SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 3

I can't believe it is already the end of Season 7! It was a crazy roller coaster of changes and injuries. I never want seasons to end, but can't wait to see how this one does ...

That was the perfect Bollywood routine for Kent's personality! I don't know if the different hand things were correct or if he hit the movements hard enough. What I do know is that I enjoyed watching this routine.

I do believe that Lauren is the dark horse. She has grown so much! I actually love seeing her perform with Twitch because she really can hold her own with him and it is really fun to see their dynamic. Way to go Lo Fro!

All Star Mark is an unbelievable dancer and tonight Robert proved that he is too seeing them dancing side by side. At moments I couldn't tell who was who. Amazing!

The performance with Robert and Lauren was gorgeous! There is not much else I can say ... GORGEOUS!

Totally agree that Kent and Lauren danced the "Hip to be Square" routine really well, but the choreography was "eh". Not my favorite routine and a bit disappointed with Mandy Moore to be totally honest.

The performance Kent did with All Star Alison was unbelievably fantastic! His emotion was so moving. One of the best performances he has done this season.

What a spectacular opening solo Robert had in that Broadway performance. I loved the spin on the West Side Story song. Robert was so strong and stayed in character the entire way through.

HELLO LAUREN! Usually I can't take my eyes off of Pasha whenever he is performing, but this time Lauren stole the show! That girl's back roll is breathtaking. She is fearless, sexy, strong and talented. Mia Michael's statement "I would want to dance like you" said it all!

I was really pensive about seeing another dude vs. dude routine like this after seeing the Paso Doble disaster with Jose and AdéChiké. This on the other hand was powerful and dynamic ... and believable. It felt like gangsters doing the tango!

I have to admit that I would happy if any of these 3 dancers win this. But only one can win, so I am going with Princess D's new saying of "Girls rule, boys drool!" (Thank you summer camp for starting this early. /sarcasm) I hope Lauren takes this all the way! I liked her, disliked her and now love her. She won my vote!

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 4 (plus a digression)

After getting up way too early to catch the Virgin America #partyplane out of LAX this morning, a 5+ hour flight to JFK, traffic through the uncomfortably humid city to finally arrive at my upper westside rental apartment, I was thrilled to be able to relax and watch So You Think You Can Dance 3 hours earlier than I usually would!

The top 4 Broadway performance actually showed how AdéChiké isn't at the same skill level as Lauren, Kent & Robert. Don't get me wrong ... he is good, but just not as good.

Lauren has matured so much on this show. Unlike when the season first started she now has the ability to get into her character so that she is "the dance" instead of dancing for an audience. I remember when All Star Kathryn was competing I would totally forget that she was the girl whose voice would turn into a chalk board grating squeak when she cried. She would take on the character, the performance and the story. Lauren has learned to lose herself like Kathryn does. The tango she performed with All Star Pasha was intense and beautiful. It was stunning to witness!

AdéChiké doing Afro Jazz should have been a very smart choice, but it didn't blow me away like some of the other Afro Jazz performances we have seen on this show. I didn't feel the exhuberance oozing from him. What Adam Shankman said was right about AdéChiké, it's like he thinking too much when he is performing. He has not gotten to the point that Lauren has.

I think Robert really should get more lessons in ballroom! He would do really well in that style. Tonight he connected with All Star Anya dancing the Viennese Waltz. He looked smooth on his feet and masculine. It was a good performance by him.

Hmmm ... Kent doing Disco was better than I thought it would be! Not the best Disco routine we have seen, but he really could have blown this.

Now, if you read my last post you would know that I am in New York to attend BlogHer '10. The added bonus of The Boyfriend meeting me here just made this weekend the perfect getaway from my daily "full time working mom" life. I couldn't have started my getaway better by watching my favorite show undisturbed ... unfortunately, I missed the next 3 performances because I had to deal with a crisis back in San Diego with my X. I am so not happy that I had to deal with his shenanigans while 2400 miles away. Seems like every time I go out of town he acts up just to make sure I am unhappy. Things had been getting better between us, but this has just set our co-parenting relationship back for me.

But, I digress. Enough about my X and back to what this post is really about ...

Kent's final performance with All Star Neil was incredible! I am so happy I didn't miss this one. These two dancers seem to have a spectacular connection ... like brothers. Travis Wall really is a brilliant choreographer. This was one of those magical combination of choreographers, dancers and music. What a way to end a show!

Considering I didn't see all of the performances tonight I am going to predict that AdéChiké will get cut tomorrow. Do you agree?

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 6

This was not the best So You think You Can Dance show of the season, but there were some stellar moments.

They just love playing Kent as the cub to Anya's cougar. I actually prefered his first Cha Cha to tonight's. His movements seem very smooth for me tonight. The first time he did the Cha Cha with Anya the clumsy "cub" act worked, but this one I expected him to be less clumsy and almost more cocky. Not sure about this one.

But, I totally LOVED the Broadway routine he performed with Jose. It was a great combination for me. Fabulous choreography and character. Fun and energetic. Jose's acrobatic ability was paired against Kent and I thought he did a good job, but Kent KILLED IT!

What happened to Jose's hip hop routine though? I wanted to see that whole rico sauve attitude he had in the Broadway routine in this one. This could have been such a fantastic throw back routine if he could have tapped into his inner swagger.

Lauren was phenomenal tonight! In her Broadway routine she has shed exactly what I didn't like about her earlier in the season. She is no longer the smiley dance team girl. She is performing, really performing! Letting herself get lost in the music, the character and the movement.

I don't like the fox trot, but I LOVED Lauren. She was gorgeous in this performance. Honestly, I didn't even notice AdéChiké. Lauren was just so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off her.

It was fun to see the jazz number, but AdéChiké was lacking something. I think in the ramble that Adam Shankman gave he said exactly what was wrong ... AdéChiké is so precise in his movements there was a fluidity that is missing. Yet, when he performs hip hop he is so much more relaxed. He needs to channel that into the other styles.

For the first time Robert totally connected with his partner for me. There was a pure masculinity in his performance tonight I haven't seen before from him. It was a great performance.

Didn't SYCTYC learn from the all dude vs. dude Paso Doble? What were they thinking doing it again with Bollywood? All I can say is at least the two strongest guy dancers, Robert and Billy, were selected to perform this physically challenging style. Theyput everything they had into the performance, but it still didn't work for me.

I am so happy to see Billy back and, even with a knee injury, stronger than before! What an amazing routine with so much emotion. He proved that he still belongs on the show and is a born dancer. His performance with Ade was THE performance of the night. I believe that it will be a judge favorite at the end of the season and an Emmy contender.

Ok, since two dancers will be going home this week, my prediction is Jose and AdéChiké. (That is if Lauren isn't injured after tonight's show ... sigh.)

