SYTYCD Recap: HELL YEAH!

So You Think You Can Dance

By PottyMouth | Monday, July 16, 2012 | 2:09 pm | 25 Comments
Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in: Recaps, So You Think You Can Dance

They have “drawn” a samba to be choreographed by Louis van Amstel.  Louis is looking for hot, hot movement and there’s a lot of talk about how hard it is for Chehon, but I never put too much weight in rehearsal footage. 

Eh.  I guess the rehearsal footage wasn’t lying because Chehon was not so good in this routine.  I’m worried because I LOVE him and I really don’t want to see this guy go anywhere anytime soon.  Witney killed it (of course), but I’d be shocked if she didn’t. 

Nigel is contractually obligated to point out the choreographer and lick his ass a little (as are the other judges), but we’re going to skip that and move right into the DANCER critique.  He of course thinks Witney was fantastic (she was), but tells Chehon that he needs to relax more and give in to it.  He does acknowledge that Chehon is fabulous at what he does, but he wants him to enjoy himself a little bit more.

Mary puts Witney on the hot tamale train with a first class ticket.

Along with accompanying scream

Kenny thinks that Witney is hot stuff, hotter than Marilyn Monroe in Some Like it Hot.  I don’t know that I’d go that far, but she is hot stuff.  He agrees with Nigel about Chehon and asks that he trust in himself and the choreographers a bit more.

Next up are Tiffany and George.

I can’t believe they spent all that time on Alexa and Amelia and now you have no idea who I am.  Hopefully you’ll think I’m super duper cute.

I think the mustache makes me look older but people tell me I should just accept that I have a baby face and WORK IT.

They get Sonya which should be really good for both of them.  Sonya tells us this piece is about a couple that are so much in love that they literally take each other’s breath away.  Hope no one asphyxiates!!

LOVE this.  They really did seem to melt into each other and it was gorgeous to watch.  I think I’ve already watched this about a dozen times.  Did I mention I love it?  George is one of my favorite guys on the show, not only is he a beast of dancer, but he seems like a sweetheart as well.  We haven’t gotten to see too much of Tiffany so far, but I think she’s going to be one to watch as well.

Mary says she is breathless and that they really surrendered themselves to the choreography.  They were living it.  She tell George he is phenomenal and one of the best dancers in this competition.  She also likes Tiffany.

Kenny talks about how generous they were with each other which has to be one of the best compliments you can get as a dancer.  He says it reminded him of the pain and glory of youth and it was breathtaking.  They spilled it.

And I am not wiping it up.

Nigel talks about how we’re seeing a kinder gentler Sonja; she’s gone from quirky to soft and romantic.  He thinks she’s found love in her life. 

When will it be MY turn???

Never, Nigel.  He also points out that both George and Tiffany dance right through to the tips of their fingers and I wholeheartedly agree with that comment.  It’s something I love to see in a dancer and it’s the reason why I keep thinking that they’re much much taller than they actually are.

We’re now moving on to Janaya and Brandon.

Nice to meet you.  Maybe if I smile REAL big you’ll like me.

I’m another person you’ve barely met.  Why do some people get ALL the camera time?

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
PottyMouth

When she isn't screaming curses at various dance show judges or washing her OWN mouth out with soap, PottyMouth is a proud mama to a gorgeous little boy. And yes, she knows everyone says that about their kids, but it's true when she says it. YES IT IS. Fuck you. She also laments throwing away the chance to be a trophy wife, and would like to find a rich husband so she can sit on her ass all day long and watch TV. If you are fabulously wealthy, look like Hugh Jackman (or ARE in fact Hugh Jackman), and are turned on by foul-mouthed, mature, slightly smooshy women, then she just may be the gal for you. Please send picture, references and your latest bank statement for review.

25 Comments

  1. 1
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 2:54 pm

    “Love Cats” is one of my favorite songs and I thought the routine worked with it beautifully. I agree about Amelia working the Zooey Deschanel nerve that makes my eye twitch, but she and Will were a surprisingly engaging couple.

    And while I’m sure I was miming vomiting while they were describing the Travis piece it was also better than I expected. Mostly because I was surprised at how much Nick sold his part. It would have been easy for him to get left behind since so much of it was about Audrey fluttering and flying around, but he grounded the routine.

