.

Cat then announces the four Emmy nominations for choreography the show received. I'm surprised the show is not up for Best Reality Show and that Cat was shut out of Best Reality Show Host. Anyway the nominations are for Mia's routine to "Mercy" done by Twitch and Katee (one of my faves from last year), TabNap's "Bleeding Love" routine done by Mark and Chelsie (another of my favorites even though I wasn't rooting for Mark or Chelsie last year), Tyce's routine to "Silence" (which got noticeably fewer cheers than the last two routines), done by Jessica and Will (don't remember this dance at all even though I really liked Will), and "A Los Amigos", a tango choreographed by Dmitry Chaplin (who was also on DWTS last year), done by Josh and Chelsie (another routine I don't remember at all, though it looked cool in the short clip).
The show was also nominated for Best Makeup. Congrats to all!

Oddly Nigel is not at the results show, but he has a good reason. He is getting an honorary doctorate from a school in England. Awesome! And that means it's ladies' night on SYTYCD- even more awesome!

First up is a recap of Wednesday night's show. Despite what Mary says about the strong girls I still think Brandon is going to win. The girls' group dance was better but both were entertaining. The producers chose to show Mary's critique of Evan/Kayla that criticized Evan, though they also showed Debbie's praise. Ade and Janette all got positive reviews. Jason and Jeanine's routine got a nice applause when it was shown on the screen, and the standing ovation is also showed. Cat oddly describes the paso doble as "fiery"- I though the problem was that it was not fiery enough. Brandon and Melissa ended the night on a high note. The recap ends with brief glimpses of all the solos- despite what other bloggers say I still wasn't crazy about Jeanine's. Still love Brandon's, Evan's and Janette's though.

SO pumped for Hell's Kitchen next week. Look for my blog on that show as well.

All the ladies are onstage after the break. Cat will reveal the bottom two- I'd guess Randi (worst Wednesday night) and Kayla (least popular). Both will dance solos, though those will have no bearing on who goes home- aka they are filler. Janette is safe (yay!). Based on the order they are standing in I'm guessing Randi will be in the bottom, Jeaninie will be safe, and either Melissa or Kayla will be in the bottom. Indeed Randi is in the bottom, which already means dialidol was wrong- more bad news for Kupono. She seems to be unsurprised by the news. Jeanine is safe (again deserved based on her strong partner dance). So it's down to Kayla and Melissa. Both were great last night, but Kayla turns people off for some reason and thus will likely be in the bottom. Plus overall her waltz was worse than Melissa's Broadway dance (though that was mainly Evan's fault). Wow Melissa is in the bottom instead. Well congrats to Kayla, who was excellent in the waltz, but I guess she is more popular than I thought, and Melissa is less so. Some other bloggers thought America is tired of ballerinas, and I guess they were right. And dialidol was completely off, since they had Kayla going home.

Next up are the guys. It will likely be Kupono and someone else. It should be Kupono and Evan, but who knows how popular Jason, Brandon, and Ade are. I hope Brandon doesn't fall into the bottom like Melissa did.

But before that we get another Season 6 preview. I still don't like how they are already pimping dancers for next season. One girl in yellow shows great passion in her movements. Today's featured dancer is Molly, who at 18 is auditioning for the first time. She is very perky in a cute way. I hate the weird version of "Against All Odds" playing in the background but I enjoyed her solo much better than the one from last week. The judges love her energy and potential. They don't actually show her getting through, but I think it's pretty obvious she does.

Now for the results. I am trying not to look at the order they are in so I won't be spoiled on the results like I was for the girls (I try that for Idol too but it usually never works- I can't keep my head away for that long!). First up is Jason- he should be safe based on how he did but who knows how popular he is. He is safe as well, so again dialidol was totally off. I did unfortunately glance a quick peek at the order, and Evan and Kupono are next. So Evan is safe, Kupono in the bottom, and either Brandon or Ade (hopefully Ade) in the bottom. BTW what is with Kupono's outfit??? Evan got fewer cheers than I thought he would. But indeed he is safe, which is bad news for Kupono, who is up next. Kupono got less cheers than Evan did. Indeed he is in the bottom- I partially want him to be safe because I want to see another shocked reaction from him. So it's down to Ade and Brandon- Brandon is more popular but I think people might not have liked Brandon's Hair routine because Tyce choreographed it. Plus his partner Melissa is already in the bottom. Yay Brandon is safe!!! That doesn't really surprise me (though it did seem to surprise Brandon). Evan and Brandon are more popular and Jason was great last night. So that means if Jason is great next week Ade could be the next guy to go.

I like both guys in the bottom but don't care for either girl. I hope Randi goes simply because she was worse last night and her solo was one of my least favorites as well. Ade has grown on me in recent weeks so I'll be sad either way with the guys but Kupono is so fun I hope he sticks around to redeem himself.

Next week Mia will be on the judging panel, and Ellen Degeneres will be on the show also! Cool. Then Thursday is the 100th episode, with dancers from prior seasons performing Emmy-winning routines, which will be great for me since I didn't watch any of those seasons. And of course the Katie Holmes routine we've all heard about will be next week as well.

Now we get the solos, which don't really matter so I won't comment on them in too much detail. Randi was much better than she was on Wednesday- very graceful. Mary calls her a "heavenly little creature", and she thinks Randi has been great every week but needs to take more chances. Really I think she is not memorable and benefited from Evan's popularity. Debbie though her solo last night was powerful (I disagree), but thinks she is in the bottom because of her paso last night (well duh).

Kupono does his animal solo from Wednesday night, which I like even better tonight. Mary says he has been a great asset to the show but had a poor night on Wednesday. She tells him to show more passion if he is not eliminated, and that the solo was not strong enough as well. Well it was better than his prior ones, though is still a bit weak on choreography.

I think they are all doing their solos from performance night. Melissa' solo didn't wow me then and still doesn't, though I am impressed with how long she stayed en pointe. Debbie thinks America is used to her legs and technique but needs more of a wow factor in her solo (and I agree).

I also like Ade's solo more than I did last night, though I still think the music selection was horrible. Love the flips! Mary says he's a star, and neither her nor Debbie seem to think he should be in the bottom.

And now as more filler we get the Black Eyed Peas, who apparently allowed the show to play their music during the first season of the show. I guess that move paid off! And they are doing their current hit, "I Got A Feeling", which I like much better than their last one, "Boom, Boom, Pow". Though my local radio station plays "I Got a Feeling" at least once a day yet I never knew who sang it until I saw the credit a few days ago on ESPN. Just shows how the radio station never says who sings the songs they play. Okay mini-rant over.

Hey they have the green lasers from their Idol finale performance! Man this song is so catchy- at least the chorus. The rest of the song I don't really know yet. A dancer comes in partway through and takes off her shirt to reveal a dress underneath, then walks off the stage after smiling at Fergie. That was random. There are actually more dancers in the back but you can't see them since the focus is on the Peas. And another random guy jumps on stage, which cues a mass spraying of confetti. Yet the dancers keep going without a slip. Still don't like the verses but the chorus gets stuck in my head whenever I hear the song. They are going on tour with U2, so that is exciting (and explains why they are on the show of course- to plug the tour!)

And now finally we have results. The girls are first. Like I said I don't really love either but Randi was worse last night. Indeed Randi is out, which for me completely invalidates dialidol. Melissa looks a bit surprised, though Randi does not (and for good reason). This is bad for Kupono though, because if no one voted for Randi they likely didn't vote for him either. BTW Randi looks so short next to Cat, who of course mentions Randi's butt during the intro to the recap. Of course her paso last night gets only a brief clip.

So it's down to Kupono and Ade. I know Ade has a better shot to win than Kupono, but like I said I want to see Kupono safe just so he can look all shocked again. But indeed Kupono is out, and like Randi he seemed prepared for the news. Well I'm disappointed but I figured it was coming so I've had two days to prepare. Plus I knew he had no shot of winning anyway. I'll miss his goofy personality though. And now I get to see a clip of his addiction dance from last week. I forgot about the crash test dummies dance! But only two seconds of the addiction dance- boo.

Both seem happy with the experience and are taking in the cheers at the end. Kupono almost seems satisfied to be leaving- he probably didn't expect to get this far.

So thoughts on the results? Were you surprised at Melissa and Ade being in the bottom (since I'm sure you weren't surprised about who went home)? Will you miss Kupono's personality too? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: Our New Susan Boyle- I Think Not

2009-07-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Hey all so far I've been kind of disappointed in the talent on AGT this year, and there are only three more audition shows for me to change my mind. I heard tonight's show has a Susan Boyle-type performer so hopefully at least she will be worthy of a million dollars.

Also tonight is the debut of Mariah Carey's new music video. Wonder if her husband hosting the show has anything to do with that?

Tonight's auditions bring us back to Seattle, which like I said in an earlier post is usually where reality shows go only to realize there is little talent. Maybe tonight will be better.

Another short judges intro. At least the producers are getting the hint about how much audiences hate that.

First up is Keg, aka the Lonely Ranger of Rock. who dreams to be a great rocker. He's been playing guitar since he was about four years old, and he thinks this is his true passion. He wants to follow it the footsteps of legendary Seattle rockers like Jimi Hendrix. He is a dental sales representative, but hopes to quit that and join the entertainment business. He starts out on drums, then does a midair split while going over to his guitar. He plays it while jumping around on stage. It's basically a one-man rock band. I actually don't think he is that bad but the crowd turns on him quickly. Piers X's him but the other two let him go to his big finish, a split in front of the microphone. Piers says he's the Lonely Ranger because no one wants to play with him. Keg claims the audience wants to see one-man rock bands but the crowd boos in response. Maybe it sounded worse in person because while he seemed loud he did have a good voice and guitar playing skills. He get three quick no's and is sent on his way.

Bad act montage: Silvia Brasil has a sexy outfit but can't sing or dance. Madmat, the Indestructible Man knocks an apple off a ladder with his foot, and that's all we see of him before he's X'd. There's even a pink gorilla called the Shanghai Pearl who just takes off her outfit and shakes her body a bit.

Kari Callin is up next, and I bet this is the Susan Boyle act since she does not look like a singer at all but claims that she wants to be one. She is a radiologist by trade who has been singing since she was three (she's in her forties now). She has a cleft lip, a deformity of the face that has prevented her from ever having a boyfriend. She never had the courage to fulfill her dream of singing until now. She once auditioned for a cruise ship but got turned away before singing because of her looks. She has a big, sultry voice that isn't as good as Susan's (or as Kelli Glover's for that matter), but still very strong. It sounds a bit offkey at the big notes towards the end but the judges and crowd cheer the most at that point. Considering her backstory I'm stunned she wasn't the "pimp" act of the night. The judges give her a standing ovation- I'm a bit surprised since I didn't think she was THAT good. Certainly good enough to move forward but she did go offkey at the end. David thinks she should charge that cruise ship guy to hear her sing. Sharon got goosebumps. Piers pulls out the "don't judge a book by it's cover" line he said when he first heard Susan. She of course gets through to Vegas. And hey another Mariah song- "When You Believe" is playing in the background.

Now Nick is back in NYC- I guess that means Seattle's talent did stink this year.

Good act montage: Simon Chaban does a cool fire acrobatics act. I wish we could have seen more of him. He does flips and twirls with a fire-lit baton. Awesome. Keith Johnson is like Eli Mattson but not quite as good. Piers apparently X'd him but the other two liked him. Pixie Mystere is a kid gymnastics act who are good, but would be better if they ditched those clown costumes.

Next up is a group of students called Reality. They are five college-age best friends who are like family to each other. They sing "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" and I think they sound excellent but the crowd turns on them quickly. They are basically like their own little mini-musical right there on the stage. Nick comments backstage their dancing is off but I was too busy admiring the singing to pay attention. Anyway the judges eventually X them. Piers says it was too old-fashioned and uncool, while Sharon and David says they should perform in retirement homes. Wow I'm shocked I liked them better than Kari. They get three no's and are sent off, but I think they'd be a big hit on Broadway.

After the break we meet Destined 2 Be , a group of dancers from Indiana who have faced rejection lots of times before. They have a robotic, electronic style that I'm not really a fan of but they are very good at what they do. David loves the choreography and thinks they were entertaining. Sharon agrees and loves their heart as well. They get three yes's and are off to Vegas.

Next up is Rashida Jolley, who sings and plays harp. Well that's a unique combo. Her father passed away a few years ago and now she's continuing the family tradition by being a musician. He was the one who taught her how to play and sing. Aw. She starts to play and blows me away as soon as she opens her mouth. The arrangement of the song is a bit slow for me but her harp playing is pretty good and her singing is great. Her big voice tails off a bit after the first verse but is still pretty. The act is kind of boring though- I started tuning out pretty quickly once her big voice died down. I don't know if I could listen to this kind of music for an hour but she is talented for sure. David says the singing blew him away but then she started beating on the harp (she almost sounded like she was playing a drum). Sharon says she doesn't know if the harp and singing worked, and I kind of agree. Piers says her harp playing was sexy and not what he was expecting. David surprisingly says yes, as do Sharon and Piers, and she is off to Vegas.

After the break we meet friends Matt and Anthony, who have a song and dance act. They are old college roommates who didn't speak to each other for a few months but then discovered a mutual passion in music. I have a feeling they are going to be bad. They don't even have a group name! One guy sings and plays guitar, while the other tap dances. The tap dancer is amazing, while the singer is good, but nothing special. At first it seems weird to see a tapper and singer on the same stage but the act got better later on, especially as the tapper really began doing some cool tricks. David says it was the best tap dancing he's ever seen. Sharon thinks it was fantastic. Piers thought they would be hopeless at first but found it unique and entertaining. They get through to Vegas, and they have potential to do really well on this show.

Good duos montage: Louis Bar and Laura Cantu do a sexy Argentine tango, though I think the dancers on So You Think You Can Dance are better. The Kalinins are a father-son act where the son balances on the father's head and legs. That's cool but can get kind of dull after a few minutes. Christopher and Laura Camp have a variety act where Christopher whips and cuts things in Laura's hands. Again I don't think that could sustain a Vegas show but they are talented.

Our last act of the night is 16-year-old Mia Boostrom, who got cut in Vegas last year. I don't even remember her but she sounds good in the clip they showed of her. I can't find any clips of her audition but she does have a bunch of songs on Youtube already. She sings "Georgia on my Mind" and plays keyboard. She has a pure, beautiful voices that really shines on the high notes. Her clips on Youtube are not as good as this performance is. She is not the best singer in this competition but is certainly very good. Sharon says she showed much more personality this year. Piers thinks her range as improved but doesn't know if she can win. David thinks it wasn't perfect but was sung beautifully. She gets three yes's and is off to Vegas, but with so many strong singers this year she will probably not make it too far.

And of course the show wouldn't be complete without Mariah Carey's new video. Nick introduces her as another "top talent". That's sweet I guess. And this is what DVR is for. Yay fast forwarding!

So that's it for tonight's show. Another night of good but not great talent. My favorites were Matt and Anthony, mainly because of the tapping. Mia and Rashida have potential as well but didn't blow me away quite yet. I also want to see more of Simon the fire acrobat.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Kari was overrated? Did you think Reality deserved another chance? What about the other acts on tonight's show? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 10 Perform

2009-07-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all I can't believe we are only a few weeks away from crowning America's Favorite Dancer. Tonight the dancers are given new partners and for the first time will be eliminated solely based on audience votes. That means Ade, Evan, and Brandon should be safe for the guys and Melissa and Janette safe for the girls. Anyone else going home would not surprise me, though I think Jason and Randi have the most to worry about. Jason has been subpar for weeks, and Randi may have been relying on Evan's popularity to get to the top 10.

Speaking of Evan, I wonder what will happen if he gets paired with Melissa? She's at least six inches taller than him. His height may also hurt him in the long run, but it seems his popularity is so great he can overcome anything.

Loving Cat's green dress tonight. It looks stunning on her and reminds us to save the planet at the same time!

Ade's solo has lots of cool spins. Brandon's is just a lot of spastic movements- has he been watching Kupono too much? Jason's was very cool as well. And hey Kupono makes a phone with his fingers at the start of his! Great idea- he needs all the votes he can get!!!

Tonight's guest judge is Debbie Allen. I didn't see much of her last year since she couldn't judge with Will on the show but she seems to know a lot about dancing and is well respected by contestants.

Nigel says he is somewhat pleased to lose control over the votes because the show is about "America's Favorite Dancer". Mary says any type of change for the dancers will be hard, especially having to deal with height disparities and trust of new partners. Debbie admits she threw her ice cream at the TV a few times this season after judges' comments but says her top 3 girls and top 3 guys are still in it. I'm guessing those are Brandon, Evan, Ade, Melissa, Kayla, and Janette, though I could be wrong. She adds that whoever leads a lasting impression on the audience should win.

Nigel reminds us we are now voting for individual dancers, not partners. Then the bottom guy and bottom girl will be eliminated tomorrow night.

Tonight each contestant will have two dances- a solo plus a paired dance with a new partner.

But before we see who the new partners are (of course the producers want to drag it out as long as possible), we get group numbers. First the top five girls do a Bollywood routine by Nakul Dev Mahajan. Hopefully it's better than Jason and Caitlin's Bollywood routine earlier this season. The dance incorporates folk elements from India and includes a cool looking prop that I missed the name of. Kayla points out that attention to details is key. Jeanine adds that it's a group effort so nobody can go in trying to shine individually. Nakul gives them the nickname "Bollywood Bombshells", and it seems to stick. Kayla is excited because the dance is really girly.

The song is "Dholna" from the Pyar Ke Geet soundtrack, and right off the bat I love the costumes. The start out slow and then immediately move into the fast part of the dance, with Melissa really seeming to hit the hardest. They then turn around and dance with mustached masks on the backs of their heads. The only bad thing is now I can't tell who is who. They eventually turn back around and do more insanely fast dancing, at which Kayla (who is in the front) really shines. But there really were no weak links in this dance. Everyone was great, and they all seemed in sync with each other. A fun way to start the night

Nigel says Nakul was cool and then thinks these girls are some of the most beautiful ever on the show. He then says there really was no one that stood out since everyone danced well with great personality. While I did single out Melissa and Kayla, that's mainly because they were in the front of the dance at the time- but like I said all five were terrific. He also loves the costumes. Mary calls it "Bollywow" and loves how fresh Nakur made Bollywood for the crowd. She could see anyone of them in the final. I think it will come down to Melissa and Janette in the finals, but that's more based on popularity than talent. Debbie agrees this is a close race and loves how much they articulated the Indian culture in the dance. She then adds this is the best top 5 ladies ever, which I can't argue since I didn't watch the first three seasons.

Now we finally get the first couples routine of the night. So is there a guys' routine also later in the show? I'm guessing so or that really wouldn't be fair to the ladies, having them learn two routines while the guys only learn one. Anyway tonight's first couple is...

Kayla and Evan- It will be interesting to see how the votes go with these two since Evan is so popular while Kayla is not. I know the votes are individual but you figure one partner's votes could influence another's.

Kayla loves having a unique partner. Evan is worried since Kayla is apparently the tallest girl though to me she really doesn't look that tall at all. I thought Melissa was taller but I guess not. This could especially be a problem in ballroom dance, according to Evan, since girls dance in heels. And of course they get ballroom- a Viennese Waltz with Tony and Melanie.

Okay in rehearsals (with Kayla wearing heels) the height difference is much more noticeable. Already these two got a bad break being paired together and then getting a somewhat boring dance. Evan is trying to dance tall, but Kayla is looking for smaller heels. At one point the two switch shoes! The heights are more even now (Evan is in fact taller) but Evan can barely walk in the heels. He has gained a newfound respect for girls who dance in those all time. I'm a girl and I don't even think I could do that- I can barely walk in heels. Kayla even jokes she will bend her knees a lot during the dance so Evan looks taller. This should be interesting.

The song is "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. Hey I've actually heard of this song! Well they must have given Kayla smaller shoes since the height difference was not that noticeable. Evan looks dashing in his vest and combed back hair, and he's actually dancing better than he has in a while. He is being outshined by Kayla with her beautiful twirls and lift poses, but overall Evan held his own in a tough genre. He did looks a bit choppy at times though. Aw he gives her a rose at the end (albeit a squished one).

Nigel agrees with me that they look the same height, and it turns out Kayla is dancing with flats and Evan with slight heels. Nigel though thought it looked more like a fast waltz than a Viennese Waltz, but that's more choreography than it is the dancers, isn't it? Yet he thinks the lifts were beautiful, Evan was a strong partner, and Kayla had great lines. Mary picks Evan apart for his turns and lack of power and says he didn't glide enough on the floor, which is probably the choppiness that I saw. Still I didn't think it was as bad as she said. She does compliment him on the lifts. She adds Kayla had better movement and quality along with great lines, and that she grows every week. I still don't get the smugness that others see in Kayla, or why people think the judges are pimping her too much when they have praised others just as much. Debbie thinks Evan handled his "big woman" well and that she greatly enjoyed it. She loved Kayla aka "White Lightening" from the first time she saw her, yet she feared audiences wouldn't accept Evan aka "Gene Kelly" (who apparently is hearing this nickname for the first time and is so touched he is crying). But clearly, (as she admits) she was wrong about him.

Overall it was a solid way to start the evening, though perhaps unmemorable with them being the first act of the night.

The partner dances and solos are going to alternate throughout the night. First up is Brandon, whose solo we are seeing for the first time. The song is "In Your Eyes" by Jeffrey Gaines. As usual he is great. His arm and leg movements are super fast, and you can really feel the passion, which apparently is something the judges have critiqued him on in the past. Apparently though the judges don't comment on the solos, as Cat segues right into Brandon's phone number.

The next new couple is Janette and Ade. Two of the favorites get paired together- good for them, bad for everyone else.

Ade is happy to have a little firecracker for a partner, though again these two have height issues. Ade is the tallest guy, and Janette the shortest girl, though this difference is more noticeable than Evan and Kayla's. Janette though loves Ade's fun personality. They are doing at TabNap hip hop number, which is good since the height difference won't be as noticeable. In the dance Janette thinks she has no funk, so Ade will hypnotize her so she has more funk. Janette actually struggles with the funk in rehearsal, which surprises me since I think she is the best female dancer. Tabita says she must step it up or they will "funk up" the routine. Ha! She seems to do better towards the end of the clip though.

The song is "Love Sex Magic" by Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake, a song I have heard of but never actually heard. Ade starts out with a great solo and then uses his patented hair pick to hypnotize Janette. She seems a bit robotic and stiff in her moves, though that may be part of the routine. In the rest of the dance she does a pretty good job but Ade is so amazing that I couldn't really keep my eyes off of him. It was still very enjoyable.

Nigel says they were both great and loves how TabNap used the height difference to their advantage by having Janette go between Ade's legs. Yet he does this all with two pencils in his head (his version of Ade's pick), which makes it hard to take him seriously. He then promises to use the pick to take Mary out of her clothes later.... Mary says the dance was funky and pure entertainment, which it was. She thought they were well synchronized as well. Debbie says they were mesmerizing together. I didn't like it quite as much as the judges did but it certainly was very good. BTW the height difference is much more noticeable when the two stand next to each other- Janette's head is up to Ade's shoulder!

I went back and watched this dance again and found it much more enjoyable the second time around, particularly the second half when Janette is getting her funk on and not being as robotic.

Next up to do her solo is Randi, another one we haven't seen yet. Her song is "Dream " by Priscilla Ahn. Technically it is very good but I don't quite get the emotion out of it that I got out of Brandon's solo. Though her spins are excellent, I found it a bit boring.

After the break we see Kupono's solo, which hopefully is like the solo he did in the beginning of the show and not like the ones he's done on results shows so far. The song is "Marina Gasolina" by Bonde Do Role. Well it was better than ones he's done in the past but still didn't blow me away. He basically acted like an animal and did some crouched dancing. It did seem to go by faster than Randi's dance, which I think means for me it was more entertaining, though still nowhere near as good as Brandon's.

The next new partners are Jeanine and Jason. The two are excited to work together since they are such good friends but both could be in trouble with their weak fanbases. They do both think they have similar dance styles, and Jeanine looks forward to seeing Jason's naked chest all day!
Ironic that the two who lost partners last week are paired together, seeing as they would have been partnered together anyway if the duos were not split up.

They are doing a contemporary dance choreographed by former contestant Travis Wall, who is choreographing for the first time despite being a huge fan favorite based on the cheers. Lucky for them two of the weaker dancers get their own style this week. The story is two best friends hooking up for the first time. Travis though is putting in all these flips and lifts that the two of them haven't done before, leading to lots of spills in practice. The chemistry is key for the dance to work, especially since Jason's poor chemistry with Caitlin doomed her last week.

The song is "If It Kills Me" by Jason Mraz. Great singer, though I don't know this particular song. The routine starts out with Jason giving Jeanine a locket and her stretching her leg up straight in the air like it's nothing. The routine has lots of great lifts and Jason does some high jumps but it's kind of boring for me, though danced very well. At the end Jason puts the locket on Jeanine and they make out on the floor! They definitely have more chemistry than Jason and Caitlin did.

The audience (including Travis) is on their feet, along with the judges. Uh oh- that's bad news for Kupono and Randi, and maybe even Evan and Kayla. Nigel says the choreography was great and only made better by the two dancers. He correctly points out that Jeanine finally has a partner who can keep up with her technically and that Jason was great as well. He adds that they have both become stars tonight. Mary is at a loss for words, so Nigel wants them to do the same routine every week so she can shut up! When she speaks she says that they are both stars and breaks down in tears describing how great it is for Travis to come back. She adds Jason has great strength and power, brought out by Travis, and that Jeanine has grown every week as well. And they even get a spot on the hot tamale train, yet she does a silent scream instead (finally, a silent scream!!). Debbie says she's known Travis since he was young and tonight demonstrates how the show is connecting dancers around the world. She thinks this was a magical pairing, and she can't wait to see it on the tour. Watching this dance again, I do like it better the second time around, though I wasn't as blown away as the judges were. Still it was certainly good enough to keep them here another week, which like I said before is bad news for the dancers on the bubble this week.

Next to do her solo is Melissa, set to "Gabriel" by Lamb. The rock music doesn't seem to fit the ballet dancing, but she does dance it well, especially en pointe. Solid, but not spectacular..

Cat then introduces Evan's solo, the first time the Broadway dancer had done one this season. The song is "Zing! Went the Strings of my Heart" by Rufus Wainwright. Why are the Broadway songs on this show never ones I have heard of? His solo is actually one of the most entertaining of the night, complete with tap dancing, splits, and a flip at the end. Plus the facial expressions were adorable!

Another solo! Well might as well do a bunch now since there are only two partner dances left. Kayla's song is "Rock Your Soul" by Elisa. Her solo seems much less hectic than her previous ones, and she shows great lines and flips, though like Randi's routine it was a bit dull.

Only two couples left to be revealed. Hopefully Kupono is paired with Melissa or he could be in real trouble since Randi is also on the chopping block. The next new couple is:

Randi and Kupono: So it kind of worked out that the favorites got paired up and the non-favorites didn't. Evan and Randi disappointed a bit earlier, but after Jason and Jeanine's great routine (and subpar solos from both of them) these two are going to have to hit it out of the park to stick around.

Kupono loves Randi's cuteness, and Randi loves Kupono's presence but fears they won't be able to get chemistry in such a short amount of time.

They are doing a paso doble with Tony and Melanie. Randi is terrified- all she knows is that she is the cape and Kupono is the matador, and Kupono is scared as well. I have a bad feeling about this. They struggle in rehearsals and go into panic mode. Tony thinks they have to work on the passion of the dance.

The song is "Dies Irae" by Karl Jenkins. When I hear "Dies Irae" all I think is the backing vocals in the beginning of "La Vie Boheme" in "Rent". They actually do better than I thought they would considering the pre-performance clip, though that's not saying much since I thought it would be a train wreck. The dancing itself is good but I've seen paso dobles hit much harder than this. They have the intensity in their faces but not so much in their bodies. It's kind of like a paso-light. And even the facial intensity goes away after a while. And Kupono does show his lack of strength when he really struggles to lift Randi off the ground. Overall it was still a decent routine technically but it didn't blow me away. The cheers aren't loud from the crowd, which really isn't good.

Nigel says the choreography was good but the dancing didn't match. He doesn't think Kupono was strong enough for the routine, and also calls it light like I did. He also thinks they had a lack of chemistry and passion and that the routine felt inauthentic. Ouch I didn't think it was that bad but it certainly wasn't great either. Mary says they didn't rise to the challenge of new partnerships and that it was not strong or authentic. She thinks Randi was there more than Kupono was but mediocre is not good enough. She thinks the song was more intense than the dance. Debbie thinks there were moments of awkwardness but thinks they needed more time to grow as partners. I think they should have gotten a bit more praise for their technique but I agree the emotion was not there, especially when watching the routine back a few times. These two are locks for the bottom three and are most likely going home, unless by some miracle Evan's fans suddenly turn on him.

The next solo is Ade. He is dancing to "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. Finally a pop song! And extra bonus points for going shirtless! He has a great flip along with nice lines, though the dancing doesn't quite match the music in my opinion. Still it was a solid routine, though not as good as his solo from last week. Cat mentions that Ade did something during his solo, though I'm not sure what it is.

After the break we see Jeanine's solo, set to "Violento (Up Mix)" by Bailongo! Wasn't another dance on this show set to the same number? The dance is cute and sexy but doesn't quite match the intensity of the music. Still pretty good though.

Our final male solo is Jason, dancing to "Train Fare Home" by Muddy Waters. His solo isn't as intense as I would like it but with his strong partner dance he should be safe.

