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Shaping Sound Live Performance 5/8/12 – Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, Kyle Robison

Travis Wall, Teddy Forance & Nick Lazzarini present the hottest new contemporary dance company in the country, Shaping Sound — soon to be featured on the Oxygen network in their own show “All The Right Moves,” which documents the creation of this amazing assembled group of dance visionaries, and stars Travis Wall, Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance and Kyle Robinson.

Shaping Sound Presents Come Together
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 8:00pm
Saban Theatre – 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
To Purchase Tickets – http://www.flavorus.com/cometogether

Video Below 🙂

May 3, 2012 I Written By

www.youtube.com/danceon

Podcast: SYTYCD Season 8 – Top 12 Performance and Elimination

Summary
Wrapping up the first half of the competition brought a satisfying conclusion to some partnerships while others seemed to run out of steam and were in need of a change. The bottom 3 was relatively uncontroversial as was the elimination of Ryan and Alexander. As we discuss in the podcast, we believe the judges inadvertently set Ryan up for failure by refusing to give her constructive criticism early on in the show, which generated a fan backlash that landed the Ryan/Ricky partnership in the bottom on three separate occasions. Alexander, while never being in the bottom before, hasn’t been consistent in his ability to emote compared to the other remaining guys and this is likely why the judges sent him home.

We enjoyed the Jordan/Tadd Travis Wall piece, both of Melanie/Marko’s routines and Jess’ performance in the Christopher Scott hip-hop was the surprise of the night. We’re looking forward to mixing up the couples and the were very happy with the returning all-stars! This should rejuvenate the competition and break some of the remaining dancers out of their comfort zones and further their growth.

Please let us know your thoughts by dropping us a comment here after listening! We also encourage you to check out our blog and twitter feed to keep up to date with us!

Episode Length: 32:48

Time Stamps
0:00 – Introduction: Thoughts for Alex Wong, Emmy nominations and guest judges
4:11 – Bottom 3 couples overview
4:57 – Bottom 3: Caitlynn and Mitchell
7:36 – Bottom 3: Ryan and Ricky
11:45 – Bottom 3: Sasha and Alexander
14:27 – The elimination of Ryan and Alexander
16:38 – Performance night: Jordan and Tadd – Great Travis piece and strong opinions about using “Out Tonight” from RENT
21:32 – Performance night: Melanie and Marko – Wonderful conclusion to a great partnership
24:12 – Performance night: Jess and Clarice – Jess nailed that hip-hop piece!
27:35 – Next week’s all-stars! Melody, Allison, Comfort, Chelsie, Kathryn, Pasha, Twitch, Brandon, Robert
31:37 – Wrap-up: Leave us a comment, visit our blog to see what else we’re doing and we’re really excited to see Harry Potter this weekend!


Listen to the podcast

Episode 8 direct download

Subscribe to podcast on iTunes

July 15, 2011 I Written By

Over the past few years my fiancée Meghan slowly brought me into the world of television, turning me into a full-fledged fan of both scripted and reality shows. So You Think You Can Dance turned into one of my favorite reality shows as it is a competition that takes itself seriously, providing the audience with artistic choreography and talented dancers. It's certainly not something I ever expected to get emotionally invested in, but here I am! Meghan and I are very analytic when it comes to the things we enjoy. We constantly discussed and analyzed shows with each other and after doing this for a couple years, we decided that we should turn these discussions into a podcast. We created Reflections on Pop Entertainment, a podcast that provides commentary and analysis of popular entertainment as found in visual mediums, particularly television and film. So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 is the first television series we're covering with weekly podcasts and has allowed us to find our voice as well as actively contribute to the fan community. We hope that you'll enjoy our installments as they are posted to Pure So You Think You Can Dance!

Season 8 Top 12 Power Rankings and Poll

So, this is the really tough one. I’m going to base my Power Rankings on tonight’s routines and my perceptions of the fan support the dancers/couples have and of course, my own opinions. I hope you’ll let me know what you think in the comments and I’m going to include a poll so you can pick your Top 10 at the end of this post.

Top Three

Melanie & Marko – Not only have they been the most consistent in performance and approval through the season, but they had two hands-down great routines. Their tango was phenomenal and while they’re contemporary wasn’t as mind-blowing, it was strong and beautiful.

Sasha & Alexander – Sasha seems to have been carrying this couple most of the season with Alexander flying largely under the radar. She (or they) have been picking up steam approval-wise and have had some stellar routines, two of which were tonight. While they were the first to dance in both sets, I think their performances were both memorable enough to keep them safe.

