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Introducing Your Season 8 All-Stars

Tonight’s Top 10 episode is going to rock, not least of which because it’s the first time we’ll see the Top 10 dance with the All-Stars.

First, we have Melody Lacayanga, the Season 1 runner-up. I chose her disco with SYTYCD Canada judge/choreographer Blake McGrath because I don’t normally go for disco and this Doriana Sanchez disco was fun. I didn’t watch Season 1, but looking back over the season, it seems like Melody’s partners tended to get eliminated a lot. I hope this doesn’t happen to her Season 8 partners!

Allison Holker from Season 2 was an All-Star last season and had some phenomenal routines. I’m going to resist my urge to find videos from last season and instead give you something from her original season. Here is her Alex da Silva Argentine tango with her original partner Ivan Koumaev.

Pasha Kovalev was also an All-Star from last season and I am NOT going to show you the phenomenal tango he did with winner Lauren Froderman. No, I am NOT. I’m going to stick with first seasons and show you him “out of his element,” dancing Mandy Moore jazz with Sara von Gillem.

Yet another All-Star from last season, Twitch Boss was originally the runner-up from Season 4. Chelsie Hightower, who was also from Season 4, was scooped up by DWTS along with Lacey Schwimmer, danced this fun Nappytabs hip hop with Twitch during their season.

Comfort Fedoke, also from Season 4 and also an All-Star last season, also danced with Twitch. Instead of showing you that video, I’m going to show you dancing with Mark Kanemura, Chelsie’s partner for most of the season, in another awesome Nappytabs hip hop.

Brandon Bryant was the runner-up of Season 5. I so want to show you his Wade Robson jazz with Janette, but Margaret showed that video in her All-Star post (same reason I didn’t show Pasha & Sara’s West Coast Swing). So instead, I’ll show you their Dave Scott hip hop, where they were both “out of their comfort zones.”

As an All-Star last season, Kathryn McCormick danced so much with Robert that I could just give you one video for both of them. However, let me show you Kathryn in her Season 6 glory (she came in 3rd), especially since her season didn’t get their own tour. So here she is, with runner-up Jakob Carr in a contemporary routine choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden.

Season 7’s Robert Roldan (3rd in his season) has already danced once in Season 8, with Caitlynn Lawson, so he was already an All-Star as far as I was concerned. Because the All-Stars started at Top 20 last season, most of his dances are with Kathryn or another All-Star. I wanted to show you his Dee Caspary contemporary with winner Lauren Froderman, but it wouldn’t embed. Instead, I’ll show you their Dmitri Chaplin (Season 2 and DWTS) samba because it’s fun and they were both out of their element.

Chelsie’s only going to be an All-Star for tonight’s episode and it sounds like they may switch up the All-Stars from week to week. It’ll be interesting to see who else they bring on board and all of the great routines that result. Also, I haven’t ever seen it confirmed, but Allison and Twitch may be dating and it’ll be interesting to see them together as All-Stars again. Also, I’m dying to see our Georgia peaches, Kathryn and Season 8’s Melanie Moore dance together. You know what else I’d love to see? I’d love to see a current contestant dancing with an All-Star and choreographed by another SYTYCD alumni. That would be awesome. 🙂

Are they any Season 8 contestant/All-Star pairings you’re dying to see?

July 20, 2011 I Written By

Los Angeles Audition Episode – Your Thoughts

Tonight’s Los Angeles audition episode is the last of the Season 8 auditions, as well as the highly anticipated (at least by Amanda, but I’m sure she’s not alone) audition of Jeanine Mason’s little sister.

[blackbirdpie url=”http://twitter.com/#!/Amanda_516/status/76094238588284929″]

If you’re one of those types who likes to talk about the episode as it happens, Amanda and John will be Tweeting during the East and West Coast airings of the episode. You might even catch a tweet or two from me as well.

Regardless, here is a space for all your Los Angeles audition episode thoughts, right here. Enjoy!!!

June 2, 2011 I Written By

More of Your Favorite Season 8 Episode 1 Dancers

I thought I’d hunt down some videos of your favorite dancers from SYTYCD Season 8 episode 1. Check them out:

Melanie Moore

Ryan Ramirez

Amber Williams

Lilly Nguyen

I wasn’t able to find videos of Timothy Joseph and the Deon/Damon videos were all responses to the Les Twins controversy.

