Spoiler Alert Top 8: Here’s your SYTYCD Spoiler for tonight Wednesday July 22, 2009.

Alright here you go. Here’s your So You Think You Can Dance Spoiler for the Top 8 Episode. Sorry to be so late today. I had too much work this morning and didn't have a chance to compile all these until now. Sorry, it's a bit sloppy.

Wow... The first thing everybody’s talking about is the contemporary piece by Tyce. Apparently there was not a dry eye in the house after this piece. It hit home for Ellen. The Melissa/Ade contemporary by Tyce was to Woman’s Work and it was about breast cancer. Realllllly emotional! Mia really broke down, especially since her dad’s battle with cancer. Mary was crying, Nigel was teary and said that it better get an Emmy nom next year.

Trav's group routine was futuristic, to "Let it Rock". Nigel said no one stood out but that they were all really good. They loved Travis again, and Mia praised it but called it a bit “competition” and also called it a fun contemporary number. It’s interesting that they're judging the group routines now.

Okey, the order of the show most likely is:

Group Routine (Travis)

Janette and Evan – Jazz by Sonya: The judges again loved Janette. One of them said Evan could never be the creepy character that Sonya's piece required because of his face.

Brandon and Jeanine – Waltz by Hunter Johnson: The judges thought that it was the slowest piece of waltz choreography that the show has had and that it seemed really hard to perform. Nigel said that the music put him to sleep. They said that they were fine in it but that they expected better as far as lines go, cause they are contemporary dancers. Mia expected them to use their lines more and breathe more, cause she expected more because of their background and training. They basically thought they weren't too great, but it had to do with the fact that the choreography was difficult.

Melissa and Ade - Cha Cha by Tony & Melanie: Apparently most people hated it and the judges didn't think it was great either.

Jason and Kayla – Broadway by Tyce: According to our sources, one of the best Broadways as far as choreography goes. The judges also really liked it. Mia said that Jason needs to work on his upper body (I agree!) and Kayla could go on Broadway. She asked her if she acts and sings because she should. Nigel said that Jason had wonderful feet and that he reminded him of Gene Kelly in parts of it.

Janette and Evan – Rumba by Tony & Melanie (to Falling Slowly by Kris Allen): They all loved Janette but Nigel was tough on Evan the whole night. Ellen was saying that she loves Evan cause he is different, and people in this city all look the same. Mia also said she liked Evan and stuck up for him.

Brandon and Jeanine - Pop Jazz by Laurie Ann: The crowd went wild and the judges loved it. It was to Battlefield. Mia was worried about them but she said that tonight they did it how Laurie would. She was saying how everything Laurie Ann does comes from the soul, so she expected them to dance like that, and the routine was amazing. She called Brandon a powerhouse and said Jeanine was good for sticking with it. During the rehearsal, Jeanine was tearing up because Laurie Ann was very tough.

Melisaa and Ade – Contemporary by Tyce: See our note about it above, with all the crying etc., etc.

Jason and Kayla - Hip Hop by Shane: Nigel said it was the best from Shane and one of the best hip hops this season cause he's been disappointed from hip hop this season. Mia also liked it and thought Jason did well. Jason was a Zombie and she was his "mistress". He ends up killing her in the end (!!). Mia complimented Jason saying that she was glad that he was down and into it, and that it was better than his last hip hop.

Solos:
Brandon performed to "Ain’t nothing wrong with that".
Jeanine used "Let the Drummer Kick".
Evan did his usual Broadway solo and dropped his hat but made a clean recovery.
Ade's solo was a lot like the "window sweeper" one.
Jason was back to his normal style.
Janette did Ballroom-Contemporary fusion for hers and it was very good.
Kayla's solo was more controlled and slower.
Melissa's solo was dumb (?) (according to my source) and freaky styled.

For the record, Tyce has a very close friend who is Stage 3 breast cancer. His contemporary dance was for her and her husband, and it was not to tug at the heartstrings but to do something special for his friend. Ellen's mother is a breast cancer survivor and Tyce didn't know this when he choreographed it.

Random: Mary called Nigel an English Muffin more than once. More random: Mia loves Janette and she is her favorite girl on the show. She told Jason to fix his hunched shoulders (repeat, I agree). Mia also said that she loves Janette because she puts everything into her dancing. Mia really likes Ade as well. After his solo she applauded with much enthusiasm. Ellen was not serious about all of her critiques, but she did not crack a joke after the contemporary by Tyce, she just said that it was wonderful to have witnessed it.

