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SYTYCD: Top 6 to Top 4

I will say this about Monday night, I was not all surprised about who was in the final four. I did find interesting that the judges still had a say, but they chose to stick with how America voted. The all stars returned to the stage to perform with one of the Top 6. Each of the Top 6 also had solo, performed with their partners, and in a group number.

Bailey & Koine: Broadway; Here’s what I really liked about that dance it showed how much Bailey has grown as a dancer. He is not just a b-boy anymore…that spilt leap kinda blew my mind.

Gino & Comfort: Hip hop; A big improvement compared to the last time he had hip hop and Gino showed off a few tricks that he had up his sleeve. I have to agree with Laurieann, Gino finally got out of his own way and just danced. He didn’t over think it.

Sophie & Kika: Samba; Anyone else excited to see Pasha back? I normally rely on Mary’s opinion when it comes to the ballroom numbers. However, this time I saw that her Samba rolls still needed some work. Other than that Sophie could pass for a professional ballroom dancer.

Mariah & FikShun: Hip hop; Working with props can be difficult but I imagine working with magic props are even trickier. Props to FikShun for kick the hat out of the way and somehow making it look like part of the dance. Nigel seemed to be the only one that seemed to be on the fence about this dance. I honestly think Mariah could win this show.

Gino & Sophie: Broadway; Now this is what I expect out of a Broadway routine. It fun, fast, and entertaining. I feel like these two should have been paired from the beginning and they make it hard to figure out who might win.

Bailey & Mariah: Jazz; I can’t say I had the same reaction as the everyone in the studio because seeing things in person is so different compared to watching on tv. That being said, they definitely are fighting for being the top couple. It would not surprise me to see them as the top 2 dancers.

Groups: I thought both the boy and girls has amazing routines. Though I think the guys edged them out but not by much.

Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to Ezra and Madison. They both had a great night but they just didn’t get the votes.

 

 

September 4, 2019 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 Dancers

Over the past two episodes we got to see the top 20 perform with an all-star, to earn a spot in the top 10. Also, each contestant danced outside their comfort zone. Overall I thought most of them did well and there are a few(Nazz and Nathan) I hope come back next season(if there is one). Watching the performances did make me rethink some of my thoughts on who would be in the top 10. I had the hardest time trying pick which guys would make, cause I had 6 of them on my list. As always it reminds me that I am glad I am not a judge and don’t have to make the difficult decisions.

Top 5 Girls: Anna Linstruth, Madison Jordan, Stephanie Sosa, Mariah Russell, and Sophie Pittman

Top 5 Guys: Bailey Munoz, Benjamin Castro, Ezra Sosa, Gino Cosculluela, and Eddie Hoyt

August 7, 2019 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: The Winner Is…

Season 14 wrapped up tonight and we now have a winner…which I’ll reveal shortly. The finale is always a nice recap of the season with a few new performances mixed in. Each of the judges picked two of their favorite performances. All had great picks and a few were some of my favorites.

Tonight we were treated to a Mia Michaels group number…which was amazing. It was really nice to have her back on the show. Also, loved that she took the time to sit with each of the top 4 to discuss their journey. I really hope that if there is another season that Mia will return to choreograph.

The second new number of the night was a Travis Wall piece, performed by Lex and Travis himself. It was probably the best routine that showcased just how talented Lex is and I’m sure that we will see Lex perform with Shaping Sound more in the future.

Vanessa also got the chance to dance for us…didn’t see that coming figured she would just be singing. It was a nice surprise to see he dance with Robert.

On to the results.

4th: Kiki – Not surprised but he was the most improved dancer of the season.

3rd: Taylor – This one actually surprised me…I honestly thought she would have been in the top 2.

2nd: Koine – She was the dark horse of the season. I enjoyed the montage of everyone not pronouncing her name right.

WINNER: Lex Ishimoto – He was my pick to win from his first audition…So congrats Lex.

Looking forward to see the tour next month and hopefully a new season next summer.

September 25, 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: Top 4 Perfomance Thoughts

It’s a busy Monday night if you are a dance fan, So you Think you can Dance and Dancing with the Stars on at the same time. So I hope everyone got their votes in for their favorite on both shows.