Now it's time for our last couple, Melissa and Brandon. So two of the strongest dancers are paired together. The dancers feel the same way that I do, though Melissa worries about her height difference with Brandon. Even with that these two should shine together.

Their first dance is a Tyce Broadway routine. OMG they are dancing to "Hair". I'm excited now- a show I've actually heard of!! Too bad everyone one the other blogs I read hates Tyce's numbers- maybe these two strong dancers will change their minds. For those who don't know the show takes place in the 1960s and is all about hippie culture. They had some interesting poses, and Melissa's chin hit Brandon's behind right away, so they bonded quickly.

The song is "Aquarius". Yay one of the songs I know too! I'm loving Melissa's outfit- she looks like she could be in the show. The routine is kind of boring at the start, though it does get much more enjoyable once the lyrics start. The two are dancing it very well, and really embodying the spirit of the era. I especially enjoy the crazy flips and poses they do throughout the dance almost more than the dancing itself. Awesome smoke effect in the end, though you can't really see Melissa behind the fog. Overall it wasn't their best but still a good enough job to keep them in for another week.

Nigel talks about how big a deal it was at the time for black and white dancers to be dancing together like they were in the show. But, he notes, they had more hair than Brandon does. He loves how Melissa's ballet and Brandon's gymnastics were worked into the routine. Mary says it was unbelievable and groovy and they were stars of the show. Debbie says they are both powerful and technical and worked well together despite their differences.

The last solo of the evening is Janette's, who dances to "This is Miami" by Sander Kleinenberg. She is hot and sexy, especially with those hips. Man is she shaking those things! It's hard to do a salsa dance solo, but this was actually my favorite female solo of the night.

All that's left is the top 5 guys who are doing an African dance by Jeffrey Page. I've never seen African dance on this show so this should be interesting. Jeffrey wants the dance to be about men showing off to women in the crowd. Kupono will likely struggle with the masculinity, and pale-white Evan is also struggling. The dance is quick and hard, according to Brandon. The dance is all rhythm, not counting, which is tripping up the dancers. Jeffrey tells them to rely on pure movement and not on what they learned in class. But it has to be rhythmic or it will be bad.

The song is "Balant Funk" by Ayanda Clarke and Shawn Kelly. And thank you to Jeffrey for having them ALL dance shirtless! Evan has the worst body of the bunch so he even points to his sticking-out belly during the routine. The dance is crazy fast with lots of flips and tricks. It's so fast I can't even keep track of who's doing what, though at first glance it seems they all were doing well. Evan seems to struggle the most but he still does an admirable job. The dance was a bit repetitive at the end, so I liked the girls' routine better, though that's more a matter of taste.

Jeffrey gives them a standing ovation from the crowd. Nigel loves African dance and says that routine was one of the toughest ever on the show. He says nobody stood out as a sore thumb, just like with the girls, and I agree. Mary loves the costume and energy and thinks Evan held his own in a tough genre. She also mentions his pointing to his chubby stomach. She also thinks it was entertaining. Debbie says this dance is the origin of other styles on the show and is impressed with their stamina during that tough routine. Nigel calls it much better than Russian folk! I feel bad for whoever choreographed that routine last week.

Tomorrow night two dancers go home and the Black Eyed Peas perform.

My favorite partner dance was Ade and Janette's, though I actually thought of them were good (yes, even Kupono and Randi's). Brandon, Janette, and Evan had my favorite solos, though none of them stuck out as being terrible. Kupono's was one of the weakest but even this was stronger than his previous ones.

As for the results show, I think Kupono and Randi are locks for the bottom three and are likely to go home, though the rest of the bottom three should be interesting. Jason and Jeanine might be there because of their lack of popularity, though they don't deserve to be. Evan does deserve it but likely will be safe after his solo and because of his overall popularity. Ade and Kayla could also be in the bottom because of smaller fanbases, but it likely won't matter as Kupono and Randi were the only dancers who got poor critques tonight. Well other than Evan but if he's survived the past two weeks he should survive tonight which was actually one of his better nights of late.

So thoughts on tonight's show? What did you think of the group numbers? Did you think the judges were a bit too harsh on Evan, Kupono, and Randi like I did? Any chance Kupono and Randi don't go home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: More Auditions, Yay?

2009-07-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hey all I can't believe we are STILL on audition shows for America's Got Talent. When does Vegas week start already? The only good thing is none of the "pimped" talents being shown at the end of each episode have impressed me yet but now there is still time for one to do so.

Tonight we are back for more NYC auditions. Hey maybe I'll see someone I know....

Glad to see the quick judges' introduction this week.

First up is government contractor Jeffrey Widom. He has a serious job but feels good inside when he sings and even hums at work. His "singing" however consists mostly of yelling and awkwardly bopping to the music. Too bad he seems like a nice guy but he gets X'd right away. Jeffrey then takes that as a cue to start singing some Sinatra, and it's slightly better but that's not saying much. He gets booed off the stage.

Bad act montage: Alex Feldman makes weird faces, plays a recorder with his nose (Ew!) and pulls a bra out of his shirt. Dorothy Bishop looks like Janice Dickinson and probably sings like her too. Chris Evans takes off his shirt and does some double-jointed stuff. At least he actually has talent unlike the other acts so far. David Glass does a horrible Elvis impersonation and apparently doesn't know the word "stop". Nick literally has to push him off the stage.

Hey another cute kid! He is nine-year-old Tallan Noble Latz and he plays guitar. He does even have musical background in his family, and he loves coming home from school so he can practice playing. He adds that if he wins the million he will want his mom to quit work so he can spend time with her. Aw... Not very realistic, but still adorable. Sharon asks him what style of music he likes and he says rock/blues. He even got his father into blues! He names a bunch of his influences, and I'm embarrassed to admit I've never heard of any of them except Jimi Hendrix. Anyway he starts playing and the kid is amazing! If I closed my eyes I would have thought it was a professional. Though I'm not sure how many people can listen to just guitar playing for an hour-long show. He even has stage presence, rocking his head with the music. David says he has a great career ahead of him, and he loves Tallan's attitude. Piers has a nine-year-old son who can barely play "Three Blind Mice", so he is amazed at how well Tallan played. Sharon says he has the soul and charisma as well. He of course gets through to Vegas, along with a standing ovation from the crowd.

After the break we get a brief glimpse of a sexy dancing duo who get through to Vegas. They looked really good in the short clip but we don't get to see much of them. Boo.

Next up is 74-year-old Tony Ferrante. Based on his outfit I'm guessing he's an Elvis impersonator. He is a retired barber who always dreamed to be onstage. Well he'll either be like the Sinatra impersonator last year or he'll be a disaster. I'm guessing the latter. And of course I'm wrong on both fronts. He's a disco dancer, not an Elvis impersonator, and he is pretty good. There is a weird leg stretch thing that doesn't look like dancing, but the rest of the routine was quite entertaining. Not quite as good as the 62-year-old dancer from a few episodes ago, but that's understandable since he's 12 years her senior. Considering my father was impressed with the 62-year-old I'm sure he'll be in awe of this too. Piers oddly X's him, but the crowd and other judges are loving it. He doesn't even look out of break at the end! Sharon says he is entertaining and has lots of rhythm. Piers though doesn't think Tony's act is worth a million dollars. That's probably true but I still think he's good enough to go to Vegas- the judges can weed out all the lesser acts later, but as long as they have some potential they should go to the next round. David says the act made him feel like dancing. Piers of course says no, but David and Sharon (after a dramatic pause of course) say yes, so Tony is off to Vegas! The crowd demands an encore, so he comes back on stage one more time, much to Piers' chagrin.

Now about halfway through the show we find out that there are two more weeks of auditions (still???) before the Vegas round. Then like last year the acts will perform again for the judges, with the top 40 facing the audience vote in the semifinals. In the montage of acts through so far are some of my faves, namely Kevin Skinner and the Eriam Sisters, along with some other early favorites like the ballroom dancing kids, the siblings who brought their mother out of a coma by singing, and the yodeling dominatrix. But why are they putting this in the middle of the show? Why not wait until the end so that audiences don't accidentally fast forward through it?

Good act montage: Arthur Gulkarov looks like a belly dancer and starts out putting his arms and hands behind his head on opposite sides. That doesn't seem too impressive, but then he does a bunch of quick spins in a row. That's all we see of him but I hope he does more spinning because the beginning of the dance was just weird. Nathan Burton is a magician who puts a woman on a chair on one half of the stage, puts a sheet over it, and then has her reappear on a platform on the other side of the stage! That was really cool. I've liked a lot of the magicians so far this season but I'm afraid only one or two will make the semifinals. African High Fliers do lots of acrobats and tumbling, and even make a human pyramid. They were good, but I've seen that kind of thing a lot before on this show.

Next up is Kelli Glover, a singer who auditioned for AI Season 1. And unlike last week, where several reality show rejects auditioned for AGT and it was never brought up, we actually see the clip of Kelly not getting through to the top 10. Hey a Brian Dunkleman sighting!!! Jim Verraros got to the top 10 instead of her, and I remember that Jim getting through was a big surprise. After doing some Youtube research it seems she originally sang a Whitney Houston song in the semis where she sounded decent but not amazing, and the judges called her out for sounding too much like Whitney. They brought her back for the wildcard and she did better, though still not blowing me or the judges away. Here is the clip of her wildcard performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYYCq2dEtMc
That also was eight years ago so maybe she's gotten better. She gave up on her dreams but now is making a comeback on AGT. She looks completely different now- I like that she ditched the afro. She is singing "Listen" from Dreamgirls (bonus points for no Whitney) and after watching that clip I think she sounds ten times better now than she did back then. It starts out great and then she shines on the big notes at the end. She does sound very much like Beyonce, but I think that's a good thing. She's one of my favorites so far this year. David says this is a lesson not to give up and it was a great job. Piers though know if she can win. What is it with Piers tonight? Did he wake up on on the wrong side of the bed? But surprisingly he says yes along with David and Sharon and she moves on to the next round.

Hey there's an Elphaba wannabe in the crowd!!!

Next up are the Badd Girls, a pop group not to be confused with the Spice Girls (whose music is of course playing in the background). They claim to have the whole package and are born to perform. Well the guys certainly will.... They want to be international pop stars as big as the Spice Girls. The dancing isn't bad but the singing is painful- it's more like shouting than anything. They are quickly X'd. Piers says they have as much chance to be as famous as the Spice Girls as he has to be US president (which of course is zero, since Piers is a foreigner). David and Sharon think they sounded like cats (I agree!!!). The three walk off before learning of their fates, but not surprisingly all three judges say no anyway. And also not surprisingly the Badd Girls still think they are talented.

After this we meet the Platt Brothers, who grew up in the countryside. They had no television, so they would hang out outside all the time growing up. Their parents have driven them to theater, dance, and gymnastics classes over the years, and the brothers hope to turn their passion into a career. For today's audition they stick with dancing. First they do a little synchronized electronic dancing that reminds me of Diversity from Britain's Got Talent. Then they act out a scene where one brother slams a (fake) door in the other brothers' faces, goes to the bathroom (I think), then throws a pretend cup at another brother, knocking him down. They finish with some more flips, including two of the brothers tumbling between each others legs while the third does a handstand. They are very energetic and good at what they do, though I don't know if they could sustain an hour show either. I kind of found myself getting bored halfway through. David loves their act and their hair. Piers says they have the tools plus the sex appeal, and now they just need to add more to it. Sharon likes the interpretation of the music. They also get three definite yes's, and seem up to Piers' challenge.

The final act/pimp act of the day is a group of Post Office workers who have been singing together for 10 years. Two of them happened to hear each other singing in the mail room one day and decided to join together. Now they have expanded to seven members, including a 21-year-old and a 76-year-old. They call themselves the Spiritual Harmonizers. They start singing, and they are basically an a capella group, as one soloist comes forward while the others do backing vocals. The soloist is pretty good, and the harmonies are even better, though I think Kelli should have been in the pimp spot instead of these guys. They are very good, but she is better. Piers says the lead singer is like a young Stevie Wonder (wow I didn't think he was that good), and that is what made the act not boring. Sharon loves the show because it gives everyday people like them to show their talent. David is proud of them. They of course get through to Vegas and start jumping for joy backstage.

So that's it for tonight's show. I was very impressed with the talent, especially Tallen, Tony, and Kelli Glover. Even Spiritual Harmonizers surprised me, though I still think they did not deserve to be in the pimp spot.

Thoughts on tonight's show? Did you love Kelli as much as I did? And who were your other standouts? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 10 Revealed

2009-07-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hey all I can't believe we are already up to announcing the top 10! This season is flying by. Next week the partners will split up and we will see who really shines and who has been riding their partners coattails. But first we must lose two more contestants. I think Brandon/Janette and Melissa/Ade should be safe, but everyone else could be in jeopardy. As I said last night I would put Evan/Randi, Phillip/Jeanine, and Jason/Caitlin in the bottom three but Kayla/Kupono could end up there as well despite their amazing first routine. As for who will go home, I think if Caitlin is in the bottom she will be out, as there is no way the judges will cut Kayla or Jeanine and Randi was strong last night. Phillip and Evan are also likely safe unless they blow their solos so it will likely be either Jason or Kupono leaving for the guys. I hope it is Jason since I really like Kupono but if he does another bad solo it may be three strikes and you're out for the Hawaiian.

Cat is wearing a blue dress with a giant gold piece on her chest. Not your best look Cat. The dress is pretty but the gold thing is just distracting- too many colored jewels on it.

The group dance is to a song called "Seven Nation Army" by the White Stripes. Kupono, Phillip, and Jason start out looking masculine and tough in uniform-type outfits. Two girls follow looking just as tough. The others join in but most of the dance looks more like marching than actual dancing. They line up in two rows and Phillip walks down the row doing something with his fingers I can't quite recognize. They then start dancing in unison, which I like much more than I liked the group parts earlier. The men get their own section, with Brandon leading the way at the front of the pack. Janette then plays a bit to the camera, though she just looks like she is going mad. The routine ends with the dancers laying on the floor and on this wall of suitcases with Jason standing on top. Parts of that were good, namely the guys' section and the unison parts, but it was kind of boring to me and I didn't really understand what was going on. It was a TabNap routine, which is odd since I usually like their dances. And why was a rock song used for hip hop dancing?

Tyce gets the least cheers among the judges, and Nigel gets the most. And apparently it is Nigel's 60th (!!!) birthday today. Wow I'm surprised he's that old. Then again he's my father's age and my father doesn't really look 60 either. But I thought Nigel was in his early 50s. Anyway he then jokes he went to get botox but Mary had used it all up before he got there! Anyone else getting tired of the botox joke?

Nigel then addresses the rumors about a Michael Jackson tribute dance. Apparently they were going to do a tribute with all different styles of dance and a bunch of Michael's songs but Sony/the family wouldn't clear the music. Boo for Sony- that tribute would have been really cool. Considering how often I've seen Michael's videos on TV these past few weeks I'm surprised they didn't clear it. So I guess that mean the rumored-Paula Abdul choreographed routine is a bust too.

Cat asks Mary about the judges losing control over the results next week. She says she likes that the judges have some control (as do I), but the job is not easy and now audiences can fix results they don't like. I've always been a fan of audiences picking the bottom three and judges picking who goes home based on that bottom three. It prevents non-fan favorites from winning and also prevents shocking eliminations. I personally think all reality shows should adopt this format but they never will since surprising eliminations are part of what makes these shows entertaining.
Cat asks Tyce how tough it is to do two dances in a week, and Tyce says they didn't sign up for a vacation so they have to be warriors and get through it. Even though that is true the way he says it just rubs me the wrong way. I'm starting to see why people don't like this guy (though I still don't this his choreography is that bad- yet).

The first two couples onstage are Jason/Caitlin and Brandon/Janette. Since there are six duos left there will likely be three groups of two duos each with one duo being safe and one in the bottom three. So unless there's a huge shocker here that means Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom. I bet even Jason and Caitlin at this point must know they are in trouble being grouped with the top couple on the show. They are even clapping for Brandon and Janette as their package is being shown. And sure enough Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom, and they don't look too surprised. I think Caitlin will be out unless someone else really bombs their solo and Jason is on the bubble as well. Mary says they haven't had magic since their Bollywood number (which I didn't even think was that good) and they have to leave it all out on the floor in their solos.

The next two out are Evan and Randi and Philip and Jeanine. Boo. That means Kayla and Kupono are going to be in the bottom unless they somehow beat out Melissa and Ade. As for these two I think Evan is more popular than Phillip plus Evan was better last night so I think Phillip and Jeanine will be in the bottom. And I'm two for two, as Phillip and Jeanine are indeed in the bottom for the second time in as many weeks. This just shows that Phillip is really losing his popularity quickly, at least moreso than Evan. Evan has now had two somewhat subpar weeks yet has been saved both times, which means he is likely going to last a while on this show no matter how well or poorly he dances. As for Phillip and Jeanine, I don't think either of them will get sent home. The judges said last night they didn't want to send home Jeanine and I'm sure Nigel wants to keep Phillip for the tour. Nigel says the Russian dance probably hurt them with the voters. Then he clarifies how the judges decide who goes home. Apparently they find out in the morning who is in the bottom three and then decide from that who they think should go. The solos can change their minds, but they do take into account prior performances. I figured they took into account other factors besides the solos but I didn't realize they knew who was in the bottom three before the audience did. It almost makes it seem like their minds are already made up and only a really good or really bad solo can change their minds. I guess that's why Kupono survived two weeks of subpar solos- the judges had already decided they wanted to keep him for his uniqueness and didn't let the solo change their mind. But the solo almost seems pointless then. I'm not saying they should get rid of the solos, I just think they should carry a bit more weight than they do currently. Also Nigel mentions that the dancers cut tonight will likely be swing dancers on the tour. Hmmm I wonder if he's saying that because he's going to cut Phillip and wants to ensure fans he'll still be on the tour. Very interesting.

Anyway now it's down to Melissa/Ade and Kayla/Kupono. I read some blogs that had lukewarm reviews of Melissa/Ade's performance so maybe they'll surprise me and end up in the bottom. I think either way Caitlin is a goner since there's no way the judges will cut Kayla, Melissa, or Jeanine. But Jason could be saved if one of the other guys has a bad solo. Kayla/Kupono had the best dance of the night last night so hopefully they are safe but their second routine may have cost them. WOW!!! Melissa and Ade are in the bottom!!!! Kupono and Kayla look just as shocked as I am. I love when the contestants are shocked to be safe- it's so cute. Anyway I guess Melissa and Ade aren't that popular either, which makes sense since neither had much screentime beforehand. I was so sure they were good enough last night to be safe with two solid, though perhaps forgettable, routines. But YAY for Kupono and Kayla- they deserve it after that fantastic contemporary number. Anyway like I said before there's no way Melissa is sent home so Caitlin is likely out. But the male eliminee is more up in the air- Jason is the more obvious choice to leave but you never know.

I've already gone back and watched the clip of Kupono and Kayla being safe, mostly because I've loved Kupono from the beginning but feared his poor solos might do him in tonight. Now I don't have to worry!!!!! I almost don't even care who goes home now as long as Kupono and Kayla (esp. Kupono) are safe.

Tyce thinks Ade's lack of energy in the routines cost them votes. I agree he is the weaker of the two, though overall he has been better than both Jason and Phillip. But since the judges did not like him last night that much a poor solo could (but likely won't) send him home.

While we wait for the soloists to warm up we get footage of auditions for the fall season, which are happening right now at a city (hopefully) near you. Apparently these clips will be shown every week- what happened to the pro dancers they bring in to perform? Are they still going to come too? I don't know if they can fit in musical guests, solos, audition clips, AND professional dancers into an hour show. The clips will apparently focus on a standout dancer from each city. So basically the judges are picking favorites for the audience before the season even starts.

Tonight we see the Boston auditions, where we meet a guy named Teddy who comes in sporting a bowtie and plaid pants and claims to have a dance style to match his quirkiness. The dance certainly is quirky, with some spastic movements and others that look like he is going in slow motion. He is certainly talented but a bit too weird for my liking. Nigel says a lot of people will vote for him (though I won't...).

Now it's time for solos:

Caitlin- The song is "Stand By Me" by Playing for Change. The solo is fun but it doesn't really show off her dancing skill as much as her past solos. It is more a showcase of her personality. It does get going towards the end but that might be too little, too late.

Jason- The song is "Calm Touching by Evaline. He comes out shirtless, which will certainly help him get Mary's vote. The dancing is fast and powerful- I'm getting tired just watching it! He also showed some great jumps and spins while having some personality as well. That dance might have saved him from elimination, which makes me even more relieved Kupono is not dancing for his life (if he had been he likely would have been eliminated since Jason had such a strong solo).

Jeanine- The song is "Baby's Romance" by Chris Garneau. Her solo is solid. It did not blow me away like Jason's did but it was certainly better than Caitlin's. It had more material for one, and the spins and jumps were really graceful.

Phillip- The song is "The Diva Dance" from the Fifth Element Soundtrack. I didn't even know that film had a soundtrack. Anyway I don't like popping so I'm probably not going to like this solo no matter what. Indeed the routine does nothing for me but he does seem to be popping well. However after Jason's solo he could be in trouble since he has struggled outside his own style throughout the competition.

Melissa- The song is "Kashira" by Kodo. This show really reveals to me how much music there is out there that I have never heard of. I'm surprised she chose a fast song to dance to since she seems to do best with slower, prettier routines. This one too did not blow me away but did show off her pointe skills as well as her jumps and turns. Not amazing but should be good enough to save her for another week.

Ade- The song is "Windowdipper" by Jib Kipper. Hey that rhymes! The song starts out with a bunch of noises a computer makes, which distracted me because it made me think I had pressed a wrong button on my laptop. But once I realized I was mistaken the dance was quite good. Not quite as good as Jason's but pretty close. The highlights were the split jump in the beginning and the cartwheel/flip at the end but the rest of the dance was excellent as well.

Jeanine's solo was my favorite among the girls, though none of them were amazing imo. But Caitlin's lacked the material the other two dances had which is why I still think she's a goner. The men are more interesting since all their solos were very good. Jason's was my favorite of the night followed by Ade's, but the main reason I didn't like Phillip's is because I don't like popping, not because the routine itself was bad. Ade should be safe based on prior performances plus his solo (which got a standing ovation from the crowd) and Jason could be safe based on his solo, so it might be the end of the road for Phillip (as it should be, if there is any justice).

This week's musical guest is Kelly Rowland with DJ David Guetta. They are performing their new hit single, "When Love Takes Over". Oh I have heard this song before- I actually heard it on the radio this morning and wondered who sang it. Anyway it sounds better on the radio because here Kelly is shouting way too much. The background dancers, however, are excellent. One even does a bit of break dancing at the end of the song.

Now all that's left is the results. The girls are up first. The judges are unanimous in their decision with the females. Nigel reminds the bottom six that they are all excellent dancers who have plenty of fans out there, but they need to keep those who are stars. Those who have not reached their full potential as stars will be going home. Caitlin steps forward first and is eliminated immediately. Wow that was quick. I guess they wanted to do it fast since it was obvious who was going home- like what Idol did when Lil Rounds went home this past season. Everyone knew she would be out so there was no need to draw it out.

Caitlin's family is in the crowd cheering her on, including sister Megan, who we saw back in Vegas. She is crying but seems to be taking the defeat well.

Now for the guys. This is where it will get interesting. Again they are unanimous. That's surprising for me since I thought this was a tough decision. They tell Phillip to step forward. Nigel says he is great at what he does but struggles with other styles. But they are not taking into account that Russian dance since it was so ridiculous. I'm sure the choreographers of that dance are happy to hear their routine had no bearing on who goes home tonight. With all these negative comments, could he be going home? Yes he is!!! Wow I'm surprised, though the writing was on the wall throughout the show that he would be out, especially when Nigel said that those who go home could still be on the tour. The crowd does seem shocked as well though. Indeed Nigel announces that Phillip will indeed be on the tour along with Caitlin. That's makes sense then, since I thought the only reason they would keep him around was for the tour.

Phillip says he will miss the growth as a dancer he experienced, especially since most self-taught poppers do not get the chance he did. He also hopes he inspired other dancers to realize they do not need money or a fancy studio to dance- all they need is passion and creativity. A great message and a classy exit from the popper.

So we have our top 10? Did the judges get it right? Based on tonight's solos I think they did. Jason was good but not great throughout the season, but his solo saved him imo, and like I said last night I knew Caitlin was doomed from the start. Did you see Phillip's elimination coming like I did? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 12 Performance Show Recap

2009-07-08T22:34:00.001-07:00

Hey all sorry I didn't blog the results show last week but I fell asleep kind of early. Anyway I was SHOCKED Phillip and Jeanine were in the bottom three, though it shows he's not as popular as I thought. However Evan is pretty popular if he could survive dancing in one of the weaker routines in a strong night. I did think Kupono's solo was subpar but I'm glad the judges gave him another chance, and Vitolio and Karla weren't going to last much longer anyway. I did think Karla going home was the right call as well, since she was the worst female soloist of the night imo.

Tonight each duo dances twice so that they can fill two hours of airtime/so audiences can see who performs most consistently in different styles.

Love Ade's spins in his opening solo. Melissa is en pointe again. Brandon does an awesome flip! Kupono's solo is better than his dance for your life solo last week!

Cat is rocking the glam look tonight with the black dress and red lipstick.

Tonight's guest judges is the (apparently widely hated on the blogs) Tyce Diorio. I agree he was very harsh in his audition round critiques but I don't yet see the hatred of his choreography that is common. Though I haven't seen routines from him that I have loved yet either....

Melissa and Ade 1: They are doing a disco routine by Doriana Sanchez. They will have to be pretty amazing to compare to Brandon and Janette's routine a few weeks ago. Melissa is getting dizzy with the spins. They were so nervous they kept laughing in rehearsals, and Ade says it will be really good or really bad.

The song is "Move on Up" by Destinations. It seems a bit slow compared to the previous disco which is maybe why I'm liking it but not loving it. They are nailing the moves and the lifts and seem to be having a lot of fun doing it though. Melissa does a split WHILE BEING LIFTED BY ADE!!! Wow that hurts just to look at. The lifts were the best part of the dance for me, though the rest was by no means bad. Oooh Melissa takes a bit of a spill at the end, but luckily the music had already stopped.

Nigel loves the energy and excitement and thinks it was a great way to start off the evening. Mary says it was a disco pick-me-up, calling it well-executed, especially with the lifts. She adds it was the first time Ade let go, and Melissa was not stiff despite being a ballerina. Tyce calls it "freakin' great". He says Melissa has grown throughout the show and Ade embodied the spirit of the era.

Why is Gabi Rojas in a commercial for Fox?? Just saying. Do love the shot of Kris's shocked look when he won AI though.

Kayla and Kupono 1- They are starting off with Mia Michaels contemporary. The piece is about addiction, which as she points out is a common idea that viewers will relate to. Kupono is the item Kayla is addicted to. I'd love to be addicted to him!!!! But Kupono doesn't like being a negative idea since he knows people who were actually addicted to drugs. Aw he breaks down crying in the clip- sympathy points!!!

The song is "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. Wow she has another song besides "Love Song"??? I usually don't like Mia's routines but this just made me say "Wow". It was so emotional yet beautiful and Kupono really did look like an evil addiction with Kayla his struggling victim. I loved the part where Kayla reaches her hand up in the air while Kupono grabs on tight but really the whole routine was just stunning. My only complaint is I don't know if they were completely in sync in the beginning but otherwise I loved it.

Even Mia is in tears!!! Nigel thinks Kayla's dancing is superb but she needs to stop covering her eyes with her face. He says Kupono was dark, especially when he smirked (so true). Mary says Kupono stayed in character the whole dance and Kayla was flawless (guess they didn't get the memo that bloggers are not liking the Kayla pimping by the judges). Tyce says he feels like he had an experience more than a dance. He adds Kayla is a beast and Kupono is a bit too feminine in his movements (boo!) but sold it with his face. They are on the bubble for making the top 10 but that dance might save them.

Jason and Caitlin 1- They are doing a foxtrot with a jazz twist. Jason is a macho man chasing after the elegant Caitlin. Caitlin is glad to not be in an alien costume this week. Jason struggles with posture but Caitlin thinks they will do great.

They dance to "Minnie the Moocher" by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. This sounds like the song they play at football games but with a weird beat to it. The routine has great lifts but seems a bit lackluster to me, especially from Caitlin. It is danced okay but doesn't blow me away like the last routine did. Though that could be because the last routine was so great. Nigel says Caitlin made it look easy and Jason had good footwork. He adds it was better than rehearsal. Oddly he seemed happier with Caitlin's performance than I did. Mary agrees they made it look easy and Caitlin looked like she was floating. Tyce (after beating Mary in a snapping contest) says they captured the essence of the dance but thinks they could have glided more. It was danced well, but I already don't like foxtrots and it kind of paled in comparison to the emotional previous dance.

Jeanine and Phillip 1- They are doing a Russian folk dance I can't spell with Youri Nelzine and Lilia Babenko. Well at least they didn't get hip hop again. The routine seems very fast from the rehearsals. The story is a playful competition between the two.

The song is a Russian song called Kalinka by Baryna. The costumes though make Jeanine look like a giant doll. Jeanine gets an awesome solo at the beginning and towards the end but the rest was a little weird for my tastes. Phillip didn't always seem to be hitting as hard as his partner and they didn't always seem together in the unison parts. Jeanine does do an awesome close-to-the-ground spin at the end. Nigel says it felt like there wasn't enough material in the dance, calling it too folky for his taste- though he seems more critical of the style than the dancing. Mary says Jeanine made it look effortless and believable though agrees the material was a bit simple. Phillip had some tough movements as well but as a whole she agrees the dance was not difficult. Tyce says they did well with the dance for what they were given and even Phillip did well. I disagree on that point but I agree the dance as a whole did not really work, which could hurt them with voters.