Spoiler Alert: SYTYCD Season 5 Top Ten Dances, etc. Here’s your spoiler from the live audience for Wed. July 15, 2009.

Performance Order

Top 5 Girls - Bollywood by Nakul: The judges loved it, they used a water gourd as a prop, lots of sassy moves and beautiful multi-colored two piece costumes.

Kayla/Evan - Viennese Waltz

Brandon solo

Janette/Ade - Hip Hop

Randi solo

Kupono solo

Jeanine/Jason - Contemporary

Melissa solo

Evan solo

Kayla solo (to Rock Your Soul): People say that she looked very pretty and that it was her best solo so far.

Randi/Kupono - Paso Doble

Ade solo

Jeanine solo (to El Tango De Roxanne from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack)

Jason solo

Melissa/Brandon - Broadway

Janette solo

Top 5 Guys - African by Jeff Paige: In traditional garb w/no shirts. The judges loved it. The dance was very energetic (although Nigel made a remark about how their energy wasn’t high enough. According to an audience member: “Evan hung in there, but looked pretty goofy during this number, I thought.”

Guest judge: Debbie Allen

Cat is wearing an emerald green Herve Leger-esque dress w/black detailing.

Top Five Couples’ Pieces:
Kayla and Evan – Viennese Waltz to Seal's 'Kiss From A Rose': Kayla is barefoot (another barefoot waltz!) and Evan is in some serious Latin heels (must have been scary for Kayla’s little feet…). The judges loved Kayla and said that Evan is clunky but strong in the lifts. Evan/Kayla's whole video package was pretty much about the height difference and there was even a bit where they traded shoes (Evan danced in Kayla's high heels and she danced in his flats.) When they were being critiqued, Nigel's first comment was, "I'm confused. You look like you're the same height!" and Evan revealed that he was wearing heels. Nigel made a comment about how he didn't think it was a Viennese waltz, and that it seemed more like a regular waltz, but praised their dancing. Debbie said how Evan was like Gene Kelly.

Janette and Ade – Hip Hop by NappyTabs. They want to keep the song a secret, but gave this hint through their Twitter: “By popular request, the song is <3>There was discussion about how they were the SHORTEST girl and TALLEST guy in the competition. Their package was mostly about how Janette does actually feel like she may not have "the funk," and the judges said how she found it, and that Ade was fantastic.
Jeanine and Jason - Contemporary by Travis to Jason Mraz 'If It Kills Me': This performance was universally praised and adored. Both the judges AND the audience gave them a standing O. Mary actually seemed to get choked up when she was talking about how Travis was on the show and then choreographed that routine. IIRC, nothing derogatory was said about their previous partners, they just said how it was a great number and they both were great in it. They did say that Jeanine has been great all along, but they gave Jason equal props. It was definitely the most praised number from the judges. I'd say Jason really established himself here. Debbie Allen called it the dance of the season. Apparently, however, this piece was very sexual: "There was some naughty hand placements and some floor grinding going on."... So much, that insiders are saying that FOX might edit some parts out. Travis was very, very happy about his piece and with “his couple.” Both Jeanine and Jason were raved, as well as Travis for his choreography.

Randi and Kupono - Paso Doble by Tony and Melanie: Universally panned. Randi in a brown long wig, lots of lifts and sexy posturing. A real clunker according to the audience at the taping. The judges were VERY hard on them. A BIT harder on Kupono than Randi, but they also said that she was not good.
Melissa and Brandon - Broadway by Tyce Diorio to ‘Age of Aquarius’: The judges loved it. Was a mix of Melissa's ballet technique and Brandon's athleticism. It was a strong number for them.

The judges generally said that there were no standouts during either of the group performances, and that everyone was great. The Bollywood number was probably stronger, but it also came at the beginning of the show.

About the solos, one of my sources twitted the following: “Solos that stand out in a good way- Ade, Jeanine, and Evan. Solos that stand out in a bad way- Jason, Randi, Kupono.” No surprises here, I must say, except Randi, which I think could do a good job on a solo. The judges did not critique the solos

Spoiler Alert!: Top Ten Couples Pairings - SYTYCD Season 5 - Travis Wall Choreographs for Jeanine and Jason

Here you go. The new couples:

Jeanine and Jason - Contemporary (Travis Wall - Cool!).

Kayla and Evan - Waltz.

Janette and Ade - Hip Hop (Nappy Tabs).

Melissa and Brandon - Broadway (Tyce Diorio)

Randi and Kupono - Paso Doble

Five couples' dances and Two group numbers: African for the boys and Bollywood for the girls.

More details probably tomorrow after the taping.

