Thursday, July 31, 2008

Yeah Baby! Yeah!

That's right people: I am a super genius AGAIN!

Grillin'

I loved it when Cat put Twitch's grillz on! I almost died laughing, and then was filled with deep admiration for our host and how great she is! I am so glad that Lauren Sanchez got dumped after the first season!
I just watched an interview with Will (sigh) where he talks about how embarrassed he was being shirtless on stage. He notes that he doesn't get to condition that much since the show started, and so he isn't in the best shape of his life. Hence his embarrassment. We should all have such problems. . . . This little snippet from Will makes me hate him just the teeniest tiniest bit. Or a whole lot. On to this week's dancing:
Courtney and Mark: their first dance is the traditional kiss of death, the Vietnamese Waltz (shout out to Donyelle from season 2!). It was good, but seriously, why do they still have this dance as an option??? This and the quickstep aren't doing the contestants any favors. But I'll give them props for a watchable routine. Next up they dance a Sonja piece and I LOVE IT. Mathias (my hubbie) hates it. What?!?! It was AWESOME and I am so pleased that Mark and Courtney get to do something so fun.
Twitch and Chelsie first dance a mambo choreographed by Tony Meredith. Does nobody remember him from America's Ballroom Challenge? Really? Set your TiVos, people! Watching Twitch in this mambo makes me cringe, but for some reason the judges have all taken happy pills and give glowing reviews. What's going on? Is this because Paula Abcrazydul is in the house? Second they dance a snore-worthy routine from Tabitha and Napoleon. That was a serious snoozer. TabNap needs to take a break from boring routines!
And now I've saved the best for last: Joshua and Katee rocked my universe tonight with their awesome routines! First they dance a contemporary piece that blew my mind. I watched that Tyce number several times! Then they blow the roof off the joint with a wicked awesome Paso. Dang, I just loved all of it! What is weird to me is that Joshua has talked about taking dance classes. He's said on the show that he's had ballet training, and I just read an interview where he talks about the loads of workshops he's done (with Debbie Allen!). So why is everyone gushing about how he's so untrained? Whether he's trained or not, he's an effortless, beautiful dancer. I can't believe I didn't like him in the beginning!
The solos are boring me to tears these days. Katee with her funny finger dances, Chelsie's sad ballroom solos (at least this time she did the splits), Mark's same "quirky" dances over and over again. Twitch gave it a nice something new with his glasses and grillz. And Joshua's routine was off the hook. But as far as solos go, I'm feeling like this is last year's Wade Robson solos all over again. Everything the same and not interesting. Where's my boy Blake when I need him the most? Or at least beautiful Artem or Dmitry?
After last week's lame elimination, I felt duty-bound to vote. My pick? Joshua. I really like Joshua, and I feel like he's the best dancer of them all right now. Who's your pick? What's your take on my take? And who gave Mary her screams back? I was really hoping they were gone for good. Alas.
Predictions: Chelsie and Mark are going home. I hope. Or maybe Courtney and Twitch.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Rerun Comments

I'm writing whilst watching the rerun of last week's elimination (R.I.P. Will). A couple of things stand out:
  1. I know there's only six dancers left, but I'm sad that I am going from two blissful hours down to a paltry single hour. Sigh. Can't we give each dancer three or four dances plus a solo to get that second hour filled up?
  2. The opening dance of last week's elimination is strikingly familiar to what J.Lo's old crew, that's right -- The Fly Girls, used to dance on In Living Color. And the costumes are obviously cast-offs from Michael Jackson's 80's closet.
Is anyone else feeling this way, or is it just me?

Friday, July 25, 2008

Wow.

I kind of saw that one coming, but still, I hoped. Don't you all remember season one when Blake did that amazing number that ended with him taking off his shirt? That's what I thought of when Will did that James Brown solo. When he started dancing that solo, I just knew he would be in the bottom. The real surprise here is that Mark wasn't even in the bottom at all. That's crazy. And it's too bad that Will went home. At least he has a brilliant career ahead of him. So who are our predictions now? I have my smart money on Katee or Joshua.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Last Night Rocked! Yes it Did!

