Benji At USA Grand Nationals

Benji Schwimmer and Kellese Key perform at the USA Grand Nationals over the Memorial Day Weekend in Atlanta. If I had known, I could have been there.

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Speaking of Benji, we're hearing that cousin Heidi got hitched over the last weekend. Best wishes to her and the lucky guy.

SYTYCD News Roundup

Theresa Annas of the Virginian-Pilot writes an in-depth piece on Denise Wall:

Wall's passion has resulted in much attention for her modest, three-room dance studio on Bonney Road. The school called Denise Wall's Dance Energy could use some new carpet and a fresh coat of paint. Clearly, that hasn't held the place back.

Dozens of trophies pack the shelves above the mirrors that run the length of Wall's room. The school wins so many, she said, "I throw them out." Articles from The New York Times and Dance magazine are among the hometown clippings displayed in the lobby.

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Central Jersey's Home News Tribune chatted with season 2's Heidi Groskreutz:

Heidi, now a Cliffside, N.J. resident, said since the show ended, she has been traveling around the world working on different dance projects and teaching classes. She recently filmed a movie with her cousin, and 2006 show champion, Benji Schwimmer but enjoys being able to teach.

"You have to give back," Groskreutz said. "It's the only way to pay it forward for those who have helped you while you were training."

We also learn that Heidi is in talks for an unnamed show on ABC. She'd be a great pro on Dancing With The Stars.

LINK



Betsy Scott of the News-Herald previews the Halloween night tour stop in Cleveland by talking to Neil Haskell:

As if Neil Haskell isn't adorable enough, he is sure to further endear himself to his Northeast Ohio fans when they learn of his allegiance to our Tribe. His loyalty came to light after a reporter revealed that her publication is based in the Cleveland area. "Go Indians," was his immediate reply.
Never mind that it was said two days after the team squashed our hearts with a mallet by losing three straight not-close games to the Boston Red Sox and lost its chance to get back to the World Series after a 10-year absence.
But back to Haskell, a contestant on Fox's summer hit talent show "So You Think You Can Dance." He explained that he became a Tribe follower growing up in Buffalo, N.Y., which an Indians farm team calls home.
"I'm definitely a big Indians fan," he said, while acknowledging that the 49-stop dance tour interfered with his watching the playoffs. "I was able to watch (ESPN's) 'SportsCenter' afterwards."

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Our friend Selly at Dance Outlook attended the show in St Louis.

LINK to review
LINK to photos 1
LINK to photos 2

Here's Jaimie and Hok performing Wade Robson's Hummingbird routine in St. Louis.



Besides Australia, season 3 is currently airing in South Africa. The Times' Barry Ronge likes it:

I believe this is the most impressive and entertaining of the “reality” talent shows.

It’s streets ahead of Idols and Survivor. Even Project Runway pales in comparison. The only show that edges onto this high ground is The Amazing Race.

I love it because the challenge is real and physical. You need no specialist knowledge. This week the competition kicks into high gear because we are down to the last 10.

What is with that awful image of Cat?

LINK

Blast From The Past

Here's one I'll bet you haven't seen in a while. Travis and Heidi performing a Wade Robson Afro-pop routine.


Thanks to redheaven22 for posting.

Benji Update

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Benji and Heidi appear at the Laguna Dance Festival October 6th. More info here. The site is worth a visit for clips of 2006 performances, if nothing else.

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Benji dances with the elite of the dance world (including Jason Samuels Smith) Oct. 29th in New York at the Career Transition For Dancers 22nd Jubilee. More Info here.

For those who don't know, Benji is an extremely talented photographer. Check his Myspace for his photos of Travis, Allison, Ivan, Jason Williams, and Ashlee Nino.

Benji & Heidi Movie, New Choreographer?

From Eonline's Watch With Kristin:

Cate in Asheville, North Carolina: I'm still missing So You Think You Can Dance. Think I need to seek therapy?

Yes, along with Korbi and Jen, whom I'm really starting to worry about...The good news is we've got a little info that might ease your pain: Season-two winner Benji Schwimmer and his cousin Heidi Groskreutz are costarring in a movie about West Coast swing, which is currently filming! Amy Smart is the star, plus Caroline Rhea and Maulik Pancholy (Sanjay from Weeds) are also on the roster! Woohoo! BTW, we caught up with Nigel Lythgoe recently, and he talked about additions to the show next season: "[We'd love to have] Susan Stroman. She's an outstanding choreographer, and I'd love to get some classical choreographers on the show. If you can do contemporary, you can do classical!"

SOURCE

The movie mentioned is Love 'N' Dancing.

Here's Susan Stroman's Wikipedia entry, and here's a bio at PBS.

This is an excerpt from the final performance of the Broadway cast of the Tony-award winning musical Contact by Susan Stroman and John Weidman.