    My other favorite was the paso. It’s the “Latin” dance that most non-ballroom guys seem to handle the best since there’s no rumpshaking, but he managed the jacked up posture and the whole machismo of the style really well. And I agreed about Lindsay being far more dynamic than I expected.

    I want to like Sonja, I really do, and this was probably her most relatable piece for me. But can’t she just do a fun dance that isn’t “quirky” or “meaningful?”

  2. 2
    vallegirl vallegirl
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    Derr, I meant Matthew. Nick’s the forgettable ballroom dancer.

  3. 3
    blazergirl
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Overall, I thought it was a great first night; I’m so glad this show is back! I loved how in almost every pair, when they “randomly drew ” their dance style, it was the specialty of at least one of the two dancers, with just a few exceptions. It will be interesting to see how they do when both of them are doing different styles. I loved Cyrus and Eliana, and I know that Broadway is not what Cyrus is used to, but it seems like Tyce gave him pretty simple choreography and I’m nervous to see how he handles something like contemporary or ballroom.

    Does anyone know if they will be switching partners each week, or staying with these for a while?

  4. 4
    sagittariuskim sagittariuskim
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    I love who ever did the captions to the 9-second bios.

    Only Tyce could make Broadway routine to a Hairspray song boring.

    And at least Travis didn’t go super obvious with the song, and choose My Heart Will Go On.

    I loved Sonya’s dance, Cats, and the Paso. Everything else was good to meh.

    This is completely unrelated but I know we have some Once Upon A Time fans here. So it looks like Captain Hook is going to show up next season. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RWCOrJinL8

  5. 5
    Cat is my idol
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    I almost never comment…but I’m addicted to your recaps! I have checked an embarrassing number of times in the last few days to see if it was up yet. I’m SO excited about this season! I have high hopes for this group–possibly season 4 potential?? (I know that might be taking it too far, but one can dream)
    Thanks for the awesome recaps–worth the wait! :)

  6. 6
    sheesh
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 5:00 pm

    Cole Cole Cole…after I saw the paso I looked over at Rodel and squinted my eyes and made him a very happy man that night. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
    I think Cole’s gonna stick around. Rodel is phoning in!

    Potty! Awesome as usual.

  7. 7
    nooneinparticular
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    FWIW I don’t think the “random” hat was even supposed to be random this time. Cat said something at the beginning about being matched up randomly and then picking a dance style in numerical order. I didn’t quite catch all of it but I did get the impression that they were actually selecting their style so that’s why I wasn’t surprised that the style matched at least one person in every couple. Was I the only one who heard that and thought it sounded like they were describing a different process than normal?

    Glad to see the recap. I am excited about the beginning of the new season. Looks like some pretty good dancers.

  8. 8
    wcsdancer
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 6:10 pm

    Loved the show and your recap!

    A few nondance related comments: Alexa needs to lose the bright red lipstick. She looked *much* better with the lighter color makeup used for the performance. It’s not his fault, but “Dareian”? Is his mother illiterate? Or simply hooked on phonics? Sorry, but I hate hate hate when people do that crap. Parents-to-be out there, misspellings don’t make you look creative or unique, it makes you look stupid.

    I noticed and loved how Tiffany and George finished their moves! That makes such a difference. And I also am annoyed by Amelia and her trying-too-hard-to-be-quirky, but the kitty hip hop was really good.

    Thanks PM, you always give me a good laugh!

  9. 9
    Enrique's Mole
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 6:55 pm

    I think Cyrus is super sweet but he should never have been cast on the show. He could barely do Sir Bitch’s overly simplistic choreography.

    I’m so tired of the ass-licking the judges give the choreographers. I miss Nigel crapping on Dan Karaty and Derek Scott! I’m glad they at least had someone who really knew dance on as the third judge this ep. Zoey Deschanel was fucking awful. She had not one useful thing to say.

  10. 10
    CattyFan cattyfan
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 7:09 pm

    I didn’t get to see this episode, but loved the recap. And I always forget how heartstoppingly brilliant the addiction piece is…not just the choreography, but the performances by Kayla and Kupono. Kupono’s facial expressions are perfect, and the whole piece leavews me stunned everytime.

  11. 11
    Jacquelyn
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    Just a little fact, Sean Cheesman’s afro jazz routine for Janelle and Dareian was first seen on SYTYCD Canada season 4 last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W23WuiNLFjM

    It’s the exact same routine. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen it before, I wasn’t excited about it even if it was danced by two different dancers. Just thinking back to all the seasons of SYTYCD and the different versions of SYTYCD, I never realized how many of the same routines have appeared on different international stages of this show. Maybe the choreographer is trying to expose their work to a different demographic.

