Saturday, July 28, 2007

Ticket Buying Meetup

Hey folks. We've got 2 weeks until tour tickets go on sale. I was thinking, if we're going to be waiting on line, why not do it with other Blogging So You Think You Can Dance readers? I can create forum space where arrangements can be made. We have enough readers in the larger cities that something like this would be possible, at some central Ticketmaster locations. Let me know what you think.

I'm also thinking of adding a chat box to the blog, at least on show days. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Dominic, We Love You, But...



Ouch! Poor Jaimie.

Thanks to AK for cluing us in.

UPDATE


After going back and watching this in context on Tivo, it did appear to be part of the choreography, and the .gif is a bit misleading. The Ouch! part still applies for Jaimie, but it shouldn't be blamed on Dominic.

"It" Factor


Friends of Lauren Gottlieb talk about her in this article in The Arizona Republic:

"In my heart, I knew she was the type of person to do this," said (Merie) Bender, co-owner of Bender Performing Arts in Phoenix, where Gottlieb danced. "She's got that 'it' factor, that thing you need to take you there."


LINK

Interviews With Jaimie and Kameron

Royce Yuen conducts this week's BuddyTV interviews with the departing dancers.

Jaimie, on her favorite choreographers:

My answer is going to be a pretty common one this year. I loved Wade as far as our duo and our opening number. As far as duets for me, Wade was by far my favorite. I had hoped I would get Mia for a duet for the entire show, I was just wanting her so bad because of course contemporary is my specialty and she’s just been someone I look up to so much since I first started training in contemporary, she’s been a huge idol. And so, when we got to do the group number with Mia this past week, I have to say, she’s been another one of my choreographers this season definitely.


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Kameron, on his favorite routine:
Looking back, honestly, the most fun, as far as a challenge in the beginning, really putting so much work into it and having an awesome performance, honestly, I would have to say the quickstep. Because, starting off, I had no partner experience, and Lacey had never done quickstep before, and just to see the growth from day one to the performance, I was so proud of myself and so surprised in a good way. And to put that work in and to see the outcome and we got great reviews that week about how good it looked and I couldn’t agree more. It definitely showed that we put in so much work and stuff like that.


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Kennedy interviews Jaimie and Kameron for Reality Remix.

Thanks to Gen for letting us know about the video.

Friday, July 27, 2007

A Plea To The Powers That Be

Please, oh please, before this season is over, put Danny and Sabra together and deliver them into the hands of our beloved Mia, so that she may have her way with them. Please?

Backstage Report



TVGuide's Deborah Starr Seibel posts her weekly Backstage Report:

When the focus shifted back to the contest, it was interesting to note how nervous the dancers were about getting cut. We're talking about the top 10, after all, all of whom are assured a place on the upcoming national tour. But as they stood on the stage waiting to hear if they were in the bottom two guys and girls, Jaimie's fists opened and closed. Dominic literally had to shake off his nerves. And during one commercial break, Lauren jumped on Dominic and rode him piggyback around the stage. The floor director had to restore order. "Dominic and Lauren, go sit down and take your medication," she said.


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Catching Up

TV Cocktail makes some observations as it recaps:

As soon as Kameron’s name was announced, girls in the front yelled, “NO!” with tears in their voices. After Mia’s teardown last night, it must have been an image-punch to America’s ego, which seemed to vote for personality over hotness.


Personality over hotness??? What kinda cockamamie culture are we?

LINK



Well, if you listen to Lauren Gottlieb in an LA Times Blog article, personality does come first:
She did acknowledge that the hams on the show do have an advantage: "Shauna [Noland, eliminated July 12] was herself. She's so laid-back and down to earth and real and normal, and she didn't want to throw anything fake out there." Unfortunately, the judges thus felt that her personality was lacking. But the contestants have no illusions that personality doesn't factor into the show: "They always tell us, 'It's a dance show second, and it's a personality show first,' " Lauren said.


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I was wondering how the folks at Theory My Culture would sort out this week's rush of events. John mostly ignored the controversy, and talked about dance:
Jaime was done in by choreography, bearing out my point in last week’s post. The costuming and whole motif, as noted by all the judges, didn’t match the idea of the waltz. If nothing else, Austria is not Spain, so that was strange. Unfortunately, too, she was paired with Dominic. Dominic’s “thing” is unbelievable. He showed that in his solo on the results show. But he can’t help save poor choreography. Jaime needed help and just got buried in the whole mess of Spain and Austria, and, in the end, I guess folks just didn’t find her likable. Alas. I liked her. It takes two good dancers to elevate mediocre or bad choreography; Jaime couldn’t do it alone...


