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Review: Fanaticly Website and App for SYTYCD

About a month and a half ago I was approached to review a website and corresponding app for iPhone. Interesting proposition to be sure, but something I don’t usually do… I can be harsh with my reviews, blunt and to the point. I have no qualms in exposing what I do not like about something, but at the same time I will acknowledge when something is done right.

This is no different, there are some aspects of either the website or the app that I dislike, but there are also some aspects of the website or app that I truly liked…

So beyond the break I will provide my impressions in regards to the app and the website. After my impressions there will be a quick line or two for the positives, negatives and the bottom line for both the app and the website. At the end of this post will be my final thoughts and what I would love to see down the road… preferably sooner than later.
Read more..

July 13, 2012 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... =)

NEW SYTYCD Pages Added! Trivia, Facts and More

Over the past few weeks I have been working hard at creating a few pages that would help compare and contrast all the dancers from the past seasons to what is going on in the current season. These pages would be continuously updated over the course of the season as well as during the off season as more information comes in… Since a lot of this is back tracking through all the past seasons there’s a lot of information to filter through.

If you look at the column in the far right under “PURESYTYCD” you will find the following additional pages for references:
SYTYCD “All Star” Choreographers
Before the “All Stars” came into being, past contestants of So You Think You Can Dance have been asked to come back and choreograph routines for a pair of dancers. Here you can find who has been asked to come back to choreograph a piece for the dancers on the show

SYTYCD “All Star” Dancers
When the “All Star” Dancers were first announced in Season 7 there was rampant speculation as to who would be chosen as the “All Star” Dancers. What was originally a pool of ten dancers grew to move due to availability for the show in Season 8. Here you could find out who was brought back as an “All Star” and when they were on the show as an “All Star” Dancer

Audition Cities
This is a table of all the cities that So You Think You Can Dance has visited before “Vegas Callbacks” (originally called “Hollywood Weekend” in Season One). This table is broken down by season.

SYTYCD Crossover with Dancing with the Stars
Several ballroom dancers that have been on SYTYCD have crossed over to the other major television dancing show: Dancing with the Stars. How those dancers have fared on the other major dance show are found here along with whom they were partnered with.

SYTYCD Top 10 Dance Style Breakdown
A common question for SYTYCD is what dance styles have been represented in the Top 10. Well now you can find out. Here are all the dance styles broken down by season for the Top 10 (5 guys and 5 girls) as well as Top 4. Since Season 6 was a Top 11, I kept it as a Top 11. A table that show a breakdown of the dance styles throughout all seasons is also here.

SYTYCD Top 20 Dance Style Breakdown
Similar to the above, this is a Top 20 breakdown of all the dance styles that have been represented on So You Think You Can Dance. Here are all the dance styles that are broken down by season for those that have made it on the show (10 guys and 10 girls). Again, since Season 6 was a Top 11, I had to include that too. A table that show a breakdown of the dance styles throughout all seasons is found at the top of the pages. Also of note: Season 1 had a Top 16 as opposed to being a Top 20.

SYTYCD Top 20 Show Trivia
This is probably the most involved information page… included is the following:
– Top 20 dancers that have auditioned in previous seasons
– Top 20 dancers that have gone through the choreography round in their audition city
– Top 20 dancers that have had to “dance for your life” during Vegas Callbacks
– additional notes that affected the dancers

What to expect down the road:
– Pages dedicated to the choreographers on the show broken down by dance style and a final accumulation page of all the choreographers and how many have come through the show
– Pages dedicated to the Top 20 Show Trivia including age breakdown, who was in the bottom, etc
– Pages dedicated to the season by season breakdown of the dance styles attempted

If you have any information (and please provide verification) that could help make the above pages even better feel free to comment or just Contact Us at PureSYTYCD.com!

June 18, 2012 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... =)

SYTYCD Canada Top 20 Performances

Tonight was the Top performance show and I have compiled a list of the dancers, choreographers, music and a few thoughts.

I will power rank them at the end of this post – feel free to comment with your own thoughts.

Judges Tonight: Jean-Marc, Tre Armstrong, Rex Harrington, Mary Murphy.