    Anyway, just wanted to point it out! I am loving the top 20 right now!

  12. 12
    StageMom
    Posted July 16, 2012 at 8:56 pm

    Well shit that is the same routine. I had no idea they recycled. Learn something every day.

  13. 13
    cherrylipgloss
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 4:34 am

    Loved your recap and agree with you except in the paso. not because it wasnt well choreographed or adequately danced….just that I don’t get into the angry, stomping, goth style….doesn’t move me and that’s what i look for in a winner.
    speaking of winning….poor amber doesn’t stand a chance with her poor toe point….in fact she could be the first to go….

  14. 14
    jerseyj
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 5:25 am

    Why did they have to pair up Daniel with Alexa?!!! He’s one of my favorites and I can’t stand her! Also, that Cheeseman routine…awful! Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever liked a Cheeseman routine (including the two this episode). They are always just a bunch of steps with no connection in my opinion.

    I too thought it was strange that for instance all the ballroom dancers got ballroom and a lot of the contemporary dancers got contemporary. Maybe it was just for the first show so no one would be awful?

    And, I’m sorry, but that Broadway routine was nothign to get worked up about. I would say the choreography was dumbed down for Cyrus, but Tyce’s choreography is always terrible and simplistic.

  15. 15
    WishICouldDance
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 5:32 am

    I have no idea why I am so bummed to learn about “recycled” routines but… Damn! I don’t like that at all! Again, no idea why this bothers me – it just does. : (

    Like PM and many others, I really enjoyed Will & Amelia and for the first time, didn’t want to throttle her! As my kid would say, “She needs to calm that down” and quit the whole New Girl thing. Will is such a cutie and it was good routine for them. Hip-hop? Um… No! Fun and memorable? Yup!

    I was, personally, impressed with the partnering work with Cyrus and Eliana. He was totally there for her and they nailed the personality needed for Broadway. I still cringe every time Sir Bitchy Pants is allowed ANY screen time but I think they did a good job with what they were given.

    Here’s my thing with this show: Alexa may be a very good, trained dancer but I find myself cheering more for Cyrus who, clearly, is not trained. Watching his growth and success on the show is more inspiring and exciting to me than seeing a trained dancer do what they’ve studied for years. This is the same reason I loved the Alex/Twitch routine – Alex worked hard to master something SO different from what he trained to do.

    Thanks for the awesome recap, PM. I was also creeping the site several times a day waiting for you! (You are not alone CatIsMyIdol!) definitely worth the wait!!!

  16. 16
    imhere4beer
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 5:43 am

    PM- Thanks for posting that addiction piece again. I don’t think I fully appreciated it the first time around because I had a burning hatred for Kayla at the time (can’t remember why- probably because she was Nigel’s precious that season?).

    I thought opening night was pretty good overall. Except for a couple of routines, I was entertained. All I know is that if they send home my new Swedish boyfriend, I will cut a bitch. Even thought he wasn’t that great, Nigel is allowed to get a boner and keep some dancers (cough*alexa*cough) around, so my ladyboner should have the same privileges, no?

    Oh- Cyrus is going to become a problem, I think. Ever since he was in Vegas and said something like, “apparently there’s another level of hard work that I need to find,” I have just adored him… but I watched him in the contemporary and ballroom rounds, and he was pretty terrible. I think he’s going to stick around on personality for a while and people are going to end up hating him. We’ll see… they certainly gave him a great partner so they’ve tried to set him up for success. My fingers are crossed for him!!

    Thanks for posting!!

  17. 17
    ANTM Fan
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 6:35 am

    @nooneinparticular: Yes, my understanding was also that the dance assignments weren’t completely random. They said they drew partners at random, and then got to pick from the list of dance styles (so that, once a particular style was chosen, it was no longer available to the next teams to pick).

    I’ve found Amelia pretty grating as well–the cheesy black-and-white montage in the try-out episode made me want to hurl something at my TV–but I really enjoyed the kitty dance.

    As for Cyrus: he seems like a great guy and he certainly has a lot of heart, but I’m pretty bummed they cast him instead of the guy he was up against in the Green Mile, who performed brilliantly across many genres. He’s really out of his depth here.

