SPOILER ALERT - Results show recap!

SPOILER ALERT!!! I thought I should start including that with some of these posts, since I now actually have followers on Twitter! Thank you for reading! And since I’m not entirely sure where you are, and I don’t know whether you trust yourselves not to check this site until you’ve seen the show, the least I could do is let you know when I’m about to reveal something you might not yet have watched. So with that said:

WOW. Although I kinda called it, and would've endorsed this particular outcome prior to seeing the solos, I'm more than a little stunned given how those solos went. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's recap first:

Tonight's opening number featuring all 16 was neither awesome nor awful enough to inspire much commentary from me. It was a perfectly adequate opening number.

THE BOTTOM THREE:
Well, Ashley & Chris in the bottom was really no surprise. I think it’s unfortunate that this dance put them there because I really don’t think it was their dancing. That said, I think there are stronger dancers, so they may as well be there now because if not, it’ll be next week.

Miranda & Robert. I said it last night, and I stand by it: I think it was their best dance yet, but I think now that we’ve seen more of everybody, their relative strength to everyone else is beginning to wane. Yes, Miranda has amazing legs, but she’s still got a smidgen of awkwardness, and while Robert does really well, he’s no Ricky. I think this was bound to catch up with them, but it feels a little cruel that it happened the week of their best dance to-date.

Now, I was a little shocked that the final couple came down to Caitlynn & Mitchell and Clarice & Jess, but then again…who else would it’ve been? I breathed a bit of a sigh of relief, actually, that it was ultimately Caitlynn & Mitchell, because at least I can justify that based on their dance last night. Apparently, America saw through that samba just like I did. I think it’s the right call, although I loathe seeing Caitlynn’s adorable face in the bottom three.

A pause to comment on Axis: VERY cool. That man did more from that wheelchair than I do on my two legs most days. What occurred to me watching this piece was that Glee should take some inspiration from this and instead of having Artie lament about how he can’t dance until he can walk again, show him what can be done. But I digress...

SOLOS:
Ashley – That was a little lackluster. It was bland. It wasn't awful, it just needed to be better tonight.

Chris – If his solo counted for anything, he’ll be staying. He gave his all – and made me say “ow” in the process (more than once).

Miranda – She is great in her style. So, if the solo is the determinant, she’s solid – or at least moreso than Ashley, which is all she has to be, after all.

Robert – He is entertaining, to be sure, but I’m not sure his dancing is going to hold up this week, solo or otherwise.

Caitlynn – Not quite as good as Miranda, but definitely better than Ashley.

Mitchell - I’m not sure that was all that he was capable of, and tonight, it really needed to be.

Second pause for the other guest performance: HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. I swear that woman had to be on wires or a mechanical lift or something. That was the single most AMAZING dance I have ever seen. Absolutely gravity-defying, and my abs hurt just thinking about the core strength that must have taken both of them to pull off those moves. DA-YUM.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
WOW. I’m more than a little stunned about the female choice. Now, while I would argue that Miranda is probably in the bottom of the girls’ pool – relative to this year’s girls – based on her solo alone, I was sure she was safe. Ashley barely showed up for her solo, and yet she goes on. Huh. Who’da thunk. Of course, I go back and look at the notes I wrote as I went along, and even I acknowledged that her greatness in her style doesn't necessarily stand up in other genres, and that's a limiting factor at this point. In any case, that must’ve been one hell of a discussion backstage.

Now as for Robert, I think that’s fair. He’s great at what he does, and he definitely has a fan base, but his dances aren’t quite up to the caliber of several of the other guys. I think it’s time for him to go home, but he certainly did better than some Bboys in the past who got further. I wish him luck, because I think he has a future as an entertainer.