Evan and Randi 1- They are doing a TabNap hip hop routine where Randi finds out she is pregnant. Evan is happy there is acting in the piece, while Randi is nervous about the little details of the dance.

Yay they are dancing to "Halo". Already I love the song choice. And Evan is going to propose to Randi- how cute! Hey Evan can do hip hop- who knew? The dance is a bit light for hip hop but still very entertaining. I loved Evan's proposal midway, and they stay in unison throughout. Not a wow moment but still a solid job. Randi to me was more believable but Evan held his own.

Nigel loves how TabNap let them be themselves while doing hip hop. He also says they are one of his favorite couples. Mary didn't think they could do hip hop but agrees they did a great job. She was waiting for Evan to make a mistake but he didn't. Randi stood out as usual. Tyce thinks Evan needs to find a bit more but Randi did a great job.

Brandon and Janette 1: They are doing an authentic Argentine Tango, a sexy dance according to Brandon. They have a hard time being intimate with each other since they are good friends. Janette and the choreographers all speak Spanish but Brandon doesn't so they had conversations in Spanish to confuse him. Hilarious.

The song is "Libertango" from the Forever Tango soundtrack (apparently that's an old Broadway show). I am not a big tango fan so I was kind of bored but the dancing was really impressive. They had great lines and emotion throughout and I loved the kicking parts in particular.

Nigel gives them a standing ovation, and the other three join in. Wow that's like when Simon stood up after Adam Lambert did "Mad World" this year. Janette gives the choreographers some love. Nigel thinks it was as close to perfect a ballroom routine as he's seen on the show. Mary says the temperature is rising and calls it outstanding. She says Brandon has not disappointed her yet and Janette is flawless. And they get tickets on the hot tamale train of course. Tyce loved the attention to detail and compares it to orange juice (in a good way). I didn't love it as much as they did but that's because I don't like tangos that much. However, I can and do appreciate how well it was danced.

After round one my favorites were Kupono and Kayla, and everyone else was solid except Phillip and Jeanine, who were hurt by odd choreography. They'll have to step it up in round 2 to stay out of the bottom three for a second week in a row.

Cat reminds us next week the partners are switched up, so these may be their final routines with each other. So for the packages before round 2 we hear what each dancer will miss about their partners.

Melissa and Ade 2- Melissa has so much fun with Ade and starts crying thinking about leaving him. Ade thinks Melissa is an amazing dancer so he'll miss having her as a partner. Their last dance is a waltz. Yay another type of dance I don't like :(. Melissa is concerned about the details of the dance, and Ade is focusing on having the right amount of passion. The choreographer thinks Ade's strength and Melissa's grace will be a good combination for the piece.

The song is "Natural Woman" by Mary J. Blige. First of all, I didn't realize someone besides Aretha sang this song. Second of all, this song for a waltz? Really? But it doesn't matter because the routine is great. It was beautifully danced, and this coming from a girl who doesn't like waltzes. Melissa had great grace as expected but Ade showed some as well. Plus he had some great spins towards the end. The strong lift in the middle was another highlight. I even liked it better than their disco earlier. Another solid job by them that should ensure their placement in the top 10.

Nigel thought it was beautiful and played to their strengths. Melissa had great lines and Ade showed his great strength in his upper body. He wishes Ade had more rise and fall in his feet but still thinks it was beautifully danced. Mary adds Ade makes lifts effortless with the lifts but he didn't have enough power in the rest of the dance. I agree but I thought he was supposed to be acting graceful- I guess not. But her eyes kept going to Melissa, who she calls mesmerizing despite her older age. Mary doesn't want their partnership to break up, but Nigel wishes he could break up with Mary for a week. She calls him an "English Muffin" in return! Ha! Tyce thinks Ade needed to work a bit harder to match the strong music since he made it look too effortless. Okay.... He still thought it was well danced though.

Kupono and Kayla 2- Kayla will miss Kupono's positive energy. Kupono will miss Kayla's comforting sweaty hands and feet. I love him! Their final dance is a Broadway number from Joey Dowling. It is a simple "love at first sight" dance. It's another dance with strong acting, which they did well in the first dance. Kayla thinks it will be entertaining once they get the characters down.

The song is "The Dance at the Gym" from West Side Story aka the really long dance number in the show. The dance is fun and done well but I thought the choreography was a bit cheesy. Plus something seemed missing that I can't really put my finger on. I loved the part on the stairs, but it was not nearly as good as their first piece.

Nigel says they just danced the movements but their was no true emotion in it. They danced it well but it needed more. I kind of agree. Mary thinks they did a good job but agrees they could have done more. The synchronization was good, and Kupono did well outside his style. Of course she compliments Kayla as well. Tyce agrees they needed to make the dance part of who they are but agreed it was danced well. This dance might hurt them especially since it was their second dance of the night so I think they'll end up in the bottom as a result. They were probably going to be there anyway but this dance sealed it. There's no way they'll send Kayla home but Kupono needs to step up his solos or he'll be going back to Hawaii.

Jason and Caitlin 2- Caitlin will miss Jason's calming hugs. Jason will miss Caitlin's quirky personality and jokes. They are doing a Mandy Moore lyrical jazz routine. The two are going to be in their own style of contemporary so they can show off their skills more. The dance apparently has a bit of everything, and both are confident in how it will turn out.

Oooh Jason comes out shirtless- that's a good start! The song is "Show Me Heaven" by Maria McKee. The dance starts out with a lot of walking and not a lot of dancing but once the dancing starts it is pretty good. I feel like something is missing though- I think it's that I didn't connect to the piece emotionally like I did with Kayla and Kupono's first piece.

Nigel says they worked hard and it was technically good but lacked in chemistry. Exactly! Mary didn't see magic in the piece despite some bright spots. She thinks the world will love Jason's face and he makes it effortless. She also compliments Caitlin's lines. But she adds at the end the piece was not memorable. I agree with that as well. Tyce says they were in sync and had good lines but thinks they played it safe too much. I think that routine plus a decent but also not memorable foxtrot should ensure them a place in the bottom three.

Phillip and Jeanine 2: Jeanine will miss Phillip's heart, and Phillip will miss Jeanine's uplifting positive spirit. They are doing a jive with Tim Meredith. Ooh a ballroom routine for the popper- wonder how he will handle it? Phillip is a sailor coming home being teased by his love interest Jeanine. Apparently the routine has lots of crotch grabs and chests in faces. Jeanine hopes their second chance at ballroom is better than their first (the tango a few weeks back when they should have been in the bottom but were not).

The song is "Stuff Like That There" by Bette Midler, aka the song that got Kelly Clarkson famous on Idol Season 1. Anyway the dance is okay but Phillip still seems to be struggling with the ballroom dances, as he appears heavy and awkward during the routine. He also seems to trip at one point though I can't tell if that was part of the choreography or not. It was better than his tango though. Jeanine seemed to do well though I mostly focused on Phillip because of his past struggles in this genre. Though to give Phillip credit he got into the character well.

Nigel says the choreography was great and that Phillip was the best he's been out of his own style. I guess that's true but it's not really saying much since he wasn't that good in any style in the past. Then he praises Jeanine as belonging in the top 10. She should be here next week, though Phillip is more of a question. Mary guarantees Jeanine will be there next week and Phillip surprised her by not crashing, which apparently he did in rehearsal. She also throws some praise Jeanine's way, saying she was on fire an on the hot tamale train. Tyce calls it fantastic, saying Phillip makes up for poor technique with good performance and that Jeanine is a star. Go figure the one week I don't like Phillip they are surprised. I guess their expectations were low which is why they were impressed just that he didn't fall. They still may be in trouble though because of their first dance and the popularity of Evan/Randi, Ade/Melissa, and Brandon/Janette.

Evan and Randi 2: Randi will miss Evan's goofy look of seduction. Evan will miss laughing with Randi in rehearsals. Their last dance is a samba with Pasha and Anya, and Evan is nervous about his hips. Randi is afraid to look stupid doing sexy moves.

The song is "Ritmo De Bom Bom" by Jubaba. Wow does Randi look hot in that costume! Overall I think they do a decent job. The hip action was excellent and Evan was better than I expected. I didn't really believe the sex appeal between the two but it was danced well. Very jungle-like at the end, which I'm guessing was the point.

Nigel says Evan is not a hot samba king but Randi is attractive. He says the routine was not as hot as he would have liked it, and I agree though I still enjoyed it moreso than the jive. Mary says there was a slow sizzle involved but it wasn't dynamic enough from Evan, who she thinks didn't push it hard enough. Tyce says Evan needed to study past dances to see how to do the dance but Randi carried the dance. Mary then puts Randi on the hot tamale train. I personally would have switched the critiques for the last two dances- I liked Evan more than they did and Phillip less than they did, but both could be in danger this week.

Brandon and Janette 2: After weaker performances from the other couples in round two they should be guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Brandon will miss how Janette brought him out of his shell. Janette doesn't think she would have gotten as far as she did without him. Their final dance is a Wade Robson dance routines. They are playing thieves, with Brandon the calculated one and Janette the crazy one. The dance is very cartoon-like, which could be good or bad. Brandon loves how Wade brings the story to life. Wade says they have to let go during the dance.

The song is "Ruby Blue" by Roisin Murphy, whoever that is. It is a cute, fun piece, complete with robber outfits and masks. It is a far cry from their romantic tango earlier, which shows how versatile the two are because this was danced solidly as well. The two are very in sync throughout and really throw themselves into their characters. I really liked the part where the went down the stairs in unison. The choreography wasn't as intense as last time but it was still a solid job that should keep them safe another week.

Nigel says they do everything brilliantly. He is impressed with how Brandon dealt with the negative comments from some judges and with how Janette kept up with him despite her comparative lack of training. He then adds he'd be shocked if they weren't the top vote getters tonight. Careful Nigel- don't let the fans get complacent. I do agree it will be down to them and Melissa/Ade for most votes tonight, but since Brandon is so popular they will likely win out. Mary calls it spontaneous combustion and says they painted clear pictures. She also praises their character work and synchronization. Brandon is her champion and Janette delivers every week. Tyce enjoyed it and compliments how they handle everything thrown at them. He even calls them technical excellence.

Kelly Rowland and some random DJ to perform on the results show tomorrow night.

So that's it for an interesting performance night. My favorite dance of Round 1 (and of the night) was Kayla and Kupono's contemporary piece. My favorite of Round 2 was Melissa and Ade's waltz followed by Brandon and Janette's jazz. Melissa/Ade and Brandon and Janette should be safe for sure but the rest could get interesting. If there's any justice Jason and Caitlin (not memorable) and Phillip and Jeanine (weird first dance and poor technically second dance) will be in the bottom. Kayla and Kupono's first routine was so great it might save them but their second routine was only okay, while Evan and Randi had one solid and one not-so-solid routine. I'm hoping they are in the bottom but it might be Kayla and Kupono instead.

So who do you think will be in the bottom tomorrow? And who should be? Did you love Kayla and Kupono's contemporary as much as I did? And did you think the judges were too nice to Phillip and too harsh on Evan? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Auditions Five and Six Recap

2009-07-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hey all sorry I missed last night's show but I kind of conked out at 10 PM. Odd since I've been sleeping until nine every day. Ah the perks of being unemployed (and being in school so I don't have to worry about not earning enough money to support a family).

Anyway tonight I will do a two-for-one combo recapping both Tuesday and Wednesday night's audition shows. I am looking forward to seeing that singer from Tuesday night's show who was in all the previews this week. He sounded great in the commercials.

Tuesday Night:

We start out with the LA auditions, which Nick calls arguably the most talented town in the world. No pressure, LA. A guy in a pirate hat thinks he is going to win. Oh brother.

First up is Nathan Watkins, aka Nasty Nate. He claims to have charisma, stage presence, sex appeal, and fake hair that looks like it came out of the 1960s. Since the song "Milkshake" is playing in the background I have a bad feeling this guy is going to do some stripping. Either way I doubt he is talented. He claims to be 20 but looks much older. Maybe it's the hair. He stays at home with his mother for a living. Ha so do I (though like I said before I'm in college). There is a good voice in there somewhere but he is horribly offkey. "Simply the Best" (his song of choice) he is clearly not. Sharon seems somewhat impressed but the other two judges plus audience boos. David says he was simply the worst. Hey that was my joke! Nathan though won't take no for an answer and gives the judges some attitude before heading offstage.

Bad audition montage (appropriately set to the song "Goodbye" by Kristina Debarge: Zahid Khan claims be a one-man instrument but sounds like Daffy Duck instead. Leland Faulkner puts a paper mask in front of his face and pretends to be a cat. Seriously- that's the whole act. Iota Arcane is the "world's fastest poet" and reads a poem he wrote on AGT but just looks like he is spazzing out while reading it. Plus you can't understand a word of the poem, which defeats the point of the act.

After some weird shots of David wearing his lifeguard jacket and life preserver from his Baywatch days we have our next acts. They are Sheldon and Alexandra , aka Footworks Fitness, who turn a step into a drum, or so they say. It does sound like a drum but it's kind of boring. All they do is step up and down to the beat with their hands in the air occasionally. Nothing else is really happening on stage, and they are X'd quickly. I'm surprised I thought from the setup they would be good. But Piers agrees with me that it is not really an act, and David says it's not entertaining. They too are sent packing.

ANOTHER bad act montage (wow the auditions in LA must have really sucked): At least this one is also set to good music ("Mercy" by Duffy). Scott Weider flies a kite. Again, it's not really an act. That seems to be a general theme tonight. Plus the kite falls to the ground after a few seconds in the air. The judges tell him to figuratively go fly a kite (my joke). Circus Runaways just curl up into a ball and hop up and down on stage. Trixie and the Monkey (or really Trixie and a guy dressed as a monkey) just prance around the stage, and we don't get to see much of the actual act before they are X'd off. A guy named K-Dizzle comes up sporting a rainbow colored "Believe" bandanna before taking off his shirt and doing some really bad rapping. Even the Hoff raps better than he does!!

But wait, there's hope! Or at least the sappy music is playing so the last act of the day must be good. It is 49-year old nurse Terri Willis, who has been singing since she was 3. She immediately seems lovable, an older woman trying to fulfill her dreams. Piers tells her she can't be worse than the other acts today. Boy that's the truth! And apparently she is Celine Dion's seventh-cousin. Okay just as a warning Celine Dion is one of my favorite singers so hopefully Terri won't disappoint. Wow she's horrible!!! I'm shocked I really thought she'd be good. Sharon gets up and starts fake-stabbing herself with a knife, and Piers just gets up and walks away. But David makes sure to X her three times before joining them. She asks Nick if she was really that bad and he tells her no, but let me say here, she was that bad.

Piers calls it the worst day in AGT history, and David calls it the worst day of his life!!!

We are now 20 minutes in and not even one act has gotten through yet. Can we just skip to the singer from the previews already???

Now it is Day 2, and the judges are praying for more talent. First up is 17-year-old Bri from Vegas, who sings and plays keyboard. Now they are playing slow music again, so she is going to be great, right? Apparently she was born with a stuttering problem and could barely talk, but she used music to get through it. She also loves writing essays and poetry and is nervous to sing in front of "rock chick" Sharon. I like her already. But now she had to go and ruin it by saying she is singing a Jonas Brothers song. I can't diss them too much since I was just as into NSYNC and Backstreet Boys when I was that age but I am now at the age where that music doesn't appeal to me. But the song choice does get loud squeals from the crowd. She starts out so slow I barely recognize the song but as she gets faster I hear the melody, though she changed it up a bit. I don't love the arrangement but she has a great voice and also plays the keyboard well. She kind of has an Amy Winehouse/Adele kind of vibe to her. Not my favorite style of singing but she is very good. Sharon loves her unique personality and attitude. Piers says she has raw talent, and David says she has a big career ahead of her. She gets three yes's and is off to Vegas. She has a chance to do well in this competition I think.

And at the 28-minute mark we finally get our first ticket to Vegas of the show!!!

Next up is TJ and the Little Mamas. They are 6-9 year-old dancers wearing very glittery pink outfits (the girls at least). And TJ is so cute with his "TJ" shirt that makes him look like a little lady's man. The dancing is a lot of simple (though coordinated) steps and a lot of cartwheels. The act is adorable though and they definitely have talent, especially young TJ mouthing the words. They are sent to Vegas as well.

And now finally a good talent montage. Miss Germany eats fire and blows it out of her mouth. Not the most creative thing I've ever seen but of course Piers and David like it, and so does Sharon. Janice Martin goes up in the air on scarf-like things, then sings and plays guitar WHILE IN THE AIR. I have to admit that's cool, even though I don't think it could sustain a Vegas show. But she did play the violin upside-down, which is awesome. The Scott brothers are poppers who are very good at what they do, though that really is not my thing (which I have learned from watching So You Think You Can Dance).

After the break we see a quick shot of Iconic Crew dance in leather costumes and do a lot of robotic moves, though they are very synchronized. They get three yes's and are off to Vegas.

Next up is proofreader who calls himself Monsieur Pedicure and who promises a unique entertaining dance style. Well we haven't had any bad acts in a while so I have a feeling he will be one. Apparently he is a toe dancer. He puts his toe in a little box and dresses it in an afro, suit, and wiggly eyes. Then he just shakes it back and forth as music plays. Three quick X's (thank God). David says he is the worst act in history. I don't know about that but it certainly wasn't good. Monsieur claims the world is not ready for his act....

Mario Ferrera and Jennifer Romas- Ferrara are next, and they say they work really well together. Robert loves the intensity and danger of their act. Apparently they could die during the act. Okay they have my interest. Jennifer comes out in a leather bikini, and Mario wears a top hat and robe with leather stockings. Mario starts out sawing apart pieces of wood held by Jennifer. I get the danger, but not so much the talent. But then he takes three of the saws, turns them on, and juggles them. Okay that part took skill, and he could go to Vegas based on that. David calls them sexy, terrific, and dangerous. Piers says they are born to be Vegas performers (really?). Sharon calls them powerful and says they instantly got everyone's attention (well except mine I guess). They get through to Vegas, which I guess is well-deserved based on the end of the act but I still didn't think the first part of the act was that impressive.

And last but not least is Lawrence Beaman, aka the guy from the previews this week. He better be good after an audition show with mostly a whole lot of nothing. He is from Mississippi and used to sing with his brother in church. Yet he is still nervous, as he admits to Nick backstage. He calls it the "biggest opportunity of his life". He shows his nerves when he first steps on stage, and the judges have to calm him down. His voice is VERY deep, too deep for my tastes, but he really shines on the high notes towards the end of the song. The judges give him a standing ovation and he breaks down on stage. Sharon runs onstage to give him tissues. Aw she's such a sweetheart. Piers calls it "stunning". Sharon calls him a class act, and David says he brought class, grace, and talent to the show. Of course he gets right through to Vegas. He certainly is very good, but not as good as I expected. But maybe because I don't really like the Barry White-type voices. And yay for Leona Lewis' "Footprints in the Sand" playing in the background! Brings back memories of Ashley Anderson's audition for American Idol last year, who I still insist should have made the top 36 even though she didn't make it through the first round of Hollywood week. Check out the clip here and see what you think: http://idolsongsvideos.com/ashley-anderson-american-idol-audition/

Anyway another pretty disappointing show talent wise. The only standout for me was Bri, though Lawrence was good too, just not really my taste. Hopefully Wednesday's show will be better...

Wednesday Night:

This show takes place in Houston, where record number crowds auditioned, as we heard last time the show was here.

The judges get a big intro tonight, though oddly didn't get one in Tuesday night's show. I almost forgot about it after watching the first show but after watching it again in this show I still think it is completely unnecessary. And of course David gets his extended introduction, complete with a leather outfit and cowboy hat.

First up are the Texas Tenors, three cowboys who try to bring the heart of Texas into their act. They actually just formed the group for the show it sounds like, which makes me like them a bit less, though they are adorable. They have known each other for years though. One guy (the cutest of the bunch) says he is unemployed, and when Sharon has them take their hats off he reveals his golden locks. She says she has a job for him! Ha! I really hope they are good. And yay they are!! They get the crowd going right away and start singing a fast country song in perfect harmony. There is one really high voice sticking out that I don't love but the others are very good. Sadly I think the cute one was the voice I didn't like since the other two sang solos that were excellent. But they were very fun and entertaining, especially for the country crowd. Not the best voices ever but what they lack in vocal chops they make up for in stage presence. David liked the attitude and thought they did a very, very good job. Sharon says they are a bit raw in the performance. Piers at first was lukewarm but grew to like it. Piers says yes, as does Sharon, and they are off to Vegas. They will get a lot of votes from the Southerners I bet.

After the break we meet 51-year-old Bruce Thomas. He has been told his act is unique, but usually on this show unique means bad. He is a plumber by trade, though he has had this talent for 40 years. Apparently his talent is making farting noises with his hands. The act is playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with his hands, and he actually does play the tune well but that sound is so obnoxious the judges X him right away.

Bad Act Montage: Ruby Revue do burlesque but can't open or stand on chairs properly. In Sterio are floutists who start out doing a cool arrangement of "Toxic" with one girl playing and the other beat boxing on the flute. It actually sounds cool until the beat boxer starts playing too, and then it just sounds offkey. The Crispy Family Carnival has a fat guy get money stapled to his body. Then he attaches hooks to his nipples and lifts 45 pounds with them. That part was actually kind of cool but the judges kicked him off immediately. It was the opposite of the prior act-started out boring but then actually got decent.

Next up is Acrodunk, five friends who acrobatic slam dunks. I think I've seen acts like this on the show before and never really dug them too much but maybe they will be different. They already got the sob story going by having parents who want them to get "real jobs". They actually are quite entertaining. They do flips onstage and then use a trampoline to jump up to the basket and dunk. They even purposely miss shots so their teammate can grab the loose ball and either pass it on again or dunk it themselves. And a dude spins on his head! I don't know if that could sustain a Vegas show but it was really fun. David says they are the best dunkers they've had, and I think I agree. Piers loved the energy and dunking. Sharon also loved the energy and says she could watch them all night. I don't know about that but they certainly deserve yeses for a shot in Vegas, which they get from all three judges.

So far this show is already better than Tuesday night's.

The better news is the directors took my advice and stuck to one city per episode. They did it Tuesday night and seem to be doing it tonight.

Now we get a good act montage. Live in Color is a lot of crazy dancing with wild colored outfits. Ana Pipoyan does some great belly dancing with a LIT candlestick on her head. That's nuts! The best part was Nick lighting the candles and saying he hopes wife Mariah isn't mad at him for lighting someone else's fire. I don't get why people don't like Nick- I find him cool and funny, though maybe it's a generational thing. Anyway Ana is very skilled as well, and even Sharon likes it. Eclipse is a waiter at Olive Garden who raps like a pro, though I couldn't understand a word he said (then again I never understand what rappers say!!)

The next act is Eleisha Miller from Amarillo, Texas. She is adorable when she asks if Nick is the new host as he interviews her. But it sounds like she is another singer. NOT ANOTHER KAITLIN MAHER!!! Sorry I couldn't stand Kaitlin last year- I don't really understand how little children who only have high voices can be considered singers. My hopes are not high for this girl either but maybe I'll luck out and she won't sing. She is eight, so slightly older than Kaitlin last year. She does sing, but also does other stuff like dance and play piano. Dang her personality is so bold and cute though. She says she'll take her family to Hawaii if she wins, even her cats! And wow she's singing "Proud Mary"!!! At least it's not Disney songs like Kaitlin did last year. Well the piano playing is great but her voice is still as obnoxiously high-pitched as Kaitlin's was. She just sounds like she is shouting the song at a high pitch. She should just stand there and play the piano and I'd be more entertained. David says he is cute and funny but the singing needs work. Yay he agrees with me!!! Piers says she is funny, and she responds by telling a corny golfer joke but even she can make it cute. Sharon agrees the voice is weak but she is a delight to watch. Wow Sharon says no!! I'm amazed. Piers puts her through based on her humor, and when Eleisha says she has a vocal teacher and that "everyone who sings needs a vocal teacher" David puts her through as well. She has great stage presence so she should just tell jokes or play piano instead of singing because she has star potential, but not the voice. Unlike Kaitlin, she actually has personality rather than just stand there and be cute.

The next act is Jamar and Lamar Jefferson, twin singers. OMG I JUST saw them on American Idol Rewind last week!! They auditioned in season 4 and got through to Hollywood, though I'm not sure exactly when they were cut. The judges liked them more than I did, but maybe they've improved in four years. Now they have a new name- Timez 2, and are dressed exactly the same so I can't tell them apart. They start singing Usher's "Yeah", and considering it took me a few seconds to realize it was them singing and not Usher, I guess that means they were good. But once I realized it was them the vocals kind of went downhill, especially on the high notes. A little too much jumping around on the stage for my taste, but that probably made it more entertaining in real life. David likes their raw talent and energy. Piers did not want to like them because of their attitude but thought they were quite good. Sharon says they need to work more on their vocals, which I agree with. David tells them to take Sharon's advice but says yes. Piers surprisingly said their voices were too weak and says no. Sharon (with some pressure from the crowd) also says yes. They are crowd pleasers but do need to work on the vocals to get farther in the show.

Next up is a 75 year old retired phone operator named Grandma Lee. She likes doing fun stuff with her grandkids while not being the bad guy. She doesn't consider herself old though- good for her! She wants to live her dreams and inspire others to do the same. Wow she's a comic- didn't see that coming. She makes a joke about Vegas that I don't get but then says she wants to be cremated and have her ashes spread at a Krispy Kreme so her daughters-in-law will come visit her! Haha. Then she tells a joke about her daughter coming home from college and saying she's ain't a virgin and Lee wondering why she spends money for her daughter to still say "ain't"! Not the funniest thing ever but it was cute and will certainly appeal to the older crowd. Sharon loved the material and timing. Piers says she is his favorite contestant so far. Wow that's a bold statement, though we don't know what other acts he had seen at this point. She counters by saying he is cute! Did she just say "I'll do him"?????? David loves the material and delivery and she is off to Vegas. She reminds me of "Rappin' Granny" from a few years back, though I think I liked Lee better, only because I hate rap.

And now all that's left is the pimp spot of the week. It is a stay-at-home mom with an adorable kid. Her name is Barbara Padilla and she is originally from Mexico. She always wanted to be a a singer, and her daughter hears other singers and thinks they are her mother! Aw. She just wants to go out there knowing she has done her best. And we have another opera singer. She is quite good though, I just don't understand the fascination this show has with opera singers. Plus there's no way she'll win after Neal won last year, though I like her better than Neal. And wow did she hit that last note!! A standing ovation from Sharon and David, which was well deserved. I see her as Maria in West Side Story. It turns out she's a cancer survivor. I was wondering when her sob story would come out. Sharon calls her an inspiration, Piers loves her spirit, determination, and a voice that could take her far. David tells her to keep singing because her voice can heal. She gets a definite yes to Vegas. I don't like opera music at all, but she is very talented.

Anyone else find it weird that a Mariah Carey (aka Nick's husband) is playing in the background. Wonder if he had a say in that??

So that's it for tonight's doubleheader. Wednesday's show had a lot of good but not great acts with the exception of Barbara, who almost makes me like opera music. I also enjoyed the Acrodunks and the Texas Tenors, and I think Grandma Lee has potential to be even better.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Who are some of your favorites from this strong audition night? And did you share my disdain for Kaitlin last year? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Audition Show Four Recap

2009-07-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hey all we are really moving along with these auditions shows. We should be almost up to Vegas week. And the last few audition shows have been really impressive with the talent level so let's hope tonight's show is just as good.

First we get a recap of last night's show with Nick adding that this show is the biggest hit of the summer. I thought So You Think You Can Dance was a bigger hit but maybe not.

Tonight's auditions start out in Houston, the first time ever the show has gone to this city. They also had the biggest crowd in show history.

We get the usual big introduction of the judges. Do we really need this every episode? Even American Idol saw the error of its ways and gave up on the big entrance after a few shows. Anyway David is wearing an appropriate cowboy hat.

First up tonight is Divani, a 29-year-old Russian singer who loves the emotion and feeling of the songs she sings. She promises to give 110 percent when she goes on the stage. Her dress is gorgeous, but her voice, not so much. She sounds kind of like she is drunk or very hoarse, or both. Piers X's her pretty quickly but the others let her finish. Divani claims she couldn't sing because the audience was booing her too loudly. Nick quips backstage that she can't sing when the audience is quiet either! Ha! She unsurprisingly gets three no's.

Bad Talent Montage- Jolie and Lester are dressed like farmers. Jolie sings horribly and plays guitar while Lester balances a lawn mower on his chin. They enlist Nick to throw vegetables into the mower, and he signals "crazy" to the crowd when the two are not looking. Meanwhile he can't throw the vegetables into the mower so we move on to another act. That was just weird. Rusty Reece sings "If I Were a Richman" and I don't think he's that bad but he is X'd pretty quickly. Really? They stopped him and let Divani keep singing. Rusty wasn't great but he was better than her. Nick is still failing to toss the veggies. Stone White does weird robotic dancing and has a rocker voice. I didn't think he was that bad either but the judges thought he was too "angry". The lawn mower act finally gets X'd by the judges.