Latest SYTYCD Spoiler - Top 12 - Season 5 - The whole July 8 Episode is already here!!!

Okay, here is the Top 12 performances spoiler for the Wed. July 8 SYTYCD show, transcribed from people who were at the live show yesterday (Tues. July 7). Each couple performed twice. Third judge was Tyce, and Cat was wearing a sleeveless navy blue dress and had her hair really short and permed-ish.

Notable people in the audience: Travis.

Here are the pairings and the dances - in the order that they danced.

1. Melissa and Ade - Disco (Doriana), Waltz (Ron Montez)

2. Kayla and Kupono - Contemporary (Mia), Broadway (Dowling)

3. Caitlin and Jason - Foxtrot (Meredith), Jazz (Mandy Moore)

4. Jeanine and Philip - Russian Folk Dance (???), Jive (Meredith)

5. Randi and Evan - Hip Hop (Napoleon/Tabitha), Samba (Pasha and Anya!)

6. Janette and Brandon - Argentine Tango (???), Pop Jazz (Wade)
Some people hate the combined names thing, some people love them. They amuse me. Here are the “official”: Melade, Kaypono, Caison, Philline, Evandi, Brandette

Melissa & Ade - Disco (Doriana)

Typical Doriana disco... forgettable, boring, etc. (according to my source). They brought a lot of energy, and the judges called it a “fantastic opening to the show.” The audience kind of found it blah.

Kayla & Kupono - Contemporary (Mia)

The idea was that Kayla was an addict trying to break free from her addiction, which was Kupono. It was a personal piece for Kupono (??), because one of his friends battled a drug addiction. He was dressed in all black and had lots of dark make-up on, and she was completely makeup-less. The audience loved this piece (so I guess will have to endure more Kupono and Kayla for the rest of the season). A lot of the audience was tearing up. There was one moment when Kupono comes up behind Kayla and just stares into the camera with this evil smirk that made chills go down my spine. The judges loved it and said Kayla can dance anything, and that Kupono could fine-tune some things but when he gets into character he's really good.

Caitlin & Jason - Foxtrot (Tony Meredith)

They really wanted to make it great, not just good. Caitlin had a really pretty glittery green dress on. The judges liked it, but they weren't absolutely crazy about it. My source thought it was pretty good, but not particularly memorable.

Evan & Randi - Hip Hop (Nappytabs)

The idea was that Evan and Randi were a couple who just found out Randi was pregnant. My source thought that it was adorable -- Evan was dressed in a collared shirt and an argyle vest and Randi had a yellow top on. The song was "Halo." They were pretty in sync, though there were some tricks and lifts that they struggled through. The audience really enjoyed it. The judges said Nappytabs did a good job of creating a hip-hop routine that would suit Evan and Randi's personalities.

Phillip & Jeanine - Russian Folk Dance (?)

Okay, this was incredibly weird. They were dressed very folksie, and... idk. They danced it well and tried, but it was just too strange. I don't think it will come off well with the audience. The judges hated it, basically, even though they commended Phillip and Jeanine for trying. Nigel hinted that he thought it was the choreographer's fault and that they shouldn't have included that style of dance. (So--and I’m inserting my own comment here--Nigel picks this genre to be featured and then critics “who?” for including it? Sick).

Brandon & Janette - Argentine Tango (One of my sources’ pretty sure it was Jean-Marc & France but another says it’s a new choreographer)

According to my source, this performance was FLAWLESS. Very sexy, with lots of subtle footwork and crazy lifts. Brandon and Janette tackled every one of them without a single mistake. The judges went crazy over this one. All of them gave standing ovations. They said Brandon finally got into the dance and stopped looking at the audience, and Janette was just incredible.

For the second half of the show, they had the contestants talk about what they'd miss the most about their partner, since they're switching next week.

Melissa & Ade - Waltz (Ron Montez)

Melissa teared up when she talked about how she'd miss Ade. Ade said he'd miss getting to know Melissa. The performance was very pretty. Melissa wore a gorgeous flowy white dress and Ade looked very handsome. According to my source, they did great. The audience really enjoyed it. The song was "Natural Woman." The judges kind of liked it, but they mentioned something about how Ade needs to get into the performance when he's dancing to a song like "Natural Woman." Ohkay??