And now there are fourteen fabulous dancers remaining, and although I could argue that Ashley could rightly have gone home tonight, I am beginning to wonder how in the heck they're going to send someone home each week for several more weeks. Guess that's why they pay the judges the big bucks. ;)

Down to the Top 16

Sorry communication's been light this week. I'm on vacation with the kiddoes at Grandma's house, so I've been a little distracted, especially tonight when they wouldn't cooperate and go to sleep so I could focus on the show! I did my best, though I don't think the judges and I agreed much tonight. I felt like I watched a different show than they did. Maybe I was in a crabby mood because my 4-year-old wouldn't settle down, but I didn't like as many of the routines as much as the judges did. I LOVE Kristen Chenoweth, however, and am a devoted follower of @KChenoweth on Twitter, so I thoroughly enjoyed her guest spot and her commentary. As for the dancing, here's my breakdown:

First group routine - Tyce DiOrio – Broadway/jazz (I missed the explanation of which it was, and frankly, I couldn't quite tell): Well…interestingly, I didn’t love this, but it wasn’t the choreography. I actually thought Tyce put together a good routine; I just didn’t think it was danced spectacularly. To me, it felt like it kinda dragged. Folks were occasionally out of synch – the most noticeable was Sasha when she was in front. I was afraid Marko wasn’t going to make his last flip. Maybe it was all the attitude they were portraying, but it just seemed a little…weighted down. I'm going to rewatch the whole episode on DVR before the results show because I felt less than thrilled about several of these dances, and this was one of them. Maybe I'll see something I missed the first time around, but on the first run, it failed to zap me. I doubt that will hinder any of this 8's chances tomorrow, but it sure didn't wow either.

Sasha & Alexander - Dee Kaspary, contemporary: Ah, now I understand all the “prop” references in their tweets this week! And I’ve gotta say I liked this particular prop. The piano gave depth to a dance that didn’t use a lot of real estate around the stage, and I love how she disappeared into the piano and became a part of it at the end. I will say that this wasn’t as particularly emotionally moving for me as some other contemporary pieces, but it was really enjoyable nonetheless. I’m definitely with Kristen on how Alexander performed – I think he was there more than he got credit for from Nigel and Mary. Now, while I love Sasha, I’m not sure I’m as over-the-moon about her dancing as the judges are (tonight or ever), but she’s certainly talented and eminently watchable, and as much in this routine as any.

Caitlynn & Mitchell – Jean-Marc Genereux, samba: Really, Mary? I was a little surprised by the high praise from the ballroom-er, ‘cause I thought it started kinda slow – bad song for the dance, weird rhythm, etc. - but Caitlynn was moving convincingly, and it eventually picked up a little. Still, although there were some impressively Beyonce moves, I’m not sure how "samba" it was. To me, Mitchell looked like a contemporary dancer doing samba. And in case nobody else noticed, they kept missing physical connections (hands, arms, etc.). Caitlynn is just so darn cute that I liked it anyway, even though I wasn't sure her hips were moving enough for a samba. The two of them were actually almost too limber for the dance, with not enough *pop* in their hips. I definitely didn't think it was as well-done as the judges seemed to, but I suspect their likability will keep the out of trouble this week. But I also wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.

Miranda & Robert – Tyce DiOrio, Broadway (it was Broadway, right?): I’ll admit to being a lot more impressed with these two tonight than I have been so far, although I have to wonder if Tyce didn’t ultimately dumb down the routine a little for them. Based on the preview, I was expecting more fancy footwork than they ultimately did. But, with what they did have, I have to agree with Kristen – they really had the characters. Miranda was (finally) sexy, and Robert didn’t look like a B-boy. I thought it was really good. Good enough that I now feel less bad about them not going home the first week. I think they've redeemed themselves a bit with this one, but it would not surprise me to find them in the bottom three again this week. Just a hunch, can't explain it.

Melanie & Marko – Nappytabs, lyrical hip-hop: *Sigh* I loved everything about this. Nappytabs, M&M, the song…*Sigh* EV-E-RY-THING.

We interrupt this blog posting to bring you the best quote of the night, courtesy of hostess Cat Deeley: "THAT’S LIKE WALKING IN ON YOUR MOM AND DAD!" Agreed. If I never see Nigel kiss Mary (or, frankly, anyone else) ever again, it will be too soon. Now back to our regularly scheduled posting:

Ashley & Chris – Sonya Tayeh, jazz: Yeah, I’m kinda with Nigel here. I was just expecting...more...and I didn’t get it. Yet I can’t really nitpick on anything the dancers did or didn't do, exactly. But there was definitely some kind of disconnect, and I think it’s going to hurt these two tomorrow night. Maybe it was because they weren’t ALL zombie or ALL human, but it just kinda…didn’t work. It reminds me of a routine…I think it was maybe robots or aliens or something? With Robert and Ellenore, maybe? Anyway, it was another one that THEY did well, but that just didn't hang together as a routine, and it hurt the couple that week, as I suspect this one will for these two. Sorry Sonya - I truly respect what you bring to this game, but this one just kinda missed, and I'm not really sure why.

