Think Bink

The Miami Herald has a story on Floridian Kameron Bink:

'Kameron's doing great,'' said Bink's former dance instructor, Scott Benson. ``He's got a lot more versatility than most people, and he brings his own element to dancing.''

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Dallas Blagg

Remember Dallas Blagg from the Las Vegas auditions? Nigel called him the "gangsta ballet" dancer after his hip-hop performance. There's buzz on the fan boards that Dallas actually made the season 3 top 20. Contractual obligations forced him to drop out, and he was replaced by Jimmy Arguello.

We found this video of Dallas performing a contemporary solo. Let's hope he auditions again next year.

The color of the speedo Dallas wears must be officially cataloged as "Dallas Blagg Fleshtone". Ask for it at you're local speedo dealer.

UPDATE: We also found Dallas' MySpace page, where he says:

Well, so much for the show... It was a really great experience (stressful!), but I am going to be heading to Zurich next year!!! I'll audition again in a couple of years when I don't have any contracts to deal with!!!

Why Jessi Isn't America's Favorite Dancer

If you're like me, you're probably tired of the whole Jessi elimination controversy. Don't give up on it yet, until you've read Asher Streets' analysis of why Jessi isn't America's favorite dancer:

Jessi may have not been the most unique, but she was certainly one of the most memorable. Even though I didn’t notice the oil during her audition, I noticed the heat. Jessi is a fiery and sensual performer, sometimes making me uncomfortable with how overt she is. Others have noticed this too, and it has turned some people off to Jessi. This points out that dancers need to be memorable for positive things. Collapsing from dehydration may earn some sympathy, but objectively, it’s not a positive thing: it shows lack of care for the body and can convey weakness.

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So You Think You Can Dance - Around The Web

At BuddyTV, Oscar Dahl stands up for Nigel, and predicts the next 2 eliminations:

So, going into next week, who do the judges stand to send home? Contrary to some haters out there, I actually think that Nigel Lythgoe is a reasonable and intelligent man who generally does a fine job. He will have pondered his judging mistakes and will look to right the wrongs of the previous weeks.

That is why I believe that Cedric and Anya Garnis will be the ones sent home next Thursday. Cedric has deserved elimination for the last three weeks and, if and when he's voted into the bottom three, I have complete faith that the judges will not hesitate to eliminate him. Anya, who should have gone home last week, is the default female. Frankly, I don't think she's as good of a dancer as the other ladies in the competition (although I don't want to completely discount her) and her abysmal hip/hop routine last week can't be overlooked.

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The New York Times has a story on the current popularity of dance and it's use in advertising, including several videos.

The trend is typified on TV by highly rated series like “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” as well as movies like “High School Musical” on the Disney Channel, which is spawning a sequel next month.

In theaters, dance is a central part of films like “Dreamgirls,” “Hairspray,” “Mad Hot Ballroom,” “Shall We Dance,” “Step Up” and “Take the Lead,” among others.

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Here's a blogger who has seen the SYTYCD light:

I have to admit that I never gave the show a chance last year... the idea of dance as primetime entertainment didn't really appeal to me. So why the 180? I actually watched it with a live theatre mindset and it really plays that way. I don't know if the talent last season was as good, but these folks can cut a freakin' rug!

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Related
to an off-topic story we covered, Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts will have a cd in stores July 16th.



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Caste System

We found this quirky little article in LA's The Place Magazine (unfortunate URL interpretation: Last He Place dot com). It's Jessi and Jesus interviewed again, with a few new twists:

Even though the energy of the competition was tense at times, Jessi shared that all the dancers get along really well and she feels that she’s made a lot of good friends during the competition. Though Jesus has made friends with a few of the dancers he feels that everyone gets a little angry at each other sometimes for little things. He adds that what viewers might not see as much on the show is the relationships between dancers that aren’t partners and also the involvement the producers play daily during rehearsals. This interaction between members of the show made Jessi and Jesus feel that they learned so much because everyone was so different in both their personality and dancing style.

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More unfortunate web addresses here.

Ranking The Top 14

Oscar Dahl at BuddyTV ranks the guys and the girls in 2 separate articles. If you're like me, you'll find a lot to disagree with here. Lauren ranked first amongst the girls? Kameron for the guys?

Emily at Eclaire Fare makes more sense to me, with her ranking of couples and individuals.

Outside The Box

We found some videos to help deal with this week's lack of a dance fix. First, a beautiful lyrical solo at the Dance Hall Of Fame by a dancer named Kaitlyn Conley.


Next, 2 short documentaries on teaching contemporary lyrical. The Northern School of Contemporary Dance:


And finally, from the Youtube description:

Contemporary dance class by (Leslie) Les Watanabe (former soloist with Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Joyce Trisler) and fellow collaborator, Melissa St. Clair (has been selected to Who's Who Among America's Teachers and is currently teaching at Jefferson High School of the Performing Arts in Portland OR.)

Ratings Update

TVSquad has the Nielson top 20 ratings for last week. Wednesday and Thursday SYTYCD top 16 airings came in third and fourth, respectively. It's notable that Spanish-language network Univision has a show listed at number 15.