The judges are not amused at the lack of talent so far. But hoping to prove them wrong are a bunch of girls in Shirley Temple wigs. Even Nick has one!! They are a large dance team named Lake Houston Performing Arts Center made up of adorable young girls aged 8-14. The act is a disco-style dance to "Shake Your Groove Thing" and they are very good. The choreography is cute and they are very in sync. They get a standing ovation from the audience too. Turns out the wigs are supposed to be celebrating the 70s, not Shirley Temple, which makes sense considering the song and dance style. Piers thought the wigs worked well. Sharon asks to see the choreographers, and out they come, plus Nick still in the wig. She says it was perfect. David says they are the best act in Houston so far (though that's not saying much). They get three yes's and are off to Vegas. Aw some of the girls are so happy they are crying.

We are back from break and Nick is on a ranch complete with a cowboy hat and Southern accent. He says we have seen the good, bad, and ugly so far (though more bad and ugly than good).

Next up is an adorable dog named Viva, owned by Pam Martin. The dog actually dances with Pam. Her husband passed away (Pam's, not the dog's), and the dog helped her grieve after her husband died. Aw that's like my aunt- her parents and sister both died within a few years of each other and so she got a dog to ease the pain. Now she's a part-time dog trainer and her second dog (her first one died a few years ago) goes to hospitals to cheer up sick kids. I don't really see much actual dancing but the act is adorable. Viva puts her legs back to the beat, then jumps around and onto Pam. At one point Viva puts her paws on Pam's legs and they move together. That is one of the cutest acts I've ever seen. Viva even walks on her front legs too and hops on her back ones! Sharon thought they were fabulous. Pam says much of their dancing is freestyle. Piers says it looked like training routines but they were entertaining. I agree on both accounts. David says it was the best dog act he's ever seen. They are off to Vegas! And of course Piers makes the obligatory Viva Las Vegas joke (groan).

Now we are in Miami, which apparently means Flo Rida must be played in the background. And David is for some reason still wearing a cowboy hat.

First up in Miami is magician Marti Brill. I think he's going to be bad, but then again I said that about the magician last night too who was great. Anyway he says he practices all the time and that people talk about his act for years after seeing him. Cocky much? He says he has been doing this for 20 years yet is only 25 years old. So he has performed professionally since he was five?? I doubt it. He first takes some cards out of his mouth, then throws them down, them takes more out of his mouth. He then pours soda into a cup and has the cup levitate. That was better than his card act but gets him two X's. He then lays a girl down on a bench held up by two chairs but only removes one chair for some reason. He seems to think he nailed it but is getting booed by the crowd. I'm kind of glad he stunk since he was a jerk. Piers says he is the most annoying man in Miami. He says the acts were all ones we've seen before, which is true. I've never seen the soda thing before but the rest was lame. David says it wasn't David Copperfield. He gets three no's, to the anger and shock of Marti.

More bad acts hated by the crowd. Brandon Paxton reads some poems on ex-girlfriends- that's his whole act? He could at least do some slam poetry or something. And the poems themselves were bad too. Diego Baner is a voice teacher who sings. Which I know from years of watching American Idol means he will be horrible. He sings very low but I don't think it's that bad. The audience however turns on him immediately, as do the judges. Sharon says he sounds like a sheep was in his throat! Ouch. The Midwest Entertainers do some fake fighting onstage and that's about it. Piers says they are not spring chickens, and they counter that neither is he. Piers counters back that the Entertainers have the guns (meaning huge muscles, not real guns), but we've got the Cannon, aka Nick Cannon. The Cannon is terrified of them, but the judges send them on their way.

40 minutes in and exactly two acts have gone through. I guess they showed all the good acts over the last two nights.

Piers thinks that Miami session was the worst group they've had in three years!

But hoping to break that streak is illusionist Joseph Constantine and his wife Casey. He has adorable kids but has had a tough life recently. He was hurt by the recession and had to declare bankruptcy, losing his car and house. He had given up on his dreams but his wife urged him to continue. He starts out doing the typical "put a woman in a box and then appear to cut her in pieces with dividers" routine but when he opens the box after putting the dividers in she is gone!
Then out go the dividers and there appears the wife! That was pretty good. I still liked the illusionist last night better but he was good enough to go to Vegas. Plus his kids are so cute! David says they've seen that act a lot before so he has to think about it. Sharon says she's seen the trick before but she's never seen his twist on it. They are all on the fence. Piers says that was the best example of that trick that he's seen. Joseph and his wife put on their sympathy faces, and Piers says the show is about giving people like them a break. David counters that 100 million people have that story and they need to focus on the talent. Normally I would agree but I do think this guy has talent, and usually in the audition shows I say if someone has talent they should go through. The weaker talents can be weeded out in Vegas but as long as they are decent they should get to the next round. David subsequently says no. Piers says they don't want to give him special treatment, and after thinking about it he says yes, to the delight of the crowd and Joseph's kids. Sharon is the tiebreaker, and I have a feeling from the sentimental music playing that she is going to say yes. Indeed she does. He won't make it far but it is nice seeing the joy on his kids' faces as they run out on stage to congratulate him.

Now for a montage of good acts for a change. Fuchsia FoXXX does a sexual belly dance that pleased David and Piers of course, and Sharon as well. Circus R Us have a variety of tricks, including contortion and giant hula hooping. The Hurricane Tricksterz do a mix of karate and dance that looks cool. And having great bodies doesn't hurt either!! All three are through to Vegas, though none of them impressed me that much.

All that's left is the obligatory "incredible" last act that the producers are putting last to pimp before the live shows. Tonight's act is Hairo Torres, who works two jobs but practices at home when he can. He is a breakdancer who has been dancing for 10 years. He comes from a poor background so the money would really change his life. His act is more of a mix of contortion and dancing than anything else. He puts his head between his legs, does jump rope with his jacket, and twists himself like a pretzel. His act makes my body hurt just watching him. He's good but not worthy of the pimp spot as the last act in the show, then again no one tonight was really amazingly impressive. David says it was terrific, Sharon calls it unique (which it surely is), and Piers says he wants to see more. He of course is sent through to Vegas.

So that's it for tonight's show. Not one of their best in my opinion. I liked Viva the dog dancer and the Lake Houston dancers the best but like I said no one really blew me away. What are your thoughts? Were you more impressed with Hairo than I was? Who else did you enjoy? And did
you think the judges were too harsh on some of the "bad" acts? And are you as excited as I am to hear the singer they showed in the commercial for next week's show? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 14 Perform

2009-07-01T17:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all I can't believe it's already the top 14 on SYTYCD. In a few weeks we will have our top 10, and then anything can happen. But for now six dancers (Kayla, Kupono, Jason, Caitlin, Vitolio and Karla) are likely fighting for the final two spots in the top 10 alongside Evan/Randi, Brandon/Janette, Phillip/Jeanine, and Melissa/Ade, all of whom have the popularity in talent to likely make it that far even with a subpar dance or two.

We have an opening showing highlights of the season so far, including auditions from Brandon (yay!) and Gabi Rojas (didn't we get enough of her in Hollywood). I'm guessing this is just to kill time since they have two hours for only seven dances this week. We also get some shots of the live dances so far, even eliminated contestants like Max.

Cat is wearing a cute pink dress with a black belt to match. And I'm loving her hair tonight, very simple but classy.

Vitolio is likely doing hip hop with his new partner Karla based on the outfit he has on for his solo. Caitlin blows the low-cheering crowd a kiss. Evan looks so cute with his fluffy hair, and partner Randi has a cute black hat. Brandon does some cool spins. Ade has a cool flip and stretches his leg further behind his head than anyone should be able to.

Tonight's guest judge is Mia Michaels, who gets way more cheers than I thought she would. Wonder what she will say about Brandon. Right away Cat asks her if her opinions have changed about anyone since she last saw them. Cat's trying to get Mia to say she was wrong on Brandon, I bet. The crowd is cheering reluctant Mia on. She claims her opinion has changed for the better, but won't say on who. Nigel asks her if this opinion she's referring to involves a small male dancer, and she says yes. I'm guessing that means Brandon even though I don't think he is that small. Oh well at least she's seen the error of her ways. Nigel then asks "Were the initials Brandon?", though Mia doesn't respond. As Cat points out, Brandon is his name, not initials!

Cat teases tonight we have a quickstep (one of my favorite ballroom dances), plus a classical paus de deux, and a special announcement, whatever that means. I wonder if it's about the Paula Abdul-choreographed Michael Jackson tribute that was supposedly organized on Twitter.

Tonight we find out about contestants' highs and lows since they first came on the show.

Janette and Brandon- Well we get to see if Mia's views on Brandon have changed right off the bat. They basically are reliving their previous dances on the live shows. They were worried about their final lift on their first-week fox trot but are happy that it came together. They could barely breathe during their fast disco. Janette loved her outfit in last week's dance, but there is debate over who won the battle of the sexes during the dance. Apparently Brandon's dance teacher invited people over to watch him dance last week and they were all shocked (as was I) as to how well he did hip hop. This week they have a cha-cha with Jean Marc and France. That should be good for salsa dancer Janette. Sure enough she is getting into it, but she warns that if they have one wrong step it will be disastrous since the routine is kind of dangerous.

The song is "Hush Hush" by Pussycat Dolls. A modern song for a cha cha? I like the song and all, but really? They start out slowly but once the music kicks up it's just wow. They weren't kidding about the dance being fast. I don't really see the danger though, but I guess that's because they did everything so smoothly so there was no danger. Janette's multiple spins in a row was a highlight for me, though the whole dance was amazing. Janette seemed to hit it a bit harder than Brandon, but that's not surprising since the dance had a salsa feel to it. Loved Brandon playing to the crowd by winking and singing along to the music, and he certainly held his own. I'm not a big fan of cha-chas in general so it wasn't my absolute favorite dance but it was still really great.

Nigel thinks it was the best cha cha he's ever seen on this show. Wow. I can't really say if I agree since I've only watched one other season but it certainly was excellent. He felt like he was watching a professional ballroom stage. He also compliments Brandon's feet for being great despite having no ballroom training. He also reminds us neither of them have done their own style on the show yet, though this was pretty close for Janette in my opinion. Mary puts them on the hot tamale train. She says how different salsa technique is from cha cha and points out how exciting Janette made it. She can't believe how versatile Brandon is every week. He is the favorite to win the whole show in my opinion. And we get some loud screams of course. Now for Mia.... She claims she is toughest on the most talented and that's why she was hard on Brandon. Aw she made Brandon cry.... She then says Brandon is amazing and that Janette has been on fire since day one, including tonight.

Kayla and Kupono- Cool both my favorites from last week are going early in the show.Too bad they have to go after that great first number. Kupono's first dance forced him to create a new world of crash test dummies. Kayla was on the hot tamale train the first week, which shocked her. Kupono just couldn't connect with Ashley during his hip hop the second week. Kayla was devastated when Max was voted off, and Kupono was just as low when he lost Ashley. Kupono was scared of the waltz last week but was thrilled after being put on the hot tamale train. They are doing contemporary with Sonya. Kupono even made a shirt for her saying "I Love Sonja"! The routine apparently involves vampires. Hey why not they are very "in" right now. Kayla is trying to pull away from death and Kupono is pulling her towards it. Sounds interesting.

The song is "Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation. I'm not a big fan of Sonja's work so I don't love the routine itself but it is being danced very well. They seem very in unison on the solo parts and I can feel the passion coming through the TV. It wasn't as good as the first routine in my opinion but it was still very good. Kayla at one point sticks her leg up straight in the air. It looks painful but she doesn't seem fazed by it at all.

Nigel enjoyed going back to the darkside with this routine. He for the first time mentions Kayla second, and he loved the technique put in a modern routine. I wonder if he barely mentioned Kayla so he'll stop being accused of always pimping her. He adds they compliment each other very well. Mary says they are alive and kicking and adds Sonja played to their strengths with the choreography. She does praise Kayla but adds they had chemistry the whole time, even when they were not dancing together. She agrees Kupono stepped it up and that they are both stayinig on the hot tamale train this week. Mia says they are gorgeous together and she loves the costuming and makeup. She adds this was Sonja's best piece on the show. Kayla commits to the story and has great lines, and Kupono has taken the judges' advice and gotten better each week. This should be interesting since they based on popularity should be in the bottom three this week but if one of the popular couples is subpar who knows what will happen. This is two straight weeks they have been great so I'd say they are early favorites to be the last couple in the top 10.

Randi and Evan- Evan's favorite part of the show is working with the great choreographers. He loved his sensual jazz piece in week one (I don't even remember it...). Randi was nervous about the fast jive but they were able to hang in there. Evan thought it was amazing working with Mia last week (way to suck up to this week's judge!!!). Randi's family and friends all loved the dance but snuck in lots of butt jokes at the same time. They are doing Broadway this week!!! Yay for Evan finally getting his own style!!! The choreographer is Joey Dowling though, not Adam or Tyce. Hmm... The routine has lots of power in it and is not typical Broadway so they struggle at first. Joey was teaching them too fast and they couldn't keep up. But I have a feeling the routine will end up great tonight- whenever a pair struggles in rehearsal the routine ends up amazing.

The song is from Sweet Charity (boo another show I haven't seen) and is called "Rich Man's Frug". It involves the two of them play fighting with each other and even a brief arm wrestling match. Woah Evan even does a cartwheel off the table! Evan is really shining and getting into the character. Randi is good but I think she seemed a bit less believable compared to Evan.

Nigel says this was an homage to Bob Fossey and loved the choreography from that era. He warns them to keep their wrists more flexible. He then says Randi was very good and Evan was disappointing, but they are both still in his top 10. I thought Evan was better than Randi but what do I know. Mary thought Evan did his own style fairly well and loved how he stayed in character. She thought Randi stayed in character too but could have done better. She agrees with Nigel on the wrists but still found it entertaining, which it was. Mia says they have to work harder because they are short but they didn't take it to the next level enough. She says Randi was a bit heavy in her movements and she expects more from Evan. I liked it better than they did but either way they should still be safe another week.

Jason and Caitlin- Jason has learned a lot about himself during this competition. Jason was at first worried about Bollywood but was glad everyone liked it. Caitlin got lots of praising emails after that routine. Jason says waiting to hear your fate is worse than being in the bottom three. He admits the paso doble last week was hard. Caitlin feels the pressure to do well this week, as does Jason. They are doing Brian Friedman's jazz routine. Great the guy whose last routine was horrible.... This time Caitlin is an alien who blew up Earth and wants to procreate with Jason, the last man on Earth. Okay.... Brian says Caitlin must scare Jason or the dance won't work. She is the "man" of the dance yet is struggling with the choreography.

The song is "Creator" by Sentigold. Never heard of the song or artist. Caitlin is in a weird latex outfit with metal pieces and a spiky headpiece. They start out hitting it super hard and while they soften up a bit as the dance goes on I found my self strangely entertained. I don't think Caitlin was that scary until the end when she lifts a baby out of a dying Jason but the routine was cool in a weird sort of way. That was actually my second favorite so far after Brandon and Janette's number.

Nigel thinks Brian comes from another planet with his ideas! He says it was very weird and crazy at times but they committed to it. He also wonders why Caitlin's costume covers her up so much when she's trying to procreate. Did he just say she looks like a condom?????? What???? Cat replies, "Safety first"! Ha! Mary didn't think the routine played to their strengths and she didn't really get it. Cat adds that some at home likely agree with her. That's very true. This is like Brian's last routine, where people will either love or hate it. I really enjoyed it but they will likely be in the bottom three since many viewers probably won't get the routine. Mia thinks Brian just wanted to have fun with the routine and that that is refreshing. She didn't like the tin foil on Caitlin's costume but thought they danced it really well. So basically the routine was weird and danced well but it's oddness will likely put them in the bottom three.

Phillip and Jeanine- Jeanine never thought this could happen to her. Phillip has been greatly influenced by this experience. Jeanine was nervous to get hip hop the first week but then felt better when she found out Phillip was out partner. They admit tango was not their strongest week. The routine last week was fun, though all Phillip can remember is his pants falling down and how it kept showing on his face. I didn't realize you could see it through the whole routine but as they replay the clips it was very visible. Still was a fun routine though!

This week they are doing hip hop again with Napoleon and Tabitha. Well their previous hip hop was their best routine of the season so hopefully they should shine this week too. The routine is "a week in the life of SYTYCD" as they are being changed together as partners! That is really cool! The problem is if they step on the chain they will fall over, and even Nap and Tab are regretting the chain in the dance.

The song is "Love Lockdown" by Kanye West. Sure enough it starts out with Phillip picking up the card saying Jeanine is his partner. They are chained together but I barely noticed it except when it was part of the choreography. It's not the best danced routine I've ever seen but it was really entertaining. Jeanine kept up with Phillip on the hip hop and they were in sync when they needed to be. I really liked the cool touch at the end when they try to rip the chains off and then Phillip holds up the key to their "freedom". This was actually my second favorite of the night so far, better than Jason/Caitlin but not as good as the first number.

Nigel thinks if they keep dancing like that they should be chained together for life. He also loved the key part at the end and how Jeanine didn't take the key right away. Jeanine has not done her own style yet but she has done well at every style she's been given. Phillip's chest was popping like crazy. Mary thought it was incredibly creative. The prop could have been really good or really bad but it worked and neither of them fell! She agrees about Phillip's chest and adds that Jeanine really kept up with her partner. She says it will be a sad day when the two are no longer partners and Phillip in response throws away the key he still has in his hand! Mia compliments the choreographers but adds the chain made it too unpredictable at times since they could not control it. But that was not the dancers' fault I don't think.

Cat asks Phillip and Jeanine how hard the routine was to do and Jeanine says they had to plan for every possible disaster, from the chain breaking to one of them tripping. She adds they have chains all up in their apartment, which gets a big laugh from the crowd.

Melissa and Ade- Melissa's favorite moment was the first show. Ade was surprised at how involved the show was. They both loved their contemporary routine the first week, especially the lift at the end. Sonja's routine in week 2 was a lot of work and took a lot of athleticism but they pulled it off. Last week they had their sexy rumba despite the fact that Ade had no ballroom training. This week they are doing a paus de deux from Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Thordal Christensen. I actually don't even know what that dance is but I think it's kind of slow. They are doing a dance to Romeo and Juliet, which is Melissa's dream apparently. The dance is very tender and romantic, and Thordal wants them to "be" Romeo and Juliet. The dance is en pointe, which is the first time pointe shoes have been used on the show.

The song is some very long title from Romeo and Juliet. Right away the two of them have a look of innocence in their eyes, especially Melissa. The choreography is beautiful and the two of them dance it very well, it's just a bit boring for me. Maybe I've just been to one too many of my cousin's dance recitals over the years (by the way, she may audition for the show next season so you may see her on TV soon).

Nigel says it was beautifully danced by Melissa. He thinks Ade's feet could have been better but the rest was beautiful. Mary loved the chemistry and thought it was believable, which it really was. Melissa's pointwork was phenomal, and Ade showed his strength. I forgot ballet is Melissa's forte, and you could really see it in the dance. I thought she did outshine Ade a bit, though he was good as well. Mia says this form of dance solidifies technique and strength for dancers so she's excited it was danced as well as it was. She also loves the multiracial Romeo and Juliet and calls it gorgeous and brilliant, especially Melissa.

Last but not least is our new couple, Vitolio and Karla. After the great dances so far tonight they'll probably be in the bottom three no matter what but I am interested in how they do together.

Before these two perform though we get a package (aka filler) of the choreographers talking about how this show and dance has influenced them, plus clips from past seasons in between. Woah Carrie Ann Inaba used to be on this show!!!! That's why DWTS and SYTYCD are sharing dancers so much! There is a new foundation called the Dizzy Feet Foundation with Adam Shankman, Carrie Ann, Nigel and Katie Holmes (so THAT's how she got the dancing gig in the finale) to help underprivileged dancers. And Holmes, sporting a new short haircut, even gets interviewed by Cat in the clip about the foundation. It awards scholarships to underprivileged dancers throughout the country. They will start out with 10 scholarships to students from six studios. They also will train and accredit dance teachers throughout the nation. Hey it's Twitch!!!! I don't know why he's wearing a backwards rainbow hat but he does give a great message about the foundation keeping kids off the streets and into dance studios. Odd that when they interview Shane his caption says, "America's Best Dance Crew judge" and not "SYTYCD choreographer". Paula Abdul, J-Lo, Miley Cyrus (that's kind of random) and Debbie Allen are also involved. Debbie notes that art programs are being cut around the nation and this foundation will help give kids another way to express themselves.

Nigel then thanks the producers of the show and FOX for helping them with the foundation. If you want more information go to DizzyFeetFoundation.org or Fox.com. That's great that these guys are using this show to give back to the community, especially at a time when money is tight.
He then announces that July 23rd is their 100th episode and that the Katie Holmes-danced Judy Garland tribute will be aired then. That's not much of a surprise since it's been out there for weeks but oh well.

And now we get back to the dancing with Karla and Vitolio. They are doing the "dreaded" quickstep. I forgot that dancers hate quickstep on this show- on DWTS it is not despised nearly as much. Hey Jonathan is in the crowd cheering on his old partner- that's sweet. Karla says it's hard to do a great performance every week. Vitolio was in the bottom three the first week, as was Karla, even though the judges liked her dance. Vitolio felt the connection during his waltz. Karla was motivated for her second week dance and it paid off. Vitolio felt good about his jazz last week, and Karla thinks Jonathan gave it his all in the solo last week but it wasn't enough. The routine is choreographed by Jean-Marc and France. Vitolio is a museum statue come to life. Jean-Marc uses lots of analogies during rehearsals which makes them entertaining. Vitolio though is struggling with the choreography, but they seem confident at the end of the clip.

Ooh they are dancing to "Puttin on the Ritz"- that's a really fast song. Plus I know all the words since I sang it in middle school chorus. Ah memories. Anyway back to the dance. Vitolio rips off Karla's black costume to reveal a colorful dress underneath. I am actually pleasantly surprised at how good this was. It seemed a bit slow for a quickstep and Vitolio lost his posture a bit at times but overall I enjoyed it.

Nigel thought it was fun and entertaining and loved the costume change. But he thought the Charleston part was too static and the lines took away from the style. He did love their personality coming out in the dance. Mary thought they brought the routine to life. She said Vitolio stayed in hold the whole time and says at times they drifted too far to the right post or something like that but that was her only complaint. She also loved the costume change. Mia thinks the choreography was amazing and Jean-Marc made them this week. She says Vitolio confuses her because sometimes in other routines he seems like he can't be tamed but tonight he was the opposite. Vitolio says he hopes they made the "kiss of death" dance the kiss of joy, and Mia responds that they made out with the dance. Okay... She continues that Karla was great but she looked a bit scared at times.

This was some great night of dancing huh? I enjoyed every routine, as did the judges for the most part. My favorites were Brandon and Janette, followed by Phillip and Jeanine and Jason and Caitlin. As for the bottom three, it will likely come down to a popularity contest since no one was really bad. That likely means Jason and Caitlin, Vitolio and Karla, and Kupono and Kayla will be in the bottom. However I think Kupono and Kayla's routine was danced better than Evan and Randi's so I hope the latter are in the bottom instead but I doubt that will happen.

So thoughts on tonight's show? Were you as entertained as I was? And who should go home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: Audition Show 3

2009-06-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all sorry I did not get around to blogging Wednesday's America's Got Talent audition show but between So You Think You Can Dance and the I'm a Celebrity finale (yeah Lou Diamond Phillips) I did not have a chance to watch AGT until later in the week. For the record nobody on Wednesday's show blew me away but I did like the yodeling domantrix (and I am a woman, by the way), the violin playing triplets (as long as they don't sing), the illusionist (though his act was a bit predictable), and the young dancer at the end (though he seemed a bit hectic and spastic at times during the dance). My favorite act so far is still the EriAm sisters from the first show, though I have a bad feeling they won't last too long with other singers like Voices with Glory getting better judges' reviews.

We get some highlights of last week's shows, and the EriAm sisters are nowhere to be found. We do get the flying frisbee dog, the Billy Elliot kid, the young ballroom dancers who are good but not as good as the Billy Elliot kid, the guy who put a fish hook through his nose and mouth, FootworKINGz, and of course Voices with Glory. Tonight it looks like we meet the other contestant who has been pimped to us for weeks- the chicken catcher with a smooth country voice.

The judges get their usual extended introduction, and the Hoff gets the most cheers (why is he the most popular judge again?)

Tonight's auditions start out in NY- hopefully they'll be better than the ones we saw from NY last week.

First up is Carol Lugo, who was also in one of the previews for the show. She is a 62 year old woman who does a weird dance that is actually entertaining. I remember thinking when I saw the preview that I liked her better than both Voices with Glory and the chicken catcher singer (I do think he has a very good voice, just that's not really my kind of music). Carol is currently a cashier who wears her dance shoes to work. She has wanted to be a dancer for much of her life and believes in following her dreams no matter what. She will definitely get the old people vote if she makes it to the live shows. Wow her dancing is even more impressive in the show than it was in the preview. Like the kid from last week her head movement is very distracting but she has great stuff, especially for her age. She even does a moonwalk! I think she is as good if not better than the Billy Elliot kid, though I could do without the butt shaking part. Even so she was incredibly entertaining, and you almost forget how old she is while watching the routine. The judges and audience are digging it too. Sharon calls her wonderfully bizarre, David says it was awesome and she deserves to be on the stage. He even gives her a standing ovation! Piers thinks she could inspire us in a recession. She gets three yes's and is off to Vegas. That was one of my favorite acts of the season so far and I think she has a chance to go even further in the competition. And she even moonwalks off the stage!!

Montage of unusual talents (this could be good or bad...). Joseph Harris does some cool tricks with a yo-yo. I don't know if he would be able to sustain a Vegas show but he is certainly good enough for the next round, and the judges agree. The Diva League is a group of really good dancers and drag queens. They are totally in sync and one even does a split at the end! They too are put through to Vegas. Chris Allison eats a lightbulb and then has some (hopefully fake) blood coming out of his mouth by the end. He does seem to know how to work the audience though and is put through to Vegas.

Next up (still in NYC) is Jay Mattioli, a magician from Virginia. Oh boy he's going to be bad- they haven't had any bad auditions yet tonight. He always wanted to be a famous magician and when he was younger he made things out of cardboard and glue to use for his tricks. Actually I think I recognize this guy as being one of the good auditioners from the previews- I didn't recognize him until he took off his cape thing. First levitates the microphone and leans against it while it is in the air. Then he gets into an "America's Got Magic" box (awesome) as the top of it appears to come down and crush him. On the part of the box that comes down on top of him is a sign that says "Applause" (also awesome). Sure enough the part goes back to the top of the box and Jay comes out unscathed. I really liked him. He was talented plus had some funny bits in there as well, and he wasn't as predictable as the illusionist from last week. He even did some (pretty good) dancing between tricks. This show has been great so far in terms of talent level. Piers likes the pizazz and star quality Jay has, even though he thought the box trick wasn't as impressive as the microphone bit. I actually liked the box thing better but both were good. Sharon likes the modern and interesting aspects of it. David says it was not just magic but it was entertaining. Exactly! That's why I like him better than the guy from last week even if the tricks themselves were not as good. He gets three yes's and is off to Vegas! Another of my favorite acts so far.

Wow 18 minutes in and no bad acts yet. I'm guessing that's going to change soon though...

Now we are back in Chicago for more auditions. First up is Franklin Sane, a juvenile county judge from Detroit. He uses music as an escape from his boring judge life. Doesn't he as a judge have more important things to do than audition for a talent show? Just saying. Well luckily for his county he should be coming home soon because his singing is painfully bad. I'm surprised it's taking the judges this long to X him. The audience turns on him immediately though, and Piers is covering his ears at the last long note. Piers says he can't sing. Short and sweet. Franklin says he has performed in front of prisoners. Well of course they like him if they don't Franklin could extend their prison sentences haha. He is given three definite no's.

Next up is Thia Megia from California. She is a 14-year old singer and I think she was shown in the previews blowing the judges away with her voice. She would practice in front of the mirror to prepare for this moment. Aw. She does "I'm Changing" from Dreamgirls (though she surprisingly references the song's original singer, Jennifer Holliday, rather than Jennifer Hudson). I like this song so I hope she is good. And indeed she is very good. She has an old jazz singer vibe to her voice, which isn't my favorite style but she does have an amazing voice for her age. I forget she is 14 when I close my eyes. Great last note!!! Her stage presence is pretty good as well. Since a young powerhouse singer has already won this show in the past (Bianca Ryan), I don't think she will win but she has a great shot at the finals. Sharon gives her a standing ovation. David says nothing is going to stop her (a reference to a lyric in the song she sang). Sharon says she sings with emotion and that is hard to do. Piers says she is the best singer he's heard. As far as individual singers go yes (though I think she may be the only halfway decent solo singer they've had so far), but I still think the lead singer in the EriAm sisters act is better than her. She sails through to Vegas. Aw she even got Nick to shed a few tears...

Next up is librarian Jeffery Johns, who claims he is being shut out of performing in Vegas because he is too short and Vegas looks for taller acts since the showgirls are tall. First of all I doubt it's his height that is preventing him from getting gigs. Second of all he is taller than me (not that that is saying much) so he can't be that short. He also looks way too much like Carrot Top, which is never a good thing. His act involves climbing onto a giant chair and singing decently. Then he jumps off the giant chair and starts dancing and singing about being short. This would seem okay but I keep thinking he is acting like a giant kid, from the large chair to the high voice and the corny hand motions. Only David and Piers X him though. David says it was the weirdest act he's ever seen. Piers says it was irritating from start to finish and he is sent back home.

And now a montage of bad acts. Do we have to? This show was going so well with the minimal bad acts. Anyway Witches in Bikinis have great bodies but bad harmonies. Robert Myers starts out as Little Richard and was going to change into other characters but his singing was so bad he thankfully got X'd before he gets very far. Samba Samba Samba does spastic looking dancing and are so loud they can't even hear the X's because their drums are so loud.