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Drew Pisarra at NY Mag:
There’s something terribly gripping about watching four twentysomethings being told they’re unpopular then forcing them to perform alone in the face of a final rejection. But screw-the-verdict virtuosity made Dominic’s break dancing absolutely terrific. Talk about an indifference to Newton’s laws. Our heads spun as much as his did.


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Opening Number





Thanks to Mickey for uploading.

Around The Web

Thanks to everyone who has visited and voiced their opinions thoughtfully over the last 36 hours. Brett Love at TVSquad points us to a statement Wade Robson posted at his website. Brett also makes his usual keen observations:

Moving forward it will be very interesting to see how the voting works out next week. Is there something that Lauren and Dominic can do to win those fans back? Will a great performance keep them safe? Or is it down to popularity now with the two of them swimming against the current? I'm looking forward to finding out.


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Beckylooo went to the show! Get the scoop at TV In The Woods.
It was a real treat to watch the dancers live. Thrilling to finally see them through my own eyes without the camera mediating the experience. I dug them all but Dom was a serious stand out. I kept glancing over at Mia as her smile grew wider and wider until I feared her face would crack. These two seem to have a connection. They had a couple fun moments during the commercial breaks - glances and points and inside jokes - that I wish I could have been in on.


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Great news for Australian fans of the show. Season 3 of the US show will begin airing in late August. Then, you're getting your own version of the show, set to air in early 2008. With local versions of the show already being produced in Greece, Denmark, Germany, Malaysia, and Norway, could a global dance-off be in the works?

LINK
________________________________________

It looks like Ticketmaster will be the source for tour tickets. Here's the schedule, if you haven't seen it.

LINK
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More Thoughts From The Shower found a well-done Lacey fanvid.

LINK

And speaking of Lacey, Redlands Daily Facts spoke to her recently:
Although the work is hard, the perks are what helps keep the dancers going.

"Being here is not like being in the real world," said Schwimmer. "We're treated like royalty. It's really hard, because we get up and rehearse until we go to sleep. We're just going, going, going. I've never experienced anything like this before."


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Thursday, July 26, 2007

Late Recaps


We have a couple of late recaps of last night's performance show that are worth watching/reading.

MickeyWorld has the Reality Remix video of Benji and Kennedy reviewing the show. See how accurate Benji is with his predictions

LINK


Gray at Fame or Famine:

And it came to pass that day the couples were split asunder, and new couples were formed, and for some (Danny & Lacey, Lauren & Pasha) ,it was good.

For others, (Dominic & Jaimie, Kameron & Sabra), it was not so good. Yea, the wrath of the great Seer & Revelator Mia did come down upon Kameron, and smite him with the snap of "You danced immaturely!" And the inability of Dominic to waltz in the Spanish Viennese waltz did sorely vex Jaimie, insomuch that she smote the floor with her body at the end of their piece, causing the reputation of Dominic the Dropper to wax mightily.


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So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10 Results Show Live Blog

We're a little late getting started because the Mia Michaels-choreographed opening was mesmerizing.

Mia apologizes for the jacket she wore last night. She was not aware that the emblem would offend Marines.

Nigel defends the Wade Robson for doing his anti-war piece last night, but apologizes to anyone who was offended.

Commercial.

This is different. We begin with the guest performer for the show, Mika. Again, no dancers, just he and his band.

We'll be doing bottom 2 for guys and girls tonight. Bottom 2 will get a chance to solo, but it won't change the results.

Girls are up. Sabra first.

Sabra is safe!

Jaimie up next.

Jaimie is one of the bottom 2 girls.

Lacey next.

Lacey is safe.

Either Lauren or Sara will be in the bottom 2 with Jaimie. We'll find out after the break, according to Cat.

Cat appears to be wearing her grandmother's rose themed tea cozy, or something, on her head tonight.

Lauren is up. Now Sara.

Sara and Lauren hug.

Sara is safe! Lauren is in the bottom 2 girls.

Now we get the top 5 guys. Neil first.

Neil is safe. Danny up.

Danny is safe!

Uh oh, Dominic up next.

Dominic is in the danger zone, as Cat calls it.

Pasha and Kameron after the break. One of them will join Dominic in the bottom 2 guys.

We're back. Kameron first.

Now we get Pasha's video review from last night.

The final dancer in the bottom 4 is...

Kameron! Pasha is safe.