Clarice & Jess – Jean-Marc Genereux, foxtrot: Admittedly, I was distracted during this one because I had to go lay the smackdown on my non-sleeping kids, but what I saw, I liked. Very elegant, very enjoyable, and Jess is just a great showman, no matter how you feel about his personality. I absolutely bought him as a Rat-Pack era nightclub singer. Kinda forgot Clarice was there, but what she did, she did gracefully and prettily ('cause she's nothin' if not graceful and pretty). Glad to hear the judges agreed, because I was afraid I might’ve missed something!

Ryan & Ricky - Sonya, contemporary: Meh. I'm definitely going to have to watch this one again, because I really wanted to like this, but it just didn't quite do it for me. I wanted to be moved by it, but I did not feel the emotional connection here. I cringed when Ryan smiled, even though it wasn’t entirely inappropriate (she didn’t exactly have a big goofy grin on her face the whole time), and I didn’t feel anything between Ryan and Ricky, which was both surprising and disappointing, because they're both capable of it. And somebody needed to put some makeup on poor Ryan, because her face looked so bland, and that really didn't help her convey any emotion. I'm sure the thinking was that her face should be free to emote without boundary, but for me it worked completely oppositely. I am so sorry I didn’t see what the judges saw, because I really wanted to. I cannot emphasize that enough, because I desperately like these two dancers. Now, the dancing was great; I just totally missed the emotion that was supposed to be there. Maybe the camera just didn’t do it justice. I don't know. I hope America didn't agree with me, because I would hate to find these two in the bottom again.

Jordan & Tadd – Nappytabs, hip-hop: Cute. Entertaining. Enjoyable. But not Nappytabs’ best work. Or Jordan and Tadd's. Totally watchable and a cute storyline, but the dance was underchallenging, especially for these two. And I'm not sure it was the best-danced either – LilC touched on that with them needing to get down more; Nigel was also right that the story outshone the dance. I don't think they'll be in danger, but this one wasn't the caliber I expect of Jordan & Tadd, so it was a little disappointing, if fun to watch.

Second group routine – Dee Kaspary, contemporary: I liked this one a LOT. It was a fresh idea, well-danced, an interesting mix of music and moves…no, I LOVED this. In fact, it was probably my favorite routine of the night, actually. Yes, even moreso than Melanie & Marko's. So there.

So that's how I saw the show tonight. I'm very curious to hear what others think, so please comment and tell me! Prediction for tomorrow's bottom three? Hm...Ashley & Chris, because they got the most negative reviews of the night, and rightly so--for the dance (both are great dancers, totally deserving of staying, just not for that routine); possibly Mirand & Robert, for something I just can't quite put my finger on; and as for the third...I really can't say. I could make a case for Sasha & Alexander, having been in the Death Spot of the lineup, or for Caitlynn & Mitchell for a medium-hot samba, or Jordan & Tadd for a fun but underwhelming hip-hop, or for Ryan & Ricky, if others felt as emotionally void as I did when it was done. Guess we'll all have to tune in tomorrow and find out!

*Sniff, sniff*

*HONK* *Sniff* Oooookay, sobfest over.

No, no, it's not what you think--those are actually tears of relief I'm wiping away. I don't think I realized how much I was hoping for a particular outcome until Ryan was announced as the Girl Who Gets To Stay. I immediately choked out "YESSSSSS!" through watery eyes, rather in spite of myself. I truly don't think any of those ladies deserved to go home--this week or last--and it was heartbreaking just to know who the bottom three were. I almost couldn't bring myself to watch the final outcome, because I knew there was not going to be any "right" answer. It was agonizing knowing that only one of them could stay, but in the end, I have to admit I'm really glad it was Ryan. And I disagree with Nigel: while I suppose there are probably additional "tricks" she could've added to that routine, I genuinely felt like she left every bit of herself on that floor, and I don't think I've seen her dance better solo.