Clarice & Jess – They had a great first routine and were the last performances of the episode. While their jive at the end of the episode wasn’t all that great, they have been picking up fans as a couple. A lot of people have been vocally supporting Jess in particular lately. But mostly, every time I put them in the Bottom 3, they’re safe, so I’m going to just call them safe now.

Bottom Three

Caitlynn & Mitchell – I want them to be safe and I think there are a lot of people like me who love Caitlynn and have enjoyed watching her relationship with Mitchell grow. But, they had two sucky routines this episode. I hate to say it, but I don’t think their hip hop or even their Travis Wall were all that great. I hope people vote for them like I did, though, cause I’d love to see Caitlynn in particular in the Top 10 dancing with All-Stars (ahem, Robert).

Jordan & Tadd – Their first routine was a FABULOUS Travis Wall routine, but their second one was a kinda awful Spencer Liff Broadway. I think people are getting annoyed with Jordan and her overuse of her one leg (I couldn’t stop rolling my eyes whenever she raised her one leg in the routines), but they’re loving Tadd more than ever. It’ll be interesting to see whether Tadd’s growing popularity and their awesome first routine saves them from the Bottom 3.

Ryan & Rickey – I hate putting them here, but of all the couples, they had the two worst or least memorable routines. I liked their Spencer Liff Broadway, but the judges panned it. I didn’t love their Louis cha cha, though Rickey got put on the hot tamale train for it. Ryan’s been losing popularity big time over the course of the season, so I’m afraid they’re probably going to land in the Bottom 3 and possibly go home.

I think if R&R land in the Bottom 3 and the judges stick with this season’s annoying eliminating couples together policy, they’ll probably go. However, if Clarice & Jess are in the bottom, I can see them splitting a couple and eliminating Clarice and maybe Mitchell. If the Bottom 3 I’ve predicted happens, I hope they split the couples and keep Caitlynn, Tadd and Ryan. I’d be okay with Jordan, Mitchell or Rickey leaving this week.

You know, this is really hard. Why don’t you help me out here and pick who you would like to see in the Top 10 (you can pick 10 dancers).

July 13, 2011 I Written By

Podcast: SYTYCD Season 8 – Top 14 Performance and Elimination

Hello everyone! Our podcast for the Top 14 week is completed and ready for listening! Thank you to everyone that checked out our previous episodes the past couple of days, we really appreciate it!

The way these posts will work is that a summary of the podcast is provided. It gives a general overview of what we talk about, along with any other supplemental information. Following that is a Time Stamp list, which serves as a table of contents for the episode.

The links to the podcast are at the bottom of the post. Please let us know what you think in the comments!

Summary
In this podcast, we explore how this was an interesting week of So You Think You Can DanceSeason 8. For the first time in a month, there wasn’t much in the way of controversy regarding the eliminated couple. It seemed pretty clear cut who should go home. We also were treated to a collection of new (to the show) choreographers which, despite the mixed fan reaction on twitter, we feel made for an interesting set of pieces compared to the previous week which we both felt was blander. We also really enjoyed having Travis Wall as a guest judge, although we could do without the celebrity judges.

We discuss in detail how, for the first time this week, we really enjoyed Ryan’s work and commend her for it. It took us by surprise that she and Ricky were in the bottom instead of Sasha and Alexander, which we attribute to a fan backlash against her. Hopefully this week was not a one-off thing and next week she continues to prove herself.

We also discuss what the choreographers, both new and old, brought to the performance episode. We’re particularly excited by Justin Giles’ work and absolutely loved the male group routine and Jess and Clarice’s piece. Justin Giles really has a way with letting music inspire his choice of movement for the dancers! Caitlynn and Mitchell had a wonderful piece and the girl group routine by Ray Leeper was very cool.

Episode Length: 23:35

Time Stamps
0:00 – Introduction, thanks to puresytycd.com, new choreographers, guest judges
3:50 – Bottom 3: Ashley and Chris
6:32 – Bottom 3: Jordan and Tadd
8:45 – Bottom 3: Ryan and Ricky
13:20 – Justin Giles: Boys group routine and Clarice/Jess
16:00 – Shaun Evaristo: Sasha/Alexander
17:57 – Ray Leeper: Melanie/Marko and girls group routine
20:13 – Caitlynn and Mitchell
21:20 – Trimming from Top 12 to Top 10 next week
22:38 – Wrap-up


Episode 6 direct download

Subscribe to podcast on iTunes

 

July 8, 2011 I Written By

Over the past few years my fiancée Meghan slowly brought me into the world of television, turning me into a full-fledged fan of both scripted and reality shows. So You Think You Can Dance turned into one of my favorite reality shows as it is a competition that takes itself seriously, providing the audience with artistic choreography and talented dancers. It's certainly not something I ever expected to get emotionally invested in, but here I am! Meghan and I are very analytic when it comes to the things we enjoy. We constantly discussed and analyzed shows with each other and after doing this for a couple years, we decided that we should turn these discussions into a podcast. We created Reflections on Pop Entertainment, a podcast that provides commentary and analysis of popular entertainment as found in visual mediums, particularly television and film. So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 is the first television series we're covering with weekly podcasts and has allowed us to find our voice as well as actively contribute to the fan community. We hope that you'll enjoy our installments as they are posted to Pure So You Think You Can Dance!

