Smirnoff Iced

So You Think You Can Dance

By Amanda | Thursday, July 20, 2006 | 11:25 pm | 36 Comments

Results time! I have no idea what to expect from this hour of So You Think You Can Dance, because the format changes have left it wide open. We start with some melodramatic drums and lighting, which makes me think “group dance,” which makes me do a little happy dance of my own. (Don’t worry – my happy dance doesn’t actually involve leaving the couch.) But wait – my happiness quickly turns to apprehension as I see that the opener is a contemporary number. And everyone is dressed as the undead. In frilly Victorian outfits – think Interview with the Vampire. Is Mia Michaels responsible for this??

Oh my God. They’re doing a whole zombie dance, just like Thriller, but with better clothes. I’ve changed my mind. I love this. And it has Boys Against The Girls, which always delights me. You know, one of the things that’s going to suck as this show progresses is that there won’t be enough contestants left to do really awesome group dances. The zombie dance ends way too quickly, and Cat comes out.Take a deep breath, everyone: Cat looks good! She is not dressed as a cheetah. She is not dressed as a Hefty bag. She is not dressed as a tenth-grader. All in all, I can’t think of anything bad to say about this outfit. Oh, wait a minute. Yes I can – I knew it would come to me. Her belt is giant and looks like genuine pleather, which kind of brings down the tone. It’s a nice dress, and it would have looked better without that stupid ’80s belt. But really, overall, she has done very well (including with her hair and makeup), thus ruining my fun yet again.

Shiver in my bones just thinking / about the pleather.

It turns out that the choreographer was Wade Robson, who doesn’t ring a bell for me. Actually, it was the wardrobe people who really blew me away during that group dance, but Wade Robson still deserves a clap. Clap! Cat says that last night the dancers received a record-breaking number of votes – over eight million. She specifically says that only American Idol gets more votes.

Really? Are there actual data on that? Has someone conducted a valid study of all of the crappy reality shows that involve voting and determined that this one gets the second-most votes? I would love to see those figures, but last I checked, there’s no law that requires crappy reality shows to open up their voter rolls to examination by the public or the press, so I’m not holding my breath for verification here. I mean, yeah, I know there is some regulatory agency that is supposed to prevent rigging of game shows (see: Quiz Show), but I don’t think they’re on the case. Here is what America needs: a Ministry of Reality Shows, with a Cabinet-level appointee to run it. (Yes, I know it should be called the Department of Reality Shows, but mine sounds better.) I am officially proposing this, as of right now. Call your congressman, everybody. And don’t forget to suggest me as the first Minister of Reality. That job is thirty-sixth in line to the Presidency, you know.

Jidges are the same as last night – Nigel; Cicely and Olisa; and Jean-Marc. But what’s this? Instead of being labeled “Cicely & Olisa” as they always have been in the past, the ladies are now captioned as “Cecily Bradley” and “Olisa Thompson”! Two things about this. First, this is at least the THIRD documented instance of this show spelling someone’s name wrong. They went with “Jamyz” for two weeks before switching to “Jaymz,” and now they have pulled the Cicely/Cecily switch. This is in addition to the “Vienesse Waltz.” I’ve seen electronics manuals produced in non-English-speaking countries that have better spelling than this show.

Second, what’s up with Cecily (!) and Olisa having two separate identities all of a sudden? Maybe they saw my Two-Headed Monster comment, and they thought to themselves, “Hey! She’s right! Our lives have gone off track! We need to live as two separate women, each with her own individual hopes and dreams!” Yeah, that’s probably what happened. Glad I could help you with the self-actualization process, ladies. You’ll be receiving a bill from me shortly.

Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Cat asks Nigel what the dancers will take away from this show, and he interviews that they are very lucky to be a part of it. He tells us that “last night, in their infinite wisdom, the American networks placed FIVE talent shows on against each other. And whoever goes home tonight can go home knowing that they were on America’s number-one show last night.” Ow. That was a really heavy-handed way of getting in that plug. I’m so sure that whoever gets booted off the show tonight will be totally consoled by that knowledge. Thanks a lot. Nigel, on the other hand, is practically peeing his pants with fatherly pride over his show. Well, okay. You can have a clap too, Nigel. Clap.

