Ducky says:
"There’s so much hatred out there on the internet for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE Finalist Lacey Schwimmer that I had to go out and gather up some support for the girl."
"Sure she’s the Youth Swing Champ and she’s what’s his name’s sister but she’s shown nothing but professionalism, personality, and some kick ass moves. LACEY SCHWIMMER is here to stay!"
Who knew Tom was such a big dance fan?
Sara von Gillern's new MySpace fan site.
Cedric Gardner's new MySpace fan site.
Travis and Danny's mom, Denise Wall's Page
A So You Think You Can Dance fan group.
Check the sidebar for more.
We NEVER expected to be covering Britain's Got Talent. We don't even watch America's Got Talent, but this is such a great story we have decided to continue our coverage. Here's cell phone salesman Paul Potts' second (I think) appearance.
Here's our previous post.
The Britain's Got Talent website.
Paul Potts' MySpace Page
Celebs Around Town has 3 photos of Cat Deeley from a recent Ross Kirton photo shoot.
LINK
Ouch! Some think that Benji WAS the biggest loser this week:
Benji Schwimmer made his return to the show with an unforgettable performance. Yes, the dancing was awesome. But the jaw-dropping moment actually came after he stopped moving
And the worst was yet to come: The biggest loser was last year’s champion, Benji Schwimmer, who delivered an encore performance that looked fueled by Bennies, with an explosion of frantic spins, gratuitous butt-shaking, and as a grand finale, the dramatic dropping of trou to reveal a pair of flag underwear that left us feeling somewhat less than patriotic.
Reggaeton pioneer Daddy
Yankee will perform his hit El Impacto on this Thursday's top 18 elimination show. Can we assume one of the couples will be dancing to it on Wednesday night?
Daddy Yankee f. Fergie - El Impacto Remix (Official Video)
Story at Reggaeton Online.
His wikipedia entry
His official site
Whoever is running Lacey Schwimmer's MySpace Fan Site has posted 2 recent blog entries, here and here. Nothing earth shattering, mostly thanking the fans and offering an unnamed prize for whoever votes the most for Kameron and Lacey, "Kamcey".
Houston popper Phillip "PacMan" Chbeeb became an instant fan favorite when he appeared on the season 3 audition show from Atlanta. Here's his first video since then, along with crew mate, Jordan "Sifu" Kolar, doing a showcase at Planet Funk Academy.
Heidi & Benji perform June 7, 2007 at Mirelle's in Westbury, NY.
Heidi & Benji perform to Black Mambo
Heidi solo.
BuddyTV today released exclusive interviews with this week's eliminated dancers, Ashlee Langas and Ricky Palomino
RealityWanted.net has a joint interview with Ricky and Ashlee.
Blogger Saestina lives in the UK and had to wait to download the show. She knows dance and writes an engaging review of both of this week's shows.
"Lacey and Kameron (Mia Michael’s contemporary): There’s something so obvious about giving Lacey contemporary for the first show, but I’m really glad they did. I got so sick of all the back and forth last year about Benji’s contemporary skills or lackthereof, which largely had to be inferred since he never got straight-up, hard-core contemporary. So I like that they gave Lacey this kind of make-or-break moment right at the beginning, to quell any doubts about her abilities and versatility and to show that she really is an extremely different dancer from her brother. Hopefully people will approach her with an open mind now. Beautiful piece, really great couple with some great chemistry, looking forward to watching this partnership develop."
Novelist Anna David writes an entertaining recap of last night's show.
Dominic did his usual series of spectacular breakdancing moves, and then somehow ended up with his shirt in his hands.
While watching him stand there afterward trying to cover his nipples was a bit unnerving, judge Nigel Lithgow declared the shirt removal evidence of his "wonderful personality" and explained that it kept him in the competition.
MORE
Attention Norfolk area: Season 2 favorites Travis Wall, Ivan Koumaev, and Allison Holker will be appearing at the Harrison Opera House next Thursday night, the 21st. More info here.
