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SYTYCD: Top 4 Thoughts

After a busy two days, I was finally able to get caught up with this weeks episode. I enjoyed Mia’s opening number but not my favorite of hers…I think my arms were tired from just watching them spin the fabric around their hands. The all-stars also return this week with a bit of requirement(well not really). All the participated in Monday’s episode, finished in the top 4 in their respective seasons. I was excited to see JaJa back, because if my memory is right, she is the only female hip hop dancer to make it to the top 4.

Also, it a few all-stars first time to choreograph for a live show, Jenna, Robert, and Comfort. I have to say enjoyed all of their dances and I hope we get to see them choreograph again for the show. If had to pick a favorite of the three, Robert’s piece that Marko and Hannahlie performed was my favorite.

Other Favorites

Jay Jay & Lauren: Mandy delivered a great jazz number, that was entertaining to watch. It reminded of the type of jazz dance that I am used to seeing.

Hannahlie & Darius: These two definitely were able to find a connection with each other quickly after losing their partner last week. It’s a good thing the did, because I don’t think that the Argentine Tango would have worked as well as it did.

Both group dances were good this week but the girls may have edged out to the guys for me but not by much.

The fan vote surprised this week in the top 4 reveal…in the sense that it wasn’t the top 2 guy and top 2 girls. Jensen, Hannahlie, Genessey, and Slavik are this seasons top 4. Sad to see Jay Jay and Darius go…I did’t not see that coming. I thought Jay Jay would have been in the top 4.

Next week will be the performance part of the finale and vote from this week and next week will determine the winner of this season.

August 29, 2018 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

SYTYCD: Top 4 Perfomance Thoughts

It’s a busy Monday night if you are a dance fan, So you Think you can Dance and Dancing with the Stars on at the same time. So I hope everyone got their votes in for their favorite on both shows.

The performance finale was busy itself, each contestant danced 7 times tonight. So I’ll give my thoughts on the new dances we saw tonight…I’ll discuss what they chose as their favorite in a different post.

Top 4: Chris Scott and Travis Wall
I really enjoyed this collaboration from the two choreographers. Each one of the dancers represented element; Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. I will to say this was pre-filmed with the costumes, make up, and the elements themselves.

Kiki & Taylor: Cha Cha – Anya Garnis
So nice to have Anya back on the show. It was a very fun and fast Cha cha. Kiki in his own genre I am not surprised that he does well and is a great partner to whoever he is dancing with. Taylor was the one out of her element and I thought I saw a tiny mistake but I had to hear what Mary had to say. Mary didn’t seem to mind the mistake and Taylor made the hot tamale train.

Lex & Koine: Broadway – Al Blackstone
So this is my favorite Broadway number they have done on this show in a while. I loved everything about it but mostly that it had the comedic element to it.

Koine & Taylor: Jazz – Mandy Moore
This jazz had a very Fosse feel to it. I agreed with Taylor, the choreography started simple and got more complicated as the dance progressed. Thankfully they were able to pull off the side by side turns. I think Koine just needed a little bit more power behind her turns to keep up with Taylor.

Kiki & Lex: Hip Hop – Luther Brown
I really don’t have much to say about this dance other than I enjoyed it. It is nice to see Kiki really having fun in this competition.

Kiki & Koine: Contemporary – Travis Wall
I did have to watch this dance twice to enjoy it…I got lost in trying figure out how the story fit in. Overall it was another beautiful dance choreographed by Travis. I also though both on them danced it well.

Lex & Taylor: Contemporary – Mia Michaels
I was not only excited to have Mia back on the show but even more excited that she had these two to work with. Lex and Taylor had a nice bit of news to reveal after Mia explain the concept of the dance. They are DATING…which explains their chemistry and why this piece worked well for them. I loved this dance and I have missed Mia on this show. Only she would say okay you are going to kiss and while you are doing that you are going to continue to dance with the rest of your body.

I have a feeling it will come down to the two love birds on who will win. Look for a post later this week on how I think the outcome will be. Till then let me know who you think will win.

