Free SYTYCD Newsletter Want to receive the latest news on So You Think You Can Dance sent straight to your email? Join hundreds of other SYTYCD fans who subscribe to Pure SYTYCD for FREE!

SYTYCD Season 8 Revisited: Outstanding Choreographer Nominations

With the Emmy nominations out… I decided to scour the internet to find the routines from Season 8 that the choreographers created that earned them the Emmy nominations. Based on the the routines you see below… there is a poll at the bottom where you can choose the choreographer that you’d like to see win the Emmys this year. Keep in mind that Smash also earned an Emmy nomination but since it is not SYTYCD related… I did not include them in this list.

Interesting enough we have representation for:
– Contemporary (Travis Wall / Stacey Tookey)
– Hip Hop (Christopher Scott)
– Broadway (Spencer Liff / NBC’s Smash)

No love for ballroom? Awww… =( But I digress…

First I am going to start with the homegrown SYTYCD alumni:
TRAVIS WALL: Dancing with the Stars
Episode: Season 14 – Top 8 Results Show (24 April 2012)
Style: Contemporary
Other Choreographer: Teddy Forance

Thoughts: Travis has yet to create a “mediocre” routine, then again what can be considered as a “mediocre” routine for Travis would be strong routine for other choreographers. He has really grown into his own with developing his skill set and moving outside of the box, going from choreographing partners on SYTYCD and smaller groups to the larger scale routines as show on DWTS last season. Adding in the fly system so that one of the dancers is floating on air just adds more to the routine as opposed to being a gimmick.

Also, it is always nice to sift through the dancers and play “are they from So You Think You Can Dance”? For example I saw Nick Lazzarini, Jaimie Goodwin, Melanie Moore, Ryan Ramirez… the list goes on. If he keeps this up I will be very interested to see what he brings onto the plate in the Off-Broadway production of Bare that he is tapped as choreographer. Not to mention the reality based television series on cable that is rumored to revolve around his new dance company.
Read more..

July 19, 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... =)

Don’t Cry for Miranda

While we all would’ve liked Miranda to go further on Season 8 of So You Think You Can Dance, I just saw an item on Wetpaint that talks about Miranda’s post-SYTYCD success. She danced with Kanye West recently and is filming a video. She’s been tweeting about all of the good things she’s doing lately. And, in fact, it looks like she’ll be on the Season 8 tour, so we’ll get to see her again real soon.

Has anybody else heard any news about any of the Season 8 dancers?

September 6, 2011 I Written By

SYTYCD Season 8 Finale Part 2 Music

So excited for tonight! I’m going to have to work double hard cause I’ll just want to soak it all in instead of taking notes. 🙂

Sonya Tayeh Top 20/Top 4 (+All-Stars??) Group Routine: District 78’s “Wanna Get Hype” – Wanna Get Hype - Radios At Reception

Mary picked Tyce’s Sasha/Kent routine: Me’Shell Ndegéocello’s “Fool of Me” – Fool of Me - Bitter

Nigel picked Nappytabs’s Melanie/Marko routine: Leona Lewis’s “I Got You” – I Got You - Echo (Deluxe Version)

Robin picked Mandy Moore’s Tadd/LoFro routine: Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” –Another One Bites the Dust - Queen: Greatest Hits

Lil C picked Nappytabs’s Miranda/Robert routine: Busta Rhymes’s “Break Ya Neck” – Break Ya Neck - Genesis

Cat picked Tyce’s Top 8 Group Routine: James Newton Howard’s “The Circus Sets Up” The Circus Sets Up - Water for Elephants (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – from the Water for Elephants soundtrack.

SYTYCD UK champ Matt Flint, Nick Young and Jess LeProtto tap to: Michael Buble’s “Can’t Buy Me Love” – Can't Buy Me Love - It's Time

Mary picked Mandy Moore’s Melanie/Neil routine: Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” – Total Eclipse of the Heart - Faster Than the Speed of Night

Jesse picked Sonya’s Marko/Allison routine: Jeff Buckley’s “I Know It’s Over” – I Know It's Over - So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley

Tyce picked Sonya’s Top 10 Girls routine: Chonique Sneed ft. Lisette Bustamante’s “Pop, Drop and Roll” – Pop Drop & Roll (feat. Lisette Bustamante) - Pop Drop & Roll (feat. Lisette Bustamante) - Single

Lil C picked Spencer Liff’s Ashley/Chris routine: Rachel Sweet’s “Please, Mister Jailer” – Please, Mr. Jailer - Cry-Baby (Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) from the “Crybaby” soundtrack (THANK YOU BETH!)

