Free SYTYCD Newsletter Want to receive the latest news on So You Think You Can Dance sent straight to your email? Join hundreds of other SYTYCD fans who subscribe to Pure SYTYCD for FREE!

SYTYCD: Season 15 Finale Winner Announced

I figures it’s time for the big finale and it storms and takes out the satellite signal. Thankfully, it was only out for about ten minutes and it was in the first hour of the show. So, I did miss some of the judge favorite dance picks. Anyways the opening number was fantastic and love watching the dancers dance for the joy of it and no pressure of the competition.

Many of my favorites were performed again last night and some even had some new surprises that I loved. Also a new dance created just for Evan to show off his tap dance skills. Evan and Lex were definitely a highlight for me last night…that tap was amazing. Two of Luther Brown’s group numbers had a few more dancers added to it. “Bump” Magda and Chelsea joined the top three girls in this fun number. However, it was “Juice” that added dancer that I didn’t quite expect. I should have seen Twitch coming…not a finale without getting him to dance. When Nigel joined in on the fun at the end it just made me smile.

Results and their favorite dance
4th: Slavik- He chose “Round & Round” hip hop with Genessy. I always liked that he tried his best with every style that was thrown at him.

3rd: Genessy- She chose he break out contemporary routine “Be Brave” with Lex. Genessy definitely proved to Nigel that she was worthy of a spot in the top 10 and in the top 3.

2nd: Jensen- I loved that she chose “Cookin” a hip hop as he favorite. I like that they added the fun little twist of pulling out Mandy’s Emmy at the end. I look forward to seeing watch the future holds for Jensen…perhaps we will see her on DWTS with her sister Lindsay.

WINNER- Hannahlei: I didn’t get to see her pick, but judging for the inter webs I figured it out. Hannahlei chose her duet with Marco that was choreographed by Robert.

My final thoughts.

Overall, I was happy with the outcome. Hannahlei and Jensen were my top 2. Cat did mention that it was the closet vote in the shows history. Which makes me wonder just how close it was. Love that the contestants are always happy for whoever wins. Look forward to see the tour in the fall.

September 11, 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: Finale Performance Thoughts

Monday night’s performance finale might have been one of the best I’ve seen in a while. I say that because I feel like everyone had a great night, the top 4 were prepared to do what it takes to win. Only problem with everyone having a great night is trying to figure out who will be the last dancer standing. As usual it is a busy night for the top 4, dancing with each other, an all-star, and their solo. Melanie, Jonathan, FikShun, and Robert were the all-stars that danced last night. The judges seemed to be playing it nice, but Twitch provided me with my favorite judges moments of the season. Due to wedding festivities that happened over the weekend, Twitch was loosing his voice. After Hannahlei & Genessy’s performance, he felt like he couldn’t true express how he felt about that number…so he asked Mary to do it for him and she did.

Out of all the dances…my top 3 of the night were:

Jensen & Robert: Contemporary (Mandy Moore)
This was absolutely beautiful, and I love the partnership between Robert and Jensen. I look forward to seeing tis number on the tour.
Hannahlei & Slavik: Afro Jazz (Sean Cheesman)
Happy that we had another amazing African Jazz this season. The tricks were amazing and glad they took out that on lift where Hannahlei fell in rehearsal.
Genessy & Hannahlei: Contemporary (Talia Favia)
The synchronicity of this routine is what made it so good. I also love the strength of these two ladies throughout the dance.

Final thoughts on the top 4

Hannahlie: What I like about Hannahlei is that she is a little power house. I love that she is able to become a different person the moment she steps on that stage to perform. I truly think she will be in the top 2. She hasn’t had any miss steps in the competition and has been consistently good.

Jensen: I love Jensen’s personality and she does reminds me of her sister. Even though she does reminds Lindsay, I feel like Jensen has made a name for herself. Honestly, I just love watching her dance. I wouldn’t mind seeing all of the Arnold sisters dance together. Jensen had been my favorite this season and I would love to see her win.

Genessy: Genessy may have started off as the dark horse this season, but she has really turned out to be a contender. I feel like I under estimated her at the beginning of the live show. Also, I think that we are just scratching the surface of how great of a dancer Genessy really is.

Slavik: The wildcard…I call him that because I think he might have a bigger fan base that votes. What I have loved have loved about Slavik is that he has absolutely put the effort to do the best he can. I really hope we will see him back next season as an all-star.

Looking forward to seeing who will win next week.

