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SYTYCD: Academy Week Top 20 Reveal

Monday night’s episode began with the continuation of the contemporary round, where a few more tough cuts were made. Including Jarrod Tyler Paulson but of course he is still supporting the girlfriend. 43 dancers survived the cuts to move on to the group round with Mandy Moore. Mandy came up with something different for this round. She took the choreography they had already learn and mixed it up and put it to a new song. The dancers also were split up into smaller groups for certain parts and could definitely see the stress of the competition starting to get to them.

After the group round came the final solo round…the last chance for the dancers to prove they should be in the top 20 and move on to the final cut. Gino, Sumi, Bailey, and Eddie had the featured solos for this episode. Eddie’s choice of footwear must have thrown him off his game since the strap came undone at the beginning of the dance. The top 10 girls and guys were finally revealed and consisted of 7 ballroom, 6 contemporary, 5 hip hop, and 2 tap dancers.

Top 10 Girls                                                           Top 10 Guys

Ashley Sanchez (Ballroom)                                  Bailey Munoz (B-Boy)

Anna Linstruth (Hip hop)                                      Brandon Talbot (Contemporary Ballet)

Sofia Ghavami (Ballroom)                                     Benjamin Castro (Contemporary)

Nazz Slydryan (Ballroom)                                     Ezra Sosa (Ballroom)

Madison Jordan (Contemporary)                        Vlad Kvartin (Ballroom)

Stephanie Sosa (Ballroom)                                  Nathan Cherry (Hip hop)

Sumi Oshima (Hip hop)                                        Aleksander Ostanin (Tap)

Mariah Russell (Contemporary)                          Gino Cosculluela (Contemporary)

Melany Mercedes (Salsa)                                    Bryan “Clocks” Volozanin (Hip hop)

Sophie Pittman (Contemporary)                         Eddie Hoyt (Tap)

Looking forward to seeing the contestants paired with an All Star next week and to see who will make the final cut to be in the Top 10 and move on to the live shows. I have a few guesses and curious to see if I am right.

July 24, 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.

Top 20 Power Rankings

First let me start by saying what a great way to start the live shows of season 11. Since everyone got to perform in their own style I figured I rank each of the different genres, with the exception of tap, ballet, and hip hop they will form their own group.

Contemporary

1. Ricky and Jessica: Sonya out did herself on this piece. Just an absolutely gorgeous dance that was the best of the night. I think it safe to say that these two are safe judging from the judges reactions and the reactions on social media. What I loved most was how simple the music was, it gave the illusions like they they were dancing with our any music.

2. Rudy and Carly: Stacey Tookey’s choreography is always easy to watch and enjoy. I loved they way Rudy and Carly  performed this with such emotion. I think Rudy could very easily be a fan favorite.

3. Stanley and Bridget: I love Bonnie Story and this dance. I think that both Stanley and Bridget are great dancers. Stanley for me is right up there with Ricky as the best male contemporary dancer I just hope he doesn’t get lost in the mix.

4. Casey and Emily: I love Travis’s work and I loved this as well. I just felt like the other contemporary dances outshines it but not by much. I love Emily and Casey as a pair it kinda stinks that they will be split up next week. I really hop they make it to the next round. Emily is one of my favorites this season.

Ballroom

1.Nick and Tanisha: So happy to have Louis Van Amstel back on the show. That may have been the fastest I’ve have ever seen the judges talk…too bad they can always do that, they can ramble at times. I think that Tanisha and Nick were the best ballroom couple of the night. Tanisha for me is the best out of the girls.

2. Surge and Brooklyn: Overall loved the dance and the choreography by Dmitry. I do have to agree with what the judges had to say about Brooklyn. Surge was able to steal the attention from her. Had her nervousness not gotten the best of her, I think she would have been fine.

3. Marquet and Marlene: I’m not sure what it was about this dance that seemed to fall flat to me. They danced well and it’s one of the few time that I rely on the judges opinion.