Nigel picked Christopher Scott’s Sasha/Twitch routine: Dorothy Moore’s “Misty Blue” – Misty Blue - Misty Blue

Sonya picked Christopher Scott’s Top 10 Guys routine: Nathan Lanier’s “Velocity” – Velocity - Velocity - Single

Jesse picked Miriam and Leonardo’s Caitlynn/Pasha Argentine tango: Orquesta Color Tango’s “Malajunta” – Malajunta - Con Estilo Para Bailar

Mary picked Travis’s Melanie/Marko routine: Ingrid Michaelson’s “Turn to Stone” – Turn to Stone - Turn to Stone - Single

Nigel picked Sonya’s Melanie/Sasha routine: District 78’s “Game On” – Game On - Game On - Single

August 11, 2011 I Written By

Season 8 Top 16 Power Rankings

Tonight’s episode reminded me of the Meet the Top 20 episode, it had so many great routines. Especially with the addition of these two Eight/Top 16 Routines. It makes it pretty hard for me to figure out the power rankings, to be sure, so my Bottom 3 picks are probably going to be a bit more personal, though I’m gonna try to factor in how they performed (of course) and how I think fans will vote. Away we go…

Top Three Couples:

Melanie and Marko – Back on top. Not only are they my favorite couple, but I think they’re one of the few couples where both partners seem to have a strong fan base individually, as well as together. Plus, they keep killing their routines (let’s not talk about last week). Melanie consistently stands out in the group routines, probably because she’s almost always in the front, which seems to indicate she’s a darling of the choreographers. But they’re both humble, yet confident and both their personalities and their dancing shine.

Jordan and Tadd – Their Nappytabs hip hop would’ve been memorable even if it hadn’t been the last couples routine of the night. They’re adorable and they bring so much out in each other. This routine was sexy and fun and perfectly suited them.

Sasha and Alexander – Their routine was first, but it was very, very good and memorable. Especially that bit with Sasha’s hands at the end. Sasha seems to have a huge following. Plus, Alexander showed a lot more personality than ever before when he licked Sasha’s face while Cat was campaigning for votes for them.

Middle of the Pack:

Caitlynn and Mitchell – Their samba got rave reviews, but was a bit frenzied and had some awkward connections, even if Mary didn’t mention it. I think they both did a stand-up job, regardless and I’m really loving Caitlynn lately. I think they’ll be safe, but there were several stronger and more memorable routines tonight.

Ryan and Rickey – There’s been a big backlash against Ryan after last week’s cuts, but their routine tonight was really good and I hope it’s redeemed her and kept them in the safety zone. It’s hard to tell.

Bottom Three Couples:

Miranda and Robert – Miranda’s getting a lot of love from the judges and I know she’s got some fans. But one of the judges even said it – Miranda blends in too much. She’s great at taking on characters, except she’s not terribly memorable. I think if she’s given a chance to stay around, she may really come out of her shell. However, as routines go, this was not one of the most memorable of the night and I don’t think Robert captured his character as successfully as Miranda (he just seemed like a version of himself).  If you combine a lack of a memorable routine with one dancer disappearing into her characters, they may be in danger.

Ashley and Chris – They got the most negative comments of the night, which weren’t terribly critical. It was an ok routine, but also not very memorable. Ashley is another one who doesn’t stand out – Lil C even labeled her the “silent assassin” and admits he forgets about her, though he loves her when he watches her dance. They had the most memorable routine last week, but weren’t so lucky this week.

Clarice and Jess – I predicted they’d be here last week and they were safe. They got rave reviews from the judges tonight. Why am I putting them in the Bottom 3, then? I think there are still a lot of people who don’t like Jess, or who like him less than other dancers. Clarice would probably fare better with a different partner, but she seems rather bland at the moment. The foxtrot is not always a huge fan favorite and this one wasn’t a stand out, especially against the shinier routines of the night.

I think they may end up splitting a couple. Maybe pairing Miranda and Chris, or Robert and Clarice. I wonder what would happen if Ashley and Jess were paired? If one couple is going to both get cut, I think it’ll be Ashley and Chris. But who knows how it’ll pan out. What do y’all think?

June 29, 2011 I Written By

Top 16 Performance Thoughts

Here are my thoughts on tonight’s episode, live as they happen (after the jump). I hope you’ll add your 2+ cents as well, in the comments below. Let’s get this discussion started!