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 6

First Alex, then Ashley, and now Billy Bell. What is going on with all of the injuries this season! Are the routines that much harder? Are the dancers not getting enough rest? Do the dancers need to stretch more? Whatever it is it needs to stop before this becomes a show of physical elimination instead of a competition.

Shake your thang white girl! Lauren was BUCK tonight! "Save a horse, ride a cowboy" ... she did just that! I loved her hip hop routine with Twitch. It would be a dream come true to dance with him, but she really did hold her own. She was one of my favorites during the auditions, I started to doubted her in the first few weeks, but the past few weeks she has grown and improved so much. As the only girl left in the competition she is putting up a fight to the finish.

I really enjoyed the Samba routine Lauren and Robert performed. They were fantastic together! He carried himself like a Latin ballroom dancer and once again her booty shaking was impressive! It was great seeing Dimetri's choreography again. He took a different spin on a Latin style dance which was fresh and fun.

Helloooo Robert! The Jazz routine was another hot performance by him. I loved his connection with All Star Lauren! They were both so light on their feet making every step, leap, tumble seem so effortless. It was stellar dancing!

Kent had a great night tonight getting crowned twice as "the one to beat"! The Sonya Tayeh routine was perfect to show off Kent's skills and personality. As much as seeing a white boy wearing a prep school uniform perform a Step routine with the incredible Twitch is awkward I still think Kent killed it! He is a spectacular dancer for his age and has a very successful dance career ahead of him.

I think Lyrical Hip Hop should be AdéChiké's style. It just seems to fit him so well. The choreography was excellent. It showed him off really well ... technical, emotional, strong.

Ugh ... what can I say about AdéChiké and Jose performing the Paso Doble? In the past seasons there have been some impressive Paso Doble: Joshua and Katee in season 4 or Legacy and Kathryn in Season 6. Both of those performances had a fire in them that this performance lacked. Not sure if it their physical size that really downplayed how they were supposed to dominate on stage. Their upper bodies didn't feel puffed up enough and their legs didn't look extended enough. It just wasn't enough

I believe Jose has so much potential. He just connects so well with all of his partners. Put him through some training outside of his B-boy style and I think he will go far. Sadly, I think this is his last week unless Billy Bell is unable to return to the competition.

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 7

"There is something about a great piece of art and I believe it's when the right dancers come together with the right choreographer with the right piece of music at the right time to the right piece and something magical happens." ~Cat Deeley

Tonight's show was all about that quote ...

Travis Wall really is an amazing choreographer. Robert's performance was all heart and incredibly moving.

I LOVED the baseball routine! The acrobatics was fantasic and seemed effortless. The personalities and the partnership was perfect. It was so much fun to watch that I will rewind and watch again.

The Boogie Shoes dance was simply adorable! That opening was really wonderful to see zoomed in on. I thought Lauren & Billy performed so well together. Another effortless looking performance. It made me want to put on my boogie shoes!


I love that this show brings all kinds of dance to the stage ...

Tonight they didn't disappoint by introducing Tahitian dance to the line up. It was amazing to see Lauren up there shaking her thang like her life depended on it. She did fabulous and I loved it!

The B-boy routine was so cool! When I think of B-boy I don't think of choreographed routines. This had characters, the movements were pieced together, and it had musicality. I want to see more B-boy routines now.

To quote Mia Michaels, "I like boys!" Seeing three "all boy" routines was so much fun! The strength and acrobatics just blows me away. Most notably, Kent has really grown these past two weeks and I think for the boys he is the one to beat now.


On a side note ...

Costuming must have been on on acid this week. All the feathers ... WHOA! Poor Anya clearly didn't have the right length on any of her skirts ... they kept getting caught on her heels! And, what in the world were they thinking when they put AdéChiké in that outfit? I was so distracted by it that I really couldn't pay attention to not so great dancing.


Since Ashley is automatically in the bottom due to her injury, my prediction for bottom 3 this week ... AdéChiké and Robert.

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 8

If your spirit dances your body will follow. ~ Mia Michaels

What a great statement! And, there was a lot of spirit tonight!

Poor Lauren seems to keep getting the wardrobe malfunction costumes. Did you see her fringe get caught on her heel during the Cha Cha? But she is an excellent dancer considering she didn't miss a beat and stayed sultry the entire time. She held her own to the smoldering Pasha and I would have thought that she had been trained in Latin ballroom.

Even better, she was perfectly matched with Kent for a Travis Wall contemporary performance! This is the type of choreography I love from Travis Wall. It was perfection all around ... youthful, synchronized, intimate and gorgeous. Favorite performance of the night!

Tonight Kent was channeling his inner Justin Timberlake for his hip hop routine ... and it worked! He didn't try to mask "the white boy" in the performance and was able to bring in the smooth. It was a really good balance. He was still the fun Kent, but more mature.

Jose is not the best dancer this season due to his lack of training, but his commitment shines through in every performance. I think that is what makes him such a fantastic dancer and entertaining to watch. He was a great partner in the contemporary routine, but his African performance with Billy Bell was a perfect concept for both of them in every way. I really enjoyed this performance! I thought they partnered well together too.

It was great to see Billy dance Broadway. He was phenomenal! He partnered really well with Katy, but then again there was so much independent side-by-side dancing I think that might be why it worked so well.

Once again I am not loving AdéChiké or Ashley. Both are really good dancers, but neither made me want to rewind their performances to watch again.

I wonder if AdéChiké losing a contact lens during his first performance caused him to not perform as he could have. But, then his Bollywood performance didn't really capture me until the end when the music picked up.

The dreaded quick step reared its ugly head again tonight. This is EXACTLY why Mary Murphy needs to be on the judging panel to point out the technical concept of this style so that it makes some sort of sense to me. TI wasn't really sure how to feel about the character performance mixed with this style of dance. It left me feeling confused.

All the props tonight were fantastic! Doll boxes, bar stools, hats. They add challenges to performances. Mostly I loved how Robert performed in the doll box, but once out of the box the performance seemed to stumble. There were awkward moments for me. I don't really think tonight was his night to turn the audience to his favor.

Finally, a note about Cat ... I really loved the fact that she made the note about how the judges critiqued AdéChiké's Bollywood performance vs. Jose's. To me this is what makes her a real part of the show instead of just the host.

My prediction for bottom 3 this week ... AdéChiké, Ashley and Robert.

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 9

I had a very long work day today. At 11:30pm I was so ready to shut off my lappy and TV, turn off the light and burrow into my bed. I had indulged in some Thai food and wine while I worked, but I needed something more to balance out my day. Best solution ... So You Think You Can Dance! And, tonight's episode was worth staying up for.