September 18, 2017 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

SYTYCD: Top 6 to Top 4 Thoughts

First off let me start of my saying that I live in Georgia and we were definitely feeling the effects of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irma. Lots of rain and heavy wind which cause a few issues while watching tonight’s show. With that being said I might have gotten all of the choreographer’s last name but I tried. Thankfully, the dances are uploaded quickly so I can watch them back.

So if I heard Cat correctly we have two more shows left this season the performance finale and the finale. The voted this week and next week will help determine the winner. Also, Mia Michaels will be back next week…so exciting.

Lex & Gaby: Samba – Sasha Farber
What a fun Samba from Sasha…I’m going to miss him as a pro this season on DWTS. I thought Lex did great and it was the strongest performance from him tonight. I particularly like how he flipped over Gaby at the end.

Koine & Marko: Contemporary – Mandy and Elizabeth
This was a difficult routine to learn with the props but they mastered it for the live show. I just really enjoy watching these two dance together. The only critique that I have is on the choreography…just wanted a little more dancing without the props.

Kiki & Jenna: Jazz – Ray Leeper
I don’t what has happened over the last couple of weeks but Kiki has become a different person. He seems more confident outside of his own style…and I think he out danced Jenna this time.

Taylor & Robert: Hip Hop – Keone and Mari
Excited to see these two choreographing tonight…they were one of my favorite from World of Dance. I felt like they nailed this…it was strong and clean. I felt like I was watching a taller version on Keone and Mari

Lex & Koine: Disco –  Doriana Sanchez
Okay so while this disco was good…for me it wasn’t the best done to this song. This has been used two other time on this show for disco. I think Koine shined a little bit brighter that Lex. I’m not sure what happen but Lex injured himself at the end of that routine. I really hope that he is okay because you could tell he was in pain and the medics went right to him as they were going to commercial.

Taylor & Logan: Contemporary – Mark Kanemura
My first thought was it is going to take forever to get all that glitter off of them later tonight. I really like this dance and for me it was very up lifting. Also, I think Taylor and Logan were a great pairing.

Kiki & Kaylee: Bollywood – Nakul
I sort of giggled when Nakul questioned himself as to why he creates difficult routines for the contestants to learn. Both Kiki and Kaylee did great and they looked like they were having fun.

Top 4(as they were revealed): Lex, Taylor, Kiki, and Koine

Let me know what you think of the top 4.

 

September 11, 2017 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

Mia Michaels Guest Choreographs the Opening of Rockettes New York Spring Spectacular

Check out this cool interview with Mia Michaels and a couple of the Rockettes about working together on the opening number for the New York Spring Spectacular. I heard they’re going to be performing this opening number at the All Star game this weekend.

February 9, 2015 I Written By

Just call me Charlie...but where are my angels?

Chicago and Los Angeles Auditions: Thoughts

Great night of auditions. I’ll add my thoughts tomorrow but the impromptu duet that Fikshun had with Marie Poppins was my absolute favorite moment of the night. So what did you think.

The show picks back up in Chicago for day 2 of the auditions, but first we get to see those that participated in the polar plunge. Mary Murphy was up for that challenge and so was Jimmy Fallon. Fabrice Calmes of the Joffrey Ballet, joins Mary and Nigel for day 2.

Paul “The Puppet”: I liked this guy a very unique new style. It was like a very fluid version of popping and animation. Nigel was out voted about going the choreography round, so Paul was sent to the next round.

Emily James: I really hope that the  third time is the charm for her. How cute were her cousins and the youngest didn’t want a ticket.

Is it me or am I seeing more of the male dancers in the montages.

Franchesce: This girl has unique written all over her. She uses the fact that she has alopecia to her advantage. I agree with the judges that Sonya and Mia would love her.

Jenna: Her excitement over meeting Fabrice was just too cute and I now I think he will take more notice of her after that audition. I would love to see her on pointe too.

James: The bone breaking stuff is just so hard too watch.

Day 1 LA with Christina Applegate and plenty of Alumni in the audience. So many great dancers on day one I can’t wait for day two.