Next are The Fab Five, sisters from Utah who are also all mothers. They now live in different states but have stayed close through performing. Their matching leather pants are very shiny. They do some very fast riverdancing in perfect unison. They even get into more complex choreography and still remain in sync. Not my kind of thing but they are very talented. David thinks they did a great job. Sharon loves their energy, technical precision, and love for the dance.
Piers also likes them. They get three yes's and are off to Vegas.

And last but not least is the chicken catcher guy aka Kevin Skinner. He's a good ole' country boy from Kentucky, right down to the thick Southern accent. He likes sitting on the porch and counting stars. He even writes his own songs. He and five other guys once caught 60,000 chickens in one night. He sure is a charmer with the crowd. This is very Susan Boyle-esque with Nick and even David preparing for the worst. Wow he's even better than he was in the previews. The judges and audience don't even cheer- they just sit there taking in his beautiful voice. He might have gone a bit off on the low notes but he still was really great. He has a very legitimate shot to win the whole show. Surprisingly only David gives him a standing ovation though. Piers admits he thought it was going to be bad based on how Kevin was dressed (in an old sweater and backwards cap) but was hooked 20 seconds in. So basically he is like our Susan Boyle, though I don't think he will get millions of hits on YouTube. Sharon is in tears and can tell he is a lovely person and very genuine. David says he moves all of them. He is sent sailing through to Vegas, and Piers agrees with me that he could win the whole show.

And good for AGT for putting a little Michael Jackson tribute at the end. It was just his picture with Nick saying how talented he was, but since this show isn't live yet there's not much else they could have done.

So that's it for tonight's show, which was surprisingly chock full of talent. I liked all the acts that got through though my favorites were dancing Carol, magician Jay, the Diva League (who should have gotten more screen time), and chicken catcher Kevin. The dancing sisters and the 14-year-old singer were good just not really my thing. Kevin is almost a lock to make the finals though I'm not sure about the others.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Any early favorites? Think Kevin is going to win the whole show? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: Top 16 Results

2009-06-25T21:30:00.001-07:00

Hey all it's time for the results show of SYTYCD. I'm still in shock over Michael Jackson's untimely death. Since I'm so young my only memories of him are his plastic surgery nightmares and court cases but he still was a great icon in the music business. I wonder if they will mention his death on the show (if it's big enough news to make ESPNEWS, it should be big enough to mention here). But we also have two more contestants to eliminate tonight.

I was thinking about the top 10 this morning. I think Brandon/Janette, Melissa/Ade, and Evan/Randi are locks, and probably so are Phillip/Jeanine. That leaves eight people for two spots, and all eight of them have been in the bottom before (and two will go home tonight). I think Jonathan and Karla should go tonight but after last week's shocker anything can happen.

The group dance is set to "I Know You Want Me" by Pitbull. Well this song is kind of annoying but at least I know it. And at least that means the routine is hip hop. Actually though the routine looks more like ballroom/Latin than hip hop but it is still really cool. Probably my favorite group number of the year. At first it was very slow and sexy but then it really got going once the music picked up. The guys and girls got group solos, though once again the guys were better. Three of them even did flips over the other girls (I think one was Kupono but I'm not sure on the others). Plus the girls all got sprayed with water which must make the guys watching this very happy. Apparently the routine was by Tabitha and Napoleon so it was hip hop, though I still think it was the most ballroom/Latin looking hip hop I've ever seen. (NOTE: So I just found out apparently Dmitry Chaplin did part of the choreography as well- hence the ballroom).

Mary looks gorgeous in her red dress tonight, and Nigel is wearing a dapper tuxedo.

Nigel has a few words to say. I bet he's going to talk about Michael. Yep. First he mentions the whole "death in threes" theory of Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett (whose death will now forever be overshadowed) and Michael Jackson dying in the same week. He says Ed introduced lots of great talent to us on Star Search. I knew about Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, but Drew Carey too?? He's my favorite comedian! I never knew he was on Star Search. I want to go find that clip now. Nigel moves on to tributes for Farrah and Michael, and the producers even have photos of the three to put up during the speech. Nigel apparently met Farrah once and she tried to teach him to make pecan pie! She had great strength and will to live through her cancer. He can't even describe how big a superstar Michael Jackson was. Like I said I was too young to really remember when he was a star but from what I've heard he really influenced a lot of current musicians. But does every photo they show of him in tributes have to be AFTER his surgery? I'm sorry but those pictures just creep me out. Nigel points out how Jackson changed music and dance in the world and says the video of "Black or White", which melded different styles of dance together, was the inspiration for this show. Fred Estaire even complimented Jackson the night he did the moonwalk on television for the first time (which again I have not seen, though my father told me today it completely changed popular culture at the time). He adds we should celebrate their lives and how they influenced us today. Great message Nigel.

I just remembered Jason is a big Jackson fan, and he may be in the bottom three tonight- maybe his solo will be a tribute to Michael.

Nigel continues that many of the dancers today became dancers because of Jackson, and he thinks the greatest tribute to the King of Pop is to show the iconic "Thriller" video that completely changed the way music videos were made. I did not realize how revolutionary the video was and I've actually only seen part of it but I do think this is a great way to honor his memory.

Well they actually only show a bit of the video, and it's so different now watching it knowing he is gone. It almost makes me want to cry even though the song is not a sad song at all. And they finally show a GOOD picture of Michael as they head to the break, a photo from when he was a young afro-ed boy with a microphone in front of him. He really was attractive before all that plastic surgery stuff.

Now enough with the sad stuff and on to the results (actually, I guess those are sad too but not until the end of the show). There are five couples on stage at the same time- I guess that means the other three are the bottom three for the week? Well Asuka and Vitolio are on stage so maybe not. They are up first- could they really be safe? No they are in the bottom. Okay then I have no idea why they brought out five couples at once but at least so far America got it right.

We get our first clear view of the other couples on stage, and they are the four I predicted earlier as being locks for the top 10- Brandon/Janette, Evan/Randi, Phillip/Jeanine and Ade/Melissa. So that likely means two of the remaining three couples- Jonathan/Karla, Jason/Caitlin, and Kupono/Kayla will be in the bottom. But first we must get through the formalities. Brandon and Janette are safe (Yay!). The "butt made the cut", as Evan and Randi are also safe. I still didn't like the choreography of their routine last night but I saw many others call it the best dance of the night. They did dance the routine very well though so I'm happy they are safe. Phillip and Jeanine are next, and if any of these four might be in the bottom this week it would be them because of Phillip's poor technique, even though the dance was fun and entertaining. But America does like entertainment as well, as they too are safe for another week. Hey Ade is wearing an Obama shirt! I still don't quite see the love for him and Melissa so I'd almost be glad if they were in the bottom three but I don't think they will be. And sure enough they are safe, leaving three couples left and two spots in the bottom three to be filled.

If I was a producer I would announce that Jonathan and Karla were in the bottom first, since they were the consensus worst couple last night, and then increase the suspense by having it come down to the beautiful yet not exciting Kupono/Kayla waltz or the weak technically but exciting Jason/Caitlin paso doble. I liked both of these routines last night but I liked the waltz more so I hope Kupono and Kayla are safe. But whichever of these three are in the bottom I will not be surprised, since they have all been there before.

Sure enough when they come out onstage Jonathan and Karla are on the left, which likely means they will be hearing their fate first. The weird thing is the clips from their performance last night aren't that bad. Wonder if Nigel really bet anyone that these two would be in the bottom three? Jonathan says he would have taken the bet. Though then he would owe Nigel money since they are indeed in the bottom. No real surprise here either. Nigel though is sorry they were in the bottom because he thinks they have potential. And he adds he agrees with America's picks so far, as do I.

So now it 's down to Jason/Caitlin and Kupono/Kayla. Kayla and Jason are really popular though I think Caitlin and Kupono are much less so. I wouldn't really be surprised either way but like I said before I hope Kupono and Kayla are safe. Yay they are!!!! So that means obviously Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom. I can live with Caitlin going as long as Jason stays. Plus maybe we'll get to see a Michael Jackson tribute dance.

So that means the three worst dances according to the judges were the fans' least favorite as well. I still thought Jason and Caitlin were good but when there were really only two subpar acts the whole night someone else had to be in the bottom and if they did have the technical flaws Nigel pointed out then I guess they deserve to be there.

Mary is surprised by one couple in the bottom (I'm guessing Caitlin and Jason). Odd since I'm not surprised at all. I guess that means those two will be safe, though I thought the same thing last week about Max. Toni wasn't surprised about one but seemed to think everyone else was good so it was up to America. I'm guessing the duo she wasn't surprised at was Jonathan and Karla. Nigel demands Toni say which couple she was referring, and she admits that those two did not hit it hard enough for a street dance routine.

But before the solos we get some special guests, who get the audience cheering before they even show up. They are young beat boys called the Rage Boys Crew. They are really good but it's a bit too much jumping and flipping for my taste. They look like they range in age from around 8 to around 16 and they are all very talented (and attractive in those leather jackets!!). Woah one of the youngest gets tossed up in the air at the end- very much like Diversity from Britain's Got Talent. Cat gets down on her knees and bows to the youngest, who has a cute afro and missing front teeth. That was one of the more entertaining of these results show dance numbers, though that's not saying much since I didn't really like any of the previous ones.

After a plug for this season's auditions we get the six solos as each contestant fights for their dancing lives.

Asuka- Dances to "Don't Trust Me"- I love this song, but for a ballroom solo? Really? I thought her legs were great but her arm movements seemed a bit distracting to me. Good, but didn't blow me away.

Vitolio- Yay another current song- "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay. It's strong and powerful like his last solo. It's almost animal-like, in a good way. He was better the first time he was in the bottom three but still another great performance.

Karla- She dances to "15 Step" by Radiohead. I've never been a big Radiohead fan. Anyway the routine was a bit spastic for me but the judges seem to like that sort of thing.

Jonathan- He comes out rocking a white leotard and dancing to "The Hunted" by Kodo. He actually dances pretty well but of course adds a few signature flips instead of more actual content. The routine just sort of seems like the same few moves over and over again.

Caitlin- She dances to "Que Sera Sera" by Jennifer Terran. The song and dance are beautiful and she ends with a cool cartwheel. I was actually semi-impressed by her tonight.

Jason- His song is "New American Classic" by Taking Back Sunday. It's not as good as his solo last week but still should be good enough to keep him around for another week.

I'm really torn this week since none of the solos blew me away. I think Jonathan's was the worst and Caitlin's was the best but after that they were all pretty even. Karla's was my least favorite among the girls though I think that's more a style thing than her dancing actually being poor. But based on last night those two should go anyway so I hope the judges keep that in mind.

While the judges deliberate The Veronicas come out to perform. I only know one of their songs, and it's not this one. They do their new single which actually isn't that bad either. It's certainly catchy in the chorus. And since this is a dance show they have their own dancers, who do some cool synchronized movements. The singers themselves don't dance but they do sway with with the beat a bit.

And now it's finally time for the results. The girls are up first, and they are unanimous. Caitlin comes forward first. They thought she gave the best solo of the night, and I think I agree. She certainly was the best of the girls. She is safe for another week. I hope Karla goes home but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Asuka. Karla they thought was a bit desperate- she fell off her pirouettes and never found her center. I guess that's why I thought it was frantic and spastic. They thought Asuka is an exciting performer who puts part of herself in everything she does, but they don't feel like she is growing. Thus, she is sent home. I'm a bit surprised after what they said to Karla but Asuka had no shot of winning anyway. I personally liked her and did think she was great last week but overall I think Karla has been better if you take into account previous routines and solos. I just hope Vitolio doesn't join her....

I'm surprised Toni voted to send Asuka home as well since she clearly said at the beginning the only routine she didn't like last night was Karla and Jonathan's. But like I said it doesn't matter because none of them were going to go that far.

Aww Asuka says Vitolio was the most memorable part of the show for her and that he's always been there for her. They did make a cute couple.

Now for the guys. The judges were not unanimous, which is odd since I thought that decision was more clear-cut. Vitolio is called up first, which I hope means he's safe. Nigel says he shows lots of promise but doesn't deliver. He cites examples of how Vitolio will look like he's going into a great move but then will do a less impressive on (he used actual dance terms that I don't know but that was his general jist). He warns Vitolio not to hold back and then has him step back. Jonathan gets the most cheers when he steps forward. Nigel thought he was not good the night before and the solo didn't have enough dance. Nigel thought Jason danced well last week but the solo this week was too desperate. I didn't see that at all but I agree it wasn't as good as his prior one. He gives Jason the same critique he gave Vitolio about not giving it his all each week. Well since he gave those two the same critique he can't send one of them home and leave the other on the show, can he? Nigel says Jason's routine was not that good but since he was against weaker competition they are sending him to safety. He probably is the most talented of the three and has been more consistent overall than the other two so I'm happy and not surprised. Now if only Jonathan will be sent home. Yay he is!!! They are running out of time but Nigel warns Vitolio to bring it next week or he won't survive. I'm upset about Asuka but at least Jonathan is finally gone. And that means next week Vitolio partners with Karla to form what should be a powerful duo.

Wow Jonathan actually looked semi-decent in the clips of him from Vegas week. Why couldn't he do more of that on the show?

And the best news of all- Fox is rebroadcasting the top 13 on American Idol Season 8 doing Michael Jackson songs on Monday night!! Yay!! I was totally thinking about that week too when I saw all the tributes to him and stuff. I looked up what songs everyone did and I remember standouts being "Dirty Diana" from Alexis, "Give it to Me" from Allison, "PYT" from Danny and "Remember the Time" from Kris (I threw the last one in because I am a huge Kris fan, and while it wasn't his best of the season it was certainly very good).

So what did you think of the results? I think I agree with who was sent home based on how they've done overall throughout the show. I'm interested in how Vitolio and Karla will do as partners next week. Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 16 Perform

2009-06-24T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hey all it's time for another week of SYTYCD. After last week's stunning elimination of Max anything can happen so all the couples must bring their best. We'll also get our first taste of the new pairing Kayla and Kupono.

Kupono gets nice cheers in his opening solo. Caitlin looks like she is wearing a bird on her tiny shirt. Brandon does a cool flip in his solo. Ade's popularity seems to be growing. Evan looks so cute with his spins.

Tonight's guest judge is Toni Basil, aka the woman who sang "Hey Mickey" in the 80s. She seems to be dressed for a funeral though. Apparently she is receiving a "Living Legend of Hip Hop" award- really- she's a legend? I don't think she's been around long enough to be a legend but apparently she popularized street dance which I did not know. I'm guessing she'll be a big fan of Phillip and Kupono (and too bad Tony is gone because she would have liked him too). Mary says this group is better than ever and points out how some of the bottom groups from the first week did great in the second week- I'm guessing she means Jonathan and Karla and Vitolio and Asuka, though I still didn't like Jonathan and Karla's dance last week. Nigel says the judges shape the top 10 but it is hard to tell who will be there. I agree last year it was much more obvious who the top 10 would be. I think Evan, Phillip, and Brandon are locks, and their partners likely are as well. Kayla I think should make it too along with Melissa and Ade, though one bad dance and any of these people could go, as we found out last week.

Jonathan and Karla- They are doing hip hop with Dave Scott. I've never seen his choreography so I don't know what it is like. Tonight we find out what the contestants would do if they weren't dancing. Karla would be a journalist (like I hope to be too!!!). She minored in journalism at New York University, which is a really good school for you non-NYers. Jonathan wants to be an acrobat, which is a good job for him considering all the flipping he does. Right away in rehearsal they get black hats to do Scott's interpretation of a love story. Apparently it has a Bonnie and Clyde kind of feel to it. Karla is taking to the character of the dance well but Jonathan seems fake since he's trying too hard. Plus he's too cute to be a gangster! The song is "By My Side" by Jadakiss/Ne-Yo. The choreography is cool and they hit all the moves but they are not always together. I'm not sure if they are supposed to be or not but if they are Jonathan seemed a bit late at times. He also did not hit the moves as hard as Karla and, like Dave said in rehearsals, he's really not believable as a gangster. Karla though really did impress me with her movements and swagger. Nigel said the routine was too ironed out and not exciting- but that sounds like a criticism of the choreography, not the dancers. He also says they had no chemistry and points out the lack of unison, including on some head nods. I didn't acutally notice that part but I did notice other times they were not coordinated. Wow he calls it a "Sunday school picnic". Then he gets booed and yells back to the audience that he bets they will be in the bottom three. I agree with him (unless of course they get all the sympathy/judges' backlash votes now) but I never heard him say that out loud before. He's turning into Simon Cowell. Mary doesn't think they got in touch with their inner gangster. I thought Karla did, but not Jonathan. She says the best part was Jonathan's flips in the middle of the dance (which were really good- he should join the circus!). Toni agrees they didn't work well together and were not hard-hitting enough. So basically they agree with me, though I still thought they could have praised Karla a bit more. Anyway between their lack of popularity to begin with, their poor routine tonight, and them going first, I agree with Nigel about them being in the bottom three.

Asuka and Vitolio- I'm worried they are going so early in the show- it might make them easily forgettable. Asuka would be a jewelry maker if she didn't dance, and if she did make the ones she is sitting in front of then she has great taste. Vitolio would be a singer in a band, with an afro and purple leotard to boot. Let's just say he should stick to his day job. They are doing jazz with Mandy Moore. The routine is fast, and Asuka is out of her ballroom element. She gets frustrated in rehearsal and cries in Vitolio's arms. He comforts her like a good partner. Aww. They are so cute together. They dance to "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar- isn't that a rock song more than a jazz song? Anyway Asuka looks like a rockstar with her black outfit and makeup. The dance is very hard-hitting and they both are trying really hard to get at that, but I think Asuka falls a bit short. Like Jonathan in the previous routine she is outshone by her partner. Also I don't think they were that in sync either but it was hard to tell with the speed of the dance. I did like it better than the first dance though, and the lifts were great. Nigel saw the contrast between how sweet Vitolio was in the clip and how strong he was in the dance. He loved the routine. Wow I'm surprised I didn't think it was that good. He says the routine was simple but they did it well. Mary thinks it was really good but not as good as last week. I agree. She points out the lack of synchronization like I did. She also likes how they have improved their chemistry and partnership. Toni thinks they have potential to be great but warns them to focus more on emotion over technique. Odd since I think they need to work on technique more than emotion. Anyway I agree with Mary in that they were good, not great. Certainly better than the first group but they still may be in trouble with their lack of popularity and their early spot in the pecking order.

Melissa and Ade- Melissa would continue to be a pilates teacher and get her own studio. Ade would be a sound engineer on TV shows, but when he tries holding the giant microphone for Melissa he hits her in the head! Again, stick to your day job. They are doing a rumba with Tony Meredith. It's a love dance that requires sensuality and emotion along with technique. They really struggled at first, and Melissa claims they are overwhelmed. The song is "Emotion" by Destiny's Child. Yay I like this song. Rumba is one of my least favorite ballroom dances because it always seems boring to me. This one isn't that exciting but they do dance it very well technically. They are probably the best so far, but that's not saying much. Ooh they messed up a bit in the middle when Ade started turning Melissa the wrong way. Also the chemistry was not always believable though it picked up towards the end in that regard. Nigel says Melissa was sexy in her skimpy shiny dress (which she was) and then jokes "what a different Ade makes". Yay puns! He thinks Ade was there for Melissa in the dance and they danced it well. Mary is buying the emotion they sold and she totally believed it. I didn't always believe it but at times it was really good. She adds how Ade was not too stiff and had great technique, which he did. I'm surprised they haven't mentioned the mistake yet, but maybe it just looked like one but was actually part of the routine. Toni says it was beautifully done and then takes time to compliment Tony's choreography. I still was not a huge fan of this dance but like I said I think it's just because I don't like that style. I do agree it was well-danced though, which should keep them safe for another week.

Janette and Brandon- Brandon would be a lighting designer of sets. Janette would be a loan processor. Apparently she is a finance major and enjoys working with numbers. Okay that part I get, seeing as I'm a math major (yes, I study math and journalism- odd combo I know) but even for me a job as a loan processor does not sound exciting. Brandon agrees with me. This week they are doing hip hop with Dave Scott again. Hopefully they'll do better with his routine then Jonathan and Karla. Janette is a rock star and Brandon is a hip hop dancer who wants to be a rock star, so the routine is a mix of rock and hip hop styles. Brandon and Dave got into dancing matches during rehearsal. Apparently he has skills as a popper too. Who knew? The song is "What a World" by Common. Wow Janette does look like a rock star with her black leather leotard and tall black boots. Janette starts out doing rocker poses in a chair while Brandon shows off some fast hip hop steps. Wow is there anything he can't do? Then they get up and do some unison moves that seem more like rock than hip hop but either way they are both nailing it. I think I liked their dance last week better but this was still great and the best dance so far. Brandon even does some break dancing on the floor. Nigel thinks it was like 50 Cent and Cher- is that good or bad? He adds Brandon impressed him with the hip hop, which he really did, and that Janette was a great rocker despite being a salsa dancer, which she was. Mary thinks they really hit it and again compliments how well they did out of their elements. Toni thought the juxtaposition of hip hop and rock was a great strategy and thinks they really nailed it. These two have become my favorite couple and while I didn't love the choreography the dancing itself was amazing and should definitely help them stick around for a while.

Kupono and Kayla- I love Kupono but he hasn't impressed me thus far with his dancing in the live shows. Hopefully that will change this week with a new partner. Kayla loves modeling, and has done some for dancewear. She wants to get into more high fashion modeling as well. Hey she should go on America's Next Top Model too! She especially loves getting made up. Kupono loves costume designing. He basically mismatches different things together, but at least he is staying true to his unique (though odd) style. They hated being in the bottom three last week, and Kayla was shocked to be there (as was I). They are doing a Viennese Waltz, a very technical dance, so Kupono might be in trouble. They also might have trouble doing such a romantic dance after only being partners for a week. They struggled in rehearsals, as Kupono doesn't have the upper body strength for the lifts. More bad news for him. They just want to pull the audience in emotionally. The song is "Sweet Dreams for You" by Jewel. Wow Kupono is actually really graceful- he looks so pretty doing the arm swoops (sorry for the lack of technical terms). I actually spend most of the time watching him but Kayla looked pretty good as well. Plus the routine seemed to go by really quickly for me which means I enjoyed watching it. They seemed to do all the lifts pretty well though I think I saw a slight stumble in one of them. But otherwise the only other flaw was a lack of chemistry but I think that will grow over time. Nigel points out how a waltz is a hard routine to wow people with but says this was a beautiful routine, which it was. And I totally agree that a waltz is not a dance that gets people on their feet. But even so I still enjoyed it. He also liked the flow of the dance but adds that it won't get people to stand up and cheer for it. In response some audience members do just that- awesome! Mary says it was elegant and flowing and believable. I don't totally agree on the believability but I agree on the elegance and flow. She also points out how great it was that two contemporary dancers pulled this off. She does recommend Kupono work on heel leads but still seemed to like his effort.There is also some Kayla praise, though not as much as last week. She even puts them on the hot tamale train, which gets Kupono and Kayla excited. They do deserve it though with the elegance of that dance. Toni really liked the routine but points out to choreographer Jean Marc that it is pushing the envelope to have dancers to a waltz with no shoes (which Kupono did). This reminds me of that shoe controversy with Lance Bass on Dancing with the Stars, when his partner Lacey Schwimmer (a former SYTYCDer) choreographed a routine with neither of them wearing shoes and they got points taken off for it by one of the judges. But Toni still loved it, especially how Kayla was in the moment on stage and how well they did as new partners. This was my second favorite of the night so far and hopefully they should be safe for another week.

Randi and Evan- Like Kupono, Evan was an early favorite of mine but he has not impressed me the past few weeks. Kupono did so tonight, and hopefully Randi will do the same. Randi wants to be an elementary school teacher, specifically special education. Evan wants to own a custom car shop on the heels of us finding out last week he is a gear head. They are doing a Mia Michaels routine. Randi's behind is the center of the dance, which is kind of odd, though I'd expect nothing less from Mia. It is supposed to be a cat-and-mouse love story with a Mia Michaels spin. I am very hit or miss on Mia routines so let's see how this goes. Mia fears it seems cliche in rehearsals. The song is "Koop Island Blues" by Koop featuring Ane Brun. The song title sounds like it should be in a Mario video game. The routine was just... odd. They both danced it very well, and Evan looked better than he has in weeks but I just didn't get the story at all. It just all seemed weird for me, though I blame Mia for that, not the dancers, who were both very good with what they were given. Nigel says the routine was simple but beautifully danced. I agree on both counts. He adds there wasn't a great idea behind it but you could interpret it many different ways. It also was memorable, which is definitely was. Mary says they were terrific, which they were. She loved how they kept the character going throughout the dance. And Evan gets props for finally being a leading man. Toni says she would love to work with Mia if she was a dancer on the show and states they lived up to the great choreography. I hated the choreography but really liked the actual dancing. I don't know if everyone will like that routine but Evan's popularity should ensure they stick around.

Jason and Caitlin- Let's see if they can bounce back from their bad routine last week. Caitlin wants to be a broadcast journalist. She does a little teaser as a news anchor and is actually pretty good. Jason would be playing soccer, which is apparently is his second love (after dance of course!). They are doing a paso doble with Jean Marc and France. It's a very exciting routine, unless the waltz we saw earlier in the night. The two have to pretend to hate each other in the dance. Jean Marc ripped off Jason's sneakers and Caitlin's skirt before they started dancing. Why would you come to dance rehearsal in sneakers anyway? The song is called "O'Fortuna" by some orchestra with a long name. Ooh Jason has his shirt off. And Caitlin balances on one leg and one knee while in Jason's lap. This routine is really intense, in a good way. I can't keep my eyes off Jason with that evil look in his eyes. He looks so fierce in that outfit. Caitlin seemed to be overshadowed by him a bit but I think she did a good enough job. This was another of my favorites of the nice, mainly because of the great passion in the dance. Nigel thought Jason performed too much to the audience a bit, which I guess I get since he looked at the camera a lot. But he thought many other things were exceptionally good, namely Caitlin's lines and flow. Mary thinks it was a strong performance but warns Jason lost his posture and character a bit at times. Toni enjoyed the performance of the characters even though they at times struggled with their technique. I didn't notice the poor technique as much but that could hurt them despite the strong performance.

Phillip and Jeanine- Phillip wants to be an inventor. So both of his careers are not very lucrative haha. Jeanine wants to be an actress. Apparently she did some commercials and independent films as well. They were both shocked to not be in the bottom three, but I wasn't because of Phillip's popularity. They are doing a Broadway routine (yay!) with Tyce. Hopefully it is better than Tyce's routine for Asuka and Vitolio early in the season. Phillip has to jump over a couch in the routine but is too scared to do it. Wow he really looks like he is flying when he does it in rehearsal. The song is "Moses" from "Singin in the Rain". Boo I don't like old Broadway- I like more current stuff. Love them reading a SYTYCD book while on the couch together. It's a cute, fun number. Kind of reminds me of "I Love Lucy" a bit. They even get to throw pillow feathers all over the stage. And yes, Phillip does safely jump the couch. Not my absolute favorite of the night but certainly good enough to get them through to next week. Haha Phillip ripped his pants in the routine (but we can't see anything too risque). We do see a bit of his butt hanging out. They should have done that for Randi in her routine with Evan. Nigel says they needed to bring lots of personality, and while he thinks Jeanine did Phillip did not as much. I did find myself drawn to Jeanine most of the dance, and that's probably why. Mary is allergic to down feathers but not to that routine. She too notes Phillip's lack of technique and how great Jeanine was. Toni thought it was adorable but didn't live up to the Gene Kelly standard. She says they can't let the feathers upstage them, whatever that means. And they were better this week than they were last week of course. If they could stay out of the bottom three after their poor performance last week they should sail through to the top 10.

My favorites were Brandon/Janette, Kupono/Kayla, and Jason/Caitlin. I liked all the other dances though the first two were my least favorite.

So that's it for tonight's show. The bottom three are getting tougher and tougher to predict. I think Jonathan and Karla and Asuka and Vitolio will be there almost certainly, and deservedly so. I don't know who else I would put in the bottom. Brandon/Janette, Evan/Randi, Melissa/Ade and Phillip/Jeanine are really popular so I think it will come down to Kupono/Kayla and Jason/Caitlin for the final spot in the bottom three. I thought both were great but the former wasn't the most exciting dance and the latter lacked in technique according to the judges.

So who do you think is going home tomorrow night? Post your comments below.

America's Got Talent Recap: Season Premiere

2009-06-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hey all so just so you know I am not just a fan of So You Think You Can Dance, I will be recapping other reality shows on this blog as well, starting with America's Got Talent. I've watched this show from the beginning and still can't believe Neal beat out Nuttin' But Stringz or my personal favorite Eli Mattson last year. Oh well.

Sorry for the lateness of this blog but I got in trouble for screaming at one of the acts (more on that later) which woke up my parents who made me turn the show off. Anyway on to the show...

I've already seen plenty of previews and can guarantee the chicken catcher who sings country music and the siblings who woke their mother up from a coma will both make the finals. The country guy is good, but not really my thing, and while I didn't like the siblings' voices at first they have started to grow on me as I saw their commercial more and more.

But first we have to get through the audition rounds. I wonder how many times they'll mention Susan Boyle in the intro (I bet they'll mention her much more than they mention Neal).

Well no specific mention of Susan, just clips from the various world versions of this show with a large shot of Susan at the end and Piers' reaction to her voice (because of course they can't show Simon's reaction since he's not a judge on this show...)

And the siblings who woke up their mom already appear in the intro as well, though at least they showed the young girl who in my view is the most talented of the three.

