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SYTYCD Iconic Image – Heidi and Travis Bench Routine

I found the following image on photobucket and I think it’s a really iconic image for those of us that are fans of So You Think You Can Dance:
Travis and Heidi Bench Dance on SYTYCD

I think the Travis and Heidi bench dance is one of many that will live forever in the minds of SYTYCD fans. I love the black and white that makes it almost feel like it will last forever.

Seeing it made me think that it would look cool on a t-shirt. Only problem is it probably violates some sort of trademark, copyright, etc. So, I don’t think I can do that. However, the thought sparked an idea of creating some cool SYTYCD related t-shirts, hoodies, hats, etc.

I have some ideas in mind and you’ll be seeing them soon, but I’d love to hear any ideas of designs, sayings, etc you’d love to have in your closet.

May 27, 2009 I Written By

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

SYTYCD Flashback: Benji and Heidi’s Black Mambo

I believe that this quite possibly could be the most popular and most technical dance ever performed on So You Think You Can Dance. Benji and Heidi are just so refined, so technical and so precise in this dance. It’s like they’ve been doing it since they were kids. Oh that’s right, they have been.

Enjoy the Black Mambo Angel & The Mambokats - Horizontal Mambo - Black Mambo sung by Angel and the Mambokats by Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz

Disclaimer: I have a huge Heidi fan, so anything I say will certainly be biased when it comes to Heidi.

October 14, 2008 I Written By

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

Tyra Banks Interview of Benji, Heidi and Donyelle from So You Think You Can Dance

This was a really fun interview to watch. Tyra Banks actually does a good job as a talk show host. I hadn’t seen her show before, but she was actually quite entertaining. I think the dancing was so so since I actually prefer the couples dancing to the solo pieces. Unless of course it’s Ivan, but you know that.

Enjoy!!

October 4, 2006 I Written By

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

Benji Schwimmer & Heidi Groskreutz 2001 Showcase

Benji and Heidi are just amazing together. I think that their choreography is the best part. However, I think their skills in dancing and knowing each other makes it much easier to choreograph.

A second version in case the first gets taken down:

You should also take a look at their previously posted Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz (From So You Think You Can Dance) Dancing at Showcase Division 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships. You can see some maturing, but they are just fantastic to watch.

September 18, 2006 I Written By

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

Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz Will Be Off Before Benji Schwimmer and Donyelle Jones on So You Think You Can Dance

Tonight is the first of the final episodes of So You Think You Can Dance. I’m not exactly sure on how the 2 finale shows of So You Think You Can Dance are going to happen, but I’m excited to see the final dances. The final 4 dancers are as follows:
Travis Wall
Heidi Groskreutz
Donyelle Jones
Benji Schwimmer

This is exactly the order I think that they should be voted off the final 4 of So You Think You Can Dance with Benji being America’s favorite dancer.

Travis should be out of the competition first. I know all the ladies out there love gay men, but it’s just time for him to go. He’s a good modern dancer, but he isn’t the entertainer that the other 3 are. Although, his Krumpin was still one of the best dances of the whole show.

I’m really sad to put Heidi going off number 3. She’s number one on my personal favorites, but this blog isn’t about my personal favorites. It’s about realistically what’s going to happen on So You Think You Can Dance tonight. Heidi is fantastic to watch. Unfortunately, I don’t think she has the same intrigue that Donyelle has that gets people out to vote. Sorry cousin Heidi, but you’re not gonna win this time. However, you’re always welcome to come dance at my house.

Donyelle comes in second because there are a lot of people really pulling for Donyelle. I think that America loves the underdog and in this final 4 I think Donyelle is the underdog. Plus, if you saw her booty shakin in the last couple shows you will see why I think she’s going to beat out Heidi.

Of course that leaves America’s favorite dancer as Benji. Sorry Donyelle, but Benji had to beat you out with a simple popularity issue with the way voting is handled. More girls vote and therefore Benji’s got you beat. It’s simple as that. The audience agrees since they chant BENJI BENJI BENJI every time he dances. He does have a charisma that is better than all of the rest. Plus, I guess girls like his booty shakin. I’m not sure quite why. Baby don’t got back.

