AI8 - San Juan / New York Auditions (1/29/09)

Last audition show, yay! I don't really like how they skipped back & forth between San Juan & New York, but I suppose they were trying to hid the really dismal turnout in Puerto Rico. It's easy to tell which is which by contestant number though, and I'll separate them here.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Jorge Nunez (20, PR, 63695) - This was one of the fun build-ups that makes you expect a bad singer but then surprises you! Jorge is very confident and energetic and thinks that he will "wow" people with his voice. He sings "My Way" in Spanish and then "What a Wonderful World" in English. He is a very good singer and an attractive kid (I think he has a 'pretty' face, in a masculine way). 4 yeses.

"Crazy Rocker" Joel Contreras didn't get through, but I thought his Marc Anthony-sounding voice was better than some who have. I know the shtick was OTT though.

Monique Torres (16, PR, 60178) - Cute little bro Christopher got her through. She sang "You Can't Hurry Love" and "I Turn to You," and she has a good voice but the judges thought she didn't seem young enough (too "cabaret", tm Simon). Paula & Simon were the (only) yeses.

Patricia Lewis Roman (20, PR, 63743) - Her parents were married in this building. Sang "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" (and I wanna ban this song from Idol!!). Too belty but her voice is ok. She did a 2nd song in Spanish... Paula said no, Randy & Simon said yes, & we didn't see Kara's vote.

and Kendall Beard (23, TX) - Pretty blond in multicolor dress who was in the promos as having amazing talent. I thought she was just ok (dawg). (eta: Apparently she's country and we haven't seen much of that yet, so that may be what got her in.) 4 yeses.

A total of 9 advance from PR (we saw 4).


New York City

Melinda Camille (22, CT, 96837) - Melinda wants to "uplift humanity" and enjoys dancing naked (in her bedroom). She is a very, very happy person and is barefoot (a trend this year?). Sings "Feeling Good" (appropriate!) and is good enough. That and her interesting persona get her through. I like her!!

Jackie Tohn (27, CA, 102723) - Girl rocker; plays guitar, writes music, dad is musician as well. She sings "I'm Yours" (just ok) and "I'll Do It All" (better). Her husky voice is decent but her personality & singing style are strange. Paula calls her "unpredictable and surprising." She's also done quite a bit of acting (IMDB lists guest roles on The Closer, among others). 4 yeses.

Nick Mitchell, aka "Normal Gentle" (27, CT, 95437) - Waaay OTT, flaming, shiny-shirted guy with geeky glasses... we've seen the type, usually annoying and talentless. Sings a farcical "And I'm Telling You" and of course Simon hates him and says not to be a comedian. After feigning hurt feelings he responds to a comment from Simon with a joke about Simon "liking it when Seacrest does it," which makes Simon laugh. He then offers to sing "Amazing Grace" and pulls over a chair... he actually has a decent voice when he's serious during the first few lines but then flashes back into full diva mode (love the TWoPer's comparison to Paul Lynde!). Kara and Paula are greatly entertained, as is Randy, so he gets 3 yeses despite Simon's no, and to everyone's surprise (especially Ryan's as he emerges, ticket in hand) advances to Hollywood!

Ashley Hollister (21, NJ, 102719) - Just get a short clip of this blond in a black tank top. Not conventionally pretty so a bit more interesting than most of the cookie-cutter blonds, but we'll have to wait and see.

Kenny Hoffpauer (16, PZ, 91376) - Definitely want to see & hear more of Kenny!! I think he sang Jason Mraz and I loved his voice!

And that was all we saw of the 26 who got through, except for the usual blurry montage of people waving golden tickets. Someone caught a glimpse of Angela Martin (dead Dad girl from last year? she was really good & many expected her to be in the finals but she wasn't). There was also a married couple (kissing) who both had tickets.

Next week: Hollywood! Where the big question is, who will be the biggest (annoying, controlling &/or crybaby) Diva? Bikini Girl? Tatiana? or Adam or Norman? ;-) I love Hollywood Week!!!

AI8 - Salt Lake City Auditions (1/28/09)

Salt Lake was much better than Jacksonville! And what better way to start off a visit to Utah than with the Osmond clan? :-)

David Osmond (29, UT) - His father Alan is the oldest of the "performing" Osmonds. Both Alan and David have MS; David is in remission. He sings a Take 6 song called "Something Within Me" and is good, but his voice is very light, a bit reminiscent of Luke Menard (heh, another famous name!). Advances to Hollywood but I doubt he'll make it further than that.

Frankie Jordan (24, CA, 43788) - My favorite female so far!! She's a SAHM living in Hollywood who says she's "born to do this." She sings Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good" and I LOOOOVE her voice! Tone, style, everything. 4 yeses!

Megan Corkrey (23, UT, 43768) - Megan is also a mom and we see 2-year old Rider. Megan is recently divorced and has a large arm tattoo. Sings "Can't Help Loving That Man" (ironic choice?) and the judges fall all over her. I thought she was ok but a bit annoying in her singing style, singing from the side of her mouth, etc. Simon said he likes her because she's different and memorable (I agree, just not in a good way). She gets tons of screen time so I'm guessing she makes at least Top 50. 4 yeses.

Austin Sisneros (17, UT, 42950) - Senior Class president, looks very young, is very sweet. Sings Train's "When I Look to the Sky" and the judges seem confused and say it was a bad song choice. Then sings "It Takes a Village" and his voice does sound stronger on this. 4 yeses but they don't think he seems young; I can see a bit of that when he's performing, yes, though I don't think it's a bad thing... we'll see!

Jarrett Burns (24, UT, 47737) - We don't get any intro, just see him singing "Put Your Records On." We know the judges like when you choose a song from the opposite gender (and do it well, which he did). Has potential.

Taylor Vaifanua (16, UT, 45111) - At 5'11" with long, dark wavy hair, Randy compares her to Jordin Sparks. Except she's Samoan while Jordan was half African-American. Anyway, she sings "Joyful, Joyful" and has a very nice voice & stage presence.

Rose Flack (17, ID, 50043) - The overly promoted sob story of the night, Rose lost her father at 13 and her mother at 15! She lives with her best friend's family and is very perky (when not speaking about her parents) and quirky, in (I think) a good way. Sings "I Feel the Earth Move" and is very good, with a unique tone (and look - she's barefoot, for one thing!). Simon loves her though didn't like the song choice. 4 yeses. If she's emotionally mature enough to handle Hollywood week she could easily be a finalist.

13 total advance to Hollywood and we saw 7! Tomorrow, San Juan and New York City. They also show previews of Hollywood with the return of Group Drama, yay!! I catch glimpses of Adam (twice), Von, Scott (twice), Danny, Michael Castro, Rose, Dennis, Lil, and I think Ryan Johnson, maybe Ashley, and Joanna. No Anoop though... hope that's not a bad sign, lol. I'm ready!!

AI8 - Jacksonville, FL Auditions (1/27/09)

I don't know about you, but I found Jacksonville rather disappointing (or at least what we saw of it). Here's who got through-

Joshua Ulloa (22, FL, 86819) - looks a bit like Justin Guarini, very energetic. Sings "Let's Get It On" & has a good voice but adds sound effects & such... not great. Gets 4 yeses anyway.

Sharon Wilbur (25, FL, 78093) - Sharon brought her Shih Tzu Sasha, whom Simon held while Sharon sang "Superstar." Not sure about the voice or vocal style. 3 or 4 yeses, they didn't really say.

Julissa Veloz (19, FL, 82858) - Julissa was Miss Florida Latino USA, and is wearing her sash and tiara. She sings Whitney's "I Have Nothing" and is decent! But has a very strange, annoying laugh.

And that's all we see of the 9 who advance on Day 1, except for the very short glimpses in a montage. On to Day 2...

Jasmine Murray (16, MS, 84122) - the youngest of 5 kids; sings Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" (probably my favorite song from last year!) and is very good. Simon calls her "cute, commercial, and a very good singer"; 4 yeses.

Anne Marie Boskovich (22, TN, 81948) - This audition is strange. She comes in, says she's a fan of Kara because she heard her sing once in Nashville, and does a bit of the song Kara did. Simon said she has a good voice but something is wrong, and asks her to leave and come back later "as a different person," with more confindenc / star appeal. So she changes her outfit a bit, adds some make-up, and returns to sing "Bubbly." She gets 4 yeses and is through.

T.K. Hash (23, NC, 82587) - they say he "didn't make it" last year when he auditioned, though I believe he did make it to Hollywood. He sings "Imagine" and has a nice voice; changes it up a bit but doesn't over-embellish. Randy disagrees & says it was over the top. Simon says no but he gets 3 yeses. I think he has good confidence & stage presence; he & Jasmine have the most potential but neither wowed me.

Ryan's voice-over says that's it and there were 16 total with tickets. The montage shows 9 new people, so he must have meant 16 for Day 2 and 25 altogether for Jacksonville. And we only got to hear 6 of them!! Unless you count the short "Walking on Sunshine" we get from a guy in a black t-shirt during the end medley. Still... not great. Perhaps tomorrow will be better - at least we'll get to see some Osmonds!

AI8 - Louisville Auditions (1/21/09)

11,000 people audition in Louisville, including at least one from my high school! Heh - early in the Day 2 footage they show 2 guys in line, saying "We're pumped up for American Idol!" One is wearing a Butler Univ. shirt & the other a green "Westfield Wrestling" shirt (our colors were green & gold)! Louisville's only about 2 hours away so this isn't terribly surprising, but 'back in the day' when I was a student, tiny Westfield High only had about 100 people per graduation class, so to see an alum on national tv is pretty exciting. :-)

First through is Joanna Pacitti (23, PA, 16071) - she writes songs & said she moved to LA at age 16. Kara actually recognizes her as having had a previous recording deal w/a certain label! She sang "We Belong" (I love this song) and is really good! She's very pretty as well and seems sweet & humble, not acting like she deserves it or like she's desperate (which we've seen in past seasons from some who've had former big chances/deals that fizzled). 4 yeses.

Brent Keith Smith (28, OH, 22813) - Sings Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough" and has a nice, rough voice - very good. Simon said it was the wrong type of song for him but he gets 4 yeses anyway. This guy could easily be Top 10.

Matt Giraud (23, MI, 13758) - is a "dueling piano player" who does a comedic style show and is self-taught (at least in piano). Sings "I Don't Wanna Be" and is very nervous but I think it was a good song choice for him. Simon said he reminds him of Elliot Yamin and that he "could be great" if he believes in himself more. 4 yeses.

On Day 1 a total of 10 contestants advanced (we saw 3 & then get a montage of the rest - I'm very curious to see what the redheaded guy in the plaid shirt sounds like!).

Day 2...

Alexis Grace (20, TN, 20075) - stay-at-home mom (daughter's name is Ryan), plays guitar, cute blond. Sings Aretha's "Dr. Feelgood" and belts the whole thing, but she is good. Simon says she has a commercial face; 4 yeses.

Just short clips of the next 4:

Kris Allen (male, 23, AR, 25439) - Wears a cap & plaid shirt, sings "Song for You" (which still reminds me of Elliot!). Nice voice.

Felicia Barton (26, VA, 16474) - cute brunette in a black top, sings "Put Your Records On," good!

Ryan Johnson (27, OH, 24805) - tall cute white guy, sings "Change is Gonna Come," great voice! Wish we'd gotten to hear more!!