Cat Deeley looked gorgeous! Her hair was perfection. She looked sun kissed and glistening. Definately my girl crush!

AdéChiké Torbert totally blew me away tonight! If I didn't know that he was trained in Contemporary I would have sworn that he was a hip hop dancer. This performance tonight has changed my mind about him. The choreography by Dave Scott had so much personality and swagger. Loved it ... loved him! Now I know why he is in the top 9.

I think Ashley Galvan's performance was so much better this week, but she still hasn't won me over. Not sure what it is. She is forgettable to me.

Sonya Tayeh is one of my favorite choreographers and when you see dancers like Robert Roldan perform one of her dances I get transfixed. He totally held his own with All Star Courtney Galiano and was at the same level as Mark Kanemura. Robert has been consistently good.

I feel so much better that Mia Michaels and Adam Shankman said that they made a mistake letting one of my favorites, Cristina Santana, go. Melinda Sullivan is not on the same level compared to the other girls this season. There were some hot moments in her salsa, but after seeing her solo I think Nigel Lythgoe is right. It's like Melinda doesn't feel the rhythm of the music.

The solo performances by Billy Bell and Alex Wong were AMAZING! By far the best solos of the night. Billy is so much better as a solo dancer.

Tonight had so many wardrobe malfunctions! Melinda's dress getting caught on her heel. Lauren Froderman's dress breaking. What is amazing is how these dancers keep on going -- not breaking character, forgetting their steps or missing a beat. This is how life should be ... snags and breaks happen, but you need to keep going.

Last year we had Legacy. This year we have Jose Ruiz. These B-boys are hard workers! I really enjoyed watching Jose perform tonight. It might not have been the technically perfect samba performance, but he pulled that off! It was a very entertaining performance!

Kent ... oh, Kent. He is so young, but has so much potential. I think he just needs to mature more.

Best performance of the night hands down goes to Alex performing a NappyTab's hip hop routine with Twitch! The choreography was tailored to them. Alex is a trained ballet dancer doing HIP HOP. This proved that he is a skilled dancer. I bet that this is one of the performances that will be encored at the end of the season. Incredible!

I am not sure who all will be in the bottom 3 this week, but am pretty certain that Melinda will go home this week.

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 10

Since So You Think You Can Dance changed things this up this season I though so would I. Previously I would comment on every performance before I heard the judges feedback. This season I am going to talk about what I liked and didn't like, and what performance I loved.

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion.

The salsa dancer, Christina, is still my favorite girl this season. She was partnered up with Pasha this week to do the Paso Doble. When Pasha is on stage it is really hard to watch anyone else, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Christina. She put on an amazing performance! I loved when she wrapped her legs around him and spun around him into that layout. Her attitude was perfectly held throughout the performance. And, the side by side foot and hip twist was perfectly synchronized.

Unlike to last week Alex did not take my breath away. Of course he was technically amazing, but compared to his partner Lauren ... there was something missing. Lauren was slinky and so light on her feet. She was oozing attitude and glowing. But, Alex wasn't any of these things for me. I think he learned a lot and you can tell he needs to study more styles.

What I absolutely love about this show is seeing people who are trained in one style of dance and are completely taken out of their element and are forced to dance a totally different style. Great examples of this was tonight's performance of Billy Bell doing Krump and Jose doing Bollywood. These styles are so far from theses dancers' styles and personalities, but man they worked it. Neither of them were perfection, but what amazing efforts they put into these performances and they were really fun watch! After this weeks performance Jose might become my favorite guy over Kent.

The reason why I think this competition show is so different from all of the others is how these dancers really learn week after week to improve their craft. The feedback given by the judges are really taken to heart by these dancers. You could really see that tonight in the much improved performances by Melinda and Lauren. Neither of these girls I can say are my favorites yet, but they are improving and learning for sure.

My prediction for the bottom 3 this week are ... Ashley, Melinda and AdéChiké.

My favorite performance this week is ... Jose & Kathryn doing Bollywood.

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SYTYCD Season 7 - Top 11

The past two weeks I have been working like craaaaaaaaazy. Tonight is my first "free" night which was perfect since So You Think You Can Dance was on! If you don't know it is my favorite show! It takes all that horrible stress I build up during the day and shoulder shakes it right off. My grump face can't help but smile at every leap, assisted lift, hip shake and attitude. To see a b-boy pull off a contemporary routine or a salsa dancer hit a hip hop move extra hard just makes me sublimely happy. And, Season 7 is making me extra happy! I am loving the the shake ups ...

THE ALL STARS I loved them back then and I love them even more now! To get a chance to see Twitch, Kathryn, Mark, Lauren, Dominic and Courtney again makes me giddy! I love seeing them dance in their own styles and since they are not being judged there are no limitations to their performance.

MIA MICHAELS No one could replace Ms. "Hot Tamale" Mary, but Mia is just fabulous and her critiques are always peppered with the best analogies and descriptions. What I also love about her is that she doesn't try to sugar coat her negative criticism.

THE CHOREOGRAPHERS They have started the season off with my favorites - NappyTabs, Sonya, Travis. What the did so well tonight was that what they choreographed for these couples highlighted the contestants. It is so easy for your eye to go to the All Star dancer, but their choreography keeps your eye on the contestant. That is good choreography right there!

My favorites this season so far are salsa dancer Cristina Santana, and baby faced Kent Boyd. They have so much potential to grow and personalities that are just infectious!

It's going to be a GREAT season so tune in!

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NaBloPoMo - Day 10: How to melt away stress

To say that the last two days have been stressful is an understatement. Stressful enough that I spent a good portion of yesterday in tears.

I don't like to talk about my job here because, well, I don't want to be dooced. What I can say is that I am working 14 hour days attempting to launch two national website while juggling almost 30 clients ... and one of them threw me under the bus.

To add to my pain The Boyfriend was close to absent today due to his job. I needed him. Even if it was just seeing him on Skype or hearing his voice on the phone. Today we really did feel over 6,000 miles away from each other. It didn't help.

Tonight I was unable to work thanks to the wonders of technology. It forced me to take a break. So I turned on So You Think You Can Dance, BBIM'ed with Miss and Kel, then followed up with (finally) watching the season 1 finale of Glee. These things melted my stress away!

Tomorrow is another day on the job. Wonder if I listen to the Glee soundtracks all day will help keep me motivated enough to not throw my laptop out the window?

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SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 8

I can't believe this season is already coming to a close! I want it to start over as soon as this one ends. Bird, we HAVE to go to this tour when it comes to town!

Guess we should talk about tonight's show first!

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Kathryn & Ryan (Samba) I loved how this started out! I loved the African feel style to this Latin dance. There were some bumps, but the connection was there that it didn't matter to me. It was gorgeous and what a fantastic ending!