There you have it. It’s written here and that’s what’s going down tonight. I could see Nigel getting real upset with me revealing the results of the final episode of So You Think You Can Dance before the show even airs. Sorry Nigel. America just had to know. I had to give it to them straight and tell them what’s going to happen. Next time you should sign me up as a judge and then you wouldn’t have this problem. I’d be up there with you taking care of critiqueing the popularity of that person rather than their dancing style.

Plus, there is another reason Nigel won’t care that I’m revealing the results of the final show. People don’t watch the show for the results. The watch the show because the dancing is Hot HOT HOT!!!
…Read more

August 9, 2006 I Written By

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

Videos of Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz on So You Think You Can Dance(Including Travis Wall’s Solo)

I promised you more So You Think You Can Dance Videos and I always deliver on a promise. Here’s some of Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz. They include Heidi and Travis doing the amazing African Pop number, Heidi and Travis’s extraordinary Waltz(my personal favorite) and one I’m sure all the ladies out there are waiting for…Travis Wall’s solo.

Enjoy!!

Heidi and Travis African Pop – W’happy Zap Mama

Commentary: Wade Robson will be teaching this power blonde pair an Afro-pop routine. They have on weird body paint and trailing blue scarves, as though they’re in the Lion King. The judges all totally love it. From all the routines we’ve seen so far this season, it seems the judges really eat up any routine that is an ethnic departure from the norm.

Heidi and Travis African Pop – W’happy Zap Mama

A second one in case the first one gets removed.

Travis & Heidi Waltz

Commentary: This lovely couple will be doing the waltz. In my opinion a waltz is successful if you keep your audience awake for the entire routine. They manage to really pull it off. The judges all love it with stellar comments all around. They can’t say enough about Travis’s presence on the dance floor and they all agree that Heidi is easily the most improved dancer on the show.

I agree that Waltz is something that is best experienced. There is nothing more fun than dancing a waltz. Although watching Heidi waltz is close.

Travis’s Solo

Commentary: Travis is in his trademark polo shirt (collar up of course) and cargo shorts and does his trademark turns to a slow emotional ballad. He’s so good at this stuff that it’s almost boring. Almost.

Benji Schwimmer and Donyelle Jones lovers, your videos will be coming soon.

…Read more

August 5, 2006 I Written By

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

Benji and Heidi’s Club mambo, Black Mambo and Broadway Dance, Fake Your Way to the Top

Since I started to mess around with embedding YouTube videos on my blog I decided that I should post 2 videos of why Benji and Heidi deserve to win So You Think You Can Dance.

Benji and Heidi – Club Mambo Dance, So You Think You Can Dance
Black Mambo – Angel and The Mambokats Angel & The Mambokats - Horizontal Mambo - Black Mambo

You are welcome to argue this point, but you are wrong.

Ill also throw in the recap of the results show here:

Good evening dancers, fans of Dance, parents of dancers, trainers, television junkies, heat wave victims, etc. Welcome to another spectacular episode of So You Think You Can Dance. Tonight, despite record-breaking heat across the country, 2 young dancers will be sent packing leaving only 6 left to fight it out for the grand prize.

We have a cool opening routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio in that Chicago musical style. It’s no undead zombie dance like last week, but pretty cool. Out host Cat Deeley trots out and lays out some info. Last night was another record-breaking night with nearly 10 million votes.

Let’s once again meet our amazing judges. Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, and my dog, Dan Karaty, bring the noise!

First we see who the bottom dancers are. On the Cat chopping block first, Donyelle and Natalie. Natalie is in the bottom 2 and Donyelle is safe. I didn’t type it, but my thoughts exactly. Next up Allison and Heidi. I think it’s going to be Heidi and I’m wrong, she’s safe. This means Allison will be doing a solo.

Time to see about our dancing men. Benji and Ryan are up in front of Cat first. I really think Ryan is going to be the one doing a solo. Annndddd, right I am, Benji is safe and Ryan is soloing. Now it’s Ivan and Travis. My guess is we’ll see a solo from Travis based on that miserable quick-step. Correct again! Ivan safe, Travis solo.

Now even though we have a bottom 4 dancers the vote has already been decided. Before it gets announced we’ll see solo from each of the bottom 4 plus a special performance by Busta Rhymes.

