#dance television

[sytycdfeelz]

S14, Top 8

Another day another drama drama...sorry, couldn’t help myself. I’ve got lwymmd on repeat, and it’s the Top 8. In previous seasons when there’s been a Top 20, the Top 8 usually gives us the best dancing but nothing without some major drama (drama). 

Group Dance: Open on Robert...my initial thought: Can anyone look better dancing to a RuPaul song than Robert? Nope. Enter MARKO. No way, can’t possible get better than that. AND THEN THERE WAS LEX. Absolute perfection. That routine was so great for me because it’s something you would actually see professional dancers doing in a concert or award show setting. I loved it even more when I found out Mark choreographed it. MISS HIM!

Mark and Koine, Jazz (Mandy Moore) - Usually I find it a little more difficult to really get invested in a piece when there’s no story to grab onto, but I really enjoyed this one. They exuded such great and positive energy, and they had so much fun! It was nice to see Koine get to have fun and just be herself instead of a quirky character. And, unsurprisingly they danced the heck out of it. 

Taylor and Robert, Hip Hop (Luther Brown) - I was a little on the fence about this one. I still don’t love Robert in actually hard-hitting hip hop choreo, and it was a little distracting to watch him. Taylor definitely danced her heart out thought, and I thought she did well. I definitely wasn’t as enthusiastic as the judges were...that was a bit of a surprise.

Gaby and Lex, Contemporary (Mandy Moore) - Mandy Moore is an absolutely brilliant choreographer. The way she manipulated the lifts to make them highlight Lex was genius. It was the perfect combo of grace and strength without being obvious about either. Once again, Lex defied gravity in his leaps and turns, and I just can not figure out how he does what he does. 

Kaylee and Cyrus, Cha Cha (Val) - If that wasn’t the absolute cutest routine we’ve had this season?! Val must be a DAMN good teacher because Kaylee absolutely SLAYED that cha cha. She was confident, sharp, happy throughout the piece, and it made me love her even more. I absolutely loved what Vanessa said about her knowing exactly who she is and embracing it. Not gonna lie, I even teared up a little. Way to go, Kaylee!

Comfort and Mark, Broadway (Spencer Liff) - The more I see of these two, the more I like them. Mark can seriously do everything, and he is such a wonderful performer. I still can’t get over how freaking good Comfort has become over the years. That was really fun to watch, and I can’t find a bad thing to say about it.

Kiki and Jenna, Jazz (Travis Wall) - Travis is so creative sometimes I just can’t even deal. The whole concept - from the choreo to the costumes to the set - were all so well thought out and interesting. Jenna has been nothing short of perfection this season, and it’s hard to not watch her tbh. And that’s coming from someone who was not a big Jenna fan during her actual season. She really has been making Kiki better, and I’m starting to come around on him as well. 

Dassy and Fikshun, Contemporary (Jaci Royal) - There was something mesmerizing about that piece. I found myself staring at the screen without blinking, just waiting to see what happened next. There were some very unique lifts in that piece, and I thought they pulled them off very well. As usual, their chemistry was on point. Dassy had some really nice lines, and I appreciated how she really got into her character. Her feet didn’t look bad either!

Logan and Allison, Hip Hop (Chris Scott) - IMO, Allison is the best dancer to ever take the SYTYCD stage and I’ll be damned if Logan doesn’t keep up with her at every turn. That kid is some kind of prodigy. This piece reminded me of the Nappy Tabs lyrical routines of yester-year, and I loved every moment. Each little moment had me grinning bigger and bigger, and by the end I was completely teary-eyed. Perfect.

All Star routine: This was a pretty incredible piece. And I stand by my earlier statement that Allison is the best dancer SYTYCD has ever had. 

