Top VI: Show Me You Can Dance!

With a shortened show, I was worried that the dances tonight weren't going to be as good as they could be. The partnerships seemed a little off for me tonight, at the start of the show, with Courtney and Mark, Chelsie and Twitch and Katee and Joshua being reunited for the first time since the Top 10. 

I was most excited to see Twitch and Chelsie as a couple. I have both of them tagged as the best guy and girl, respectively, of this season's competition. However, I think the other two guys could upset Twitch's throne, if he's not careful.

So, without further adieu, here is my analysis of each dancer:

1. Mark: I thought he did a commendable job on his first routine, but I've noticed one thing: this quirky Contemporary dancer doesn't know how to pull together a Closed Hold. That being said, however, I thought he did a great job; I agree with Adam Shankman that his rise-and-fall was very, very strong.

The Jazz routine was easily identified to Sonia, mainly because the choreography was terrible. However, the one good thing she did was play to Mark's strengths. This quirky Contemporary guy is a shoe-in for anything that belongs on Broadway or in a Jazz club. And he didn't disappoint tonight.

2. Courtney: I can't help but love this spunky little firecracker. I've always known she was HOT, but she looked BEAUTIFUL in her Viennese Waltz.

After the burlesque Jazz routine, Cat said, "I loved that music!" I think she said it, because the choreography was terrible! Sorry, Sonia, but I'm not a fan. 

However, I was a fan of this performance. I thought Courtney played her role very well, and she accentuated Mark perfectly, which I think the routine was meant to play to his strengths.

3. Twitch: I've never been overly impressed with his Latin Ballroom skills. He is a great Standard Dancer, but I've been less than impressed with his Latin abilities. Luckily, he danced the Mambo with Chelsie and I think she distracted from his performance alittle. And what he lacked in technique, he made up for in style and performance. He brought a little too much Salsa to the Mambo routine, but I think America may like that.... I'm not sure if I did, though.

Lucky for Twitch, Tabitha and Napoleon have his back. Their style of playing together story, character development and mad Hip Hop skillz suits Twitch perfectly. And he sure put on a great show for the crowd. Robbery Alert: I think Twitch stole some of Gev's tricks!

4. Chelsie: Every single solo that I see her dance, I feel like a parrot, but I have to repeat it again. This girl dances Ballroom by herself so, so, so well, it's ridiculous! I haven't seen her put on a bad show yet, but that makes me all the more nervous for the Finale.

Do I even need to say anything about her Mambo skillz? Don't go there, girlfriend; you're making the rest of the girls look bad!

The last time Chelsie danced anything by Tabitha and Napoleon, we were treated with (in my opinion) the Best Routine of the Season. What a character performance! What a great piece of entertainment, as Nigel said!

5. Joshua: This popper-hip-hop dancer doing another Contemporary routine? Oh brother! And on top of that, it's a Tyce Diorio Contemporary, which hasn't struck me like some of the other choreographers on the show. 

But he pulled it off incredibly! To think that he hasn't had any training or classroom exposure is absolutely amazing! He's a street dancer who dances like an Instructor.

I was blown away by this Paso Doble. Absolutely amazing! This was a great balance of choreography, passion, discipline and pure dance genius. I can't say it enough... absolutely amazing!

6. Katee: She dances her style amazingly. That about sums up her first routine; she held high expectations, and didn't disappoint!

Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the solo performance. I was left wanting a lot more; maybe I placed too high of a bar after her first routine. If that is the case, then it's my-bad. But Katee seemed to come out a bit scared, and the overall routine was to conservative for my tastes. 

And just a quick note: I don't know if she chose her music, but that Maroon 5 song did not mesh with her overall routine. The beat was too upbeat and the routine was too low key.

I'm going to stray from my normal Voting Behavior this week, but I don't think it will effect my Finale predictions, for those who know what they are. This week's best group of performances are as follows, ranked by individual dancers:

1. Joshua

2. Chelsie

3. Twitch

4. Mark

5. Katee

6. Courtney

** Sorry for the disappointment, Mark and Courtney, but I can't see you in the Finale; I would love to see Mark go all the way, but I think Joshua is too good, and Twitch is too good at what he does. However, none of the Top 6 would be undeserving of a Finale Appearance.

Top 8 Perform.... who makes the Semi Finals?

After a lame last week (I was traveling for most of it, and thus not able to get to a WiFi connection until well after the results show), let me take a moment to say: WTF?!! Why no more Kherington and Gev? I had both of those two tagged for the finals! 