Others

1. Zack and Valerie: It’s not really a secret that I love tap and I was loving Anthony Morigerato’s Choreography. I know the hard work it takes to pull of a routine like that. Stairs are not an easy prop for tap dancers especially cause tap shoes can be slippery. My personal favorite of the night.

2. Jacque and Jourdan: I had to rewatch this pas de duex because I was sure who lost their balance during the dance. I’m pretty sure it was Jourdan and thankfully the judges didn’t seem to mind but Nigel was being a tad bit nit picky.

2. Emilio and Teddy: This and the ballet were even to me which is why there and two 2s. I have to admit I kinda have a crush on these two Sure part the reason is the Teddy taps as well and Emilio was reminding me a bit of Dominic. I love that Chris Scott choreographs to songs you would never think of doing a hip hop to. The smoothness of the dance is why I enjoyed it.

So who’s going to be the first to be eliminated? It’s kind of tough to figure out, it’s easier  to figure who will be staying. It’s a toss up really…they are all really good it’s more about who gets lost in the mix and what dances are easily forgotten about.

Hope everyone had a safe 4th of July weekend.

July 5, 2014 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 20 Power Rankings

I really want to start off by saying how amazing that opening routine was last night. I loved seeing the dancers, choreographers, and judges tell us a story through dance. Nappy Tabs quite possibly created one of my favorite dances of the season…well I’m sure one of many. 

Now on to the tough part, keep in mind this is subjective and just my thoughts on the night. I always find it hard to rank the not so good dances especially when I feel like there really weren’t any total train wrecks. So glad I don’t have the judges job this week cause I really have no idea who will be in trouble next week. 

Top 3 

Amy & Fik-Shun

This was the dance of the night. Sonya created another beautiful contemporary dance. I knew Amy wouldn’t have any trouble with this dance but I was worried about Fik-Shun. Needless to say I think he probably made us all think twice about him. I can’t wait to see what is in store for them next week. 

Jasmine H & Aaron

Another power couple according to the judges, and well I agree. Sonya can be hit or miss for me and truthfully I am on the fence about the dance itself but Jasmine and Aaron made the dance great for me. I don’t see them going anywhere soon. 

Brittany & BluPrint

This was another pleasant surprise for me tonight. Just judging from the rehearsal footage I was a bit worried that this could’ve been a train wreck. Thankfully it was not, I thought both of them pulled this off well and was the only dance to technically to make the Hot Tamale Train. BluPrint does pick up the choreography well but I still feel like he could still tap into the emotion side of the dances. Over all I’m looking forward to seeing these two grow. Total side note Cat and Wayne had me laughing and I was impressed to hear Wayne mention a Season one dancer. 

The Rest (I just couldn’t bring myself to make a bottom 2 or 3 list.) 

Malece & Jade

This was the first dance of the night that really made sit up and get excited about the show. To hear the judges say that the actual performance turned out much better that the dress run, really makes me want to see the dress run just to see the difference. I’m happy to see Jade prove himself as a partner and being there for Malece. He still needs some refining as Wayne mentioned but I don’t think he has to worry about going home first. 

Makensie & Paul

I love the Viennese waltz it’s always just mesmerizing to me. I was surprised to here that Paul is strictly a Latin ballroom dancer but he and Makensie pulled it off and made it look effortless.   

Jasmine M. & Alan

When Travis pulled out the blindfolds, I’ll admit I thought he was a little bit nuts with it being the first week of the partners. Of course he proved me wrong, and it seemed to strengthen them as partners. While the dance was absolutely beautiful it was lacking something for me and I’m not quite sure what was missing. I feel that Jasmine is the stronger of the two in this dance. 

Hayley & Curtis, Alexis & Nico

Both of these couples had a Chris Scott hip hop dance. I equally loved both of them but the judges seemed to like Hayley and Curtis a little bit better. The only thing that I can think of that Alexis and Nico could work on is the attitude of the dance. Overall I truly enjoyed both dances. 

