SYTYCD News Roundup

The American Idol tour has been announced. We don't have to worry about it being combined with the SYTYCD tour, for this year at least.


BuddyTV notes that Neil Haskell has stayed busy since the end of season 3. They've lost track of Sabra, however. We know Sabra has a Myspace page and that she's been in Australia for several weeks teaching workshops with Kameron Bink.


I'm told that the Las Vegas round of auditions for season 4 are taking place right now.



If the BSYTYCD reader poll is any indication, Jack Chambers is clearly the first winner of So You Think You Can Dance Australia. He took 54% of the vote, with Rhys a distant second.


Judges Matt, Bonnie, and Jason will dance in the opening number in Sunday night's Australian finale.

Step It Up & Dance Recap (Video)

When Jerry announced there would be a "stomp-off", am I the only one who was reminded of the model walk-off from Project Runway season 2? Where was Daniel V. when we need him?


Check for Stomp performances near you.



Tamara Brooks at It Happened Last Night recaps.



Jason Alexander and choreographer Lee Martino guest judge next week's broadway themed episode.

American Idol Open Thread

Have your say. Here's a Nigel Lythgoe interview to get things started.

Step It Up & Dance Recap And Preview (Video)

John And Colin at NewNowNext say that Heidi Klum would never bring muffins. Check out their Suck It Up video blog.



Maria at A Time To Dance noticed all the dancers wearing something interesting. Are they microphones?



The entire Step It & Dance cast will perform live at the Tribeca Film Festival Thursday night.


Here's the preview of the upcoming episode, courtesy of Bravo.

SYTYCD News Roundup

Neil Haskell joins the cast of Altar Boyz today.


TVGasm is running a contest to celebrate the upcoming 4th season of So You Think You Can Dance.

The grand prize winner of this contest gets a trip for 2 to Los Angeles. FOX will fly you and a guest to LA to attend a Guinness World Record Breaking Event "Dance-Off" (the most people playing a dancing game simultaneously) at the Nokia Center.

SYTYCD Choreographer Tony Meredith and his partner, Jessi Peralta stand-in Melanie Lapatin, are coaching young champions.




Jack Chambers is the odds-on favorite to win So You Think You Can Dance Australia.


Nat Bas weighs in on the final 4.


Sabra Johnson didn't perform on the Aussie show, but at least she got to attend and go back stage.

Canada Update

So You Think You Can Dance Canada announced today the addition of Melissa Williams and Sean Cheesman as special guest judges and choreographers. Also announced: Dan Karaty will be guest judge at the Halifax auditions. Date and venue changes were revealed for Halifax and Toronto. More info here and here.

The Winner of So You Think You Can Dance Australia...

...won't be revealed until next week. The videos from the performance show are up though, thanks to NoneOfThese.

Final Four Performance Recap

Reality Raver watched the final 4 performance show and reports:

If the winner of the So You Think You Can Dance were based on crimes against fashion, then Rhys is the clear winner.

How many fashion crimes can you commit in one outfit? Bright canary yellow shorts matched with purple stockings if that wasn’t enough combine that with a sleeveless tied dye top, plus a Bjorn Bork sweat band.

Then we can move onto the sartorial judges, two were wearing hats and one was wearing sequins and faux crystals.

And Matt said for the fifth week in a row “I’m so excited”. Think up a new opening gambit please. It cannot be that difficult.

Tonight each dancer was going to dance with the other one. So we would be able a great overview of their talent to help us assess who to vote for.

First up...

CLICK TO CONTINUE READING

...Demi and Jack doing the cha cha to a Jason Gilkison routine.

This pair were the only original top twenty partners who made it through to the top four.
Demi looked spunky and hot, and Jack was just about flawless. Fun and funky dance, with enough traditional cha cha moves to please the ballroom Nazi, but I liked the slight disco feel to it as well.

Matt Lee said: “That was so sexy for me, bought the connection.”

Bonnie said “Way they came down the stairs just incredible.”, “Demi you can achieve anything”, and “Jack this cha cha was just sensational, every partner you dance with you mould together.”

