I've said this other places and I'll say it here, too. I DVR the show so I can start it later and skip all the extraneous crap like a lot of the judges comments and the rehearsal footage.

When Melissa and Ade's dance was over I thought it was a good dance and then you see everyone crying. I thought that I had got it wrong again with what makes a dance good. Nope, I just missed the back story. I didn't cry because I didn't know it was about cancer. Silly me. Guess I wasn't manipulated because of that.

Oh, and Nigel's comment about bringing the situation to light, or some such crap like that was ridiculous. Breast cancer fund raisers and awareness campaigns are everywhere.

Last but not least, I actually liked the zombie dance the best this week. For whatever that is worth.

I am soooo glad I am not the only one who was a little disgusted by the "cancer dancers." I found that Tyce's decision to have a healthy woman, with glowing skin (as opposed to, say, how Kayla looked in the Addiction piece) leaping around the stage in a headscarf and what was too close for comfort to a diaper was pretty insulting to me (won't speak for everyone who has been through this). Maybe Tyce's experience with cancer was a lot prettier than mine, but I think a more realistic portrayal (again, the Addiction piece comes to mind), rather than this pretty whitewashed BS would have been more of a tribute to his friend.
On the other hand, Kat finally earned my respect by being the one person who did not make a big, screaming deal about this BS.
Also, though my run-on sentences may brand me a hypocrite, it also drives me insane when Mary uses adjectives when she should be using adverbs. Ly, Mary, ly.

I only got to page 6 (dont have time to read the rest of it), but I just have to say this

"He makes a comment under his breath to Mary that just about makes me barf. "The doctor will see you later." Are those two doing it?!?!?"

I thought the exact same thing last week with the whole hair pick/undressing Mary thing!

I totally agree with Mary's grammar problem. It drives me insane! And I'm glad I'm not the only one who was underwhelmed by the cancer theme. It was danced beautifully, but come on... the whole thing was a manipulative crock of poo. Yes, I welled up a little, but only because Nigel made me. Asshole.

As for Shane Sparks best routine, I would have said that Sabra and Dominic's "Make it Work" was my favorite, but that ushered in the era of Tabolean, and I sort of hate their hip-hop light style (with a few notable exceptions). I loved his season 3 group dance to Wade Robson's "It Was All in Your Mind," so I'll throw that out there as his best, but the zombie routine this week was truly outstanding.

Great recap as always -- the best recaps are always written by people who clearly love the show, yet can see the humor and snarkiness in it. I look forward every week to your recaps....

Most importantly, Hugh Jackman pix NEVER get old. I always laugh, and ALWAYS appreciate the beauty.

I did really enjoy the Shane Sparks number, but I still think my favorite dance by him was Pasha and Lauren's Transformer piece. Yes, I know, Lauren. I couldn't stand her either, but I loved that number!

I actually did not think that Tyce's number was overly manipulative; isn't dance supposed to evoke emotion when it's not always possible to put it into words? It doesn't always effect everyone the same way, but bringing light to subjects can happen in many ways, including dancing. I'm a bit of a an emotional sap, but I was still moved by it

I have to say i'm glad that these recaps are posted on the weekends so I won't be caught not working by LOLing at work.
And ooh a Danny pic! I'm alright with both Danny & Hugh coming up every now and then. Nope, i don't mind at all. =D

The cancer schtick. Ohboy.. I always dvr SYTYCD so I just skip a lot of it. I heard Tyce say Cancer, and I'm like okay, skip skip and onto the dance... It gave me goose bumps and I really really loved it. BUT, wtf. all the tears. i can understand Mary since i think she's a cancer survivor. but everybody was just so ugh! enough!

Kayla, she's fast becoming my favorite girl. Brandon, I can't stand his personality. I know his dancing is amazing. but I hate that at the end of the solo, he does that "sexy" thing he does. NOT sexy. Ade is okay but I'm losing interest. Melissa I love but winning this competition is not for her. Neither is Evan. So I'm hoping it'll be either Jeanine or Kayla. But Jeanine is more deserving.

What does "LY" mean?

Was the second (way too slow) song from LOTR? The geek in me liked that, but I agree that it was totally the wrong music for that dance and helped make it a yawn.

I thought Evan and Jason brought it a little more personality wise than I've seen before (although Jason really started bringing it last week, and I agree that I liked Kayla and Jeannine's solos best), but Evan just isn't that "schtrong" (to use Mary's messed-up "st" pronunciation) in any genre but his own. I don't quite get his popularity, although he seems like a decent, humble guy.

I love reading your recaps. I know practically nothing about dance, and I don't really trust the judges to give the complete picture, so reading it here really helps.

"May it Be" was LOTR, and it was originally sung by Enya. I don't know why they seem to like using redone versions better, but there it is. It's still slow either way.