Shera Lawrence (23, KY, 18710) - brunette in a pink & white top, sings "I've Got the World on a String."

And last is tonight's 'sob story,' Leneshe Young (18, OH, 20432) - grew up w/several siblings raised by single mom and at times homeless, in shelters, etc. Sings an original R&B/pop song called "Nattie" which is decent, and she has a good voice & great confidence/stage presence! She reminds me just a tad of Paris, but much more current style-wise. The judges all love her & she's through with 4 yeses. Ryan ends by saying the family is one of the "most polite" the show has ever had!

A total of 19 advance to Hollywood from Louisville (so 9 on Day 2, of whom we saw 6).

And I already knew this (majorly), but it was nice to see it admitted in the end credits: "Portions of this program not affecting the outcome have been edited." ;-)

AI8 - San Francisco Auditions (1/20/09)

In San Francisco a couple got engaged - and married! - while waiting in line to audition. Alrighty then... this should be interesting!

Tatiana Del Toro (23, Puerto Rico, #3325) - Sang "Never Loved a Man." Wow, not sure what to say... incredibly annoying laugh, big ego (she's a model as well as a singer), very dramatic. Decent voice. Gave them her portfolio & one of the judges commented that a photo was "naughty," and she replied "Thank you!"

Jesus Valenzula (29, CA, 5393) - father of 2 boys, with a good voice but the boys got him through, not the voice. He first sang an R&B song, Simon said no, then some of the judges wanted to see the boys. He brought them in and sang "Unchained Melody." 3 yeses.

Short clips: John Twiford (21, CA, 5811) - somewhat long wavy hair, sang "Overjoyed," is a music teacher. Very good voice!

Allison Iraheta (16, CA) - redhead, sang "Natural Woman" & sounds a bit like Pink.

Raquel Houghton (28, CA) - tall & thin with long, straight dark hair; sang "Son of a Preacher Man."

Adam Lambert (26, CA, 1877) - another spoiler and I lurve him already!! Check out this YT video of him singing "Dust in the Wind;" I think he has amazing range, control, beautiful tone... granted I love guys with voices like this. There's a clip of him talking about how he's sung since 10 & his folks put him in musical theater because he was hyper & he fell in love with it; he's been working in Wicked for the past year & a half; here's "As Long as You Love Me." Back to the audition: he sings "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Simon calls him theatrical... but still says yes! Paula calls him "brilliant" (even before he said hers was the 1st pop concert he attended) and he advances with 4 yeses. So far so good... he seems smart, so we'll see how he plays it. I don't expect him to do anything like this performance of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" on Idol, but it does show a side of him that won't be popular with Simon, among others. ;-)

Last is Kai Kalama (26, CA, 5913) - for the past year he's been singing at night and taking care of his mother during the day as she has some sort of "seizure disorder." Sings "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and is also very good. Simon said he has "the personality of a ship singer" (while he's singing, which was a kind clarification) but he gets 4 yeses.

12 advance to Hollywood from San Francisco, and we saw full clips of 4 with short clips of 3 more; not bad. Tomorrow, Louisville!

AI8 - Kansas City Auditions (1/14/09)

Over 11,000 showed up to audition in the city that found the reigning Idol! And we do find a bit of talent here...

Ashley Anderson (20, NJ, 68142) - Tall, thin girl w/long hair; her 'gimmick' is that she's singing a Leona Lewis song *cowritten* by Simon Cowell! Since when does Simon write music?!? And it's a religious one, even! (As Pacey/Peter says in the Fringe ad, Just when you thought things couldn't get any stranger...!) So it's called "Footprints in the Sand," except she says and sings "Footsteps" instead and he corrects her so she starts over. He still loves it (of course) and she's through with 4 yeses. She's a belter & was ok I guess, but nothing special.

Cute ad for Idol starring David Cook, w/him in 'reverse' dreaming about winning & then shown on stage playing "Light On." Tag line is "Dreams Begin Again...."

Casey Carlson (20, MN, 70298) - perky brunette in a white skirt sings Vanessa Carlton's "1000 Miles" and is pretty blah. Somehow she gets 4 yeses and advances.

Von Smith (22, MO, 70090) - Von is one of the spoilers I've seen a bit of. He's going to be a polarizing contestant - great voice but waaaaay oversings and will be a love-him-or-hate-him (he already has fangirls) and might also have a bit of an attitude. He does "Over the Rainbow" and the softish parts are good, the rest painful. Of course he gets 4 yeses and is through to Hollywood.

Michael Castro (20, TX, 75108) - yes, this is Jason's brother! And Jason is there with him. Michael has a rock look - red streaked hair, piercings, black jeans w/pocket chain, etc. He's not any better at interviews (they shows clips from both of them) but says he's different from Jason in that Jason is "girly," which Jason later makes him explain as being emotional. Jason says, "so I have emotions, and know how to express them well... some people call that an artist." Hee. And apparently Michael is a new singer just like Jason was last year - he says he started singing 20 days before the audition! Figured "if J can sing, I can sing". And... he can! He does "I'm In Love With the Girl" and has a smooth, fairly strong voice. Kara is impressed with his attitude and he gets 4 yeses to advance!

Matt Breitzke (27, OK, 74922) - tall bald guy w/a mustache and goatee, married with a 3-year old son. He "played the bar scene" for years but got a day job as a welder to be responsible & support the family, so at 27 this is probably his last shot at a singing career. He sings "Ain't No Sunshine" and I love him!! Seems like a great guy, grounded, with a nice tone and style. For some reason Randy says no but 3 yeses are enough!

Jessica Furney (20, KS, 70698) - her hometown has the Oz Museum and she lives with her 93-year old grandmother. Shown playing guitar though she doesn't use it in her audition. She sings "Cry Baby" from Janis Joplin (I don't know this one) and unlike most Janis singers, her voice doesn't sound anything like Janis'! She's good though, nice but not cutesy, and gets 4 yeses.

India Morrison (22, MO, 77139) - the younger and smaller of 2 sisters who audition together, initially rapping something about cookies to Randy. Anyway I don't know the song she sang, but she's good (and also dances & choreographs) and advances.

Jamar Rogers (26, WI, 70808) - tall black guy, sings (shouts, mostly) "California Dreamin'" and strangely gets 4 yeses from the judges. No way I would have put him through. Next up is his bff who they've been pimping as tonight's sob story...

Danny Gokey (28, WI, 70891) - a music teacher whose wife Sophia died 4 weeks ago (from a congenital heart defect). Of course there are photos and clips from several different pre-audition interviews discussing his grief and how he almost didn't audition, but once he's in the room we get to focus on the singing. The song is "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and he has a nice, smoky/rough soulful voice - very nice! He wears glasses and reminds me a tad of Robert Downey, Jr. (whom I adore). The judges like him too; Randy and Paula say he's one of the best they've seen. 4 yeses, obviously! He's very excited (not emotional, yay) and I hope he's around for a while, though this style of singer rarely make the finals.

Anoop Desai (21, NC, 74002) - a Masters student in folklore, dresses a bit geeky and seems very intelligent. Sings "Thank You" and the voice is surprising! Smooth R&B, very, very nice! 4 yeses and he may have surpassed Matt as my favorite of the night. (*New info: there are several really good YT videos of his collegiate a cappella group Clef Hangers!)

Andrew Lang was the redhead who brought his own cheerleaders - he sang "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and was deemed too theatrical. I thought he was decent, at least as good as some others they've put through (definitely better than Jamar), though I'm sure he would've gotten cut at some point in Hollywood.

Asa Barnes (28, MO, 77281) - tall black guy who's a middle school band director; another dad, and plays the drums. Sings "The Way You Make Me Feel" and for once MJ proves to be a good song choice! Has a nice voice and smile. 4 yeses.

Dennis Brigham (19, IL, 75035) - black guy w/sunglasses who dreamt that Simon like his audition. Sings "With You" (Chris Brown) and is just ok. Pleaded w/the judges to let him through and everyone but Simon gave in, though they shouldn't have.

Last is Lil Rounds (23, TN, 74315) - another spoiler & she's been in the ads. Married mom of 3 whose apartment building was hit by a tornado so they're struggling. Sings Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" (I don't know this) and is very, very good. Like Finalist-good. I can't tell what her personality is like yet, but she seemed to be more 'humbly overwhelmed' by the judges' praise than cocky or diva-like, which bodes well.

27 total advance to Hollywood from Kansas City, and we got to see 13 of them! And more good than bad auditions tonight, yay!

AI8 - Phoenix Auditions (1/13/09)

Aaaand we're back! Some interesting montages at the beginning - they even acknowledge Taylor's existence! Highlights of David Cook, yay. And our first clips of a few who advance to Hollywood... I recognize one of the spoilers and he's annoying me already, lol!

PHOENIX - Day 1

For the most part I'm only going to list the folks who get through. I won't include this in the recap, but I also take notes on the short clips they show of unnamed people getting through, so if anyone wonders if "that guy in the sweater vest who looked really familiar" got through, I might be able to answer you (yes! I'm guessing we saw him in a previous season but that's all I've got for now).

Emily Wynne-Hughes (21, CA, #30995) - her mom was a singer, we get family clips, & she's shown in the ads... gee, wonder if she's getting through? ;-) Our (first) requisite pink-haired rocker girl of the season; she's in an all-girl band who of course doesn't know she's here (until now) and whom she's planning to abandon should she advance, or at least until she gets to the Daughtry stage & can include them again, anyway. She sings "Barracuda" and is decent, even if it does sound much like the original. 4 yeses & she's through!

J.B. Ahfua (male, 16, UT, 34577) - I don't know the song he sang, R&Bish. 4 yeses.

Arianna Afsar (16, CA, 30252) - founded a program called "Adopt a Grand-friend" and is adorable. Sang "Put Your Records On." Like her - my favorite of Day 1.

(Day 1 - 10 advance, we saw 3 audition)

Stevie Wright (female, 16, CA, 36925) - bubbly girl w/a big smile. Sang "At Last" and is very good! Didn't oversing it, doesn't wear tons of make-up. 4 yeses, though Simon's a bit concerned she's too nice & not competitive enough.

Michael Sarver (27, TX, 36762) - works on an oil rig, married w/2 kids, big guy. Sang "Thank You" (Boyz-2-Men) and is decent.

Katrina Darrell, aka "Bikini Girl" (20, CA, 32160) - a model with a gimmick that works - Simon has said he knew he'd put her through as soon as she walked into the room! She sang alright - Mariah's "Vision of Love," without the "swing" as Kara called it, but was still good enough to please Randy. She also has a thing for Ryan & kissed him afterward. I doubt she'll last long in Hollywood but we'll see. I noticed that in part of her clip she had a different (higher) contestant number on...? Oh and I finally got to hear Simon pronounce my name, lol.

Brianna Quijada (22, AZ, 28331) - the other bubbly brunette in a black & white top. She starts out with the verse of "Let's Hear It for the Boy" and gets stopped right as she's going into full voice on the chorus... I wanted to hear a bit more. Simon was done at this point, the others not really sure, not impressed... Paula asked what other songs she had & let her sing some of "Killing Me Softly" which was much better. Simon then changed his mind & he and Paula put her through.

Deanna Brown (25, KY/LA, 28393) - blond who didn't have any family with her so grabbed someone else's as forced to by the producers for the 'cute family-oriented clip.' Sang "Dock of the Bay" and got 4 yeses; Paula said she had "quiet confidence". Not sure what I think yet.