If Comfort doesn't go this week, I will be severely disappointed. Kherington's technique is 10x better than the Hip Hop dancers. And I really wanted Gev and Twitch to have a "step up" type challenge in the Finals.

And I really want to know what is up with this "IV Real" crap. It seems only the Black Dancers are playing up this "inside joke" with Nigel. Items like that are cool for one or two weeks, but it's wearing me down. Please, SYTYCD, either explain this piece, or give it u

p! But don't keep America in the dark any longer!!!

With that being said, let's talk about this week's dancers:

Will: The first routine was disgusting! I thought Mary's critiques were right on, except she still is in love with this dancer. Does he walk on water? That's what the judges are making it out to be. Boy, your Ballroom skills sucks!!! I'm sorry!

I have a theory Will has been getting by strictly off of his solos for the duration of the Top 20. But I don't think tonight's solo was good enough. I think it may be his time.

I think he made up some ground with his Hip Hop routine; he looked really good. But was it good enough to take him out of the hole he dug for himself? I'm not so certain.

Courtney: Will is lucky she had this spunky little firecracker for a partner, or the routine would have looked disgustingly awkward. Gev's former partner is representing him well on this show! I'm almost ready to tag her into the finals!

And she drew a fabulous routine from the T&N duo. Her ability to take the pop-and-stop of most Hip Hop routines and transfer it into a lyrical, rhythmical, fluid style that only a Contemporary Dancer could do. 

Comfort: She's a great Hip Hop dancer. I won't even try to argue against that. But her versatility is horrible. She is a one-trick pony, and the bad thing is, this year's theme appears to be Hip Hop and Contemporary, so she's managed to squeeze through this far. It's a crime against everything this show stands for. 

Does anybody see the conspiracy in that the most non-versatile dancer, therefore, has "randomly" drawn a Hip Hop routine with amazing choreographers two weeks in a row, even two weeks when she shouldn't be here?!

This week's solo had a complete lack of Hip Hop Skillz.... Tricks are a must for Hip Hop Dancers, and she lacks them.

And don't get me started on the FoxTrot... Neither one of them looked comfort-able dancing this style. Everything Comfort did looked forced; everything Mark did looked, to quote Nigel, "amateur-ish." 

Mark: The last time the Funky Contemporary dancer was under Tabitha and Napoleon's tutelage, we were treated with one of the greatest routines of this season. Can he offer a repeat performance, all while in detention?

Yes, yes, I think he can. His dancing here was good... not great, but good enough. But He really pulled off the stops really well, which is a very difficult thing to do for any Hip Hop Specialist, let alone a Contemporary dancer. It was jagged... it was rocky.... in a word, it was pretty buck!

I love Tabitha and Napoleon!

And I loved his solo. From the opening few steps, I was hooked in this Contemporary Dancer's quirky moves, sliding featurettes and wavy style. The energy, the power and the fusion of styles are what make this guy Finals worthy.

Twitch: This favorite hasn't been one for much emotion, and his character seemed to not require it, from the Intro clip, but the Emotion portrayed in the Mia Michaels Contemporary routine was phenomenal! It showed a side of him I never thought I would see.

Katee: Perfect play on the "ex-girlfriend" stereotypes in all the world. Her actions were extremely vibrant and excessively exuberant. Great character portrayal. 

And she carried it over so well to her solo. I think Katee is one of the dancers on the show who is getting better and better at an exponential rate while on this show. Her stock is rising, and right now, it is a battle between her and Courtney for a spot in the Finale. 

Chelsie: This Ballroom Dancer keeps getting better and better, and she started out on a high level. If she's not in the Finale, I will boycott this show! I can't find anything wrong with her... that's all.

When she took to the stage for her solo, I realized something: I haven't seen a Ballroom Dancer perform so well, alone, but on very few occasions. Benji Schwimmer was definitely one of them. And Pasha could hold his own while dancing a solo Latin dance. Not some bad company to be in.

Joshua: He could've been a bit more precise with his footwork on that Argentine Tango, but overall, I thought he looked respectable. Dmitry gave him a very difficult routine to pull of in only two days, and he looked good. What he lacked in technique, he more than made up for in Character (i.e. the Essential Element of an Argentine Tango).

My Top 2 Couples this week:

1. Chelsie and Joshua

2. Katee and Twitch*

*A close third, arguably second, would go to Mark and Comfort, but only because of the way they danced that Hip Hop routine. To Die For! Sorry, Courtney, but I think you may be in the Bottom Two this week. Don't feel bad, though; if America is smart, they'll dump Comfort.

