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Top 20 Results Music

Sonya Top 20 group routine: M.I.A’s “XR2” – XR2 - Kala (Bonus Track Version)

Keri Hilson performed “Lose Control” – Lose Control / Let Me Down - No Boys Allowed (Deluxe)

Guest dancer Gennadi Saveliev danced to: Yuri Simonov’s “Gopak” – Gayaneh: Gopak - Khachaturian: Famous Ballet Suites: Spartacus – Gayaneh - Maskarade

Premiere of Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory” – The Edge of Glory - Born This Way (Bonus Track Version) video

And… a spoiler space for the rest….

Read more..

June 16, 2011 I Written By

SYTYCD Week 1, Season 8 Interviews with Top 20

So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with week 1 of season 8. Check out our interviews with Top 20!

Couples:
Jordan and Tadd
Sasha and Alexander
Clarice and Jess
Ryan and Ricky
Caitlynn and Robert from Season 7 (Mitchell was injured)
Miranda and Robert
Wadi and Missy
Melanie and Marko
Ashely and Chris
Iveta and Nick

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www.youtube.com/danceon

Top 20: Power Rankings

Sorry for the delay but due to the bad storms that came through last night took out our internet connection and was still out this morning before I went to work.

The beginning of the show is always one of my favorite parts, every one of the contestants probably dreams of that moment. We also learn that Mitchell is injured and was advised not to dance. I do wish they explained his injury a little bit more, and he was visibly upset that he was unable to perform. With that said I’m only going to judge his partners performance. We also had our first guest judge, Megan Mullaly from Will and Grace. Personally I love her and I thought she did a great job.

Top 4 Couples

Melanie and Marco
Contemporary-Travis Wall
Love the simplicity and concept of this dance. It may not be my favorite of the night but magic did just happen. Both are equally great dancers and I look forward to seeing them grow together this season. Like Cat said beautiful pieces of art.

Missy and Wadi
Jazz-Sean Cheesman
I like it, the dark characters that Sean gave them was great. A great partnership and could be one to watch. I really don’t have much to say which is a good thing in my book.

Sasha and Alexander
Contemporary-Travis Wall
Travis is just amazing. This looks like it will be a great partnership. I’m glad Alexander has insurance…lol…he took a beating. I can understand the disconnect, but I think it was the character that took away from some of the emotion.

Clarice and Jess
Broadway-Tyce Diorio
What luck that they got Broadway. I agree with Nigel, Jess is a performer and any partner will have to step of their performance. With that said I loved the dance and I don’t see them going anywhere yet.

Middle 4 Couples

Miranda and Robert
Jive-Jason Gilkenson
Was that an Urkel impression? Reason number one you should wear dangle ear rings win you dance they fly off. I think Megan got their personalities right. Great job by the two of them, sure the technique might not have been perfect but for the first week and to keep the energy up the entire way through is impressive. I sense a woo off between Robert and Mary.

Iveta and Nick
Quickstep-Jason Gilkenson
Storm warning so no sound for half of it but it looks like Nick survived the ballroom boot camp. Judging from the judges reaction this quickstep was not the dance of death. Iveta is the pro here and Nick just proved a tap dancer can do other things.

Caitlynn and Mitchell/Robert
Jazz-Sonya
Okay lost power thanks to the storms but from what I saw I loved it. I wish Mitchell was able to dance I think he would have danced it as well as Caitlynn. Even though he is in danger I think she should be safe. Also it was good to see Robert dance again.

Ryan and Rickey
Lyrical Hip Hop-Chris Scott
I like these two together. Loved the dance and thought they both danced it well. Interesting the interpretations of the story of the dance, glad they let Ryan explain her interpretation.

Bottom 2 Couples

Jordan and Tadd
Afro Jazz-Sean Cheesman
The first dance out of the gate and it didn’t really disappoint. I agree with the judges Tadd did and great job for being out of his element. I love Jordan but there were times it looked like she was thinking too much.

Ashley and Chris
Hip Hop-Chris Scott
That was a fun dance with a great concept and a great song. I agree with Nigel will be interesting if the viewers will go with fun or technique. Since it’s the first week I’m going to go with fun, but that just my opinion. These two have room to grow if we let them.

The first week is always the hardest to judge for me at least. I want to give the dancers a fair shot in the beginning. Mitchell we know is automatically in the bottom so I really hope he brings it if he is cleared to dance. The only other guy that I think might be in the bottom is Chris. As for the girls I have no clue glad the judges will be making the call on who goes home.

Hope everyone enjoyed the show and share your thoughts on who should stay and who should go.

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 Season 8 Kicks Off It’s Live Telecasts

Fox kicked off the live tapings of So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 with a live action billboard high above the famous Sunset Strip. Professional dancers performed full out in front of a gigantic billboard on Sunset Boulevard, and Just Dance was there to cover the action. Plus interviews with SYTYCD judge’s Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy who reveal a few of this season’s guest judges!