The Monsters Of HipHop operate 
dance workshops and conventions around the country. Season 2 favorite Ivan Koumaev was a cast member and finalist in Monsters of HipHop : The Show 2006, "Roadtrip", though he had to bow out when he
made SYTYCD top 20. Now we learn that MOHH has a special relationship with 2 season 3 finalists; Cedric Gardner and Lauren Gottleib. Watch for coverage in their blog, Monster Buzz, at their site they call the Monsterhood.
Eileen Clarke, sitting in for Adam B Vary at EW.com, got a less-than-warm welcome from commenters yesterday. We enjoyed today's piece, not that we necessarily agree with her:
"So instead of cutting B-boy Dominic, whose limited ''tricks'' will be more apparent with every solo he gets, or Cedric, who has yet to prove he can delve into a style other than hip-hop, they cut an extremely versatile dancer like Ricky. It makes me think the judges are allowing themselves a bit of favoritism. Does having hip-hoppers and breakers draw younger viewers than say, boys who do pirouettes and grands jetés? If I see Cedric do a decent quickstep or lyrical dance, then I'll reconsider."
This blogger is putting a call out to Benji Schwimmer, offering to help him with his website. He/she doesn't say which site he's referring to, but it's probably benjischwimmer dot com, or maybe benjiandheidi dot com. The problem, though, is that neither Benji nor Heidi have anything to do with those sites. One domain is owned out of North Carolina, the other out of Arizona, and neither is on our recommended list.
Season 3 finalist Jesus Solorio is profiled in this piece at sanluisobispo.com.
"Solorio’s mother works at a factory in Nebraska. His father has never been supportive of his son’s decision to become a dancer. He hasn’t watched the show yet."
Give Me My Remote says:
As much as I enjoyed Ricky’s performances up until last night, I was glad he left in favor of keeping Dominic and Cedric. And for the ladies, while I was thinking that it was Faina’s swan song, she proved her talent in her solo where Ashlee didn’t step up like she needed to.
"And I just love Shane Sparks' choreography. I like him better than Wade Robson. Zombie dancing aside, the thing that falls apart with Wade's routines - not to his fault, but still - is that they so rely on the dancers being completely synchronized. When they're not you really notice. Shane, on the other hand, allows dancers to really "vibe off each other," and then there are moments where they come together and the whole routine kind of pops. It's great. Plus, there's some serious old school flavor in Shane's routines that I just love."
"Now, this site is enduring proof of my major Benji love, but I feel duty-bound to tell you that he has shaved little notches into his sideburns. To make matters worse, he is wearing red satin gloves that do not match his outfit. Fashion crimes are Benji’s anti-drug. Cat mentions his appearance in a Christina Aguilera video. Benji’s the new hotness, in case you weren’t aware. To prove it, Benji shows us a little of the ol’ Schwimmer magic, shimmying all over the floor. Quite inappropriately, Benji finishes by dropping his pants, revealing a lot more Schwimmer than I really needed to see. He’s wearing stars and stripes undies. Well, I never!"
BuddyTV live blogged:
"Cedric comes out and does his thing. Crazy. He does this unique freestyle/hip-hop/contemporary thing and he better make it to next week. I want to see what else the man can do."
The opening was a Wade Robson choreographed piece for the top 20. Very stylish.
Hok and Jaimie are safe.
Danny and Anya are safe.
Dominic and Sabra are in the bottom 3.
Lacey and Kameron are up next. No question they stay if our poll is any indication.
They're safe.
Ricky and Ashlee are up next. They are on the bubble.
Ricky and Ashlee are in the bottom 3.
Nigel says he is saddened. Height difference is an issue, he says.
Sara and Jesus are up next.
They are safe.
Pasha and Jessi are up next, favorites here at the blog.
Safe!
One more couple will be in the bottom 3 from Cedric and Faina, Neil and Lauren, and Jimmy and Shauna.
Neil and Lauren up first.
They're safe.
It's down to Faina & Cedric and Jimmy & Shauna.
If our poll is any indication, it will be Faina & Cedric.
Faina & Cedric are in bottom 3, Jimmy & Shauna are safe.