Olisa interviews that the business is tough, and it’s tough to know who to vote for. Cecily (!) interviews that the show is tough on the dancers. Jean-Marc says it was a great night last night, but the highlights were the two Mia Michaels numbers. Ugh – I agree about the park-bench one, but that eye-patch dance was a hot mess. There were some amazing moves, but the overall effect was tough to appreciate without hard drugs. Jean-Marc also loved Natalie’s solo, which was fine, but not one of my favorites.

Cat recaps last night’s show. It’s the standard Thursday recap of Wednesday; as always, there are just a few seconds of previously unaired backstage footage, none of which is interesting tonight. Of course it isn’t – we no longer have Musa around to provide the producers with hot, sexy moments like Musa offering Natalie a glass of water, or Natalie making an adorable face at Musa. When the recap ends, Cat has the five girls lined up onstage. They are all wearing their solo outfits from last night. Why do they have to do that? That seems potentially unhygienic, but more importantly, it’s boring for me. I demand more outfits! We go to commercial without finding anything out.

After the break, all ten dancers are seated onstage in a row. Cat says she’s about to reveal the bottom two girls. She calls Donyelle forward and boringly recites a description of Donyelle’s dances and her jidges’ comments from last night. Donyelle is safe. Yawn.

Martha is next. She’s in the bottom two, obviously. Aw, this is going to be sad. Martha has to go stand in the Danger Zone. Next is Allison; obviously, she’s safe, since revealing the second person in the bottom two now would kill the suspense. Cat confirms this, and Allison joins Donyelle in the happy place. So it comes down to Heidi and Natalie, and I end up totally surprised, because Heidi is safe, and Natalie joins Martha in the bottom two. Well, Heidi is the better dancer, so I guess “America” deserves some credit.

Now that Natalie is in the bottom two, things look even worse for Martha. Natalie looks pretty stunned. The judges deliver a bunch of platitudes about how life is tough, and this show is tough, and all of the dancers are great, but someone has to go home. Then Cat draws our attention to the five guys, who are still sitting in a row, and we go to commercial.

After we come back, Cat tells us that the bottom two girls will be dancing again before the end of the show. Why? It’s too late for them to change the outcome, so I think that’s mean. I guess it’s a good test of how they perform under pressure. We move on to the guys. Cat calls Ryan up first. I hope this means he’s safe – he has really grown on me, with his underdogginess. But he is NOT safe; he’s sent to the Danger Zone, and he almost cries. Well, that’s lame. Now we know that the next two people Cat calls up will be safe.

Travis is next, and he’s safe. Then Benji. Also safe. It comes down to Dmitry and Ivan, and I get another big surprise when Dmitry gets sent off to the Danger Zone with Ryan. Y’all, I was ready for Ivan to go. The more I think about those wheely shoes, the more they annoy me, but I guess “America” doesn’t agree.

As with Natalie and Martha, it would appear that Dmitry’s presence in the Danger Zone is bad news for Ryan. I’m not that sad about Martha, but I am about Ryan. I hope Dmitry goes home. I’ve had enough of his smugness and his stupid bare chest. Even now, he’s grinning like an idiot. Nigel interviews that he can’t wait to see the final solos; he clarifies that these solos won’t make any difference to the outcome. Cat lectures me for not voting. I’m sorry, Ryan!

Welcome to Loserville. Population: You.

It’s solo time! Martha is going first. Ack – the reason they are wearing last night’s outfits is that they’re doing last night’s dances. Fortunately, Martha has abandoned the gigantic green hat. That’s not a rules violation? Her dance is a lot more nonchalant tonight, and accordingly, she doesn’t cry afterward. I think it stinks that they aren’t doing new solos. I mean, it’s only thirty seconds, and you’re allowed to improvise. Why make the audience look at the same clothes and listen to the same song?

Nigel says that Martha is only nineteen and will have a great career. Wow, I had no idea she was so young. It’s pretty sad the way that Nigel is saying farewell to her, though. Do y’all think we can safely assume that Nigel already knows which of the bottom two is going home? It seems like a bad idea to let him have that information, because he is virtually guaranteed to give it away with his comments.

Ryan does his Jamiroquai routine and it is still great. He isn’t really trying to “connect with the audience,” but he gives a cute smile at the end. Cecily and Olisa claim that Ryan DID show soul in his face, and so forth. Everyone says that Ryan is a great dancer and will go far professionally. Jean-Marc makes a quite-perceptive comment about how Ryan is a star “when he is in a great mood.”