SOOOO excited that Kristin Chenoweth is the guest judge!!

Looooove Cat’s look tonight, the finger waves in her hair and the flapper dress. But Cat, being Cat, has an adorable personality to match her appearance. She nailed it when she referenced last week’s “brutal, quadruple elimination.” When chaos erupts on SYTYCD, we always have Cat Deely to keep things sane.

It’s good to see Lil C back, too. He made me laugh when he said he’d been a “busy little buckster, maintaining my buccness.” He’s great. AND, did you catch him double dog dare Mr. Producer Lythgoe into booking him for the finale? Would you like to see Lil C as the musical guest?

Here’s a spoiler line for the rest, just in case…

Read more..

I Written By

Top 20 (Part 2) Power Rankings

I feel relatively confident in 2 of the Bottom 3 couples, but I feel like whichever dancers I pick for that third slot, there’s going to be lots of dissent. Which, is a good thing. 🙂 It means we’re passionate. So, bring it on! I’m dying to know which dancers y’all think will be in the Bottom 3.

Top Three Couples:

Caitlynn and Mitchell – I think they had the best routine of the night. This is the first time we get to see them dance together on stage and I was really please with their chemistry and their strengths as dancers. They were both in their style this week, so that certainly helped them a lot, but they could’ve both been hurt by Mitchell’s injury last well.

Sasha and Alexander – People were really affected by this piece and the timing couldn’t be more fortuitous, on the same night as the President’s announcement about the troop withdrawal. Plus, it was the second to last routine and Sasha seems to be a favorite.

Ashley and Chris – As the last routine, it’s one of the more memorable anyway. Plus, it was really upbeat and sexy. The song was great, their moves were great, as was their chemistry. Plus, they were safe last week when Jordan and Tadd probably had a better routine, so there seem to be some fans on their side.

Middle of the Pack:

Melanie and Marko – This is probably the favorite couple. It’s mine, for sure. They’ve consistently had about half the vote in our favorite dancer poll. But this routine didn’t live up to its promise. It had everything going for it – great dances, great choreographer, interesting song, funky moves. But it didn’t entirely come together. Still, I don’t think they’ll be in danger.

Ryan and Rickey – This is another opportunity of a not-quite-right routine danced by a favorite pair. I think they’ll be safe, but Ryan and Rickey’s Mandy Moore wasn’t all that it could’ve been and Ryan was smiling (sometimes weirdly) throughout the piece, playing to the audience. Plus, it was the first routine. But, I think they’ll be safe too because they’re such favorites.

Iveta and Nick – They came in #2 in our favorite dancer poll and they had a fun but not very memorable Bollywood routine. They have a good partnership, to be sure, but the routine was pretty early. Still, they’ll probably be safe.

Miranda and Robert – I know a lot of people, like our reader beth, disagreed with my comments about this routine and really loved it. Plus, Robert toned down the more annoying parts of his personality while still being playful. So, even though these two were in danger last week, they’ll probably be safe this week.

Bottom Three Couples:

Missy and Wadi – I hope they survive, but I think they’ll be here in the bottom. I really love Wadi and it hurt to see him so sad after the judges’ comments. It’s gonna be a tough week though and I think that as one of the two dances with obvious flaws, they’re in danger. However, many people may just vote for their favorites and I’m pretty sure lots of people love Wadi and like his partnership with Missy.

Clarice and Jess – They don’t have a great partnership and they were in the bottom last week. This week, their routine was the other obviously flawed one. They looked so awkward whenever their were paired. Clarice is not very big, but Jess sets up his lifts so obviously that he makes her seem like this huge weight. I think I’d like them better with different partners.

Jordan and Tadd – A lot of people liked this Viennese waltz, but I thought it was pretty boring. Plus, it’s not a style that people vote for unless it’s a phenomenal, stand-out routine. Their stint in the bottom 3 might hurt them again this week.

Personally, I’d lose all the girls to keep Wadi and Tadd. Regardless of who they keep, if this IS the Bottom 3, I hope they switch up the couples. Maybe Missy and Tadd or Jordan and Wadi.

What do y’all think?

Tomorrow’s episode is gonna be tough, man.

June 22, 2011 I Written By

Top 20 (Part 2) Performance Thoughts

So SYTYCD was pre-empted for 15 minutes due to President Obama’s speech. Good news that our troops are coming home.

Here I go with my thoughts, live and feel free to put yours in the comments. We love the discussion.

Spoiler space for my live thoughts…

Read more..