Rodrigo & Lauren
Hip Hip – Luther Brown
“Look at me Now” Look At Me Now (feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes) - Look At Me Now (feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes) - Single – Chris Brown (ft. Lil’ Wayne & Busta Rhymes)

I really enjoyed this routine. We learned Rodrigo had an injury last week, as he walked on stage to do his solo/dance for his life he actually fell and hurt his neck. He had a minor concussion. He is better now and they two danced really well. It is kind of an awkward song for dance, but Luther choreographed it well and I thought they did a fantastic job.


Christian & Lindsay
Contemporary – Blake McGrath
“1+1” 1+1 - 4 – Beyonce

This was one of my favourites of the night. It was emotional and deep. It was about the importance of touch in relationships and was very sensual. I usually love Blake’s routines and this was no different.

JP & Denitsa
Jive – Danny Arbour (Past contenstent)
“Blue Suede Shoes” Blue Suede Shoes - The Essential Elvis Presley (Remastered) – Elvis Presley

This was a fast moving edurance dance. I thought they both did very well and was impressed to see Danny back choreographing for the show. It was in the middle for me tonight.

Carlena & Boneless
Dancehall – Jaeblaze
“Star Bwoy” Star Bwoy - Star Bwoy Riddim – Mavado

This was fun and had a good vibe. I am not sur ehow I feel about Carlena yet, some days I love her, others I just remember her crap-attitude and unfortunately it really puts that dark cloud over everything she does. Amazing dancer, yes, and hopefully that will continue to shine and cast away the bad attitude I remember. Overall this dance had the swagga’ it needed.


Kevin & Teya
Viennese Waltz – Pierre Allaire
“Good to You” Good To You (Featuring Kate Voegele) - Masterpiece Theatre – Marianas Trench

This was my least favourite dance of the night. It was slow, dull, boring and they really did not have a strong grasp of the steps. Granted, it is supposed to be a calm dance, but they didn’t glide across the dance floor – they kind of stumbled. It wasn’t horrific, and I couldn’t do any better, but it just didn’t entertain me. I predict this will be inthe bottom 3.

Geisha & Francois
Hip Hop – Tucker Barkley
“Roman’s Revenge” Roman's Revenge (feat. Lil Wayne) - Roman's Revenge (feat. Lil Wayne) - Single – Nicki Minaj (ft. Lil’ Wayne)

I enjoyed this routine. The costumes were a bit strange, but the choreo was good and they delivered it well. Compared to the rest of the night, it was about middle rating, but entertaining and fun!

Adam & Yulia
Samba – Gustavo Vargas
“Samba” Samba - Beats Around The Bush – Ganga Giri

This was really really fast. I think Yulia did better than Adam, but together it seemed a little chaotic, frantic and just off. Granted, it was fast, but it went from “fast – wow!” to “fast – what?” and I predict they may end up in the bottom three.

Melissa & Shane
Contemporary – Sabrina Matthews
“This Year’s Love” This Years Love - White Ladder – David Gray

This was amazing! Sabrina Matthews always choreographs such amazing pieces and this one was about a friend helping another friend through HIV AIDS. The topic was emotional, but these two dancers nailed it. THey brought raw emotion and amazing lifts, I was in tears! The judges agreed and got quite emotional connecting the dance to experiences of loved ones lost from AIDS. One of my favourites of the night!

Shelaina & Matt
Hustle – Maria Torres
“Melody of Love” (Wanna Be Loved) Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved) - Endless Summer – Donna Summer

I usually like Maria Torres’ work and was excited to see a Hustle, but was disappointed. I do not know enough about the genre to say if it was the choreo or the dancing or just the song, but it was really slow and felt almost like it had to be choreographed at half time or something. I was bored besides a few nice lifts and spins. I think it may put them in the bottom three.

Jordan & Joey
Jazz – Sean Cheesman
“That’s Life” That's Life - Nothing But the Best - The Frank Sinatra Collection (Remastered) – Frank Sinatra

By far my favourite of the night! This dance was athletic, comedic, completely in sync and absolutely fantastic! Judges called these two a power couple and I couldn’t agree more. Jordan was an early favourite for me in auditions and tonight I think she quickly became Canada’s favourite! The two of them nailed the facial expressions, comedic moments, dance moves and chemistry! The story was a first date at the movies and the boy wants a kiss and tries to get one… it was so funny – once I find it I will post it for those of you who don’t get CTV to watch… really fantastic!