Mia says she is shocked. She thought Pasha would be in the bottom 2 guys.

Nigel says: One bad week and anyone can be out.

Commercial. We'll see Jaimie, Lauren, Dominic, and Kameron dance a solo, but the decision has already been made, by viewer votes.

We apologize for not having the words to describe the opening group number. Dramatic lighting and lots of Danny.

Back from break.

Solos. Jaimie first.

Jaimie does her thing. Good. Dominic next.

Dominic stays upright longer than you might expect, then spins on his head. Lauren next.

Lauren does a happy solo.

Kameron does hiphop, his first solo on the show.

Cat says 2 people go home on the other side of the break.

So far, our viewer poll has been accurate.

If it continues to be correct, Jaimie and Kameron will leave tonight.

Mia tells the girls they're both brilliant dancers and outstanding young ladies.

After 6.5 million votes, Jaimie is going home. Lauren is safe.

Jaimie: This has been an absolute dream.

We get the Jaimie farewell video package.

Guys next. Mary: Congratulations to both of you for making it this far.

The guy leaving tonight is...

Kameron!

Dominic is safe.

Kameron: Thank you for this opportunity.

We see Kameron's video package.

So Jaimie and Kameron are the first 2 to drop out of the bottom 10.

Thanks for joining us for the top 10 results show.

Top 10 Poll Results

Our poll asked: Which dancers will you/did you vote for? We allowed multiple votes. 474 voters cast 1271 votes.

RESULTS FOR THE GUYS:
Danny
192

Pasha
150

Neil
133

Dominic
85

Kameron
72

FOR THE GIRLS

Sabra
189

Sara
148

Lacey
143

Lauren
115

Jaimie
44

Clearly, Jaimie Goodwin fans should be very concerned for tonight's results. The same can be said for fans of Dominic and Kameron. Danny was the top vote-getter, and it's interesting to note that he clearly out-polled his new partner, Lacey Schwimmer. Sabra was the top vote-getter for the girls. She's come a long way since she began the competition as a virtual unknown.

Interviews

InRich interviews Virginia Beachers Jaimie Goodwin and Danny Tidwell:

Jaimie:

Between you, Travis and Danny, Denise Wall's studio has had three finalists in the top 10 over two seasons. Those seem incredible odds. How did that happen?

She's an amazing technician. She knows a lot about the body. She knows how kids think. Most every kid I've seen come to the studio has been able to adapt to her way of teaching and learn from her because of her methods and the time she takes. She's that person who can really connect with someone, and if you have ambition, dedication and self-discipline, you can be as successful as you want to be.


Danny:
The judges love you, describing you as their best dancer. Yet you've been in the bottom three several times based on viewers' votes. Why do you think that is, and what must you do to overcome that?

I think in ballet, you're taught so much respect. So when I walk into a room, I try to be quiet and focus. When I'm in the dance room, it doesn't come across to the camera. This is definitely a different atmosphere and it takes a second to grow into it: pop culture vs. classical art.
It's been a major change. I've been told to respect the fourth wall. Here, the camera is the fourth wall. I've spent a lot of time figuring out a way to come across without looking fake.


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Anya Garnis gets the TVGuide interview treatment:
TVGuide.com: You've worn some pretty interesting costumes on the show for your solos. Do you make them?
Anya: I design them, but I have a dressmaker in NYC who makes them. I thought I would have more of a chance to show America my costumes — I had quite a suitcase with me. [Laughs]


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Around The Web

There was a lot to absorb in the top 10 performance show. 5 routines from newly paired couples and 10 solos of a Wade Robson-choreographed anti-war piece. All I could manage to formulate last night was a quick grading of the solos. Lets see what the web made of it.

Like many of you, Vance at Tapeworthy loved Sara's solo:

LOVE HER! LOVE HER! (Picture me singing this bravato style). It was deep and emotional and she just dances way beyond her b-girl original style. LOVE HER! (It's quite the battle between my love for Sabra and Sara right now).


Vance also has the videos.

LINK



Kiley McMichael at From Inside The Box on Sara & Neil's Disco:
...finishing out the show by knocking on wood, Neil and Sara's disco woke me up. Huzzah! It was excellent. Neil's acrobatics, combined with a low camera angle, was a big wow moment. Sara continues to be great, while growing weekly. It’s harder and harder to remember she’s a b-girl as the weeks go on. (Song: "Knock on Wood" – Rachel Stevens)


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BuddyTV on Pasha & Lauren's Hiphop:
Everyone in America was worried about how Pasha would adapt to a hip/hop routine. Mia Michaels even said that she was horrified when she heard that Pasha would be dancing some hip/hop. Thankfully, Pasha and Lauren surprised everyone. Lauren is a solid hip/hop dancer, and she and Pasha performed well together. They were dressed up in skeleton costumes, which was kind of cool and a little silly, but it worked. It was a Shane Sparks routine, and that was always solid.