Natalie – solo
Veins
Charlotte Martin
Natalie bursts forth doing her patented mega body flex aerobic explosion leaving her completely out of breath. All the judges give great compliments, but at this point it’s just air because the vote has already been decided

Ryan – solo

Just Fine
Chris Brown
Ryan comes out totally subdued as a sort of intro. After a 5 second stalk walk and a stare down out toward the audience he breaks out his slick contemporary moves coupled with a rhythmic hip-hop feel. The judges show him some love.

Allison – solo
Feeling Good
Michael Buble

This is a sexy side of Allison we haven’t really seen yet in a solo. Her hair is hanging in front of a very sultry look as she comes off the stairs. She pulls some amazing slinky moves coupled with amazing perfect flips. Dan Karaty calls her the most versatile dancer on the show.

Travis – solo

Gotta Get Through This (acoustic version)
Daniel Bedingfield
Travis doesn’t wait long to bust out the pirouettes, but does manage a few more tricks. Impressive solo as always. The judges all radically disagree with me saying Travis should not be in the bottom 2 this week.

Here’s the big time musical guest, Busta Rhymes! Busta traded in the top-of-the-head braid sprout for a simple black baseball cap. He’s definitely looking his age but still the same Busta minus a little of energy.

Now for the hard stuff. The ladies are up first. Cat dishes out the tough break, Allison is going home. You would think it was Natalie going home with all the tears she’s letting loose. Allison gets to a quick goodbye dance for her fans. Dancing to This Woman’s Work by Maxwell. She does some emotional charged flails and sweeping jumps all the while Natalie weeping in the background.

Now we see which of the boys is going home. Ryan is going home, not too much of a surprise. I half think he expected this. Here’s Ryan’s last dance to Chris Brown’s Ain’t No Way (But You Won’t Love Me). That’s the show people, see you next week with the final 6.

If Ryan didn’t expect this he’s crazy.

…Read more

July 29, 2006 I Written By

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

Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz (From So You Think You Can Dance) Dancing at Showcase Division 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships

In my previous post about Dmitry Chaplin and Martha Nichols Get Sent Home on So You Think You Can Dance I put a link to an incredible video of Benji Schwimmer a mormon, and his cousin Heidi Groskreutz also a mormon, dancing at the Showcase Division 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championships. However, it was buried in the midst of Dmitry getting kicked off. Therefore, I thought that it deserved a post of its very own:

Tell me that isn’t amazing!!

See Also:
Old School Video of Benji Schwimmer Dancing – A Benji TV Network or DVD?
Still Healing from Allison Holker’s Departure from So You Think You Can Dance, Watch Disney’s High School Musical
So You Think You Can Dance Tour
Enlightening Questions About So You Think You Can Dance(SYTYCD)
Benji and Heidi’s Club mambo, Black Mambo and Broadway Dance, Fake Your Way to the Top

…Read more

July 24, 2006 I Written By

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

SYTYCD: Who Will be on the Top 4

Season 14 of SYTYCD is quickly coming to an end and I am not quite ready for it to be over. Hopefully, there will be another season and maybe if we nag the network enough they will go back to the top 20 format. Anyway, back to this season, next week there is a double elimination to reveal the top 4.

There are three contestants that I am sure will be in the top 4. Taylor, Lex, and Logan are my top three and I think that it’s possible that any of them will be this season’s winner. As for the other three contestants, I think it will be close call of who will take the remaining spot, cause they are all deserving of spot in the top 4.

Koine: For me she has the best chance to make the top 4. Koine started off as a bit of a dark horse in the competition but I think she has become a favorite of the viewing audience. I also really like the partnership between her and Marko.

Kiki: If Kiki is the one that makes it to the top 4, he will be the first ballroom dancer to make it that far since season 2. Several have made it to the top 6 but none have made to the finals since Heidi and Benji. Kiki has improved since the academy and I think his fan base is bigger that I realize. Judging by the studio audience the girls like him.

Kaylee: I think that Kaylee is deserving of a spot in the top 4…she is a talented dancer that has learned of to fuse different styles of dance successfully. She is unique, while that is a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. Nigel said it the best that Kaylee won’t be everyone’s “cup of tea”.

Those are my thoughts on who will make it to the finale. What are yours?