Ellenore & Jacob (Broadway) Once again the beginning of this performance was the best part ... not to say that the rest was fantastic too. But, what a dynamic pair! They are technically perfect. This performance seemed all legs, leaps, kicks and more legs! It was hot!

Ashleigh & Russell (Lyrical Jazz) Out of the 3 couples I believe these two have grown the most throughout this season. They were perfectly in sync. The connection was there. The emotion was beautiful. This was stunning!

Ellenore & Ryan (Jazz) Staying in that character must have been difficult. The partnering by him was amazing. He was there for her the entire way along. But, I have to say that this performance totally showed her off. Not totally sure I loved it, but it was fascinating for sure.

Ashleigh & Jacob (Fox Trot) I couldn't take my eyes off of her! It is wonderful to see her do ballroom. She was stunning and smooth. As usual his leaps and kicks were spectacular ... but, this performance was all her for me.

Ellenore & Russell (Paso Doble) The beginning was FABULOUS! I think this is the first time they have been paired ... and WOW! The chemistry was amazing. I have to say that he is in it to win it! She was spectacular and simply hot. This was an incredible performance in my opinion!

Kathryn & Jacob (Contemporary) That was an incredible routine! Everything about their performance and the choreography blew me away. They were both technically superb. They had chemistry and were there for each other the entire way. That has to be the performance of the night.

Ashleigh & Ryan (Contemporary) It was incredible to see them perform together because you could see their love and trust for each other. Were they technically as superb as the previous pair ... no, but their relationship shined through. I thought Travis Wall choreographed the perfect routine for them. They have both grown so much as individual dancers considering their style is NOT contemporary. It was simply lovely.

Kathryn & Russell (Hip Hop) I could watch him dance this style and Krump for hours. Gawd, he is INCREDIBLE to watch! I thought she really held her own to him. They looked like they had so much fun together and partnered so well. They really had to trust each other in that entire performance considering that each trick or lift was not slow. That was great!

So, who will I be voting for? There are some technically perfect dancers ... Ellenore and Jacob. There is the emotionally moving dancers ... Ashleigh & Ryan. Then there are my favorite dancers ... Russell and Kathryn. There can only be one winner though and my vote will go to Russell! I have loved him since the beginning and I think he deserves this win.

Who do you think should win?

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SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 7

It is at this point in the So You Think You Can Dance competition when it is hard to see some of the dancers perform a routine not as well as they could have. It is also a relief to see when the voting gets it right.

Last week Nathan was cut and I believe this was for the best. He is going to be an incredible dancer, but I think there is a level of maturity that he needs to reach in order to be incredible.

I liked Noelle, but I felt like she was becoming a one trick pony in her solos. Her technical level seems to be lower than the other dancers.

So ... let's see who excels this week!

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Kathryn & Ryan (Disco) This style is always fun to watch and this was FUN! I thought both dancers were great. He is still proves to be a great partner. She is still gorgeous out there. I think they had a great partnership too.

Mollee & Jakob (Viennese Waltz) This was a very different choreography for this style. I actually really enjoyed it. They were beautifully synchronized. They had chemistry and showed off their strength. I have no idea if technically they were good, but I have to say that was an amazing routine!

Ellenore & Legacy (Contemporary) This was a great routine showing off these two dancers strengths. His partnering has really come a long way! He was there for her the entire way. She was stunning ... her legs and lines! They had great chemistry and held their characters. The use of props had to be challenging, but they didn't miss a beat. Fantastic!

Russell & (sans) Ashleigh (Hip Hop) I really would have loved to have seen her perform this routine considering how well she has done this style in the past. He was awesome! I loved his personality and energy. There was nothing wrong with the choreography or the performance.

Kathryn & Ryan (Cha Cha) This did not look like a Cha Cha at all, which I think was smart considering that this was not her style. After seeing Ashleigh perform the Cha Cha it would be hard to not compare the technical performance to this one. But, it was a great routine! The chemistry was there. The partnering was spectacular. The performance was incredible. It was a hot routine!

Mollee & Jakob (Broadway) It really is great to see her paired up with other dancers because she really is excelling! He is consistently flawless. It was a great routine and a fantastic partnership.

Ellenore & Legacy (Hip Hop) For me he really stood out in this routine. The B Boy trick on her back was so cool. It was such a strange routine for NAPPYTABS. I think they danced it well, but it did not push her enough I think. Compared to the other routines of the night this was the weakest.

Russell & (sans) Ashleigh (Bollywood) He had the BIGGEST smile and simply shined out there. I am impressed at the partnering considering how much time he had to work with the stand in for Ashleigh. This style suits him. It was a great routine for him! This is the third time this season he has worked with a stand in because of injured partners ... this guy continues to stand out.

Solos ... the stand outs for me were Kathryn and Jakob.

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SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 6

One of the things I love about the show is that the judges have control of a portion of the elimination. It is when the control is taken away from them there is some frustration because popularity becomes the decision maker. The show is based on America's favorite as opposed to America's best, so I understand the basis of the competition. It can just be frustrating to see real talent dismissed because they aren't the popular personality.

This week not only introduces the popular vote, but also the breaking up of the dancing couples. This throws in a much bigger dynamic and challenge. This is when the best shine. So, let's see how they do ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Noelle & Ryan (Hip Hop) I liked this pairing! They had chemistry together. If you read my weekly posts you know how much I like NAPPYTAB choreography. I particularly like the one's that tell a story like this. The dancing is more musical as opposed to hard hitting. I loved the story line of this piece too. It was entertaining!

Ashleigh & Legacy (Contemporary) This was an unbelievably athletic routine. The tumbling and jumping and rolling. I don't know if it was the camera angles, but some of these moves just didn't seem to fly ... I wasn't wowed when I thought I should be. They must have been bruised up after rehearsals. The one thing I couldn't get was character and unlike most contemporary routines I have seen there was no real story, so it was hard for me to connect. I commend these dancers for their hard work, but this just wasn't a routine I could get into.

Mollee (Jazz) This girl knows how to rock her solos ... her energy and athleticism are impressive! She will go far in life for sure.

Russell (Krump) This style is fascinating to me and I honestly could have watched so much more. What I love about this guy is that he gives the style more flair than anger.

Kathryn & Nathan (Broadway) What can I say other than PERFECT! They danced so well. They looks incredible. They had good chemistry. It was a really nice routine. It was perfect!

Noelle (Contemporary) She is such the all American girl. There were some stellar parts of her solo, but parts also felt intermediate level for me. I think this solo could put her in danger even though her first routine was so strong.