Kayla & Kupono - Broadway (Joey Dowling)

My sources did not remember what Kayla said she'd miss the most about Kupono, but Kupono said he'd miss her sweaty hands/feet, lol. This was a cutesy 40s/50s-ish Broadway. The song was a well-known one but my sources didn’t remember it, sorry. Kayla wore an adorable flowery, pink dress and Kupono was all dressed up, complete with suspenders. The concept was two people meeting on a rooftop and falling in love. They danced it very well, but the judges didn't really like it. Nigel went on and on about how he grew up in that era and when two people met there was this uncertainty that they'd be bombed the next day (???) so they didn't want to get too involved or something (Okay, kind of a weird comment). He said Kayla and Kupono didn't capture that spirit. The rest of the judges agreed -- they said Kayla and Kupono were just dancing on the surface and it wasn't professional enough.

Caitlin & Jason - Lyrical Jazz (Mandy Moore)

Caitlin said she'd miss Jason's hugs. Jason said he'd miss her quirkiness and jokes. This performance had a very earthy feel to it, kind of like Tyce's jazz meets the piece Mandy choreographed for Courtney and Gev last season. Jason was shirtless. Mandy said in the beginning that it would have everything in it -- musicality, lifts, footwork, etc. The audience really liked this choreography. There were some really cool lifts in there. However, according to my sources Caitlin and Jason didn't nail the performance. They did everything correctly, but there was definitely something missing, because the piece had the potential to be a showstopper but it wasn't. Nigel said they didn't have enough chemistry. Mary disagreed, but she wasn't crazy about it (she said America loves Jason's face, though). Tyce said this is SYTYCD so they need to have everything, and they didn't.

Evan & Randi - Samba (Pasha & Anya)

Randi said she'd miss the look Evan gives her when he has to pretend he wants her, and Evan said he'd miss Randi's outgoing personality. They were both decked out in matching leopard-patterned outfits (Nigel said it looked like they cut up one of Mary's dresses and fashioned the outfits out of the remaining fabric). Randi was embarrassed about trying to be sexy. The performance was kind of meh for the audience. They both definitely tried, but it wasn't as hot as it should have been. The judges didn't like it. They said Randi was amazing, but they were really harsh on Evan. I don't remember what exactly they said (something about him not hitting things hard enough and putting too much jazz into the turns). The audience felt bad for him.

Phillip & Jeanine - Jive (Meredith)

My sources couldn’t remember what they said they'd miss about each other, sorry. But OMG they loved this! Jeanine was wearing a sparkly bra top, and she looked HOT. The song was "Stuff Like That There." The concept was Phillip is a sailor who comes home expecting his girlfriend to throw herself at him, but his girlfriend wants to make him appreciate her first. There was a lot of ass grabbing and Jeanine's boobs in Phillip's face. The judges adored it. They all agreed that Phillip surprised them and we shouldn't count him out yet, and that Jeanine is one of their favorite dancers.

Brandon & Janette - Jazz (Wade Robson)

Brandon said he'd miss Janette's spiciness and mentioned that she brought him out of his shell. My sources couldn’t remember what Janette said she'd miss about Brandon. This piece had a hard-hitting, hip-hoppy feel to it. The concept was two thieves trying to steal jewels. Janette was the impulsive one and Brandon was the calculating one, which they said suited their personalities. They started on the balcony wearing shades and moved their way down to the stage. The audience really liked this number... one of Wade's more understandable pieces. The judges loved it and said Brandon and Janette are by far the best couple and they'll be shocked if they don't receive the most votes.

Ok, that's all for now folks. We invite you to read our full blog tonight after the airing, http://www.thedancefiles.com/. Follow us on twitter: twitter.com/ttitude

SYTYCD Season 5 Spoilers: So You Think You Can Dance Monday/Tuesday Night Spoilers -- Top 12 Spoilers

TOP 12 SPOILERS:
Everbody has two dances this week, Wade Robson is set to choreograph a jazz, Mia Michaels a Contemporary. Joey Dowling back for another broadway.

Brandon/Jeanette - Tango & Jazz by Wade.
Kupono/Kayla - Mia Michael's Contemporary to Gravity by Sara Barellis (out of a hat? really?) & a Broadway by Dowling. Sorry, but I have to say that the show producers seem to be doing everything to keep these two in the top Ten....
Phillip/Jeanine - Russian Folk Dance (Another Nutcracker?? No, please!!!!) & Jive (SCREWED??)
Evan/Randi - ? & ?
Jason/Cailtin - ? & ?
Ade/Melissa - A lyrical hip-hop piece to Beyonce's Halo. Melissa is a ballerina princess, and Ade is the knight in shining armor that lifts her around... a lot... In fact, it looks like all their other routines... but slightly harder hitting.

The ??? we will likely have more about tomorrow!!!