September 5, 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 6 Thoughts

Monday’s episode was jammed packed for the dancers, each of them dancing four times. Twice with their partners, a solo, and a group routine. It was an entertaining night with only a few routines that just were not my cup of tea. Also, I am still loving Twitch as a judge, even when he is giving criticism. He makes a point in trying to be kind about it but he has to give because of what stage of the competition is at…not to mention reminding views to vote.

My Favorites of the Night

Jensen & Jay Jay: Hip-Hop
It was such a fun routine and brought each of their personalities. Hef and Randi, made a great debut on the show. I loved the work with the props and I personally loved that they burned the meal at the end.

Hannahlie & Cole: Broadway
So…Travis Wall needs to do more Broadway routines for the show. It was a nice change of pace compared to what we are used to. This was their best routine on the show. Cole for some reason was reminding me of Harry Connick Jr.

Guys Hip Hop:
Luther Brown created another fun routine with some great grooves. I also like that he found a way to spotlight each guy individually. The really wasn’t one standout for me but I will say it is really fun to watch Jay Jay and Darius do hip hop.

Bottom four: Cole, Darius, Genessy, and Magda
It just keeps getting harder to pick who stay and who goes and no matter what a good dancer is leaving the show. The judges decided to stick with what the voters opinion. Magda and Cole pulled the lowest amount of votes and I think the judges might be right that these two were just unable to connect well with the at home audience.

Next week the all stars will be joining in the fun and Mia Michael’s will be back.

August 21, 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 8 Thoughts

Monday night the top ten have two more dances to impress the judges, cause a the end of the episode two dancers left the competition. So it seems like the judges will have a say for now, but I imagine that it will only last to the top six or at the latest the top four. When the bottom four was revealed, I can’t say I was surprised by the judges choice. Evan and Chelsea’s journey came to an end. I felt like they did do better this week compared to last week, but I was their lack of connection with and apparently the audience that landed them in the bottom.

TOP 8

Best dance of the night was Jensen and Jay Jay’s Afro Jazz. I agree with Nigel, I’m not sure what goes through Sean Cheesman’s head but I like it.

Jensen & Jay Jay: These two are my favorite couple, not only they great chemistry but they also have the technique to back it up. Their contemporary was also very beautiful.

Genessy & Slavik: The other couple on the show who’s chemistry is amazing. They still are the dark horses of the competition and audiences like rooting for the underdog. I enjoyed both of their dances but the jive may have edged out the broadway…only because of how much I like Sharna (I hope to she more of her).

As for the other two couples they had good night despite that two of them ended up in the bottom. Hannahlie was the standout and I don’t think that we will see her in the bottom next week. As for who will end up in the bottom four next week, I’m not really sure but I look forward to more fabulous dancing.

August 15, 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 10 Thoughts

Finally caught up on the first live episode of season 15, after being out of town for a few days. Overall, I enjoyed the show and didn’t think there was one bad dance. I like that they paired the dancers with each other rather than with an all-star. It really goes back to the roots of SYTYCD and creating partnerships you want to root for.

Twitch, also returned as a judge for the live shows. He is such a breath of fresh air, especially since he has been in their shoes. I enjoyed his positivity and willing to uplift a dancer if they did’t do so well. Judging from comments on social media it seems like many fans were upset over how Chelsea was treated by 3 of the judge when it came to the tap routine with Evan. More on that in later…but first my thoughts on the pairings and my favorite routines of the night.

I think that the dancers were paired up well together and as far as chemistry is concerned I think that Jay Jay & Jensen as well as Slavik & Genessy have it. Though I believe Cole & Hannalie might be the best as far as technique is concerned.

My Favorites of the Night

Slavik & Genessy: Luther Brown, Hip Hop
These two are definitely the dark horses/underdogs this season, and the both gave it their all in both routines. The hip hop thought was my favorite, I loved watching Slavik perform and his chemistry with Genessy it part of the reason this dance was great. I really hope these two stick around next week.

Cole & Hannalie: Tyce Diorio, Contemporary
It was a beautiful dance…and if they can connect with each other more they will go far in this competition. Though I do wish the judges would at least mention that Cole has obviously trained in other the styles other than ballroom

Back to the Tap dance. It is the first time in probably the show’s history that they have asked someone with only a little bit of tap experience(compared to Evan) to learn a hard tap routine. I thought Chelsea did a respectable job and loved that Twitch was the only one that recognized that and said something about it. Nigel seem to take the same road as Twitch until he said he can’t wait to see even dance with Gaby. I felt that was unnecessary to say and it was disrespect to Chelsea.