Cody Sheldon (17, MI, 10257) - looks like Danny Noriega 2.0 from the face but not the personality. Cute kid, longish hair, makes horror films. Sang "Wonderful World" (I don't know it; he said it's by James Morrison, whoever that is, sorry) and is good - different. I like him.

Alex Wagner-Trugman (19, CA, 26379) - our first geek-with-nice-voice-in-need-of-makeover-and-awaiting-Clay-comparisons (down to wearing a striped shirt) of the season. Taught himself to sing in his bedroom closet which they later discovered had mold which made him sick; thus Simon reading from the info sheet that he "came out of the closet" and ensuing defense/explanation from Paula. Sang "Baby Come to Me," asking Randy to sing along at the chorus. Very nice voice, though rather affected in his singing style. Great snarky, dry sense of humor though - Simon said he didn't like it and Alex quipped quickly, "I could do 'God Save the Queen'". ;-) Also apparently Simon had this thing about asking contestants in what 3 countries they expected to become popular (the montage showing such brilliant answers as "New Jersey" and "Paris"); Alex replied somewhat quickly Zimbabwe & some obscure country. Anyway, Simon said no but the other 3 yes and he's through. A lot could hinge on the makeover and whether he can ditch the affectation - he could garner some young fans early and that makes a big difference.

Last up is Scott Macintyre (23, AZ, 38136) who is blind. He's a singer-songwriter who plays piano & Kara says it's especially brave of him to be auditioning without the "comfort" it provides. He says he also skis and ballroom dances! Not to mention started college at 14 and graduated at 19. Wow. So he sings "And So It Goes" and is very good. Also in need of somewhat of a makeover, or at least a shave, haircut, & nicer t-shirt. But I like his vocal tone and he is a very good singer. 4 yeses, and none from sympathy. Will be interesting to see how he fares in Hollywood. (New info- apparently his whole family - including the cute brother who brought him in - sings! See MacIntyre Family Singers on YouTube!)

And Phoenix is done! 27 total advance (of the 17 on Day 2 we saw 8). My Top 50 spoiler list has 3 from Phoenix but we didn't see any of them sing, yet.

Tomorrow Kansas City! Welcome back, American Idol!!

Season 8 Countdown!!

OK, so looks like I never finished the SYTYCD finale post- Joshua won. ;-) I drove to Cincy for the tour since there was no Indy stop and it was awesome!!! So, moving on...




MJ's (see Links at left) has the usual spoilers - a (partial rumored) list of who gets to Hollywood & who's in the Top 50.

More soon!!!

SYTYCD 4 - Top 4 (8/6/08)

Not really in a recapping mood but won't have much time the next few days, so here goes! I'm still mourning Mark's exit (uber-classy though it was!) and am also sad that the season is ending. Oh well, at least there's the tour!

Guest judge is Mandy Moore. Pre-solo video packages have Cat interviewing the dancers, & the judges comment after each solo as well.

Courtney & Twitch: Hip-Hop, T&N ("Church," T-Pain) - Courtney is the crazy girlfriend mad that her guy is out clubbing, so there's lots of fake Courtney-hitting-Twitch, though in practice some of it isn't so fake. Cute routine, lots of nifty details, with the downside of them not always being in sync. Judges loved as they do most of the show tonight.

Courtney Solo: Her favorite routine is the Sonya Jazz w/Mark; talked about her boyfriend & there was cute footage of her & Gev talking about how they don't flirt (while flirting); she said she knows she's not the best dancer on the show, but she doesn't really think the show is about that (insightful, this one!). Mandy encourages her to train more; Nigel is "delighted" she's in the F4 and didn't expect it (nor did Court). Mary said she's grown which made Courtney cry and then laugh at herself for crying. Aww.

Katee & Josh: Lyrical by Wade! Yay! (John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room") - My favorite routine of the night by far. The 'story' is that love is hard work, but worth it - the couple is working through a rough spot. As the camera focuses on Katee before the music starts she is standing still but almost shaking with emotion; sets the tone for a very emotional, powerful piece. I especially love the last move where they kind-of fall into hugging each other after the 'fight' of the routine. Judges loved it, though Nigel goes a bit overboard: he says Josh has "no training" (which is a flat-out lie and many viewers know it), and he says that between the two of them they're the best dancers the show has ever had. Not IMO, though Katee is up there and Josh is versatile, but I'd list a handful I consider better dancers overall. Well, one good thing about the season closing, we won't have to listen to Nigel plugging his "untrained" hip-hop guys as the best dancers evah.

Katee & Courtney: Tyce Broadway ("The Trolley Song," Rufus Wainwright version) - Cute, light, entertaining number and they were in unison. Used parasols & the frilly costumes were reminiscent of early Hollywood.

Twitch Solo: His fave routine was the Viennese Waltz by Jean-Marc; he got his nickname from trying to dance in inappropriate places (so he'd just 'twitch' here & there when he couldn't full-out dance). Used another Wade song; was very emotional after he finished (as was Mary). Nigel said he's a great "entertainer."

Josh & Twitch: Russian Trepak ("The Nutcracker") - 2nd best routine of the night. This was a 'battle' between the guys, with lots of leaps for Josh (amazing height on multiple split leaps) & more floor/knee moves for Twitch. It was a very tough routine & they were both completely wiped out by the end. *Note* for those who haven't heard, both the guys were hospitalized for dehydration on Saturday after at least one of them collapsed during rehearsal! (And Sunday's rehearsals were canceled as well.) Seeing this routine, I understand why! They kept up the 'battle' even afterward and after Cat warned them to calm down, Josh said "We're both gonna pass out backstage, don't worry!" Hah. Whole audience gave them a standing ovation. Mary was thrilled 2 hip-hop dancers are in the finals (really? we couldn't tell all season that's what you & Nigel wanted!). Nigel called it "Russian street dancing."

Katee Solo: They replayed her audition 'drama' w/the roommate; her fave routine was No Air (mainly because she hadn't done the 'emote/tell a story w/a partner' thing before. Danced to Imogene Heap. The judges praised the variety of dances she's done over the season (um, yeah, contemp. & Broadway pretty much covers it plus a samba).

Katee & Twitch: Foxtrot, Tony & Melanie ("Feeling Good," Michael Buble) - Ok, now she's also done a foxtrot. ;-) And yay, she finally gets the guy at the end! It was decent, light & pretty and she did a beautiful cartwheel in her floor-length dress! Their last hold wobbled a bit though. Cat & Nigel said Twitch looked like James Bond in his suit & Nigel made him 'audition' saying the "Bond, James Bond" line. Moving on... Mary said his growth blew her away. Nigel mentioned the many "characters" Katee has played over the course of the season, and then proceeded straight off the deep end in saying that this season's dancers have "spoiled" the choreographers; specifically, that noone would be able to ever do a pressage (overhead lift) like Twitch did w/Katee and also set her down so smoothly & gently. Um... how about the actual Ballroom dancers we've had on the show? I don't know if any of them did this move specifically, but I do know that Pasha, Benji, Dmitri, and Artem all did amazing and smooth lifts. And yeah, Nigel wants us to think Twitch is better at their specialty than they were?

Josh Solo: Fave routine was the Samba w/Katee; Cat teased him for crying during the auditions which was cute! He was grateful to be in the finals and said "everything here is a blessing." He went out to the judges' platform for the majority of his solo (to Funkadelic). High praise from all, of course.

Courtney & Josh: Jive, Jason ("Dirty Boogie," Brian Setzer Orch.) - The jive is very energetic and fast-paced to begin with, and Jason threw in some tricks as well, prompting him to say it's probably "one of the most intense" he's ever choreographed! Wow, was he right! Josh can barely stand up by the end. It was decent; I think Gev did better w/the footwork but then he's lighter and didn't have quite as many other routines the same week, nor did he miss over a day of practice. Nigel said he was disappointed in the routine because they didn't have time to perfect it or to learn where to "breathe" in it, but he said tough routines (& critiques) make dancers grow. Still, he said they looked like "exhausted, superb dancers." Mary agreed that the routine was very tough, especially w/the lift/tricks at the very end.

Lastly the whole Top 4 get a Mia routine! She describes it as celebratory and high-energy. They're dressed all in tartan (the guys shirtless) and dance to "Hallelujah." It was ok, though I'm mainly sad that this is the last competitive number of the season. It seemed so short! Mary said Twitch stood out and Katee was "flawless." Nigel again called both guys "untrained" (grr) and said they were inspirational. He did say that some other contestants - then he specifically named Will and also Mark (!) - were admittedly better dancers, but these 2 brought "something different" to the competition and he said they both deserved to be there. He also alluded to the health struggles but said audiences pay to see shows and it doesn't matter how bad a week you've had, they want their money's worth... and no one would have been disappointed in this routine.

And that's that! I'm not voting; I think Josh or Katee will win and am fine w/either one. But I'm too frustrated w/Nigel's forcing them (& Twitch) on us by manipulating and downright lying to support his agenda. I think all 4 were happy to've made the finals and I don't think any of them feel entitled.

Tomorrow's show promises a lot of great things! Fave numbers from this season, past seasons' contestants, judges dancing (!), guest performers, etc. And the last time I'll get to see Mark on my teevee. (And Matt! and Gev! Yay!)

SYTYCD - Top 6 (7/30/08)

Guest judge: Adam, yay! Let's jump right in, we only have an hour and theshowisabitrushedandscrunchedtogether....

Courtney & Mark: Viennese Waltz, Jason Gilkison (new to our show but has done SYTYCD Australia) - music is David Cook's "Time Of My Life"! Very nice, and they get the fancy ballroom 'star-filled sky' lighting. Very pretty, nice rise & fall, and in sync. Adam says he's glad the judges don't vote this week because all of the Top 6 are very strong. He thought it was good and said they (or Mark?) did the rise & fall the best of anyone this season. Mary said the choreo was great but they brought it to life (Mark is making small surprised faces w/lifted eyebrows at every compliment!), and she said Mark has been growing every week. Nigel says it was romantic and mentioned that the song was from Idol, saying "I hope you're having the time of your lives" to Mark & Courtney.

Chelsie solo (her norm)

Twitch solo - to "Midas Touch," complete with gold grill, which Cat actually borrowed to 'try on' after he finished!! She's a riot.

Katee & Joshua: Contemporary, Tyce (Celine's cover of "All By Myself") - they are to portray a Romeo-Juliet type of undying love relationship. There are some really cool leaps and overall it's well done. Adam thinks it's Tyce's best piece all season (and also gives us the info that he & Tyce met when they both danced in the 1990 Oscars, choreographed by Paula Abdul, who happens to be in the audience tonight!). He also says they're "two of the most exciting dancers to have ever graced this stage." Mary similarly says it's one of the most beautiful pieces she's seen (hmm, it really didn't do much for me!). She also said both are headed for the finale. Nigel praised them and said he keeps forgetting that Joshua has "no classical training"... well, could that be because it's not true that Josh has no classical training?! Yes, we know, Nigel, you want it to appear that an untrained street dancer can learn enough on your show to become a great all-around dancer and if Joshua wins it validates that, *if* people forget about his training. Smooth. (notsomuch)

Chelsie & Twitch: Mambo, Tony & Melanie - the counting was challenging for Twitch in practice. This routine has a lot of *fast* footwork! Twitch almost kept up w/Chelsie, though at times it was hard to tell since the camera wasn't showing his feet! grr. The tricks looked mostly good though I think there was at least one missed hold. Adam said Chelsie was on fire & he has yet to see something she can't do; he said Twitch was a good partner. Mary said doing the mambo on 2 is tough but they did it right. Nigel said the choreographers made Twitch look good and that Chelsie always looks good but especially when she's in her element (Latin ballroom).