September 7, 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 Season 9: Top 10 Power Rankings

TOP TWO ROUTINES
1: Lindsay Arnold & Cole Horibe – Addiction
This is the piece that I kept watching and rewatching over and over and over again it was so incredible. If there is anything that all the dancers should have done when it came to doing the choreography that others have done before them it would be that they have to make the piece their own so as to limits the number of comparisons made between them and the originators of the choreography. Of all the pieces from tonight, this was probably the only one that stood out not only as a fantastic piece but also away from the original dancers that danced this piece. Cole really took on a whole different personality that probably scared the scrap out of everyone in the audience, but it was also definitely different from that of his predecessors Kupono. While Lindsay also made the work her own and separated herself from Kayla with her own movement. It was just an amazing piece and honestly even though the choreography is very similar I think this couple did it not only differently, but better in a way and that is what is going to set them apart.

2: Witney Carson & Chehon Wespi-Tschopp – Calling You
On the other side of the spectrum, this felt very much like an homage to the originators of the piece. They danced it rather well and I couldn’t help but watch Chehon over and over again, Witney was also very good too… but something about this piece felt like they were paying respect to Travis and Heidi moreso than making it their own. That’s not a bad thing mind you because part of the reason I loved this routine above all the others below is because it was a suitable homage and one that the dancers didn’t appear to take lightly and gave the piece all that they got. It didn’t feel at all like they just going through the movement without understanding the why… it really felt like they understood the why… as much as it was given to them anyway. However way they interpreted the piece it worked and worked well.

MIDDLE TWO ROUTINES
Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer & Eliana Girard – Mercy
Honestly this was a very good piece for Cyrus and Eliana this week, I do believe that Cyrus is showing some growth during the break… One thing I liked about this piece on Cyrus’ side is that he truly made the character his own. You can tell that he was having a lot of fun with his swagger and tossing Eliana out the door a few times. Eliana also matched him in character and their chemistry was as always electric. You can tell that these two are having a ball working and dancing together. Like I mentioned before I thought Cyrus has indeed improved during the two week break, so it was refreshing to see him dancing a little more.

George Lawrence Jr & Tiffany Maher – Hometown Glory
Everyone talks about the “assisted run” and I don’t know if it is the camera angles, the stage or what… but this piece felt flat for me in some cases. I really liked watching George in this piece and felt that he really gave it his all, and Tiffany is slowly beginning to grow on me. However, Tiffany to me did seem to fall short but I haven’t figured out where… I think it is because when I remember this routine with Katee and Joshua — no, stop — it wouldn’t be fair to compare the two routines because the dancers are different. In the end I felt that Tiffany felt a bit constrained in her movements while George was expansive if that makes sense.

BOTTOM TWO ROUTINES
5: Audrey Case & Matthew Kazmierczak – Time
As I mentioned before, Audrey really emoted quite a bit in this routine. I could understand that Audrey was more of a little girl than a grown woman but it is all in the interpretation. At the end of the day I felt her and understood her, whileas with Matthew I just didn’t get anything from him which is a downright shame really. There didn’t seem to be enough of an emotional connection for me to want to just crawl and cry in my bed. So at the end of the day this just fell flat for me.

6: Amelia Lowe & Will Thomas – Koop Island Blues
I really thought that this would be a piece that Amelia could really shine in, but instead I was left sorely lacking. Will was goofy but there was just something that didn’t feel right at all. Will and Amelia were really good dancers, but they didn’t seem to encompass the characters as well as they could have, instead they were just kind of there, which is sad.

ELIMINATED ROUTINES
7: Janelle Issis & Dareian Kujawa – Sleeping with a Broken Heart
I was really hoping that Janelle and Dareian could shine this week, because I really do like them as individuals and dancers, but for some reason they just don’t have the chemistry together that they do apart. This was a routine that you should feel your heart breaking for and instead it just felt like two solos that just happen to be happening at the same time using the same prop. I suppose it is just as well.

TOP THREE GIRLS
Witney Carson
Lindsay Arnold
Eliana Girard
TOP THREE GUYS
Cole Horibe
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp
Cyrus Spencer
BOTTOM TWO GIRLS
Audrey Case
Tiffany Maher
BOTTOM TWO GUYS
Will Thomas
George Lawrence Jr
August 15, 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... =)