Natalie’s next, and she starts by flashing her crotch again. Honestly, that seems like the type of thing she should have learned NOT to do from watching last night’s show, or at least from having somebody tell her about last night’s show. Nigel gushes over Natalie, and so does everybody else. Nobody bothers to eulogize Natalie with encouraging comments about her future career, so I think that’s a pretty big clue that she isn’t leaving.

Let’s just hope she never gets her hands on an ice pick.

Dmitry’s solo is still awesome. But I only want to know one thing: Will he rip his shirt open at the end again? If he does, it becomes officially non-spontaneous and 1,000 times more lame than it was when he did it last night. Especially since Nigel specifically disparaged the bare chest as a gimmick. In the end, Dmitry delivers a win. He grabs his shirt as if to rip it open, then stops at the last minute, shakes his head, and waggles his finger “no.” Good for you, Dmitry. Who knew you were that funny? (And was that really your own idea?)

Cat calls Dmitry “cheeky.” Dmitry interviews that Thursday has become the dancers’ least favorite day of the week, because they hate it when people go home. Nigel says that whoever leaves tonight will not be gone for good, because “they” are “trying to put together a tour of the top ten to go around the country.” Oh MAN – I have got to try to go to that. Also, I love how utterly scripted these interviews are. For some reason, Nigel doesn’t like to just come out and tell us information about the format, or the ratings, or the future of the show. Instead, Cat always asks him some carefully designed interview question that just HAPPENS to elicit the needed information. This show is so meta.

If the top ten dancers go on tour, will Nigel be there? I bet he won’t. Pout. You know who else won’t be there? Ashlee. I think that sucks.

Nigel goes on to say that America has not yet seen the real Dmitry, who has a great sense of humor that is sometimes obscured by his Russian accent. Yeah, he’s a regular Yakov Smirnoff. Cecily says that Dmitry has a lot of charisma. Olisa tells Dmitry not to be “discovered,” but she means to say “discouraged.” Jean-Marc says Dmitry has learned a lot, and he doesn’t think Dmitry will be going home. I am guessing that Nigel does know who is leaving, but Jean-Marc doesn’t. Ah, the hierarchy of the jidges. I hope there’s tons of infighting among them. Why do we never get any backstage footage of that?

By the way, Dmitry has had his arm around Cat this whole time. Someone posted about these two in the comments, and I have to agree that they are the hot new couple of this show. The producers probably assigned Dmitry to woo Cat after we lost Musa. I can just see Nigel in a planning meeting: “Quick! We need a new heterosexual love story! Who looks the cutest with Dmitry?”

Was it good for you?

It’s time for the musical guest. This week, I have never, ever, ever heard of the musical guest. I know I said I didn’t know who Ne-Yo was before, and that was true, but I had at least seen his name. I actually knew how to spell it without looking it up. This week, I can once again spell the name of the musical guest, but that’s only because his name is Chris Brown. And who knows – I might be spelling that wrong, for all I know, especially on this show. It might be Khrysss Brounne.

We get an extended intro about Chris Brown. I’m not sure whether this is because NO ONE knows who he is, or just to fill time. If it’s the former, does this mean that So You Think You Can Dance has already exhausted its supply of famous musical guests? I mean, up until the finale, when they will obviously be bringing out a cryogenically frozen Celine Dion?

We learn that Chris Brown started out as a street dancer. Here is a direct quote from the man himself: “My friends, like, they always supported me with my dance, and they always looked at me like, ‘Aw, Chris, man, Chris, you dope, you dope.’” In support of Chris’s friends and their opinions, Chris does seem to be a good dancer and a good singer, albeit not the world’s greatest speaker. He is apparently quite young – Cat says he broke through at sixteen, although she doesn’t say how long ago that was. So I guess I can excuse his lack of eloquence.

Chris explains it all.

Chris’s performance is fine. I have nothing to say about the song; he doesn’t amuse me like Ne-Yo did by dressing up his backup dancers in ridiculous hats. Unfortunately, Chris himself is wearing a non-approved Yankees hat. People, what is so bad about navy and white? You know, the actual team colors? Some of Chris’s dance moves are pretty awesome. At first I think he’s wearing a shirt with beer cans on it, which might be mildly scandalous if he’s sixteen, but then I figure out that it says “Billionaireboysclub” and it pictures rolls of cash. I am unable to fabricate a scandal about this, no matter how hard I try. The jidges give Chris a standing “O” and I notice that Jean-Marc is really short.