Mary goes to bat for Faina & Cedric.
Here's Benji.
Benji rocks the house and displays the stars and stripes.
Sabra is first up. Wow! She's got skillZ!
Dominic's up next.
He spins and twirls.
Ashlee's good, but not as good as Sabra.
Ricky's impressive.
2 more to go.
Lloyd, whose song Shawty was used by Cedric and Faina, will perform next.
Faina dances.
She looks great and dances well.
Cedric up.
He shows why he got to the top 20.
The judges, Nigel, Mary, and Dan Karaty, retire to deliberate.
Lloyd performs.
Sabra up first. She's safe.
Faina up next. She's safe.
Ashlee is going home.
Ashlee: "Thank you for this opportunity".
Guys up. Ricky first. Cedric next. Cedric's safe!
Dominic up. Dominic stays! Ricky goes home.
Nigel: "We're heartbroken".
End of show.
Ricky and Ashlee go home. As they were paired, there will be no changes in couples next week.
Thanks to Rambling Gypsy, here's Pasha and Jessi.
Music: Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Choreography: Tony Meredith
We posted this story last Saturday. It linked to the Fox TV station in Boise, Id. claiming that season 3 finalist Sabra Johnson was a hometown girl. This story from the Deseret News disputes that claim.
We apologize if this effects the outcome of any wagers.
Idol Chatter's take on last night:
But really, this wasn't a case of Ashlee and Ricky being bad - not by a long shot. They simply didn't quite hold up against the rest of the spectacularly talented cast. (Yes, this is when I say, again, why this show is a million times better than American Idol. It's because there are very few trainwrecks on this show even at the very beginning.) Everyone did incredibly well.
LINK
Blogger Sam Horn just discovered So You Think You Can Dance, and now it's her favorite show.
It showcases talented young people who work hard for what they want and are passionate about their creative art. They are healthy, innovative, dedicated, creative individuals doing what they love with energy, enthusiasm . . . and character.
Hok and Jaimie
We agree with Dan Karaty, ultimately forgettable. One problem with being a unique talent like Hok, is that in the SYTYCD format, he may not have much opportunity to do what he excels at, being himself. Jaimie did well for being out of her element.
Danny and Anya
Interesting couple dynamics here. Danny got a much better edit this time and came off as more likable and almost fun. Anya is the consummate professional. She may be the best match Danny could have drawn from this group, as we get the impression she can keep him in line. He looked great all in black. Danny is one of those people you might say would look great in anything, but don't be surprised if the SYTYCD wardrobe department has him looking ridiculous at some point in the season. We doubt either Danny or Anya will be departing on the hot tamale train anytime soon.
Kameron and Lacey
Ok, Lacey won us over. Who knew? Kameron was solid, exactly what Mia's choreography called for.
D'Trix and Sabra
D'Trix is fun, but he better have some trix to keep him and Sabra around for long. Brown polyester pants and a see-through shirt? And that thing Sabra was wearing? Accurate, I guess, but it reminded me too much of avocado appliances.
Ricky and Ashlee
Ricky is a talented dancer, but he looked like a 12 year old Michael Corleone dancing with somebody's big sister at a mob wedding. It's unfortunate for Ashlee that she didn't get matched with one of the taller guys, we'd really like to see more of her, and Ricky.
Jesus and Sara
We thought Wade Robson's choreography looked a lot like last year's Ramalama Bang Bang, except for the part about Ramalama being good. We like Jesus and are excited about Sara, they both did what they could, but we won't be hitting the Tivo rewind button for last night's effort.
Pasha and Jessi
Wow. Not our favorite kind of dance, but wow. Jessi looked great, despite having left some laundry out to dry. She floated around the stage as if on a cloud. Pasha was handsome and dashing, the perfect dance partner. I think this one, along with Lacey's performance tonight, will stand out in our collective memory.
Cedric and Faina
Props to Faina for working so hard, and we hope Cedric survives as we think he has a lot to show us. Cedric gets best wardrobe honors, except for the red leggings. If they both make it to next week, it would be fascinating to see them tackle a ballroom number.