The performance finale was busy itself, each contestant danced 7 times tonight. So I’ll give my thoughts on the new dances we saw tonight…I’ll discuss what they chose as their favorite in a different post.

Top 4: Chris Scott and Travis Wall
I really enjoyed this collaboration from the two choreographers. Each one of the dancers represented element; Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. I will to say this was pre-filmed with the costumes, make up, and the elements themselves.

Kiki & Taylor: Cha Cha – Anya Garnis
So nice to have Anya back on the show. It was a very fun and fast Cha cha. Kiki in his own genre I am not surprised that he does well and is a great partner to whoever he is dancing with. Taylor was the one out of her element and I thought I saw a tiny mistake but I had to hear what Mary had to say. Mary didn’t seem to mind the mistake and Taylor made the hot tamale train.

Lex & Koine: Broadway – Al Blackstone
So this is my favorite Broadway number they have done on this show in a while. I loved everything about it but mostly that it had the comedic element to it.

Koine & Taylor: Jazz – Mandy Moore
This jazz had a very Fosse feel to it. I agreed with Taylor, the choreography started simple and got more complicated as the dance progressed. Thankfully they were able to pull off the side by side turns. I think Koine just needed a little bit more power behind her turns to keep up with Taylor.

Kiki & Lex: Hip Hop – Luther Brown
I really don’t have much to say about this dance other than I enjoyed it. It is nice to see Kiki really having fun in this competition.

Kiki & Koine: Contemporary – Travis Wall
I did have to watch this dance twice to enjoy it…I got lost in trying figure out how the story fit in. Overall it was another beautiful dance choreographed by Travis. I also though both on them danced it well.

Lex & Taylor: Contemporary – Mia Michaels
I was not only excited to have Mia back on the show but even more excited that she had these two to work with. Lex and Taylor had a nice bit of news to reveal after Mia explain the concept of the dance. They are DATING…which explains their chemistry and why this piece worked well for them. I loved this dance and I have missed Mia on this show. Only she would say okay you are going to kiss and while you are doing that you are going to continue to dance with the rest of your body.

I have a feeling it will come down to the two love birds on who will win. Look for a post later this week on how I think the outcome will be. Till then let me know who you think will win.

September 18, 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: Top 6 to Top 4 Thoughts

First off let me start of my saying that I live in Georgia and we were definitely feeling the effects of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irma. Lots of rain and heavy wind which cause a few issues while watching tonight’s show. With that being said I might have gotten all of the choreographer’s last name but I tried. Thankfully, the dances are uploaded quickly so I can watch them back.

So if I heard Cat correctly we have two more shows left this season the performance finale and the finale. The voted this week and next week will help determine the winner. Also, Mia Michaels will be back next week…so exciting.

Lex & Gaby: Samba – Sasha Farber
What a fun Samba from Sasha…I’m going to miss him as a pro this season on DWTS. I thought Lex did great and it was the strongest performance from him tonight. I particularly like how he flipped over Gaby at the end.

Koine & Marko: Contemporary – Mandy and Elizabeth
This was a difficult routine to learn with the props but they mastered it for the live show. I just really enjoy watching these two dance together. The only critique that I have is on the choreography…just wanted a little more dancing without the props.

Kiki & Jenna: Jazz – Ray Leeper
I don’t what has happened over the last couple of weeks but Kiki has become a different person. He seems more confident outside of his own style…and I think he out danced Jenna this time.

Taylor & Robert: Hip Hop – Keone and Mari
Excited to see these two choreographing tonight…they were one of my favorite from World of Dance. I felt like they nailed this…it was strong and clean. I felt like I was watching a taller version on Keone and Mari

Lex & Koine: Disco –  Doriana Sanchez
Okay so while this disco was good…for me it wasn’t the best done to this song. This has been used two other time on this show for disco. I think Koine shined a little bit brighter that Lex. I’m not sure what happen but Lex injured himself at the end of that routine. I really hope that he is okay because you could tell he was in pain and the medics went right to him as they were going to commercial.