Cat interviews Nigel about how it feels to no longer be in control of who gets eliminated. He jokes that he is a control freak. Why do I think that this is not really a joke? Nigel explains that America might vote on entertainment value, rather than dance ability. I think he’s trying to say, “Don’t blame me for what happens – it’s your own stupid fault.”

Cat calls up Martha and Natalie. Without much muss or fuss, she announces that Martha is going home. Both girls cry, but Natalie cries more. That girl is like a faucet. Martha handles everything fine – I think she got her freakout out of her system last night. We see her clip package and I remain in awe of her body. Martha does her Gwen Stefani dance again. Three times in a twenty-four-hour period is too many.

Guess which one of these girls just got voted off the show.

And now, the boys. Drum roll…. Dmitry gets the boot! I’m fairly stunned, but it certainly does seem to fit with Nigel’s comments about how America never got to see Dmitry’s true personality, and how America is too dumb to vote based on technical ability. Methinks Nigel is not happy with this result. I, however, am. Yes, Dmitry is a better dancer than Ryan, but Dmitry is full of himself, and America hates that. Right, America? I still think Ivan would have been a better choice for ejection, but Dmitry is just fine with me. As per usual, we get a close-up of Natalie sobbing. Maybe she can’t find her scrunchie.

Uh-oh. Where will Nigel get his testosterone fix now? We’re left with Benji, Travis, Ryan, and Ivan. I have no clue about anyone’s actual orientation, but I don’t exactly see a chiseled-jaw type left in that bunch. And I’m glad. Maybe now the producers can stop trying to cram fake couples down our throats and just let the show be about dancing, which is not a particularly macho pastime in most circles. There are enough of us girly types watching to give you your “number-one show,” NIGEL. Believe it or not, straight women can actually watch television without needing a Prince Charming character on the screen at all times. And – dare I assume this? – straight men can also watch television without needing a studly John Wayne figure to emulate. And also, gay people watch TV too. Okay, that’s the end of my semi-political rant. But I think you can all get a sense of what my platform is going to be when I’m appointed Minister of Reality Shows.

Ryan hugs Cat and almost knocks her off her stilettos. Ha. Dmitry seems completely unfazed by his elimination. The four non-eliminated guys crack me up by miming that Dmitry should rip his shirt off. We see Dmitry’s clip package, and I could watch that man-dress routine five zillion times without ever getting bored. We see Aleks in the Corpse Bride routine – there’s a blast from the past. Dmitry does his final solo. They screw up his music twice, but he handles it like a pro. Of course, he rips his shirt off at the end. I bet this is going to be Dmitry’s signature move in the top-ten tour. I can’t WAIT. Guess you’ll be doing that move for the rest of your life, Dmitry. I hope it was worth it.

Giving the people what they want. Except they don’t want it.

Comments (36)
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36 Comments

1

bluebell

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:15 am

Great recap — and so quick!! I have to say that I am new to this show, not having watched last year. And I love it! Missed the group dance last night, tho, and I’m bummed because it sounded pretty cool from your description, Amanda.

For me, Martha was the girl to go last night, although Natalie is so fake, I wouldn’t have been upset if she went instead. Did you catch her when they announced that Dimitry was leaving. She was primping her hair (and NOT crying, amazingly) and as soon as the camera fixed on her and she saw it was on her, she started with the waterworks. Ugh. Heidi has really grown on me, especially with this week’s park-bench dance. You could see how uncomfortable she was with the contemporary dance, but she still did it well. My fav girl is still Donyelle. You go, girl!

As for the guys, it was really a toss-up. But I think that Dimitry was a good pick to go. He was too one-dimensional and didn’t look good do any dance other than ballroom. Ryan has great form and wasn’t bad in the other categories, despite all the slamming from the judges on his performances.
2

bluebell

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:22 am

Rats — posted too soon!

One more thought — the remaining guys on the show were WAY too excited when Dimitry ripped off his shirt at the end. Did you all see the giddiness, especially from Travis? Hmmm. And Ivan jumping into Dimitry’s arms? What the? I like Ivan and am glad he wasn’t eliminated this week, because his contemporary dance with Allison was super. But if I had to say which guy I want to win, it would have to be Benji. He really is very good.

