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SYTYCD: Top 4 Finale Performance

As usual the performance part of the finale was a night full of dancing. I did love the opening number from Mandy Moore, that was inspired by the musical/movie Cats. The final four were paired up in every way possible…which turned out to be four dances each plus a solo. I think they all were fantastic but I have a feeling who is the fan favorite. 

I loved that we got to see a switch up with the partners and they got difficult styles to perform.

Mariah & Gino: I don’t remember the last time we saw a quick step but I know it has been awhile. Sharna and Artem created a fun but difficult quick step. Side note DWTS is crazy to let these two go. I thought Mariah and Gino did this dance justice. It may not have been perfect technique wise but the performance quality made up for it.

Sophie & Bailey: They had a Bollywood routine. This style always seems somewhat difficult because of the details, like the placement of the hands. I have to disagree with Nigel, I really enjoyed they dance and thought they danced it well. 

The performance of the night for me was the contemporary that Sophie and all-star Marco performed. I hope that Talia will nominated for an Emmy next year. The lifts were breathtaking…especially that first one. Sophie just completely let go and trusted Marco and danced from her heart.

Overall, I enjoyed all the dances. Now who will win and as cliché as it sounds they all could win. There was some chanting going on in the studio audience for one dancer…Bailey…based on that alone, I think he will win. We will have to wait till next week to find out.

September 10, 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 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 to Top 8

*Rain & satellite tv don’t go well together missed who went home and had to wait till spoilers on the inter webs posted.

Okay can we just hand Travis Wall another Emmy…seriously though that opening number was incredible. It also had a powerful message and I look forward to seeing it on the tour. Last night each couple got the chance to dance again and a bottom four was revealed and the judges decided which two to save. 

Gino & Stephanie: Jive, Emma & Sasha

A high energy performance with plenty of personality. An improvement from last week. The judges enjoyed it and so did I. I almost didn’t recognize Gino with his hair done.

Eddie & Sophie: Contemporary, Travis Wall

This piece was had a lot of partner work and Eddie stepped up and was there for Sophie. It was nice to see Eddie improve compared to last week. Overall I enjoyed the dance and it made me like the song a little bit better too.

Benjamin & Anna: Hip hop, Randi & Hef

So many sparkles and if the light hits it the right way does not sound fun for the eyes of the audience. That aside, I love seeing Anna in her element and I found myself watching her over Benjamin (who was great as well). I love when they stay in character after the dance as well.

Ezra & Madison: Jazz, Ray Leeper

I love and good steamy/sensual routine and these two knocked it out of the park. Madison is a power house and Ezra is a not only a great partner but quite a good dancer himself. Though Dominic commenting on his favorite part had me giggling but I agree with him it was a nice moment.

Bailey & Mariah: Hip hop, Luther Brown

Honestly I have no words for these two. I mean the definitely brought the “sauce”. The couple to beat.

Bottom Four: Eddie, Ezra, Anna, and Stephanie

Going Home: Eddie and Stephanie. Hate seeing them go but someone has to be first.

August 20, 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 6 Thoughts

Monday’s episode was jammed packed for the dancers, each of them dancing four times. Twice with their partners, a solo, and a group routine. It was an entertaining night with only a few routines that just were not my cup of tea. Also, I am still loving Twitch as a judge, even when he is giving criticism. He makes a point in trying to be kind about it but he has to give because of what stage of the competition is at…not to mention reminding views to vote.

My Favorites of the Night

Jensen & Jay Jay: Hip-Hop
It was such a fun routine and brought each of their personalities. Hef and Randi, made a great debut on the show. I loved the work with the props and I personally loved that they burned the meal at the end.

Hannahlie & Cole: Broadway
So…Travis Wall needs to do more Broadway routines for the show. It was a nice change of pace compared to what we are used to. This was their best routine on the show. Cole for some reason was reminding me of Harry Connick Jr.

Guys Hip Hop:
Luther Brown created another fun routine with some great grooves. I also like that he found a way to spotlight each guy individually. The really wasn’t one standout for me but I will say it is really fun to watch Jay Jay and Darius do hip hop.

Bottom four: Cole, Darius, Genessy, and Magda
It just keeps getting harder to pick who stay and who goes and no matter what a good dancer is leaving the show. The judges decided to stick with what the voters opinion. Magda and Cole pulled the lowest amount of votes and I think the judges might be right that these two were just unable to connect well with the at home audience.