Taylor and Lex, Jazz (Spencer Liff) - TFD. Technique. For. Days. That was every bit of the dream sequence Spencer wanted it to be. AND MORE. I couldn’t believe how perfectly Lex and Taylor fit together, in style, technique and chemistry. This piece exuded professionalism at every turn, and all I could think while I was watching was this belongs in a movie. Seeing Taylor’s mom all teary in the audience said it all. Pure perfection. 

Koine and Kiki, Salsa (Val) - Val has been an amazing asset to the choreographer rotation for SYTYCD, and I am so happy to finally be seeing some more ballroom on this show. This was a super fun number and a great partnership as well. Tbh, I couldn’t take my eyes of Koine the whole time. She was sparkling the entire time, and I was incredibly impressed by her ballroom skills. Kiki was wonderful as well, and I thought it was the first time he genuinely looked like he was having fun.

Kaylee and Logan, Contemporary (Travis) - This is the incredible partnership I never knew I needed. I feel like the shadow concept has been done before, but this was a whole new level with such a high degree of difficulty. I loved the overall effect of the choreography. Logan is 

Dassy and Mark, Hip Hop (Chris Scott) - “Mark seemed like he’s danced with umbrellas before.” Um yes, have you seen the @taylorswift 1989 World Tour? This was a joy to watch and it made me so happy! Dassy and Mark are both such great performers, and I loved the joy on their faces throughout. The umbrella work was also pretty darn impressive. 

AND THEN I LEGITIMATELY CRIED BECAUSE I LOVE ALL 8 OF THESE DANCERS AND I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GO. Especially after tonight. 

Bottom 3: Kaylee, Dassy, Koine / At this point, I feel like this part is just going to be gut wrenching. They are all so talented, and I honestly don’t know who I would replace with any of these girls. IT’S TOO HARD. 

The judges sent Dassy home, but not without loads of compliments. They literally didn’t have a bad thing to say about anyone in the bottom and they didn’t stretch to find one. Fikshun had only incredible things to say about her in the sign off, and I am 100% confident she’ll have a great dance career. 

This was the best episode of the season so far, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. 

[sytycdfeelz]

S14, Top 4

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how ansolutely perfect Cat looks tonight in the cold open. Perfect hair, perfect makeup, perfect dress, PERFECT HOST.

I was wondering how the opening number had such high energy and swagger level, and then Cat said that Nappy Tabs choreographed it, and it all made sense. Miss them on this show a lot.

Top 4 Group routine - This may be an unpopular opinion, but I didn’t really like this. It didn’t feel like Travis or like Christopher Scott, and in my opinion, it also didn’t seem like a collab. I see why the beginning parts were necessary, but they also read like cheesy solos to me. Or maybe it was the overly “epic” music choice? I don’t know, but I just wasn’t that impressed.

Taylor and Kiki, Cha Cha (Anya) - Anyone else get dizzy from the camera work and ridiculous lighting? Just me? That being said, I think they actually danced it really well. Taylor kept up with Kiki, which isn’t easy to do when he’s in his style. There were a lot of distractions around this routine that I didn’t love, but the actual routine itself was pretty good.

Koine and Lex, Broadway (Al Blackstone) - Well if that wasn’t the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!!! Wow, I liked that a lot more than I thought I was going to. It had the potential to go the cheesy route, but with the actual good dancing and real choreography, I actually found it quite impressive. Their chemistry was fantastic, and you could tell how much fun they were having. Plus, it included a tuxedo tee, so that was just the cherry on top. Loved it!

Kiki’s fav was Mandy’s contemporary. Interesting choice, seeing as though he barely danced in it. I definitely like him a lot more than this started, but I’m not quite on the tear train that Jenna and all the judges are on tonight.

Lex solo - No idea how this guy continues to amaze me with his moves. Like...how???

Koine’s fav was also one of my favorites of hers from this season. It was so different and so dynamic, and I’m not sure any other dancers could have pulled this off like she and Marko did.

Kiki solo - Another good one from from this guy.

All star routine by Keone and Mari Madrid - This was really good, but all I could thing was that Jasmine was severely underutilized in it!