Last night is probably one of my favorite shows of all the seasons! Everything about it was great! Cat's ensemble was not horrifying, Mary was a manageable level of crazy, the dances were fantastic, and Toni Basil was a judge! Hey SYTYCD you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, hey SYTYCD!!!
Let's jump right into the dances:
Courtney and Will: first up is a samba choreographed by Jean-Marc Genereux. When did Jean Marc become so cool? I usually don't like samba, but for some reason the samba is speaking to me almost every time this season. Nice job! Next they have a slow hip-hop and everyone is gushing about how there's never been a slow hip-hop number on the show. Hello?!?!?! What about Dom and Sabra last season????? How quick we are to forget. It was a nice routine, but Napoleon and Tabitha are getting on my nerves. It seems like almost every dance with them is about someone leaving, dying, or leaving to die. Sigh.
Twitch and Katee: a Mia Michaels routine. Awesome! Contrary to some other opinions out there, I thought that the kiss was great! Woo woo! I loved the whole routine: the door, the music, costumes (FINALLY the costume department is not hating on the contestants!), and especially the dancing. Great job. Next for them is a Broadway routine. Tyce gave them some love with that routine. Good for him. Some of these Broadway routines have been boring me to tears, but somehow the stars have aligned for this night.
Mark and Comfort: How is it chance that the bottom two would be paired together? I don't know -- this seems rigged. First they dance a hip-hop routine choreographed by TabNap. It's nice and for once no one is dying or saying goodbye. Really good job. Next they have a foxtrot and I thought it was pretty fun until the judges started talking. And then I still didn't think it was as bad as they said it was. However it is definitely the low point of the evening.
Chelsie and Joshua: Let's have a moment of silence for my dreamy Dmitry choreographing their first number. Can I drool over him more (later we can talk about how I tried to steal a picture of Daniel Craig last night at the movie theater)?? I like this Argentine tango. They do a great job. Totally fun and not snooze worthy like so many other Argentine tangos I've seen on the show. But what are the chances that Chelsie has two Argentine tangos?? This thing is rigged, I tell you! Rigged!!! Next they have a disco number choreographed by the last holdout of the disco-age, Dorianna Crazyface. Even with the groovy lifts I was not too impressed. Her routines are just one-notes the whole way. We could have stopped with disco in the first season, if you ask me. And is it just me or did Joshua keep messing up? I swear I saw at least three or four mistakes in there. He just looked like he was scrambling the whole way!
As far as solos go there were a couple of standouts. Will is an obvious one, and I am curious to see if his James Brown impersonation won or lost him votes. I also really enjoyed Twitch, Courtney, and Comfort. Chelsie and Mark definitely had the weakest solos.
Overall tonight was so great -- it's nights like this that remind me why this is my favorite show! Here are some favorite moments and predictions for you as I bid adieu until this evening:
  • The return of the Hot Tamale Train: blerg.
  • Katee dressed up as our favorite train wreck, Amy Winehouse. Classic.
  • The fantastic kiddie pics of all the contestants.
  • Dreamy Dmitry!!
  • Bottom four: Chelsie, Mark, Comfort, Will
  • Going home: Mark and Comfort.
Okay, so what did you think? Are you all soooooo excited for the tour????? Hopefully tonight I'm a supergenius again!

Friday, July 18, 2008

Gev -- We Hardly Knew Thee!

Okay, I was really surprised that Gev and Kherington were the ones to go. I thought for sure that they had a bigger fan base than Mark and Comfort. But I need to give Comfort props for her good attitude and awesome solo last night.
So what did we think of Nigel's boring number (I guess my feelings on it are already clear)? How about the other numbers?
What about Kherington's "attitude" backstage last night after receiving critique from the judges? Do you think that Lil' C was right when he told her off? Let's hear it!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