As for the boys...well, I can't say I'm surprised about Wadi, , but I wouldn't have tried to predict whether it would be Ricky or Nick. Neither really deserved to go home, and both danced their solo dances well. I just think Ricky did his this much [-] better, and that was just enough to give the judges an answer. I don't think it was a wrong call, but I don't think it would've been wrong to keep Nick either.

Shortly into the show, Travis Wall tweeted that the judges made a bad call in keeping everyone last week, because this week, wrong people would be going home. I was just about to agree with him when I reflected back on who was in jeopardy last week. What if we hadn't gotten to see Mitchell dance? What if Princess Clarice had gone home? Who would've been the "right" people to go home this week, really? That's the down side of a cast of this caliber - getting down to just one is going to be the worst part of the show.

Top 20 - Redux

Round 2 is going to be a whole different contest, folks. Indeed, my earlier prediction holds: the judges can only save TWO dancers tomorrow night, out of six that will be in the bottom. That means a lotta voter power, folks! And tonight was not the extraordinary parade of exceptional dances that the first round was. So who're the bottom 6 gonna be? Hm...we'll get to that in a minute.

First: a big thumbs up to whatever costumer channeled Grease in finding Cat that "big yellow pineapple" dress. YOWZA. She looked lovely, of course, but I tended to lose other people on the screen when she stood next to them...

Okay, back to the show. Thrilled to see Debbie Reynolds as a guest judge - she is not only A True Original in the world of dance, but she's doggone funny. Now on to the routines:

Ricky & Ryan, Mandy Moore jazz - Admittedly, I was a little skeptical about the ability of these two to convince me that they could smolder together. Maybe that's why they really didn't for me, and I was a little surprised the judges didn't agree. Now, individually, yes: Ryan was fiery, although I thought there was a little camera-mugging that I couldn't quite gauge as to whether it was part of the style of the dance (I feel like jazz does that sometimes) or Ryan's supersize smile. Ricky was downright convincingly smokin', but I sometimes felt like he was looking through Ryan rather than at her. But I wasn't entirely convinced there was chemistry between them (just like the tension between Nigel & Mary indeed!). So, although I thought they danced it superbly, I'm not so sure about a total rave. The "kiss of death" first position probably won't help them any more than it did Tadd & Jordan, so we'll see if the viewers thought the routine was enough to keep them aloft.

Caitlynn & Mitchell, Stacey Tookey contemporary - Well I always expect big things from Stacey Tookey, and this is why. Caitlynn started breaking my heart the second the lights went up, and Mitchell--thank God he didn't go home last week!--was a pure delight. And they even bled. It doesn't get much more dug in than that. LOVED IT.

Missy & Wadi, Jean-Marc Genereux cha-cha - I'm with Nigel and Mary on this one. Missy rocked it, but I still think Wadi looks a little unconvinced that he should be there. Technically, it looked pretty darn good (from a non-ballroom expert’s point of view) overall, but I could see that Wadi looked a little mechanical and I get the judges' points about his technique. My chief complaint though: the chemistry was "meh" at best, but not for lack of effort on Missy's part. I don't think she could've knocked that out any better, mood and all, and she sort of excelled in spite of him, but she just couldn't overcome his basic pallor of discomfort. Sorry, Wadi, because I adore you, but I suspect you're likely to be in trouble tonight after the voting. Then again, sometimes it's the underdogs who bring out the voters, so we shall see. (Loved the Ke$ha song for this cha-cha, by the way.)

Iveta & Nick, Nakul Dev Mahajan Bollywood - Here’s what I loved about this dance: it made good use of Nick’s lankiness, and it showed Iveta being whimsical, which is just not something I would’ve thought was possible. Technically, I think they danced it pretty well, but not outstandingly. They were occasionally off-synch, and each missed a few little things, but really, for being such an out-of-the-mainstream dance style, they did just fine. Well enough to not be in danger? That’ll depend on the next six routines…

Robert & Miranda, Nappytabs hip-hop - Hm. I’m really back-and-forth on this one. I was actually thinking Robert would benefit from being back in his own world (once again catching a helpful break), but I actually think Miranda danced it better. That said, there was something just a little…off. Maybe it’s that Miranda looked a little awkward trying to be “bucc,” or that Robert had a little trouble hitting the finer points of the dance while holding his swagger. Not really sure, but I have a sneaking suspicion that these two could end up in the bottom again, even though this was a considerably better dance than last week. I liked the routine in terms of its angle (Napoleon & Tabitha are just jaw-droppingly creative), and that just might be enough to get them through…but not for me, I’m afraid. (And I’m sorry Nigel, but Season 7’s Lauren Froderman was the best contemporary dancer ever to do hip-hop, conquering the wild, wild West - how soon they forget!)