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TVSquad's Brett Love on Lacey & Danny:
...the most anticipated pair of the night for me. Danny has had quite the interesting run in the competition. As we have talked about before, for whatever reason the level of votes for Danny just hasn't equaled the level of his dancing. So, the idea of putting him with the dancer that most connects with the audience is an interesting one. And I think it worked. They drew the samba with Dmitry Chaplin and it ended up being my second favorite of the night. Lacey was right at home and showed once again why she is such a threat to win. No matter the style, the girl is an entertainer. She has charisma by the bucketfull. Meanwhile, on the other side was Danny. This actually wasn't my favorite of his performances so far, but I think it might have been his best yet where the competition, and the securing of votes, is concerned. It's hard to gauge how the 8 or 9 million viewers are seeing him, but I thought he came across very well and with any luck that closed off/guarded perception will be going away.


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Beckylooo at TV In The Woods thoughtfully tackles the Wade Robson's solos:
When he announced the piece would have an anti-war theme, I was shocked. I live in LA. I’ve been surrounded by folks who opposed this war from moment one. But for quite a time we were in the minority. Everyone on the Left hollers that the media are shilling for the Right and everyone on the Right rages that they’re shilling for the Left. But the fact is, they’re shilling for themselves. It’s all about the bottom line. Whatever gets and holds eyeballs (ergo ad revenues) is what makes it on air. If Fox is confident that a loud cry of “Bring them home!” won’t piss off a large portion of their audience, then the pendulum has swung further than I thought. As insignificant as it might seem, it had me hopeful…


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Tour Dates

The So You Think You Can Dance Season 3 tour dates have been published at the Fox site.

LINK

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Video Clips

Mickeyworld has ALL the clips, solos and couple dances.

LINK

Our Take On The Solos

We graded the solos as we watched. These are just gut reactions on watching for the first time, and opinions may change on further watching.

Jaimie - A - Her most interesting performance on the show so far.

Dominic - A - What he lacked in technique, he made up for with emotional power.

Sara - C+ - We just didn't feel it.

Pasha - B+ - He has the personality to win this thing.

Lauren - B - Well danced, but a little too happy happy.

Neil - A - He's coming along.

Sabra - A+ - Best overall, best scream. Our favorite.

Kameron - B+ - He needed to do this well, and he did.

Lacey - B - Some of her moves seemed a bit too soft.

Danny - A - Exactly as good as you would expect from him.

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10 Voting Numbers

Jaimie - 888-836-7601
Dominic - 888-836-7602
Sara - 888-836-7603
Pasha - 888-836-7604
Lauren - 888-836-7605
Neil - 888-836-7606
Sabra - 888-836-7607
Kameron - 888-836-7608
Lacey - 888-836-7609
Danny - 888-836-7610

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10 Performance Show Track List

Wade Robson Solos
Waiting On The World To Change - John Mayer

Lauren & Pasha
Fuego - Pitbull

Sabra & Kameron
Amazing Grace - Crystal Lewis

Lacey & Danny
Hip Hip Chin Chin = Club Des Belugas

Jaimie & Dominic
Man Of LaMancha - Linda Eder

Sara & Neil
Knock On Wood - Rachel Stevens

Sabra & Dominic Articles


Dominic & Sabra are no longer a dance couple, but we have a couple of articles about them to share.

The Salt Lake Tribune talked to Sabra:

Johnson hails from Roy but moved to Henderson, Nev., in 2005 where she trained in dance for a year after high school. She then moved to New York City and is now staying in Los Angeles while she performs on the show. Meanwhile, her sisters and the man she calls her "Dad" (actually, her best friend's father who has cared for her) cheer for her back home.
"I just feel like...everybody is so proud of me," she said about her support in Utah. "That feels so good to do something. I almost feel like that being here and doing this is also giving back to them."


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The Sacramento Bee chatted with Dominic:
Q: What's a day/night like for you and the other contestants? It must be similar to what happens to the "American Idol" finalists.

A: It's about eight hours' of work a day, and that doesn't include the rehearsals. For that, you're on your own to find a space - I've even been to a parking lot to rehearse! When we're working with the choreographers, it's in a studio.