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www.youtube.com/danceon

SYTYCD Top 20 Performance Show Thoughts!!

Hi All!! First, apologies for how late this is getting posted. I just graduated from college this past week so I’ve had no time to catch up on all things SYTYCD. I’ve just gotten home for a little 6 week vacation before I start my new job so my sleeping schedule is all out of whack. Anyway, I’ve just finished watching the Top 20 performance episode and all I can say is WOW! There were highs and lows, so let’s get to it!

LOVING the new stage! Eons better than the past 2 seasons, and the background looks a bit like the old stage! Progress!

Jordan and Tadd: Anyone who has read my comments since I started blogging on here knows how much I LOVE Sean Cheesman and his afro jazz. This one, however, I didn’t love so much. All the steps were there, but there was a groundedness in their feet that I just didn’t feel. If you want to see what I mean, check out this video from SYTYCD Canada season 1.

It features a hip hop dancer (Miles) and a ballerina (Allie) who actually both ended up in the top 4. They’re sitting in the movements, whereas I felt like Jordan and Tadd were very high on their feet, a little too light. They both kept up with the steps really well and seemed to enjoy themselves, but I felt like something was missing.

Sasha and Alexander: I kind of disagreed with the judges on this one, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t my favorite (I’ll get to that later) but I thought they were both very strong and dynamic dancers. For me, Sasha outdanced Alexander, but it kind of worked for me because she was supposed to be his conscience coming back to haunt him so I liked that image. I agreed with the judges that I wasn’t feeling the connection as much, but I have high hopes for them.

Clarice and Jess: Ugh, I WANTED to like this, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I’m kind of our resident broadway geek, but this one just wasn’t my favorite. I thought Jess killed it, but his skill really made Clarice look overmatched. It reminded me somewhat of Benji and Donyelle’s 2nd broadway number from their season, “Le Jazz Hot” where all the steps were there, but something just felt really fake. I didn’t buy their chemistry, and I really wanted to because they are both so talented.

Ryan and Ricky: gosh they danced so beautifully together! technically, it was my favorite of the first hour, but the storyline had me a bit confused. Why was Ryan so smiley?! Anyway, I think they’re both going to go a long way, but I don’t want them to lose the story, it’s such a crucial part of connecting with the audience, both in the studio and at home.

Caitlynn and Mitchell (and Robert): I so wanted to see Caitlynn and Mitchell dance this together, because it seemed like they were getting on really well. I wasn’t as taken with her as the judges were, but I thought she and Robert danced really really well together. He helped steady her nerves, I think.

Miranda and Robert: I almost didn’t recognize Miranda without her curls!! To be thrown a ballroom piece week 1 when neither of the partners has a ballroom background is pretty rare, but with so many contemporary girls (and no pure hip hop girls) this season somebody had to draw the short straw. I’m not a technical expert in ballroom, so I’ll just say it was fun to watch. They kept up the energy and the jive bounce really well, though I hope Robert loses the Steve Urkel glasses soon, his schtick is gonna get old.

Missy and Wadi: From this point, for the most part, the performances were pretty spectacular. This piece was definitely interesting and very powerful and very different from anything Sean’s done in jazz on the show. Their connection was great and the use of the stage, though at some times it all felt a little disjointed. Nigel said this was his favorite piece Sean’s done on the show, I’d have to say mine was Russell and Noelle’s frog dance from Season 6, nobody’s quite matched that one yet.

Melanie and Marko: Wow. No words. So exquisite and simple and pure. I could feel the emotion emanating from every pour of their bodies. Their chemistry was off the charts and their technique was incredible. I would almost put this one in “If It Kills Me” territory of amazingness. My favorite of Travis’s is still “Fix You” from last season, but gosh this was so good. I had been waiting for one that would make me rewind it and punch the air as I watched, and this one was it. Marko’s legs as he did that slow cartwheel, holy cow! It’s a dance like this that makes me so happy they’ve gone back to the Top 20 format, we get to watch this partnership grow and develop over the next 5 weeks, and this is one I’m really really excited about.

Ashley and Chris: This is one where I think the music and the choreography got in each other’s way. Dual cheaters (or the subject of cheating in general) could be really entertaining or really serious (a la Ashleigh and Jakob from S6). With this one, it just kind of felt like they were getting fake mad at each other. I wanted more.

Iveta and Nick: I LOVE these two! They both have personality and are oozing with talent. To watch Nick pull of so effortlessly what has been named the dance of death on SYTYCD was such a joy. He went fullout into the piece, which is where so much of the trouble has happened in the past, dancers not going full out in the ballroom pieces. He got super lucky with a partner like Iveta, he was able to follow her lead but still had the confidence to be the leading man on the dance floor. Was his technique always there? I can’t say. But they got the pimp spot in the order and definitely were memorable.

The performances definitely got better in the 2nd half of the show, but overall it was a pretty great night! So now I hand it over to you! Thoughts? Predictions for the first two who will be leaving us?

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