Clarice & Jess, Stacey Tookey contemporary - TWO Stacey Tookeys in one night?! Oh, I just can’t STAND it!! That was another lovely number, Stacey, and both of them were great (pooh, Nigel!). Wait, Jess is not a contemporary dancer, right? For a moment, I forgot all about his big Broadway personality, because he was beautiful in this dance. I think Nigel was WAY off where the chemistry was concerned - I actually thought they looked a little cuddly and nuzzly beyond what the dance required. Not sure what he was watching, but that's why I write my OWN blog. For me, Clarice is redeemed, and I hope that the audience disagrees with Nigel as much as I do.

Jordan & Tadd, Jean-Marc Genereux Viennese waltz - When I heard “Viennese waltz,” I thought "Oh NO!", worried that this wouldn’t be the dance that would bring them back from last week’s brink. Boy, was I wrong! That was one of the more stunning dances of the evening. Jean-Marc managed a routine that didn’t feel as ballroom as just floating on air, which suited Jordan’s contemporary-ness, and yet even Tadd--the Bboy, might I remind you--managed to be positively fluid. It was just dreamy, and I am thrilled that Nigel & Mary agreed.

Melanie & Marko, Mandy Moore jazz - Melanie: part Ginnifer Goodwin, part young Ally Sheedy = all adorable. She’s going to be one of those dancers who looks good doing whatever she’s doing. Marko – love him, dropped hat and all. Not the best routine they could’ve gotten, but they did as much with it as could be done. I am guessing that’s why Mary & Nigel focused on them rather than the dance; they know that sometimes the dancers are better than the dance they’re given, so much so that the dance doesn’t really matter. That was my feeling about this routine and this couple, who I just adore. Go M&M!

Sasha & Alexander, Nappytabs lyrical hip-hop - The brilliance of Nappytabs just cannot be expressed in words – that’s what dance is for, I guess. I thought it was terrific, although I will concede to my husband that Sasha outdanced Alex a smidge. Still, I can’t fairly say that Alex wasn’t in it with her. I think this was the killer routine tonight. It had the advantage of a timely and poignant story, and two tremendous dancers to tell it. I do not expect to see these two in the bottom tomorrow night. I say that as much as a command as an observation.

Ashley & Chris, Spencer Liff Broadway - I was trepidatious about this one, because Spencer Liff is, admittedly, not my favorite choreographer. In fact, I was trying to remember the other day who that guy was a few seasons ago whose stuff I didn’t really like that I felt relieved not to have seen in awhile, and as soon as I saw his face tonight, I knew who the guy was! To that end, I would say tonight’s routine was in line with my expectations in that I didn’t care for a concept that so limited the dancers’ movement around the stage, and I was grateful to be able to watch it at home with camera angles to help me see what I would’ve missed if I’d had to watch it from the audience. That said, I thought Ashley and Chris did it really well. I think Chris is yet another example of a Bboy who totally exceeded all expectations and demonstrated incredible versatility. Ashley was great, and made the most of her dress and the music, which is important when the dance is so potentially limiting. I don’t think they’ll be in danger, which is good, because I thought they were a little unfairly quashed last week by the judges for a smashing hip-hop routine.

So, who ends up in the bottom tonight? Funnily enough, I think that's a hard call, even though I think this show overall was nowhere near the caliber of last week's. It feels like the dances were all good but not stellar (as compared only to last week), and yet there still aren't really standout stinkers. I'm going to make a guess though, because that's the job:

1. Ryan & Ricky - less because they deserve it than because they're in the worst possible spot in the lineup, the one everybody's forgotten by the time voting rolls around.
2. Clarice & Jess - it's totally undeserved, so I'm hoping people come out for them as underdogs since Nigel was so harsh on Jess, but more often than not, those comments tend to hurt come voting time.
3. Missy & Wadi - I can't be the only one (besides Nigel) who noticed Wadi's lackluster performance, and I think it's going to be the deathknell for him this week.