Jessica: One of my favorites of the night. I love that the judges don’t even talk and just hand her a ticket. I think there is a really good chance we will see her in the top 20. Loved her long hair too…little jealous.

Valerie: I love that tap seems to be becoming more popular on the show. She did have to go through choreography round and she made it to the next round.

JaJa: We have Philip Chbeeb  to thank for this girl. I remember her from ABDC and she was only 15 when I am me competed. Love seeing strong female dancers in the hip hop genre.

Kyle: He impressed me with his dancing, for only dancing in his living room and not in front of an audience. Plus he was able to hold his own in the battle with Fikshun, Cyrus, and Legacy.

Justine, Hailee: both great dancers and would love to see more of them

Maurcio and Daisy: great Pas de Duex

Sebastian: Hope he makes it to the green mile this time and maybe even to top 20.

Dani: Granted not the first time we heard a story like hers but I still love how dance that can help them overcome their problems. I was a little confused that they made her do the choreography round.

Marie Poppins: Love the stage name and her. I think she had the best moment of the night. She dances from the heart and got not only the judges attention but Fikshun’s as well. I don’t know what made him get up and dance with her but I’m glad he did. I really hope she can do the other styles cause I would love to she her in the top 20.

The girls are strong this Season.

June 4, 2014 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

Top 6 Power Rankings

The closer we get to the finale of the show the harder it is for me to want to do a power rankings post, but I’ll do my best. Loved the opening dance by Mia Michaels. Many of you may have noticed Aaron was missing from that dance. It wasn’t addressed on the show since he was able to dance his duet. This is when social networking comes in handy. Thanks to twitter Aaron sent out a message saying he has a shoulder injury and in best interest of his shoulder and the show, he was pulled from the opening number. That’s all I know right now…if I find out more I will update.

The bottom four ended up being Jenna, Hayley, Tucker and FikShun. Tough call to make and I can say I 100% agree with the end results but it’s what has to happen. Jenna and Tucker were the two we had to say goodbye to. Both had fantastic dances last night. I really did enjoy watching Tucker and Courtney dance together. Wasn’t the best of the night but landed in the middle of the mix for me. Jenna and Mark on the other hand I could go on for days about their dance. It was my favorite piece of choreography of the night.

Girls

Amy: I think most will agree this was the other favorite dance of the night. Travis was able to show us all of Amy’s talents as a dancer. It reminded me why she has always been one of the early favorites.

Hayley: There is just something about the Rumba I just love. It’s really hard for me to find anything wrong  about this dance.

Jasmine: I was excited to see that she was paired with Twitch. Granted I would have wanted a more down and dirty hip hop but I enjoyed the superhero theme too. Superheroes and Twitch go hand in hand together.  Jasmine held her own dancing with Twitch but this was a case of the other numbers just were a little bit better.

Guys (very hard to rank these since all made me feel the same)

FikShun: Allison did a fantastic job working in his strenths through her choreography.  He really has grown so much over the competition.

Paul: This was just a fun hip hop. Paul has consistently been good and the ladies love him.

Aaron: Dispite his injured shoulder he made that jive look easy. I had to go back to see what Mary was talking about, and still trying to figure out what caused it. Still thought he was great.

So who is your top 4? Mine is Amy, Jasmine, Aaron and Paul.

August 21, 2013 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

Top 8 now Top 6 Thoughts

I wanted to do a thoughts post tonight for two reasons. The first reason being I want to know which dances/dancers were your favorites.  Second I want to talk about the All Stars and how fantastic they were tonight.

When Cat made the announcement last week that the All Stars would not only be dancing but also choreographing, I was excited. Once the All Stars were announced the excitement level went up.

So I guess I’ll start by saying I loved everything about tonight, from seeing Travis dance on that stage again to Twitch and his super hero hip hop. I’m only going give my thoughts on a few, the rest will be a part of my power rankings tomorrow.

Allison: So why hasn’t she choreographed for the show before now…I really don’t know. I really hope we get to see more of  her work in the future.

Courtney: Her style of choreography is how I would probably choreograph if I was actually any good at it. I really like the lifts and even that last little lift at the end.