But for sure some of last night's dances should have been cornered. Wow! What an evening. First up we'll talk about the news and wardrobe. The news:
Jessica is out with cracked and broken ribs. Yowch! Comfort is in. Now I know I was just asking about why no one likes Comfort, but I am sad to see her back and Jessica go. Poor Jessica! But at least she went out gracefully. Good for her! We'll miss you, Jessica!
On to the wardrobe fiascoes of the evening: Cat's dress, first of all, was bleh and I thought she wore that same one a couple weeks ago? What do you think? Also, Mary's hair extensions. . . . well, do we need to comment on Joan Rivers' heir apparent anymore? Sigh. Mary, you used to look normal!
Finally, a message to the wardrobe department: stop it already with your vendetta against the contestants! The dances are hard enough without you finding the worst outfits EVER for them!
And now on to the contestants:
Joshua and Courtney: I am initially excited about the hip hop number, but then that quickly fizzles and I become bored. Are hip hop numbers supposed to make me yawn? Their second dance is the ruuuuuumba. Woo woo! That was actually awesome! What is up with Joshua's hips? Is he secretly a latin dancer posing as a popper?
Kherington and Mark are up second with a two step and it was terrible! Oh man I just felt sorry for them! And Nigel was right when he said he was just willing them to get through the dance. I think after the first five or six mistakes I couldn't watch anymore. For their second routine they did a jazz number that I thought was great. The judges were not so impressed. I was kind of bummed about that because I really like these two. And their solos didn't do them any favors. Kherington's solo last week was so amazing that I just felt let down this time around.
This week Comfort and Twitch are the couple marked for death by a smooth waltz. Is it just me or was Hunter Johnson switching between American and Australian accents? Also, I think I recognize him as the guy who always needed help with his Botafogos in Strictly Ballroom. Anyone else? As expected, Twitchfort stank up the floor with their smooth waltz. They totally redeemed themselves, however, with their bonkers hip hop number. Finally a hip hop number that doesn't put me to sleep! And it makes such a huge difference when the girl is also a hip hop dancer! Dang that was sweet! My only gripe here is Twitch's lame lame lame ensemble. Poor Twitch. Was that aluminum foil wrapped around his waist?
Next up are the dream team of Will and Katie. First they dance a Tyce routine which I thought was just okay. It seemed a bit slow to me. But the judges loved it so what do I know. Sometimes I think they feel the same way about Will as I do about Daniel Craig: they would watch him open an envelope and think it brilliant. Their second dance is the Pas de Deux. Wow. Wow. The only dance I watched twice. Dang that was great. Just fabulous.
The last dancers are Chelsie and Gev. I was initially disappointed by Chelsie because her solo was the ballroom equivalent of Comfort's solo last week. I almost pulled a Mia Michaels at Tyce's and fell asleep. When I saw that they were dancing a Sonja piece I got a little excited, though, because Sonja's style has so far impressed me. They did a nice job, but I kind of wish it was Chelsie and Mark dancing that one because they had better chemistry. For their second dance they jive at hyper-speed. Holy cow that was fast! When Gev missed her hand in the first half I thought that was it and they wouldn't recover. But they did a pretty nice job. I was just amazed that they went sooooo fast. Bonkers!
On to the solos: No one's really stood out to me. Gev and Joshua's were okay, but other than that I was left a little cold.
So this episode was full of ups and downs for me. What did you think? Who do you think is going home tonight? What do you think of Comfort's return? Triumphant?
I will bid you adieu with some bullets and predictions:
  • Mary Murphy embracing her cougar status by saying Will can take his shirt of any time. Ew.
  • Lil' C defining Buck -- is this what we thought it meant?
  • No hot tamale train tonight. Is this the end of the train and the beginning of the Love Boat?
  • Dirty Dancing references - yippeeeee!
  • Dmitry in the audience - yipppeeeee!
  • Predictions for bottom girls: Kherington and Comfort
  • Predictions for bottom boys: Mark and Gev
  • Going home: Comfort and Mark
Tell me what you think! Will I be a super genius yet again?

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

What's Wrong With Comfort?

I like Comfort! How come everyone is bagging on her? Tell me the reasons and I will look more closely on Wednesday.

Friday, July 4, 2008

I AM STILL A SUPERGENIUS!!!