Wildcard: I will venture to say that Iveta & Nick could turn out to be in the bottom in lieu of R&R or C&J. I think the novelty of Bollywood only goes so far, and I don't think they did an exceptional enough job in light of some of the other routines to ensure their safety.

This one's hard to call, and only time will tell. Who will be in the bottom, and what two lucky souls will the judges opt to save? Tune in tomorrow!

Rampin' up!

Well, thanks to the Twitterverse, a coupla shoutouts from Mary Murphy & Legacy therein, and some awesome friends who're spreading the word, I am actually starting to get READERS here! Time to step up the game!

Looking forward to tonight's performances. For those of you disgusted by last week's "nobody goes home!" result because you feel that it invalidated your time spent voting, be rest assured it'll be made up for tonight. Your votes will actually be more valued now, because the judges can't save everybody. Depending on how many couples they decide will be "in the bottom," they will only be able to save 2 to 4 people; 4 will be going home no matter what. So, whatever we voters do tonight will have a HUGE impact on tomorrow's results. I'm a little scared by the power we've been endowed with, personally, but that's show biz.

Bring it on, SYTYCD!

Twittified

I recently posted the update that the SYTYCD Fan Judge has joined the Twitterverse (@sytycdfanjudge), and OH, what a ride! Not having previous experience with Twitter, I am now, in less than a week, a total addict. I did not expect it to be nearly this much fun, but how could it not be when Nigel Lythgoe inadvertently tweets his phone number to the entire Twitterverse? (Don't bother calling; he's long since changed his number.) And as if I needed any further encouragement for this new habit, I got my first celebrity reply tweet today: from none other than Mary Murphy! *Sigh* This job just gets better ALL THE TIME!!!

Looking forward to this week's show. The Twitterverse has been aflutter with tweets from all the Season 8 dancers, and it sounds like there's a great show coming. I can't wait! Back to Tweetland...

Surprisingly Unsurprising

I actually kinda thought that's how things might turn out this week. There were just no downright awful dances, nobody who looked awkward, no one who came apart along the way. They had me worried when Mitchell and Robert "re-danced"; I thought Robert was a goner there for a minute, because his routine--as compared to, say, Tadd's--was a little bland, but he so clearly has broad fan support (including that of guest judge Megan Mulally) that I think they decided not to overstep their bounds.

I could make a case that either Miranda or Clarice could have gone, and the same for Mitchell and Robert, but really, I think this outcome was fair under the circumstances. As I said in my (very FIRST!) Tweet, there were just too many "ringer" dances this week - Jess getting Broadway, Iveta getting Ballroom - that we need to see more people besides the B-boys out of their element before we can fairly send anyone home.

Good call, Judges. Of course, I don't envy you next week...

Tweet, tweet!

FINALLY joined the Twitterverse. Catch me (once Hubby gets home and I can finally watch tonight's results show!) at @sytycdfanjudge!

Week 1 - WHAT A WILD RIDE!

WOW. I mean, WOW. That was, quite possibly, the first competition week of SYTYCD in history where absolutely no one sucked. The level of talent has reached a ridiculous new height, and I am positively breathless after that tear through the wonderful world of dance.

To back up, my apologies for not posting about last week's Vegas finals and Top 20 announcement. I had to watch the shows very after-the-fact, and by the time I could've finally posted about it...well anyway, suffice it to say that a) I am ECSTATIC that Ryan and Melanie made it, and b) I am in awe that so many B-boys--and a tap dancer--have not only made it, but made it look GOOD. Never have we seen such broadly capable, versatile "specialists," and that is going to make for some rockin' dancing this season.

Now back to tonight:

WOW! Just...seriously...wow. I am almost too excited to organize my thoughts here, so I'm going to go with the straight-up rundown, 1 through 10:

1. Jordan and Tadd, Afro-Jazz: What a great start to the evening. My only disappointment is that because it went first, I had pretty much forgotten it by the time the next nine showstopping numbers were done. Jordan is one of my favorite girls (although for once, I really have no least favorite), and Tadd served her well.

2. Sasha and Alexander, Contemporary: WELL. I knew Sasha was special, but I had no idea what she was really capable of until tonight. The routine was terrific, the emotion was there from both dancers, and it was just a powerful moment in the show.