MORE:
Travis Wall just tweeted that he is heading to CBS to film the Emmy-winning Bench piece with Heidi Groskreutz and Wade's Ramalama group dance!
Jaimie Goodwin is also speculating to be taping the Hummingbird Wade piece with Hok Konishi!Also performing with Katie Holmes on the special episode will be Mark Kanemura and Joshua Allen.
Great!! We would love to see more of Mark!!!
I've also gotten word that Ivan Koumaev and Allison Holker will be appearing on the show, most likely performing in Ramalama. In my opinion, it's going to be SO INTERESTING to see the dancers such as Travis, Ivan, and Allison perform their pieces after three years of being on the show. Talk about a wispy whiplash of nostalgia! More information as it comes in!

OMGOSH! Everybody runs to the hospital… Twitch and Josh get injured doing the Russian; Mary gets injured doing the Samba (well, not really, she just

tripped down a stair)… I’m sorry for them… but it is good for the ratings! Here’s your complete spoiled spoiler for the final week of So You Think You Can Dance, Season 4. Expect great stuff, including Wade!

Ok. So, as most of you probably already know, Stephen (Twitch) Boss and Josh Allen were rushed by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center during the weekend after collapsing at the rehearsals. The two competitors, who will face off against Katee Shean and Courtney Galiano this week as So You Think You Can Dance crowns America’s “Favorite” Dancer, were treated for dehydration. According to our sources, the guys collapsed while rehearsing a “Russian Street Dance.” WTH is that? I know about Russian Character Dance, but I have never heard of Russian “street dance”… but sounds like something that Josh may be pretty good at, I think, with lots of lips, kicks and Grand Jetés. I think they had this is mind all along (I’m not saying conspiracy here, however, just in case you thought so…) since Nigel mentioned something about Russian steps during Katee and Josh’s Bollywood number (don’t you guys remember that?) and there was something about Russian dance that Josh said during his original audition, but I don’t recall what it was…
Anyway, keeping up with the injuries, word of Boss and Allen's hospitalization came on the heels (no pun intended) of news that SYTYCD jidge Mary Murphy suffered a “first-degree” ankle sprain (honestly, I don’t know what a “first-degree” means in this context, but I’m just telling it as I’m being told…). It happened Sunday at the taping of the Teen Choice Awards in L.A., when “she tripped down a short stair a few inches from the Jonas Brothers (insert screaming teenagers here!!!!!) as they were walking in front of the stage at the Gibson Amphitheater,” the source explains. “She was treated by medics (appropriate wording for SYTYCD, I must say…), her ankle was wrapped, and she was wheeled out in a wheelchair as the show was ending.”
But don’t worry. Everybody is feeling fine, and the show was taped last night (Monday August 4) as usual. Twitch was there, Joshua was there, as well as Courtney and Katee. Furthermore, Mary was feeling well enough to do the Samba! Yes, surprise surprise, Mary did the Samba with none other than Nigel! Can you imagine? Well, not really. But she did the Samba indeed, with Dmitry!!! (insert teenagers screaming here!!!) which people say was actually really good. As I understand, however, this is going to be shown on Thursday, for the grand finale. They also pre-taped the Jonas Brothers (insert teenagers screaming here!!!!) for the finale.
Ok, let me tell you about who will be dancing what with whom by who. Really, if you don’t like spoilers, please do not keep on reading!
Mandy Moore is the guest jidge. Cat is wearing a dark gold, Herve Leger-esque dress and black gladiator heels (I can’t wait to see this one!). Mary is in a dress that can only be described as a spider-web.
Twitch and Courtney had Hip Hop by Napoleon and Tabitha. It was not a lyrical Hip Hop but more of a hard-hitting Hip Hop (although people say that it wasn’t as hard-hitting or as exciting as Mark/Comfort’s). The story was about a jealous girlfriend seeing her guy in a club, and giving him a "beat-down.” Courtney was (fake) kicking/hitting/punching him a lot. Isn’t that a great message for the young crowd watching this show? (insert teenagers screaming here!!!!!).
Josh and Katee had a lyrical by Wade Robson (yayyy!!!) to John Mayer (yayyyyy!). People who saw it says that it was a very emotive piece. Wade said it was about how love is “hard work.” They were a couple going through making up after a big fight. They say it was very beautiful, and they filmed it with just one shot with one steady cam and one single light in a continuous, round shot. It should look cool on TV. There was a lot of floor work and partner work, including this memorable bit where Josh kisses Katee's elbow.
Next they taped Courtney and Katee’s Broadway by Tyce. They say it was done to The Trolley Song from “Meet Me in St. Louis,” but it was an instrumental only version. My sources say that it was kind of a waste to have this routine for these two contemporary dancers. They say it wasn’t very exciting. Anyway, they danced with white lace parasols. The story behind it was that they had to hurry to catch this trolley. Their costumes were pretty bad. A viewer described them as “lots of roses and wickety wack, like a cross between a shepherdess and a flamenco dancer.” They both wore the same costume, in different colors: Katee in pink & Courtney in yellow. They were supposed to evoke period costumes (“Meet Me in St. Louis” is that movie with Judy Garland that was part of a side plot in the Sex and The City movie… just if you were wondering…) but it was like only the upper half of the dress…
Josh and Twitch had Russian Character Dance –people were talking about “Russian Street Dancing” originally, but it was actually the traditional Russian dance from the Nutcracker Suite. The choreographer’s name is Yuri (nobody has been able to write a last name for him through the grapevine). They wore kind of traditional Russian costumes, white shirt with blue trim and blue pants (Josh) and white shirt with red trim and red pants (Twitch). They say that it was an incredibly athletic routine. Structured as a battle between the 2 guys, with lots of jumps, leaps, etc., you name it. People say that it was like they were competing with each other. Remember, this was the dance that send them to the hospital! Twitch did a lot of the floor work. Josh did a lot of jumps and incredibly high grand jetés, plus turns. They got a standing O! Apparently, people felt sorry for the girls after the Josh-Twitch dance. I guess one of these two will be the winner on Thursday.
Twitch & Katee had a foxtrot by Tony & Melanie to “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé. He was in a tuxedo and she was in a light blue dress with lots of fringes. They say it was pretty good. Twitch's technique seems to have improved; his frame and posture were better than in the past. He also did some heavy lifting, including a full press over the shoulder in the middle of one lift that the jidges went crazy for. The jidges loved it for the most part. Mary told Katee that she could walk into the US Ballroom Championships in September because she is so good.
The last partner dance was Josh & Courtney's jive by Jason (Glikman?). People say this was very weird, especially because they were not even in ballroom shoes! They were wearing sneakers (Courtney wore some sort of boot-sneaker). Josh was in jeans, a white shirt and a burgundy leather jacket. There were lots of footwork problems and the lines were a little off. They had some really cool lifts at the end, however. However, Nigel pretty much paned the number by saying that the technique wasn't really there. Mandy (yes, she was the guest judge) said they lost energy, which surprised her. Mary went on and on about how difficult it was. They then filmed Mia's Top 4 group routine (for Thursday, I think) and apparently it was a little weird. It has been described as a Scottish-inspired number. The dancers were wearing kilts, guys were shirtless (insert teenagers-and Mary!-screaming here!!!!), girls have contrasting tartan vests and kilts. Mia said that the dance was celebratory of their time on the show. The song was an instrumental, with lots of bagpipes. They had some good lifts, and emotion as it comes with a Mia routine. It was VERY athletic and quirky, lot of isolations and jerking and rebounding, as well as lots of jumps and partner work. There was this one lift that the judges commented on where the girls were in a kind of handstand on the guys shoulders and Katee (w/ Josh) was more vertical and Courtney (w/ Twitch) was more horizontal and the guys were running across the stage. The judges said that Katee did better, got more height in the lift, but my sources who were at the taping say that it looked like if it had been choreographed that way! I guess we have to pay attention to this on Wednesday, but probably we’ll never know… Mia didn’t say anything after the judges’ critique….