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So You Think You Can Dance - Season 2 Favorites

Season 2 finalist and friend of the blog Jason Williams has posted new pics to his MySpace page, including what he calls "us old and forgotten about sytycd'ers". Ashlee Nino, Martha Nichols, Dmitry Chaplin, Allison Holker, Benji Schwimmer, and Jason recently performed in Toronto for CTV.

You'll need a MySpace log-in to view.

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Welcome To The Sixties

Hairspray director Adam Shankman will be the guest judge when So You Think You Can Dance returns on June 11th (top 14 show). He's also set to choreograph the opening group number on the results show on June 12th. If you haven't seen it, here's the official trailer.


Some cast members are interviewed at the MTV Movie Awards. That's Adam between Nikki Blonsky and Elijah Kelley.


Here's the movie's official site.

Recently Added

Recently added to our sidebar:

Danny Tidwell's Official Site

Jesus Solorio's MySpace Page

Shauna Noland's MySpace Fan Site

Television With Out Pity fan threads for all the season 3 dancers.

No Show This Week

We're seeing a lot of visitors looking for spoilers. Unfortunately, there's nothing to spoil yet. No show this week due to the Independence Day holiday here in the states.

We know at least a some of this season's contestants went home for a few days. Dominic Sandoval and Pasha Kovalev have been spotted in their respective hometowns. We hope all the remaining dancers use this time to rest and heal. Maybe too, they'll have an extra few days to rehearse their routines for next week.

In Case You Missed It

It came out during last Wednesday's performance show, so you may have missed it. Movmnt Magazine published an interview with season 2 favorites Travis Wall and Ivan Koumaev. They talk a bit about Danny Tidwell and Jaimie Goodwin, their own DVD, and their plans to work with Blake Lewis. Allison Holker even makes a quick appearance. The most amazing thing is that Ivan does the whole interview with some sort of small animal attached to his head.

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Missed Recap

We missed an entertaining review of last week's shows at midseasonreplacements.com

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And what was up with Jessi and the lamb ears? This was during rehearsals, so you can't blame the wardrobe department.

New Phillip Chbeeb Stuff

Houston Popper Phillip "PacMan" Chbeeb made a big splash with Shane Sparks and viewers with this audition.


We've been following Phillip and just found some videos, this one from 2006.


And this one from April.


Along with that comes news that Phillip's Marvelous Motion Crew has opened a studio in Houston. They have a website here, including videos and class schedules, there's a DVD available too. Our previous coverage here.

Just Good Friends

Lacey Schwimmer's MySpace Fan Site denies reports of a budding romance between Lacey and her dance partner, Kameron Bink. It's all in lower case, so it must be true.

so we've been hearing a lot of really weird things about official couples and what not. and someone had mention there even being a topic of it on E! and making things "official" without any consent nor verification from any valid source. although the caring chemistry that kameron and lacey share on stage while they are dancing is completely genuine, they are just friends. if anyone, i am a credible source and know for a fact that there is nothing more than a friendship going on between kameron and lacey. they are really, really great friends whom support each other and love each other in a friendly way. i know that there are many of you devoted kamcey fans out there that have their wishful thinking but as far as reality goes, this is what it is. i hope this clears things up! also we would greatly appreciate it if whoever reads this could forward this message to anybody and anywhere that is saying otherwise. thanks!

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So You Think You Can Dance - Romance Gossip

Give Me My Remote has some names to go with the rumors of a season 3 romance, and some season 2 dirt as well.

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Message From Jessi

A message from someone claiming to be Jessi Peralta has been posted to the Fox Message boards.

Dear Everyone,

Due to the unbelievable number of posts, I felt it best to directly respond and clear up the different issues raised regarding my dismissal.
First, I am fine! The situation with my health was a temporary case of dehydration. After undergoing extensive testing, I was declared healthy and fit to dance.
Second, I would like to rebut some of the theories that have been raised.
#1 I am NOT pregnant... (I don’t even have a boyfriend, yet... how can we find out if Pasha reads this?.. ;)
#2 I do NOT and have never had an eating disorder. I pride myself in eating healthy and natural foods with the occasional IN-and-OUT Burger...
#3 I did NOT have a pre-existing medical condition that I left undisclosed to producers.
#4 I do NOT now nor have I EVER touched a drug in my life... Come on say it with me.."JUST SAY NO!"

I just want to express my DEEPEST gratitude to each and every person who signed the petition and has taken the time to voice his or her opinion. Your efforts on my behalf have been overwhelming and have been a huge comfort to me during all this. I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nigel and the whole SYTYCD prod. Team. Because I was fighting to keep my composure on the show, I was unable to express my gratitude. I am TRULY honored to have been part of the show and have no regrets about the way it all ended. I thank them whole-heartedly for allowing me to live my dream, if only for a short time.

Who knows..? I believe in miracles. With God's help maybe your petition is a miracle in the making...

Your Baby Oil, Suitcase, funny outfits, wacky dance moves girl... (did I leave anything out?)
<3 JESSI

It sounds like her. What do you think?

Local Coverage Of Jessi

The Jessi mess gets some hometown coverage.