Next week the all stars will be joining in the fun and Mia Michael’s will be back.

August 21, 2018 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 Thoughts

Finally caught up on the first live episode of season 15, after being out of town for a few days. Overall, I enjoyed the show and didn’t think there was one bad dance. I like that they paired the dancers with each other rather than with an all-star. It really goes back to the roots of SYTYCD and creating partnerships you want to root for.

Twitch, also returned as a judge for the live shows. He is such a breath of fresh air, especially since he has been in their shoes. I enjoyed his positivity and willing to uplift a dancer if they did’t do so well. Judging from comments on social media it seems like many fans were upset over how Chelsea was treated by 3 of the judge when it came to the tap routine with Evan. More on that in later…but first my thoughts on the pairings and my favorite routines of the night.

I think that the dancers were paired up well together and as far as chemistry is concerned I think that Jay Jay & Jensen as well as Slavik & Genessy have it. Though I believe Cole & Hannalie might be the best as far as technique is concerned.

My Favorites of the Night

Slavik & Genessy: Luther Brown, Hip Hop
These two are definitely the dark horses/underdogs this season, and the both gave it their all in both routines. The hip hop thought was my favorite, I loved watching Slavik perform and his chemistry with Genessy it part of the reason this dance was great. I really hope these two stick around next week.

Cole & Hannalie: Tyce Diorio, Contemporary
It was a beautiful dance…and if they can connect with each other more they will go far in this competition. Though I do wish the judges would at least mention that Cole has obviously trained in other the styles other than ballroom

Back to the Tap dance. It is the first time in probably the show’s history that they have asked someone with only a little bit of tap experience(compared to Evan) to learn a hard tap routine. I thought Chelsea did a respectable job and loved that Twitch was the only one that recognized that and said something about it. Nigel seem to take the same road as Twitch until he said he can’t wait to see even dance with Gaby. I felt that was unnecessary to say and it was disrespect to Chelsea.

As I said, I enjoyed the episode and I’m not really sure who will be in danger of going home next week but I am looking forward to next weeks live show.

August 8, 2018 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 5 Girls Revealed

Last night was all about the ladies and their last chance to prove that they have what it takes to be in the top 5 girls. Each contestant was paired with an all-star and had to learn a routine (not how long they had to learn it). All-Stars included FikShun, Paul, Brandon, Robert, Jonathan, and last season’s winner Lex.

Here are my thoughts on the top 5 girls and their performances last night.

Hannalie Cabanilla: Salsa with Jonathan
The lifts were amazing and I have to agree with Nigel, that she had to be fearless when it came to doing those lifts with someone she had just met. I also liked that the salsa brought out a bit more of his personality.

Jensen Arnold: Jazz with Brandon
I got to agree with the judges that she had the not only the best performance of the night but also the most confident. I like that Jensen was able to set aside the Miss Apple Pie(Nigel’s words) and allow the more sassy side to shine. If anything like her sister Lindsey, she’ll be a contender.

Magda Fialek: Contemporary with Robert
Probably the most beautiful routine of the night, and the most emotional considering both Mary and Vanessa were tearing up. I got to give Robert some recognition for balancing and rotating on one leg with Magda wrapped around him. Looking forward to seeing Magda dance more.

Genessy Castillo: Hip Hop with FikShun
I think it was this performance that put he in the top 5, she danced like her life depended upon it. I really enjoyed this performance, especially the part with the hair. Also, I felt like she vibe with FikShun.

Chelsea Hough: Salsa with Jonathan
The judges were pleased and Mary complimented her technique. I could definitely see the improvement Chelsea made compared to the earlier ballroom round.

We had to say goodbye to Emily, Brianna, Sydney, Stephanie, and Dayna. Of these five I was a bit shocked that the Judges didn’t choose Emily to move on to the top 5 girls. Next week it is the guys turn to impress the judges.

July 24, 2018 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: Top 9 to Top 8 Thoughts

I hope everyone on the east coast set their dvr to record 30 mins over due to the Presidential interruption at 9. I case you missed something the routines are usually posted on youtube quickly. Spoilers ahead.