I have a question though. Is there any particular reason they tend to tip the camera at an angle while they're dancing? I sit through half of it with my head cocked to the side and hoping it doesn't freeze that way.

Fab recap, PM! You especially had me literally LOL with all the Mia shots -- especially the one about her being nominated for 3 Emmys and 1 Lifetime Bitch Award!

And another level of creativity with the Hugh insertions -- my only criticisms is maybe shrink the dancers pics and enlarge the thought bubbles....just a thought :)

I also love your thorough knowledge of the history of the show. I thought Nigel's comments about the rumba being a kiss of death type dance were a little suspect.

Ok as for the dancing, I have to talk about Melissa first, because the girl has officially entered the near-Lauren zone for me. She hasn't reached full Lauren status in my books because she seems like a much less annoying person, but I was pissed on all fronts with her this week (most of which was not her fault): pissed that she got Ade again (tell me that was just a "random" advantage; pissed that she got yet another contemporary dance, pissed that she got an emotionally-manipulative contemporary dance (although I will admit, she and Ade danced it beautifully), pissed that she sucked majorly in the chacha, yet Mia completely dissed Ade and tonguebathed her, and pissed that her solo sucked so bad after she started making me like her as a dancer and expecting more from her last week. Oh, and also pissed that the judges keep treating Ade like he's nothing more than a beast of burden whose main value is to literally carry Melissa around and make her look good. I felt so bad for him getting stuck with Melissa again after he'd had a chance to break free of being in her shaddow with the judges for a whole single week. Oh, and do you realize that Melissa is the first person to make top ___ (fake attempt to conceal the spoiler for results show) without having danced hiphop? Ridiculous!

Ok, done with that rant. Kayla and Jason shocked me with how good their hiphop was. I also liked their broadway -- Jason was really good for me, although I think that Kayla was not jazzy enough in parts, if that makes any sense.

I wanted more from Brandon and Janine. I think they lacked chemistry. But I think that they had nice parts in their waltz (I confess to not paying full attention) and whatever was wrong with it was mostly due to the song/choreographer. The popjazz was good, but could have been so much better if they'd let go more and had more chemistry with each other.

Brandon's was my favourite solo of the night, followed by Ade and Jeanine. I still want Jeanine to win.

I was rooting for Evan for a long time, but he just doesn't seem to be growing. He didn't have the sexiness or edginess to pull off either of his dances this week, and his technique was just ok. So I'm ready for him to go! I think he's the weakest male of the top 8 (sweet and humble and talented though he is).

I was shocked that Nigel dissed Naps and Tabs too -- wow! He's really gotten bitchy this year. I enjoyed Ellen being on the show more than I thought I would. She was basically the comic relief/ego booster, but given the nonsense spewed by the other judges most of the time her comments were pretty much equal to theirs in relevance.

Did you know that Cat is hosting a gameshow called 20Q? I saw it at my parents' this weekend. Didn't enjoy her as much as I do on SYTYCD, but at least she's getting work, right?

@ Allison: the "LY" is for the end of a word, to turn it from an adjective to an adverb. Mary always says things like "I think that was danced just beautiful," or "The extension in your arms was not done proper," etc... when it should be beautifulLY or properLY.

She needs to learn to speak correctLY.

here4beer: Ah! Thank you! It just kind of slipped by me...

Hadhas: I, too, was wondering about the camera angles--this week was particularLY odd, it seemed.

PM…outstanding recap, as always.

I didn't like Travis's piece. I felt is was pedestrian. His work last week was vastly superior.

Evan's solos are excellent (does his brother choreograph for him?) but his pairs work is lacking at this point. His movements when dancing (as part of a couple) often seem unfinished. Look how dead his hand is in the still used from the rumba. I think he's now getting by because a certain faction of the audience (of whom I am not a member) find him cute. I like him...but not enough to think he should win.

Jeanine’s solo was far and away the best amongst the girls.

Brandon used his music best this week. Even his back flips were on the beat.

Melissa and Ade's first piece was awful. And their second, had I not heard the intro, I would never have known was about cancer (in spite of the cancer scarf.) If you watch, the movements are really no different than many other contemporary pieces we’ve seen on this show. Well choreographed, but not that impressive. Did I cry? Yes…not because of the dancing, but because I am a contact crier who has buried far too many members of my own family this last year. (And, yes…one of them died from cancer. It was brutal.) My grief is fresh, and comes out easily. Based on the dancing, and absent the emotional response from the explanation, Melissa and Ade should go home. As for Melissa’s solos, I think the “more” you’re left wanting, Pottymouth, is a BETTER ballerina. She’s not that great of an example of one. She’s very limited.

I felt more manipulated, too, by the assault on my eardrums. Stop with the AI cross-promotion already.