They all did solos next. They did them out of order but here's the real order:

1. Courtney: through a song by Missy Higgings. She was in a low back yellow dress. Did what she normally does. Most people liked it a lot!
2. Twitch: Apparently very good. No “T” shirt, but a “T” shirt used as a rag. Lots of popping and hand movements; more than we’ve seen from him before. Great musicality and sense of humor. Apparently, he got another standing O.
3. Katee: Solo to Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap, a quintessentially Katee solo. She wore this patterned silk handkerchief dress. If you usually like them, you'll probably like this one.
4. Josh: Sources say he was AWESOME!! He started off on the stage, then ran off the stage and jumped onto the judge's platform and started dancing. Lots of playing to the audience and to the judges; he did several sections of booty shaking and ended in a split. He got a standing O after it.
For the finale (Thursday) they also taped the dance with dancers from past seasons. The following dancers are reported to be in it: Thayne, Jaime, Ivan (insert teenagers screaming here!!!!!), Benji (more screaming!!!!), Melody, Lauren, Dominic, Hok (even more screaming!!!!!!!!!!), Chelsie, Kourtni, Gev, Dmitry, and Comfort (of course, we couldn’t live without her!!!!!!).
In the afternoon, they also taped Nigel doing a tap number with the Debbie Allen Dancers. Nigel certainly comes with satisfaction guaranteed! You guys wanted tap, Nigel gives you tap!!! The tap routine was to Boogie Wonderland mix with some other songs. Started with a group of little dancers, and then Nigel comes in and does a sort of battle type thing with them. They all waddle off like penguins….