Florida Today's FlaBlaBla blog talked to her Mom:

"It's a little hard watching your own daughter get taken away in an ambulance on television," Peralta said "Apparently, she was dehydrated and had an episode where she had shortness of breath."

Valarie Peralta added that Jessi's requiring medical assistance occurred shortly before the Monday taping which aired on Wednesday. (Thursday nigh's result shows are broadcast live.)

She was given two liters of fluids and it became evident that Wednesday's show would go on without Jessie. She also underwent four hours of tests with a cardiologists.
Her mother thinks Jessi's plight could have resulted from her daughter forgetting to breathe.

"Throughout her dance career she starts focusing on the dancing part so much she forgets to breathe -- literally," her mother said.

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TCPalm spoke with her Dad:

"She's OK, her heart is fine," said Rockledge resident Doug Peralta, Jessi's father. "I think they got a false reading based on the fact that she was severely dehydrated — they thought she might have some sort of heart problem. But she was cleared by the doctors to dance. She does not have a heart problem."

Even after showing up Thursday and performing at full speed, Peralta was dismissed by the judges. She's upset and disappointed, Doug Peralta said, but offers — to appear in music videos, and movie-role auditions — have already started to come in. "Jessi's a very positive person," he said. "This is not going to be a setback as much as it's going to be a springboard for her to move forward."

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Judge Interviews

Benji Schwimmer interviews the judges after Thursday's results show for Reality Remix.

Benji: The health issue with Jessi. Is that the main reason why she was sent home tonight?

Nigel: Not at all. I mean, we looked at what she did tonight, looked across the whole series at what she's done. We had four really good dancers there, in the girls.

Mary: We were not satisfied with any of the solos, then we started to backtrack, going over the performances from the very beginning, actually thinking about from audition time, and, uh, that's when I think it came down to Jessi.

The interviews are a little past halfway in the video here.

Just Another Fred Astaire/Boogie IQ Post

Given that we have have a week ahead with no new show, it gives us a chance to go outside the So You Think You Can Dance box a bit.

We found these 2 male solos. They couldn't be MORE different, but the beauty of SYTYCD is that it teaches us an appreciation for the artistry of both, no matter what style brings us to the table.

First, the legendary Fred Astaire does Sunday Jumps from the 1951 public domain movie Royal Wedding.



Uploaded by season 3 audition favorite Phillip "PacMan" Chbeeb, Tony Harris, aka Boogie IQ, shows off some incredible popping.

Compare And Contrast

LiveJournal blogger genrocks has posted for comparison the videos of Pasha Kovalev performing this week's Cha Cha routine, one with last-minute replacement Melanie LaPatin, and the other with partner Jessi Peralta. Commenters show some love for Pasha and respect for Melanie.

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The Other

As usual, this week the Theory My Culture blog gives us an interesting read. This time it's Kate:

Tonight’s results show begins with a little taste of the Other, as the show often does. One of the things that makes the show so good is the way that we as the audience are exposed to all forms of dance. At the same time, this demanded accessibility changes the dance form itself. Last night’s crumping, for example, exposed viewers to a dance form that most are unfamiliar with (unless, of course, they watched last season). Nigel queryed Jesus, “Where did you learn that in Paso Robles?” “Being mad at the grapes,” he retorts. But of course Jesus learned the dance from the choreographers. What is lost when these dance forms are rendered “accessible,” when crumping becomes “not just scary,” as Nigel remarked? What price is paid for accessibility, and how do we imagine the lives of and claims to authenticity on the part of each dancer?

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What Would Chuy Do?

Some Facebookers have put together a page in honor of Jesus "Chuy" Solorio. From the page:

Our Mission: To support former SYTYCD 3 contestant Jesús Solorio in his desire to give back to the people who need it most.

Description: When asked what his ambitions outside of dancing were, Jesús Solorio replied:

"My ambition is helping children in need. I love donating, I love donating my time, and that's what I want to do. I want to make enough money to help people out. You know, people have given to me, and I want to give back. I want to Pay It Forward."

Jesús was raised in the small California town of Paso Robles, growing up around the vinyards in the only work force that his family could be a part of. Unable to afford the costs of his education in dance, the people of his town would hold fundraisers to put him through training. Having been given the opportunity to put such a gift out there for the world to see, he now hopes to be able to do the same for other children in need.

With partner Sara Kei VonGillern by his side, Jesús has done what he set out to do, inspiring fans everywhere to get up and dance. Unfortunately, this amazing dancer, who carries with him an incredible personality and heart, was cut from the competition after only three weeks. To honor him and his accomplishments, we would like to help him Pay It Forward.

And so we pose the question: Why Would Jesús Dance? Why would you? Does dance exist to fulfill only those on the floor, or is it something to be shared for the bennefit of every person it touches?

We ask that members of this cause hold events in their hometown to raise money for Jesús' cause. Whether it be a formal dance showcase, or simply a chance for friends to get together on the dance floor, we hope to use what Jesús does best (No, not making wine... DANCE) as a fundraiser to make a donation to this site. We will then donate every penny raised to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund in California, making this contribution in his name to the youth and young adults of his own community so that they can alas achieve the education they would not otherwise be priveleged to gain.

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