And I meant to say that Dimitry didn’t look good DOING any dance other than ballroom. Sorry — I’m a little slow this mornng!
3

Lisaebby

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:32 am

First time poster here. I was surprised that you didn’t mention Natalie’s leg. It was wrapped on Wednesday night’s show, she was missing from the Thriller Dance number and at the end of last night’s show, she clearly had an ice pack stuck in the ace bandage. I think maybe some of her crying after her solo could have been “pain” related???

Also, I truly thought Ryan danced more relaxed after he was put in the bottom 4 thinking it could be his last night on the show. It just seemed like he was smiling more and I thought he may have been thinking, “Yeah, I’m off this stupid TV show and can get on with my career.” He DID look much happier than he has every week.

I thought he looked surprised and somewhat dejected that he was still on the show when Dimitry got the boot. Anyone else?
4

unwise

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:46 am

The choreographer, Wade Robson, is the former BFF to Justin Timberlake. He was rumored to have slept with Britney while she and JT were together, causing their break-up.
5

aloveaffairwithtivo

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:57 am

Thanks for the recap!!! Chris Brown has had at least 2 popular songs this year. Amanda, I am guessing you don’t listen to a “Kiss” station near you because he is usually all over those types of stations All of the musical acts that they have had on the show so far have a popular song currently on the airwaves. They don’t get the musical guests of American Idol, but I think they do alright in terms of booking “popular” artists that have fans in the same target audience as they are trying to get on the show.
6

kristin_d_l

Posted July 21, 2006 at 7:22 am

I just have to say, I can’t stand Ivan. It’s like having a gas station attendant matched up against throng of Nobel Prize winners in a contest to cure cancer. He is so underqualified. And, what I don’t think is fair is that they dumb down the choreography for him, but make Ryan do that insane Mia Michaels stuff. Beside the fact that I don’t want to watch dumbed down choreography, it also just doesn’t seem fair to the other dancers to let Ivan just “skate.”

And, for the record, I own Chris Brown’s cd and it’s actually pretty good.
7

Tierra

Posted July 21, 2006 at 7:34 am

I was shocked that Dmitry landed in the bottom two. Ryan, sure. He’s always sweating, and his distant glassy-eyed look makes me wonder how he stays so thin, if you know what I mean. He’s pretty creepy. Regardless, I found myself rooting for Just [Didn't] Say No Ryan over Low Budget Governator Dmitry. Shirt or not, that kid has played D&D at least twelve times in his life, and I’m sick of seeing his man-boobs. Too bad Travis is such a good dancer. I’ve hated that sissy unicorn looking boy since he made that wildly offensive comment about krumping – it brings out his “King Kong” monkey side? White boy, please.

I have to confess, though: Heidi and Natalie (in that order) are my two favorite dancers on the show (with Benji in distant third). I’ve noticed that everyone hates Heidi for some kah-raaazy reason, so I was expecting her to be in the bottom two. Which is a little ridiculous, because she’s a six-time U.S. champion in Latin ballroom, but hey. I’m from a blue state – what do I know? But Natalie? Come on, America! Allison is not that good and Donyelle has lost all her charm without Benji. At least Sad Sam Martha’s finally gone. She’s been killing my buzz for six weeks.
8

unwise

Posted July 21, 2006 at 7:49 am

Also, Wade Robson visited Neverland Ranch in his childhood and had to testify at Michael Jackson’s molestation trial.

The sad part of it is that I didn’t have to Google for this information. This and many other nuggets of useless celebrity trivia are locked away in my brain, just waiting for their chance to pop out at parties and now in the blogosphere.
9

Trent880

Posted July 21, 2006 at 8:31 am

Not gonna lie…the only reason I watched this show was Dimitri. He was my Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle, except hotter, and male. And not ever wearing a dress. He was the only reason I watched this show, well besides finding out how Mary’s drug cocktail would manifest itself every week. Though tacky, I’m going to miss that bare chest. CALL ME!!!
10

Clair

Posted July 21, 2006 at 8:51 am

Excellent recap Future Minister of Reality Shows.
11

BSL

Posted July 21, 2006 at 9:10 am

OMG, I just had a TVGasm reading about them touring!!!! (I fastforward through 50% of it.) Is anyone in the DC area so we can go together to lessen the shame???

Ok, on to the show. I thought Chris Brown rocked – not only was he singing live (RIHANNA) but he also danced (RIHANNA and NELLY FURTADO – stucking your butt out isn’t dancing). I was impressed but disappointed he didn’t sing Run It. “I got friends and you got friends (WORD)”

I think Americer made the right choice – I’ve voiced my love for Ryan before. I’m curious about his sexuality. He gives off a hetero vibe and remember in the beginning when he lusted after Natalie? But really, would any straight man where those biker shorts from the Mia Michaels routine? Just curious.