Mark: GaGa would be proud. Everything about this screamed Mark, and I loved every minute of it. He has always been one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what else we will see from him in the future.

Travis: I think many will agree with me it was great to see Travis dance on that stage again. I agree with the judges he is only going to continue to go up in his career. Also the next time his company Shaping Sound tours I’m buying a ticket to go see it.

So let me know what you thought of tonight’s SYTYCD.

August 20, 2013 I Written By

Dance is one of my biggest passions. I grew up dancing at Augusta West Dance Studio (the same studio that Kathryn McCormick). I have a BFA in theatre/dance from Valdosta State University. Tap is my favorite style of dance.

Which Contemporary Choreographer Do You Like Better? Mia or Travis

I recently asked people on Twitter which choreographer they were most excited to see come back. I’ll probably do a future post with the various answers. Although, I was struck by the number of people who said Travis Wall. After seeing so many responses, I wanted to see if Travis Wall was liked more than Mia Michaels when it comes to contemporary choreography. You can vote below (and be sure to share it on Twitter so we can get more people involved the voting).

I’ll plan to share the results at a later date. This should be interesting.

May 1, 2013 I Written By

Just call me Charlie...but where are my angels?

Podcast: SYTYCD Season 9 – Top 14 Week

Listen to the podcasts

Episode 51 direct download

Subscribe to podcast on iTunes


Time Stamps
0:00 – Introduction: Ballet boys as judges, and Ms. Tedholm’s Facebook comment
3:31 – General thoughts about the Mia Michaels episode
5:23 – The Door routine: Cyrus & Eliana
8:44 – Hometown Glory routine: George & Tiffany
11:23 – The Butt Dance: Will & Amelia
14:02 – The Bed routine: Dareian & Janelle
15:58 – Time routine: Audrey & Matthew
18:07 – The Bench routine: Chehon & Witney
20:41 – Addiction routine: Lindsay & Cole
24:45 – Bottom 6/Elimination discussion
30:05 – Wrap-up: Thoughts about Brandon/Amber elimination from Top 16 week, and thoughts on the live shows thus far

Episode Length: 32:24

The Top 14 week of So You Think You Can Dance celebrated Mia Michaels and her iconic routines from the show. Each of the dancers were called on to recreate some of her most beloved routines. Our feelings, along with many fans, were mixed on this approach. Should these routines be performed again, or are they only meant for the original dancers? Can an alternate, yet equally valid interpretation of the routines be presented? We discuss these questions, along with our thoughts on the somewhat shocking elimination of Amelia in this podcast!

We found it very useful to compare the original performances against the new ones. In the time stamps above we’ve linked to blog posts that have both routines embedded for easy viewing.

Let us know what you think after listening to the podcast! You can leave us a comment here or on our blog, Reflections on Pop Entertainment. You can also follow us on Twitter and tweet with us. You can also visit our Facebook page, like us, and leave a comment there! We love feedback and will respond either with a comment or in our next published show.

August 22, 2012 I Written By

Over the past few years my fiancée Meghan slowly brought me into the world of television, turning me into a full-fledged fan of both scripted and reality shows. So You Think You Can Dance turned into one of my favorite reality shows as it is a competition that takes itself seriously, providing the audience with artistic choreography and talented dancers. It's certainly not something I ever expected to get emotionally invested in, but here I am! Meghan and I are very analytic when it comes to the things we enjoy. We constantly discussed and analyzed shows with each other and after doing this for a couple years, we decided that we should turn these discussions into a podcast. We created Reflections on Pop Entertainment, a podcast that provides commentary and analysis of popular entertainment as found in visual mediums, particularly television and film. So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 is the first television series we're covering with weekly podcasts and has allowed us to find our voice as well as actively contribute to the fan community. We hope that you'll enjoy our installments as they are posted to Pure So You Think You Can Dance!