Katee solo (Maroon 5's "Can't Stop") - a bit quirkier than usual, good

Josh solo ("Like That") - his usual fantastic popping with some great leaps thrown in. Very, very good.

Courtney & Mark: Jazz by Sonya! ("The Garden," Mirah) This piece is described as old French burlesque with a battle of the sexes, and "raw." Courtney says it's one of her favorite routines. It's cool! Very different, quirky (a great fit for Mark!). Sonya is giving them a standing ovation & yelling when they're done; she's very pleased! Adam loved it as well, saying it's "sick!" and that he loves them individually but together they're just awesome. Mary said it was raw & crazy & she loved it. (Again, Mark w/the surprised looks - poor guy!) Nigel said the piece suited Mark, that Sonya is great (and her stuff is very recognizable), and that Courtney can make anything work. He said this routine is one of the highlights of the night.

Katee & Josh: Paso Doble, Jason. Ok, I admit that I *love* this dance when it's done well (and has stomping. Must. have. stomping!). And this one is done well! Jason says Katee's the cape (which is normal in Paso; who knows why Twitchington though Kher. was a 'matadoress') but she's "an angry cape"! Her outfit/dress is gorgeous, and Josh is shirtless (as promised!). The music is very dramatic and attention-keeping, and the choreo is great. Josh seems to have the posture down and both had the attitude going. When finished he dragged her over to the judging spot. ;-) Adam referred again to Josh's alleged lack of training, saying he was making him believe in the impossible (because Josh "shouldn't be able to do that"). *rolleyes* He said Katee will be very proud of herself when she watches it on tv. Mary calls J & K together "true magic" but makes no comments on the dance itself; Nigel praised Jason's choreo and J & K's footwork.

Courtney solo (Elisa "Rock Your Soul") - nice, pretty much her norm.

Mark solo (Robyn "Bum Like You") - Fun! His shirt had low sides & he pulled his arms out so it was just hanging around his neck for part of the routine, & he also used it as a prop a bit. Very good and a bit different. "Danced" his arms & hands again as Cat went through voting info & that's getting a bit old... but I still lurve him!

Chelsie & Twitch: Hip-hop, Napolitha - In this piece they are battling conductors, and whoever has the "stick" (baton) "has control," we're told in practice. The outfits are the best part of the routine: tux upper half with long black shorts & striped-top tube socks! It's very quirky music and there's a music stand on stage. It's ok, cute concept I guess, but underwhelming. More style than substance perhaps. Adam praised Napolitha and said Twitch & Chelsie were very entertaining; Mary said in his element ("and most other numbers this season") Twitch is outstanding, and that Chelsie kept up w/him. Nigel said little about this piece but said any of these 6 could be in the top 4 and would be deserving.

I wish the dance-out had been shown, as I heard from someone who attending the taping on Monday that Mark & Twitch did some quickstep!! Oh well.

I voted quite a bit for Mark, I definitely think he deserves to stay over Twitch. It's kind-of up for grabs between Chelsie & Courtney for the 4th spot though (I think Josh & Katee are givens).

SYTYCD - Top 8 (7/23/08)

Sorry this is a bit late, I was worn out from the other recap earlier this week!

This week's third judge is Toni Basil. Apparently she's a big dancer & choreographer now. And the video clips are back - before each solo we'll learn how each contestant started dancing.


Courtney & Will: Samba, Jean-Marc (Che'Nelle "I Fell in Love w/the DJ") - Decent, though weird music for a samba. Nigel liked their technique and chemistry; Mary mentioned a couple of issues w/Will but overall loved it; Toni enjoyed it ("so much that [she] didn't take notes!").

Comfort solo: She attended a performing arts high school! And said she always got in trouble in ballet class. Her solo was good, there were a couple of new moves and it was timed *perfectly*!

Katee & Twitch: Contemporary, Mia ("Mercy" by Duffy) - Turns out these two were friends before the show, so they have good rapport. The dance is about a couple arguing; she is upset (and codependent) but he's cool & unaffected. And there is a door on stage! It's actually kind-of cool, he tries to throw her out but she keeps trying to get back in, and there's one really fun leap where he holds onto the edge of the door to jump over her. Great routine! (This year's "table"? I enjoyed it much better than the "bed" one, anyway!!) Nigel said the performance was fantastic but it was hard to judge the actual dancing. Toni mentioned that Twitch was "lucky" that the music was funk and fit his style so well (yes, I'm sure that was puuuurely luck). She loved it.

Will solo: He was inspired to dance after seeing Patrick Swayze's coolness in Dirty Dancing! (Hee.) His solo is awesome: he's wearing a suit and wig and the whole thing is a James Brown tribute/impersonation using "Get Up Offa That Thing"! Much fun!! SO's by all the judges.

Comfort & Mark: Hip-hop, Napoleon and Tabitha ("Party People" by Nelly and Fergie) - They'll be portraying kids stuck in detention when the teacher leaves. They start out in school desks and after a bell rings they get up and dance... fantastically!! Definitely one of the show's best hip-hop routines ever, and Mark totally holds his own w/Comfort, which is not surprising to those of us who've seen his YouTube work, but very surprising to the judges, apparently. Oh and there's a really cool move where he flips her over his back. After they're done he shows Cat their "detention assignment" which is a piece of paper on which he's written "I will not be in the bottom... I will not be in the bottom.... Nigel said Comfort does better w/choreo than in her solos. He & Mary both express surprise that Mark did so well. Toni praises their musicality (yes!).

Katee solo: She started lessons at 4, focused on tap for a while... not that exciting. Danced to Celine's "Taking Chances" and timed it well to end with the countdown.

Chelsie & Joshua: Argentine Tango by Season 2's Dmitri! (Music is from Forever Tango) - It's set in the 20's and they are meeting and flirting in a club. The setting is made bistro-complete with a table & chair on the stage. She was great, of course, and he was ok. There was one really cool lift. Nigel said it's the "most technical" routine so far, they have good chemistry, & he enjoyed it. Mary said Chelsie was much sexier than in her other Argentine Tango & had better chemistry. One of them said that it felt spontaneous and torrid (which was good).

Mark solo: He became interested in musical theater (& thus dancing) after seeing Phantom and was the only boy in his performing arts school/program. That plus his natural weirdness made him always feel "different." He danced some hip-hop/funk (to "Creator" by Santogold) with some new moves (big floppy body rolls that matched the music) and as usual the ending was timed perfectly (he slid off the edge of the stage).

Round 2 for couples dances...

Courtney & Will: Hip-hop, Napoleon and Tabitha (Alicia Keys' "Like You'll Never See Me Again") - This is another "Slow hip-hop" or "Lyrical hip-hop," where the girl has a chance to turn back time and have one more moment with her loved one who has passed away, so Will is kind-of a ghost and Courtney keeps straining for one last touch/grasp. She has props like an hourglass and photos, and the routine is very good. Will especially (Courtney was hitting harder instead of being smooth), but they were definitely in sync. Nigel said this is the 1st season he's been emotionally affected by hip-hop routines (actually I think last season was, but this is "Plug hip-hop!" year) and he almost felt like he was intruding on their private moment. Mary said (or rather, screamed) that it exceeded her expectations.

Chelsie solo: She started dancing when she was 9 to help get over her shyness & meet friends, and got serious when she was 14. She dances to Danity Kane's "Damaged," starting on the stairs and timed very well. We also find out today is her 19th birthday! (I'm assuming that was "today" when it was taped Monday, as opposed to when it aired Wednesday, but it doesn't really matter, does it?)

Katee & Twitch: Broadway, Tyce ("Sweet Georgia Brown," Bubbling Brown Sugar Cast Recording) - Again we have Katee wanting a man who doesn't want her in return. They also talk in the rehearsal clip about how Tyce incorporates some of each of their strengths/tricks into the routine. It's good overall, though similar to Tyce's other Broadway pieces. One move is really awkward but it looks like the choreo, not the dancers' fault; the last move/flip that Twitch does is really cool. Nigel loved it; he said Twitch is the "least trained" dancer there (less than Comfort?) but that could have come right off of Broadway; Mary also loved it. Toni said that as a street dancer Twitch brings more "reality" to the piece than most Broadway dancers do (I think that was a compliment?), but she would've liked Katee to match the deep vocal of the song/character better with her movements.

Joshua solo: He got kicked out of his 3rd grade class for dancing one day, so his teacher had him audition and it went from there. He danced to Lil Mama's "Shawty Get Loose" and did his usual but it was good. Then he tried to do the cute hand-dance while Cat read his numbers like Mark has been doing.

Courtney solo: She started dancing young, the usual. Danced her usual (though good) as well, to "Where I Stood," Missy Higgins.

Twitch solo: He says he has "always" danced, but got serious about it a senior in high school and then became the 1st guy on their dance team. We also learn he lived in South Korea for 9 months working on music videos. He wears the Super-T shirt again and dances to Kay L's "Go to Work," interacting w/the crowd around the edge of the stage.

Comfort & Mark: Foxtrot, Jean-Marc ("Lady Luck" by the Brian Selzer Orch.) - Jean-Marc says it's "jazzy and sassy" (which, he explains, is unusual for a Foxtrot). Mark portrays a man who's "down on his luck" and Comfort portrays "Lady Luck." Um, I like Mark's outfit? Seriously, the dancing is not good. Nigel says there wasn't any chemistry because they were too focused on the steps and called it "amateurish." Mary said the transitions were rough and it was one of the worst closed holds they've ever had on the show. Toni said when such "accomplished" dancers as these can't pull off a dance, you know the ballroom dancers are making it look easier than it really is.

Chelsie & Joshua: Disco, Dorianna ("Everlasting Love" by Gloria Estefan) - This routine has lots of lifts, including one Dorianna says she's been trying to get on the show for 4 years. It was fun, but Joshua did not do well; he fell out of an early turn and looked clunky next to Chelsie. They were in sync musically but not stylistically. Nigel praised the lifts & Josh's strength. Mary agree; she said perhaps Dorianna included so many difficult lifts was because she trusted Josh. Toni said there was spiritthere and implied that Josh doesn't know technique/line while Chelsie does.

I predict Comfort, Courtney, Mark and Twitch for the Bottom 4, with Comfort and Twitch leaving (as it should be IMO).

IDOLS LIVE - AI7 Tour Recap

I attended the Indianapolis show Tuesday, July 22nd, at Conseco Fieldhouse. For those who haven't gone (or heard about it), the format was quite a bit different this year. Instead of a lot of duets and mixed numbers, each performer is given a 3-song set (more for the Davids) as a solo artist. There were only 2 group numbers, one closing the first half and one to close the show.

I will say that everyone besides Ramiele was very capable of holding the stage by themselves, though a few should just sing and not try to chat with the audience (Archuleta & Rami were the worst, and even Carly was worse than Jason, who was ok). I really wish there were more group numbers though; a gospel song with Chikieze & Syesha would have rocked, for instance. Or some soft duet with Brooke & Archie. Alas, most sounded very good live, and I don't think I cringed once!