I Written By

SYTYCD Week 1, Season 8 Interviews with Top 20

So You Think You Can Dance kicks off with week 1 of season 8. Check out our interviews with Top 20!

Couples:
Jordan and Tadd
Sasha and Alexander
Clarice and Jess
Ryan and Ricky
Caitlynn and Robert from Season 7 (Mitchell was injured)
Miranda and Robert
Wadi and Missy
Melanie and Marko
Ashely and Chris
Iveta and Nick

June 16, 2011 I Written By

www.youtube.com/danceon

Top 20: Power Rankings

Sorry for the delay but due to the bad storms that came through last night took out our internet connection and was still out this morning before I went to work.

The beginning of the show is always one of my favorite parts, every one of the contestants probably dreams of that moment. We also learn that Mitchell is injured and was advised not to dance. I do wish they explained his injury a little bit more, and he was visibly upset that he was unable to perform. With that said I’m only going to judge his partners performance. We also had our first guest judge, Megan Mullaly from Will and Grace. Personally I love her and I thought she did a great job.

Top 4 Couples

Melanie and Marco
Contemporary-Travis Wall
Love the simplicity and concept of this dance. It may not be my favorite of the night but magic did just happen. Both are equally great dancers and I look forward to seeing them grow together this season. Like Cat said beautiful pieces of art.

Missy and Wadi
Jazz-Sean Cheesman
I like it, the dark characters that Sean gave them was great. A great partnership and could be one to watch. I really don’t have much to say which is a good thing in my book.

Sasha and Alexander
Contemporary-Travis Wall
Travis is just amazing. This looks like it will be a great partnership. I’m glad Alexander has insurance…lol…he took a beating. I can understand the disconnect, but I think it was the character that took away from some of the emotion.

Clarice and Jess
Broadway-Tyce Diorio
What luck that they got Broadway. I agree with Nigel, Jess is a performer and any partner will have to step of their performance. With that said I loved the dance and I don’t see them going anywhere yet.

Middle 4 Couples

Miranda and Robert
Jive-Jason Gilkenson
Was that an Urkel impression? Reason number one you should wear dangle ear rings win you dance they fly off. I think Megan got their personalities right. Great job by the two of them, sure the technique might not have been perfect but for the first week and to keep the energy up the entire way through is impressive. I sense a woo off between Robert and Mary.

Iveta and Nick
Quickstep-Jason Gilkenson
Storm warning so no sound for half of it but it looks like Nick survived the ballroom boot camp. Judging from the judges reaction this quickstep was not the dance of death. Iveta is the pro here and Nick just proved a tap dancer can do other things.

Caitlynn and Mitchell/Robert
Jazz-Sonya
Okay lost power thanks to the storms but from what I saw I loved it. I wish Mitchell was able to dance I think he would have danced it as well as Caitlynn. Even though he is in danger I think she should be safe. Also it was good to see Robert dance again.

Ryan and Rickey
Lyrical Hip Hop-Chris Scott
I like these two together. Loved the dance and thought they both danced it well. Interesting the interpretations of the story of the dance, glad they let Ryan explain her interpretation.

Bottom 2 Couples

Jordan and Tadd
Afro Jazz-Sean Cheesman
The first dance out of the gate and it didn’t really disappoint. I agree with the judges Tadd did and great job for being out of his element. I love Jordan but there were times it looked like she was thinking too much.

Ashley and Chris
Hip Hop-Chris Scott
That was a fun dance with a great concept and a great song. I agree with Nigel will be interesting if the viewers will go with fun or technique. Since it’s the first week I’m going to go with fun, but that just my opinion. These two have room to grow if we let them.

The first week is always the hardest to judge for me at least. I want to give the dancers a fair shot in the beginning. Mitchell we know is automatically in the bottom so I really hope he brings it if he is cleared to dance. The only other guy that I think might be in the bottom is Chris. As for the girls I have no clue glad the judges will be making the call on who goes home.

Hope everyone enjoyed the show and share your thoughts on who should stay and who should go.

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 20 Performance Show Thoughts!!

Hi All!! First, apologies for how late this is getting posted. I just graduated from college this past week so I’ve had no time to catch up on all things SYTYCD. I’ve just gotten home for a little 6 week vacation before I start my new job so my sleeping schedule is all out of whack. Anyway, I’ve just finished watching the Top 20 performance episode and all I can say is WOW! There were highs and lows, so let’s get to it!

LOVING the new stage! Eons better than the past 2 seasons, and the background looks a bit like the old stage! Progress!

