tvloserlife

Really can't believe Zack only came in fourth place. Blows my mind. And I'm so glad that they only have one winner this year because I can't imagine either of the girls being a winner. Well, I always liked Ricky so I'm not upset that he won at all - my problem (as someone stated upthread) is that Ricky is not the best contemporary dancer of the series by a longshot, whereas I think Zack is the best tapper (Aaron was great too but he hunches a bit when he taps - I love Zack's upright posture). Jessica actually had two of the most memorable dances of the season - Like Real People Do and Vow. They were both contemporary and she didn't really do that well in anything else, but I will give her props for that. I was extremely annoyed at the lack of ballroom in the finale - I know that the ballroom this season sucked, but I expected to see Tanisha and Ryan reprise that fantastic tango. And did people really love Dirty Diana so much to make a big stink about getting Allison back? I like her too but I thought that dance was ALL about Allison, which isn't the point of the show. Actually there were definitely some surprises in the finale - I swear I do not remember that dance with Tanisha and Rudy ever happening (I was so sure they'd reprise Good Kisser), and I could barely remember the last routine with Valerie and Ricky (my husband reminded me with, "this is the one where Ricky dances around to distract you from the noticing that Valerie isn't doing anything"). Both Amy and Zack's dance and Jessica and Robert's did not feel as impactful this time around. I was very pleased to see Senile and Sing - those are two routines that I actually did rewatch after.

Overall I'd say this was a decent episode for a lacklustre season. Would be happy with any of the boys winning, but Zack really killed it tonight. The hip hop was my favourite (they were both really good but I liked Zack slightly better in it), and the broadway worked really well. I think Jessica might actually be quite good at broadway since her facial expressions would fit right in. So when Nigel was commenting on how good the broadway has been this year, I said of course, because a certain choreographer has not been here, and my husband was like, oh, who, Tyce? And I immediately reacted with, oh no you can't say his name, it might summon him! And sure enough, the next dance was Tyce. My husband apologized profusely but the damage was done. And no I was not a fan of the Tyce piece. The night was far too contemporary heavy for my taste and I was not pleased with the complete lack of ballroom and only one hip hop. I will say that the Travis Wall group number was so lovely. I thought for sure it was Mandy Moore with the music but was so confused because the choreography didn't seem like hers.

Okay so I know I am extremely late in responding to this post because I only just watched the video today - dance itself is amazing (of course) but I was silly enough to read the comments and see what other people thought, and was highly annoyed by the number of people saying "Hey that's DTrix's girlfriend!". I was just thinking, yeah, she is also the WINNER of SYTYCD season 7. But sure, let's reduce her to so-and-so's girlfriend. Although speaking of Dominic, I actually like watching his channel but he has started doing videos with dancing and I thought I had to share this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJFbZPJsCFg

Yeah - that was pretty much the moment I decided I wanted Jeff in the finale. I forgot to comment on this previously - why stick them in the original pairings? The only reason I could think of was because Jessica had to deal with so many different partners that they wanted to allow her to be comfortable in a partnership - but that is such a stretch of a reason. So I didn't hate it - I loved it actually. But what I will say is, I adore everything Fik Shun has ever done because he is just so joyful that even if the dance itself was okay, it still warrants a rewatch in my opinion. On top of that, the routine was so completely different from anything that we've seen in this lacklustre season that it is automatically more memorable, and having Phillip Chbeeb choreograph brings lots of warm fuzzies. Throw in the part where Zack held his own quite well (Fik Shun was still better, but he's Fik Shun), and it's absolutely magical. In another season or with a different all-star? No. This doesn't even crack the top 10 of best hip hop routines on the show.