Source: idolfoums.com

SYTYCD’s Top 4: I’m not saying it is a conspiracy… but they are not your typical anybody…

Who are you going to believe, us or your lying eyes?
- Nigel and team producers of SYTYCD

If you are a SYTYCD viewer, you’ve probably felt manipulated by the show’s producers in more than one occasion. And the problem is not that the producers make their own decisions on what they think best serves the entertainment value of the show. No, I have no problem with that. The problem is that they do it, and at the same time they try to hide it and insist on pretending that the show is all clean and fair and only based on the audience decisions… oh, and random luck. Say, for example, the couples’ pairings and dance style choices. Do you really think they could be just random? Who else but Will and Katee could have danced Desmond Richardson’s “Pas de Deux”? So, why insist in making us believe that Will and Katee just picked that one out of the common hat?

The same goes for who’s who and who knows whom. A big deal was made of Debbie Allen’s stepping down from the judges table when Will Wingfield, her “protégé,” made it into the top ten. At the same time, the show has made an effort at hiding the fact that Twitch was a dancer in the movie Hairspray, as well as one of the finalists in Wade Robson’s MTV dance show (The Wade Robson’s Project); that Katee Shean trained with Mandy Moore and Mia Michaels, and that Joshua Allen did many summer intensives at the Debbie Allen Institute. I understand, the dance universe is a very small one and many people go to workshops and master classes with famous instructors such as Debbie Allen, Mia and Mandy Moore. I am not saying that they should be disqualified, or that Mia, Mandy or anybody else should not be able to judge. You would have to disqualify almost every potential contestant if you apply such strict standards. I see that point and agree with it.

The problem I have with the whole thing is the show’s efforts at hiding these facts and erasing them out of the contestants’ “official” bios. And I have a problem with Nigel’s fake insistence on presenting Twitch and Josh as untrained street dancers, as well as his efforts at creating a fake illusion of total fairness. That’s my problem with the whole thing!

Let’s see what SYTYCD didn’t want you to know about the finalists:

Stephen “Twitch” Boss (25). His official SYTYCD’s bio just presented him as a Freestyle dancer from Montgomery, AL. It did mention as a career highlight that he performed “Thriller” with Wade Robson on “The Wade Robson Project” in 2003, but it forgot to mention many “small” details such as:

• Twitch was one of the dancers in the movie Hairspray (2007), directed by Adam Shankman. So, he has had Broadway experience already since he was hired as one of the dancers for that movie (and he must know Shankman). Here is a clip for you. Forward to minute 8 and you’ll see him on the left corner, just behind Queen Latifah) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo6kjkVD-Ew&feature=related
  


• Twitch not just “performed” with Wade Robson, but he was a finalist in MTV’s dance competition show “The Wade Robson Project.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2bcu8t6bwwatch?v=2_2bcu8t6bwwatch?v=2_2bcu8t6bw.
  

Here's Stephen (Twitch) Boss as he looked for The Wade Robson Project

• Twitch was also credited as the main character (dancer) in a short movie who won a student Emmy in 2005. A tango movie called Mora, by the Gotan project (a group of amazing tango professionals).


• Twitch has stated in interviews that he has had formal dance training. His bio for The Wade Robson Project stated that he started his dance training at 16, continuing after high school at Chapman University’s dance department. Twitch is listed as current faculty at South County Dance studio in Orange County (formerly South County Classical Ballet School www.southcountyclassicalballet.com), where Katee also teaches. Yes, Katee and Twitch knew each other and worked together before the show.
  
  Katee Shean (20). Fox’s official bio for Katee labels her as a contemporary dancer from San Jose, CA. It states that Katee graduated from Pioneer High School and is currently attending Chapman University, majoring in dance and leadership. It also mentions that she trained at the Teen (Team) Dance Company and Atlas School of Dance. But Katee isn’t just a college student majoring in dance.
  
• She has been pursuing a professional career in modeling, acting and dancing in LA. She has been featured many times as a dancer in the hit LA show “Paris by Night.” She is with DDO Artists/Liquid Talent, a major Los Angeles talent agency.