Podcast: SYTYCD Season 9 – Vegas Week and Meet the Top 20

Listen to the podcasts

Episode 48: “Vegas Week” direct download

Episode 49: “Meet the Top 20” direct download

Subscribe to podcast on iTunes


Time Stamps for “Vegas Week”
0:00 – Introduction
1:18 – The cuts during Vegas Week
13:36 – The major narratives of Vegas Week – Alexa Anderson and Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer
19:14 – Standouts during Vegas Week
22:34 – MIA dancers during Vegas Week
25:30 – Wrap-up

Episode Length of “Vegas Week”: 28:38

Time Stamps for “Meet the Top 20”
0:00 – Introduction
1:33 – First contemporary routine by Tyce DiOrio: Alexa Anderson, George Lawrence II, Will Thomas, and Amber Jackson
3:57 –  Ballroom routine by Jason Gilkinson: Nick Bloxsom-Carter, Witney Carson, and Lindsay Arnold
6:15 – Ballet routine by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden: Eliana Girard, Daniel Baker, and Chehon Wespi-Tschopp
8:36 – Jazz routine by Sonya Tayeh: Tiffany Maher, Audrey Case, and Janelle Issis (not in routine)
10:18 – Second contemporary routine by Stacey Tookey: Matthew Kamierczak, Dareian Kujawa, Janaya French, and Amelia Lowe
12:19 – “Mixed” routine by Chris Scott: Cole Horibe, Brandon Mitchell, Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer
14:14 – Top 10 girls routine by Travis Wall
15:35 – Top 10 guys routine by Sonya Tayeh
16:59 – Top 20 routine by Mia Michaels
18:36 – Wrap-up

Episode Length of “Meet the Top 20”: 20:07

Wedding planning has consumed a lot of our time, but we’re finally here with our “Vegas Week” and “Meet the Top 20” podcasts! We apologize for the erratic and delayed release schedule, and ask for your patience as we find time to record and edit these.

The “Vegas Week” and “Meet the Top 20” episodes have transitioned us from the audition portion of the show into the live competition. We found ourselves unsatisfied with Vegas Week, as many of our early favorites were cut, most notably Mariah Spears. The insistence of the producers to make a narrative out of the Vegas Week process for Alexa Anderson and Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer also did not sit well with us, as this not only smacked of favoritism, but it also consumed so much television time that we barely saw the full routines for the different genre rounds.

We enjoyed the “Meet the Top 20” episode much more, as the remaining contestants that made it through the Green Mile are the ones we would have selected. The actual routines were quite good, with the routine by Chris Scott being a standout. Already we have some people we are excited for, including Cole Horibe and Witney Carson, and we also worry about the longevity of some contestants, such as Tiffany Maher, Audrey Case, and Janaya French. Finally, we urge the producers and choreographers to take care with how they place and feature Alexa Anderson. Between the Vegas Week episode and the choices in the Travis and Mia Michaels routines, we’re concerned that she will experience a huge backlash from the fanbase, very similar to Ryan from last season. Overall, we’re excited for the final cast of contestants and cannot wait to see the first live show tonight!

Let us know what you think after listening to the podcast! You can leave us a comment here or on our blog, Reflections on Pop Entertainment. You can also follow us on Twitter and tweet with us. You can also visit our Facebook page, like us, and leave a comment there! We love feedback and will respond either with a comment or in our next published show.

July 11, 2012 I Written By

Over the past few years my fiancée Meghan slowly brought me into the world of television, turning me into a full-fledged fan of both scripted and reality shows. So You Think You Can Dance turned into one of my favorite reality shows as it is a competition that takes itself seriously, providing the audience with artistic choreography and talented dancers. It's certainly not something I ever expected to get emotionally invested in, but here I am! Meghan and I are very analytic when it comes to the things we enjoy. We constantly discussed and analyzed shows with each other and after doing this for a couple years, we decided that we should turn these discussions into a podcast. We created Reflections on Pop Entertainment, a podcast that provides commentary and analysis of popular entertainment as found in visual mediums, particularly television and film. So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 is the first television series we're covering with weekly podcasts and has allowed us to find our voice as well as actively contribute to the fan community. We hope that you'll enjoy our installments as they are posted to Pure So You Think You Can Dance!