Top 12 Results and Top 10 Preview

This is going to be a short entry in the Chronicles of the Standard-dancing Athlete. I just wanted to comment on the Elimination, and make a few notes to watch for come Wednesday night (or Thursday morning... gotta love DVR!)

First, the Elimination.

I'm not a huge 

fan of Comfort. I like Thayne, esp

ecially since he grew up (virtually) in my backyard, but I'm not in love with the way he dances. He's good... at what he doe

s. And that's 

about it. 

That being said, however, I find their elimination slightly lagging. I think these two were fighting on the same level as Katee and Joshua, with the latter barely edging them 

due to the newly-introduced Bollywood routine. But that makes them better than Will and Jessica; and possibly better than K&J, overall.

Should they have been eliminated? I can accept a straight-forward answer from either side. Because they made Top 12, they will still go on tour... just as the "alternates." I can live with that, because we all know (from what 'Fox' has done in the past) that the Alternates make a handful of numbers during the whole process. So I can live with that. If....

If, and only if, Will and Jessica are the next two to be eliminated. If those two don't make it past the Top 10, then I will graciously forgive the Judges for making this week's decision. However, beginning this week, America becomes the decider and the Judges take a backseat with the Elimination. 

So, please, America! Stop this monstrosity that is Will's ego!!!! Don't let it get any bigger than we've fed it to become!!!!! Prove to the judges that he really isn't as good as some might think. And, most importantly, let's bring back Debi Allen!

And now, a few things to watch for this week:

• Gev and Courtney will be split up this week. It will be interesting to see how well they dance when they aren't together. I think they are both good dancers, but it was their chemistry that made them GREAT. Will the Breaker and the Pint-sized Contemporary Dancer hold the same attraction to different partners? 
  
• Twitch and Kherington are coming off their first trip to the Bottom Three. Will it motivate them to step up? Or depress them to fall flat on their faces? I would say the former, but we'll have to see.
• Who wants to see more Bollywood? I know I do, but let's have Chelsie and Mark give it a try! What have you got to lose, America?!!

SYTYCD Top 12 Performances

Somehow, Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance has cruised by me, and I just realized that we are coming upon the half-way point. It doesn't seem possible that the summer's hottest show can be so close to finished, forcing us to sweat out a long fall/winter/spring TV season before getting the fix again. But never mind that; the day is upon us.

Last week, we said goodbye to Matt and Kourtni L., two of the tallest dancers on our show who showed that (sometimes) dancing isn't about length and lines, but agility and quickness. I'm kidding.... I thought Matt was an amazing dancer, and Kourtni even had some "shining moments." But neither of them were Top 10 material, so it was a good week for them to leave. Now the only problem is Cat won't be able to wear heels anymore, for fear of towering over the rest of the Finalists (Look out, Gev and Courtney!).

Here's the skinny on the Night:

Mark and Chelsie: 

How do you say "I love this couple" in 20 different languages? I'm not certain, but I know that if I were to say it, I wouldn't be able to adequately express how amazing the "Ballroom Queen" and the "Quirky Weirdo" are together. I have been a fan of Chelsie's since before the show (my sister danced on a Youth Ballroom team with her), but Mark has grown to become one of my favorite dancers just since the announcement of the Top 20. These two are phenomenal, and the way they handled Alex Da Silva's routine, where the other couples who were sent to him flunked out, was exceptional. 

Comfort and Thayne: 

I rather liked the Hip Hop they performed, but I am also in love with anything choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon. I hope these two have long, long careers with the show. Comfort looked very... comfortable (no pun intended... maybe) while dancing in her style, and Thayne looked like a White Rapper-Gangsta-Wannabe. But the funny thing is... it worked! He pulled it off well. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the rest of the night.

Gev and Courtney:

These two stole my love for the week! First, I loved seeing Pasha (and Anya... who won my Best Underrated Dancer award) in their first routine of the year. And seeing Pasha explain to Gev what he need to do, in Russian, was priceless! The Cha-Cha was good. I think the hip action, the rhythm and the chemistry were all there. I would have Gev work on controlling his face while dancing Ballroom, but other than that, I thought it was a solid performance.

But I loved the Jazz routine. I haven't been a big fan of Mandi Moore, but this routine was incredible. From the moment Gev walked out one stage, shaking his shoulders, hips, and any other accessible part, while Courtney showed off her stretches and poses in the background, I was hooked! And the map element was genius! 