Dancers we haven’t seen yet but are hoping come back from last season:

Anthony Burrell

His update SYTYCD Season 7

Adrian Lee

The song is Adele’s “I Found a Boy” – I Found a Boy - 21

June 1, 2011 I Written By

SYTYCD Season 8 Premiere – Your Thoughts

It was a phenomenal first episode of SYTYCD Season 8, with the Atlanta and Oakland auditions. There weren’t many of those too unbearably bad and uncomfortable additions (though, there were a handful, of course), which makes me happy. I like to see good dancing!

Some preliminary thoughts for you, but mostly I want to hear YOUR THOUGHTS:

-One of my favorite dancers of the night, Melanie Moore, is from my hometown, Marietta, GA. Amanda and I are both from Georgia and one of our favorite dancers is too, Kathryn McCormick.

-I am so glad that Ryan Ramirez is back!

-Which makes me wonder…WILL Alex be back this season? And will he be back as a contestant or as an All-Star later in the season?

I know there was so much else going on, but that’s what’s coming to me now. Your turn! What are you excited about or wondering after the premiere episode of Season 8?

And don’t forget to help us fill in the music from the Atlanta/Oakland auditions. There were some really great songs tonight, but I didn’t catch them all and maybe you can help!

May 26, 2011 I Written By

“Burn the Floor” heats up Chicago during the SNOWPOCALYPSE

As they say in the performing arts world: “The Show Must Go On” The Show Must Go On - Queen: Greatest Hits I & II

There were predictions hitting towards two feet of snow in parts of Chicagoland but a call to Broadway in Chicago confirmed what most businesses, stores and restaurants would not do in downtown Chicago… the show was open and was going to go on as scheduled. Granted, considering how quickly the temperature rose during the first number of the show “Ballroom Beat” (YouTube clip) this came as little surprise to those in attendance. When the first beats of the African rhythm filled the auditorium, you knew it was going to be hot. Dancers appeared throughout the auditorium, in the balcony, in the aisles… dancing and shaking to the rhythms before jumping onto the stage for an amazing opening number.

Read more..

February 2, 2011 I Written By

My life can be summed up in the following two quotes: 1) "I am married to engineering and am its faithful wife by day, but at night my wanderlust takes hold and the arts becomes my jealous paramour." and... 2) "Engineering is my safety net. Writing is my passion. Acting is my escape when the other two become too much." So where does dancing fit in? Pretty much anywhere at this point... =)

Christina Perri’s Working on Her CD

We’ve posted a lot about Christina Perri and her song “Jar of Hearts,” which SYTYCD helped launch to national attention.

I actually hear the song every night on my way home from work as it’s remained in the Top 5 of the radio station I listen to all the time. I think I’ve got it memorized.

So, I was really glad to read this article that goes behind the scenes with Christina and her management and talks about how “Jar of Hearts” got into Stacey Tookey’s hands, what they’re doing to get her cd finished and to keep her at the top of our lists.

I especially love this part, because I remember thinking something similar the first time I saw Christina Perri give an interview:

Chisholm says Perri impressed him by being “totally prepared” for all the major-label wining and dining. “She holds herself well, and she’s very poised,” he says. “It all happened very fast-from initial interest to a deal took about two weeks.”

Check it out!

January 20, 2011 I Written By

SYTYCD’s Melinda Sullivan TAPS Sara Bareilles’s Single Ladies Cover

Lookee what I found!

In a video directed by Dante Russo, Melinda taps to Sara Bareilles’s cover of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” I’ve never heard this cover, which is really breezy and charming, and perfectly suited to Melinda’s style.

Whether you loved her or hated or just wanted to see her hang around a bit longer (like me!), I think you’ll want to check out the video, below.

January 12, 2011 I Written By

Vote for Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts” Video!

In September, we posted a link to the new video for Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts.” Now, I see on Twitter that the video is in the running for best freshman video on mtvU.

christina perri. christinaperri

“jar of hearts” nominated for best freshman video of the week on mtvU!!! you can vote here: http://bit.ly/cvwWtb
Let’s show everybody the power of SYTYCD fans and vote for our own SYTYCD-made star!
November 1, 2010 I Written By

SYTYCD Tour – Without Music!

Tonight, in Boston, the music went out during Lauren and Billy’s performance of “Boogie Shoes.”

Billy_Bell Well… The accapella version of boogie shoes was not originally On the set list… But we did it! @laurenfrodie only you babe! Love you! about 4 hours ago via Echofon Retweeted by 13 people

The now-seasoned pros just went on with the dance, regardless. Here’s a video from Jen on Twitter. It’s a pretty amazing, video, check it out:

October 11, 2010 I Written By