Koine and Taylor, Jazz (Mandy Moore) - Well, the girls came in HOT. It’s interesting to see them both in this, because they are both clearly competition dancers. To me, Koine is the better performer, but it’s almost impossible to ignore Taylor’s damn legs. They absolutely nailed the tricky turn sequence, and really the whole darn thing. Great job, girls!

Lex and Kiki, Hip Hop (Luther Brown) - Lex is just better in hip hop than Kiki. Seeing them side by side, there’s just no comparison. I think it’s silly and kind of a cop out when people just throw ballroom steps in everything for Kiki. Make him do the damn style! That being said, he has definitely improved a TON, and I have to commend him for that. Lex is just awesome at all of it. Chosen One, indeed.

Taylor’s favorite was Travis’ contemporary piece from the first week, which is no surprise. It was stunning and probably played a big role in carrying her this far. This time was even more gorgeous than the first.

Koine solo - I just love her spirit. She’s so lovely.

Lex’s favorite was tap, which is freaking adorable! It’s just so far from what he does best, and he’s still incredible at it. I know he gets a lot of inflated praise, but this routine just proves how talented he really is.

Taylor solo - Another gorgeous solo from Taylor. I can’t say they don’t all look the same, but the same could be said about most contemporary solos...

Koine and Kiki, Contemporary (Travis Wall) - I think this was choreographed and danced very well, but I’m not sure I bought the chemistry between Koine and Kiki. The beginning was light and floaty and beautiful, but the “disintegrated” part of it felt pretty typical to me. I still liked it, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Taylor and Lex, Contemporary (Mia Michaels) - Well, their instagram posts definitely led me to believe they were dating, but I guess it’s official. Lex and Taylor are in love! They must really want one of them to win, because they fave them Mia and a Sara Bareilles song, and it was beautiful. Personally, I liked their broadway piece better, but damn that was cute!

Well, that’s it..that’s the competition. The results are in the hands of those of you that vote. Good luck! Personally, I’d be fine with any of them winning. I think it’ll be Lex, but it seems to be drifting in Kiki’s direction after tonight. Will we finally have a ballroom winner? Will the brunette dark horse win the day? Guess we’ll find out next week on @danceonfox!

[sytycdfeelz]

New York Auditions #1 - S14E3

Even just the opening montage for this episode gives me all the feelz. New York always has the most impressive auditions, and since they’re only doing LA and NY this season, I know this is going to be good.

Katie Impavido Millis, Contemporary - I knew I would like her before I even saw her dance, and thank goodness I wasn’t disappointed. I adored her subtle (but also not-so-subtle) confidence and power. She has got to be a true professional because there was a polish to her audition that you don’t usually see until a litter later in the show. She is so unique, and I think people will love her on the Top 20. 

Ana Sanchez, Salsa - I really enjoyed her audition...such a spitfire! I will say, I did get a little distracted by her looking at the ground and focusing to omuch on her own feet. It made the transitions just a little static to me, but it’s nothing that can’t be improved. I loved her energy and flare, and I’d be happy to see more of her.

Koine Iwasaki, Contemporary / Jazz - Not to be objectifying, but the first thing I notice about Koine is how STUNNING she is. She was so powerful and graceful that even the angsty face didn’t even bother me. She’s got so much sparkle and definitely an x-factor. I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes it pretty far in this competition. 

I loved the BBoy montage of Kyle Bennett, Jr,, Shaquile Worsley and Alex Diaz. From the brief clips, I should Shaquile looked strongest and I could get a little glimpse of his personality even in that short amount of screen time. 

Havoc and Klassic, Flexing - No matter how much I see it, I am always blown away by animators. The amount of control they have over their bodies and each individual movement is ASTOUNDING. These guys were great and put on such a great performance. I absolutely loved the crank move with the slow motion twisting forward - so cool!