Ellenore & Jakob (Quick Step) I must admit that this this was the best I have seen on this show, but I really don't GET this style. Honestly, I wish they would just eliminate it. These two made this style watchable.

Ryan (Latin Ballroom) He is so masculine, but so smooth and light on his feet. I really love how much he has grown on this show.

Kathryn (Contemporary) This girl just surprised me. I was so focused on her squeaky crying at the beginning of the season that I really did underestimate her dancing. She really is excellent!

Mollee & Russell (Lyrical Jazz) Its the small details that made this routine for me ... the little synchronized hop, how straight and still her body was in that lift when they the paused moving, the tangling of their arms, the look in their eyes. I got the sense of their anguish. I felt the chemistry. I thought that was spectacular!

Nathan (Contemporary) Like Mollee, his solo work is spectacular. I think with maturity his partnering will come together. Considering his age and level of dancing ... the kid will be great one day!

Noelle & Ryan (Smooth Waltz) It was smooth! What was interesting for me is that typically in these types of performances the girl stands out, but in this particular one I was very focused on him. He is so dominant on stage that it was hard for me to take my eyes off of him.

Ellenore (Contemporary) I like that they turned down some of the quirky to show off that she can dance a solo because she really is a spectacular dancer.

Ashleigh & Legacy (Hip Hop) You would think she was trained in this style! Another surprise dancer ... I was so focused on he distracting day glow pink lipstick that I couldn't see her dancing. But this girl can dance! He was great ... enticing for sure! The cape took away from seeing the hard hitting, but he is so good at getting into character and using his prop.

Kathryn & Nathan (Rumba) What was with the song and this style ... it did not work for me at all. I thought it was danced well, but I didn't like it. It felt too dated for how young these dancers really are.

Legacy (B-Boy) What I loved about his solo is that there seemed to be so much more emotion and musicality instead of just tricks. I love how much he has grown and become a dancer through this experience. He deserves to go far!

Ellenore & Jakob (Contemporary) Spectacular! I don't know what to say ... that was spectacular! The movement, the attitude, the choreography ... spectacular! Everything about that performance was SPECTACULAR!

Ashleigh (Latin Ballroom) She is a hot little thing! The shaking and the legs, but I actually have enjoyed seeing her do other styles more.

Mollee & Russell (Jive) I thought this was a great routine for them. He got his groove on and she was all energy! It was so perfect for them with excellent chemistry. I loved seeing them perform that. It was fun and I totally enjoyed it!

Jakob (Contemporary) Wow ... he has incredible pointed feet and his leg extensions are breathtaking. He is a technically superb dancer.

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NaBloPoMo Day 24: SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 5

I really love music, but dance can really bring a song to live for me. For example, whenever I hear the song "Mercy" by Duffy I think of Twitch and Katee danging that Mia Michaels routine, or "Forever" by Chris Brown I think of Twitch and Comfort dancing that spacey NAPPYTABS hip hop routine, or "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis I think of Chelsie and Mark performing another fantastic NAPPYTABS routine.

Let's see if this week I will find any songs transformed for me!

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Ellenore & Ryan (Lindy Hop) This has to have been the best routine for this style on the show ever. I actually enjoyed it! The leg retractions probably weren't fast enough for Mary Murphy's taste, but I could tell. The dancers seems so comfortable and having a lot of fun. The appeared light on their feet and the lifts were effortless. That was entertaining for me!

Kathryn & Legacy (Jazz) I love routines by Sonya. She knows how to incorporate the strength of each dancers style, how to move every inch of their bodies and use the music. Her choreography is quirky and cool! Once again this couple has such a great connection. They seem to feed off each other's strong suits which makes their performance that much better. I am sad to see the split up next week. He blows my mind and exceed my expectation every week. She is no doubt a gorgeous dancer.

Victor & Karen (Tango) I thought this was beautiful ... technically! They were stunning out there. But, I did not see the storyline they described during the rehearsal playback in this performance at all. I would have never guessed that there was supposed to be a story. To me this seemed like a showcase performance. Which isn't bad, but I am left a bit confused. I might have been better off not knowing that there were supposed to be playing secret lovers.

Mollee & Nathan (Hip Hop) I am not sure about this one actually. It was odd for me to see a type of period piece danced in hip hop. I didn't think the moves were hard hitting enough, but I am not sure if it was because they were moving so fast. It seemed sloppy to me. I couldn't get the feeling that they were supposed to be siblings either. I am just not sure if I liked it or not.

Noelle & Russell (Samba) There were parts of this performance that were really good, but there were also parts that were really awkward for me. I thought they gave a good effort because this style does not look easy to learn in such a short amount of time. I am nervous to hear what Mary Murphy does have to say about it though.

Ashleigh & Jakob (Lyrical Jazz) BEAUTIFUL! Sonya just makes every routine perfection in my eyes! The performance was so light and lovely by both of them. I got the connection and the happy feeling they were trying to portray. It was beautiful!

Ellenore & Ryan (Broadway) Fabulous performance by both of them. The choreography really leveraged his strength and manliness, and her quirkiness. I loved the detail with her feet doing the point and flex while in a split extension! He was completely in character the entire performance. I thing they have a great partnership too.

Kathryn & Legacy (Viennese Waltz) I think this is the first time since the competition started I have seen his lack of training, but he was a solid partner. He was constantly there for her in those difficult lifts. He really made her look gorgeous. She danced beautifully. Good effort on his part.

Victor & Karen (Hip Hop) It thought it was a great routine and well danced. There were a couple parts where they looked out of sync and I think he could have hit a bit harder. The one thing is that dancing with her as a partner the guy is always over shadowed. You can't take your eye off of her. She is such an incredible performer!

Mollee & Nathan (Cancan) I can't think of a better couple to perform this style. It needs that candy coated energy level. The choreography and style highlighted their strengths. The synchronized tumbling and high kicks were spectacular! I am not sure how she performed that with a bum ankle, so I am impressed. That was fun and entertaining!

Noelle & Russell (Contemporary) What an incredible change from the dance before to this one. It was amazing. I loved how they tumbled over, on and around each other. It was beautifully danced by both of them.

Ashleigh & Jakob (Cha Cha) After seeing her perform so many different styles it was GREAT to see her perform this. She owned that stage ... her confidence and sexuality was oozing. I have no idea how she does some of those moves and not break a heel! He was great too. Really held his own which can be hard to do with her in this style. It was different ballroom routine to use the prop, so it felt fresh and allowed character. Looks like the dancers had a lot of fun doing this performance and it was a great way to end the show!

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NaBloPoMo Day 17: SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 4

If you have been reading my blog for a while you know that I am obsessed with So You Think You Can Dance. The past seasons I have developed favorite dancers early on and have been right about all of the winners. I am hoping that my favorites this year continue my streak!

