13 Things I Love About SYTYCD Australia

There’s lots to love about SYTYCD Australia –such as McPhee’s wonderful coverage.

But here are the 13 Things I Love About SYTYCD Australia:

1. The audition rounds were compulsive. I enjoyed them a lot more than I usually do our own audition rounds. I especially love Jason Coleman’s phrase, “We want you to dance well,” which he often said before auditions and says before solos. I love how supportive the whole cast seems to the dancers at all levels.

2. Top 100 Week was intense – especially that fake out where a bunch of dancers who thought they were eliminated got to choreograph their own routines.

3. There was a Meet the Top 20 episode like in this past fall season of our American version. The dancers killed the routines, which were amazing! The Top 10 Girls Routine! Jason Gilkison’s 3 boy 1 girl Viennese waltz! The contemporary foursome of Jessie, Grace, Heath and Nick! Those Top 10 Guys! Fantastic!

4. The judges and the host! While I don’t like Natalie Bassingthwaighte as much as Cat Deely (sorry McPhee, Cat’s my first love), she seems just as protective of the dancers as Cat and I love her occasional cheeky comments. And she’s really grown one me, to be sure. But Matt Lee is my favorite. He’s adorable!

5. I liked Jason Gilkison on our American version, but I looooooooooooove him on SYTYCD Australia. I look forward to seeing more of his work on the US show this summer.

6. The couples are so supportive of each other. Probably because they live together! All that time together seems to really cement their relationships and if it doesn’t, the lack of chemistry is noticeable and they’re gone.

7. We get to see them picking their partners and routines out of the hat! Aaaaaah, we need to see this again! It’s so cute!

8. Seeing Pasha and Anya again – as featured performers and as choreographers! And it’s amusing to see how crazy the Aussies are for Mary Murphy.

9. Wardrobe is incredible! How many times have the dancers and the judges thanked wardrobe specifically this season? Because they’ve been killing it. They seem to really do their best for the dancers – and then some. I think it helps that we get to see the dancers interacting with the wardrobe department and planning the costumes for the dance.

10. Australia’s choreographers are fearless with props!

11. Great couples – Phillipe and Renee, Kieran and Carly, Heath and Jessica, Nick and Grace, Matt and Jessie, Gaz and Ivy and then Robbie and Ivy. I really liked Phillippe and Renee’s chemistry. Matt and Jessie were really able to bring out the best in each other. I liked Gaz and Ivy so much that I was devastated when he got eliminated. But then Ivy and Robbie surprised me so thoroughly and finally made me like Robbie. They go to show that there is just no way to predict chemistry. While I’m sad to see dream teams splitting up, I’m excited to see Jessie and Robbie together and I’ve been hoping to see Ivy and Phillippe partnered since I’ve been catching glimpses of them together in the group routines (for instance, Top 12).

12. Speaking of – group routines to die for! “Everybody” Top 2o by Kelley Abbey. Jason Gilkison’s Top 18 “Cinema Italiano.” Stephen Page’s Top 16 and Jet Verne’s Top 14. Oh my goodness. So many great group routines. Top 10 Guys, Top 10 Girls, Top 7 Girls, Top 7 Guys. Great, great group routines.

13. The accents. Forgive me, Aussies, but the accents are one of my favorite parts of the show. Ivy’s accent is so cute and Jess Stokes reminds me of Emilie De Ravin from Lost. The way Jason Coleman says “fella,” sometimes it sounds so sweet, sometimes it sounds like an insult. Sometimes, I can barely understand what’s being said on the show, but I just don’t care because it sounds so beautiful. But then again, I’m just getting so used to the speech patterns, I go around expecting everyone in my real life to have Australian accents. I wish they did.

In summation, my favorite things about SYTYCD Australia Season 3 are: Ivy, Phillippe, Jessie and Robbie. They’d be my personal Final 4.

What do y’all think? What are your favorite things?