As for the rest of the time, we barely watch TV. There isn't a lot of down time.


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Quick Update

Offline demands leave little time for blogging this morning, but I did want to quickly point out new articles on Sabra Johnson and Neil Haskell. Also, Wade Robson is in Huntsville, Al. for the next 5 days. You know what that means. No Wade routines next week.

Travis Interviews Whoopi



Our friend Loralyn writes to tell us about a new video/article at Movmnt Magazine. Travis Wall interviews Whoopi Goldberg at the 13th Annual Fire Island Festival. Whoopi talks about the importance of dance in her career, then Travis's brother Danny Tidwell becomes the subject of discussion:

WG: Well you know what? He’s a magnificent… No, no I’m gonna tell you the truth. He’s a magnificent, magnificent dancer. What I really want him to do more than anything is… (she thinks about what word to say)… I want him to know that when you are a magnificent dancer, you have to be gracious to the people who are not. So he needs to learn how to carry his magnificence a different way.

TW: Absolutely. Wisdom words from Whoopi Goldberg ladies and gentlemen. Absolutely. The thing with Danny it’s that he’s such an insecure, shy person, sometimes when you don’t talk, people consider you as arrogant, more so than shy. It’s the first thing they jump to. Me last year, I was very closed up in the very beginning and then I opened up as the season progressed.


It should be noted that Danny is a co-founder of Movmnt Magazine.

LINK


Loralyn also recommends th Movmnt article on season 1 finalist Ryan Conferido's and Hok Konishi's former crew Sickstep . It seems they may have some MTV projects in the works.

LINK


Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Behind The Scenes At The Taping

DuckyXDale reader MellieMel attended the taping of this week's show and gives us some behind the scenes scoops. I think there's only one format spoiler, which you already know if your read our spoilers. See if you can discern who MellieMel thinks is hot.

LINK

From The Mailbox


A reader clues us in (thanks!) about an article in the Buffalo News by Alan Pergament. Homeboy Neil Haskell is featured, including this quote from Mia Michaels:

“His work ethic is impeccable,” she said. “He works harder than any of the dancers I’ve ever worked with on this show . . . And his technical training is amazing. His strength is amazing, and he keeps getting better and better every week. I believe he could definitely be in the top four.”


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More From The TCA

More details from the So You Think You Can Dance event for the Television Critics Association are coming out.

We won't be seeing the contestants doing tap or "heavily classical" routines on the show, only those that can be reasonably learned in five and a half hours.

Contestants use Youtube to get a feel for styles they are unfamiliar with.

Lacey said she is in it for the experience, not to win, and she doesn't compare herself to Benji.

More here, and here.

Monday, July 23, 2007

More Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy on VH1's Best Week Ever



So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10 Dance Spoilers

We have the pairings, styles, and choreographers for the couple dances for Wednesday night's show, after the jump.

UPDATED



CLICK TO CONTINUE


There will be 5 couple dances and then all dancers will perform the same solo, choreographed by Wade Robson.

Mia Michaels is the third judge.

The couples, styles, and choreographers will be as follow:

Pasha and Lauren, Hiphop, Shane Sparks,

Kameron and Sabra, Contemporary, Tyce Diorio

Danny and Lacey, Samba, Dmitry Chaplin & Heidi Groskreutz

Dominic and Jaimie, Viennese Waltz, Toni Redpath

Neil and Sara, Disco, Doriana Sanchez



Viewers will vote for individual dancers, NOT couples.



Pics From The TCA Tour Event

GirlsTalkinSmack has photos of the top 10, Cat, and the judges/choreographers (no Wade) at the Television Critics Association event yesterday.

LINK

NPR Report

National Public Radio's Morning Edition included a report today on So You Think You Can Dance. Does the show improve the state of dance in the US?

LINK

Recent Additions

Recently added to the sidebar:

Pasha Kovalev finally has a Myspace page. Check out his behind-the-scenes slideshow.

Sabra Johnson fans started a Myspace fan site for her.

Jaimie Goodwin is wired enough to have a Twitter page, here's her Myspace fan site.

Tony Meredith's Wikipedia Entry and Tony Meredith & Melanie LaPatin's official site.

New Dance Links include Denise Wall's Dance Energy Studio, Movmnt Magazine, and Divine Rhythm Productions, the home of Jason Samuels Smith.

The blog has had a Myspace page for a while, but we never thought to add it here. Not sure why.