Jenna & Tucker

Oh boy I do love these two paired together but the routine just didn’t work for me. I thought Tucker stood out more for me than Jenna. This is one of those times I really want to love the dance but I just can’t. 

Mariah & Carlos

This is when being the first ones to perform did not help them. While the both performed the Jive well…the just seem not quite up to what the dance required. I love these two and hated that it seemed they were given more than what they could handle. It was the technique that was lacking and honestly Wayne summed up what I thought about this Jive. 

Okay so what Girls and Guys might be in trouble next week…I really have no clue but here is what I’m thinking. I’m just going with my gut on this part.

Girls: Jenna, Mariah, and Alexis

Boys: Carlos, Alan, and Nico

So who do you think will be the first to leave the competition.

June 26, 2013 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.

SYTYCDC 3 – Who Will Be in the TOP 20?!

As we all (should) know, the reveal of which Canadian dancers will be in Season 3’s Top 20 will be revealed tonight at 9PM ET on CTV. I haven’t been able to watch the Montreal auditions yet but I do recognize some Montreal dancers who tried out previously who deserve to make it into the Top 20 this year. I have also seen the Finals Week episode, so hopefully that reinforced my predictions. Once again – these are just PREDICTIONS – NOT the actual Top 20.

PREDICTIONS

Top 10 Males
Jera Wolfe
Jonathan Arsenault
Jesse Weafer
Andrew “Pyro” Chung
Sebastian Mersch
Shavar “Caution” Blackwood
Kevin Howe
Jeff Mortensen
Justin (Tap)
Dennis (Ballroom)

Top 10 Females
Alexandra Crenian
Geisha Chin
Danielle Gardner
Jenny Dailey
Breanne Wasylenko
Kirsten Wicklund
Natalie Heath
Chloe Peers
Amanda Cleghorn
Yana (Ballroom)

August 22, 2010 I Written By

So Many Changes for SYTYCD!

Nigel’s Twitter account says it all:

First rule change. Only one dancer will leave the competition each week and not two. Many more changes to come by the end of this week. 11:19 AM Mar 24th via Echofon

Another rule change for SYTYCD this coming Season. The partners will change every single week. about 22 hours ago via Echofon

Check out tomorrow’s rule change. It will shock you. about 19 hours ago via web

This Season will not have a top 20. The pieces are falling into place. More tomorrow. about 4 hours ago via Echofon

What’s going on?!? I honestly don’t know how to feel about the partners changing every week. Part of me is excited and part of me is sad that we might not see great partnerships forming like we have in seasons past. Then again, each dancer will have to stand alone and not get taken for a ride by the popularity of their partner, right? No Top 20? What will there be instead? Stay tuned. And tell me what you think.

March 26, 2010 I Written By

SYTYCD Season 6 Cheers and Jeers

Here’s Season 6 in review. Y’all brought up a lot of this stuff in recent comments (Mrs. D’s comment in particular), which gave me the idea to do a review of the season, what we liked and didn’t like. If you disagree with me (or agree), feel free to put your two cents in, as it’s all subjective and I’d love to know what you think!

Jeer:

This season felt more rushed that any other that I can think of. Between baseball, the Presidential address, so many audition episodes and an early end to the season because of Christmas coming up, I feel like this year’s Top 20 got shafted on actual dancing time. But not just the dancers – the choreographers got fewer chances to wow us. And the audience lost out, as well.

Cheer:

I loved that I didn’t have to wait till the summer for a new season. While America’s Favorite Dancer gets a shorter reign if they continue on the two seasons a year model, we had a shorter wait, which was really nice. After Season 5, I just don’t know how I would have contained my SYTYCD longing. Are the producers hoping to follow a Survivor/Dancing with the Stars model with the two seasons a year thing? If so, they should be just as smart about scheduling and not hesitate to move the finale to a separate night (like Survivor’s Sunday finale yesterday).