I have officially decided my favorite guys ... Legacy and Russel. These two guys blow me away with their determination and openness to learn new dance styles. They push themselves to grow and learn while keeping respect to their original style. They are true artists.

My two favorite girls are Karen and Kathryn. I don't need to explain about Karen. The girl is HAWT! She can move like no body's business. I would like to see her perform more emotionally and toned down. I think that would be a real challenge for her. Kathryn took me by total surprise! I was not expecting her to perform like she has. The whole crying thing during the tryout really turned me off

Favorite pair is standing strong at Legacy and Kathryn! They just work together. They bring out the best in each other.

With that said let's see how my favorites did tonight!

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Ashleigh & Jakob (Hip Hop) You know I <3 NAPPYTAB choreography. This performance was too familiar to the Chelsie H & Mark from Season 4 Episode 3 (told you I am obsessed). I thought these two did really well, but not nearly as good in comparison to Chelsie & Mark. I liked the emotion in the characters. I thought there was chemistry. I like the story line.

Kevin & Karen (Broadway) This is why I love this show. You have a Hip Hop dancer and a Salsa dancer attempting a style so far off from their own ... and doing it pretty darn well! It was not the best I have seen on this show. The story line the choreographer gave didn't seem to fit the music. Some of the moves were not as BIG as they should have been. But, these two certainly gave it their all.

Noelle & Russell (Foxtrot) I don't know a thing about this style, and it certainly is not my favorite. I am not sure if it was the choreography or the dancers, but parts just didn't flow with the music. They seemed so formal at times and then fun at others. It was a bit confusing to me. I think they danced it really well. They looked gorgeous and partnered perfectly. But, I was not entertained by the choreography mixed with the music.

Channing & Victor (Jazz) I loved this! It was quirky and musical. I think this style showed off their strengths brilliantly. They were synchronized. Their characters were believable. The connection between the two was so strong. The use of the prop was excellent. That was very entertaining!

Kathryn & Legacy (Paso Doble) Yowza ... that was smoldering! I love that this routine moved away from the traditional bull and matador theme. The story line was believable. The heat between them was there. I am not sure the movements were technically right, but I did love seeing the manliness from him (MM will probably complain about his shoulders being up at his ears) and I loved the flourish of her movements (a lot due to the dress). The choreography was fast paced with so much going on it was hard for me to even really see flaws to my untrained eye. I liked the lifts even though the last one seemed awkward. I remember when Heidi in season 2 performed this lift and it made my heart stop. Didn't get the same reaction with this one, but Heidi is also a trained Latin ballroom dancer. I was entertained by this performance and I say BRAVO! to their effort.

Ellenore & Ryan (Contemporary) Travis Wall really is an amazing choreographer! Every routine just takes my breath away. The physicality of this routine I think was perfect for Ryan because he can partner so well. He was constantly there for her and never once did one of those lifts look uncomfortable. The connection between them as a pair is so believable. She was stunning after seeing her quirky solo last week. She is a beautiful dancer. The characters and story line were believable. It was easy to connect to the dancers. This routine was moving!

Mollee & Nathan (Pop Jazz) I struggle with a couple of things about these two. 1) Their youth really shows through in almost everything they do so mature performances like this are not totally believable for me. 2) They are incredible solo performers, but together you can see how they have not mastered the art of pairing. I think their overall performance was better today simply because you can see how they are technically strong. The entertainment value was not there for me. I was not a fan of the choreography or costumes either. It all seemed mismatched to me. They probably won't get put in the bottom because of the popular vote, but I think compared to the other dancers on this show they should be. They have some maturing to do.

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NaBloPoMo Day 10: SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 3

One of the best (and worse) things about So You Think You Can Dance is the partnering. There are times when the partnering is shear magic even though you would think they would be totally mismatched. There are times the partnering actually helps each other improve their weakness. Then there are times when the partnering shows proves the weakness of the partner.

What is so hard is that as elimination begins pairs get broken up. The ones you love change and new pairs are formed. Right now I am loving Legacy & Kathryn. To me they are really helping each other grow. I am so interested in what the new pair Channing & Victor will give to us. And, I wonder if the in real life married couple Ashleigh & Ryan will ever get paired.

So, let's find out if my favorite still holds strong, how the new pair does and if a new pair is created at the end of the show ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Kevin & Karen (Hustle) She looked gorgeous, but what is new?!?! I thought there was some great moves he did, but some not so good ones too. The ones that did work surprised me. One big question ... what the HELL did the costumers put him in?

Ashleigh & Jakob (Jazz) I thought it was an interesting routine. She looked slinky and proving that she is not just a ballroom dancer. I am not sure if it was part of the choreography, but she did seem slouching a bit. He was 80s sultry and mysterious while appearing to be so light on his feet the entire routine. I don't think it is my favorite routine more so because I didn't feel the storyline other than "don't drop the cane." I saw the connection between the two of them which is what kept it interesting to me.

Peter & Pauline (Quick Step) Love the storyline. Worked perfectly for them as a pair. Some very fun parts of the routine, but there were some awkwardness. There is no doubt that this is a difficult dance that relies a lot on the personality. It was fun, but just ok technically.

Kathryn & Legacy (Broadway) I still love the connection these two have. I thought the routine was fun and that the choreographer really used their strengths. He surprises me every week ... what a great future this guy has! He is proving that he belongs on this show. I totally enjoyed it!

Channing & Victor (Contemporary) As the newest pair I think they were lucky to get their style and such a well choreographed routine. The chemistry worked. The storyline worked. It was beautiful!

Ellenore & Ryan (Hip Hop) Well, I though she had a lot more swagger than he did. She was hitting it harder than him. She was more into the ground than he was. It wasn't dirty enough for me. It wasn't "buck" enough for me. I wanted to like them, but it just wasn't there for me.

Mollee & Nathan (Salsa) I love a good salsa, but there was something missing from this one. She was entirely too stiff. There was nothing sexified about her. He was better than she was. Their age really shined through for me. It looked like two kids trying dance in a salsa club. It was not good.

Noelle & Russell (Afro Jazz) Best routine of the night for me. The energy and storyline was great! The choreography used their strengths. The chemistry was there for me. I really enjoyed it!

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NaBloPoMo Day 3: SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 2

I don't watch Dancing with the Stars for a few reasons: 1) when someone is dancing badly on that show it is BAD, 2) the only challenge is ballroom dancing, and 3) celebrities are kept on not because they are really good, but for kicks (remember Cloris Leachman). I do think it is great seeing a celebrity who doesn't dance learn a new skill (remember Brooke Burke). There is just something about this show that I can't stand.