I’m so over Ivan too. I’ll give him props for wanting to learn other dances (unlike Musa) but the roller shoes was a big thumbs down.

I can’t believe they make the loser do the same routine AGAIN! Why can’t she freestyle?

Didn’t Wade Robinson have a reality show on MTV about dancing? Does anyone else remember that? That’s it for now, I’ll think of more later. Great job!!!
12

JaxMcG

Posted July 21, 2006 at 9:14 am

Yes, Wade did have a reality dancing show on MTV. It had something to do with competitions and I don’t believe there was a returning block of dancers, its changed every episode. I could be wrong about that. He’s actually a pretty famous choreographer – he did a ton of N’Sync dances if I remember correctly and during that era was really popular for video choreography. He definitely wanted to be Justin for a while though – even copied the blonde curly hair at some point I think and doubled for him in stunts in videos.
13

evilmishie

Posted July 21, 2006 at 9:29 am

Is Dmitry finally gone? *breathes a sigh of relief* Now I don’t have to sit through uncomfortable and awkward and very random shirt-ripping. On the other hand… what a shame. :/ I would have traded Ivan out for Dmitry. (Shirt-ripping > skates, any day in my book.) I wanted Musa in the top ten instead of Ivan. :/ But Ivan did have some good moments with the contemporary and the Argentine tango… So, whatever.

Ryan dances beautifully, but I don’t feel like he is very memorable at all…

All I can remember about Allison is her hair–she never ties her hair up during her solos so the hair gets flung around. It makes her look crazy…
14

biancaneve

Posted July 21, 2006 at 9:38 am

BSL – My sister and I are in the DC area and we should definitely get together for the tour! I wouldn’t be caught dead at an American Idol tour, but I really really really want to see Benji, Dmitri, Donyelle and the gang!

Ivan should have gone home last night – he’s so lame. I don’t know who his fan base is – I don’t think he’s a convincing dancer in any genre, not even hip hop, which is supposed to be his specialty. Dmitri is a a great dancer, though he seemed to be coasting on his abs and sex appeal.

Of the girls, I like Heidi and Donyelle best. Heidi’s a great dancer and Donyelle has tons o’ personality.

But really, Benji is the best – okay, he’s a geek, but he’s a great dancer, always entertaining and loads of personality.
15

monkeypeanut

Posted July 21, 2006 at 10:02 am

Americker got it right. Dmitry is a hottie, but I just don’t see him as the best fit for a Celine Dion show in Vegas. And Martha is a great dancer, but the 2-Headed Monster jidjes are right, she just doesn’t show her personality.

Ivan has to go next, maybe even Ryan. Ryan is spacey. And of the girls, I’m thinking Natalie should go next, even though she’s fabulous. Who else is tired of her “I’m so cute” mugging for the camera? Bleh.

Great recap, Amanda. So quick, so funny, so 10,000 Maniacs caption-tastic!
16

shellyac

Posted July 21, 2006 at 10:07 am

Hey BSL,

I’m a fellow DC area Junkie and I would proud to attend the show with you. This show has got me acting like a 12 year old and I’m having a hard time finding other people to jump on board with me.

Everytime I think I’ve got myself under control something like the opening dance comes along and sets me off again.

I really hope that the producers figure out something new to fill out the hour because one final dance by each of the bottom two is barely tolerable (I mean viewers didn’t like the solo enough the first time around to vote like mad, so I’m sure that they aren’t all that excited to see it a second time) and the third time seemed like an insult to the viewes and an embarassment to the dancers.

And to the Future Minister of Reality Show keep up the great work.
17

tvtvtv

Posted July 21, 2006 at 11:02 am

KDL (#6), during the Ivan-on-wheels stunt, I kept picturing the producers having intense discussions beforehand about whether to approve it: “Well yes, it’s totally unfair, but I hear those roller skate-tennis-shoe-things are really big with the crazy kids these days…could be a ratings goldmine!”