As I said, I enjoyed the episode and I’m not really sure who will be in danger of going home next week but I am looking forward to next weeks live show.

August 8, 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 5 Guys Revealed

This week it was the guys turn to prove they have what it takes to make the top 5. I think that the judges had a harder time deciding on the top guys. The more I thought about it, I agreed with Nigel that their performance in this episode tipped the scale with in the favor or not. All-Stars included Allison, Chelsie, Comfort, Lauren, and Jamie.

Evan DeBenedetto: Contemporary with Allison
I loved this dance and I hope that we more contemporary choreography from Brian. Anyway back to Evan, he definitely left it all on the dance floor. I also feel that he was able to tap into the emotion of the piece.

Jay Jay Dixonbey: Cha-Cha with Chelsie
I was a bit worried for Jay Jay but I am glad he made the top 5. I think he had the better of the two cha-chas of the night. I also like how Elena found ways to include his strengths into the cha-cha

Cole Mills: Contemporary with Jamie
I agree with Travis that Cole will be a force to be reckoned with in this competition. I enjoyed watching him dance style outside of his comfort zone but I look forward to seeing him do ballroom.

Darius Hickman: Hip hop with Comfort
Well hello personality…it was a perfect combo that brought out his silly side. Darius wasn’t really on my radar when it came to who would be in the top 10/5…he had the talent but I was missing the connection. However, after this dance I’ll be paying more attention to this guy.

Slavik Pustovoytov: Jazz with Allison
Slavik filled the last spot for the guys and it hurt to see the other hip hop guys go. This dance was hot…his chemistry with Allison was amazing. Plus the dancing was great too and at the end to the day Slavik, out shined the other two guys.

Next week the live shows begin and Twitch will be back at the judges table.

July 31, 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 5 Girls Revealed

Last night was all about the ladies and their last chance to prove that they have what it takes to be in the top 5 girls. Each contestant was paired with an all-star and had to learn a routine (not how long they had to learn it). All-Stars included FikShun, Paul, Brandon, Robert, Jonathan, and last season’s winner Lex.

Here are my thoughts on the top 5 girls and their performances last night.

Hannalie Cabanilla: Salsa with Jonathan
The lifts were amazing and I have to agree with Nigel, that she had to be fearless when it came to doing those lifts with someone she had just met. I also liked that the salsa brought out a bit more of his personality.

Jensen Arnold: Jazz with Brandon
I got to agree with the judges that she had the not only the best performance of the night but also the most confident. I like that Jensen was able to set aside the Miss Apple Pie(Nigel’s words) and allow the more sassy side to shine. If anything like her sister Lindsey, she’ll be a contender.

Magda Fialek: Contemporary with Robert
Probably the most beautiful routine of the night, and the most emotional considering both Mary and Vanessa were tearing up. I got to give Robert some recognition for balancing and rotating on one leg with Magda wrapped around him. Looking forward to seeing Magda dance more.

Genessy Castillo: Hip Hop with FikShun
I think it was this performance that put he in the top 5, she danced like her life depended upon it. I really enjoyed this performance, especially the part with the hair. Also, I felt like she vibe with FikShun.

Chelsea Hough: Salsa with Jonathan
The judges were pleased and Mary complimented her technique. I could definitely see the improvement Chelsea made compared to the earlier ballroom round.

We had to say goodbye to Emily, Brianna, Sydney, Stephanie, and Dayna. Of these five I was a bit shocked that the Judges didn’t choose Emily to move on to the top 5 girls. Next week it is the guys turn to impress the judges.

July 24, 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: Academy Part One

After a week off, SYTYCD is back with the beginning of Academy week. Only 70 dancers made it past the preliminary city auditions…which surprised my a little. I don’t think I can remember the number of dancers at this stage of the competition being this small. There were three parts to this episode, solos, hip hop, and ballroom.

Solos
It’s hard for me to pick a standout dancer, only because we are only seeing bit and pieces of the solos. Hazard of the show only being an hour-long. Though I will agree with the judges the hip hop guys did seem to have some strong solos. I also liked hear that one of the was taking a risk doing a move he has not performed on a stage yet. Tessa Dalke was the judges favorite of the solos. She stood out to me during her city auditions. I really don’t know how Tessa managed to study for her finals and handle the stress of this competition. 15 dancers were cut after the solo round.