Jordan and Tadd: Anyone who has read my comments since I started blogging on here knows how much I LOVE Sean Cheesman and his afro jazz. This one, however, I didn’t love so much. All the steps were there, but there was a groundedness in their feet that I just didn’t feel. If you want to see what I mean, check out this video from SYTYCD Canada season 1.

It features a hip hop dancer (Miles) and a ballerina (Allie) who actually both ended up in the top 4. They’re sitting in the movements, whereas I felt like Jordan and Tadd were very high on their feet, a little too light. They both kept up with the steps really well and seemed to enjoy themselves, but I felt like something was missing.

Sasha and Alexander: I kind of disagreed with the judges on this one, I enjoyed it. It wasn’t my favorite (I’ll get to that later) but I thought they were both very strong and dynamic dancers. For me, Sasha outdanced Alexander, but it kind of worked for me because she was supposed to be his conscience coming back to haunt him so I liked that image. I agreed with the judges that I wasn’t feeling the connection as much, but I have high hopes for them.

Clarice and Jess: Ugh, I WANTED to like this, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. I’m kind of our resident broadway geek, but this one just wasn’t my favorite. I thought Jess killed it, but his skill really made Clarice look overmatched. It reminded me somewhat of Benji and Donyelle’s 2nd broadway number from their season, “Le Jazz Hot” where all the steps were there, but something just felt really fake. I didn’t buy their chemistry, and I really wanted to because they are both so talented.

Ryan and Ricky: gosh they danced so beautifully together! technically, it was my favorite of the first hour, but the storyline had me a bit confused. Why was Ryan so smiley?! Anyway, I think they’re both going to go a long way, but I don’t want them to lose the story, it’s such a crucial part of connecting with the audience, both in the studio and at home.

Caitlynn and Mitchell (and Robert): I so wanted to see Caitlynn and Mitchell dance this together, because it seemed like they were getting on really well. I wasn’t as taken with her as the judges were, but I thought she and Robert danced really really well together. He helped steady her nerves, I think.

Miranda and Robert: I almost didn’t recognize Miranda without her curls!! To be thrown a ballroom piece week 1 when neither of the partners has a ballroom background is pretty rare, but with so many contemporary girls (and no pure hip hop girls) this season somebody had to draw the short straw. I’m not a technical expert in ballroom, so I’ll just say it was fun to watch. They kept up the energy and the jive bounce really well, though I hope Robert loses the Steve Urkel glasses soon, his schtick is gonna get old.

Missy and Wadi: From this point, for the most part, the performances were pretty spectacular. This piece was definitely interesting and very powerful and very different from anything Sean’s done in jazz on the show. Their connection was great and the use of the stage, though at some times it all felt a little disjointed. Nigel said this was his favorite piece Sean’s done on the show, I’d have to say mine was Russell and Noelle’s frog dance from Season 6, nobody’s quite matched that one yet.

Melanie and Marko: Wow. No words. So exquisite and simple and pure. I could feel the emotion emanating from every pour of their bodies. Their chemistry was off the charts and their technique was incredible. I would almost put this one in “If It Kills Me” territory of amazingness. My favorite of Travis’s is still “Fix You” from last season, but gosh this was so good. I had been waiting for one that would make me rewind it and punch the air as I watched, and this one was it. Marko’s legs as he did that slow cartwheel, holy cow! It’s a dance like this that makes me so happy they’ve gone back to the Top 20 format, we get to watch this partnership grow and develop over the next 5 weeks, and this is one I’m really really excited about.

Ashley and Chris: This is one where I think the music and the choreography got in each other’s way. Dual cheaters (or the subject of cheating in general) could be really entertaining or really serious (a la Ashleigh and Jakob from S6). With this one, it just kind of felt like they were getting fake mad at each other. I wanted more.

Iveta and Nick: I LOVE these two! They both have personality and are oozing with talent. To watch Nick pull of so effortlessly what has been named the dance of death on SYTYCD was such a joy. He went fullout into the piece, which is where so much of the trouble has happened in the past, dancers not going full out in the ballroom pieces. He got super lucky with a partner like Iveta, he was able to follow her lead but still had the confidence to be the leading man on the dance floor. Was his technique always there? I can’t say. But they got the pimp spot in the order and definitely were memorable.

The performances definitely got better in the 2nd half of the show, but overall it was a pretty great night! So now I hand it over to you! Thoughts? Predictions for the first two who will be leaving us?

I Written By