Neil and Lauren
If you had read some of the online forums before last night, you would have thought Neil had the teenage girl vote, and thus probably the whole season, locked up. His lackluster performance flattened that curve. Lauren didn't do much to help. They'll both be around next week though.
Jimmy and Shauna
The fun couple of the night, and if they last long enough, they could be the fun couple of the season. We enjoyed their energy and hope to see more of them. Poor Jimmy gets worst wardrobe honors.
Daniel at TWOP:
"Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones provides the soundtrack. They seem really good to me. It's hard to tell, because the waltz is probably the dance most people can achieve some semblance of proficiency in. I mean, there's a reason newlyweds don't take robot lessons for weeks before the wedding. But just because you can do this dance doesn't mean you can do this dance this well. They look elegant, they look smooth.
Brett Love at TVSquad:
And the really interesting part of that competition comes as we get to see what happens when the luck of the draw forces dancers out of their comfort zone. Being able to spin on your head is great, but not much use if you have to waltz. Much like the years of classical ballet don't mean quite as much when you land the hip-hop number. It's what makes the show so fun.
If you haven't done so, don't forget to rate the couples and vote for your favorite. The poll will be up til 8pm tonight. The results show is tonight at 9pm ET/PT
Dan gives last night's show the DuckyXDale treatment.
Jessi Peralta and Pasha Kovalev surprised me once again! I never expected anything out of Jessi. There was just something about her personality and her being that bothered me until tonight but after watching her dance with such grace and poise and beauty, I have to kinda admit she rocked it. Pasha was really good too. Strong lines, great control and some wide ass posture. Very masculine performance and a good partner for Jessi. Can’t wait to see what they do next week!
I love the emotion that comes from Mia's choreographed pieces. (See last two videos at the bottom of this post.) Lacey and Kameron did an excellent job...the feeling was so intense, and like Nigel said, you didn't want the story to end. I loved it. And I love Lacey. Last week when she was told she made the top 20, she uttered my new favorite phrase: "SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!" (You kinda have to say it out loud for the full effect.)
Give Me My Remote reviews each couple:
A very similar routine was taken on by Ashley and Ricky but unfortunately they didn’t have the same results. I think it was a bit unfair that these two be paired together as their height difference is an immediate visual distraction. Ashley is so much taller than Ricky and it looked like she was dragging him around the floor.
The women seem more assured and sizzling than the men this year; there’s more hip hop dancers looking to find their way to survive the many styles. Besides being younger than “Dancing with the Stars,” the show mixes up voters completely with each couple dancing a completely different style. How to compare them? Dial 1-888-ORANGES or 1-888-APPLES.
Next up is breaker Sara and lyrical dancer Jesus and they will be doing a Pop Jazz number by Wade Robson who I think is brilliant. it is really cool but looks very similar to that number they did as a group last season, still cool nonetheless. Dan Karaty said that was a routine we haven’t seen before. Yes we have, last season. Anyway they did awesome.
Somebody who goes by the name unscrewed at the TVGuide community blog gives a quick recap.
LINK
Reality Check by Gina has her recap up.
LINK
Hok and Jaimie - Tambourine by Eve
Danny and Anya - Girlfriend by April Lavigne
Kameron and Lacey - Dancing by Elisa
D'Trix and Sabra - No More Tears(Enough is Enough) by Donna Summer
Ricky and Ashlee - Sentimiento Tanguero by Trio Federico Berlingieri
Jesus and Sara - Cabaret Hoover - The Triplets Of Bellville (Soundtrack)
Pasha and Jessi - Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
Cedric and Faina - Get It Shawty by Lloyd
Neil and Lauren - Friday Night Rhythm by Mazerati 5
Jimmy and Shauna - Ease On Down The Road - The Wiz (Soundtrack)
Hok and Jaimie 888-836-7601
Danny and Anya 888-836-7602
Kameron and Lacey 888-836-7603
D'Trix and Sabra 888-836-7604
Ricky and Ashlee 888-836-7605
Jesus and Sara 888-836-7606
Pasha and Jessi 888-836-7607
Cedric and Faina 888-836-7608
Neil and Lauren 888-836-7609
Jimmy and Shauna 888-836-7610
Shane Sparks has been on the interview circuit recently, but he brings something new to each one. BuddyTV has the interview in text and audio.