Pre-show music was the usual: Carrie, Daughtry, and Jordin with a little Blake and the Davids' Guitar Hero commercials thrown in. Oh and SYTYCD ads (yay)! Carrie's actual video was shown but the others mostly had blank screens (or some advertising) while the audio played.

The show was supposed to start at 7:00. Around 5 after we heard a voice, looked around and saw a guy standing in the audience with a spotlight on him and a giant Pop-Tart walking toward him (hey, it wouldn't be an Idol concert without the giant Pop-Tart!) who introduced himself as Corey (as in Corey the Idol audience warm-up guy!)! Cool! Kind-of. He had a few people come up & dance w/the Pop-Tart and then the show started.

Most sets were fast song - slow song - fast song. Oh, also the stage had walkways extending out to each side, further than I've ever seen, so that the performer could actually touch a couple of people in the audience in the 'pie slice' seating area right at the corner of the stage! I was actually in the front row of the first full side section down from that, so I had pretty good seats.

Each singer had stage lights showing their finishing spot as audio announced their name...

#10 - Chikieze

Audience response: Some noise, though everybody was just excited it was starting!
Look: As expected, casual w/a bit of bling (and still not thin, but dude has some moves!)
Set list: I Believe to My Soul, Caught Up, So High (John Legend)
Comments: Great start to the show! He had a blast, connected well w/the audience, and sounded great (as usual). He said that Luke Menard (semifinalist from nearby Crawfordsville, Indiana) was in the audience.

#9 - Ramiele Malubay

Audience response: Minimal
Look: sparkly (tight tank top & pants)
Set list: I Want You Back; Love Will Lead You Back; If I Never See Your Face Again (Maroon 5/Rihanna)
Comments: Miss 'I don't like to move while I sing' actually danced w/the backup singers and moved around the stage quite well! Was not confident when not singing though and overall was definitely out of her element. (I wish David Hernandez could've had her spot instead!!) Vocals were decent I guess but overall my least favorite set.

#8 - Michael Johns

Audience response: on their feet & loud! Couple of signs.
Look: scarf instead of ascot (yay), jeans
Set list: We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions; It's All Wrong, But It's Alright; Dream On (dedicated to Luke Menard)
Comments: Sounds good live; handles the stage like a rock star (in a good way). Goofball during the group numbers - did some funky dance moves with one of the guitarists and later joked around with David Cook.

#7 - Kristy Lee Cook

Audience response: Minimal
Look: Sparkly! Dressed in all white, & hair was straight.
Set list: Squeezin' the Love Outta You; God Bless the USA; Cowgirls
Comments: I was really hoping she'd do "Anyway," but God Bless the USA is a good song to do live (I'll admit even I got a little teary; it wasn't cheesy at all like the group version of it a few years ago) so I understand why she didn't. At one point asked for house lights & commented at how big the arena is, hee. Overall sounded good and if Kellie Pickler can get a contract & radio play, I don't see why Kristy Lee can't!

#6 - Carly Smithson

Audience response: Loud & up (but no signs).
Look: One of those tops that could be a maternity top but isn't, lowcut. Fortunately stage lights wash out most of the arm tattoo!
Set list: Bring Me to Life (complete with top-of-stage rockstar pose and windblown hair!); Crazy on You (1st verse soft, rest rockin'); Drove All Night
Comments: Hmm. She kind-of seemed like she's taking this chance to do everything she's always wanted to on stage, playing the big Rocker with lots of big, yelly vocals. They came off ok (better than on the show) but weren't necessarily enjoyable (for me, anyway). I respect her talent but she's no Amy Lee (or Heart). 2nd least fave set.

#5 - Brooke White

Audience response: Medium
Look: Bohemian Brooke! still barefoot.
Set list: Let It Be (on Grand Piano which rose from below the floor as she started playing); 1 2 3 4 (Feist); Yellow (Coldplay)
Comments: Great set! 1 2 3 4 really fits her bouncy, carefree personality (and she had the audience snap along), and Yellow was a surprisingly awesome fit. Complete with almost-cheesy yellow lighting, probably one of my favorites of the night.

After her set Brooke gave a short Idol Gives Back plug and everyone who'd performed so far sang Pride (In the Name of Love) while IGB footage played on the screen. Most had one-line solos but Michael's was a bit longer and the audio announced his name before he started, which was weird (because he was the only one who got that). He & Carly dueted for a bit & then the rest joined in.

Intermission - more Corey in the audience and a Guitar Hero contest on stage (2 local guys; it was mildly entertaining).

#4 - Jason Castro

Audience response: They love him!
Look: Dreads were back, and he was wearing bright red ('ruby,' get it?) shoes!! Fun.
Set list: Somewhere over the Rainbow (that one line that doesn't rhyme always throws me, but I know that's how the original was!); Crazy (heh, I typed "Craxy" 3 times before I could make my fingers hit the right keys!!); What a Day for a Daydream
Comments: Sounded great on Daydream. Introduced it by saying he wanted to leave us "with a thought and a challenge" - which segued into the song with a 'Follow your dreams' type line.

#3 - Syesha Mercado

Audience response: Medium to loud
Look: Hmm... very tall hair and a very... Haley-esce dress (definitely highlighted her cleavage)
Set list: Umbrella; If I Ain't Got You; Listen
Comments: Diva wannabe to Carly's rawker wannabe - she takes on Rihanna, Alicia, and Beyonce!! And pretty much pulled it off - the house was definitely enraptured by the end of Listen. Good for her (like Carly, she may know she needs to enjoy it while she has the chance!).

#2 - David Archuleta

Audience response: Deafening, as expected! (signs, homemade t-shirts, etc.)
Look: Grey suit with bling around the edges, and red & white casual shoes (umm, I'm old, they don't call them tennis shoes anymore, but you know what I mean, right?)
Set list: Angels (on piano, rising like for Brooke but David got dry ice too); Apologize (I *LOVE* this song!!); Stand By Me/Beautiful Girl; When You Say You Love Me
Comments: Okay, boy. can. sang!! He sounds really, really good live. Apologize was fantastic. Plenty of stage presence & confidence while singing, but back to his giggling, uncertain self when not. Granted he got *lots* of crowd appreciation, but some of the others did too & just walked off at the end of their sets whereas he paused to (awkwardly) thank the crowd 2 or 3 times. He also seemed out of breath after his songs (understandable but perhaps a sign he's oversinging?). If his stage dad doesn't get in the way he could have a very long and successful career.

And the main attraction, "Your American Idol" - David Cook!!

Audience response: Crazy loud, signs, etc.
Look: Rocker (no faux about it); scarf hanging from waist & jeans laced up sides of his leg - and came unlaced, prompting him to take a break at one point to sit & re-tie them (after instructing us to "talk among yourselves"!)
Set list: Hello (rose from below stage playing elec. guitar, w/ dry ice); Time of My Life; Don't Wanna Miss a Thing; My Hero (which he dedicated to his brother Adam)
Comments: Worth the wait, but makes me want a whole concert of just him! He has such a great voice, really enjoyable no matter what style he's singing (normally during screamy rock songs I don't find myself thinking, "He really does have a great voice!"), and a wonderful stage presence (confident but not cocky, casual interaction w/crowd, but can get them going too). He talked a lot about his family since several of them live in Indiana - his Dad & some others were in the audience. He said his Dad bought him the white guitar (with big AC) around 5 years ago at a store here in Indy. He had one bit where he got out a camcorder & said he's been doing this at each show, asking the crowd to scream ("Reggie Miller loud," after saying he used to watch Pacers games during Reggie's era) and he walked across the stage taping the crowd, so he can have it to remind him "10 years down the road when nobody believes I got to do this"! He also thanked us (as several others did), saying he appreciated our "letting 10 strangers come to our town & play for us" and how bizarre it still seems that they get to do this all because we voted. He has such the great (appreciative & humble but not annoyingly so) attitude.

Encore: David Cook doing Billie Jean, which was probably my favorite of his and the one where I was marveling his vocals. I liked it ok on the show but I really, really enjoyed it live!

Then the whole group came out and did Please Don't Stop the Music to wrap it up.

I have photos (& a couple vids with audio) that I'll try to post in the next few days. If you get a chance to see the show, it's worth it! I still hope they bring back more group & combo numbers next year, but I really did enjoy the solo sets that they did with this group. Everyone sounds great live and they're having a blast! Which is always a joy to watch.

Thanks for reading! Please leave comments and check back for the photos.


(edited to remove implication that Jason flubbed his words! and to add this disclaimer that there are a few inside jokes; if you don't get it, sorry, just ignore it!)

SYTYCD - Top 10 (7/16/08)

3rd judge is Lil'C.

Jessica broke three ribs and had to drop out of the competition (though she hopes to be well by tour time). Comfort is back in!


Courtney & Joshua: Hip Hop, Dave Scott (Mario "Skippin'") - Josh is psyched to have Dave! Courtney is nervous about popping. The routine is Frankenstein with Courtney as the monster. The end was cute w/them kissing & he gets 'shocked'. It was very good, especially Josh of course! The judges all loved him and a couple complimented Courtney as well.

Kherington & Mark: Two-step, Ronnie DeBenedetta & Brandi Tobias (Ty England "Kick Back") - New genre! And it's tough - a lot of turning and direction changes, we learn in rehearsal. I don't think Kherington has had to do a fast partner dance yet, has she? It shows - she misses a lot of the connections and it seems to be mostly her fault. Mark does his best (and I love the outfit!) but it's not great. Lil 'C (who is surprisingly coherent, dance-terminology educated and constructive) says it was fun but had problems, such as letting the audience see their mistakes (i.e. reacting to them instead of covering). He compliments some of the tricks and their character. Mary says it was a tough routine and Kher's lack of arm technique made it harder on Mark. Nigel said it didn't seem she trusted him but liked their persistence despite the struggles (they never gave up - perhaps referencing the end of her krump?).

Comfort & Twitch: Smooth Waltz, Hunter (Journey's "Open Arms") - this is supposed to be romantic, but Twitch & Comfort definitely have more of a brother-sister vibe so they struggle a bit w/that. It's also supposed to rise and fall, and it mainly falls. Lil 'C says they weren't floating; Mary said it lacked power and the technique was "clunky," and Nigel said the end lift was good, but otherwise it wasn't a strong enough performance for the Top 10 (and I agree).

Katee & Will: Broadway, Tyce ("Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" by Sam Harris, from Guys & Dolls) - They use an actual boat on stage and the routine is danced in and around the boat. Will is a conservative guy (which on SYTYCD translates into wearing a button-down shirt and nerdy glasses)and Katee is a promiscuous temptress he's trying to calm (but he gives in at the end & rips his shirt open). It was decent; it was Tyce Broadway. ;-) The judges loved it and Nigel said they're the "most technical" dancers on the show.

Chelsie & Gev: Contemporary, Sonya Tayeh ("These Arms of Mine," Otis Redding) - strange song choice for the choreo IMO, they didn't seem to mesh. The story is of a couple in love who are apart & yearning for each other. In practice Courtney complimented Gev's leaps (saying it looked like he'd had years of ballet training) and Mary praised them in the routine. Lil 'C said he loves the emotion of the contemporary style because it calls for dancers to "commit" to the piece and the choreo, which they did; he also praised Gev for not being "choppy" like he expected from his background. Mary also liked their chemistry.