  18. 18
    sagittariuskim sagittariuskim
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    So once again completely unrelated to SYTYCD, but I like I said before I know we have some OUAT fans here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=osq8wpz5l2A

  19. 19
    Honeybee
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    I have been eagerly awaiting this recap! So onto my two cents.

    Whitney & Chehon – girl mopped the floor with that guy. I know that he is great at ballet, but for as hard as he tried she just totally outshined him.
    Tiffany & George – I liked this dance, but I also forgot it by the end of the night (that and the waltz). They are both really good dancers, and I hope they both last longer then some others.
    Janaya & Brandon -Who??? Just kidding. But really…I have no idea who these two are. Not to mention, this was not a great routine. To me they lacked chemistry.
    Alexa & Daniel – Oy. I honestly tried to go into this with a open mind. I liked Alexa in the “doorway” number a few weeks back, but I did not like this routine. What I find interesting is I ended up needed to switch rooms, and my tivo restarted the show…so I ended up watching this routine again. This time I focused on Daniel, which didn’t happen the first time. I think that it was Alexa, and I think she was off her count. I say this because mid way though there where intricate movments that Daniel was hitting…every beat and it looked really good and cool. Yet the camera work was kinda off and pulled away to a long shot. I think this had some potential, but she just sucked ass. I becha girlie is in the bottom and will get saved, and it’s gonna piss me off.
    Amber & Nick – totally forgot about this dance (and I like the waltz). Both in the bottom
    Ameila & Will – LOVED IT. I don’t care if that girl is annoying…girl can dance. Will was a cutie too.
    Janelle & Darien – I really liked this routine. Maybe I am biased because I like both of them, but I totally rememberd the dance (which is more than I can say about some others).
    Eliana & Cyrus – First, Tyce’s little show at the end of the dance was gross. Seeing him act like a primate makes me want to throw bananas at his head. That being said I was soo totally hoping that Eliana would get Cyrus (like Katherine and Legacy). My thought was that she is good enough on her own that she can help him and he won’t hinder her too much. In addion I think there chemistry was really good. It was a good routine for him to cut his teeth on, but he is going to need to pich it up PDQ our he will be out in a few weeks. But I am pulling for him. She’s a rock star.
    Audrey & Matthew – Holy cow I loved this. Audrey’s strength and flexibility was truly beautiful. She just melted into that dance and I loved every second of it.
    Lindsay & Cole – I called it during the Top 20 results…Cole is going to be the guy to beat. I really liked this and thought Lindsay really did a great job. I have to say though her overbite just buggs the crap out of me. And I feel terrible because she really is a cute girl.

    I think the bottom girls are gonna be Janaya, Amber and Alexa and Alexa will stay
    the Boys will be Nick, Will and Brandon with Will staying.

  20. 20
    swanny
    Posted July 17, 2012 at 6:40 pm

    Hahahaha throw bananas at him!

  21. 21
    PottyMouth PottyMouth
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 10:31 am

    vallegirl: I’m hoping that Amelia keeps dancing like that and just stops talking at all. Loved her dancing, but she makes me want to punch something when she starts going off on her quirky routine. Sonya can drive me crazy sometimes, but I just really love her; she’s also so genuinely excited to be there, and she’s like that in person as well. My little guy had her for a teacher in NYC and he ADORED her – she was amazing and surprisingly (and awesomely) tough on the kids even though they were 7-10 years old.

    blazergirl: Tyce definitely kept it simple for Cyrus; it will definitely be interesting to see how he fares with something else. Personally, I’m still hoping he can be a surprise like Twitch or Legacy, but in reality he probably will end up more like a Jose or Cedric. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for the first – maybe Eliana will bring out the best in him!

    sagittariuskim: LOL, so true about Tyce’s ability to turn gold into crap, and I totally thought Travis was going to go the obvious route and pick that song. SO glad he didn’t. Also, THANKS for the OUAT teaser! I can’t wait to see what season 2 of that show is going bring!!

    Cat is my idol: LOVE your name – she’s my idol too!! So sorry to keep you waiting so long this time around; I’m glad you thought it was worth it though!! MWAH!

    sheesh: I think Cole will definitely be around for a while. He’s got a good cross base of training, so I’m thinking he’s going to be able to handle most of what they throw at him. I really like him and hope he does well.

    nooneinparticular: You are correct about the hat not being random. Nigel confirmed via Twitter that each couple picked a number and then in that order were allowed to pick which genre they wanted out of a list for that week. That makes it less surprising that so many people ended up in a style that at least ONE person was comfortable with.

    wcsdancer: LOLOLOL! I agree on the misspelled names! They always make me nuts. Alexa should take your advice about the makeup .