My guess is that Americer doesn’t like Natalie because she is most definitely NOT any kind of underdog. She’s trying way too hard and I don’t buy all these tortured emotions … I’m thinking her toughest life experience involved a broken nail.
18

BSL

Posted July 21, 2006 at 11:34 am

Ok, Biancaneve and Shellyac – I won’t be forgetting about this! Maybe we can dress up like our favorite SYTYCD routine…ok, I’ll stop now.
19

kristin_d_l

Posted July 21, 2006 at 2:07 pm

Wade Robson’s show was called the Wade Robson Project, and it was pretty lame. I only watched it once because I have an odd affinity for JC Chasez (sue me), and he was a guest host or judge on one of the episodes. (I can’t believe I admitted that, but, at the same time, it’s no worse than my SYTYCD obsession.)

The funny thing about Dmitry – he only actually “ripped his shirt off” once (other that last night). All other times, it was just open. I hear that’s the “style” for latin dancing. Who knows, but everyone’s gripe of “all he ever did was rip his shirt off” is totally factually incorrect. The one time he DID do it, it must have made quite an impression. Perhaps that was his ultimate downfall.
20

kristin_d_l

Posted July 21, 2006 at 2:09 pm

tvtvtv (#17), maybe next time they’ll let Ivan use one of the other dancers as a prop. He can sit on the stage in a folding chair while Benji or Allison dances around him.
21

georgiababe

Posted July 21, 2006 at 2:29 pm

I think Americer made the right choice – I’ve voiced my love for Ryan before. I’m curious about his sexuality. He gives off a hetero vibe and remember in the beginning when he lusted after Natalie? But really, would any straight man where those biker shorts from the Mia Michaels routine? Just curious. – BSL, #11

Actually, I’m sure that straight men would wear biker shorts, if by doing it they could get what they wanted. Ryan is on the show and I’m sure that he wants to win, so why would he refuse to wear those shorts and potentially hurt his chances? And if he picked them out himself, it’s quite possible that he did it so that he could show off his legs, to make sure that everyone can see his extensions properly. That’s why ballet dancers (even the men) wear tights – to show off, basically. And in competition, you must wear tights so that the adjudicator can make sure that your legs are straight and whatnot.

Just some random info to explain why Ryan (if he is straight) would choose to wear such a revealing costume.

~Georgia~
22

marge

Posted July 21, 2006 at 3:53 pm

Ryan ain’t straight, y’all.
23

tulipifera

Posted July 21, 2006 at 5:58 pm

Martha was actually one of my favorite dancers in the beginning of the show and I’m really sad to see her go. She’s extremely talented. But maybe she’s giving up as the show progresses … I noticed she looked dejected and non-energetic a lot of times.

I absolutely loved the opening dance by Wade Robson. For those of you who missed it, Wade put up a clip of the dance on his website: http://www.waderobson.com. Watch it, because it’s to die for (pun not intended).

I actually think Travis is hot. Is he gay or straight? Dmitry’s chest-baring act became a little old after a while. It’s sad that he had to rely on wooing the ladies to win the competition instead of on his dancing talent. I think America got it right though when Dmitry got booted off. He’s a great dancer (and has a nice bod) but his talent is limited to ballroom dancing.

I love Benji (he’s #2 on my list) but I’m rooting for Heidi to win. Lastly, Allison is my #3. You gotta admit she’s a great sport and has talent.

I love this show! Good job on the recaps.
24

tulipifera

Posted July 21, 2006 at 6:05 pm

By the way Amanda, where did you get these pics? I went to the official website of SYTYCD but they don’t have pics for us to download.

One more thing — I don’t know why a lot of people like Donyelle. Yes she has personality, but she’s nowhere as talented as say, Heidi or Allison. She’s not half as graceful and a lot of times her dancing is too wild and messy than what was appropriate for the style.

I have a feeling Benji will win the contest at the end. I wonder how the other contestants feel knowing that all their efforts may come to nothing since everyone at this point is rooting for Benji?

Can’t blame ‘em. I like Benji too. He has the whole package.
25

zoobabe

Posted July 21, 2006 at 8:33 pm

Great recap Amanda! I started watching this show b/c of what I read about it here and I have to say that Travis is still my favorite guy and Donyelle my favorite girl. Benji and Heidi are close seconds. I have yet to vote, but maybe I will as the contest goes on.
26