Round 2!

Courtney & Joshua: Rhumba, Jean Marc (Enrique Iglesias' "Hero") - I love this song! Josh is supposed to Courtney's hero in the routine and it requires chemistry and passion, we're told. They succeed! That smouldered a bit in parts and overall was very good, though some of the lifts were shaky. Lil 'C agreed re: the passion and said "I might need my asthma pump!" Hee. All the judges loved it & praised their technique. Strangely, Nigel actually said that Josh danced too "butch" in this one. He also mentioned his open shirt and Josh joked that Twitch & Will get to be shirtless a lot so he needed to catch up w/them!

Kherington & Mark: Jazz, Tyce ("Canned Heat," Jamiroquai) - No story or characters this time, it's just supposed to showcase style and technique. It was decent; they moved in unison, though she seemed smoother, more like contemporary than jazz IMO. The judges said it was decent technique but didn't excite them at all.

Comfort & Twitch: Hip Hop, Dave Scott (Chris Brown's "Forever") - Cool!! Obviously they were both in their element, and Twitch was especially good; it was just a pleasure to watch. Lil 'C called it buck (and defined that as "when internal artistry meets physical expression"), as did Mary (!). Nigel gave what he called a great compliment to the choreographer (and dancers) when he said it looked as if it wasn't choreographed at all.

Katee & Will: Pas de deux, Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson ("Imagine" by David Archuleta! [the horror!]) - Another new genre; described by some as contemporary ballet. It was good, though there seemed to be some missed connections and she hit her head trying to under his arm once (which the judges mentioned as well). The music (besides being annoying in itself) also had a really weird cut/edit which distracted a bit from the dance. But I loved the last pose, Will holding Katee with one leg of hers in front of his, her back to the camera/audience, to the lyrics "will be as one"... that was very nice! The judges raved, Nigel especially about how wonderful it was to have such caliber choreographers on the show. He also said it was the best performance of this season and one of the best ever on the show (I don't know if I'd go that far, but I haven't rewatched it yet).

Chelsie & Gev: Jive, Jean Marc (Brian Selzer) - Jean-Marc says this is a very high-energy dance/piece, and he's not kidding! Definitely one of the hardest jives I've seen a non-ballroom dancer get, and Gev. was. Amazing!! He was channeling Benji again (he really reminds me of him in some of his movements/posture and gestures, like the pointing and his facial expressions). They missed one connection & had a couple other close calls, but overall I thought it was really, really good. Of course Chelsie was brilliant since she finally got something in her specialty! The judges were very complimentary of her but really hard on Gev, especially Lil 'C. Oh well; still a good note to end on!


Solos were interspersed between the couples' performances. Most were pretty much what you'd expect and most were good to very good.

Chelsie (Rihanna) - her 1st solo ever! Typical solo ballroom girl stuff.
Gev (Lupe Fiasco) - awesome! At one point he took his shirt off in the midst of breakdancing.
Courtney (Celine) - need I say more? She had some nice/tough jumps and such though.
Mark (more BoRhap!) - this was very "Mark"! Funky. Afterward he was playing around w/different hand movements to go along w/Cat giving the voting numbers, and Cat totally burst out laughing & gave him a big hug!
Comfort - pretty much her norm.
Twitch (Wade?) - an expansion on last week's Superman solo.
Katee (Maxwell) - good
Will (Luther's "Dance w/my Father") - very good, with an awesome leap!
Kherington (Rihanna) - just ok; definitely the weakest solo of the night.
Josh (Michael Jackson) - awesome! Great at his stuff and added a few moves from his cross-training, great leap!

I think it's a toss-up between Comfort and Kherington for the girl eliminated, but the guys are a very tough call. I'm guessing Mark or Twitch since they seemed the least well-rounded tonight, though they both had great solos (all the guys did!). Wish we didn't have to lose any!!

SYTYCD - Top 12 (7/9/08)

Guest judge is Mia. Great week!!


Chelsie & Mark: Salsa, Alex Da Silva ("Fuego," Joe Bataan) - Love the costumes! Hated my tv reception, but the routine was fun! They seemed to do well technically and were in unison, as usual. Mary & Nigel both praised her & said he was a bit stiff, but Mary also complimented his partnering skills.

Comfort & Thayne: Hip Hop, Napoleon & Tabitha ("Can We Chill" by Ne-Yo) - in rehearsal they were trying to get Thayne to not be so smiley. ;-) The routine was just ok; he was too smooth. Judges were meh as well, mainly criticizing the lack of chemistry.

Jessica & Will: Contemporary, Tyce Diorio ("Silence" from Unfaithful soundtrack) - There was no story to this, per Tyce, just an "essence" of the Garden of Eden. Costuming was very skimpy and the music had very little rhythm in many parts, so it was very hard to analyze, at least for me. It was good I guess. The judges loved it, the choreo, both of them, and their chemistry. Mia called it "moving body art."

Courtney & Gev: Cha Cha, Anya and Pasha! (Rihanna's "Please Don't Stop the Music") - Woo-hoo, Pasha!! (and Anya!) Rehearsal clip was awesome - first you have the 3 Russians (and Gev's accent got stronger!), you have Pasha & Anya dancing, and you have the "give her the message" move (or crotch bump, as Courtney called it). Good times!! Courtney said that Gev picks up ballroom choreo quickly, and the routine was awesome! Everything in Gev that reminds me of Benji (in a good way, as I was a huge fan) was out in full force (I would *love* to see Gev dance a Benji-choreographed West Coast Swing! Though it might just be too surreal!). The judges loved it as well, mentioning that Gev lacked some technique but that it really didn't matter because the performance & presentation were so good. Cat also made Gev admit to shaving (actually "trimming") his chest.

Twitchington: Krump, Lil C ("2 Buck 4 TV") - Forget about eliminating the quickstep from the competition; I vote we eliminate krumping! Especially this watered-down style. It was just ok. The judges were very impressed w/Kherington for most of the routine, until she got tired & lost steam toward the end, but then 2 of them specifically said they were going to ignore that part so they could still give the routine praise overall! (Wow, chosen ones, much?) Mia said that Twitch "served gangsta on a platter."

Katee & Joshua: Viennese Waltz, Jean-Marc ("Iris", Goo-Goo Dolls) - This routine cast Josh as a "ghost character" that Katee couldn't see, and there were several moves where it looked like they were just 'missing' each other (neat concept). There were a lot of lifts/tricks but very little other dancing in hold, at least until toward the end. It was nice, but not very memorable IMO. The judges said Joshua was too bouncy (instead of flowing), but Katee was beautiful (as she was!). Mary complimented the lifts but only that part. Mia said Katee is "meant to dance" and "a gift to dance."


Round 2


Chelsie & Mark: Broadway, Tyce ("I'm A Woman" from Smokey Joe's Cafe)- Tyce says this will be a "sultry, sexy, bluesy" piece and Mark says it's a cat & mouse chase. I love it - probably my favorite Tyce Broadway number! Mark was in a white wife-beater & black suspenders, one of which kept falling down (I was afraid he or Chelsie would get caught in it during a lift at the end, but they didn't). Both were fantastic in their characters and it was kind-of full circle, now she got to 'reject' him! Nigel & Mary loved it (Nigel especially went on about Chelsie's legs), but Mia said it showed Mark's lack of technique training.

Comfort & Thayne: Contemporary, Mandy Moore ("A Different Corner" by George Michael) - Comfort said in practice that some of the moves were testing her shoulder injury (he pulled her by her arm), but she didn't want that to be an issue in the performance. It was pretty good; he was better, of course, since it's his strength. The judges were hard on them, especially Comfort. Nigel said he'd have liked to have seen a different couple perform this choreo; Mary said it wasn't believable and both women cited technique problems for Comfort. Mia did say that she thought Thayne was "brilliant."

Jessica & Will: Quickstep, Jean-Marc ("Bandstand Boogie" by Barry Manilow!) - I thought the routine (its execution) was mostly weak, though I enjoyed the fun ending. Mary critiqued Will's jacket because it bunched up in the back & affected his frame. Nigel & Mary both said their technique was poor. Mia said Jessica was stiff & disconnected & said Will looked "tired of carrying her."

Courtney & Gev: Jazz, Mandy Moore ("Standing There," The Creatures) - This one is the story of 2 people lost in a jungle and there is a map prop. The outfits are safari khakis. The choreo is interesting, different... I like the parts without the map better, but the whole thing was good. Nigel said it was fun though like cotton candy w/little (dance/technical) substance. Mary disagreed; she loved it & complimented their technique and strength.

Twitchington : Smooth Tango, Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin ("Assassin's Tango" from Mr. & Mrs. Smith soundtrack) - Tony says the tango is about passion and jealousy, and the characters for this piece are like Mr. & Mrs. Smith (trying to kill each other). I thought it was just ok - to echo Nigel's earlier comment, I'd have loved to see a different couple perform it! There was a really neat lift toward the end but I thought the story/characters were weakly portrayed. Nigel said Twitch didn't seem comfortable or "honest" in the performance and Kherington lacked passion. Mary also critiqued their technique and Mia said they seemed "noncommitted."

Katee & Joshua: Bollywood, Nakul and Marla - Nigel said he's been trying to get this genre on the show for 3 years. This particular piece has a girl playing hard-to-get. They mention in rehearsals that if some of the hand gestures/positions are off they become very offensive to people of certain cultures! I loved this routine - the style was different but very fun, and interesting to watch (entertaining but also looks difficult). Also, Katee can. dance. any. thing!!!! I already thought she was awesome but this pretty much cemented her as the best overall female IMO. The judges loved it too (Mary put them on the train).

And that's, as Chelsie might say, a warp, I mean wrap! ;-) (I just love her to pieces, really!) My favorite routines were not what I'd have picked just looking at the list: both of Chelsie & Mark's (Salsa & Broadway), Courtney & Gev's Cha Cha, and the Bollywood!

I predict Thayne & Comfort, Twitch & Kherington, and probably Will & Jessica for the Bottom 3, with Thayne and Comfort (or maybe Jessica, but I doubt it) leaving.

SYTYCD - Top 14

Guest judges are Napoleon and Tabitha. 2 new choreographers: Andy Blankenbuehler just won a Tony Award for choreographing In the Heights! And Edward Simon does some ballroom.

Jessica & Will: Jive, Tony & Melanie ("Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" from Five Guys Named Moe) - This had more tricks and fewer kicking moves than most jives I've seen, but I thought it was decent. Mary said there were a lot of missed connections and both Mary & Nigel criticized Jessica (as usual).

Comfort & Thayne: Broadway, Andy Blankenbuehler ("Cool" from West Side Story) - I liked this! It was very different than Tyce's (predictable) stuff, in a good way. :-) Tabitha said they had good chemistry, but Nigel said the passion he wanted to see wasn't there.

Kourtni & Matt: Hip Hop, Cicily & Olisa ("How Do I Breathe," Mario) - Well, Matt looked very nice in his white suit, but it made some of the movements a bit harder to see. Overall it was good (for 2 non-hh dancers) but the movements definitely weren't sharp or hard-hitting, and the judges criticized them for that (though one of Napolitha said Matt did better than they expected him to).

Chelsie & Mark: Jazz, Mandy Moore ("Kiss Kiss", Holly Vance) - Loved this!! They're really on a roll; moving in unison, continuing to have great chemistry (there was lots of flirting and fake air-kisses, very cute); and different types of movement - Mark was especially good (and as nice as he looks in the suits, this tighter outfit shows off his movement very well). The judges enjoyed it as well - Napolitha said they can "tell any story they're given" and complimented their chemistry and teamwork.