    Enrique’s Mole: I totally agree about the weekly tongue baths for the choreographers!! It’s so freaking annoying. I really wish that both Dan Karaty and Brian Friedman would come back. Dan was never one of my favorites for choreography, but I always loved him at the judges table. And Brian is so out there and freaky most of the time that he always delivers something interesting. Plus, I love him, so there’s that!

    cattyfan: I am always surprised by just how much I love that addiction piece ESPECIALLY because I didn’t like Kayla or Kupono. But Mia got something out of them that never fails to take my breath away.

    Jacquelyn: Thanks for the heads up about the Cheesman piece. I never knew they straight up recycled numbers!!

    StageMom: I know, right?

    cherrylipgloss: I hear you on the paso not being your thing; it isn’t always mine ether, but I really loved what Cole and Lindsay did there. And I think you’re right, Amber is toast.

    jerseyj: I thought the same thing! I really like him and I am not digging her at all. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get us all to like her a little more; stranger things have happened, right? AMEN on Tyce’s choreography. I wish they’d get him the fuck outta there!

    WishICouldDance: I get what you’re saying about Cyrus versus someone like Alexa. The reason I like him as much as I do is because he really is giving it his all and has a great attitude about the whole thing. Will I get over that as the season goes on? Maybe. It’s so hard to say. Alexa is unfortunate that they shoved her down our throats so much. They do this every season and it always seems to backfire and then Nigel pretends he doesn’t understand. I wish he’d just realize that no one gives a shit who HE likes!!

    imhereforbeer: Hey!! Long time no see! Yeah, I hated Kayla as well and it was totally because she was Nigel’s precious! If Chehon goes home I might have to beat the crap outta someone. But it’s what makes me so nervous about a double elimination; depending on who lands in the bottom someone could get fucked royally.

    ANTM Fan: UGH, that audition B/W movie crap was what set my teeth on edge about her from the beginning. She didn’t help it during Vegas week, but it definitely was the beginning. BUT….I did love her in that piece, so like said before, hopefully she can just dance well and STFU!!

    sagittariuskim: I love those opening sequences SO much! Can’t wait!!

    Honeybee: Now I’m going to have to go back and watch that number just watching Daniel!! I think she’ll end up in the bottom A LOT, but they’ll keep saving her and saving her. It’s not like we haven’t seen that before, right? I can already feel my blood pressure rising!!

    swanny: Bananas, tomatoes, chainsaws, anvils…..someone needs to throw SOMETHING at him, right??

    Thanks so much for reading and commenting everyone! I’m dying to see how tonight plays out and how they’re going to work the whole elimination thing. I keep thinking we should do a tweetgasm for the show and then forget to talk to flipit about it! Are you guys east coast or west coast mostly???

    Anyway, look forward to seeing what everyone thinks after this week’s show – I promise the recap won’t be as late this time!!

    SWAK, PottyMouth

  22. 22
    Honeybee
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    tweetgasm…yes please.

  23. 23
    georgiababe
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    I’m West Coast. Well, I’m actually Mountain time, but basically West Coast.

  24. 24
    Enrique's Mole
    Posted July 18, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Pottymouth – totally agree on Dan Karaty as a judge. I especially used to like when he clearly had no knowledge of the dance style and his only commentaries were, “I didn’t like it!” or “I liked it.” He could also be brutally honest w/o blowing smoke. However, as a choreographer he sucked hard.

    I loved Brian Friedman too! They should bring him back.

  25. 25
    lifesabeach
    Posted July 19, 2012 at 6:19 am

    Well I hope the ‘pick in numerical order’ thing is just something for this week. Otherwise people are just going to pick their style week after week and it’s boring.

    Sonja’s piece was the best for me, but man was alexa and the aussie boring.
    The afro-pop piece was okay, but as others have said-done before (and all I could think of was heidi/travis’ afro pop piece that was so much better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guVbY238Vhk)
    Ballroom girls were both stronger than their partners, but would still like to see them do something out of their style. They also have sloppy feet.

    Still think Eliana has this in the bag for the girls.

Post a Comment

Your email is never published nor shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

Human Verification: In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.