Taylor & Logan: Contemporary – Mark Kanemura
My first thought was it is going to take forever to get all that glitter off of them later tonight. I really like this dance and for me it was very up lifting. Also, I think Taylor and Logan were a great pairing.

Kiki & Kaylee: Bollywood – Nakul
I sort of giggled when Nakul questioned himself as to why he creates difficult routines for the contestants to learn. Both Kiki and Kaylee did great and they looked like they were having fun.

Top 4(as they were revealed): Lex, Taylor, Kiki, and Koine

Let me know what you think of the top 4.

 

September 11, 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: 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: Top 7 to Top 6 Thoughts

Big news delivered a the start of the tonight’s show. Next week there will be a double elimination to reveal the top 4. Also, the judges will no longer be able to intervene in America’s decision.

Lex & Gaby: Hip Hop – Luther Brown
Luther was impressed by Lex during rehearsals and the Judges were too. I like that Lex is able to let go and have fun while dancing hip hop. He really can do anything that you throw at him. The only bad thing about that dance was Gaby’s wig…not cute.

Logan & Allison: African Jazz – Sean Cheesman
I totally felt Logan’s frustration during the rehearsal. The dolly’s were a fun surprise to this routine. I’m appreciating that Logan is growing on me. He really in a strong dancer and having Allison as a partner had helped him grow even more.

Kaylee & Cyrus: Contemporary – Tyce Diorio
Tyce was very smart in choreographing this routine. He was able to showcase both Kaylee and Cyrus’s strengths. I agree with Nigel this was their best dance together this season.

Kiki & Jenna: Broadway – Warren Carlyle
That reaction after the routine was great and well deserved. In total they had to catch 5 canes and they caught everyone. That alone was impressive…I would have missed one for sure.

Koine & Marko: Jive – Dmitry Chaplin
Very fun and energetic jive that had a bit of a swing feel to me. All the tricks as flips were great and so was the side by side dancing. Loved Vanessa stole the Hot Tamale train from Mary.

Taylor & Robert: Contemporary – Mandy Moore
It was the more lyrical side of contemporary. I have no words other than it was beautiful. On a side note while watching I realized I have a memory of that song and I could figure out why, until I watched it for a second time. It was the memory of Lea Michelle singing it on Glee during the emotional tribute to Cory Monteith.

Group One: Lex, Logan, and Kaylee. Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson choreographed another amazing routine for this show. Lex and Logan were amazing in this piece. Kaylee was able to keep up with the boys and prove how good she is as a dancer.

Group Two: Kiki, Mark, Koine, and Taylor. Sean Cheesman choreographed a strong piece to a powerful poem. I enjoyed this and the lifts were great.

Bottom 3: Kiki, Mark, and Kaylee
The judges decided to stay with the result of how America voted last week and Mark had the least amount of votes and was sent home.

So who will be the Top 4?

September 4, 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: Who’s Safe & Who’s In Danger

The fewer contestants left the harder it will be to figure out who will be in the bottom 3. It’s even harder when all the dancers have a good night. I have to say I was a bit surprised that Koine was in the bottom 3 this week. Hopefully her fan base will rally and save her next week.

For me Taylor, Lex, and Logan are all safe. As for the rest Kiki is the only one of the four left that hasn’t been in the bottom 3. I think it will be a toss-up between Koine and Kaylee who will be the fourth contestant safe. So it will be interesting who will actually be in the bottom 3 next week. Makes me glad that I am not a judge.

Speaking of the judges, I wonder when they will no longer have a say in who stays and who goes home. So far I haven’t disagreed with the judges decisions but I have in the past…especially when it came to Jenna(I actually enjoy watching he dance now but in season 10 not so much). I don’t think it’s really a secret that she is a judges favorite…so if Kiki happens to land in the bottom 3 three that they keep him about based on his talent and not Jenna’s

Anyways looking forward to next week.

August 30, 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: Top 8 to Top 7 Thoughts

Fabulous opening number by Mark Kanemura, I love when he comes back to the show. Also, great all star dance by Jaci Royal. Each dancer will dance twice once with their all-star and one with each other.