Kherington & Twitch: Paso Doble, Tony & Melanie ("Malaguena", Brian Setzer: '68 Comeback Special) - Both started out w/capes... she finally wore heels! and he danced pretty well. Not a great paso overall though. Napolitha said he didn't "embrace the character" until part-way through the routine; Mary said it was passionate but the technique was just so-so.

Katee & Joshua: Contemporary, Mia Michaels ("Hometown Glory," Adele) - the story (because it's Mia!) is two people and their journey as they're "focused selfishly on their own lives." They're both in black and it starts out slowly, but then gets good and there are a lot of unique (Mia) moves. It looked very difficult and they did a good job. Cat asked Josh why he looked so serious afterward and he said that with Mia "it's so much more than dance." Napolitha loved their movement and that they 'got' the feel of it; Mary & Nigel loved it. Nigel complimented the partnership and the trust (from her) and strength (from him) required for some of the moves.

Courtney & Gev: Hip Hop, Cicily & Olisa ("Lights, Camera, Action") - Gev says in the intro that he's not used to "East Coast style," and New Yorker Courtney does indeed seem to dance this much better than he does! The judges concur and are disappointed w/Gev. Nigel says it's more "funk" than hip-hop though.

Take a breath... and now, Round 2!

Jessica & Will: Lyrical Jazz, Mandy Moore (Heart's "Alone") - LOVE this! They used a shirt as a prop, and Will was not wearing one at all (to the stated pleasure of Cat and the female judges). The dance was very sexy, they had great chemistry and portrayed the message of the song. Napolean said Jessica was weaker but overall the judges loved it. Mary said they're both on the train and Nigel asked the audience "Who wants to dance with Will?" (at which everyone's hands were in the air, including Jessica!)

Comfort & Thayne: Smooth Waltz, Edward Simon (New Age Armenia) - The story is of a long-lost love (Comfort says she's never had one) and they get the special Twitchington dance-for-the-disabled-girl lighting. I liked it, they had a good connection and appropriate emoting. The last pose where they ran past each other and then looked around - like a "oh no, I just missed him/her" - was very cool, and the long lift/spin was very pretty. Mary loved it, and Nigel complimented some specific moves/technique.

Kourtni & Matt: Mambo, Alex DiSilva - In rehearsal they said the routine was "very difficult," and after watching I agree. They did fairly well, though I didn't see much hip action where it looked like there should have been some. All the judges were disappointed because it wasn't sultry/"down" enough & lacked chemistry as well as technique. Oh yes and Nigel went on again about Matt not dancing "macho" enough (grr).

Chelsie & Mark: Foxtrot, Tony & Melanie ("It's My Life", Paul Anka) - Chelsie looks like one big blue feather! And Mark is back in a suit (has he set a record yet?). I thought they did very well - he seemed to get the 'feel' of the dance as well as some of the details (hand positions, etc.). Napolean said he liked watching them because they look like they just love to dance! (Mark & Chelsie nodded.) Mary said there were some difficult moves but they pulled them off. Nigel was less sure, saying Mark looked uncomfortable and that there were mistakes in the technique.

Kherington & Twitch: Contemporary, Mia Michaels ("Dreaming with a Broken Heart", John Mayer) - This was a break-up 'story' and used a mattress as a prop(tilted up so they could jump onto it & bounce off). Twitch was shirtless and the heartbroken one, while Kher. (complete with bedhead) was behind the bed several times throwing rose petals up onto it. It was kind-of cool, but didn't have much "dancing" IMO. Kher. did better than Twitch, not surprisingly. All the judges really loved it and went on and on about both Mia and the routine.

Katee & Joshua: West Coast Swing, Benji Schwimmer! ("Shake It", Brother Yusef) - Sigh, Benji guest choreographs (with Lacey's help) and we only get a tiny rehearsal clip because of time constraints. The routine was... meh. Partly because the song was slow, though I'm not sure Josh & Katee could have handled faster choreo anyway. Joshua just seemed to stand there in between moves. The judges loved it (or at least them - as usual). Napolitha liked Katee and the "stops"; Mary said the lifts were tough; and Nigel mentioned that it's not their style, in other words it's ok they weren't nearly as good as Benji/Heidi/Pasha/Lacey/etc. Evs, Nigel, we get that they're one of your "chosen" couples.

Courtney & Gev: Broadway, Andy Blankenbuehler ("New York, New York" from On the Town, as opposed to the other, more familiar "New York, New York") - They're supposed to be tourists in NYC, awed and looking around at all the wonders of the city. Courtney complains in rehearsal that not only is she from NY, she hates tourists. But she plays one on TV anyway and does ok; Gev does great. Cute routine, let's keep Andy, please? Napolitha said it was believable and complimented Gev. Mary & Nigel liked it and Nigel picked on a couple of things but also complimented them.

Whew! That was a lot of dancing! I think the quality was better last week, but then they only had one routine to learn in 4 days (Thursday evening - Monday evening), not two like this week.

My favorites were definitely Mandy's jazz pieces, with Mia's for Josh & Katee 3rd (Mia's bed routine is my least favorite, though!).

I predict Matt & Kourtni will go; Thayne & Comfort will probably also be in the Bottom 3 and the 3rd couple could be almost anyone but it won't matter. *Sniff* - goodbye, my beautiful tall ballet dancer of the season! (No, he's not as good as Danny, but I seem to like that 'type'!)

SYTYCD Top 16

Tonight's 3rd judge is Adam Shankman. The good: he has lots of useful comments. The bad: he has lots of comments!

AWESOME show tonight!!

Kherington & Twitch: Hip Hop, Napoleon & Tabitha ("Dont Touch Me Now" by Busta Rhymes) In tonight's video clips we're going to hear something new about each partner (from the other one). K. says Twitch laughs like a bear, and he says she has a shopping problem! The story behind this routine is a prison break. Napolitha also says that the music is fast and parts require the dancers to be "staccato and smooth at the same time." Alrighty then. Twitch is awesome, as expected. Kherington is her usual smiley self and does ok. The choreo has a lot of humorous tricks that go with the story & lyrics, like running to the edge of the stage and wobbling like they might fall off, and Twitch using circles on the bottom of K's shoes (yes, she's finally wearing some!) like binoculars as she does a handstand behind him. Judges loved it.

Courtney & Gev: Rumba, Tony Meredith and Melanie ("Wishing on a Star," Rose Royce) Due to his long, curly hair, Courtney says Gev looked like a little girl when he was a child. Gev tells us Courtney is studying to be a special ed teacher (aww). In this routine both participants are embarrassed to learn that part of the choreography is for Gev to grab Courtney's butt and lift her up with it. This is a good routine - very smooth and sexy (good chemistry, which we saw last week). They both look great as well - she's borrowing one of Edyta's dresses (there's no right side), and he's wearing a dress shirt and vest. Nigel said that Gev reminds him of Dominic (yes, we know, seeing as how you've given them the same first 3 dance styles Dom & Sabra had last year!) and he liked the routine. Mary complimented some of their technique; and Adam had a lot of constructive things to say, which prompted Nigel to tell him to hurry up, since they didn't have "blankets and soup" for the audience!

Comfort & Chris: (African) Jazz, Tyce Diorio (Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People") Chris mooches food off people, and Comfort has done beauty pageants. The routine is to be "raw" and earthy, and we see them practicing with brown sheets that are to represent mud. Except the sheets are just used briefly in the routine toward the end. Their costumes are shredded black fabric, and I'll admit it's hard for me to judge the routine objectively because I really, really, don't like the music. It was ok I guess. Nigel and Mary were disappointed, the execution wasn't hard or "animalistic" enough. Adam said they were inconsistent in their performance as far as portraying the characters.

Jessica & Will: Disco, Doriana Sanchez ("Heaven Must Have Sent You," Bonnie Pointer) Jessica's nickname is Ariel (which Will finds humorous) and Will is an "absolute gentleman." Doriana says in practice that Jessica "hasn't been given a chance yet to shine," but then after working with her a bit says that Jessica isn't getting it very well and isn't working hard enough. Their outfits are all white, and Will looks very sharp in his white suit (most of the guys look really good tonight! ...except for Chris in his shreds and Twitch in his orange prison suit). He also dances the best disco routine I've seen in years and is just all-around fun to watch. Jessica doesn't really keep up but most of their tricks together are good. Except for the last one, where I think he had too much momentum going from his tumbling run and almost fell forward holding her in the last pose. He had to put a hand down in front of her & a moment later she thought to put hers down too so it looked like they were supposed to be that way, but it was a bit too late to not look like a mistake. The judges were mixed, observing several mistakes but also crediting them for difficult choreography executed well. Adam also said he wished Jessica knew how good of a dancer she is.

Kourtni & Matt: Contemporary, Sonya Tayeh ("Wrestlers," Hot Chip) Kourtni has a tattoo on her neck (a quote about dance), and Matt has a ninja mask that he likes to wear (in his dry humor he describes it as an "accessory," just like scarves that K. will wear). He also mentions that he slipped and fell a bit in last week's routine, and though the judges didn't say anything, his mother (who's tougher than Nigel) did! This week's routine is about 2 comic characters chasing and flirting with each other, with lots of poses or freezes (like frames of a comic strip). If it looks anything like the new choreographer does, it will be very strange and quirky. And it is! They do a lot using his tie as a prop, pulling on it in various ways. Really cool routine - and the audience loves it!! Nigel liked it as well and said it allowed both of them (finally) to show off their technique, though he still said Matt is a bit stiff. Mary praised their extensions and synchronized leaps; and she told Matt the "broom" is gone, which was nice of her! Adam praised their control and said it was fantastic (though he thought Matt's ninja mask from the intro clip was weird).

Chelsea & Thayne: Quickstep, Heather Smith ("You Can't Hurry Love," Phil Collins) Thayne enjoys fashion (advising Chelsea on outfits, making his own shirts), and Chelsea is a flower thief (gardens, restaurants, whatever!). Heather used a hula hoop to help teach them the proper frame for the dance. I thought Chelsea's dress was too long and actually interfered w/her dancing a bit, but overall the routine was pretty good and fun. Nigel said their personalities didn't show (had plastered smiles, probably because they were focusing on the fast technique), but it was better than he'd expected. He still recommended that they prepare their solos. Mary said it was difficult choreo and they did "Ok, which is pretty good" in context. She also said they pale in comparison to previous season's quicksteps, and that Chelsea let her partner down and was off the hot tamale train. Adam said they didn't look comfortable (and that no matter how you feel at the time, you should look like you're loving whatever you're performing).

Chelsie & Mark: Hip Hop, Napoleon & Tabitha ("Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis) Mark has crooked pinkies and Chelsie is a tomboy off stage. This routine is described as "hip hop with emotion" and the story is of a workaholic man leaving his beloved. They say that every word of the song has meaning and there is a lot of detail in the choreography to represent that. Ok, on to the performance... LOVE!!!!!!!!! I love the song anyway, and knew that Mark would rock hip hop (there are lots of YouTube vids of his hip hop choreo), but wow. The whole thing was awesome, and I now have a favorite routine of the season. I especially enjoyed when she kicked his briefcase away, when he made the gestures of moving her around toward the end, and just her angst in general - they both did fantastic jobs w/the acting. The crowd and judges agreed. Adam called it "lyrical hip-hop" and said they're "the couple to beat"!