Jeer:

The new stage, or at least the screen behind it. It seems like we’ve transitioned from utter hatred toward the new stage, which always threatens to swallow up the dancers, to an acceptance that we’ll probably never get our intimate little stage back. Many readers have begun to say that the screen and imprudent use of it, is actually the bigger issue.

Cheer:

The group numbers were able to utilize this enormous space in really pleasing ways. It’s nice to think that SYTYCD can now command (and fill) a larger audience space. Maybe it’ll end up being a wonderful challenge to the choreographers (as well as the production crew, especially camera folk) to recapture that intimate feeling.

Jeer:

It was awful having three static judges (Nigel, Mary and Adam). No new blood! Adam seemed to be the only one who had something to say, most reliably at least. And when the three additional judges (Debbie, Lil C and Tyce) came in for the finale, it felt like an eternity since I’d seen them and that they were given favorites to pick rather than choosing from their hearts. Maybe that’s not true, and I’m sure they still kept up with the season, but their involvement didn’t have the same feeling because they never rotated in and out during the season.

Cheer:

Adam Shankman is a wonderful addition to the judging panel. I didn’t mind him being a constant, I only minded that there was no new blood. You almost always knew what Nigel and Mary were going to say, so he was a breath of fresh air (especially at the beginning of the season). Adam is funny and honest (he called out choreographers for bad routines!) and you get the impression that he’ll actually hire the dancers he likes (i.e. when Noelle got cut, I was okay because I felt Adam wanted to work with her), so he’s a valuable part of the panel.

Jeer:

Shane Sparks and Alex DaSilva‘s arrests (both for sexual crimes related to their dance students) are not only damaging to the choreographer’s careers, but also haunt the dance community at large and threaten to harm SYTYCD’s image.

Cheer:

The Dizzy Feet Foundation and gala do wonderful things for the dance community, SYTYCD and for us, as it unites our favorite shows, dancers, choreographers, crews in a really positive mission. It raises awareness and gives our favorites work! We can help, too!

Jeer:

How many injuries did we have this season? Mia Michaels was rushed to the hospital at the beginning of the season. Then, Billy Bell had to drop out due to illness. Noelle was injured in the first competition show while Ellenore and Ashleigh were both hurt during the Top 8 week and Russell was injured in the finale. Did I forget anyone??

Cheer:

Despite the overly-produced and rushed feel of the season, despite all the injuries, we had a wonderful Top 20 this season. As John pointed out, they had a great mix of styles and backgrounds. We saw some consistent excellence (Jakob and Ellenore, namely) and some great growth arcs (arguably, everybody, but notably Kathryn and Russell, in my opinion). We had some “characters” to get behind this season, in Legacy and the DiLellos in particular.

Jeer:

America’s SYTYCD lost Mia Michaels this season and her absence was certainly felt. Our loss was apparently SYTYCD Canada’s gain, so while it’s good that she’s working within the SYTYCD family, there’s a great big gaping hole where she was in our shows.

Cheer:

Mia’s absence gave way to a ton of “new” choreographers this season. New to us, at least. Like Sean Cheesman, Jason Gilkison, Spencer Liff and a routine from Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden. We had more Wade Robson, more Stacey Tookey, more Mandy Moore and more Travis Wall routines, which seriously rocked. More Sonya routines, many of which blew our minds, like the “Tore My Heart” Oona - Tore My Heart - Single - Tore My Heart routine with Ellenore and Jakob.  Hopefully, we’ll get to see special Mia routines, maybe one or two a season, in the future. I don’t want SYTYCD America to be completely devoid of Mia Michaels, but I’m glad we had so many standout choreographers, new and recurring, this season.