3. Jess and Clarice, Broadway: Okay, yes, Jess was totally thrown a juicy fastball that he hit right out of the park, but he wasn't the only one tonight, so I don't hold that against him in any way. He is absolutely made for Broadway, and I have no doubt that this show will merely launch him higher in that universe, no matter where he finishes. Clarice? Well...she was good. I have to say that I think Mary's comment may have been one of those "famous last words" moments, because I DO think Clarice is going to find herself in jeopardy this week. She danced adequately, and she's unquestionably talented, but she paled next to Jess. Hard not to in this category, true, but it wasn't for lack of him trying to bring her along. She just kinda missed a little, especially when you view her performance in light of all the others tonight. (SIDE NOTE: For me, Tyce Diorio's choreography is kinda hit or miss. You either have The Breast Cancer Dance, or Katie Holmes' completely lackluster Broadway number. Tonight was the latter for me, in that I didn't really feel a cohesive storyline, or an opportunity for the dancers to even have a chemistry. That didn't help Clarice any, and neither did the Liza tune. I thought his Vegas audition routine was more impressive, and it just says that much more about Jess that tonight's performance wowed the audience anyway.)

4. Ryan and Ricky, Lyrical Hip-hop: Oh, oh, oh, how thrilled I am to have Ryan on this year's show, and if the judges had been PAYING ATTENTION during the intro clip, they would have understood that Ryan was playing a memory, so of course, Ricky would remember her at her best, smiling and thriving. DUH. I thought the routine was incredible in every aspect, including her smile. They both nailed it, and I loved every second of it.

5. Caitlynn and Robert/Mitchell: oooh, Mitchell, I think you need to be worried. I know in the past, the show has been generous to the injured and usually gives them a pass, but tonight was so impressive overall that there just plain might not be room for you to stay. Caitlynn rocked the house with that number, and would've done so no matter who her partner was, I think.

6. Miranda and Robert, Jive: Okay, brace yourselves: this was not one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong; it was entertaining, and I thought they danced it well. I just felt like, for a jive, it wasn't very...jivey. They absolutely made the most of the retro, 1960s vibe, from the costumes to the characters to the moves. But I felt like it was a little dumbed down, and it was kind of a cheat (albeit effective) to give Robert another Urkel-ian character to play. I'm kinda with Miranda that she doesn't exactly ooze sexy, and yet I'm also with Mary that one thing Robert did especially well was keep that jive beat going in his body throughout the number - not easy to do, and yet he did that particularly effectively. We'll see if America agrees, but I'm guessing that in the scheme of things, this doesn't fare as well as some other routines, in spite of the "Victory Lap" of woooooos.

7. Missy and Wadi, Jazz: Missy absolutely sizzled from the first second, and it was an incredible performance from her on all counts. Perhaps because of that, I actually was a little less impressed with Wadi than the judges were. As much as I like him, and as respectable a job as I think he did with the choreography, I felt like he looked a little too uncomfortable throughout the routine, like he was concentrating so hard on getting it all right and partnering well that he couldn't ever really lose himself in the character. I was surprised the judges didn't note that, so I'm wondering if something different came across from their viewing angle than what I could see from the cameras. I think that works to Wadi's advantage though, because I think we have more to see from him, and I would hate for this to be his last opportunity to show us what he can do.

8. Melanie and Marko, Contemporary: Much like the lady judges, I am just about speechless from this one. Where to start? What to say that could possibly do justice to that performance? It was spectacular, it was breathtaking, and it was perfect even in its imperfection (thank you, Nigel, for ruining the moment for me by pointing out the flaw!). Travis Wall, you are quite possibly the most brilliant contemporary choreographer EVER, and without question, my favorite. Melanie and Marko are also two of my favorite dancers (ever, not just this season), and I could not imagine a routine better suited to display them at their absolute best. LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT. Best of the night, and that is really saying something on this particular night.

9. Ashley and Chris, Hip-hop: That was DAMN fun. As in, "DAY-UM, that ballet girl can HIT it!" She ran that down like a brake-free freight train, and Chris was right behind her. Sure, there were more substantive, demanding routines tonight, but this one took the "Do it again!" award for me tonight.