Jason Coleman: “Both had an amazing amount of joy’, “Jack everything about that from your hips, knees I really felt the ballroom stance. Well done.” “Demi you eat it up in your face….you’re a fine fine dancer.”

Next couple were Rhys and Kate dancing a hip hop routine choreographed by Supple. Dressed as toy soldiers it was not amazing - there was no wow factor about it. Tonight I thought there was far too much hip hop with of the three routines being in that genre, and none were great.

Matt said :”Very, very difficult routine.”, “Unison lost it in the middle.”
Bonnie said: “Extremely intricate….. excellent job.”
Jason talking to the under whelmed viewing audience said: "Complimenting Supple, interesting and diverse routine.”, “Want to point out how difficult it is to learn unison in two days.”, “I personally think both of you are brilliant.”, “Want people at home to know how difficult it is.”

Demi and Rhys were next with a Debbie Ellis contemporary routine to Snow Patrol song Chasing Cars. Apparently this was the first time Rhys had gotten to dance to a contemporary routine in the competition. So maybe the card draws are not rigged.

Matt said: “Demi you need to take as much time on the in-between bits as the big movements.”, and “Rhys your arms just beautiful.”

Bonnie: “First time that Rhys had done a contemporary routine.” Then she just rambled on. In fact Bonnie’s performance/judgement was really annoying tonight. Is she going to be back next year? Can’t we send her to Bulgarian So You Think You Can Dance?

Jason: “Rhys good things come to those who wait… I really liked your flow.”
“Demi slightly short for me in form - but only dancer left in competition without formal training.”

Jack and Kate danced to an Alicia Keys number which was choreographed by Jet. It was lyrical jazz. Can someone explain the difference to me between lyrical jazz and contemporary?
It started out with Kate holding a peace flag, was Jet trying to whip up some Wade Robson type controversy? With all the love in the air from the 2020 summit I doubt that it will. It was a beautifully danced routine. One of the best ones of the night.

Matt Lee: “You two just excel together.”, and “Just amazing, congratulations.”

Bonnie said: “No one does it better then you two.”, and “Wonderful”

Jason: “Great couple I have high expectations of, and I was not disappointed.”, “Kate, I love you in this soft lyrical world.”, and “Jack you are a great turner, you are a dancer that is always dancing in control, it never looks like your energy gets away from you.”

Demi and Kate then danced a hip hop type routine which was based on a silent film ala Charlie Chaplin - it meant to be slapstick. Really dull. It was like 1960’s variety hour and I expected to see Burt Newton come out after it to do a comedy routine with Don Lane after it had finished.

Natalie Bassingthwaite didn’t say who the choreographer was. They panned to Supple so I can only presume he did it. For the girls who are the underdogs in the competition this was not the routine you would really want to go out on.

Matt: “Kate you hit everything as hard as you do”, “ Demi liked the characterisation. Good job with what you got.” I think he was intimating the choreography was shite.

Bonnie: “Tricky routine demi you did great. Good job.”

Jason: “As cute as that was… it did not give me anything to do with at this stage of the competition.”

On the other hand Rhys and Jack had a hot Broadway routine from show Chicago choreographed by Adam Williams. This was the routine I had been waiting for to really try and assess who was the best dancer out of the two favourites of the comp. I think Jack came out on top.

Matt: “Jack this was the perfect forum for you.”, and “Rhys you tackle every genre. Both of you great job.”

Bonnie: “Boys, Boys, Boys, just to see you dance together, the camaraderie between you has been excellent.”

Jason: “Rhys when you dance for me it is very safe to the core of the centre, Jack takes his lines to the extreme so has more flow.”, and “Jack came out of the routine slightly on top.”

Was he trying to guide the public to vote for Jack.

Last there was a pretty lame Group dance. It was a Latino hip hop number choreographed by Tijano Burg (SIC) . Kate and hip hop don’t mix, and everyone was just flailing about on stage. Routine did not blow me away. It was a disappointing end to the night.
Jason said in summing up “Think about the dancing you have seen over the past few weeks.”

Now it is time to decide how and why to vote:

Best dancer: Jack
Favourite dancer/personality: Rhys
Most versatile dancer: Demi
Best female dancer and most consistent: Kate.

At least I have a week to think about it.