Chaz Wolcott, Tap - I can’t believe he is 29 - he looks like a baby! Since I’m watching this late, I know he’s gotten a lot of hype already but how could he not with that resume??? Man alive did he deliver!!! I had to stop and catch my breath after watching his audition. It was a modern twist on classic dancing, and I loved every moment. His face was so joyful and expressive, and you could just feel the energy in every tap. I hope he makes it to Top 20 because he is a bonafide star!

Logan Hernandez, Contemporary / Breaking - He looks super familiar and really cool. Anyone?

Abby Griffin, Contemporary / Pointe - Loved her fusion style, or at least what I saw of it. 

Cristina Moya-Palacios - She’s definitely auditioned before (back in Season 11), and I remember really liking her! Welcome back, girl!

Ryan Bailey, Contemporary - I thought this would be a lot weirder than it actually was. I totally enjoyed his audition. He’s like the male Sia / Maddie Ziegler. There were a lot of really impressive moves, plus he had a total swagger and unique point of view. I am so impressed with Nigel and Mary for putting him straight through to Academy. Not sure how far he’ll go with other styles, but I am excited to see his journey. 

GREAT audition episode, imho. What did y’all think?

[sytycdfeelz]

The Academy: Some Thoughts

There is nothing to say short of this is just the best part of the show. I like the live shows, but there is definitely some hit and miss there. This is all just SOLID. I still wishit was Vegas week for nostalgia’s sake, but this will do.

**UPDATE: This was kinda all over the place, so I wasn’t sure how to blog it. Plus the one hour really flew by too quickly for me to keep up. Basically it’s just some updates and thoughts. Enjoy!

It’s an interesting twist that the all-stars are ultimately going to pick their own partner. It's definitely different having them sitting through the auditions instead of Nigel and co. but I kind of like that the judges aren’t necessarily seeing them through the whole process. Leaves a bit more “surprise” (using that term loosely) for the live shows.

Logan Hernandez - Well I think it’s safe to say that Robert Roldan wants to eat this guy up. He was practically drooling over him and couldn’t even stay in his seat. An early favorite for sure.

Jensen and Tristan - I feel like Jenna being friends with Jensen’s family is a bit of a conflict of interest, but she’s great of her own accord anyways. And the dance world, especially ballroom in Utah, is so small. Sad to see Tristan go, but I wasn’t that attached yet.

Kevin and Kyle - I only wish they could have picked licensed songs because I would have loved to see their musicality. They are both insanely talented though - WOW.

Lex Ishimoto - THIS GUY THO. Dare I say he is the early Chosen One? Again, Robert can’t stay in his seat. I guess they already know each other from Shaping Sound...more conflicts of interest, I suppose. Impossible to avoid.

Ryan - Such a strange style, but I still really liked him. Some of his jumps were out of this world. Sad to see him go. Sonya would have loved him, and I’m sure he can dance for her later.

Hip Hop Round

LOVE blue hair Haley! And Robert and his awesome pants! Sad we didn’t really get to see more partnerships. It’s always fun to look back and see those later, like when they’re finalists. The good ones tend to stick together.  Also, the outfits they wear in this round crack me up. And, it’s always great to have Nappy Tabs back in play on this show, since they seem to be so busy doing LITERALLY ALL OF THE CHOREOGRAPHY.

Team selections...what is this, The Voice? I typed some stuff out, but I realize there is no good way to live blog this, so here are some observations:

- Duh, when in doubt go with Allison. She is the absolute best, maybe ever.

- Poor Robert! Why does no one want to be on his team?

- I am SO shocked that Lex went with Gaby. I would have put money on him and Allison.

- Sad to see Shadee and Darius leave.

- Keke was not a good choice for Jenna. They should have at least made him dance for his life. Hope he proves me wrong...

[balletandbeautifulthings]

dance shows really need to just do full length shots (a la bunheads) when filming dances. i really don't care what facial expressions the audience is making while they are dancing. i just want to see them dance.