Call me a dancing snob, but I like watching So You Think You Can Dance to see dancing. These people are skilled! You have Krumper performing Broadway ... a Contemporary dancer performing Hip Hop ... a Hip Hop dancer performing Bollywood ... a Salsa dancer performing the Quick Step. You get the idea. What is even better is that they are such good shape to begin with adding in breathtaking lifts, tumbles and moves is possible. The skill of these dancers has propelled them to professional stage shows, movies and even dancers on DWTS.

So, let's see who is going to make me rewind my DVR just so I can see their performance over again ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Noelle & Russell (Hip Hop) I never thought tennis could be so hard core. I really did dig the concept. The choreography was complicated and intense. For me he can do no wrong. I love watching him dance. I thought she was holding her own in the beginning, but kind of lost it in a few parts. Overall I was really entertained!

Ashleigh & Jakob (Viennese Waltz) Gorgeous! Choreography was lovely. Dancing was flawless. Connection was there. Costumes were beautiful.

Victor & Bianca (Broadway) Perfect role for her! She is really impressing me with her dancing skills because originally I thought she was a one trick pony (tap dancing). I don't think the performance was perfect by her, but I was was impressed knowing what her training is. I thought he was good, but I expected more especially the height in his jumps. It was a fun routine, but not as good as I would have liked it to be.

Mollee & Nathan (Bollywood) I have to say out of the 3 Bollywood performances done on this show I like this one the best. It was choreographed with a story behind it not just a bunch of the craziest, fastest moves possible. The beginning was beautiful. He is an amazing dancer. She did great too, but I couldn't take my eyes off of him. They were in sync most of the time and that can't be easy with these dance moves. The leaps at the end were a bit off and lack luster for me, but the majority of the performance was so well done.

Phillip & Channing (Samba) One word ... HIPS? I wanted more. A lot more. It was not sultry enough for me. There was so much thinking happening on stage the letting themselves go into the dance was missing. It felt like dance by numbers where samba to me is fluid and rhythmic. Didn't love this one at all.

Kevin & Karen (Hip Hop) I really love Nappytabs choreography! He was great! I loved watching him perform in his style. She was HOT! I would have thought this was her style. I really enjoyed this performance ... but, damn some of those moves were not for kids' eyes! Yowza!

Kathryn & Legacy (Contemporary) They are my favorite couple. Both have taken me by surprise. I underestimated both of them. I have to say that the choreography was very strategic in using his normal style and showing off hers. He was a perfect partner throughout. He made the lifts look smooth and effortless. They stayed in character and had a great connection. It was an excellent performance!

Peter & Pauline (Contemporary) That was quirky and strange and fun! It is hard to critique their connection as new partners since they didn't dance so much together. They seemed in sync and they seemed to enjoy what they were doing, but I didn't connect with it much.

Eleanor & Ryan (Argentine Tango) Second favorite pair. This was HAWT! The length in their legs. The smooth movement and the intensity. The connection between the two of them. Even with her dress caught on her heels it was flawless. Seriously HAWT!

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SYTYCD Season 6 Episode 1

Do you have any idea how excited I am that an extra season was added this year? No? Well, if I had the ability to scream like Mary Murphy does for the Hot Tamale Train I would be! I love this show with a passion. Dance has always been a big part of my life. If this is your first time reading my weekly SYTYCD reviews let me break it down for you ...

When I was 3 years old my parents put me in ballet, tap and jazz. I continued on with jazz until I turned 13. Then I took up cheer leading and hip hop. In high school I lead the dance team for 3 years and was co-captain of the cheer leading team one year. In college I took jazz and ballroom dancing classes. I never performed professionally and haven't trained since college. So, my review of the performances is purely amateur opinion, but it is viewers like me that make the end decision of America's favorite dancer.

So, here is goes ... the first episode of Season 6! The dancing looks even better than before. I already have my favorites and my disappointments! Before I start ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Channing & Phillip (Jive) - Nice start to the season, but there seemed something off to me. She comes off a bit stiff and more masculine than he does. I thought he was phenomenal, but my eye continuously went to her. I thought the stunts were a bit clumsy and not smoothly executed. She didn't appear light or him strong enough to hold her. Now, I know we shouldn't really criticize the costumes since this is a dance competiion, but this is about the performance too. I really think their costumes didn't suit the song. Yes, there were feathers, but I think the colors should have been lighter and more fun instead black. Overall, it was good, but didn't blow me away.

Ashleigh & Jacob (Broadway) - Her legs and lines are spectacular. His split leaps took my breath away! It was sultry. It was sexy. It was so well danced. But, once again ... did the costume department go on strike? His shirt was horribly distracting compared to her gorgeous dress and his tuxedo sequined pin striped pants. What is going on? Outside of the costume I thought it was excellent.

Ariana & Peter (Hip Hop) - As always the choreography was so brilliant! And, the dancing was too! I would never have guess that he was a tap dancer by this. I though there were some moments he could have hit harder, but he sure fooled me. I thought she was excellent too! They had good chemistry and were in sync. Costumers got it right this time too. All of this tied together to make a great performance!

Noelle & Russel (Fox Trot) - Sans Noelle. How much do I adore this guy.? He has so much style and is so smooth. For a krumper ... I am impressed! He got into character and looked so good!

Bianca & Victor (Conteporary) - I have only one word that can describe this ... WOW! First of call Travis Wall is turning into a very gifted choreographer. Everything about what he created was perfect ... the lifts, the movement, the individual stunts ... WOW! Of course what makes this performance WOW is the dancers. They were perfection. He was so incredibly powerful and strong. She was graceful and rhythmic. Their chemistry was there. Costumes fit the story. Simply ... WOW!

Karen & Kevin (Cha Cha) - She is hawt and he was slinky ... but it did not feel fast like a regular cha cha. It didn't seem to match the music at times. I am not really sure about this one. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. For a hip hop dancer I am surprised. Didn't love it really, but I didn't hate it either.

Ryan & Ellenore (Contemporary Jazz) - PHENOMENAL. It was so well danced. There was chemistry. There was character. I was so surprised by him. I didn't see a ballroom dancer in him at all. She was light on her feet and gorgeous. I loved it!

Pauline & Brandon (Smooth Waltz) - I loved the pulling on her dress. I liked the chemistry. I overall enjoyed the performance. It didn't blow me away, but for what amount of time they had ... I am impressed! There were moments of gliding across the stage I felt was missing. It did feel like they are really new to this style, but still pretty well danced.

Kathryn & Legacy (Hip Hop) - I TOTALLY enjoyed this! Choreography and story line was so well done. Chemistry was there. He was BILLIANT. That pose on one hand with his body and legs out diagonally ... SICK! She surprised the hell out of me. I did not think she had it in her. In the words of Lil' C ... that was BUCK!