Jessica and Will: 

I was intrigued to see Tyse choreograph Contemporary, as his specialty is always Broadway (and some Jazz routines). But I looked this routine... I thought the pace and the rhythm were very well picked out, and the visual metaphors were great.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the Dancers. Jessica and Will danced WELL in this routine... but the standard of excellence was so high, I was left wanting something more.

And the Quickstep was terrible. Choreographed by the most professional dancer on the show, Will's top-line kept falling all night (not that it would have mattered with the blazer the Costume Department forced him to wear!). And Jessica looked slightly better.... but she danced a little too heavy for my tastes.

Twitch and Kherington: 

Well, with the Krump they showcased in Round 1, I thought "Twitchington" had done it again. Kheri was definitely "gangsta" enough, and Twitch showed America why the Top 2 needs to include a Hip Hop/Krump/Break master such as himself. 

And I started out liking the Tango done in Round 2... I was ready to put them on Mary's Hot Tamale train.... until they promptly ran it into the station. Twitch had the same problem as Gev tonight: he couldn't control his face. Kherington did a better job, and looked pretty good, but she struggled to maintain a good connection with her partner, and that is too vital in the Tango.

Joshua and Katee: 

A solid performance from these two, thanks to a Viennese Waltz that was a little bit bouncy, but not bad for a big boy like Joshua, and a Hindu dance that had never been done on the show left these two sitting right in the middle of the pack. It could go either way for them; depends on how large of a fan base they have accumulated thus far.

Top 3 Predictions: 

1. Chelsie and Mark

2. Gev and Courtney

3. Twitch and Kherington

Bottom 3 Prediction:

1. Will and Jessica

2. Comfort and Thayne

3. Katee and Joshua

If the Judges vote with their heads, and not their hearts, Will and Jessica should be exiting stage right.

A little beef with SYTYCD, season 4

So You Think You Can Dance recently started the fourth season, ready to crown another one of "America's favorite dancers." While I think the talent on the show this year is amazing, there are a few things that have been gnawing at me.

First of all, the new choreographers.

If you haven't noticed by now, Shane Sparks is far from the show. Apparently, he is on "America's Best Dance Crew," but I haven't seen "the other dance show," so I wouldn't know. Whatever the case, his hard core Hip-Hop routines will definitely be missed.

But his "replacements" in Tabitha and Napoleon have got me screaming for me. I LOVE these two Hip Hop choreographers! Sometimes I feel like doing a Mary-like scream for the two of them. Their work is fabulous!!!! And the best part seems to be the direction in which they are taking the dance genre.

Rather than the amazing, hard-hitting, fast-moving routines that we are used to seeing from Shane, we get soft, beautifully written routines that tell a story. This new genre appears to have been named, "Lyrical Hip-Hop," and if you haven't caught on to the fad by now, jump on the train!

When Katee and Joshua took the stage for T&N's first Top 20 routine, I was a bit put off by the nasty acting they did while off-stage. But my mood almost immediately changed when I saw Katee's beginning "solo." The passion, frustration and emotion of her character came out, not only on her face, but in her movements! Amazing... and then, Joshua's trick where he falls over and pops back up while remaining on one foot.... Priceless!!!!!

Although, I am a bit peeved by the lack of Ballroom Dancers in this season's Top 20. Mostly, we lack a stellar Male Ballroom Dancer; Chelsie H. can handle the workload for the girls. But since when did Contemporary/Modern dance become all the rage? Why do we have so many Contemporaries on the show this season? Perhaps it has something to do with Wade Robson. While he is fabulous, I am still not a huge fan of the dance style.

But what do I know? I'm a ballroom dancer.

My Decision

I'm pretty sure I want to get back into the world of Ballroom....

I've been toying with making the decision for the past five or six months. In junior high, I was a ballroom dancer, and I even toyed with it during my freshman year of high school. Sometime around then, however, I decided it wasn't "cool" to dance, and decided to pursue a career in drama, as well as participate in the after-school sports of track, cross-country, and wrestling. As well, I was on the Editorial staff for the school newspaper, managing anywhere from 2-5 pages each issue. It was a good life, and I didn't think much of my decision to abandon the dance world.

My sister chose another path. She recently finished a long stint as a member of the BYU Youth Ballroom team, competing on both their Latin and Standard formations. I think it was her fault that I managed to stay so close to the sport that I now found I really do love. I'll blame her, even if it isn't her fault.