Hip Hop- NappyTabs
I like what Tabitha said at the start of this round. I like seeing the choreographers lift up the dancers with positivity, while reminding them that it won’t be easy. I enjoyed the choreography from the groove parts to hard-hitting parts. You can tell that some of the hip hop dancers were struggling with picking up the choreography. Though I think the judges sent contestants through if they felt if the dancers were putting for the effort and trying. The judges also still enjoy giving the dancers a panic attack on if they are moving on to the next round or not. Also, loved that some of the ballroom dancers had NappyTabs almost not believing that they were ballroom dancers. Only 8 dancers were cut in this round.

Ballroom-Jean Marc
I love the energy that Jean-Marc brings to the room and that he used the phrase fake it to make it. Ballroom this season seemed to be a little more intimidating than hip hop this season. This round we got to see Jay Jackson out of drag, which was nice. I think he did quite well…even when the judges threw him a curve ball to have him dance with a stronger partner. I love that he is trying his best to prove that he is a dancer to Nigel and it’s working. I think he will come close to making the top 20. 6 dancers were cut after Ballroom.

Next week 41 dancers will continue to compete in contemporary with Travis Wall and a big group jazz number with Mandy Moore. The Top 20 might also be revealed.

July 10, 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: New York Auditions Part 2

Last night was the final episode of the preliminary auditions leading up to the Academy. Maybe it’s just me but I did feel this episode had a more diverse style of dance being shown. Also, I am thankful that the storm that was happening in my area last night didn’t take out my satellite feed during the show.

Up first was Andrew and Melany: I glad they didn’t listen to the company they were apart of because they are great partners for each other. I really liked there vibe they had and not surprised that Melany made the hot tamale train.

Mika: I’m with the judges…I didn’t care for the choice of “music”. I like dance that is done to spoken word but only if the movement matches what’s being said. Nigel is such a softie didn’t have the heart to tell her no, especially when dance is helped her with deal with he medical condition.

Kory: I had hoped that he would have been better than he was, and that he would have done a jazz solo with some broadway influences.

Brianna: My favorite tap audition of this season so far. I love that it was more jazzy (Nigel’s words) compared to the others. I also like she was light on her feet.

Arcadian: First off love that he had the support of Artistic Director of the Orlando ballet. Loved him and was more of a contemporary ballet. I agree with Nigel, I enjoy that precision stop after so many turns. He has what it takes to go far in the competition.

Bridget: Not sure why but she was reminding me of Kaylee from last season. Glad she did give up the passion of dancing. I loved watch the guys reaction in her reel when she did something impressive.

Ryan: I don’t remember him from season 12 but I would say he has improved, well according to Twitch. There is just something about this type of hip hop that is just so enjoyable to me. Just the amount of control they have is impressive. The look on Twitch’s face when Nigel asked Ryan if he battles…I take any excuse to see Twitch dance.

Next week starts Academy and the competition to make it to the Top 20 really begins.

June 26, 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: New York Auditions Part One

Plenty of familiar faces that were close to making last season returned for another chance at making it to the live shows.

Emily Carr: She set the bar high for the first audition of the night. I love that she is following in her sister’s footsteps when it comes to dance. While I can understand why the judges asked why Emily’s sister wasn’t auditioning, I just feel like they were overshadowing the person that is actually auditioning.

Evan DeBenedetto: Lex beat him out for the spot on Gaby’s team…which I know was a hard choice. So I wasn’t surprised to see him back or the judges comments. I think this is his year as well and we will see Evan in the Top 20.

Rachael Blanchard: I feel like sending her to the academy was a see if she would sink or swim moment for her. I think if anything the academy will help Rachael grow as a dancer and become better at the things she was lacking.

Kyle Bennett Jr: In FikShun’s final two last season. I always fun to see Twitch fired up over a good hip hop audition. I just enjoyed watching Kyle dance and I’m with Nigel if he can do other style he will shine this season.

Victoria Neukum: Nigel has me worried for a minute…I honestly didn’t think he would want to send her to the academy. Though I agree that the gymnastics are great but she does need to more dancing in her solos.

Desislava and Gratsiela Sandeva: While these twin sisters were not strong enough for the show but they were entertaining. I also think the had a great attitude.

Next week wraps up the New York auditions and the initial audition round. Then it will be time for the Academy week.

June 19, 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.