I'm with you. I thought the first number was fantastic but the show overall was pretty "Meh."

First off, market the Hugh Jackman invitation underwear…I’ll be happy to buy a pair.

You are completely correct about the new theatre. Hate it. They scrapped the very useful staircases…what a stupid choice. The colors are gaudy and distracting.

I completely agree with you on the tap number. I used to teach tap…and this number left me cold. The music was an awful choice, as it obscured the tap sounds. I don’t understand the decision that the only people tapping this season are the dancers who already knew how. Makes very little sense. Especially since tap can actually be broken down to six very basic things (brush, step, toe, heel, etc.) …and everything is just a combination of those six things. Breaking it down this way makes it quick to teach.

As for the rest of the show…I thought the “jazz” (contemporary in disguise) piece was boring. I cannot stand Legacy or Ashleigh. And I loathe Sir BitchyPants…and his head stretching off his neck when he’s shouting a point. Shut the Hell up.

I would have to say the numbers, themselves, weren’t that great…but certain dancers really stood out as fantastic. However, it was the same dancers who stood out all through the auditions, rendering this episode extraneous for me.

PottyMouth, I now officially have a girl crush on you. Loved the 'catching mono from the judges kissing your ass' comment!
Kudos on the Hugh Jackman invitations! I always enjoy his guest appearances here.

And yeah, Ryan hot? Not so much. He *should* be. He's nice looking and obviously in good shape, but there's just missing something. And Ashleigh has a horse face. I get a vibe that she'd have done a Tonya Harding on Karen if Ryan had paid too much attention to her.

Thanks for making me laugh every week.

PM, Lacey was the standing U.S. National Youth Latin Championship when she first auditioned for season III of SYTYCD. So I'd say she counts as that season's third ballroom girl!

Great recap, as usual!

I hate the new stage too. It's too big. All the open space swallows up the dancers.

I think the idea of seeing the top 20 perform in their own styles is great, but most of the routines didn't do much for me.

Poor Billy. I liked him. I hope he gets well soon and comes back next season.

The new stage = The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Great recap...and I concur with it all. You are dead on in all of your analysis and snark, PM.

Thanks for the laughs!

Count me as 4 (or rather 5) for hating the new stage. Bigger is not always better Nigel!

I was impressed with the opening group number and the hiphop number but then it went downhill from there. I agree with you that it wasn't so much the dancers as the choreographers who were lacking. Who would have thunk that Nappy and Tabby would have choreographed the routine that impressed me the most?

I thought the ballroom number had good choreography, but I just can't stand Ashleigh! The interesting thing about the special night format was that you got to see how dancers compared to each other in their own styles. Karen and Ryan far outdanced Ashleigh (I don't think I"m just being biased by her personality). Philip outdanced Bianca in the crappy tap number and Bianca outdanced Peter (umm...why is he there and not Evan's brother Ryan? WTF Nigel?!!)

I like having Adam as a permanent judge, but I wish he could have replaced Mary. Or they could have replaced Mary with Debbie. Anyone but Mary! (or Mia...or Lil C...)

HATE HATE. HATE. HATE the new stage to infinity.

In fact, after watching this episode, I boycotted (sp?) the next evening's show. Sooooo....hurry up with your recap already. :)

Ryan = not sexy at all.

Ashleigh looks like the female version actor who played the butler in Clue. Tim something or other. Her face scares me.

Ugh. I really needed this season to be good, and I fear the stage is going to make it unwatchable.

I loved how the audience wrapped the old stage, and the lighting was so much better.

I wonder if they hired all new camera men, because the angles are terrible too.

Great recap!

I am sooooo happy that Adam is permanent judge now. Hearts and Rainbows.

I don't understand the Legacy thing. I really don't get why he is on the show. He seems like a regular ol' breakdancer, but not special or particularly talented. Am I missing something about his skills?

I read that they are using the American Idol stage this year. They should at least get their own ugly stage.

judyjudy,

In "Legacy's" case, it's all a matter of who ya know. He's connected to past season participant Lauren (who I also despised.) Lauren got in because she was an assistant to a choreographer already working on the show (Lauren also didn't deserve to be there.)

Because of his connection, they will likely keep "Legacy" around for a while.

I like Ryan. He seems sweet and he's very good looking. They'll keep him for awhile, hopefully.

I think Ashleigh's biggest problem is the color of her lipstick and how it clashes - badly - with her hair color. LOL

The mystery of computers...my last comment came up as attributed to judyjudy

LOL

ummm, are we going to have 20 dancers with mono in a couple of weeks? isnt that really contagious?

the only dance i really likeed was the third, i mean second, contemporary. the reat were unimpressive to bad. the ballroom was horrible, dont like either of the girls, at least ryan seems pretty talented.

also please for the love of every holy! someone take that awful pink lipstick away from ashleigh! yuck!