I think this year’s top twenty is the best top twenty ever because last year we saw them grow as dancers and get better. And we realized, “Oh my gosh, he’s so much better now, I didn’t even see it. I don’t even remember her.” This year the top twenty are like incredible right now. So I can just imagine how they’re gonna be like four episodes, six episodes into the show.
We've been light on our Kameron Bink coverage. His Idolforums fan thread points us to a photo collection, and this video of Kam breakdancing.
Here's Caitlin Cucchiara performing her full version of Lamentation. She didn't make it to the top 20 for season 3, but we can hope she comes back for season 4.
The New York Post has 2 articles of interest to So You Think You Can Dance watchers. First, a short piece about our favorite Chibot, Bryan Gaynor. Bryan's appearance on the Atlanta audition show has been referenced more widely on the web than any other SYTYCD contestant, even the poor face-plant guy from season 2.
LINK
Shane Sparks was quoted in the Bryan Gaynor article, but he gets an article all his own too.
"A lot of stuff is so underground, and it's my job to bring it to the forefront," says Sparks.
The Star-Telegram has a short interview with season 3 finalist Ashlee Langas.
Mia Michaels to Ashlee:
"I think if people were dancing in heaven they would dance just like you."
Here's the 2007 promo reel for season 3 finalist Dominic Sandoval's Flexible Flave Crew. Lyrics in the second half of the video contain language some may find offensive and are NOT SAFE FOR WORK. Kudos to whoever designed the fisheye shots.
ATTENTION SOCAL!
Season 3 audition favorite Stephen "tWitch" Boss is one of several instructors teaching classes at Mavyn Entertainment's In The Spotlight, this Saturday, the 16th.
MORE INFO
This morning there are 2 pieces about season 3 finalist Sabra Johnson, first from StandardNet Live, and then from Deseret News.
Milwaukee's JSOnline has an article this morning on season 3 finalist Cedric Gardner, along with an audio interview.
Jimmy Arguello is another of the low-profile season 3 finalists. Someone I saw on the web was making a case that he is this year's alternate, making it into the top 20 when someone else dropped out. I might mention here, that's how Benji Schwimmer made it into last year's top 20. Similar to fan favorite Myles Johnson, Jimmy's official bio says he gave up sports, track & field in his case, to take up dance. We finally tracked down some video, and found that he already has a MySpace fan site.
I had somehow missed these clips of season 2 So You Think You Can Dance winner Benji Schwimmer appearing on a couple of talk shows. As we head into the serious competition of season 3, we see that this year's winner has some big shoes to fill when it comes to combining personality and talent.
In this Regis and Kelly clip, Benji does a respectable Regis impression.
Unfortunately, the Fred Astaire movie Benji mentions fell through. Heidi is in this clip, along with an appearance by Donyelle Jones, on The Megan Mullally Show
Another appearance on the Megan Mullally Show. No dancing this time.
We didn't see much of Jesus "Chuy" Solorio in Las Vegas, until he was named to the top 20. Here's his audition in LA. It's interesting that he chose Goapelle's Closer, a song close to the hearts of season 2 Natalie and Musa fans.
Check back with us here at Blogging So You Think You Can Dance Wednesday night after the show (2 Hours, begins 8pm ET/PT). You'll be able to vote for your favorite couple in our unofficial, unscientific poll, and rate all the couples. We'll have the voting phone #s for you too, just in case.
We saw Morgan Larson audition in Chicago. Nigel called her "an interesting little thing" and said she had "some wonderful things our choreographers would love to get hold of". No, really. He said it. It's on tape.
Morgan made it to Las Vegas but not to the top 20. She recounts the experience for her hometown paper.