Quick comments from the judges- Piers wants a unique act to win (especially after two singers winning in the past three years I bet), Sharon loves how this show makes dreams come true, and David says the show is fun, especially with the wacky acts.

Why is Nick Cannon in front of the White House for the intro? That's kind of random... OMG he's going to dance with one of the acts! This I got to see.

I didn't watch most of the acts they showed in the intro because I wanted to be surprised when they came out but that young boy dancer looked really good.

Nick gets his photo AND name in the credits- Regis and Jerry never got that. Hmm...

So wait, there are no auditions in Washington DC?? Then why the hell is Nick there???

First up, NYC. I think we see those three siblings here since I know they are from upstate NY.

The judges get their traditional big intro and now it's time for the auditions. Nick certainly knows how to work a crowd.

First up is a cute teacher's aide named Ray Schwarz. He's a singer and dancer who hopes to touch people with his music. Please let him be good!!! Well his voice isn't horrible but his "dancing" consists of shaking and waving his arms back and forth. Too bad he seemed like a nice guy. The audience is hating it but the judges dig it for a bit. Oh wait there's David with the X,and Piers soon follows. And there goes Sharon. Ray says he needs improvement, and Piers wonders how bad he was before lessons! Ouch. At least the judges are nice in their rejections.

Montage of bad acts. Jay Brunelle plays guitar and sings badly while slipping on a unicycle. Andy Lopata ( a forty-year old white guy, mind you) does some "rap" that sounds like rhythmic poetry more than rap. Sky and Vlad Eros Fire (cool name) do a fire dance but Sky's hair catches on fire halfway through. They even needed fire extinguishers to put out the blaze! The judges are not impressed.

Now we have moved to Chicago. Oh yeah I forgot they are going to jump back and forth between cities like they did last year. I hated it then and I hate it now- too confusing. Ooh Johnny Depp lookalike.

Moses Lanham- A movie usher with a unique talent. Apparently he's the only living person who can do what he does, and it is dangerous. This could be really good or really bad. His act is turning his feet 180 degrees and then walking. That sounds really painful and cool, though I don't know how he could sustain this for a whole act in Vegas. Well he does it, and it is cool and weird, but like I said what will he do in the next round to top this? Haha love the look on Nick's face. Piers X's him when he gets grossed out enough, but the guy even has a tie on the back of his shirt and then puts his back to the audience but with the tie and his feet he looks like he is just facing forward with his head turned around! David agrees with me that it's not enough to sustain an act though, and even the audience is lukewarm. Sharon says no, and Piers says he got physically ill. I'm not surprised though at least he actually has talent, unlike the other rejects so far.

Nick turns his clothes and shoes around and imitates Moses as he walks off the stage! I think I'm going to like Nick as the host.

Ooh sad music starting- that means the next act will be good and have a sob story to boot.

They are a six-man group called FootworKINGz. They grew up in bad neighborhoods and want to inspire others to go for their goals. They have a motto but I can't really understand it- something about water I think. They are full of confidence, already predicting they can win the million. They start out running in a circle and I wonder where the dancing is but once they start they are really good. They are essentially a group that dances hip hop in unison. It got a little repetitive with the choreography but there's no doubt these guys have skills. The audience loves it as well. Piers and Sharon loved it, but David worries they won't be able to sustain the act for an hour show, which is a fair point. However they deservedly get through to Vegas.

We stay in Chicago after the break...

Shine- a four-person sibling act called Shine who sing uplifting, positive music. One of them names themselves the happiest group in America, and they certainly seem it. They start to sing and the audience turns on them right away. I don't think they are that bad but I'm getting a strong Brady Bunch vibe from them, and I don't think that's a good thing. They even have the corny group choreography down pat. The voices get even worse as the song goes on but Sharon lets them finish the act. They have never been booed by an audience before but still seem upbeat after the song. Three no's from the judges.

More "uplifting acts". Four men dressed in red and green jumpsuits look like tomatoes call themselves The Positive Brothers. They dance okay but seem out of sync, and the judges send them on their way. Laura Velgos strips and dances while her mother? Alicia plays accordian. They claim the act is original, but it's not original in a good way. Christy Marie sings Cher and I don't think she's that bad either but the audience and judges give her a quick no. Wow they are harsh tonight. Jay Jay comes out in a rocker-esque wig and plays something on a keyboard that just sounds weird and creepy. He too is sent packing.

Wow a half hour in and only one good act so far! Hopefully the action will pick up soon.

Still in Chicago- when are they going back to NY?

Next up is an impersonator, and I'm guessing by the patriotic music it's an Obama lookalike. Well better than all the Bush guys we got last year. Wow he really does look like the president. His real name is Peter Peterkin by the way. He's actually pretty funny in his standup routine, saying he always must say five "thank yous" when he is introduced. Then he puts on a wig and does a little James Brown, and hey his voice is pretty good as well. He claims to do 300 impressions and play 15 instruments. David thought it got lame at the end. Piers liked the uniqueness of the Obama impression but questions the singing. Really? I thought his voice was the best part. He does some spot on Little Richard as well. Sharon says yes, as do David and Piers! He didn't blow me away but he was entertaining for sure.

And out comes Nick in the James Brown wig!! Awesome!!!

Montage of good acts (finally). Black Fire Percussion is a group of youths who play drums while tossing sticks in the air too. I didn't love it but the judges did. Anointed S is a "vocal percussionist" aka beatboxer. Not my thing but he's good at what he does. Unexpected Step Team does some cool moves despite the weird cheerleading outfits.

After the break we meet Debbie Victor, who has worked on her act for fifty years. I have a feeling she's going to be bad, talking about how her act is unique. She does animal sounds as an act- these people have auditioned before and never gotten through, and I don't think that's going to change now. She starts out sounding like a sick dog, but her monkey is pretty good. She does a sheep and then another animal I don't recognize before getting X'd off the stage.

Animal acts!!! Tommy and Diane Long have a mini horse that supposedly plays golf but ends up just moving the club around in the air.

Next up is Rockin' Rory, an adorable dog whose owner Tony found him at a shelter. Ooh a frisbee act (I think). Tony throws Rory some frisbees and Rory grabs every one, dancing and jumping over Tony in the process. Rory even stands on Tony's feet at one point. I wasn't that impressed at first but then Rory bounces off Tony's chest to grab frisbees from the air. I have to admit that's kind of cool. Still not really my thing though. Piers says the dog looks like he flies, which he does. The judges all say yes, and the audience gives him a sitting (not standing) ovation.

Now we're off to Seattle. Wow NYC's getting the shaft in this episode. I remember the Idol auditions here were historically bad (and I think so were the SYTYCD ones) so my expectations aren't too high.

Brad Byers is a small-town guy hooked on show business. This is the act that got me screaming at the TV and waking up my parents by the way.When he was young he appeared in his grandmother's talent show and has been hooked to performing ever since. He is doing a fishing trip gone wrong with a hook and anchor. Okay..... Wow he literally sticks the hook through his nose and has it come out his mouth!!! Ew!!!! Then he attaches the anchor to the hook and swings his head back and forth like it is nothing! He even pulls the hook back out without any sign of blood! But he's not done yet. He then takes out a drill, turns it on, and sticks it through his nose! Wow! This is gross but kind of cool. And out comes the drill, with not a bit of blood on it. Even Nick is grossed out. Brad adds that he does lots of other similar things as well, including putting out a propane blowtorch on his tongue. I actually want to see that. The judges (minus Sharon) agree it was gross but entertaining, and he is sent through to Vegas.

Another montage of bad acts, this time Seattle style. EmpeROAR Fabulous dresses in silver and glitter and does a weird strip singing act. Louie Lichtenstein attaches a suitcase to a rope and flings it around the stage for a bit. Kerry Christensen does yodeling that sounds like a chicken. Cirkus Pandemonium balance on top of each other and do things with fire. Johnny Bagpipes plays bagpipes (shocker!) and plays them badly.

After the break we are still in Seattle and still have weird acts. Noel the Freak attaches hooks to his eyes and various objects to the other end of the hooks while his partners break those items one by one. That's like Brad's act but weirder. The judges say no, but I think that was just as impressive as Brad's act before and he got through.

Note to all reality show producers- NEVER go to Seattle for auditions again. That's three shows now that have had disastrous auditions there.

Next up are three girls -ages 15, 11, and 14-the EriAm Sisters. They write songs together and practice every day. Aw... They are really close and hope to be the next Destiny's Child. Nick is just happy to have found some normal people in Seattle. They come out with cool choreography and singing "I Want You Back". All three get solos at the mike and all have great voices, though the 11 year old (who got the bulk of the solos) is the best in my opinion. Even the background harmonies sound great, and the whole audience is up on their feet. This is my favorite act so far, and the judges love them too. They really do remind me of a young Destiny's Child. Piers is surprised the two older sisters can sing since the youngest one got most of the solos. He also gives them good advice on staying closer together when they sing. David says they are the most talented kids he's ever seen on the show (even better than Bianca Ryan????). Sharon loves them as well and they are sent straight through to Vegas! Yay they were awesome!

Finally another montage of good acts after the commercial. The Jesse White Tumbling Team (including a 74 year old- wow!) do lots of acrobatic air tricks. Though it looks like the 74 year old is just the conductor/leader and doesn't do any tumbling. That would have been really impressive. The Urban Nation Hip Hop Choir remind me of a gospel choir you hear at church (not necessarily a bad thing). Draconik breathe fire and do other fire tricks, like one guy putting fire on a hula hoop and putting it around his neck. It was kind of hard to see much of what their act was with the short segment but it seemed kind of cool.

David Johnson is a loan officer who has played guitar since high school. He first started to write a song in high school about his crush from Baywatch. He sort of implies the crush is Pamela Anderson but why do I get the feeling the song is about The Hoff. His guitar playing is not bad, and neither is the singing, but the song itself is kind of perverted. And yes the song is about David Hasselhoff!!! I totally called that! Apparently David (the contestant) bought Knight Rider on DVD and the Hoff's speedos from the internet. Wow. He really was pretty good though, and the song was actually kind of funny. Piers felt the emotion, David thought the song was very true. Of course David says yes, but he's sad the person who wrote a song about him was a man! Ha! Sharon says no, so it's down to Piers. Come on Piers, he actually has some talent! Sure enough he gets through to the next round! He won't last too long there but I want to see what else this guy can come up with.

Hey Neal Boyd has a new CD out- including "God Bless the USA"- I love that song! Ooh and he's on tour with Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts- those who like that kind of music (which I don't) will love that show.

Woah one of the auditioners looks like a guy who auditioned for Idol a few years back- I forget his name but I know he was really bad.

Next up are Bruce and Simone, lovers clad in silver. They feel they are soulmates, especially singe Simone loves Bruce's feet and soft hair. Bruce thinks Simone is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Of course they are going to suck but at least they will suck together. Bruce however thinks they are going to win. They have a double hoop act, whatever that means. They are actually not as bad as I thought they would be. They do lots of sexual-looking acts in the hoop. At one point Bruce stands on Simone as the hoop rotates around in the air. It's kind of boring to me but the audience and judges seem to dig it. Nick wants a hoop for his bedroom haha- I can't picture him and Mariah doing that. Piers thinks they should keep the act in the bedroom but Sharon enjoyed it. David says no, Sharon says yes. Sharon tells Piers if he says yes the two of them can do that act later. I'd much rather see that then see these two lovebirds again but Piers does put them through. They do have some talent but I don't think they will last long in Vegas.

Woohoo they are back in NYC (finally!) There haven't been any good New York acts so far but hopefully that will change.

The NYC Gay Men's Chorus sing "Single Ladies"- yes that "Single Ladies". Their voices only sound okay but the mere awesomeness of them choosing that song puts them through.

Joseph Maracina is from Queens, and he does impressions. He claims he can do anyone's voice. Well his normal voice sounds like Robert Deniro a bit... He starts out with some Nicholson and I think it's pretty good but Piers X's him right away. Well the impression isn't bad but what he is saying isn't really funny. He then does Anthony Hopkins, which I can't judge since I don't know what he sounds like. This gets two more X's and boos from the crowd. The judges claim the actual impressions weren't that good, but I thought it was the routine itself that wasn't funny. Either way he gets three no's.

Next are Zoe and Dave. They are dancers who at first worked together and then fell in love. I think this is the act where little Zoe picks up large Dave with her bare hands. They call themselves Paradizo Dance and dance to "No Air". I'm getting SYTYCD flashbacks with the song choice. In fact Zoe picks up Dave three times in the dance, though to me there doesn't seem to be much dancing in the piece-just lots of lifts. He picks her up as well, and while she seems very graceful he does not. I like Zoe a lot as a dancer but Dave really takes away from the piece for me. The judges and audience seem to love it though. Apparently Dave weighs 240 lbs and Zoe is around 100 lbs. That part of the piece was cool but the rest was only okay. The judges send them through to the next round, though I hope they don't last much longer.

And last but not least are Voices with Glory aka the siblings from the previews who woke their mother up from a coma. Of course the producers save the best story for last to drum up popularity for these guys right away (as if the commercials they were in did not pump them up enough). Their ages are 16, 13, and 9. They haven't even mentioned their mother yet. But then of course Piers asks them about their inspiration and they get into the story. Their mother was in a head on collision in a car and they sang by her bedside to comfort while she was in a coma. They even sang to others in the hospital as well. And of course the mother is now alive and backstage, as the previews showed. Now for the singing. They are certainly talented, but they are not worth all the hype they are getting in my view. The young girl is really good but the two older boys are only okay. The girl does get the main part of the song while the boys sing background, but I don't even love their harmonies that much. I would much rather the girl group
from earlier (the three sisters) make it to the finals instead. Either that or the girl should just get a solo career and leave her brothers behind. Piers says they are the "pride of America", David says their mother is proud of them. Sharon is in tears and the audience demands the mother be brought out. She's in a wheelchair but other than that she looks good for having been in a coma for eight months. Sharon cries some more. Piers says we must judge them as performers but he thinks the singing was one of the best he's heard. Really?? I did not think they were that good at all but maybe it's just my taste. Of course they get right through to Vegas.

So that's it for tonight's show. The only act that really wowed me were the EriAm Sisters, though Rockin Rory and FootworKINGz also impressed me. I also want to see what Brad Byers does next, weird as his act may be.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Were you as disappointed with Voices with Glory as I was? Who else are your early standouts? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: Top 18 Results

2009-06-18T20:02:00.001-07:00

Hey all glad to see I actually have some followers on this blog. I really appreciate the fact that you like my blog enough to keep coming back. Anyway on to this week's results show. I'm glad to see from reading other blogs that I was not the only one who did not like Jonathan and Karla's routine, though I do seem to be the only one who did not like Melissa and Ade's. Still both of the duos doing Shane's routines, Ashley/Kupono and Jason/Caitlin, should be in the bottom. After that it's hard to tell.

Cat looks much better tonight in a stylish white button down blouse and pants.

There are rumors the highly anticipated Katie Holmes dance routine will be aired tonight. It was supposed to be for the 100th episode later this year but since the cat is out of the bag (yay Internet!) some think the producers might just show it tonight instead. I've never seen Katie sing or dance but I want to see what she can do.

The group routine is choreographed by Mia, as Nigel spoiled last night. The song is "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder and features all the dancers in black leather and face makeup that makes them look like animals. Lots of leaping across the stage, especially by the guys. A bunch of guys have a small group solo in the beginning and look fierce. I think that Ade in the front looking creepy yet powerful. Three girls follow but don't pack as much of a punch. Then they all dance in unison looking like a combo of Frankenstein's monster and Dracula. Mia's style isn't really my thing but there were moments (particularly the group male solo in the beginning) that were really cool.

First up is a montage of Lil C's comments from last night- aka his "Dictionary of Dance". Very appropriate seeing as a topic on the blogs today was Lil's odd rambling comments that often made not sense. The crowd and dancers seemed just as confused as we were doing the montage. Even choreographers Shane and Brian? (the guy who did the pop dance number) seem perplexed. But Lil C gets a hug from Nigel to cheer him up.

The first three couples are Melissa and Ade, Jason and Caitlin, and Phillip and Jeanine. Interesting. Melissa and Ade are clearly safe, but that means one or maybe both of the three worst couples last night is safe as well. Melissa and Ade are first, and sure enough they are safe. No surprise there. I still didn't love Melissa last night but Ade is starting to grow on me. I'd guess Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom and Phillip and Jeanine are safe but I hope both are in the bottom to be honest. Jason called their dance from last night a "hip not". Ha! Hopefully Cat will say now that at least one of them are in the bottom. Sure enough she says only one of them is safe. I like Phillip and Jeanine better overall though after watching replays of their dance last night I can see the poor technique the judges were talking about. And like I thought they are safe thanks to Phillip's popularity. Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom and in danger of going home. This is bad news for Asuka/Vitolio and Jonathan/Karla, one of whom will likely take the third spot in the bottom three now.

Mary is not surprised but is disappointed at how poorly they did after doing so well the week before. I still didn't think their Bollywood routine was that good though... She says they are great individually and will have to show that in their solos.

After the break the next three couples are out on stage: Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Kupono and Ashley. Dang that means Jonathan and Karla are likely safe and Kupono and Ashley are in the bottom. So Asuka and Vitolio are likely couple number three in the bottom even though they were one of my favorites last night. For some reason people don't like Asuka but she and Janette are the only two females I really like this year. Brandon and Janette are indeed safe (shocker!) and I love the excitement on their faces when they find out. Now I'm assuming Kupono and Ashley are in the bottom since their routine was worse and Kupono is not popular enough like Phillip to save the two of them despite a bad routine. Apparently their nickname is Ashono! Awesome! Though one or both of them may go tonight, which would defeat the point of the nickname. Funny though- their routine looks better in the clips we see tonight than it looked last night. But either way they are indeed in the bottom, and Jonathan looks so cute celebrating in delight. So both of Shane's numbers were not popular with viewers- but those were the obvious picks for the bottom three. The next duo should be the interesting one.

Lil C has a similar reaction to Mary before- they were great last week but bad this week. He adds it shows what happens when dancers go outside their comfort zone. Except Jonathan was outside his own style this week and the judges (though not me) loved him. The good think about this is I get to see Kupono's solo, which I loved in his first audition. I don't really care about Ashley but I hope he stays.

Now for the final three groups- but first a treat for Evan, who is on the far left with Randi and thus likely safe. A "familiar face" auditioned for season 6 of this show. Yay it's Ryan!!!!!!!!! We get a clip of his audition, and his tap routine (minus the whoopie cushion) is even better than his audition from this season. And he gets a ticket to Vegas!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait for the fall now!

Evan apparently didn't know about this and teared up as the clip ended. And there's big brother in the crowd holding up six fingers for season six. Hopefully Evan will be safe this week so they can be happy together.

Anyway on to the results. The other two duos in limbo are Asuka and Vitolio and Max and Kayla. Actually of the three Evan and Randi were my least favorite, but I love Evan overall. Max and Kayla were my least favorite of the three, and though I know some didn't like their routine I think they will be safe. I hope Asuka and Vitolio will be safe instead, but I doubt it. First up are Evan and Randi and sure enough they are safe, to the delight of Ryan. OMG ASUKA AND VITOLIO ARE SAFE!!! Happy dance!!! They look delighted, though some of the other dancers, namely Melissa and Randi, look as shocked as me.

This should be interesting now. No way the judges said Kayla home, and Max is probably safe too. But any combo of the other four could be out. I'd rather they send home Ashley and Caitlin but since they can't do that I hope Kupono stays since I have liked him from the beginning.

Nigel is partially shocked. He points out that the bottom three are completely different from last week, which shows how close a race this is. He thinks a lot of people did not understand choreographer Brian's work, which makes sense since I saw on the blogs many who did not like their dance because it was so "out there".

This week's special guest dancer is a Bollywood dancer whose name I can't spell or pronounce. It starts out really slow but then as the beat picks up she goes into a ridiculous amount of spins in a row. The rest of the dance is a lot of body shaking while the dancer stands in place. She did the dance well but I'm more of a fan of fun, faster Bollywood dances.

The solos:

Caitlin- The song is "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele. Hey this is the song Kris Allen did on Idol that made him my favorite. Anyway the dance is solid, though for me not amazing. She has some nice moves and then a cool flip thing at the end.

Jason- The song is "Superman" by Robin Thicke. Yay another current song, though this one I don't know. Now this dance made me say "Wow". He has great leaps and beautiful lines throughout. I think that may have just saved him, which is bad news for Kupono.

For what it's worth both of these two got huge cheers after their solos.

Ashley- The song is "By Your Side" by Coco Rosie, whoever that is. It was okay but she spent much of the solo dancing around the stairs and looking kind of like a strip dancer with her clothes on. Her bright red lipstick doesn't help her in this regard.

Kupono (please be good, please be good!!!)- The song is "Many Moons" by Janelle Monae. I love him but I'm not feeling this solo. A bit too fast and a bit too much running around and not enough dancing. I think both he and his partner are in trouble.

Both of them seemed to get less cheers than either Jason or Caitlin after their solos.

20 minutes left in the show- I guess the producers are saving the Katie Holmes dance for the 100th episode.

Kayla (no way she gets sent home unless she literally falls- and even then she might be safe)- The song is "Walking on Air" by Kerli- again never heard of the song or artist. It was actually a good song choice since she did look like she was trying to walk on air during the dance. It didn't blow me away but it was as good as Kaitlin's and better than Ashley's so she should be fine. Though even she did not as many cheers as Caitlin and Jason.

Max- OMG he's dancing to "Footloose"!!! He should get saved just for doing that. The dance is a jive, and the kick portions are just fabulous. The rest is solid but not spectacular, but like with Kayla I don't think the judges would have sent him home unless he was really bad.

My favorite of the six was Jason's. Caitlin and Kayla were a tie for first on the female side. Sadly I think this should be the end of Ashley and Kupono, as their routines paled in comparison to the others, in my opinion.

While the judges deliberate we have special guest Kristinia DeBarge, who admittedly I have never heard of. Apparently Katy Perry, One Republic, and Lady Gaga all made their first TV appearances on this show. And perhaps not coincidentally, all of them have also been on Idol in the past two seasons.

She sings her hit single "Goodbye". Oh I've heard this- it's the song that rips off that "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye" chant I always hear at sporting events. I didn't realize she sang this- that's what happens when your local radio station plays the same songs over and over yet rarely says what each song is called/who sings it before they play it. Kristinia is wearing VERY short shorts and has a cavalry of backup dancers. She even dances along with them and does pretty well. I don't love this song but there's a lot of songs I didn't like at first that started to grow on me over time ("Poker Face" and "Boom Boom Pow" among them). And the ripped off chorus is actually kind of catchy.

And now finally it's time for the results. First up are the girls. Hmm Nigel says they were not unanimous on either the guys or the girls. Odd, since I thought this week the solos were more clear cut than last week. Then again a lot goes into their decision besides the solos I'm sure. The judges loved Caitlin's quality of movement and control in her solo. They felt Ashley had great Hollywood glamor in her solo but it had no substance. They thought Kayla has been great in the past but had too much going on in her solo. I see where they are coming from but I'd rather have a solo with too much like hers than with too little like Ashley's. And the judges agree, sending Ashley home. I wonder who was the one who did not vote for her. I'm guessing whoever did voted for Kayla instead, though all three of them loved her last night.

I forgot this was the fourth time she had auditioned for the show. I feel bad that she got cut so soon but her solo really did have little dancing in it.

Now time for the guys. The judges loved Jason's solo- they called it the best on the series to date! Do they mean best this season or best ever? I don't know if it was best ever and I even think Vitolio's last week was a bit better than his though it was close. They don't even keep him waiting and send him to safety. Not surprising- his was the best solo of the night for sure. The judges felt that Kupono's solo had little substance, though they like the different characters that he takes on in a dance. They think Max works really hard and understand how difficulty it is for a ballroom dancer to do a solo. It sounds like they are setting up to cut him, which would surprise me but make me happy since I do like Kupono more than Max. And indeed they do cut Max. Wow that's a shocker. I didn't even think he would be in the bottom three, plus I thought they wanted more ballroom dancers since they don't have that many this year yet they have Phillip to do hip hop dancing like Kupono. While I do like Kupono more overall I do think the judges got it wrong based on the solos tonight. Plus I thought Max and Kayla were locks for the top 10. The best thing for Kupono is he is partnered with judges' favorite Kayla now so hopefully he won't be in the bottom three anymore.

Anyway that's all for tonight's show. What did you think of tonight's elimination? Did the judges make the right decision? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 18 Peform

2009-06-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Hey all so it's time for the next round of performances on SYTYCD. It will be hard for the contestants to live up to the greatness of last week. Also I think going in Asuka/Vitolio and Karla/Jonathan are in trouble because of their lack of fan bases.

Cat is wearing a red dress with a giant bow/ruffles on one side. It looks really weird and unflattering on her, as beautiful as she is.

Love Brandon's flip in his solo in the beginning. Vitolio does some cool hip hop moves to try to increase his fan base. Jonathan does a semi-cartwheel and looks very cute in a T-shirt and jeans- guess he's going for the tween vote. Asuka and Karla get by far the least amount of cheers. None of the solos really stood out to me except maybe Brandon's.

Tonight's guest is Lil C. He seems to be a good judge from what I've seen, though he of course is one of the judges who is lukewarm on Brandon. Hopefully Brandon can make Lil C change his mind. He thought last week was a very solid beginning, whatever that means. Cat and Mary make more jokes about her botox line from last week. Nigel tells the dancers to show off their strengths, not their weaknesses, especially those who will be doing solos tomorrow.

The theme of the pre-performance packages is the contestants revealing their partners' secrets to the audience.

Randi and Evan- Randi has a dog that she treats like a child, including calling him and putting him on speakerphone. Aw that's really cute. Evan loves cars- he even built his own from scratch. That's cool but not as interesting as Randi's secret. They got the jive, one of my favorite ballroom styles. Neither of them have done it before though. Louis Van Amstel teaches them to show their personality in their dance. The dance is also very "fun", so much so that it is said 14 times in their short package. The song is "Shake a Tail Feather" by Ray Charles. It definitely was "fun" and fast, and they were very in sync on their kicks. The only complaint is that Evan's arm was sometimes awkward while he was stretching it out and he looked a little bit off in parts. Still it was a great way to start the show.

Hey Ryan's in the crowd again! Lil C says Evan looked a little too smooth and subtle, so he needs to work on his approach a bit more, while Randi was a firecracker. I agree, she was great and showed why she was picked for the top 20. I actually thought she outshined Evan but Lil C thought they were equal. Mary says it was "fun" and the "fun" counter on the bottom of the screen goes nuts. She adds that jive should have been their best dance but it fell a bit short. I agree. She also agrees with me and states that Randi did better than Evan, particularly on the kicks where she says Evan was sloppy, but she still enjoyed it. Nigel gives props to Louis after he got none last week. He also was disappointed in Evan and says he didn't have enough bounce in his kicks. Weird since I thought his kicks were the best part but I agree it wasn't as good as last week but still solid and fun He thinks Randi did a better job tonight but loves them as a couple. Aka- don't forget to vote for them! They were good not great but they should be popular enough to get through to another week.

Melissa and Ade- Melissa is married, and her sister married her husband's brother. So does that means her husband is her brother-in-law? I always get confused with those kinds of things. Ade's real name is Adetokunbo Isaac Kayode Obayomi. No wonder he goes by Ade. Yet people still pronounce this shortened name wrong too! This week they have a jazz routine with Sonja, who gets a big cheer when she pops up on screen. The dance is about a girl playing hard to get and a guy who hates to lose. So a lot of back and forth between the two dancers I guess. I'm kind of torn on Sonja's routines- sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't. It looks cool in the package, though they are struggling through the pain. They dance to another song I don't know "24 Hours" by Terry Poison. I thought Ade was really good but Melissa seemed a bit too dainty and not powerful enough at times. Ade really shone with some lifts and a leapfrog jump over Melissa where he landed on his feet. Also I didn't really love the routine itself- it seemed more like jumping than dancing, but maybe that's just me. Lil C says it was "buck", his signature term. He predicts Ade could be a favorite to win, and if he dances the way he did in that last number he might be. Though early faves like Brandon, Phillip, and Evan will be tough to beat. He thinks Melissa tried to submerge into the character, though I don't know if she succeeded. Mary decides to give them some tough love- because it's tough to find anything not to love. Another fakeout by Mary. I still didn't think Melissa was that good but then again it was hard to focus on her with Ade being so good. Nigel thinks Melissa equaled Ade's strength, and I disagree, at least at some points in the dance. But Ade was so good and the comments were so positive they should be around for a while.

Caitlin and Jason- Jason used to be obsessed with Michael Jackson. And we get some awesome home video of a four-year-old Jason in Jackson garb and wig doing the moonwalk! Caitlin talks like a baby and a velociraptor (not at the same time). No cute home movies of her though... They are doing hip hop with Shane. I didn't like Shane's group routine last week but maybe I'll like this one. By the way, I didn't know Shane was black. He tries to emphasize chemistry and character, though Caitlin accidentally pulls down Jason's pants in rehearsal. Dang even the hip hop song I don't know- "Missin You" by Trey Songz. The song is slow and kind of boring which takes away from the routine, and the movements are slow to go along with it. Caitlin does have a great solo in the middle and then does a ground flip thing right after it. They also had great chemistry but I found the routine itself kind of dull and not memorable. Lil C did not love it- he did not understand the end of the number, and calls it a "nightmare". Ouch. He thinks it was corny because it was danced so sharply. I didn't think it was that bad- I just found it not memorable at all. Mary says it was like Michael Jackson and Britney Spears because they danced so differently so it wasn't in sync. I didn't notice that at all but the replay in slow motion does show how Caitlin was more flowing and Jason more sharp. She can't understand why they were so off when last week they were so good. I didn't think they were that good last week either and I found some other bloggers who agreed with me. Nigel says Shane did a different style of hip hop to make them look good, and he did that. I agree with what Nigel is implying here- the routine wasn't the greatest but the two of them danced it well. Still they may be in trouble this week, though I doubt the judges would send them home unless their solos were really bad.