That's right folks! I got this week right on the money! And what on earth was up with Cat's hair?? I know she was going for the Cleopatra look, but it came out as sort of Mickey Mouse. . . .

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Sequins and Tuxes and Bowties -- Oh My!

Poor Cat. I mean really, poor Cat. She's super tall and skinny and younger than me and hosting a fabulous hit show. She must have such a hard time finding things to wear. I can think of NO reason (except for a drunk stylist) for the bib/tux/bow tie number she was wearing tonight. Argh! Cat! At least she got to do the hairstyle she wanted.
Cat's Mary Murphy-esque ensemble was a portent of the nature of tonight's show: bleh. I was underwhelmed tonight. Most of the dances were a snooze. There were maybe three or four routines that I thought were up to standard: the two Mia routines and the two Mandy Moore routines. And that's it. And there were fourteen dances!
First up:
Jessica and Will: Leave poor Jessica alone about holding Will back! I totally disagree. Sometimes I think that Will is too hammy and too "jazzy." Tonight's jive was a perfect example of that. The best part of this jive (and by "best," I mean the only good part) was that over the back through the legs lift. That was bonkers.
Their second dance choreographed by Mandy Moore was da bomb! I totally dug the shirt thing and seriously Will jumped about fifteen feet in the air right at the beginning. Bonkers!
Comfort and Thayne: first up is a Blankenbuehler (I love his name, hate his choreography) Broadway routine that leaves me cold. Have we seen Blankenbuehler before?
Second up is a smooth waltz and I want to know why they still have this as an option? Poor Comfort and Thayne will be in the bottom six, I predict. Wake me up when they stop dancing.
Kourtni and Matt: Olisa and Cecily's hip hop routine was not doing them any favors tonight. They definitely looked like two contemporary dancers doing hip hop. It did not work. And then their mambo, which had great potential. . . . sigh. Nigel was right when he said Matt needed to "butch" it up. These two are also in danger, I'm afraid.
Chelsie and Mark: I said earlier that I loved the Mandy Moore routines tonight and this was the first one we saw. Awesome. Although I must admit that the song choice drove me nuts. That "Kiss Kiss" song was originally done by a Turkish singer, Tarkan, and the original is SO MUCH better than the lame knockoff.
For their second dance they had the foxtrot. Why oh why did they give Chelsie that awful dress?? It distracted me the whole time and shed feathers everywhere. Other than my blood boiling because of the dress, I was left cold by this routine.
Twitch and Kherington: I don't know what to say about their paso doble. Twitch's shoulders really looked like he was wearing earrings and I couldn't get over that and how awkward he looked the entire time.
The Mia routine, however. . . wow! I loved it! That was fantastic! But not quite as good as Mia's other routine, danced by:
Katee and Joshua: holy cats this routine blew me away. I could feel the depth of emotion. Everything, to my super-dance-trained-eye, was superb. Amazing. Kudos to Mia for a great routine that will also get the audience to vote! Amazing!
Their second routine choreographed by dear Benji -- I almost fell asleep! Seriously why do the judges always love Benji's west coast swing routines?? I always come away from his routines wishing he were the one who actually danced them. Benji and Lacey have the personality for west coast swing. I haven't seen any other dancers (including Pascha from last year) who have what it takes for west coast swing. Katee and Joshua were no exception. The routine was slow and jerky. A total miss for me and I'm glad their first routine was soooo awesome.
Courtney and Gev: their routines are choreographed by the two losing choreographers of the night. Cecily and Olisa are first with a hip hop routine that looked like something out of an early (let's say late eighties, early nineties) rap video. I was so bored with this routine. Their was nothing interesting for me to get in to. Which is sad because I really like Courtney and Gev.
And then their Blankenbuehler Broadway routine. Again, I'm just not feeling it. Blankenbuehler's routines are really leaving me cold tonight.
So my predictions for the danger zone: Courtney and Gev, Kourtni and Matt, Comfort and Thayne.
Going home: Kourtni and Matt. Or Thayne. I'm torn.
Am I too grouchy about last night? Was it really a great night for dance and I am just stuck in some sort of funk? Who do you think is going home?