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Top 4 Performance Finale: Thoughts

Tonight’s show was jammed packed with dance, which is normal for the top 4 performance finale. So each of the top 4 had 4 dances to perform plus a solo. As a viewer it is just a lot to take in, so I’m going to give my thoughts on each dancer and the night they had. Before I get to that just want to say Congratulations to Cat Deeley on the announcement of her pregnancy. Granted she announced this new on Twitter over the weekend and I think Nigel caught her off guard.
Hailee Payne (Jazz): Hailee is someone who has really grown on me. When the live shows started we really didn’t know anything about her because she wasn’t really featured in the audition process. It was the robot routine with Virgil that made her a standout. Hailee always seemed to be able to channel the character of every dance she has done. Though for me the Broadway numbers seemed to be her best. I think she could have a career on Broadway.

Virgil Godson (Hip hop): I sure I am not alone in the fact that I have compared Virgil to Fikshun all season. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed that partnership didn’t happen. Virgil truly is just a bundle of joy and I just love watching him dance. He is a fan favorite but I don’t think it will be enough for him to win. However to be the last man standing is a win in my book. Also, he and Josh killed that dance together.

Jaja Vankova (Krump/Animation): Hands down Jaja has been the best female hip hop dancer that the show has had since Comfort. I truly have enjoyed watching her become a chameleon of dance this season. She has taken every challenge this season and has done well.

Gaby Diaz (Tap): It took all season to finally see Gaby do tap number. The dance was amazing and it was nice to see Zack back. All season Gaby has been fantastic and possibly the judges favorite. I think she proved that she is more than just a tap dancer.

So who will win? I got a gut feeling it will be between Jaja and Gaby. It usually a hard decision for me to pick and this season is no different but going on tonight’s performances I think Gaby will the winner but it will be a close call.

So now we get to wait a week to find out who wins season 12 of SYTYCD. I hope I am not the only one that doesn’t want to wait. Also, the fact they are directly competing with the premier of DWTS is not exactly a smart idea. So if you watch both shows make sure you set you DVRs to record on of them.

September 7, 2015 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 Five Alive’s Future Plans

This is another great video about the future plans of the Five Alive kids. 🙂 They talked about this some in John’s videos, too.

November 19, 2009 I Written By

Season 5 Dancers Talk About the Fans on Tour

Here’s another great video of the Season 5 Top 10 talking about their fans and how wonderful they are. Waiting in cold weather for hours? Um, guilty. And while my mom didn’t exactly cry, she was very excited to meet Ade. Kinda hated Kayla’s tidbit, but I love the story that Caitlin and Kupono tell about Jeanine’s teddy bear Spanky. 🙂

November 12, 2009 I Written By

Personal Favorites From This Season of SYTYCD

Hey everyone! It`s been a really long time since I posted last, so I just wanted to say congratulations to John and his adorable new baby! I wish you and your family the best and may you all be happy and healthy!

This season of So You Think You Can Dance was really one of the best, with so much talent and many awesome dances. There were such amazing dancers that after the Top 12, I didn`t want anyone to leave! In this post I wanted to highlight my favorite performances of the season, and want to hear all of yours as well. 🙂 You can also take a look at Amanda’s post about the judges favorites.

Although each dancer possessed so much potential, I did have my favorites that I rooted for until the very end.

Kayla was by far my favorite and one of the most talented. I know I`m not the only one who feels this way, a lot of the people I have talked to have also voiced this opinion. She should not have been the first to go at the Finale! Her lines were definitely the prettiest, and in all the partner dances, I couldn`t take my eyes off her. I found a lot of the time that the guys she was dancing with had a whole barrel of trouble keeping up wit her and matching her strength. My only problem with her was that her solos were often very desperate and repetitive and a lot of the times I was worried she was going to be booted off because of them. Otherwise, her technique was flawless and she was very purdy. 🙂

My second favorite of course was Jeanine, for obvious reasons. For one, her solos were the greatest. They possessed a quality none of the other solo`s did. Musicality. That may seem like a small thing, but it really makes a huge difference. Those dances are way more appealing and probably one of the reasons she won. In the partner dancers, she was SO hard hitting, and almost always outdid her partner, whoever it was. I`m really happy she won. There is nothing bad I can say about her.

Favorite Solo this season:

My least favorite dancer was probably Vitolio. He was not dynamic or versatile whatsoever, and he didn`t have much of a likeable personality. I was really glad when he got the quickstep, but I loved Karla, and was really sad when she was partenered with him.