With that said here are my rankings for the night – please comment if you agree or disagree.

Top 3:

-Jordan & Joey
-Melissa & Shane
-Christian & Lindsay

Middle 4:

-Rodrigo & Lauren (almost top 3)
-JP & Denitsa
-Geisha & Francois
-Carlena & Boneless

Bottom 3:
-Adam & Yulia
-Shelaina & Matt
-Kevin & Teya

We will see if I am right, it is sad because the bottom 3 couples are not necessarily my least favourite dancers, they just didn’t pull through tonight for some reason.

What do you think?
Stay Tuned for Results tomorrow, Tuesday, July 19, 2011 at 8pm Local time on CTV. I will post the results here tomorrow night.

Random Comment: Am I the only one who dislikes Leah Miller? I know I always say it, but she is way too young to have that much botox! Her outfit tonight was so strange! An orange skirt that went up her back and a purple long sleeved shirt that was tied up to show her upper torso? I wish Cat Deely could do our show here too 😉

[Photo Source: CTV]

July 18, 2011 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

New Show on CW – Hellcats features SYTYCD Alumni

I always like hearing about SYTYCD Alumni going on to great projects after the show.

Hellcats is a new show on the CW that is filming here in Vancouver. The pilot was great and including it there has only been two shows that have aired. I noticed last seasons Alex Wong’s brother Jeremy Wong right away, as well as Jeff from SYTYCD Canada.

Check out this clip and see if you can find them:

You can Follow Jeremy on Twitter @thejeremywong.

Another familiar face scheduled for the show is Allie Bertram, runner-up from SYTYCD Canada Season 1:

Cochrane Times Writes:

The 21-year-old dancer, a runner-up on the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, will be on TV screens on the CW Network series Hellcats, set to premiere this September.

Bertram, who hails from the Bearspaw area, will play a member of a college cheerleading squad on the show, which stars Ashley Tisdale and Alyson Michalka, and is set to be the network’s answer to Glee.

The role, as one of the members of the “evil” cheer team from the fictional Memphis Christian University, is the biggest acting role to date for Bertram, who has had a number of smaller roles in TV shows like Supernatural and Being Erica

How exciting is that?

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of many more past SYTYCD dancers being cast. It is a great show so far and if you haven’t seen it you should check it out on the CW Wednesday evenings.

Aly Michalka plays the lead and she was also in the movie Easy A which I saw last night… oddly enough AS I was leaving Easy A I saw Aly and a few Hellcats co-stars leaving the movie too! She was very sweet and took a photo with me – she said her friends wanted to see Easy A too cute!

September 19, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

SYTYCD Canada Fun Quizzes

Can’t wait til next week’s show?

CTV Has some fun stuff to pass the time.

Try SYTYCD Canada Quizzes and test your knowledge about past dancers.

September 2, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

Favourite Dance Moves from SYTYCD Canada’s Top 20

They did a brief segment on Monday’s Performance Show where each Dancers said their favourite dance move. It was very quick, I even watched it three times, but I missed a few details – here is the basics of what they said:

Jonathan – switch ups
Danielle – jumps
Jeff – jumps
Kloe – Side swipe jumps
Yonni – wiggle?
Denys – samba
Sebastian – twist back arch attitude
claudia – Rhumba “the dance of love”
Julia – jive kicks
Charlene – illusions
Mackenzie – turn illusions
Bree – Hand movementa
Nathalie – Slow controlled
Kirsten – Turning
Jera – Piroettes
Shavar – Chest pop
Amanda – Turn lay back
Janick – Jerky move
Jesse – 540
Edgar – Simple groove internal bounce

I hope I got the right dancers with the right moves….

September 1, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

SYTYCD Canada TOp 20 Can’t Live Without…

This week’s clips of the SYTYCD Canada Dancer’s has them answer the question, “What one thing can you not live without?”