Janette and Brandon- Janette had bad teeth when she was young. It was really just giant front teeth, though you can't tell now. Brandon has never worked out a day in his life, even with his great body. I'm sure he gets that body from dancing, but that is still pretty amazing that he got those muscles from dancing. They are doing dreaded disco with Doriana Sanchez. Usually disco routines are unpopular with viewers, though these dancers are so popular hopefully that won't happen. The routine is really fast and Janette has trouble with it at first, and she doesn't seem too confident they will get the routine. Usually when someone says that the routine turns out great. They dance to "Loving Is Really My Game" by Brainstorm, which may or may not be a current song. And it looks really good to me. I hate disco but this is my favorite routine so far. It is fast and fun like the earlier jive but I think they both dance it better than Evan and Randi did. Brandon was the standout with his flips and lifts, though I think Janette held her own with such a strong partner. The crowd doesn't seem too enthused though. Lil C starts talking about labor and then says he saw the birth of progression in both dancers. He thought it was amazing. Yeah the judges liked it too!!! (or at least one of them did). He points out a mishap at the end that I didn't notice but sure enough the replay shows she tripped at the end. I didn't notice at all though so she hid it well. Mary thinks the routine was on fast forward it was so fast. She's never seen a disco that fast but thinks they both nailed it. She jokes Janette needs to work on her flexibility (she did some splits) and that Brandon needs to work on his strength (he did several strong lifts). They embodied everything disco ever was. And we get the first Mary scream of the night. Nigel says he would scream too if he could and calls it one of the best disco routines ever on the show. That's probably true since all the past disco routines have sucked. Apparently the choreographer was in Dirty Dancing and Nigel adds that this routine had more in it than the big lift routine at the end of the movie. That's high praise indeed. It certainly was the best of the night so far and no doubt they are safe for another week. And the best part is Brandon got Lil C on his side!!

Ooh Mia is doing the group dance tomorrow. So Brandon is dealing with his two nemeses in the second week!

Asuka and Vitolio- I hope they do well since I like them but they are unpopular for some reason. Vitolio is obsessed with motorcycles and wants to be a rockstar. Asuka makes spitballs, and Vitolio barely knows what they are- ha! They promise to be better this week. They hope to show personality but that will be hard with a waltz that they will do with Louis. Tough break that the two personality-less people get a slow boring dance. They have trouble getting romantic with each other so Louis makes it a dance on Vitolio's tough journey and upbringing. That's a good strategy I think. The song is "Dream Are More Precious" by Enya. Well at least I've heard of the artist, though not the song. The dance is beautiful, especially the lifts at the beginning and end. I usually don't like waltzes but found this one captivating, and the two of them danced it really well also. I especially loved the emotion on their faces during the dance. Too bad Asuka is really not popular because I think this routine could keep them out of the bottom this week. Mary is speechless- is that good or bad? She's crying, so I guess that's good. She calls it painfully beautiful and says Vitolio danced as honest as she's ever seen him. She points out a few flaws but overall thinks there were more amazing things than bad. Asuka also gets props for her emotion on her face, which really was believable. Lil C points out the choppy steps but says that was canceled out by the sincere emotion. He adds Asuka has dominant submission, which apparently is a good thing. Nigel says anyone not touched by that routine is heartless. He feels like they are a different couple this week- maybe because they actually had a good routine this week! And Louis deservedly gets more props from Nigel. They should be safe based on how they danced but I fear their unpopularity may cause them to be in the bottom if no one else stinks up the joint.

Max and Kayla- Max is the "house dad" in his apartment, as he does all the cooking. Guys who can cook are great, especially for me since I can't cook to save my life. Kayla texts a lot, like every other person in their teens and 20s nowadays. Mostly she texts her mom to say she's okay. Aww. She texts 100 words per minute- that's impressive. They are working with Brian Frideman, who has not been on the show in a few years so I've never seen his work. Apparently it is a pop/jazz style, which sounds cool. Kayla is a princess and Max wants to steal her throne by seducing her. The routine is strenuous on the body, and the dancers are getting battered and bruised. Another song I don't know, this one "Hot Like Wow" by Nadia Oh. This routine is great too. Kayla starts out on the couch while Max shows off for her and then they get up and dance with power and precision. The night started off a bit rough but the last three dances have been really great. At the end Max "kills" Kayla and gets her throne. Lil C says dancing is a language and dancers have to pick up choreographer's vernacular, which both of them did. He can't even critique Kayla because she was so good, and he gives Max props as well. I actually thought there was a short part where Kayla lost her energy a bit but otherwise she was great, as was Max. And Kayla's grandparents are back to cheer her on. Mary was pleasantly surprised by Max but he could not overtake Kayla. I'm not a big Kayla fan but she was great in this routine (mostly). Nigel thinks Kayla is a frontrunner. She probably is a frontrunner for the girls in particular since there are not too many standout girls this year. He adds Max has the problem of keeping up with Kayla but with his character he did tonight. Between their strong dance last week and their perhaps better one tonight they should be safe for another week, and likely a lot longer.

Jonathan and Karla- With Asuka and Vitolio's strong routine earlier these two are likely in the bottom three for sure with their limited fan bases. Karla is a great hip hop dancer even though she specializes in contemporary. She even belongs to a famous hip hop group that I've never heard of. Jonathan loves to sing, but he's not very good, according to Karla, and I concur. They don't want to be in the bottom again. They are dancing contemporary, so they better be good in Karla's specialty. They have a new teacher Stacey Tookey, and they will learn a dance about strangers having an accidental meeting and feeling chemistry. Jonathan is having trouble learning a new style; he particularly struggles with the lifts. They dance to "Falling Slowly"- woohoo a song I know! I don't know this version- only the one Kris Allen did on Idol, but close enough. They seemed to dance it pretty well and the lifts were beautiful but I felt something lacking- perhaps the chemistry. Mary says Jonathan did that style better than he did his own specialty of ballroom the week before. I agree, mainly because he really did not impress me with ballroom last week. She correctly points out that they are underdogs, (aka they have had zero prior screen time) but still thought they were amazing. She loved Kayla's lines and Jonathan's feet. Nigel loved Jonathan's center of gravity and says they came back from being in the bottom last week to have a great routine this week. Lil C thought it was in balance and again calls a dance "buck". I didn't like it as much as they did, and I thought the same thing last week when they were in the bottom three. With other strong dances tonight they too may be in trouble with their small fanbase.

Jeanine and Phillip- Phillip is a big nerd, as he is an engineering physics major. Love stories about nerds putting aside their school smarts to become dancers! He even has a collection of reptiles in his room. Jeanine has a teddy bear named Spanky, whom she calls the perfect boyfriend. Okay.... They are doing a tango, but neither of them have ballroom training, so this could be really good or really bad. Phillip accidentally groped Jeanine in rehearsals! Then she kicked him in his privates! Tony Meredith says "I'm nervous" to the camera and Jeanine and Phillip hear him! Like I said with Brandon and Janette's dance whenever it seems really bad in rehearsal it comes out great. The song is "Violento" by Bailango!, which sounds like a great tango song. Tango is not one of my favorite dances but they did it pretty well. Jeanine in particular was good though Phillip lost his posture a bit early on and stomped around a bit too much. Also like some of the early routines tonight it wasn't memorable for me. Mary gives Phillip an A+ in attitude but a C- in technique. Phillip seems to agree with this assessment. Jeanine's technique was better though and she did great. Cat accidentally calls Jeanine Janette- don't feel bad Cat I get them confused too! Lil C says Phillip had no confidence in the routine and it showed. I didn't notice that but I did notice the poor technique the second time around. Lil C says Phillip's knees were too bent, but Mary counters they are supposed to be. Cat goes to Tony Meredith to break the tie, and he sides with Mary. Lil C takes his defeat with grace. Nigel loved Phillip's bent knees. Ha! He points out Phillip's huge fanbase and that the tango is a technical dance. He points out that Phillip showed strain when lifting Jeanette, which I did not notice until the replay. He says it was not good technically but was entertaining, which is probably why I liked it. He also points out that this show is a learning process and Phillip should be allowed to grow more on the show and learn technical dances. They should be in the bottom based on their performance but with Phillip's popularity they likely won't be.

Ashley and Kupono- Kupono has weird OCD- everything must be straight, and he organizes his closet in a weird color-coded way. Ashley vomited on her entire class in first grade. That sucks for her but the story is awesome! They are doing hip hop with Shane, which should be good for Kupono. Plus it can't be much worse than Shane's first routine tonight. Ashley is Kupono's shadow in the dancing. Kupono has a hard time with the slow walks, and Ashley with the fast movement. Kupono breaks out his to-do list again (that thing is adorable) and it says "Find Your Inner Shane Sparks". I love him! (Kupono that is, not Shane). The dance is to "Imma Be" by Black Eyed Peas, another artist I've heard of but not the song. I thought the dance was okay but not amazing. I tried watching to see if they were in unison and it looked like they were though it was hard to tell. Mary says it was okay- she didn't hate it but she didn't love it. She adds it wasn't memorable. I agree on both counts. Lil C says there was no synchronization because Kupono was struggling so much. He thinks Ashley did what she could and saved the routine. I didn't think Kupono was bad, I just didn't love the routine. Nigel says it stopped right when he started to like it. He was underwhelmed, and so was I, even though I liked Kupono in his first audition. Nigel points out how great it is to have Shane back even though both his routines tonight sucked (that last part was my views, not Nigel's). He doesn't think the dancers who did Shane's routines brought out the best in them, and I have to agree.

So the middle of the show was good but the rest was only okay. My favorites were Brandon and Janette, Asuka and Vitolio, and Max and Kayla, in that order. The bottom three should be Jason and Caitlin, Kupono and Ashley, and Phillip and Jeanine, though Phillip's fanbase might save their duo from the bottom. In that case I guess either Asuka/Vitolio or Jonathan/Karla might be in the bottom instead.

What are your thoughts on tonight's show? Who do you think will be in the bottom three? And who should be? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: First Two Finalists Eliminated

2009-06-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

Hey all it's results show time on So You Think You Can Dance. From reading other blogs today it seems the consensus is Tony and Paris and Vitolio and Asuka will be in the bottom three couples, with the other duo either being Jonathan and Karla (hopefully) or Ashley and Kupono. Either way I think the two going home will be from one of the first two couples I mentioned, unless someone else' s solo is really bad...

Cat starts out reminding us how great the show was last night and how tough this first cut will be.

The group dance is to "Boom Boom Pow" from the Black Eyed Peas. At first I hated this song but ever since I heard it on AI it started to grow on me a bit. The theme is a bunch of the dancers being poor, with one holding a sign saying "Save the dancers, save the world". Ha love the Heroes parody! Others then come in as heroes in leather outfits. The guys in the leather are amazing, though I can't tell who all of them are. I think I see Brandon and Ade and Vitolio, and the others look like Jason and Jonathan, but I'm not sure. One of the blonde girls comes out with the wind blowing in her hair and heavy eye makeup so she looks really creepy. Then the "poor" dancers strip off their clothes and reveal their leather outfits underneath. At this point they are just running around the stage and it seems a bit too messy for me, though Phillip gets a great popping solo. The guys do a weird cape thing, and the girls get a group solo that is less impressive than the guys' one earlier in the number. Overall not a bad group number, but not on of my favorites either.

We meet the judges again, with Nigel looking dapper in a blue shirt.

First filler piece: Interviews about the contestants' first week working with partners. Jeanine is happy to have a great partner in Phillip (especially since he has the built-in fan base that will let them last a while, I bet). Ashley loves Kupono, and Max loves working with hot blonde Kayla.
And now we get Cat's rules to a good partnership:
1) Respect Boundaries- Paris gets mad at Tony for spanking her butt. Evan is upset that Randi is married so he can't be as flirtatious with her.
2) Communication- Brandon can't understand Janette, especially when she speaks in Spanish! Jason says "pretty far" instead of "so far" and gets flack from Caitlin.
3) Feel Comfortable- Melissa always burps in front of Ade (TMI!)
4)Shared Interests- Kupono likes the chicken sound Ashley makes, and he counters with a monkey sound. The producers play both at the same time and it sounds like a real jungle.
5) Hard Work- Phillip and Jonathan sweat a lot, according to their partners. Asuka is scared of Vitolio's sweat. Why is it that only the guys sweat on this show?

First round of results: On the floor are Phillip and Jeanette, Kayla and Max, and Evan and Randi. I don't know how these shows usually work but I guess all three of them are safe- might as well get some of the obvious ones out of the way first. If any of them are in the bottom I would guess Kayla and Max, but either way none of these nine are going home tonight. Kayla and Max are safe, as are Randi and Evan. Phillip and Jeanine must have thought they were in the bottom after that was announced, but sure enough they are safe as well, causing Jeanine to let out a piercing scream that caused Cat to drop the results card!

The next four out are Tony and Paris, Kupono and Ashley, Ade and Melissa, and Jason and Caitlin. Ade and Melissa and Jason and Caitlin should be safe. Tony and Paris should be in the bottom. Since there are three left after this group, either the last grouping will have two couples in the bottom (namely Asuka and Vitolio and Jonathan and Karla since Brandon and Janette aren't going anywhere) or this group will have two in the bottom with Kupono and Ashley joining Tony and Paris, though I hope this isn't the case. I did actually see some who agreed with me and didn't like the Bollywood routine as much as the judges did but Jason's popularity should save him and Caitlin. And indeed they are safe for another week. By the way I love how excited the contestants get when they find out they are safe. Melissa and Ade are also predictably safe. Cat now says one of the two remaining couples is safe and one is in the bottom. Please let Ashley and Kupono be safe! Yeah they are! They don't seem too excited though... That means Tony and Paris are in the bottom. Tony's lack of technique in his solo might hurt him but his entertainment factor will help him. Adam Shankman says many on twitter were defending these two last night, but he thinks that was because they are charming, not because they danced well. Ouch! I actually liked their routine last night but I think that's just because I like hip hop in general.

That leaves Brandon and Janette, Jonathan and Karla, and Asuka and Vitolio, with only one being safe from the bottom three. If Brandon and Janette are not safe I will be shocked, though I'm sure the judges would save either of them anyway. Asuka and Vitolio are first, and indeed they are in the bottom three. No surprises so far. Already Brandon and Janette are getting more cheers than the other two. Sure enough Karla and Jonathan are in the bottom in a mild surprise, though one that makes me happy since I didn't love their routine last night as much as others did. Plus Brandon is safe for another week!

This season SYTYCD has decided to feature dancers from around the world during the results shows. This week they have two dancers doing a tango from somewhere in South America or Spain, I guess. The tango isn't my favorite dance but these two definitely have the drama and intensity down. And the steps look really good as well from my untrained point of view. Really cool lift at the end!

Now it's time for solos. Paris's solo has good spins and jumps but seems to lack some passion and intensity. Tony's is fast and fun, and showed more actual dancing than his solo from Vegas week. It's obviously hard for Asuka to do a ballroom solo without a partner but her fast kicks in the jive are very impressive. Vitolio has the great jumps and lines of Paris's routines with the passion her routine lacked. He may have just saved himself with that solo.

Cat just called Sean Kingston a "teen pop sensation"- uh since when does rap= teen pop???

Two solos left: Karla wobbled a bit at one point but overall also had more intensity than Paris did. Jonathan starts out strong with a great flip and has a lot of tricks but the overall dancing is only okay.

It's going to be a tough call for the judges. I always seem to disagree with them on the solos, but I would send Paris home for sure. None of the girls' solos really impressed me but I thought hers was the worst. Vitolio's solo was my favorite of the six, so I hope he stays. It's close for me between Tony and Jonathan going home but I like Tony's style better so I hope he stays, though I think he'll go home because of a lack of technique. Plus they thought Tony was worse on performance night even though I liked him better than Jonathan Wednesday too.

The judges head off to deliberate, and Nigel jokes they are going to tweet instead! That'd be really funny if they did.

Sean Kingston does his hit "Fire Burning", but I like "Beautiful Girls" better. Sean's not really a great dancer but the girls behind him are really good!

Back from the break and now it's time for the eliminations. The girls are up first. Nigel says they are unanimous in this result. Karla steps forward, and Nigel says the solo was very good but she must work on personality. However they think she did well enough to stay for another week, and I agree, especially since she was very good Wednesday night as well. Nigel says their decision is based on everything they know about the dancers and about what other styles of dancers they have in the show. That's good news for Asuka, since she is the only female ballroom dancer, while Paris is one of several contemporary dancers on the show. He tells Asuka it is hard to do a jive as a solo number but she really showed her personality in the dance. I agree- she did so much more than Paris. Nigel thinks Paris didn't bring everything she could, and that plus the abundance of contemporary dancers in the show means Paris is out. Woot I'm one for one! Her solo was in my opinion the worst of the six so I was hoping this would be the case. Of course we get the montage of her experience, mostly from her audition and Vegas week. We also get another glimpse of the routine from Wednesday that got her sent home.

Now comes the guys, which is the harder decision in my view. But the judges were unanimous. Hmm.. Nigel didn't like any of the solos, which is odd because I liked all three of them. He says Vitolio didn't show personality in his routines. But his name is being called first which makes me think he is safe. And he is!! Now I don't really care who goes home- I'm hoping it's Jonathan but I don't think it will be. Nigel says both disappointed in their own genres on Wednesday night, but Jonathan was a bit better. Will that be the deciding factor? Nigel adds that Tony's locking was not great. Wow I didn't notice that at all but if that's the case then he's probably gone. He adds Jonathan's dancing wasn't good but the tricks were, which I totally agree with. Those tricks might have saved him. Sure enough, Jonathan is staying and Tony is out. Not very surprising- they had one of the worse routines last night according to the judges, but from what I've read he does have a lack of technique. Plus he's not popular since people think Evan's brother should have made it instead so he wasn't going to last long anyway. Tony looks really bummed but we get to see his Nigel-photo solo again! He even says he will be dancing in his grave- that's a good attitude.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's elimination? Did the right pair go home? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: The Top 20 Perform

2009-06-10T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all so now the top 20 have been finalized and America will get their first chance to vote for their favorites. Going in there are plenty of people we haven't seen yet, and I think all of them are in trouble tonight. Also apparently Tony is pretty unpopular for his lack of technique, though I thought his Nigel photo dance was very creative. He is the one guy who has gotten screentime who may be in trouble.

Cat says it was a "Vegas Week like no other"- why is that? Because so many got cut? But lots of people get cut every year...

Now we get our first glimpse at the top 20 in alphabetical order. Ashley seems kind of blah right away, but I love Ade's spin. Brandon already has a very loud cheering section- and he does a split!. Caitlin is wearing very little clothing. Evan also gets loud applause, though not as much as Brandon, and I didn't like his solo as much. Jason gets loud cheers as well for someone with little airtime. He too has great spin moves. Jonathan gets few cheers but does a cool flip to get extra attention. Kupono and Kayla got fewer cheers than I thought they would, as does Max. Melissa does her whole "naughty ballerina" biting her nail thing. Hmm Brandon even got more cheers than Phillip- I guess Brandon is the early favorite to win. Tony does a weird shaking thing for his solo, and also gets a lot of cheers.

That whole thing where the audience yells out "judges" before they are introduced gets a bit annoying after a while.

Tonight's guest judges is Adam Shankman- yey I like him!

Nigel tells the contestants to feed off the great audience, and admits the judges are nervous too. Somehow I think the contestants are a tad more nervous. Mary tells Cat it is so hard to cut two people each week. Adam states he is a part of the dance community, and is also working on three films, including Step Up 3D, with Twitch, Katee, and Joshua. Wow I might watch that movie even though I didn't see the first two just to see the top 3 from last year!

Same format as last season- 1o couples each randomly pick a style. Bottom three couples dance solos tomorrow, and judges pick one guy and girl to cut. They don't have to be from the same pairing. Format remains like this until the top 10, with all couples staying the same until then unless eliminations break them up. In that case the dancers whose partners were cut will form a new team. Got it? Hopefully I did since I had to look up blogs from last season just to remember how this season works (last year was my first time watching the show).

First we get a montage of auditions and Vegas week, set to "You Found Me". We even see Mary crying at Brandon's audition and saying he had to make the top 20 or she would die. Good thing he made it then! They're not showing Kupono's to-do list from last week- that was the best part! We do have to see Evan's brother get cut again though :(.

First two pairings are Phillip and Jeanine and Asuka and Vitolio. That was good of the show to pair early favorites with those who got little screentime. If they put all those with no air time together then those groups won't last too long. Janine will last a while now that she's with Phillip.

Jeanine and Phillip- We see a short clip of Jeanine's first audition. It was okay but didn't blow me away. Apparently she used to be really bad at dancing but stuck with it because she loves it. Phillip is a self-taught popper. The two are doing hip hop with Tabatha and Napoleon- hip hop is good for Phillip, not sure about Jeanine. The routine is about a couple that can't fall asleep until they work out their issues. Jeanine is really bad at hip hop, according to her. Phillip is outshining her in rehearsals based on my observations. She does better in the live routine though, set to "Mad" by Ne-Yo. I still find myself drawn to Phillip, but Jeanine is certainly holding her own. She seems a bit dainty at times with the movements, but overall she is pretty good. Adam calls it "un-freakin-real" and agrees that Jeanine held her own despite having no hip hop training. He says no one will ever dance like Phillip. Mary acts like she will disagree with Adam, but of course she doesn't. She says Jeanine held her own and Phillip taught them a chemistry lesson. Nigel concurs Jeanine kept up with Phillip and has made a good first impression on the audience. I still think Phillip outshined her a bit but they were so good together they should be safe for sure.

Asuka and Vitolio- Asuka took dance classes in ballet and jazz at first and then moved on to ballroom/Latin in college. Vitolio's mother died, so he grew up in an orphanage, as we heard about last week. They are doing Broadway with Tyce, a tough first dance for ballroom and contemporary experts. The routine involves Vitolio directing silent movie actress Asuka. They look really good in rehearsals, though both must learn how to lock for the first time. It will be hard to top that last number though. They dance to "Hot Honey Rag" from Chicago. They do an okay job but I didn't get the wow factor that I got with the first number. Also the choreography (which I know was not their fault) didn't really match the music for me. All I could think of was Velma and Roxie dancing their hearts out in Chicago, this whole silent movie thing just didn't work for me. But the dancing itself was decent. Adam says it must be hard to follow the previous number, and that the character nature of the dance felt artificial after the prior emotional number. That's totally true. But he says they danced well. Also true. Mary feels a bit disappointed and thought it was too safe. In other words, it had no wow factor, like I said. Nigel says the lines were great but it lacked personality. I can see that as well. I fear these two may be in trouble this week even though Asuka was one of my early favorites.

Karla and Jonathan- Uh oh, two new faces paired together. That puts these two behind already, though Jonathan will get the "cute guy" vote. Karla was in two Broadway shows, including the tour of Wicked, but she wanted to challenge her self with new styles. Jonathan is a salsa dancer who started dancing when he saw the first season of the show. Well they have good backstories, I'll give them that. Their first dance is a cha cha, with Tony Meredith. Jonathan must flirt with Karla in the dance, though he is so young-looking that it may be hard for him. He wants to do so well that Mary will scream. Aw he's so cute! They're doing a cha cha to "Poker Face"- really? I mean it's a good song and all, but for a cha cha? They are better than the last number but still missing a little something for me. Karla was impressive with her hip shaking but I felt something lacking from Jonathan- maybe it was that sex appeal. The judges must disagree though, as they are all clapping. Adam points out a few flaws, particularly with Jonathan, but overall was happy for them and said Jonathan was dancing more like a man. Mary gives Jonathan his desired scream, and calls it "a whole lotta rough and a whole lot of fun". Nigel says no one knows who they are, until tonight. That routine should keep them safe for another week at least, though I still didn't like it as much as the judges did.

Randi and Evan- another favorite versus newbie pairing. Randi made it to the top 20 in her third year auditioning, and is a typical country girl. Evan of course auditioned with his brother and hopes to do him proud. He too is overwhelmed being in LA. They are doing jazz with Tyce, a style that is good for Evan's Broadway specialty. It's a love story routine, yet Randi is married, which is a bit awkward. Evan apologizes to the husband in advance- awesome! They dance to "I Only Have Eyes for You" by Jamie Cullen, who I don't know. The dancing, however, is really good. My second favorite routine of the night after the opener. I'm not sure if I totally believe the chemistry throughout the whole dance, but the dancing itself was amazing. Randi's husband is not in the house, so Evan won't get beat up after the show. And hey Ryan is in the house! Along with their geekier-looking other brother. He even has a shirt that says "The Other Brother". Their family is awesome! Adam points out how short they are, but their lines were so long it seemed like they were eight feet tall. He thinks Evan can conquer every style. He even adds it was the best routine Tyce has ever done. I actually didn't love the choreography but that's just a taste thing. Mary says the two of them were at the bottom of her pack before this routine but now they have risen up. She thinks they will be around a while. Nigel calls it fantastic, and he thinks people will talk about the pairing for a while. They would have been safe even with a so-so routine because of Evan's popularity but now they will be near the top of the pack votes-wise.

Paris and Tony- Both got a bit of screentime before this, though Tony got more. Paris has danced her whole life but was recently in a car crash, so one of her legs is numb from the knee down. Tony started out doing sports and dance, even getting a scholarship to play lacrosse but he turned it down to dance. They are doing hip hop with Tabitha and Napoleon also. That should be good for Tony- if he's bad in his own style he is screwed. But Tony is struggling with the fast choreography, more so than Paris. They dance to a Black Eyed Peas Song I don't know called "Let the Beat Rock". This definitely is heavier hip hop than the earlier hip hop number, but this one is just as entertaining. I think Tony loses it a bit at the end but they both still did a great job. Neither one of them stole the spotlight- I was glued to both of them the whole time. Adam thought it was really good, but he hated the costumes. He also tells them to attack the beat more. He doesn't want Tony to get by as the cute guy on the show, but I thought that was Jonathan's role. Mary doesn't think it will be memorable, but I disagree. She says Paris was just good, and Tony didn't hit it hard enough. Nigel also liked Paris but thought their "stank" stank and didn't feel believable. I actually loved their routine, though I do understand how they don't think it was hit hard enough. Between Tony's unpopularity and the fact the routine is in his own style I think they will be in the bottom, and his poor technique might not help him in his solo.

Caitlin and Jason- They should be early favorites considering Jason's sudden popularity and Caitlin's considerable face time. Caitlin had to survive losing her sister earlier in Vegas week and dancing for her life. She used to be a gymnast before moving to dance. Jason was another athlete who moved to dance later in life. They are doing Bollywood- cool! It's a tough routine, and Caitlin is struggling with the finger movements. The choreographer (don't know his name) thinks he might be giving them too much for week one, but thinks they will pull it out. OMG they are dancing to "Jai Ho" from Slumdog Millionaire- I love this song! They are doing the movements well and are really in sync even in such a fast dance. My only complaint is I don't get any personality from them. Jason stood out more towards the end but Caitlin was by no means bad. Ooh they kiss at the end- and he has lipstick all over his face! Adam says they were awesome and thinks Jason made it look effortless. He also thinks Caitlin did well, better than he thought. Mary is glad Bollywood came to Hollywood, and was impressed by Caitlin's handstand early on. She says Jason has charisma, and I agree- he's becoming one of my favorites. Nigel says it was fantastic, and says "Jai Ho" to them back! I think they will be around for a while because of their inherent fan bases but they certainly should be safe after that.

Janette and Brandon- Yeah two of my favorites are paired up! Janette is Cuban and learned salsa at home. Brandon of course auditioned when he was 14 and again last year, and he made Mary cry at his audition. They are doing a foxtrot with Louis Van Amstel from Dancing with the Stars. Well DWTS can take SYTYCD finalists as pros, so why can't SYTYCD take DWTS pros as choreographers! Luckily for Brandon he's not working with Mia or Lil C, his two detractors, this week. At first it was easy for them, but as they got more into the routine they found trouble. They dance to "Come Fly with Me" by Michael Buble and they look dashing in their costumes. Foxtrot is not one of my favorite styles of dance but the pair do it really well. I can't take my eyes off Brandon, but Janette seems to be holding her own. And what a great lift at the end! Adam says America must be sad to see Brandon dance in clothes, but it works. He says it was lovely even thought it came after such a high energy number. He also praises Brandon's character in his performance, which totally did come out in this number. Cat asks Mary to give her an eyebrow, and Mary says she can't because of her Botox- that gets a big laugh from the crowd but to me that was really random. Anyway she says Janette was elegant Ginger Rogers and proved she can do slower numbers. She adds Brandon is a powerhouse with those lifts, and says those who can't see his talent are crazy. Nigel thought Janette's grace was beautiful, and compliments Brandon's frame, thought criticizes his small feet- just a minor critique to get Brandon to improve. They too are likely safe for a while with Brandon's popularity, but after that number they should get plenty of votes.