Now, onto the performances that I loved the most.

This season was a super good season for Contemporary dances. There were so many good ones, but my favorite one hands down was Evan and Randi`s Contemporary by Mia Michaels. This piece was full of fun, butt 😉 equally balanced out with superb technique and complex sequences. The music only added to the fun atmosphere and if I don`t watch this piece at least 3 times a day I don`t feel right.

Some other noteworthy pieces include:

Jeanine and Jason to If It Kills Me Jason Mraz - We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things - If It Kills Me (Jason Mraz) by Travis Wall

Kayla and Kupono to Gravity Sara Bareilles - Little Voice - Gravity (Sara Bareilles) by Mia Micheals

Melissa and Ade to This Woman`s Work Maxwell - Now - This Woman's Work (Maxwell) by Tyce Diorio

Karla and Jonathan to Falling Slowly The Frames - The Cost (Deluxe Edition) - Falling Slowly (The Frames) by Stacey Tookey

This season also had plenty of mentionable Hip-Hop dances, and it was hard to choose my favorite, but the one I was most enchanted with was Kayla and Jason`s by Shane Sparks. The story in this was just hilarious, and surprising light hearted considering it was about zombies and eating brains. It wasn`t anything too complicated, but fun and entertaining, which, if you think about it, is what the show is about. There were other Hip-Hop dances that were less simple, and more technical, but this was just fun!

Other awesome Hip-Hops:

Randi and Evan to Hal Beyoncé - I Am... Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Version) - Haloo (Beyonce) by NappyTabs

Janette and Brandon to What A World Common - Universal Mind Control - What a World (Common) by Shane Sparks

Jeanine and Philip to Mad Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman (Bonus Track Version) - Mad (Ne-Yo) by NappyTabs

Jeanine and Philip to Love Lockdown Kanye West - 808s & Heartbreak (Bonus Video Version) - Love Lockdown (Kanye West) by NappyTabs

Other AMAZING dances:

Caitlin and Jason Bollywood to Jai Ho A. R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah & Mahalaxmi Iyer - Slumdog Millionaire (Music from the Motion Picture) - Jai Ho by Nakul

Kayla and Max PopJazz to Hot Like Wow Nadia Oh - Hot Like Wow - Hot Like Wow (Nadia O) by Brian Friedman

Janette and Evan Jazz to Move CSS - Move 12" - EP - Move (Metronomy Remix) (CSS) by Sonya Tayeh

Group Dance Top 8 Let it Rock Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne - In the City (Bonus Track Version) - Let It Rock by Travis Wall

Group Dance Top 16 I Know You Want Me Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) - EP - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) [More English Extended Mix] (Pitbull) by Dmitry Chaplin, Napoleon and Tabitha D’umo

Worst dance of the season:

Jeanine and Philip Russian Folk Dance
Only the choreography, dancing was superb.

That`s it, my favorites of Season 5, looking forward to 6, and SYTYCD Canada starting Tuesday the 11th!!

August 10, 2009 I Written By

So You Think You Can Dance Top 32 – Predicting the Top 20

The good people over at SYTYCDism have created what seems to be the most complete list of the So You Think You Can Dance top 32 that I’ve found so far. Nice work Trandrew! Check out the list and please contribute if you know of any corrections to the So You Think You Can Dance Top 32. I’m going to mark in bold who I believe will be in the So You Think You Can Dance top 20. I can’t wait to find out the real SYTYCD top 20 results tonight.

Boys:
1. Philip Chbeeb
2. Tony Bellissimo
3. Ricky Sun
4. Maksim Kapitannikov
5. Brandon Bryant
6. CJ Tyson
7. Alex Wong
8. Pono Aweau
9. Evan Kasprzak
10. Ryan Kasprzak
11. Jason Glover
12. Brandon Dumlao
13. Henry Rivera?
14. Ade Obayomi
15. Jonathan Platero?
16. Vitolio Jeune?
+ Geo Smith?

Girls:
1. Caitlin Kinney
2. Paris Torres
3. Kayla Radomski
4. Janette Manrara
5. Asuka Kondoh
6. Jeanine Mason
7. Paula VanOppen
8. Melissa Sandvig
9. Karla Garcia
10. Pauline Mata
11. Randi Strong-Evans
12. Danielle Peig
13. Ashley Valero
14. Diane Vaden
15.
16.

Also, here’s the solo montage video from last night as well that highlights many of the So You Think You Can Dance top 20 hopefuls.

June 4, 2009 I Written By

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