Logan & Allison: Jive – Emma & Sasha
So much fun…I finally saw Logan’s personality tonight. I thought he pretty much nailed the choreography that Emma and Sasha gave them. I can see what Allison was saying how he needs to reign in his flexibility for the Jive.

Koine & Marko: Hip Hop – Dave Scott
Seeing how pumped Dave was just after rehearsals, made me excited for the dance. Enjoyed see Koine attack not on the choreography but also the character. I love everything about this piece especially the song choice.

Dassy & FikShun: Jazz – Ray Leeper
Interesting to hear Cat say that this partnership is like the new version of Amy and FikShun. I don’t quite see it that way but I do like Dassy and FikShun paired together. I enjoy watch how Dassy transforms from rehearsal to performance. Also, like getting to see more of her sassy side.

Mark & Comfort: Contemporary – Talia Favia
Wow…that was intense…both Mark and Comfort were 100% invested in the piece emotionally. I agree with Nigel I love the fact that Mark is completely up for any challenge that is thrown his way. I don’t normally comment on the all-star’s dancing but seeing how much Comfort has grown as a dancer, reminds me why I love this show.

Lex & Gaby: Broadway – Warren Carlyle
Anyone else tired from just watching that? I think this might have been the most fun we have seen Lex have so far. Even the tricks Lex pulled off kind of gave me whiplash cause they happened so fast.

Kaylee & Cyrus: Jazz – Spencer Liff
I agree with Nigel that Spencer seemed to find a quirky style of Jazz that suited Kaylee very well. I really enjoyed watching this but there were times that camera work completely cut Cyrus out…which kind of took away from the dance for me.

Taylor & Robert: Samba – Jean Marc Genereux
Taylor may have slipped out of the top spot tonight, but only a little. For someone who hasn’t done much ballroom to have to learn the hardest of the Latin dances in a week is a tall order. I thought that Taylor did a great job (I personally liked the samba rolls) but it could have been better. I think the chemistry was lacking probably she was more focused on getting the steps right.

Kiki & Jenna: Contemporary – Mandy Moore
I loved seeing Mandy really push them during rehearsal. Okay so this might have been this best dance Kiki has done on the show so far. Mandy found a way to bring out Kiki’s emotions.

Bottom 3: Mark, Dassy, and Sydney

Sydney unfortunately was sent home. Looking forward to seeing her on the tour…blog about that coming soon.

So will be our bottom 3 next week?

August 21, 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 10 to Top 9, Thoughts

Spoilers ahead
Of course week two we get a more information of how this season will go so far. So they will be pulling style out of the hat…glad they will be challenge with other style of dance. Also at the end of the show the bottom three will be revealed and then the Judges decides who will go…let’s hope that this will only last till the top five. Love the disco vibes in the beginning of the show and Cat looks stunning as always and she seems to like having the cat walks back an interacting with the audience more.

Mark & Comfort: Ray Leeper: Jazz
Anyone else reminded of Dominic( D-Trix) when it comes to Mark. It’s nice to see Mark can be serious and learn the dances. I didn’t really care for the choreography that much but I thought it was perform well. I think they are one of the stronger partnerships in the show.

Lex & Gaby: Miriam & Leonardo: Argentine Tango
I feel like Miriam and Leonardo always bring out the best in the dancers that they work with. I enjoyed this dance though Lex and Gaby were great. Mary wanted there to be more chemistry…which I can understand…they might have been think about the steps more and lost a little bit of their connection.

Kiki & Jenna: Luther Brown: Hip Hop
I will say this it was a vast improvement compared to his fail during Academy. I liked Luther’s concept but felt like Jenna should have been dress as Harley Quinn. While I enjoyed seeing a different side of Kiki…seeing him take on a character. However…not sure if it will be enough this week to keep him safe.

Sydney & Paul: Jaci Royal: Comtemporary
Everything was better this week. I feel like contemporary suits her better than ballroom. Happy Sydney seemed to have a break through tonight. Sometimes even the simplest choreography with a good story makes all the difference in the world.

Logan & Allison: Brian Friedman: Jazz
My only complaint about this dance is that it took too long to get Logan dancing. Again he is a technically great dancer but there is just something missing. I had thought it would be different with Allison back but I was still left underwhelmed.