• You can see Katee performing on Paris by Night at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSDJd78oBZ0&feature=related. In that show, by the way, they do a lot of disco and ethnic dances. See better pictures at: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a58/soldier_on/PBN90/DVDVolume-324.jpg and more from where that one came from: http://forums.thuyngaonline.com/tm.aspx?m=727883
  
• Katee is listed as current faculty at South County Dance in Orange County, CA. Her faculty bio states that she “received much of her training from Mark Foehringer, Mia Michaels and Mandy Moore.” But we never heard about that through SYTYCD, did we? Well, Mandy Moore is listed as one of the main Faculty members at the Teen Dance Company of the Bay area (http://www.teendancecompany.org/faculty.html), where Katee trained. Mia Michaels and Napoleon and Tabitha are listed as guest choreographers (http://www.teendancecompany.org/faculty_guest.html). Katee’s bio in the SYTYCD official page had a typo, by the way, and said TEAM instead of TEEN Dance Company (hmmm, conspiracy????)…
  
• Anyhow, here is a very cute video from Los Angeles’s Fox News channel about the kids of South County Dance cheering for their instructors, Katee and Twitch. http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6852049&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1
  
  Joshua Allen (19) is described on SYTYCD as a Hip Hop/Popping dancer from Fort Worth, TX. A lot has been made through the competition about his lack of training and how amazing it is that he can perform so well all other kinds of dance styles far from his specialty: hip/hop. However, in a couple of interviews, he has said that he started taking dance lessons in third grade and that he continued dancing all through high school. He did many summer intensives at the Debbie Allen Institute in Texas. No wonder he can jump like that!

Here is an excerpt from Star Telegram, June 10 2008 interview:
How did you get started with dance? I would always dance, since I've been little. I would go to school and dance and get in trouble and get sent to the Principal's office. Then I'd dance in there. They didn't mind my dancing but they were trying to say, "Can you tone it down a little?"
That's pretty hilarious. How'd you move from the Principal's office to more structured dancing? My teacher, it was in the third grade, she took me to the Debbie Allen Institute workshop. She gave me a piece of paper and said, "If you take this home to your mom and get it signed and bring it back, I'll give you a piece of candy." I didn't know what it was, but I really wanted a piece of candy, so I made my mom sign it.
What was that workshop like? It attracts serious dancers. The first day, it was an audition. I'd never had dance training, and most of the kids had had dance training. I made it. My first time being on stage was amazing. When I heard everyone screaming for me, I thought, "This is it. I could live on stage." From then, every year she (Debbie Allen) did a Texas intensive, I would go. I always got a month scholarship. I'd train like that. We didn't have a lot of money for classes, so everywhere I could get a scholarship for, that's what I would do. Just try and learn everything and be a sponge.
The judges seem to have attitude about hip-hop dancers, like they're shocked if those dancers are able to keep up with the choreography. Did you experience that? Yeah. When we come into the competition, they don't say, "What all can you do?" They say, "What is your niche, what do you do best?" So I'm going to put "hip-hop/popper." I'm not going to put lyrical, jazz because that's not my forte. It was cool, though, to be able to show that I could do other things. I like challenges, too.
You got sick elevation on that jump you did during the audition rounds, and you look like a football player. Do you play other sports? Yeah, I do. I was a running back, and I was starting on varsity. I ran track, and I broke the record as a freshman in high school. I was really into sports. My coaches would pull me in one direction and my teachers would pull me in another direction. But even when I was running track, I would always love to sing and dance, and then would I would play football, I would catch myself singing and dancing
Source: http://startelegram.typepad.com/pop_cultural_district/2008/06/fort-worth-nati.html

Courtney Galiano (19) seems to be pretty authentic! As stated in her SYTYCD’s bio, she is a Contemporary dancer from Commack, NY. Though she specializes in Contemporary, Galiano also loves to dance Hip-Hop. Well, actually, in her NY Knicks’ cheerleader bio blurb when asked if she has had any formal dance training she says that she has taken training in the styles of lyrical, tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop. But I don’t blame her for wanting to lower down expectations and just stating contemporary as her niche. Her bio also stated that she appeared in the music video for Kat De Luna’s “Whine Up” and that seems to be her only professional credit so far, as well as being a dancer for the New York Knicks (http://kcd.nyknicks.com/ ). She has been an instructor at Northeast Dance Academy in Commack (http://nedanceacademt.com/document/64076) and was scheduled to teach at Broadway Dance Center this Fall (those plans have probably changed now, with the Tour and all).

Ok. They are accomplished and that’s great. Good for them! Now, why hide it?