Koine & Marko: Jazz- Mandy Moore
This was pure jazz for me, no story just straight up dancing. Just a great way to start the night. I agree with the judges about what they said about Koine. Side not makes me happy that Marko will be on tour.

Taylor & Robert: Hip Hop- Luther Brown
Luther is on fire on this season. Tonight they were Tay-lo and Bob…alter egos come out during hip hop. I really enjoyed watching this…reminded me of when Witney and Twitch danced together in season nine. Luther giving Taylor the gum might have really helped her with the “stank face”.

Lex & Gaby: Contemporary Mandy Moore
Yay…Lex is in his own style. I agree with the judges…Mandy created a great piece that showed all of Lex’s strengths. His future as a dancer is bright.

Kaylee & Cyrus: Cha-Cha- Val Chmerkovskiy
Ok…so I enjoyed Val’s choreography this week, could be my favorite I’ve seen from him in a while. Kayla, nailed it from the steps, to the hips and looking like she was having fun. I though Cyrus did a respectable job and I wish Nigel wouldn’t throw shade his way.

Mark & Comfort: Broadway- Spencer Liff
I think is somewhat obvious that while Mark is mainly a b-boy/hip hop dancer, he has studied other styles before he came on to the show. I might have to agree with Nigel that he is probably the favorite of the younger crowd. That being said he was great in this number.

Kiki & Jenna: Jazz- Travis Wall
Umm…not my cup of tea. However, I thought Kiki did a great job. I think he needs a little more confidence in himself in the fact that he can do these style. Loved the costuming and makeup, maybe it was the music that made me wrinkle my nose.

Logan & Allison: Hip Hop- Chris Scott
So good, love Chris Scott’s lyrical hip hop. So fun and cute…you can really see the connection between the two of them. Side note…I can totally see Allison and Twitch dancing this together.

Lex & Taylor: Jazz- Spencer Liff
Touring together with a dance convention for year definitely helped them with the connection. Might have to make sure Spencer was ok after Nigel calling this on of the best dances that has ever been on the show. Like Mary I had a little bit of a flash of Hok. I would not be surprise at all if it comes down between Taylor and Lex on who will win.

Koine & Kiki: Salsa: Val Chmerkovskiy
Where has this Kiki been. Worthy of the hot tamale train in my opinion. Also I am enjoying seeing Koine show her fun side. Kiki is good a what he does…won’t be surprised to see him on DWTS in the future.

Logan & Kaylee: Contemporary- Travis Wall
I loved this idea that Travis had…part reminded me of Peter Pan chasing his shadow at times. Kaylee did a wonderful job mirroring Logan…which was a task in itself. Definitely Emmy nomination worthy.

Dassy & Mark: Hip Hop- Chris Scott
I really thought this showed off their personalities well. Glad Dassy was able to pull off the umbrella moves for the live show after breaking nine of them. It was a fun pairing I love how they even continued on even after the routine.

Bottom three: Dassy, Kaylee, and Koine

Dassy in the end went home but like FikShun said she went home on a high note.

August 28, 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: Safe or In Danger, Plus Tour Thoughts

 

Sorry this is a little late and short but I’ve had a busy week.

I think it’s fair to say that all of the top 8 had good performances Monday night. I been wracking my brain on who I think will be in the bottom 3 but I’m still kind of stumped. I honestly think despite the judges comments, I think Taylor will be safe. Also, I believe that Koine, Mark, Logan, and Lex will be safe. Kiki could go either way for me but he did have a good night so I’m going to say that he is safe. So that leaves Kaylee and Dassy that could be in danger. Anyone else have any guesses?

In other news the tour is back…which is exciting to me. I’ve been every year they have had a tour and I always have a good time. Joining the top 10 on tour will be all-stars Jasmine and Marco. I not sure if any of the all-stars will be touring but it could be a possibility depending on who wins the show. If you haven’t gone to a live show…you should check it out. The tour info is up at fox.com/dance and tickets go on sale tomorrow.

August 24, 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.