Ashley and Kapono- Ashley made it to the top 20 after her fourth time auditioning. Kupono is the Hawaiian dancer who did crappy jobs for his father to pay the bills. They are doing jazz with Wade Robson. The number is about crash test dummies blown up and put back together- a crash test dummy love story! That's kind of weird... So they are doing the robot a lot? The music is a song called "Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp, and wow they really do look like crash test dummies in those outfits. That was really weird but I liked it. They even added a crashing sound effect for the ending. The crowd doesn't sound too impressed though. Adam says this routine was really diverse, but it was hard to watch the dancing because of the weird concept. He adds their technique was great, but Wade is one sick puppy! Mary bought the concept 100%, and gives props to a motor dog I didn't even notice. She says it was entertaining, which it certainly was. Nigel says Wade is a genius, and he knows the routine will be memorable. He adds the dancers adhered to the characters given to them, and the dancing was secondary to the story. That is totally true, but the dancing was still good enough that they should last another week.

Melissa and Ade- Ade really impressed me with his brief solo in the beginning so hopefully he will do well with Melissa. Melissa is strictly a naughty ballerina, but is also very muscular. She is also the oldest dancer at 29. Ade is a contemporary dance from Chapman University. He hopes to be a sound engineer if he doesn't become a dancer. They are doing contemporary with Mandy Moore, which is right up Ade's alley. Melissa promises they will keep it clean for the show. Ade's pick in his hair gives him powers, as he only does well when it is on (according to Mandy). They dance to a version of "Right Here Waiting", another one of my favorite songs. Ade's shirt is open!!! Anyway he starts out a bit heavy in his movements but they pick it up at the end, and it turns out really beautiful. And their lifts were really great as well. Adam starts crying and says the routine was "special". He says Melissa is just getting better with age, and Ade has great power yet is quiet. Mary screams for the thousandth time tonight and loves the power of the movements. She thinks Ade is a gentle giant and Melissa was great as well. Nigel says how great a top 20 this is. That's true- only one really subpar dance tonight. He compliments Ade's power lifts and how America has more to look forward to with the two of them.

Kayla and Max- Kayla was raised partly by her grandparents, who screamed when she got through to Vegas. Max is a ballroom dancer originally from Russia. His younger brother died in a car crash five years ago- sympathy votes! They are doing a samba with Louis, and apparently Louis knows Max from way back when. He should do fine, but it will come down to how well Kayla does. She has never done ballroom before, but she is getting double the training from Louis and Max. They dance to a song called "Jum Bah Day" that I don't know. The dance is fast and sexy, the way a samba should be. I think Max is doing better but Kayla is holding her own with the ballroom dancer. Adam is in tears again as to how good it was. He says Max is lucky for getting ballroom first and for getting Kayla. He admits he could not take his eyes off Kayla. Mary says they are on her hot tamale train and stands up and screams some more. Nigel even has earphones so he can withstand her this year! She is losing her voice from yelling so much. Nigel adds it was sensational and mentions how Kayla has been at the top of the judges' list in every round. He makes sure to mention how great Max was as well, though he mentions he was not as sharp as he has been in the past.

My favorites of the night were Jeanine and Phillip, followed by Evan and Randi. Honestly I liked all the numbers except Asuka and Vitolio's, who should be in the bottom for sure. Tony and Paris will also likely be in the bottom even though I liked their routine. It's hard to tell who the third couple will be, but I will get Kupono and Ashley just because their dance was of the "love it or hate it" variety. If I had my way Karla and Jonathan would be in the bottom instead of those two but I don't think that will happen.

Check back in tomorrow for my results show blog! And feel free to post your comments below!

SYTYCD Recap: The Top 20 Revealed

2009-06-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone it's the moment we've all been waiting for- the announcement of this year's top 20 on So You Think You Can Dance. I'm hoping for Brandon, brothers Evan and Ryan, and ballroom dancers Asuka and Ricky (and yes I know I spelled Asuka's name wrong in my blog last night) to make the group. But we start off with salsa dancer Janette, who looked impressive in her brief solo for the judges.

I just realized how much she looks like Cheryl Burke. She also just got into a car crash and broke up with her boyfriend a few weeks before Vegas. Hopefully her luck will change this time around. Nigel loved her first audition and thinks she works very hard. This sounds like it will be good news. And it is! Janette is the first person to make the top 20 this season. We didn't see much of her doing the other styles but she has the energy and skill to go pretty far.

Next up is Diana , complete with a stuffed monkey to give her luck. I don't remember her from the first auditions but she seems pretty good in the clips we see. She can't believe she has gone this far. Debbie starts out sounding like she will give good news, saying how much potential Diana has, before pulling the rug out from under her and saying Diana is being cut. Well I figured as much since we didn't see much of her throughout Vegas week. Lil C urges her to keep going, and Nigel says she has improved since she came to Vegas, and tells her to come back next season. Diana though is devastated by the news.

Next up is the lively Vitolio from Miami. He grew up in Haiti and was raised by his grandmother. But she did not have a job so he was put in an orphanage and eventually had to dance for money. I don't remember him from the early rounds either but he has a great body. That sob story will be sure to get him votes if he gets through. Lil C says some dancers take a while to show up in Vegas, and Vitolio didn't come out until their group number. Then he tells him he is in the Top 20, and gets a warning from Nigel to bring out his personality in his dancing. He will especially have to do that with such little screen time in the early rounds.

The next half hour was a bunch of cuts. An Asian guy I don't recognize is cut for not exceeding expectations. Another guy I don't know is cut for lack of experience/training (apparently his name is Henry). A cute contemporary female dancer is also cut, and she promises to come back again.

Next is Kayla Radomski, the girl who got loud cheers from her grandparents when she got through in her first audition. I wasn't a big fan of hers in her audition but since they showed her early on she probably is getting through. Kayla is really nervous facing the judges. Mia goes on about how much she loves male dancers, but then says how Kayla has moved all of them from the beginning. Yep she's going to get in the top 20. Mia makes it official, and Kayla is somewhat calm about it.

After the break we see that one of my early favorites, Hawaiian Kuponohi'ipoi Aweau (and yes, I had to go to my last blog to see how to spell his name), has made it this far and is facing the judges. He even cut his hair to have a more "dancer" image. Before going up against the judges he shows us his list of things to accomplish today, the last of which says "Make the top 20". I really hope he makes it- I loved his solo in Seattle. I love that "breathe" and "smile" are also on his list. Adam says his hair was distracting in Seattle, and Mary adds that his dancing was too feminine in Seattle. Adam said he was much better in Vegas and then says producers will have to learn how to put his name on the screen because he is in the top 20!!!! Yeyyyyyyy!!!! Aw he even shows the judges his to-do list from earlier. He is so cute, especially with that new haircut- I hope he does well in the live shows.

Montage of dancers getting through- Paris Torres (remember the name, not the dancing), Jeannie? Mason (don't remember her at all), a black guy I don't recognize, Carla Garcia (again, don't remember her at all), and a baby-faced guy named Jonathan I also don't recognize. Hey maybe one of them will turn into the next Kris Allen and win the show despite no screen time before the live episodes.

Next up is Brandon. I really hope he makes it after trying for so many years, and after Mary basically guaranteed he would be there (then again, Nigel said the same about Natalie, and look how that turned out). A reminder of how Lil C and Mia are still not impressed with him for some reason. Mia says he annoys her and that he seems to "fake smile" when he dances. She still does not see the talent the others do, but then Debbie stands up for him, saying that she doesn't care about his personality when he dances. Lil C also says he has not been impressed, but then Mary interrupts him and says he is not cocky at all. Only four judges voted him into the top 20 (gee wonder which two said no...), but that is enough to get him through. He is popular with the public so I think he will go far on this show. He promises he will show Lil C and Mia his true skills when he works with them later. The other contestants seem truly happy for him as well.

Tony Bellisimo is next to hear his fate. He's the guy who put Nigel's photo in his briefcase for his funny solo, and impressed the judges in the later rounds too. Turns out his brother is in Afghanistan right now... yey more sympathy votes! I hope this guy gets through as well. Nigel says his technique isn't as good as it should be, but he is a charismatic guy. But... he's going to the top 20 anyway! Wow Nigel had me for a second, and Tony looks shocked as well. Good for him though- the guys' competition is going to be really tough this year. That's ten people through so far- halfway there! Nigel warns him that essentially he is the worst dancer they are letting through technical-wise.

More yeses- ballroom dancer Maksim (yey! I liked him in the audition rounds too!), Kaitlin Kinney (not one of my faves, but I figured she'd get in), a girl named Melissa I don't recognize, and Jason Glover, whose audition was not on TV but who got some screentime in Vegas week, where he did well in every round.

Next is Ashley, who has auditioned four times for this show. though I don't remember her at all. Mary says they have seen improvement in her and fakes her out a bit before saying she made the top 20. Good for her for sticking with her dreams for so long.

Another girl we haven't seen before- Randi Evans, who literally ran away with Nigel when she got through in Denver. Mia says she is a bit uncertain and not strong, but notes her commitment to her unitards- a way to break the tension in the room. Then Mia says America will love her since Randi has made the top 20. What's with all the people we haven't seen making the top 20? There's only a few spots left and still no Evan and Ryan, or Phillip Chbeeb, or Asuka and Ricky (unless they were the ones cut before that I didn't recognize).

Wow only three spots are left- that means at least a few of my favorites are getting cut.

Next to hear his fate is Alex Wong. I heard a rumor he might have to drop out of the show because the ballet company he works for won't let him compete. He was impressive in Vegas, though I'd rather he get cut and Evan and Ryan both get in. I think he's going to make it though- the judges love him too much. Nigel says he is one of their favorites, but he is under contract with the Miami Ballet, and so they can't let him go through. Well that stinks for him but maybe now both Evan and Ryan will get through- though I'm thinking Phillip Chbeeb will along with only one of the brothers (likely Evan). Alex says he likes ballet but he wanted to do other forms of dance. Nigel does say he can come back to the show when his contract expires. All the judges tell him to keep looking up, and Nigel reminds him he is working for a great ballet dancer at the Miami Ballet.

Four more dancers are cut- including Ricky Sun. Too bad I liked him but with so many good males left I figured he wasn't going to make it.

I think the last three to get in with be Phillip, Evan, and Asuka.

Five people left for three spots- Phillip, Evan, Ryan, Asuka, and a blonde girl. Phillip is called up next, which means he likely is getting in, leaving the two brothers to fight for the last male spot.

Phillip apparently taught himself to dance in his bedroom. He comes in limping a bit, and the judges ask if he is hurt. He says only emotionally. Then he adds how much he learned during Vegas week. Adam says he has improved during the week, and that he loves dance as a whole. Sure enough, he is in, which sadly means Evan or Ryan is out. He even walks out popping his arms for the judges.

So it all comes down to two girls and two guys for two spots- one male and one female. As Ryan says, it's either bowtie or straight tie for the male spot. For the girls it is contemporary dancer Deanna (who I don't remember), and one of my only female favorites, Asuka. I hope the fact that we haven't seen Deanna means Asuka will get in.

The girls are up first- might as well save the dramatic brother elimination for last. According to Debbie, one was exciting to watch, while the other didn't take enough risks. Then she says Deanna is out, which means Asuka is in! Wow that means my only real favorites who are getting cut tonight are Ricky and one of the brothers. I know Asuka is popular as well, and as one of the only females who got through who has gotten much screen time, I think she will do well.

Now it's down to the brothers, who are already in tears, promising to support each other no matter what. Maybe they'll pull an Idol and have a Top 21- here's hoping! Though I don't know how that will work for the partners.

Ryan realized during this week that his own fear was all that was keeping him from auditioning in the past. He has always been told he was too fat, short, and bald to be a good dancer, but now he realizes that is not the case. Nigel says they both are so similar that there was only room for one this season. I disagree- one is more Broadway/jazz and one is more tap, so that's different enough for me. Nigel says Ryan should be proud- wow did they really pick him over Evan??? Nope- he continues that Ryan's choreography got Evan through to the top 20. I do think Evan is the better dancer, even though I like Ryan's style better. Nigel tells Ryan he should not worry about his unconventional looks, and even says he should wear a hat less often and show off his baldness. Nigel seems to tell Ryan to come back next year, and I hope he will.

So the top 20 consists of Ade (the African guy I didn't know before), Ashley (girl who auditioned four times), Asuka (last girl in and one of my favorites), Brandon (Mia and Lil C's disappointment, another of my favorites), Caitlin (blonde whose sister Megan was cut last night), Evan (last guy in, one of my favorite guys), Janette (sexy salsa dancer who may become my favorite if she continues to impress me), Jason (lots of screentime during Vegas week), Jeanine (this show's Kris Allen?), Jonathan (David Archuleta look-alike), Karla (no clue who she is), Kayla (cute grandparents), Kupono (Hawaiian guy who made to-do-list- loved his first audition, early favorite of mine), Max (aka Maksim- another of my favorite guys), Melissa (a ballet dancer I'm assuming, based on her tutu), Paris (impressed the judges in first audition, me, not so much), Phillip (popper who I'm sure is one of the early favorites to win, though popping is not my thing), Randi (will get cute blonde vote), Tony (humorous choreography, now needs to add more technique), and Vitolio (homeless Haitian guy).

I think this is a guys' season for sure, with Phillip, Evan, and Brandon being early favorites, and I think locks to make the top 10. The girls' are more wide open, though I'm sure Kaitlin and Asuka will get lots of votes.

Thoughts on tonight's show? Do you agree with the top 20? Who do you think got snubbed? Post your comments below.

SYTYCD Recap: Vegas Callbacks

2009-06-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all I'm back (and my TV is thankfully fixed!!) and ready to blog the callbacks of So You Think You Can Dance. I was happy to hear the Hawaiian guy got through last week. Here's hoping more of my early faves on this show last until the live shows. This year a bunch of my early favorites on Idol got cut before the top 36 (David Osmond, Joanna Pacitti, and Ashley Anderson aka the girl who sang "Footprints in the Sand" for her audition and sang the wrong words- she was amazing!!!).

172 dancers will perform for Mia, Lil C, Adam, and Debbie Allen. Yeah for no evil Tyce this round!

First up the dancers repeat their solos for the judges....

Alex Wong: I vaguely remember him from the early rounds. He auditioned in Miami and got great praise from Nigel. Immediately Mia is impressed, so much so that she curses in delight as she sees him dance. I can understand why, as his lines are amazing, especially how he stretches his leg so it is perpendicular to the ground! He is insanely good, though I didn't love his choice of music. He gets a standing ovation from the other contestants, and it is well deserved. No feedback from the judges (that must be nerve wracking for the contestants).

Tony Bellissimo: He needs help opening up a briefcase with a screwdriver. I'm guessing that's part of his act. His routine itself doesn't have much dancing, though when it does he is pretty good. The best part is that he plays a man who is haunted by constant photos of Nigel everywhere during his daily life- including in the briefcase.

Montage of good dancers. The only one I recognize is Phillip Chbeeb. Now the judges deliberate and invite the dancers up on stage.

I thought all the solos looked good, but Nigel was not impressed, announcing he was disappointed and that there would be some cuts now. But if any one judge voted to save a contestant, they would stay. In other words, a vote to eliminate a contestant must be unanimous.

Contestants named Taylor and Erica are cut. I don't really remember them from the early rounds.

Tony Bellisimo is told to stand up next, and they tell him he needs more dancing but then say he is safe. Good for him he was creative in his choreography so he deserves another shot.

45 dancers are cut in this round, including Travis the football coach's son (aw I was rooting for him), Talia "Danny Gokey" Rickards, (wasn't a big fan of hers) and the NY hip hopper whose name I can't spell but who reminded me of Twitch last year (another one I thought had potential to be really good).

Next is the choreography round- a hip hop routine to "Boom Boom Pow". Ugh I hate this song. Napoleon and Tabitha's choreography does look cool though. Gabi Rojas, who I remember the judges loving in NYC even though I didn't love her as much, is nervous about the choreography. Nigel even said back then he thought she would make the top 20. I have a feeling she'll do fine in this round. But no she does in fact mess up several times, as Mary points out (though honestly I wouldn't have noticed if Mary hadn't said so). When she does the moves right she doesn't go all in with them, and she is totally outshined by her partner. I wonder if the judges will cut her for this? No they give her another chance, mainly because her solo was so unique. Or because Nigel will look like a fool if his early favorite is cut in the first choreography round. A girl named Sara who I don't recognize is cut.

37 dancers were cut in this round, leaving 97 left. I don't recognize any of the ones who were cut, so I guess none of them were early standouts.

The next day the dancers start the ballroom round of choreography. They learn a waltz from Jean-Marc and his wife. Many seem to struggle with the moves.

We meet up with Phillip Chbeeb and Arielle Coker, who now must dance with different partners. I think Phillip does an admirable job with the choreography for being a popper, though Adam notes he keep popping while doing his extensions. I did not notice this at first, though it makes sense. The judges said it was rough but give him another chance because of his energy. So the judges do seem to take earlier rounds into account when deciding who stays and who goes. These rounds seem to be more for the borderline dancers than for the favorites. Arielle is next, and she does much better than Phillip of course, since she is a partner dancer by trade. The judges comment on the dancers but it is unclear which ones they are talking about. Arielle did seem to lose some of her spark from the first round, and the judges agree, cutting her. I still thought she was better than Phillip, but I guess she did not stand out enough in the first auditions for them to keep her.

Some of my early ballroom faves had no problem in this round, including Maksim and Asians Oska and Ricky. Non ballroom dancers Kayla and Priscilla also impressed. I don't remember Kayla and I remember Priscilla but I'm still not a big fan of hers.

Next we see the Japanese dancer from NYC, I remember liking him after his solo. He's actually not bad at ballroom, better than Phillip for sure. The judges agree, especially with how he took on the character of the dance. Everyone in his group is safe, causing the guy (sorry don't remember his name) to cry of happiness. He even thanks his teachers for helping them.

Only 16 dancers were cut in this round, so most of them must have been pretty good.

Wow we're only a half hour in... what else happens in this episode??

Next up is the jazz round with Sonja. This should be good for that Gene Kelly guy. Some dancers are getting hurt, but returnees Natalie and Brandon are still going strong. I still don't get the love of Natalie though (I do really like Brandon however....). Sonja even has them do the routine in rehearsal for the rest of the dancers, and Natalie even impresses me this time around. But something seems off during the actual performance for the judges. I'm sure they won't cut her because her solo was so good. WOW. They actually do cut her. I'm not too disappointed since I never liked her that much anyway, though I worry Brandon may suffer the same fate.

The other dancers are in shock, and understandably so. Only Brandon getting cut would have been more surprising. She does get goodbye hugs from Sonja and Nigel.

Now Brandon must dance after losing his best friend, and of course he does a great job. Lil C and Mia though are not impressed, mainly because they heard how impressive he was and he was not living up to the hype during the Vegas round. Well I think it would be hard to live up to all the hype he's gotten. Nigel defends him though, saying he's one of the best they've ever had, but tells him he needs more confidence. But after this brief scare Brandon gets through, but he is still devastated to see Natalie go. I hope he doesn't let this affect his concentration on the show.

The last jazz group includes Gabi, who is more confident going into this round of choreography. I thought she looked pretty good but the judges can barely watch as another of their favorites fails to impress. Though watching it back I compared her to the others doing the same steps she was and I could tell she was not as sharp on the beat as the others. Plus she messed up her foot extension at the end (which I didn't realize was a messup until I saw the other routines) They seem like they have to cut her but will be crushed doing so. I honestly didn't think she was bad at all (shows what I know about dancing) but if she really has had two bad rounds I don 't know how they can keep her. Instead they tell her she must dance for her life for them. Well that is unfair because she'll get through for sure on her unique choreography even though she apparently can't pick up other routines to save her life- which is the whole point of the show. But the judges will take her poor previous routines into account when they decide. The judges of course love her solo, but it still isn't doing it for me- a little too much walking and not enough dancing for me. She does do a cool spin move at the end though. The crowd seems to want her to go through. Mia though still says no, but says she has a great future. Lil C calls it buck and says yes, as do Mary, Adam, and Debbie, and Nigel. So she gets to stay, but with a warning from Nigel. I still didn't think her solo was that good but what do I know.

But 7 others were cut on their jazz routine, including Sammy Ramirez, the red-headed popper. Aww I liked him too. They should have kept him and cut Gabi.

Now the dancers are ready to go to bed, but they are in for a "shock", according to Cat. It's essentially the SYTYCD equivalent of group week- dancers pick groups, pick a CD, and choreograph their own routine. This will show how well the contestants can work with others and how well they can choreograph other routines besides their solo, but I hope there isn't as much focus on the behind the scenes fights as there were during Idol's group week this year.

We pick up the next morning, so I guess there won't be much shots of the nighttime fighting. Nope in fact we get right to the dancing. Why can't Idol be like this. Scratch that- we do get a flashback to Eric "Silky" Moore (one of my faves from Miami) disagreeing with his group members, who all have different styles of dance. Then why did they pair together if they are so different? He should have paired up with other tap dancers or at least hip hop dancers. His group decides to call it a night and practice early the next morning, but Eric is already prepping his "dance for your life" solo. I thought the dancing itself was decent but the choreography was all messy and out of sync. Nigel says they stunk, and Debbie couldn't believe the lack of rhythm. I didn't notice that at all, just the lack of cohesion- they all seemed to be doing their own thing and not working together. I wouldn't be surprised if all five were cut right there, especially after Mia chides them for giving up by going to sleep instead of working hard the night before. I understand them going to bed as long as they worked hard the next morning, but it doesn't seem like they did. A girl named Megan is cut, along with a girl named Erin. Eric though gets to dance for his life! Yey he is still alive. The last girl, Paulie, who cried when Mia yelled at her for going to bed, gets to go right through to the next round.

Another group dances to "My Life Would Suck Without You" and they just look like chickens with their hands on their hips half the time. Adam calls it "Convention 101". Another does basic ballroom moves while one guy dances on his own since they only have five people. I thought the dancing itself wasn't bad but Mia disagreed. A fourth, including the Japanese guy, look like bad backup dancers, and the Japanese guy looks exhausted in his solo towards the end. Nigel calls it the worst routine so far. Ouch!

Brandon is up next and confident in his group. They start out weird in a circle but once they break away into duos they are pretty good. The judges are still not impressed with Brandon though. Nigel says no one stood out as bad, which is true. And, that is good considering the bad groups so far. The whole group gets through, which starts a trend of cool routines. I especially liked one where two guys laid on the floor and jumped over each other.

The last group is Nerdography, led by the whoopie cushion dancer Ryan Kasprzak. He is the brother of Gene Kelly dancer Evan. The beginning is a bit odd with the guys acting all spastic, but they really get together in unison for the rest of the dance. One girl I don't recognize even does a flip and a one-handed handstand. It was very entertaining, and the judges agree. Adam even said it made him miss dancing, causing Nigel to fake cry. The whole group gets through to the next round. 68 dancers move on, so only a few cuts on this day.

Silky Moore must now impress with his solo. He does a good tap routine, though not as impressive as his first audition. Mia says no (she is harsh today). So do Nigel and Debbie. He now must get the next three votes or he is out. Lil C says no, so Silky is out. I liked him, but I agree he lost his fire in his final solo.

It's now time for Mia's tough choreography- especially after the dancers have baked beans for lunch! Tony the comedian showed his versatility throughout the week, but he's nervous for Mia's choreography. He starts out a bit stiff but seems to recover more towards the end. But Mary doesn't agree, telling him to dance for his life. But he will be doing Mia's choreography again. Why didn't they do that for Gabi? A girl named Amanda is cut despite being a judges' favorite. That might be Amanda Kerby, whose dad has MS. I wasn't a big fan of hers anyway, but she promises to be back. Unfortunately one of my favorites, the Japanese guy from NYC, is also shown the door. He also promises to be back.

The Kinney sisters are still around- I liked Megan better even though we only saw glimpses of her audition. Her group is up first, and she starts out shaky but comes back strong towards the end (I think- again I'm a bad judge at these things). She gets through, but is worried about Kaitlin. You can see her ribs when she dances- that's kind of gross. She starts out okay but seems to tire out/forget the choreography at the end. Kaitlin is asked to dance for her life... after the break.

She seems shaken by the news but puts it together enough to do some good spins in her routine, along with a move where she lays on the ground and lifts her feet over her head and then stands back up (it looked cooler than it sounds, I swear). I did hate the fact that she chose "To Make You Feel My Love" not done by Kris Allen as her song- someone else danced to the non-Kris version last week and it annoyed me then too. Song aside, I'm not sure if that routine was enough to get her through. Nigel says she was old-fashioned, and that she needs to update her style to deal with Mia's choreography. He still says yes, as does Debbie, but Mia says no, as do Lil C and Adam. It comes down to Mary, who sees potential in her and says yes, to the delight of her sister.

Now we catch up with Evan and Ryan, another pair of siblings looking to get to the next round. I like Ryan's style better. He seems to be trying in the contemporary routine and it is a bit stiff but still pretty. The judges love it and send him through to the next round. Evan is next and I think he is better than Ryan was at this routine but the judges don't say a word. That could be good or bad. Mia has him do flea hops of the stage before telling him he is safe. Evan is starting to grow on me- I don't like his style but he is great at the other styles too.

This guy Jason is getting a lot of screen time all of a sudden- I bet he makes the top 20.

Tony is back now to try Mia's routine again. He does better this time around, though not as good as Evan before him. He bursts into tears as he faces the judges. Debbie loves his character, and drags out the news before saying he got enough votes to move on. Cat gets a kick out of seeing a grown man cry.

13 dancers were cut in this round, leaving only 54 for the final day.

Yeah those two Asian ballroom dancers are still in the running!! The dancers don't know what's next, but Ryan figures out that it is likely ballroom since he saw Tyce in the elevator. Love those "great deducting skills" as he calls it.

Nigel says there will be one routine for the girls, and one for the guys. And indeed it is a Broadway number, to the delight of Evan and Ryan. Ooh and they are doing West Side Story. The movie is a bit overrated in my opinion, though the dancing will be a great challenge for them.

The girls get right to rehearsal, while the boys relax and do the "lounging lizard" as Ryan puts it. I love him! Plus we get to see the male dancers' great bodies!

The girls are practicing "America". Debbie Allen even played Anita in the show. Wow some pressure for them. Tapper Bianca Revels doesn't seem nervous at all, though she did go through this last year.

She certainly has the sass for the dance, though the dancing doesn't blow me away. Megan and Caitlin seem to struggle a bit, though Oska does well. Priscilla falls at the end of her routine but still keeps a fierce pointed toe.

Now all that's left is the deliberations. Bianca is surprisingly cut, as is Alexie, another early favorite of mine. Boy they are dropping like flies tonight, though not as many of my Idol favorites. Bianca says she will not come back next year, though maybe she'll change her mind.

More brutal cuts: Gabi Rojas, Priscilla, and Megan Kinney are all sent home. Sad to lose Megan, but don't mind losing the other two.

The remaining girls are in the top 16 females, including Caitlin Kinney and Oska, and a bunch of others I don't recognize.

Now it's the boys' turn to learn their routine to "Cool". Evan and Ryan, the "Broadway Brothers" as they call themselves, are in the first group. Both groups looked great- I don't know how the judges will choose who to cut.

First to the stage is a group of names I don't recognize. all of whom are cut. So both Evan and Ryan, along with Ricky the Asian ballroom dancer, and Brandon, are all in the top 16, along with Phillip Chbeeb.

They now must prep their final solos with the girls. Tony is also still in the running, with his Nigel photos and all. We only get a brief glimpse of the solos, but they almost all seem really good to me.

First to face the judges is Janette a salsa dancer who impressed me in the Miami auditions and with the brief glimpse we got of her solo. But since there are two minutes left I'm guessing the episode will end before we find out if she made it or not.

Sure enough, tomorrow night we will find out the results. It looks like Evan and Ryan will be onstage together- is only one of them going to make the finals? That would stink since both are talented. Anyway we'll find out tomorrow night.

Any thoughts on tonight's show? Post your comments below.

The Latest Britain's Got Talent Controversy (That Does Not Involved Susan Boyle)

2009-05-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

So this summer I've been trying to get my reality-TV fix while watching clips of Britain's Got Talent on youtube. It helps me deal with having to wait another month for the American version (and by the way, Eli and Donald were robbed last season!). I of course have followed the Susan Boyle story from the start, though I do think she is overrated. In fact of all the finalists there is not one that I am really rooting for. I think my favorite is Aidan, the young dancer, which is odd since I usually root for singers on these shows. Yet the three S's- Susan, Shaun Smith, and Shaheen, do not excite me as singers. The one girl who I did sort of like, Hollie Steel, has become a controversial figure in her own right, which makes me not able to root for her anymore despite her talent.

In the middle of her semifinal performance, the 10-year-old Hollie forgot her words and began to cry in front of the audience and judges. They all seemed sympathetic to her, as did hosts Ant and Dec, who even offered her a drink of water. Some have suggested little Hollie was fake crying in order to get sympathy votes, but I do not feel that was the case- those were real tears of nerves up there, tears of a girl who feels like she just blew her shot to sing for the Queen. But I do think it was unfair for the judges to give her a second chance to sing. But they (specifically Simon) did, and she did sound impressive in her second attempt (actually, she sounded great the first time too until she forgot the words). No other contestant was given this luxury, not even favorite Susan Boyle, who was off on a few notes early in her semifinal performance. It's bad enough children with mediocre talent are sent to the finals on these shows just for being cute- Kaitlin Mayer from last year's America's Got Talent being a prime example. And while Hollie does not fall into this category, she did get a new form of special treatment last night by getting to start her song over again. Who knows? Maybe she would have made the finals even without the second chance. She certainly would have gotten sympathy votes, and the judges too may have put her through out of pity if she didn't win the audience vote outright. But despite her talent, I feel I can no longer root for after this incident. Sure, she is more talented than fellow semifinalist Greg Pritchard, but every time I see her I think of the unfairness of this moment and it ruins the whole experience. So I guess all I have to root for now is Aidan. Go little dancer go!!