Here were their responses:

Bree – earplugs to sleep
Edgar – chain (his bling necklace)
Denys – milk for strong bones
Amanda – deodorant because she sweats dancing
Jera – dance belt “man thong” because he needs support
Kirsten – dance bag with her ballet shoes and vitamins
Mackenzie – ham and pineapple pizza “it’s Fruit and meat mmmm”
Nathalie – bread and cheese which she grew up eating
Yonni – espresso he needs 3 a day
Claudia – her dog
Jeff – yoga mat
Charlene – shoes
Jesse – sunglasses
Julia – travelling
Sebastian – ice cream
Danielle – heart necklace which is a symbol for family so they are always close
Janick – eye make up remover because as a dancer she wears a lot of makeup and needs to take it off
Shavar – boxer briefs
Kloe – bronzer her nick name is “Orangey” ha ha ha
Jonathan – backpack “Man purse”

Some of these were very sentimental (Danielle for example) while others were hilarious (intentional or not)

I love the little clips before they dance, getting to know the dancers a bit more. Can’t wait for next week’s Top 18 question / clip.

If you were producer what question or clip would you want to see before the dance?

Tune in Tonight when the Top 20 becomes the Top 18

August 31, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

Remember Phairy on SYTYCD Canada?

I missed the Montreal Auditions because I was away and my PVR messed up… did Phairy return?

Here he is during season 2 auditions… almost as memorable as Vancouver’s Spandy Andy as far as characters go…

August 27, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com

How SYTYCD Canada differs

So You Think You Can Dance Canada has a similar premise as SYTYCD USA, but some glaring differences. Executive Producer, Sandra Faire says diversity and risqué routines among differences between the American and Canadian shows.

Sandra Faire, SYTYCD Canada's Executive Producer.

 

The Toronto Star posted this article:

So you think So You Think You Can Dance Canada is just about dance? Think again.

For executive producer Sandra Faire, the show represents Canada in all its multicultural glory.

“A lot of people ask me what makes the show different from the United States or Australia or Britain. And I can say the dancers are more diverse, you know, Cuban, Asian, East Indian, whatever . . . the genres are more diverse, but . . . I would flip it around and say this show represents who we are,” she said in an interview.

Take this season’s top 22, just revealed on Sunday night. They include a salsa dancer who recently emigrated from Cuba, a ballroom dancer born in Ukraine, a contemporary dancer born in Kuwait, a Spanish-Haitian-Canadian hip-hop dancer, a French Canadian ballroom dancer, and a competitor who’s part Métis and combines ballet with breakdancing.

But it’s not just about the origins of the dancers. The Canadian show has introduced styles not seen on other versions of So You Think You Can Dance, including dancehall and Afro-jazz.

“Dancehall is Jamaican and Caribbean. It’s huge in the Jane-Finch area and I wanted to show it because it’s exciting,” Faire said.

“Sometimes we get criticized because it’s very down and dirty, but it’s part of who we are and it’s very much a part of our culture, and we want those kinds of things on the show.”

Since Calgary choreographer Sean Cheesman was invited to SYTYCDC to do Afro-jazz, he’s been hired on the U.S. and Australian shows, and all over the world for that style of choreography, Faire said.

She also believes the Canadian program has two of the best hip-hop choreographers in the world on its team: Luther Brown, who is also a judge, and Sho-Tyme.

Hip hop is “more than a dance,” Faire said. “It’s the culture of the streets. It’s about sex, it’s about violence, it’s about a lot of things and you want to show that authentically in the dance.”

Brown, who grew up in Jane-Finch, and Sho-Tyme, from Queens, N.Y., “show it the way it is. It’s not rhythm and blues, it’s not nice, pretty hip hop, it’s the way it authentically is and I love that about what they do.

“And I know we get criticized, but I don’t want to water it down. And Canadian audiences are more accepting for the most part.”

Still, Faire is careful to air more risqué routines after 9 p.m.

A longtime dance fan who has studied ballet and is a vice-chair of the National Ballet of Canada, Faire believes Canadians are more passionate about dance than Americans. And she notes that the Canadian show has more men in the studio audience than its U.S. counterpart.