LINK
Movmnt Magazine has the backstage pics from a recent Mia Michaels photo shoot.
LINK
This is the only video we've been able to find of season 3 finalist Neil Haskell. It's the group audition in New York with Mandy Moore. Neil is up front, to the left of Mandy, in the gray shirt. Also there are Jamal Weaver, his buddy Ernest E-Knock Phillips, and Hannah Lee Sakakibara.
The first top 20 show was taped Monday afternoon. GirlsTalkinSmack has some couples spoilers. The best news for us is that Tyce Diorio is one of the choreographers for the show, along with Mia Michaels, Wade Robson, and Shane Sparks. We haven't seen Tyce on the show yet this year, though we've heard he was heavily involved with the Las Vegas auditions. Here he is at his EnTyce Showcase.
Another So You Think You Can Dance blogger has ranked all 20 dancers. Based on what, I'm not sure, but you might find it interesting.
LINK
LJ blogger DeceptivelyEvil (I've heard makeup helps with that) thinks that the dancers will be paired in the order they appear on Fox's website. I have no idea if that's what will happen Wednesday night, but it certainly makes for some juicy speculation.
What if b-girl Sara von Gillern is paired with Latin Ballroom specialist Pasha Kovalev? What if it's Hok with Jaimie Goodwin? How would a Faina and D'Trix team work out? Anya and Cedric? See what I mean? Even if they're not paired as shown, there will be some very, very interesting couples. Add to that the wild cards of choreographer and style assignments, I think we have another great season ahead of us.
Who would you like to see dance together? Who would you NOT like to see dance together?
LINK
Asher Streets gives us a long and thoughtful analysis of what a season 3 contestant needs to know to survive. It's at foxesonidol.com, so I have to issue a pop-up/ugly-flashing-ad-thingy-you-shouldn't-touch-with-a-10-foot-cursor warning. Asher, you deserve better, buddy.
LINK
Season 2 finalist Jason Williams uploaded this video. It shows Jason, Benji Schwimmer, Allison Holker, Martha Nichols, Dmitry Chaplin, and Ashlee Nino rehearsing for a recent Canadian TV appearance.
Did any of our Canadian readers catch the show? Please let us know, especially if you have video.
TVGuide community blogger Sassafras wraps up the audition shows for us.
LINK
Rambling Gypsy lists the specific genres of all 20 finalists and points out a few controversies floating around the web. One I would add to the list is the Cedric Gardner partnering issue. Which girl will draw him as a partner? Will she be seriously handicapped in the competition? Gypsy also gives us a shout out. Thanks!
LINK
Thanks to some friends and fans of season 3 finalist Shauna Noland, we have a photo and some performance videos of her..jpg)
Videos are working now.
Shauna Noland and Kory Amaral - Vast
Ok, friends and fans of Neil Haskell, Sabra Johnson, Jimmy Arguello, Sara von Gillern, Cedric Gardner, Kameron Bink, and Ashlee Langus, let us hear from you. Oops, almost forgot Ricky Palomino. We haven't seen much of him either.
LA's The Place
Magazine has an interview with So You Think You Can Dance choreographer/judge Shane Sparks. On this year's contestants:
Well actually, there’s this girl, Jessie. I call her ‘poppin Jessie’. She is incredible, and sets the standard for everybody. She’s not the best at lyrical [dancing], but she mixed lyrical and hip-hop and blew us away. She is
definitely in my top 5…top 3. I remember Nigel [Lythgoe] at the audition, he said he didn’t even want to watch anyone else. She did that well.
Phillip "PacMan" Chbeeb with his Marvelous Motion Crew. Phillip is fourth up, but they're all amazing.
From season 1, Blake McGrath, front and center. From season 2, Jason Williams, to the left in gray. From season 3, Lauren Gottlieb, to the right in green.
We have added the season 3 top 20 links to the side bar. We haven't found links for everyone yet. Got something to add? Please email us, or leave a comment. Thanks!
The Quad City Times has a piece on season 3 finalist Sara Von Gillern. She's another one we didn't meet until she was named to the top 20.
LINK