Mollee & Nathan (Disco) - As always with the disco routines on this show the lifts and tricks defied gravity. In the beginning she was looking good, but at times it seemed like she was really unsure about dancing in those ultra high heels. Her feet didn't seem smooth ... more like a shuffle. He partnered so well and great movement. They seemed to have good chemistry, but looked so young. It was a fun way to end the episode.

FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: The hip hop caveman dance with Kathryn and Legacy. I actually rewound my DVR to watch it over again ... TWICE! It was fun and so well danced. I could have watched a lot more.

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SYTYCD Season 5 Finale

By now you all know how much I love So You Think You Can Dance. The creativity. The passion. The costumes. The athleticism. The performances. I love it all!

It is always great to get to the finale, but I am also so sad to see the season end. The great thing this year is that the show will come back in the fall for an early Season 6! Aaaaand ... Paula Abdul as a possible guest judge ... HELLO! She should have been on this show all along instead of American Idol. This Fall will be GREAT television watching. In the meantime, let's get this party started ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Top 4: I love Wade Robson's choreography! That had so much energy and great moves. I enjoyed that!

Jeanine & Evan: The dance is by my second favorite choreographer on this show. She was flawless and brought it. This is one of the best performances he has put out all season. It was an overall great performance!

Brandon: Perfection! I loved his last solo better, but this was phenomenal too!

Brandon & Kayla: All I can say is DAYUM! The flexibility and strength was incredible. She was so sexy. He nailed it. It is great to see such strong dancers perform together.

Jeanine: She always has such well choreographed solos and her control is unreal! I am always impressed with her solos. That was brilliant!

Evan & Brandon: Clear winner from the beginning of this performance was Brandon. He was harder hitting and grittier. He seemed to have more energy. Evan did get better at the end and Brandon seemed to get a little bit tired midway through. Overall Brandon was so strong over Evan's softer style.

Jeanine & Kayla: The choreography was marvelous. It is great to see these two amazing dancers perform this. What is interesting to me is that I really didn't either one stand out from the other. Jeanine is really stunning with her curves and movement. Kayla is so flexible and lean. These are by far the strongest girls that have danced on this show.

Evan: He is charming and very good in his style. It is great to see a Broadway dancer in the finale (even though I don't think he was stronger than Ade or Jason).

Evan & Kayla: I enjoyed seeing the jive in a two step style. It was fun! The tricks in slow motion were great instead of just flinging her over. I thought Evan was there for her which was great to see. I thought Kayla was a little hard on her feet compared to Evan. Overall, it was very fun to watch for me.

Kayla: For me this is her best solo yet, but I still am not a fan of her own choreography. She is so stellar in other people's choreography, but struggles with her own. She is a gorgeous dancer there is no doubt, but there is something missing in her solos for me.

Jeanine & Brandon: First, didn't like the music. Second, I loved seeing these two dance together. So much strength, attitude, movement, connection. I thought it was spectacular!

MY PREDICTION: Jeanine wins for the girls and Brandon wins it all.

Who do you think will win?

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SYTYCD Season 5 Episode 8

Thanks to BlogHer '09 I missed last week's episodes of So You Think You Can Dance. To make it worse my dad forgot to record Wednesday night's performances. I did watch the Thursday night results show and have some things to say ...

• Janette should NOT have gone! I adore her. She really can do no wrong even with as little training as she had. America, you got it WRONG!

• That oh so special performance Katie Holmes put on was PATHETIC. That was prancing, not dancing. And the lip syncing ... GAH! I was hoping for so much more from her.

• On the other hand, how totally awesome was Wade Robson?!?!?! I could have watched him all night long.

• It was great seeing some of the past performances, but I wish there had been more. They should have dumped the Katie Holmes number and gone with one of the great Mia Michaels routines from the past seasons.

So on to this weeks episode ...

REMINDER: This is just my personal, non-professional opinion made BEFORE the judges give their comments. Because Princess D doesn't go to bed until 9pm I often have to watch this show on DVR so I am behind all of you SYTYCD junkies, but and I don't alter what I write based on the judges comments.

Top 3 Guys: First, I really love this choreographer. She is quirky and comes up with the greatest movements. What was interesting was how these men stood out at certain times. The beginning was all Ade for me. He is hard hitting and stood out so much. Brandon's assisted leap was incredible, but I was bummed he didn't stick that last synchronized trick. Evan surprised me in the middle of the routine. He was in character and much stronger. Together the synchronization was perfect. I enjoyed it a lot!

Janine & Ade: Shake those tail feather! She is incredibly sexy. I thought they were a good pairing, but there was something missing from it. Not my favorite performance of a samba.

Kayla: This girl is a phenomenal dancer. There is no doubt about that. But when she performs her solos there is something missing for me. They always feel disparate. Like her movements aren't flowing with the music.

Melissa & Evan: Cute! I loved seeing him dancing his style. She is such a talented dancer and just shines on that stage!

Ade: I still enjoy seeing such a big dude moving so gracefully. His pirouettes are amazing!

Kayla & Brandon: I really loved seeing these two incredibly strong dancers perform together. They are both powerhouses and they delivered! Again, she takes choreography and direction so much better than doing her solos. He is the strongest of the male dancers for sure!

Melissa: She has transformed ballet for me. She is simply stunning on that stage. I could have watched that solo go on for much longer.

Janine & Ade: These choreographers are my favorite on this show ... hands down! I am shocked that he is not a hip hop dancer. He was phenomenal. She can really hold her own in hip hop. I am always impressed how she does performing this style. I loved the use of the boxes. I love the connection they had. I loved it!

Brandon: Hello! This solo is why this guy was so talked about at the beginning of the season! From that alone he needs to win. The choreography, the power, the movement, the timing ... this single solo had it all. SPECTACULAR!

Melissa & Evan: My biggest complaint about this is that the camera angles really throw me off during this so it is hard to see what was wrong. With that said I thought is was a great quick step. I enjoyed watching it. I thought they both did well, but again the camera angles masked flaws for me.

Janine: Now that is some excellent control in her moves. I believe out of the 3 girls left she is the one that has had consistently strong solos.

Even: He is a lot of fun to watch in his own style. As for a winning solo ... not for me.

Kayla & Brandon: I think he has disco in his soul! He is really good at this style! I am not sure she is physically strong enough to pull some of that off. That performance made my heart race just watching. There was a much better disco routine earlier this season, but I commend them on this considering how difficult this routine is. Best part of this routine ... the booty slap!

Top 3 Girls: What a great routine! I have to say that none of the girls stood out from the other. They were all strong. They were all in sync. They all had the attitude. I enjoyed it!

FAVORITE PERFORMANCE

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