I thought Kayla and Jason were the best this week. Can’t figure out how he picked her up by the neck without really throttling her. Even the way the make-up department set it up so Kayla could make her mascara smear at the beginning was a great touch.

And it isn’t just Mary’s grammar that’s lacking. Her enunciation is abysmal. If I hear one more time how “shtrong” someone is, I will run screaming into the night.

They need to put a therapist's couch at the judging panel so they can just lie down while giving their reviews. Their reaction to the cancer dance was way over the top. It's a friggin' dance for Pete's sake. Harsh maybe, but I can't stand all the crying and emotional manipulation. It's just irritating. Especially when they admit that their tears are for the subject matter and the actual dance is an afterthought. Now if someone choreographed a routine about losing a computer to a malignant virus I'd probably cry like a baby… but that's another matter.

My favorite piece by far was the Broadway number with Kayla and Jason. I'm a Jeanine fan, but she was horrible in the waltz and had trouble keeping up in the pop jazz number. Her solo kicked butt as usual, but if she continues to unimpress(

And Nigel, if the audience boos you after a harsh critique you have to realize that it is their JOB to try to make the dancers feel better when they receive harsh comments. Heck, most of people in the audience probably agree with you. My point is, responding to boos like a willful child throwing a tantrum is counterproductive, unnecessary and pointless(

I'm feeling extra grumpy and vindictive today. My next post will contain only positive thoughts, I promise.

Oh yeah, Courtney is still hot.

My above post didn't quite take so it might not make sense in parts. I'm too lazy to type it out again. Suffice it to say that the missing parts were brilliant, but what can you do right?

Yes, I know 'unimpress' is not a word. It made sense in the part that got lost, but again, I'm too lazy to go back and re-type it.

So help me, this better take, because I don't want to be here all night explaining my explanations.

The zombie routine > every piece this year.

razzbeth: I liked the zombie routine the best this week too!

messystation: What can I say? Yep. Totally agree, which you already knew from my post. ;)

tv freak: It crossed my mind last week, but I let it go. And then he’s making suggestive comments to her again this week. Pleh.

here4beer: Ooooooo, that’s a good one too! I’m seriously going to go back and rewatch every dance during the off season (month).

rjfrankel: Aww, thanks! I look forward to hearing what you all have to say every week too. Yeah, you all are a bunch of enablers!!

blazergirl: It’s funny, I can’t stand Lauren, but there were some dances she was in that I liked. Yes, dance expresses emotion without words, but my problem is not with the actual dance itself. Rather it’s with the whole backstory leading up to the actual dancing. That was completely unnecessary and manipulative, in my opinion. I was moved also, but I felt forced into it instead of it happening naturally. If that makes sense.

chibby: I was surprised this week at how much I liked Kayla. I thought for sure she was gonna tank when she got hip hop, but she knocked it outta the park for me. I’m still rooting for Jeanine to win the whole shebang though.

Allison: I totally agree about Evan. I actually love him. I think he’s awesome and unique and seems like a sweet kid. But he needs to GO. He is not strong at all outside of his own style which is a huge disappointment.

Hadhas: The camerawork on this show is beyond frustrating. Every week they have some crazy angles, and I always find myself wanting to correct them in my screengrabs. I think THEY think they’re been artistic or something, but I’d much prefer if they’d do less fucked up angles and quick cuts/reaction cuts of the judges and more full length shots with the occasional close up on the dancers’ feet.

Lizbot: I cannot believe that Melissa has never danced hip hop. It really annoys me. I also enjoyed Ellen more than I thought I would, but I have to confess, I do love her. She has that wry sense of humor that I love. Thought bubbles bigger than the people thinking them?!? Insanity!! ;)

cattyfan: I have to think that Ryan choreographs for Evan, which really really makes me want him to make it into the top twenty for season six. I think you’re right about Melissa. Sadly. Is it too much to ask for an awesome ballerina who can dance other styles on this show??

ohhhyeah: Where are the missing parts?!?!?!?!? I’m dying to know what they said!! SHIT!!

tv freak: I’m not ready to say that. I’ll have to look at all the pieces I’ve loved together to make that call. :P

I can’t believe we’ve only got a couple more weeks. You guys are awesome. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here – you truly do make my day.

SWAK, PottyMouth

Actually, you made me think Potty. I think last week's Travis Wall piece was best followed by the zombies.

While I like Ryan and wanted him to make the top 20, I am fearful that he will be Evan 2.0 and last long past his time due to the large fan base.

I hear what you're saying, but I think he may be a bit more versatile. I dunno, I think I'd like to see what he's got.

I AM afraid that the judges will be fearful of that same giant fan base and not put him in for that reason.

I guess we'll find out in two months!

Another outstanding recap! I would have gotten to it earlier, were I not melting in Tacoma...

Thanks!