Memememe

Posted July 22, 2006 at 11:57 am

Silly factoid. I watched again: Cicely called Dmitry “Demetrious” after each of his performances.
27

kristin_d_l

Posted July 22, 2006 at 2:08 pm

Memememe (#26), Cicely also called Donyelle “Danielle” several times. The funniest part, however, was when she pointed at Ryan and called him “you.” I’m about 99.9% sure she forgot his name completely.
28

treez

Posted July 22, 2006 at 8:30 pm

Amanda?!? Where have you been? Chris Brown is pretty goshdarned famous now…he has had three hits so far: Run It, Yo, and now Gimme That. And Run It was insanely popular. El fin. Now as far as Wade Robson goes, he was an insanely popular choreographer, even having his own show (The Wade Robson Project) But after the whole Britney Justin love triangle he kind of disappeared. Methinks Justin pulled some strings and got him blacklisted. So yay for him for finding some work. Haha! My fav dancers are Travis and Natalie, though I will quickly jump over to Heidi or Allison if Natalie keeps crying all the friggin time. Its annoying. And it was Dmitrys turn to go home for sure. As a dancer, I can tell that Ryan is a MUCH better all around dancer. Dmitry can just do ballroom, though he is extremely entertaining. Next Ivan needs to go home. Anyways, whos down for seeing them on tour?? Loves it!
29

Skee-lo

Posted July 23, 2006 at 9:01 pm

“I actually think Travis is hot. Is he gay or straight?” [tulipifera]

Really? Really??? You can’t tell? Have you ever met a gay person? Travis is GAY GAY GAY! In fact, I’m fairly certain that Ivan is the only straight boy left. I have some minor doubts about Benji being in that hazy middle ground between total geek and total queer, but I imagine he himself doesn’t know yet, as he is most likely “saving himself for marriage.” $20 says that in 15 years, Benji will be leading his church choir in a totally self-deluded rendition of “Jesus Doesn’t Love The
Homos.” Still, he is an amazing dancer, and I really enjoy watching him perform. Perhaps if the target audience of this show wasn’t 13 year old girls, we might have been given a more frank picture of the contestants’ sexuality. But Travis? COME ON. Did you not see the episode where he was crying because his mom was in the audience and he dedicated his dance career to her?

I’m glad MArtha and Dmitry are gone. Martha was really dull, and I really think that the same fashion police who busted Ashlee for her horrendous clothes/hair styles must have come after Martha for the pseudo-transexual Joker outfit she wore for her solo. With all the gay boys around, you think some would have told her to lose that wretched hat. And the bustier with the dollar sign on it? Umm…what? Dmitry was just gross after awhile. Every time he preformed, all I could think was, “Hmm, does he shave or wax his chest?” Bleh.
I don’t know why people are hating on Ivan, I think he’s really adorable, although the thought of him being in a Celine Dion show is ridiculous. I actually think that with that in mind as the final goal, I can only really see Travis, Natalie, or Allison winning; they’re the only ones that fit the part.
30

KHA22

Posted July 25, 2006 at 7:40 am

QUESTION: Is “Jaymz” in the new GAP commercial?? Has anyone else noticed the uncanny resemblance??
31

Loo

Posted July 26, 2006 at 9:09 am

I was very sorry to see Martha go, as she was one of the best dancers on the show. But something happened, and she didn’t sustain her edge.

As for why people don’t like Heidi–she’s too forced. Everything seems unnatural. She reminds me of the cheerleader who has to be cheerleader or face a life of complete ruin. It’s not attractive.
32

Fuxy

Posted July 28, 2006 at 12:02 am

I’m a tad late, but Martha should’ve gone long ago. The arms. They look like long, heavy, baseball bats, and her hands are totally huge and manly! Her feet are always turned in and her expressions are forced (in the rare occasions she HAS any on her face). Good riddance.
33

tee-on-uh

Posted July 28, 2006 at 9:28 pm

for the beginning act you were talking about, the weird zombie thing, i want to know the effing song for that, it was really awesome, i know it was something like ramba lamba bang bang, does anyone know how i can find that damned song!! ive looked high and low, please respond back to me if you can help. email: smart_arse8@hotmail.com
34

Jennifer

Posted July 30, 2006 at 6:32 am

I emailed you, tee-on-uh. But if anyone else is interested, its Ramalama (Bang Bang) by Roisin Murphy off her Ruby Blue album.
35

AufWithHisHead

Posted July 30, 2006 at 8:50 pm

I think Martha has a great body–very toned and athletic. I wonder how many of us look better?
36

nonnaDodyToug

Posted February 7, 2008 at 2:58 am

Hi there,
So, let’s chat! What’s going on?

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Apartamentos en Colombia