So a few thoughts: Loved Jacque and Will but don't really get how it's contemporary - it pretty much looked like any of Sean Cheesman's jazz pieces but just a bit slower. I mean typically the lines between contemporary and jazz are blurred anyway but I suppose I'm just more familiar with Cheesman's style as jazz that it threw me off. I actually liked the disco, probably because it's different than all the endless contemporary, but at the very end when Casey picked Jessica up to spin her I was so sure they were going to replicate the spin that Jeff and Charlene did on SYTYCD Canada for their hustle and was a bit disappointed when they didn't: http://youtu.be/7VD9nEkVdwE I don't even know what happened with Jessica and Ade because those costumes were terrible. I agree that none of the girls left should be the final two so I'm really rooting for Ricky or Zack. I'm actually leaning towards Zack just because he's been challenged so much more and I would like the journey to not be so predictable, but Ricky is great too so it's fine. Between the cha cha and the hip hop, these two are both very deserving. I totally agree with this. Chbeeb did great choreography! Who was the guest performer? I've never heard of him (them?) before, and the song sounds like a horrible rip off of Rob Thomas' Lonely No More. I have no idea what any of the judges were saying because I wasn't paying that much attention - I already dislike Christina Applegate as a judge (no, "shut your face" is not a thing).

Fik Shun and Chbeeb were definitely in the video - I'd recognize their movements anywhere. Also spotted season 5 Melissa as one of the ballerinas. I'm not sure if I spotted Legacy also? But I might have just willed him to be there.

I love this - that was exactly what I thought when the song started! I don't really have much more to say on this episode because this morning someone asked me what they missed and what dances they should watch first and I totally blanked. I can't remember any of them without looking them up. I do remember Ricky and Zack's solos though - they were both fantastic! And I remember not recognizing Mackenzie - I know who she is and I watched her season and I thought she was fine, but something about either her face or her outfit or something made it so that if they didn't say who it was, I wouldn't have realized it was her. I am not a fan of themes in general, and the only theme I will approve of is if they go with one whole night of having no contemporary dances. If that is too extreme, they can do one whole night with no stories. The intro package can be the dancers and choreographer talking about working through the routine but they can't explain anything. That would be the perfect theme.

So I think last night's show was one of the best of the (lackluster) season. Bollywood Disco - is this a real thing? I know people already talked about how they've been choreographing both Bollywood and disco to be extra frenetic, and instead of taking that feedback and slowing them down, someone thought, let's mash them together and make it even more chaotic! That said, I didn't notice Bridget at all - couldn't take my eyes of Brandon and I'm always happy to see him back. If only they would let him be an all-star for something other than disco. Contemporary Ballet - is THIS a real thing? I thought ballet was the base for contemporary (I've never danced either so what do I know). Is it only new because they slapped on a new name? How is it different from contemporary, ballet, or pas de deux (or pas de trois with Eliana, Chehon, and Daniel)? Never mind - same situation as the last hybrid, I couldn't take my eyes off Chehon, who danced beautifully as always. And another reason I really loved the dance (yes, despite my gripe at the naming, I loved the dance) was because I could actually SEE it without the camera spinning around and making me dizzy. It was beautiful watching it all from the front with the shadows in the back. Can the rest of the dances be filmed this way? Hip hop - going to comment on both quickly. I actually loved Jasmine and Emilio but there was something bothering me about it that I couldn't quite put my finger on, and I was thinking maybe it's the wardrobe? Glad to see I wasn't just going crazy. Second hip hop - I'm surprised at the reaction because I thought Jessica actually did a really great job! I mean, I was bracing myself for a trainwreck since I saw her atrocity in Not!Vegas, so maybe that coloured my judgement a little. Argentine Tango - Favourite of the night, hands down. It started with just Tanisha, and then Ryan slipped right in there, and I don't know how they did it but it felt like they just kept building more and more energy as the dance continued. The rest were fine but not memorable, which is sad because Ricky and Zack are my two favourites in the competition. I thought Zack's dance was lovely but there has just been so much contemporary that I pretty much forgot it as soon as it finished (I also love Amy so that wasn't the issue). Something about the cha cha felt like it was too slow - I think the beat was quick but the singing was slow and it just made the dance seem slower too. Love LoFro but also forgot the dance as soon as it finished. This is a horrible world when Rudy doesn't even hit bottom and the bottom two are Zack and Emilio. Zack is the only non-contemporary male dancer left. And the double standard is frustrating because I thought Valerie did as commendable a job in her jazz piece as any contemporary/jazz dancer does in ballroom/hip hop but she gets critiqued in comparison to contemporary/jazz dancers, whereas Rudy, who IS a contemporary dancer, gets to fly by on "personality".