Last year, I took a bronze-level International Latin technique class, and loved it. My skill was mediocre to decent; but the excitement, the rhythm and the passion of competing drove me to WANT to dedicate many hours a week to practice. This semester, I have learned to fall in love with my bronze-level International Standard class, and while I don't enjoy it quite as much as Latin, I have been told by numerous sources that my technique is better than the previous class.

Thus, my dilemma. I am a full time college student, currently with a double major (Spanish and Journalism), considering a second minor (Portuguese), and now wanting to be seriously involved in the world of DanceSport. I have decided that the best competitions for me would be the American Rhythm division, and the International Latin division. As a Rhythm dancer, I would compete cha-cha, swing, mambo, rumba, and bolero, virtually as a slightly toned down Latin dancer. As a Standard dancer, I would compete waltz, Viennese waltz, quickstep, tango, and international foxtrot. I feel that the bill fits.

Now, I have to find a partner, a coach, practice time, and a way to pay for the countless hours of technique training and competition fees. If anybody can help me find any of the above-mentioned necessities, please let me know ASAP.

The world is just opening up to my new-found passion; Will I live up to the expectation?

Dance, Dedication, and "Athletes"

This is my first attempt to blog something that I am only half-way knowledgeable about, which is to say, dance. Specifically, ballroom dance. I may decide to slightly brush over modern, hip-hop or ballet dancing at some point in the future, but for now, I will strict to "my genre" which is that of the Internation Standard and Latin ballroom dances.

To begin, let me get one thing out into the public domain which is the Internet: where is all the dedication going? I can't seem to keep a focused, dedicated partner during competition prep., save one were to count the likes of my sister (love ya, K-girl, but I don't know if you and I should be constantly dancing with each other). I have now been re-pursuing and re-dedicating myself to the fabulous world of DanceSport for a full year and I have yet to be paired with a girl who even comes close to matching my dedication level. Different excuses abound, but in the end, it's all the same... The female college student is too busy to "dance with me."

I have a theory; I hope not to offend any of my guy friends who also pursue dance, but the theory revolves around them, too. Most guys are not dedicated to the world of Ballroom Dancing. Plain and simple, most men SUCK when it comes to "artsy" things like Dance. We (myself included) would often rather watch March Madness or down a keg of beer while viewing the Super Bowl, then spend a few extra hours perfecting ourselves for an upcoming Dance competition. I know this; I understand this. Unfortunately, it seems that women also know this, but do not understand this.

The female, upon seeing the "un-dedicated" behavior of her male-counterpart, believes all men to be "uneducated and brutish" with "little desire for improvement." Thus, she becomes extremely discouraged. She even begins to lose motivation herself. In the end, she becomes as less-likely to take the DanceSport world seriously as the man that she so vehemently complains about.

And thus begins the downward spiral....

Enter a man such as myself. Upon seeing the "unmotivated" state of my fellow gender, I attempt to find the most dedicated woman who is willing to "take a chance" on me (difficult, as I current come in at a mere 5'5" and weigh slightly over 150 pounds). Most of the time, I am forced and content to pair off and compete with the slightly more than motivated woman; but it's fine, as that is always workable.

Now comes the kicker: these females (as I have had at least 4 partners since begin my sojourn) picture me to be on-par with my male cohorts, simply because I am a sports fan, occasionally crack slightly sensitive jokes, and enjoy "typical" male activities. Thus, they automatically begin their downward spiral, alone! When I begin to attempt to pull them out of it, it's too late; an addiction to school, work, pleasure, or (*gasp*) some other guy-friend has taken shotgun and forced our desires to compete to take a backseat.

While dancers may not be considered "athletes" by some people, I have news: this thing is a work out! We call it "DanceSport" for a reason!!! As a high school student, I played three sport: track, cross-country, and wrestling. During those four years, I rarely lost more than 5 pounds during a track/cross-country season, and would usually only lose 10-15 pounds during wrestling season (so little, since I didn't weigh more than 130 pounds until my senior year). However, as I finish my first year as a Ballroom Dancer, I have now managed to lose over 10 pounds! That's equal to most of my weight loss regime during difficult wrestling seasons!!! Does that mean anything to anybody?

In the end, the qualities that make a good, renowned athlete (strength, agility, endurance and dedication) also make for a winning Ballroom Dancer. I can't speak for any other genres of dance, but I can say that Ballroom needs to be considered a favorable athletic competition in the sporting world.