Jeer:

This season had some really awful costumes…

Cheer:

And some really amazing music. But these two things are pretty typical of all seasons, I suppose. 🙂

Jeer:

No mention of a Season 6 tour! Not even on the finale show! What are they thinking? There had better be a tour, or I will seriously cry foul. I’m keeping my feelers out, y’all, and using my contacts, to see if/when the tour will be.

Cheer:

I’m glad they mentioned auditions for Season 7 because it sounds like it’ll be another summer season. So that means that we’ll either have two seasons a year, or we’ll go back to our beloved summer format (probably the former). SYTYCD keeps motoring on, which is good news. And again, we don’t have to wait several months till fall, sounds like.

Jeer:

Hell no to the Top 6! I hope Fox and SYTYCD realize they can never do this to us again. This was the worst idea ever and I suspect the results might have been significantly different, if we’d had a normal Top 4 finale. Not cool.

Cheer:

The Meet the Top 20 episode was the biggest stroke of genius and the best of all the new ideas and concepts we dealt with this season. I hope they *always* do this from now on. It was sublime to see all of the Top 20 dancing within their styles without fear of elimination. Some of the best dancing of the entire season happened in this very first episode, as evidenced by how many of the judges’ favorites in the finale show were from this very episode.

I think that’s all I’ve got. I’ve run out of steam. But I’m sure I’ve forgotten something you hated or loved, so let me know what you think.

December 21, 2009 I Written By

Pauline Mata & Legacy Perez Top 20 SYTYCD Interview

Pauline used to sing. And I’m not a fan of Legacy’s, but he had a great line. “Every obstacle is an opportunity.” Good ‘tude, maybe he’ll change my mind.

October 22, 2009 I Written By

SYTYCD Top 20 Music

I’m so excited to see the new Top 20. Who will excite me as much as Jeanine and Evan and Phillip and Janette and Ade and Randi and Jason and Kayla and Kupono  Brandon and Caitlin and Melissa? Also, I can’t wait to see how accurate Margaret’s spoilers turn out…

I have a feeling I’ll need LOTS of help with the music today, though. 🙂

“no montage”: “Battle” Colbie Caillat - Coco - Battle-Colbie Caillat

David’s audition: “Touched” VAST - Visual Audio Sensory Theater - Touched-VAST

Billy’s audition and progress: “To Build a Home” The Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur - To Build a Home-Cinematic Orchestra

Peter’s journey in Vegas: “Walking on Air” Kerli - Love Is Dead - Walking On Air-Kerli

“no montage”: “The End Where I Begin” The Script - The Script - The End Where I Begin-The Script

Mollee and Noelle are both through: “You’re My Best Friend” Queen - Queen: Greatest Hits I & II - You're My Best Friend-Queen

There wasn’t many new songs in this episode – guess they must’ve taken pieces of songs and used them all over, cause there were just a few.

October 21, 2009 I Written By

Something New for Season 6?

Nigel had recently tweeted about a new idea for this season of SYTYCD, a show that introduces the top 20 to America. He had said that it will be just a performance show, no competition just allowing the dancers to dance without pressure; the idea came from SYTYCD Australia. He also mentioned they most like will perform in groups based on their strength. I think he also hinted that maybe some tappers made the top 20…okay I have to admit this makes me excited to know that we may see some tap this season.

I actually like this idea. Giving all the dancers a chance to show America what they can really do and why they are in the top 20. Also it gives viewers a chance to see some of the dancers we didn’t see much during the audition process. Just something that I found interesting and would love to know what you think about this new idea…because I have a feeling it just might happen.

October 9, 2009 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.

So You Think You Can Dance Top 20 Music Widget

I previously posted a list of all the So You Think You Can Dance Top 20 music with links to iTunes, but I wanted to try out posting the same music using Amazon’s new music widget. This should allow you to listen to at least part of the music before buying. Let me know if you like this or the iTunes links better.

**I couldn’t find the Mia Michaels number or the Hunter Johnson one on Amazon. Sorry.

June 12, 2008 I Written By

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