"Dance" Teaches AI A Thing Or Two


So You Think You Can Dance Producer/Judge Nigel Lythgoe spoke yesterday at the TCA (Television Critics Association) press Tour. EW's Tanner Stransky reports Nigel says there will be changes on next season's American Idol, partly based on what works for Dance:

''We realized we made mistakes on Idol last season,'' he said. ''We were so engrossed with the mentors and didn't really focus on the Melinda Doolittles of the show. We didn't know them as much as the Kellie Picklers of last season.''

Lythgoe is referring to the marked difference in the ways the two programs showcase their contestants: In recent seasons, Idol has tended to shun details about its singers to instead focus on the big-name stars who come to the show to perform and work with the contestants, especially in later episodes. Dance, however, spends quite a bit of its airtime featuring the back-stories of its dancers and their struggles to get on the show.


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LSJ TV columnist Mike Hughes also attended the TCA tour event:
On the little Beverly Hilton stage, it re-created four routines previously done on the show. There was Jaimie Goodwin with her swirling, sexy modern dance. And Danny Tidwell with his leaping, bare-chested piece, merging ballet skills with contemporary style. And some zesty, West Coast swing, done by Sara Von Gillern (usually a break dancer) and Pasha Kovalev. And some hip hop by Dominic Sandoval and Sabra Johnson, managing to simultaneously seem free-spirited and polished.

These pieces had all looked good on TV. In person, they were amazing.


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Kameron Bink - Taking It All In


The Sun-Sentinel TV Plus Blog talks to Kameron Bink:

Kameron had expectations of what the So You Think You Can Dance experience was going to be like but they proved to be not close to the reality. "I thought I was going to get caught up in the competition aspects but really I've just been able to enjoy myself, push aside the stress and take in as much of the experience as possible."


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Sunday, July 22, 2007

Multimedia Recapitation


We have to apologize to you, our readers, for never having let you in on the multimedia recapitation extravaganza that is Television! You Black Emperor. Vidcaps, vid clips, sound bites, lolcatdeelys, a bit of snark, and more. Go. Now.

LINK

Fox Orders Season 4

Great news for So You Think You Can Dance fans, Fox has ordered a fourth season of our favorite show. In less fortunate news, Fox also renewed The Gordon Ramsay Abuse Fest, aka Hell's Kitchen. If you want to see a truly outstanding kitchen competition show, look for episodes of Master Chef and Master Chef Goes Large on BBC America (or on BBC, if you get that where you are). It's the gold standard, IMHO, and manages to be intensely entertaining without screaming at contestants.

Also noted in this article, So You Think You Can Dance will have a special results show on Tuesday, Aug. 14, while the last performance and results shows will air with two-hour episodes on Aug. 15 and Aug. 16. Not sure how that results show on a Tuesday is going to work yet. As luck would have it, this blogger has a jury duty summons for that week. Do you think the judge will let me blog from the jury box? No, I didn't think so either.

New From Jimmy Arguello

Jimmy Arguello with a dancer identified only as Vanessa. I think we missed out on some great dance with Jimmy's early elimination.


Choreographer's Corner

Wade Robson teaches a solo.


Wade dancing.


Brian Friedman is in the UK working on a show called X-Factor, but he's still a favorite of So You Think You Can Dance fans. Here he's teaching a class that includes season 1's Blake McGrath, season 2's Jason Williams, and season 3's Lauren Gottlieb.


We haven't seen Tovaris Wilson this season, but some of his lyrical choreography has been memorable. Check his Myspace page for more videos.





From The Mailbox - "Greatest Dance Number Ever Filmed"

Reacting to our posting of The Night Of 100 Stars, Nix writes to point us to one of the great all-time tap routines. The Nicholas Brothers from Stormy Weather. Fred Astaire called it "the greatest dance number ever filmed". As Nix says, "who are we to argue with Fred??"

Uploaded by TapZatNYC


Hok Undermined By Choreography?



John at Theory My Culture explores the role choreography plays in this season's twists and turns:

His final performance was terribly put together, completely confused in its choreography. Think about it: he was supposed to be an old man animated by a fantasized spirit of dance. Well, that’s more than a little lame as a theme (can you really get more cliche’?), but that’s not my point. The confused choreography led to the unsurprising, yet strange judgment from judges. “I didn’t ‘get’ that you were an old man.” That was the refrain. Still, was that Hok’s charge, to sort out the meaning of the choreography? Was he an old man? Or was he a young man in dance, only old in clothes? Unclear. And that’s the choreographer’s problem. It shouldn’t have been up to Hok to settle the ambiguity.


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