“I think the American show is terrific and I have such respect for Nigel (Lythgoe, U.S. executive producer), but it’s a different show here, it’s a very different show.”

For one thing, the U.S. SYTYCD turned the format on its head this past season — its seventh — with a top 11 instead of a top 20 and competitors partnered with all-stars from past seasons.

Faire says there’s enough talent from past Canadian shows to support that change, but “I don’t think we want to do it yet. Maybe Season 7 or 8 if we’re lucky enough to get that.”

Besides, with so many great dancers auditioning for Season 3, it would have been excruciating to get it down to a top 10 or 11. “We could have actually had a top 26,” Faire said. “It was really hard paring it down and we had to turn down some really good dancers.”

Faire’s not taking the Canadian show live, either, as the U.S. did last season. Though it may seem counterintuitive, pre-taping episodes allows for “total spontaneity,” she said.

“We got some stuff, for instance, tonight that I think is a lot of fun and I want to leave in, and we never would have had time for it if we were live,” said Faire, referring to the Saturday night taping of Monday’s performance show.

Mind you, all that fun stuff meant producers had 20 minutes more footage than they needed for a two-hour show (with commercials) and Faire was facing an all-nighter to edit it down, but she wasn’t complaining.

“It’s a treat to be able to do something that you love, that you have a passion for, that you feel is your destiny,” she said. “How often does that happen? Not very often.”

I am glad Canada’s version is not going live and I agree it is not yet ready for an “all-star” season. I appreciate the diversity and “pushing the envelope” that happens on the Canadian show “after 9pm”

If you aren’t familiar with SYTYCD Canada’s reputation for risqué routines here is a summary:

Controversy
So You Think You Can Dance Canada has been known to push the envelope in some dances, and has set itself apart as being known to some as the sexiest version of any SYTYCD series, particularly with Bad Boy choreographer Blake McGrath’s Jazz Funk routines. In the first season Blake choreographed a Jazz-Funk number, as Nico Archambault and Lisa Auguste danced to The Pussycat Dolls hit “When I Grow Up”; it featured the two dancers to pose in some sexual ways. In Season 2 Blake’s Jazz-Funk took the form of Emanuel Sandhu & Kim Gingras dancing to the song “Love Sex Magic” by Ciara, with the routine ending with Kim in a red bikini in a magicians cut box. The most controversial routine was Blake’s Top 14 Group Jazz-Funk number to the song “LoveGame” by Lady Gaga; it involved the Top 14 dressed in leather with whips and chains in a Dominatrix theme. The routine also involved some minor guy on guy dancing with two men lying on top of each other. Hip-Hop king Luther Brown’s routines have also caused some controversy. One such routine had Daniel Dory and Jayme Rae Dailey dancing to the song “Pucker Up” by Ciara. The routine caused the dancers to lie on the ground with Jayme Rae’s face in Daniel’s crotch area; at the end of the routine Daniel ended shirtless and with his belt unbuckled. Another Luther Brown piece, in which Emanuel and Kim danced to the song “Respect My Conglomerate” by Busta Rhymes, involved Kim lifting up Emanuel’s shirt and grabbing his crotch.Also, in Johnny Bryns jazz routine Corynne Barron and Austin De Lello danced to the song “Papparazzi” by Lady Gaga where Corynne walked over Austin wth high heels.

Again, I know many of you can’t get SYTYCD Canada so here are a few of the routines mentioned…

“WHen I Grow Up”:

Here is the “Love, Sex, Magic” routine:

Here is “Pucker Up”:

Here is “Paparazzi”:

Personally, I think sex is part of dancing, not neccessarily all dancing but it shouldn’t be cut-out or censored and I feel like Canadian telelvision is more accepting of those kihds of routines. I have lived in the USA and Canada and notice USA telelvision has more violence, where Canadian television has more nudity.

Regardless, I love seeing the routines get down and dirty from time to time… rawr!

Thoughts?

[Sources: The Star & Wikipedia]

August 26, 2010 I Written By

I am a blogger and reality tv lover. I blog here for SYTYCD but mostly the Canada version, since I live in Vancouver BC. I also blog about other reality tv shows on my own blog www.mandysmind.com