I hate the new stage as well, and it has affected my enjoyment of the show to a large degree. At this point I'm not even sure I'm going to continue watching, I'll have to see if I can get used to the new surroundings over the next couple of weeks. Why they changed to a new theater is beyond me. I can only think that their contract with the previous place had expired.

The new stage lacks all of the elements that made the old stage perfect for this kind of show. It is so massive that the intimacy that was inherent with the old stage is lost. Not only do the dancers appear like ants trying to fill the stage, but the size of the theater creates a distance barrier that doesn't allow for a personal connection with the performers. Added to this, the excitement of the live audience has been lost because they are no longer seen. It's now as if the dancers are performing in a giant vacuum, and the whole thing leaves me cold and uninspired. Oh, and the lights and background of the new setting are highly distracting as well. Bad decision producers - you have taken one giant step in the wrong direction.

With the new stage and their attempts to get Paula Abdul on the judges panel, maybe the show should be renamed American Idol: Dance. Blah.

I agree about the new stage - I miss having the audience right up against it. Now when Cat is reacting to someone in the audience it seems weird and detached.

Hate that they think we are all so stupid that you could label someone jazz when we all knew they were contemporary during auditions. Don't they realize we watched the audition shows?

I like Adam as a permanant judge - he seems kind and intelligent. Since Mary loses credibility with each shriek and Nigel is becoming so pervy you tend to forget he's an "expert" it's nice to have someone judging who seems to be informed.

Ashleigh needs to go - her face distracts me.

Oh and for those of you wondering what Ryan is missing - it's masculine eyebrows - something Hugh could teach him about.

If Hugh taps, we should all tap. 'Nuf said.

Have you ever noticed that when Cat is facing straight forward, her nose is going to the side?

Poor Ryan looked like he was going in for a forehead kiss on Karen, then remembered that Ashleigh was there with access to his balls. Poor guy.

Snootchy Bootches: Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come.

cattyfan: Hee! I just might do that! The whole tap thing really pissed me off to no end – I knew you’d be pissed about it too!

wcsdancer: Awww…..{{{blushes}}}}…thank you! Hahaha on the Tonya Harding comment! I think you might be right.

Chefgirl: Thank you! I didn’t want to categorize her as Latin Ballroom if she wasn’t. Thanks again!

Zeem: Yeah, I really wished the dancers had been able to wow me dancing in their own styles, but sadly, that didn’t happen.

zbird: LMAO!! And YES!!!

Lizbot: I was shocked that Tabitha and Napoleon choreographed my favorite number of the evening. I wish they could do that ALL the time.

AMCDenver32: I hope I was quick enough for you! ;) Oh My God – Tim Curry??? LMAO. The stage is driving me bonkers.

judyjudy: I see that cattyfan already responded to your question about Legacy – thanks catty!! I love Adam. I just hope I don’t get sick of him, or that he doesn’t go down the Mary road. I loved her the first couple of seasons, back in the days before she became a caricature of herself.

unwise: Is that AI’s stage? UGH. I want them to go back to the old one.

zerocool: I’ll just agree to disagree with you about Ryan :D LOL on Ashleigh’s lipstick!

cattyfan: That was hilarious! I was wondering why judyjudy was talking to herself!!! LOL

rainbodragon: Wouldn’t they all have to making out with each other for that to happen?? I think I just grossed myself out.

ohhhyeah: I totally agree with everything you said about the new stage. I really hope you don’t stop watching though!

Tink: Yes! I miss her hanging out on her little balcony! Yeah, I love when Nigel treats us like we’re all idiots with no memory of what’s come before. What a jackoff he is. Mmmmmmm…….Hugh…….

pixielated: Mmmmmm…..Hugh………..I never noticed that about Cat, but now I’ll have to go back and look! LOL about Ryan forgetting Ashleigh had access to his balls!

Thanks for all your great comments, guys! You never fail to make me smile!

SWAK, PottyMouth

I know I'm late to the party but ICK at the stage. ohhhyeah was right... they look like ants! Very impersonal.

And kudos to zerocool. Ashleys FUSCHIA lipstick as got.to.go.

I think I finally figured out what bothers me about tapper Phillip. He looks like he's 40. Seriouly...he reminds me so much of Elvin from cosby show and that creeps me out considering he's supposed to be young.

Amen to every single other comment.