Top 14 Power Rankings

Just consider this whole thing a spoiler. But, just in case, I’ll delay posting this for a little bit. I can never tell if my Power Rankings are how it is or wishful thinking on my part, so you tell me. Either way, this gets harder and harder every week. Here we go…

Top 3 Couples

1. Caitlynn and Mitchell – they had a phenomenal Mandy Moore routine and the benefit of going last before the Top 7 Girls routine. They grow on me more and more every week. They got a standing O from the judges and were really cute together on stage. I’ve decided that them being in the Bottom 3 last week was a mistake, so I’ve put them at the top of the heap. Perfect storm of great dancing, great routine and great placement in the episode.

2. Ryan and Rickey – I know they’ve been losing favor, particularly Ryan and have also been in the Bottom 3, but their Chucky Klampow jazz routine full redeemed them for me and they also danced later in the episode. I think they started their comeback last week and sealed the deal this week. I hope, anyway, cause it’d suck if they were in the Bottom 3 again, especially if they didn’t get saved.

3. Melanie and Marko – Their Ray Leeper Latin-fused jazz was interesting and strongly danced, but had the bad luck to be the first routine of the night. However, they are the most popular couple by far, so I’ve put them in the safety zone. Hopefully, people won’t assume they’re safe and forget to vote for them. I wouldn’t want them to get Kherrington’d. 

Am I crazy putting my favorite 3 couples in the Top 3 or do y’all agree?

Middle Couple

4. Sasha and Alexander – I don’t love them as a couple, but Sasha in particular is very popular and is feautred prominently in group routines. She’s always given strong choreography and really immerses herself. I think they’ll be safe, but I could foresee an alternate set of events where they’re in the Bottom 3 and one of the other couples is here by the skin of their teeth.

Bottom 3 Couples

We *have* to have a Bottom 3 and despite the fact that I keep putting the same ones in danger and they always seem to be safe, I’m doing it again…

5. Jordan and Tadd – I could see them switching with Sasha and Alexander and being safe. However, I think their routine,  while a great Toni Redpath routine, was a waltz towards the front half of the show. It was, at least to me (and Travis), a bit awkward at times and not as smooth as it could’ve been. I hope they’ll survive thet Bottom 3 cause I love them and would love to see them in the Top 10.

6. Clarice and Jess – They seem to be picking up steam, so they could also switch with Sasha and Alexander. They had their best routine together (in mine and Travis’s opinions, again) and one of my favorites of the night. I’m putting them here because I think they’re less popular than Sasha (and Alexander) and Jess really needs to dance with someone else to prove his mettle. At least as far as I’m concerned.

7. Ashley and Chris – Their salsa was the hands down weakest performance, by most definitions. I wouldn’t mind seeing either one of them dance with someone else, but I find that they are more consistantly the weakest of the couples and my least favorite. Which is so hard to say because they’re such great dancers and their personalities are shining more each week. I think, all things aside, they’ll be the ones to go tomorrow.

Okay, how delusional am I this week? 🙂

July 6, 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..

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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..

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Week 2 Twitter Roundup

happy performance day! thought I’d take a look around Twitter and see what everyone’s saying on what promises to be a great performance show.

if you’re looking to follow any of the SYTYCD Season 8 dancers, just search “D8(their first name)” ie. D8Tadd or D8Ryan. it’s pretty simple!

Ryan Ramirez

Tadd Gadduang

Alexander Fost

Chris Koehl

Jess LeProtto

Marko Germar

Mitchell Kelly

Nick Young

Ricky Jaime

Robert Taylor, Jr.

Wadi Jones

Ashley Rich

Caitlynn Lawson

Clarice Ordaz

Iveta Lukosiute

Jordan Casanova

Melanie Moore

Missy Morelli

Sasha Mallory

these are the Twitters for the S8 contestants. Most of them today are just thanking people for their support. I’ll update this as the weeks go on and the All-Stars begin to get announced.

One other thing, according to S6 Jakob’s Twitter, his 21st birthday was 2 days ago! If you have a Twitter or a FB, go on over and wish him a happy belated birthday!!

have a great time watching the show tonight everyone!

I Written By