Kaylee & Cyrus: Pharside and Pheonix: Hip Hop
Another couple that was an improvement after last week. I love that hip hop seems to be Kaylee’s other strength. I like the fact they also seem to change Nigel’s opinion too.

Taylor & Robert: Al Blackstone: Broadway
Classic Hollywood of the 1940s brought into the present. I loved that Taylor and Robert made this dance look effortless. Nigel made a big statement tonight by saying that they are the couple to beat.

Koine & Marko: Sean Cheesman: African Jazz
From the moment Sean said the secret life of insects…I knew it would be an interesting dance. That head dress at the beginning was beautiful but I knew that had to go away. This whole dance was just fascinating to watch…the partnering was fantastic. Cat putting on the head dress after was great just one of the reasons why I love her.

Robert & Jasmine: Stacey Tookey: Contemporary
I feel like this routine is different than what I am used to seeing from Stacey. I felt like Robert did a good job but he could have done better.

Dassy & FikShun: Nakul: Bollywood
There was a little bit of a stumble that I didn’t see at first…after re-watching I saw Dassy just fell out of the lift a little bit. So I don’t think anyone is at fault just a rough transition. This style really allowed us to see Dassy personality even more.

Bottom Three: Logan, Sydney, and Robert.

In the end the judges decided that Robert would be the one leaving tonight.

Thoughts? Favorite dance? Who will be in danger next week? Let me know what you think and I will have my thoughts on who is safe vs in danger up by Wednesday night.

August 14, 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.

Top 10 to Top 8: Thoughts

My favorite part of the season is here…All Stars and solos are back. It’s just something about when the all-stars join the show the dancers step up their game. There are no more saves, so whoever has the lowest votes from each team will go home. Also, there was another injury, this time it’s JJ and her ribs. Before the show gets started, Jennifer Lopez had some news. The winner of this season gets the chance to dance in her Las Vegas show.

Hailee & Brandon: Warren Carlyle (Broadway)
Such a fun, fast paced routine. This is what I like about Broadway numbers. I really can see the Liza Minnelli and Lady Gaga, when it comes to Hailee. It was just another fantastic way for her to show her personality. Side note you can find Brandon dancing in Brittney Spears in Vegas.

Derek & Kayla: RJ Durell & Nick Flores (Jazz)
Okay so not going to lie…I had to re watch this one because I couldn’t take my eyes of Kayla. I sometimes forget who is the one competing. We definitely saw a different side of Derek this week.

Virgil & Comfort: Chris Scott
This was just too cute. Chris Scott does it again…from the music selection to the dancers was just amazing. I love how effortless that Virgil and Comfort made that dance look. Virgil’s personality is infectious (such a goofball)…loved his happy dance with Cat.

Megz & Marco: Ray Leeper (Jazz)
This was another one I had to watch again…this time it was the song choice…it makes me think of “Center Stage” every time.
This was just a simply a fun routine and just makes you want to dance with them. Megz, like Nigel said, stays true to herself which is nice. Anyone else surprised to learn her parents were ballroom dancers.

Edson & Jaime: Travis Wall
Hate that Edson was eliminated tonight…moments like this I really miss the results show. Thankful he left on such a high note. One of the best of the night and Travis deserves to win an Emmy.

Neptune & Jasmine: Pharside & Pheonix
Halloween a few months early? Just a fun concept and good to see Neptune in his element.
Also, Nigel said the wrong dancers name again. This time it was Sasha who didn’t get the credit for dancing “Misty Blue” with Twitch.

Jim & Jessica: Dee Caspary
So weird to see Jim struggle in rehearsals. I’m not sure but maybe the pressure of the competition got to him a little bit. Over it was a beautiful dance but I felt that the story was a little lost…maybe it had something to do with not connecting with his partner. Agreed with everything Jason said.

Jaja & Alex:  Nakul (Bollywood)
This was so much fun…especially to see yet another side of Jaja. She is my favorite street dancer and has a really chance of winning.

Gaby & Joshua: Pharside & Phoenix
My favorite of the two Pharside & Phoenix routines tonight. Gaby is the other chameleon on the show. I have a feeling it may come down to Gaby and Jaja in the final two.

Bottom 4: Megz, JJ, Derek and Edson Going home: JJ and Edson

Stay tuned for tour info.

August 17, 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.