Katee & Joshua: Samba, Tony Meredith ("Baila, Baila," Angela Via) Joshua is a softie and Katee "screams like a boy" (low, not high-pitched; Tony calls it "grunting" in practice). They're told the samba is a very rhythmic, hot & sexy dance. Despite Katee's comment in rehearsal about not thinking of herself as pretty or sexy at all (at least off the dance floor), she "brought it" in a big way during the performance!! Oh, and she found the other half of Chelsea's dress. ;-) The dance was great - they had good chemistry and seemed to execute their choreo very well. Nigel said that Joshua has a "natural samba rhythm" but then started talking about his tight pants and made his father stand up in the audience to see if the booty was inherited (it is, but TMI!). He called it one of 4 "outstanding" routines tonight. Mary loaded them onto the train. Adam gave them a S.O. and said "That was competing!" He also told Katee that she's "smokin'" and doesn't ever want her to think of herself as not pretty or sexy in the future.


Great show!!!! My bottom 3 predictions: Comfort & Chris and Chelsea & Thayne for sure. I'll say Kourtni & Matt (while hoping my votes help prevent it) though the 3rd spot could go several ways. I'll pick Chris (please?) and Kourtni to leave (unless Will & Jessica hit the bottom, in which case she will be the one to go).

-----

Results:

Group number: I missed what the music was, but Mia choreographed it and it's a bit Alice in Wonderland-ish, featuring Mark the most (and Comfort). My least favorite of the season so far.

Guest performers:
Jordin Sparks ("One Step at a Time")
"Quest," a breakdancing group with 8 members including Dominic, Hok, and Ryan

Bottom 3:
Comfort & Chris (his solo was better than in the past)
Chelsea & Thayne
Kourtni (better solo than in the past) & Matt (solo to Jason Mraz & very good)

Nigel apologized to Matt for some past treatment and said tonight's solo was "brilliant," and announced that Matt was safe. There was no '1st safe' girl. Chelsea and Chris were eliminated and no reasons were given for either one. So, Thayne and Comfort will be paired next week.

SYTYCD4 - Top 18

Tonight's 3rd judge is Mia. In the video clips dancers will be telling us the best & worst things about their partners (now that they've been together 2 whole weeks and know each other sooo well!). And Mary's outfit is horrid - either the hair (curly), necklace (huuuuuge beads) or shirt (animal print) would've been a nice accent on their own, but combined it's way OTT and unattractive.

Chelsea & Thayne: Jazz, Mandy Moore. (The Veronicas' "Untouched") Does anyone really care what they like about each other at this point? The only semi-interesting thing these 2 said was that Thayne is superstitious (which C. does not like). This routine's story is of a king and his forbidden love. The funky music and costumes made more of an impression on me than the dance itself, but it was good. Mia said the execution was poor and Mary & Nigel didn't "believe" it and said the chemistry wasn't there.

Chelsie & Mark: Argentine Tango, Alex DeSilva. Mark is quirky (good) but quiet (bad), and Chelsie's hair smells good. Despite being a ballroom dancer Chelsie hasn't done Argentine Tango before (just regular tango). They say their relationship is very brother-sister and the dance is supposed to be sexy, and we see Mark goofing around in practice. Once they get on stage, though, it's a different story. This is very, very good - has the right feel and technique looks very good. The judges loved it, except Nigel wanted Chelsie to be a bit "sleazier" to fit his idea of the dance.

Jessica & Will: Hip-hop, Cicily & Olisa. ("Whatever U Like") Will is focused (good) but sometimes too serious; Jessica has a great personality. The routine has chairs and is very "soft" hip-hop IMO. They dance it fairly well including the unison parts, but overall Will is better. Mia loved the choreo and called it "dirty" and "raw" (really?); she loved Will but said Jessica paled next to him, and Mary agreed. Nigel liked both.

Kourtni & Matt: Foxtrot, Jean-Marc Genereux. ("A Foggy Day," Michael Buble) Matt likes Kourtni's eyes and she likes that he's always complimenting her. She doesn't like his singing, and he doesn't like that she doesn't like his singing. ;) (He has a great, dry sense of humor; his singing in the clip is obviously humorous but he says with a very straight face that she "doesn't have an ear for good singing.") They struggled w/the lifts in practice but were better on stage. Wow, this choreography fits Matt perfectly! It's very old-style, Fred Astaire type stuff, and Matt's suit helps convey that feel. But his dancing is just beautiful, light, right on... riveting. I will say the routine doesn't stay in hold as much as most Foxtrots IIRC. Mia loves Matt (yay!). Mary loved the choreo was mixed on execution (the holds should've been tighter, etc.). Nigel didn't like Matt's arms or their seemingly false grins, but enjoyed it overall.

Courtney & Gev: Contemporary, Mandy Moore ("Lost" by Anouk) Gev is strong and hard-working, but short (hee), and Courtney is pretty but has a boyfriend (ha!). The routine is a love story and has lots of partnering, which Gev says that he's struggling with. You can't tell later, though. And they do have great chemistry! Cat said she got chills. Mia loves the choreo; said Courtney "jazzified" it (bad) but said Gev did well at partnering and she "believed" his movement/emotions. Mary loved it and said "the breaker boy's gonna break some hearts." Nigel disagreed and said the emotion wasn't believable.

Katee & Joshua: Broadway, Tyce Diorio ("All for the Best," Godspell) Joshua is a very "caring" partner but nitpicks; Katee has a contagious smile but a dorky 'lighten up' dance. Tyce says the key to this routine is moving around the stage as fast as possible. Now, I must preface my comments by saying that I *LOVE* Godspell, have seen it multiple times, was in the band for a college-age production, and can sing along to most of the soundtrack. A Godspell snob, if you will. Ok. I HATED it. Just horrible. Totally killed the song... mostly Tyce's fault for choosing the choreography (now I get why so many people hate his B'Way choreo; I'm often not as familiar w/the original numbers to realize how much they're changed). The music edit was even cut so the lines didn't rhyme... just a travesty all around, lol! As for the execution... He was better than she was, but both were decent for what they were given. The crowd and judges loved it! Nigel said it was "great entertainment" vaudeville-style (I agree with that part I guess, but in this case that's not a good thing!). Mia said "amazing" and thought they had a great connection and that their "spirit" was "loud." Maybe, but Tyce should stick to contemporary, and everyone should go see a live production of Godspell next spring to see how this number is supposed to be done!

Susie & Marquis: Salsa, Alex deSilva. Susie is energetic but her hair hits him a lot; Marquis is goofy (good) but always eating (which makes his breath bad). Alex says the routine is Cuban/Puerto Rican as are the dancers (respectively), so it should be a good fit! But then he says Susie isn't really a Salsa dancer, she's a "Street Salsa" dancer. Which she overhears and upsets her. I get his point though, as she's not all that great in the routine. Marquis is so much lighter - which later some of the judges say is a bad thing - but I can tell from this for the first time that he's a really, really good dancer! I hope he gets to stick around and do contemporary!! Mia loved the choreo but not the performance, and all of the judges seem disappointed. Mary said they lacked chemistry and Nigel said it wasn't fiery and some of the turns were labored, as well as some other technical criticisms. I kind-of think they wanted Susie & Marquis in the bottom 3 last week so they could boot them, and are trying extra-hard to sink them this week. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing her go but I know we haven't seen his full potential yet.

Kherington & Twitch: Viennese Waltz, Jean-Marc & France. ("A New Day Has Come," Celine Dion) Kher. always has a pleasant outlook but has strong legs and her kicks hurt (hee); Twitch is strong but sometimes wears 'fake' (no lens) glasses. Evs. This routine is very personal for Jean-Marc and France. Their daughter has Rett Syndrome and has basically no motor function, but reacts positively to seeing movement of others. So this routine is for her and inspired by her. The costuming is all white and flowy and there is cool lighting on the stage. Some of the lifts seem heavy and several sections appear more contemporary than ballroom to me, as in lacking technique (I'll always remember Donyelle talking about how hard this dance is!). Mia of course appreciates the personal choreo, though she didn't like Kher's constant smile, wanting more "reality" (Nigel rudely interrupted to defend it, saying it was uplifting). Mia and Mary both complimented Twitch. Nigel agreed w/my thought that it wasn't pure Viennese Waltz but said it was beautiful.

Comfort & Chris: Krump, Lil C. (Timbaland something - and almost every other word was edited out so it sounded really strange!) Chris is humble & has a "good spirit," but sweats a lot; Comfort is a versatile, solid partner but talks too fast (hee). Lil C says Krumping combines pop/locking with b-boy and African moves. They also use the phrase "that's buck" a lot but never explain it. Compared to the krumping I've seen before (which is something like 3 routines ever), this is very sloooooow, almost like slo-mo krumping! And not quite as hard-hitting as I'd expect. Just ok overall. Mia said Chris "pulled it off," but Mary disagreed and said Comfort blew him away (though agreed she could have hit harder). Nigel actually criticized both of them but was very mean to Chris (worse than to Matt last week), saying his "granny's more gangsta" than Chris! He also said he didn't dance "macho" enough, specifically pointing out that Chris didn't do the crotch grab right and actually demonstrating (!) how it should be done while saying what Chris did was like a (have to go) "peepee dance" and that as a man he should especially "own that area" (of his body). Poor Chris!! Chris replied and said he didn't want to grab his crotch. Good for him, standing up for himself (I know it's a popular move in hip-hop and related styles, but this is also supposed to be a family show and I don't think it's appropriate, let alone necessary).

Overall I'd pick Susie/Marquis, Chelsea/Thayne, and Jessica/Will for the bottom 3, with Susie & Marquis being sent home. It's a hard call though since Jess/Will were B3 last week; fans will vote more this week so we could see Kourtni/Matt (hope not!) or maybe Comfort/Chris there instead.

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RESULTS:

Group number: Hip-hop by Shane ("Elevator"). It was fun, though hard to recognize people since they were dressed the same & wearing hats. Marquis was featured in the beginning, and at the end Gev did a headstand in the center and held it for a long time, until Cat came on & everyone else was leaving the stage.

Whew, Matt (& Kourtni) are safe! All 3 of my favorites managed to escape the bottom 3 this week. The bottom 6 are as follows:

Chelsea - good solo, 1st girl safe.
Susie - just ok solo; Nigel said she didn't use the stage enough.
Comfort - very good.

Susie is out.

Thayne (Gavin DeGraw "Belief") - good use of stage, good solo; Nigel said he has a lot of potential.

Marquis (OneRepublic "Stop and Stare" - eee!) - Awesome!! We finally get to see him dance contemporary, and he is as good as I'd heard. Unfortunately Nigel decided his solo was "all tricks" and "not dance." (And Neil did what in his solos last year, exactly?)

Chris (John Legend "Again") - meh. Easy choice here, Chris needs to go home. However... Nigel said he danced with passion and has been bringing the "personality" Nigel asked of him, so he will be safe!

And Marquis is out. I call foul, because I really think Nigel just didn't want to pair Comfort (or Chelsea) with Marquis. They rarely put 2 black contestants together, as that doesn't fit his ideal (perceived) viewer demographic, I guess. So we have a paired couple leaving for the 2nd week in a row (a first, I believe).