10. Iveta and Nick, Quick-step: Well, the only possible combination more unfair to other competitors than Jess and Broadway was Iveta and Quick-step (or any ballroom dance in the top 10 for which she holds the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP). And yet, I barely saw her in this routine, because like the judges, I was absolutely riveted by Nick! His familiarity with fancy footwork paid off, but he also GOT IT. I mean, he understood the fundamentals of the dance, he did everything more than respectably (although I think his upper body framework was a litlte "meh"), and he made the most of both character in chemistry in a dance that does not traditionally help the dancers with either. Kudos to Jason Gilkerson or whoever chose "Ballroom Blitz" as the song, because it made an otherwise unbearable slog of a genre downright zippy, and it gave just the right touch to surprisingly thrilling number.

So, where does that leave us? My votes tonight go to Melanie & Marko and Ryan & Ricky, and are followed closely by Nick, Jess, Ashley, Missy, Sasha, and Jordan individually. Who should go home? Oh heck, I don't think there is ANYONE deserving of that this week, but I'll wager that Mitchell is going to have an awfully tough row to hoe, and he is likely to be joined by any of Clarice, Chris, and Robert in the bottom 3 for their respective genders. I also wouldn't be surprised to find Jordan and Tadd there, not because they should be but because they had the misfortune of going forgettably first on a show full of unforgettable numbers. Tune in tomorrow to see how it turns out--and be glad you're not the one that has to decide which outstanding dancers were least outstanding enough to go home!

OH, and:

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the judging and competition format for the season. I'm happy to report that the old "rotating judge" approach is returning, so that we can expect to see maximum Nigel and Mary (and minimal Mia), while also getting a chance to hear from some of the choreographers and other guest judges. As for the contestants, I'm also thrilled that they've opted to go with a hybrid of last season and previous years. We're back to a Top 20 (which I think is only fair, considering how incredible the talent pool is), but once they've been whittled down to a Top 10, then we'll see the All-Stars return as partners each week. That seems to me to be the best of both worlds, and I look forward to seeing it in action. Thanks again, producers!

A whole lotta Vegas, baby.

I have finally finished watching all the audition segments - whew, that was exhausting just to watch! First, I'd like to thank the show's producers for truly minimizing the amount of time spent on the loonies and clueless who just embarrass themselves on the stage, either by virtue of their unrealistic assessment of their own talent or their sheer desire to get their 15 minutes of TV fame. I appreciate that some stories really just beg to be aired (although I couldn't watch all of it, even I had to admit the "Lady Gaga Twin" and her, um, "famous" father were morbid curiosities that just *had* to be shared), but not all of us like to watch people make fools of themselves in front of millions of viewers. Thank you for keeping the focus on the cream of the crop, rather than the crap of the cream.

As for that cream, I must say I can hardly wait for this season, because the talent has gone up another notch. But I'm a little nervous about Vegas, I gotta say, because it seems to be there are an awful lot of folks going. And I'm not sure all of them necessarily deserve to be there.

Look, I thought Patty-Ann the tomboy pop-and-locker was awesome. I'm even willing to bet that, given what we saw, her body is capable of many other moves beyond her own style of dance. But does that mean she's ready for primetime? Hm. I fear that she--and several others of similarly fantastic but potentially singular capabilities--will find themselves a little lost amid choreographers, highly-trained dancers who've already been exposed to ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary. Can you see Patty-Ann doing Latin Ballroom? Again: hm... I'm not sayin' she can't, I'm just sayin' it makes me a little nervous that they've set a few people up for failure, however inadvertently.

I love that they are giving a wide range of dance styles the opportunity to be seen and highlighted, and allowing their dancers to prove that they are not necessarily limited to that particular box. And yes, I get that the premise of the show is "America's Favorite Dancer," which requires a certain charisma and entertainment value beyond pure dance skills (believe me, I am still reeling from Jacob "Rocked Every Number He Was Given" losing to Russell "Kicked Ass at Ballroom for a Krumper" a couple seasons ago). BUT, that doesn't necessarily mean we've done a good thing by sending a bunch of street performers straight through without testing them in choreography first. What happens when they get to Vegas and can't keep up in the first hour? Have we inspired them to learn more and whet their appetite for what they might someday be able to do, or have we just embarrassed and discouraged them from even continuing to enjoy their own original form of dance? We shall see.

I'm certainly on pins-and-needles for this Vegas round, because there is so much potential in the bunch. I just hope the collateral damage doesn't spoil the fun.