hurdygurdy

Ariana Debose from Season 6 is also in the Hamilton video.

The Group Swing from S4 wasn't nearly as bad as the Group Hip-Hop from S7. I remember George Pennachio telling Julianne he thought it was the worst group dance ever. And she was like, yeah, we sucked, lol. I don't recall her exact words...she said the choreography was ok but not the dancing.

I hope Eras Night means just that --- Victorian, Edwardian, etc. Patti could do La Belle Epoque, and my inner art history nerd would squee with excitement. Also, I don't want the episode to be another Decades Night because I really, really want them to do a whole episode devoted to the 90s. They did an 80s night a few years ago, so the 90s are long overdue.

Anyone know who the choreographer/creative director is? Mandy Moore did the SYTYCD tour already, so I doubt it's her. Are the pros just going to do it all themselves?

Will there be a separate thread for the upcoming tour? I'd love it if people posted their photos, videos, reviews, etc. Thanks!

I like Lindsay, but since this is Cheryl's last season, I was hoping to see a Three's Company trio in which Cheryl and Witney play Joyce DeWitt and Suzanne Somers. Please come back next season, Cheryl! Did Henry say what the themes were for the trio dances?

When I saw Bethany's hair and costume, I thought she looked like a young female version of Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker's Dracula. If you've never seen that movie, check it out -- it has amazing (Oscar-winning) costume design. Overall, the Halloween episode was surprisingly subdued. I expected it to be more outrageous, tbh. Mark & Sadie had the most memorable routine b/c they went all out with their concept and told a story. The other routines seemed half-assed. The group routines felt shorter this time. When Alfonso & Witney did their mime jive, it ended so quickly, I thought, that's it? Maybe if there were three judges instead of four, there would've been more time for the group dances.

Re: the idea of recreating iconic routines, there's simply no way the dancers could live up to the original performances. Remember when the S9 dancers had to reprise Mia Michaels routines? That didn't go over very well (I recall Chehon and Witney getting slammed with comments like "You're no Travis and Heidi"). So imagine how much worse it would be if the dancers had to play roles performed by prima ballerinas, or legends like Gene Kelly. The negative comparisons would be endless. Another reason it wouldn't work is the time limitation. A typical pas de deux is longer than a minute and a half, and the same is true of iconic routines in musicals. If those pieces were cut down to fit SYTYCD, the magic would be lost.

Phillip Attmore, one of the tappers from S6, also danced at the Tony Awards. He was in the After Midnight number. Chehon and Witney starred in a low-budget movie called East Side Story in early 2013. The choreographer of the film was Brandon of S5. Russell, Tadd, and Comfort were also in it, as well as Matt Marr and Jordan Clark of SYTYCD Canada. The movie's Facebook page just announced that there will be some type of tour in which you can see the movie and take lessons from the dancers. I'm not sure if Witney's DWTS contract will prevent her from participating. It would look kind of bad if she doesn't promote the film b/c she's getting top billing as the star. I wish this movie could be seen on video demand. I'm really curious to know how it turned out, even if it's awful.

Okay, here are routines I like from Seasons 7-10: Season 7: Wade Robson "Fame" group routine, Meet the Top 11 week - If I'm not mistaken, this was the last routine he choreographed for the show. I loved the garden tea party theme and loved Mark in this. Sonya Tayeh "Royal T" group routine - The part in the beginning when the male dancers lunged across the stage was cool. Robert and Billy had a bendy, quirky quality that was perfect for Sonya's choreo. All-Star throwbacks - One of the things I loved about this season was during the results shows, the All-Stars reprised some of their best-known routines. Twitch & Comfort did "Forever," Neil & Lauren did their Wade Robson nightmare routine, and Pasha & Anya did their sexy audtion. Season 8: Robert & Clarice Bollywood - I usually hate Bollywood, but this was very enjoyable. I liked the part when Robert spun around while Clarice "kicked" him. Brandon & Jordan contemporary - An underappreciated Desmond Richardson routine. Brandon is one of the best dancers ever on the show, imo, and he was exquisite here. Spencer Liff's Broadway - I loved pretty much everything he did this season. His Emmy nomination was well-deserved. Season 9: Christopher Scott "Architect of the Mind" group routine - Loved the robotic moves, the desk and chair choreography, and the retro costumes. Cyrus, Matthew and Alexa were the standouts. Nappytabs "Beautiful People" and "Circle of Life" routines - Nappytabs are hit-or-miss when they choreograph duets, but they're pretty awesome at group routines. Allison & Cole contemporary - Both dancers wowed me with their level of commitment to the acting. The best contemp of the season. Season 10: Nappytabs "Puttin' on the Ritz" group routine - Such a fun way to open the season. Brilliant use of a tracking shot, and they did it in just one take. Travis & Amy contemporary - Travis' choreo doesn't always appeal to me, but this was mesmerizing. The ending pose was sexy. Fik-Shun & Twitch hip hop - I was grinning from ear to ear when I watched this, thanks to the cheesy/goofy choreo. Loved the "old man" move they did near the end (there's also a cute video on IG of Luther Brown, Nappytabs and Christopher Scott doing that move after the finale). There are many more routines I could list... every season I find at least 12-15 routines worth rewatching. That may not sound like much, but I think it's amazing when you consider how old SYTYCD is, and how every dance style has been repeated hundreds of times. This show still has moments of magic for me, and I will be very sad if it's canceled :(

I'll group my routines by seasons. Most of the iconic ones have been listed already, so I won't bother mentioning those. Seasons 1 and 2: Didn't watch :( Season 3: Pasha & Sara west coast swing, and Sara & Neil disco - These were both so energetic and fun. Anya & Danny foxtrot - They didn't spend much time in hold, but I didn't care, b/c this is SYTYCD, not DWTS. Danny had so much panache. Season 4: Courtney & Gev hip hop - Really liked the Cecily and Olisa choreo. I couldn't take my eyes off Courtney, she totally outdanced Gev. Twitch & Comfort hip hop - Twitch did the worm move ON HIS BACK and made it look effortless. Amazing Will & Jessica adam and eve contemporary - One of the sexiest contemporary routines ever on the show, imo. Season 5: Brandon & Janette hip hop - For a non-hiphop dancer, Brandon was surprisingly good. Brandon & Janette Argentine tango - Impressed by how closely Janette imitated Miriam's style of dancing. Jeanine & Phillip "Mad" hip hop, week one - After watching this routine, I knew Jeanine would go far in the competition. She had charisma and warmth as a performer. Season 6: Kathryn & Jakob contemporary - When I hear the words "SYTYCD contemporary," this is one of the routines that pops into my mind. The technique, the emotion, it was all there. Ryan & Kathryn cha cha - One of my favorite Jason Gilkison routines. Ryan was so manly. Jakob & Mollee waltz and Broadway - Both of these routines made me feel like I was watching an old Hollywood musical. Sorry for the long post! I'll do Seasons 7-10 separately.