Video From Last Year's Tour

Myspacer Did He Just Go Crazy and Fall Asleep has several videos posted from last season's tour. They're decent amateur quality but watchable, and unlike the show, the camera stays in one place and doesn't cut away just when things get interesting.

Wade Robson's Ramalama Bang Bang group dance




Mia Michaels' Park Bench dance with Travis & Heidi




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Travis & Heidi's Paso Doble




Donyelle & Benji's Hairspray part 1




Hairspray part 2




Ivan and Allison's Why




Heidi & Ryan's Cuban Rumba part 1




Cuban Rumba part 2




Travis and Benji's Nerd Dance




SexyBack

About The Judges

Entertainment Weekly's Adam B Vary is a bit grumpier than normal this week:

I'd chalk it up just to personal taste if the judges hadn't gushed over every single routine like grandmas after a grade-school band recital. They really want us to like these dancers, to the point where they'll, say, overlook Lauren awkwardly throwing down her arm to push herself up during that superdisco floor spin, or rhapsodize over Neil and Sabra's climactic ''doughnut'' drop even though Benji and Heidi pulled off the exact same move last season, and with smoother execution besides.

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Tom Dorsey with the Louisville Courier-Journal writes about the British Judge phenomenon on American reality shows. As so often seem to happen with traditional newspaper coverage of the show, he gets an easily verifiable, major fact wrong:

There was a judge named Nigel Lythgoe looking down his patrician nose at hoofers on "Dancing With the Stars." Nigel? Yes, there was a Nigel in our midst, lolling us to sleep with his cultured British accent and snippy attitude.

LINK

Park Bench Dance

I guess So You Think You Can Dance has a lot of new fans this year, as we've received a lot of requests for Mia Michaels Emmy nominated park bench from last season.

Blogger At The Taping

Junichi Semitsu, the "official exclusive blogger" for the Dixie Chicks, attended the taping of last night's show. He reports:

As I entered Stage 46 in CBS Television City, I immediately sensed the community and the cult status that this show has engendered. I passed celebrities like Vanessa Williams and Kids in the Hall comedian Scott Thompson, who were obviously big fans. I spotted two of last season’s finalists, Donyelle Jones and Heidi Groskreutz, making the rounds with old friends, while two of this season’s eliminated contestants, Jimmy Arguello and Jesús Solorio, warmly embraced one another. Even two of the contestants' swing-dancing father, Buddy Schwimmer, who has become known for always holding an electronic LED sign while sitting in the audience, is greeted like a national celebrity.

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Heidi And Benji

Heidi & Benji perform June 7, 2007 at Mirelle's in Westbury, NY.


Heidi & Benji perform to Black Mambo


Heidi solo.

Benji Has Nothing To Do With It

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.

Talent + Personality = Benji

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.

Heidi And Benji Appearance

ATTENTION LONG ISLAND AND TRI-STATE AREA:

Heidi and Benji will be in your area tomorrow evening and Friday evening.

WCS performances with dance party and Cha Cha lesson!

7:30-8:15- beginner/intermediate Cha Cha workshop with Louis Del Prete
8:15-12:00- dance party
10:30- WCS performances by Benji and Heidi

Admission: $15 includes: lesson, hot buffet, door prizes
Cash bar

Mirelle's
170 Post Avenue
Westbury, LI
New York
_________________________________________

Friday:

WCS Workshop and party!

8:00- Swing Out of the Box (with B&H)
9:00- Syncopations You Never Thought Were Possible (with B&H)
10:00-12:00- Dance Party

Both classes are intermediate to advanced level.

Admission: $20 per workshop (meaning $40 if you attend both), $10 party

Private lessons available with Benji & Heidi

Dance party includes coffee, tea, cake, fruit & veggie platter

VFW of Deer Park
588 Long Island Avenue
Deer Park, NY

Note: The classes on Friday are intermediate to advanced level. Although B&H would love to see all of their fans, they're requesting that only experienced WCS dancers come.

Travis and Heidi: The Park Bench Dance

For me, the park bench dance was probably the most memorable moment from So You Think You Can Dance's season 2. Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz dance Mia Michaels' choreography, to Celine Dion's Calling You.

Heidi And Ryan Rumba

So You Think You Cance Dance -

Heidi Groskreutz and Ryan Rankin do a cuban rumba, the one where Ryan beats Heidi's bongoes.

Interview with 5 SYTYCD season 2 Finalists

Benji, Donyelle, Travis, Heidi & Allison stopped by Canadian music channel MUCH for a great interview, here. Check the pics, too.

What's Benji up to?

This story at BuddyTV.com updates us on season 2 winner Benji Schwimmer. There's a movie in the works starring he and his cousin/partner Heidi Groskreutz.