My thoughts exactly! I actually really love paso doble but not a big fan of the concepts that usually surround it - just shut up and dance. But then I couldn't actually tell whether that paso was good or not because of the crazy costumes and all the strobe lighting that was just begging for me to have a seizure. Speaking of choreographer manipulations - I actually could not enjoy the hip hop. I adore Ricky and I really do like Valerie, and they didn't do a bad job, but I could see all the manipulations that it bugged. Step 1: find one of the most hardcore hip hop songs you can find, so the audience is already in the mood. Step 2: use lots of makeup to cover the dancers' faces so it is not immediately apparently when they are breaking out into goofy grins. Step 3: Give them insane costumes to hide any technical flaws (not that I saw any, but it's difficult to discern how well they were dancing either way with those silly outfits) Step 4: Go crazy with the lighting. I may have been more forgiving if the show had more diversity overall and wasn't overwhelmingly contemporary. Given that paso doble and hip hop are my escape, I expect them to be stellar. Other thoughts: the second I heard "Jessica" with "Travis Wall" I knew for sure she was saved. She is quite stunning as a contemporary dancer. Also I'm sure they want her dance with Ricky on the tour so they have to save her. On Carly's end, there's no point keeping her if they're going to get rid of Serge. I actually anticipated that they would keep Teddy but the end of the broadway routine was just botched so badly, and it was not the right night for them to mess up. At least his solo was interesting. Also Travis - please stick to group routines. The boys' routine was absolutely beautiful. The girls were great too, but I knew I'd forget it as soon as it was over because nothing about it stood out from the sea of contemporary dances we've been getting week after week.

So my belated thoughts on the episode (since my computer decided to crash on me when I finished writing my post earlier): I loved the skeleton hip hop and Carly was fantastic! It is a little earlier for their faces to be covered in makeup because I don't remember which one she is but at least I know her name now! Serge was a bit stiff but the choreography was great and Carly made up for it. The slinkiness in the routine vaguely reminded me of this gem from SYTYCD Canada: http://youtu.be/D844JhW7uCY The other hip hop was good too - I loved how intricate it was and it was definitely something different than what we've seen, so I appreciated that. Zack and Jacque continue to surprise me - I didn't think very much of them at the beginning but between that and the African jazz last week they are really showing off their versatility. I'm so over Rudy. I thought the broadway choreography was fantastic and Tanisha did a commendable job with it but I just can't stand Rudy. His crush on Jacque seems extremely manufactured, like he just needed a distraction to dull the pain after Nick got cut. And by the way, I adored Nick, so every time I see Rudy it's just another painful reminder that Nick is gone. Rudy isn't even some "street performer" who has never pointed his toes before, so why do they give him a pass on everything? Speaking of pointing your toes, did anyone notice that Brooklyn shot herself in the foot during judging? Nigel was saying how she did such a great job because it's not like she's ever trained to dance like that before and then she was like, well yes I've trained... I was thinking, wow here Nigel was pretty much excusing you for your performance and you just threw it back in his face. Not very good with strategy, that one. As for the waltz, I've seen a lot of amateur waltzed attempted at weddings so I'm pretty much used to seeing the butchered kind. Valerie's dress was absolutely lovely and I thought they did a decent job compared to other waltzes I've seen, just not to the standard that it should be on this show. That said, they both have a light radiating in them when they dance (versus other dancers who dance beautifully but come off as cold), so I think they'll make it far. They pretty much just need to make sure that they don't completely screw up and they'll probably sail into the top 10. Oh also I loved the opening group number. Again, so refreshing to see new choreographers.

No clue about how many couples the show has produced altogether (not including people who were already couples ie Ryan & Ashleigh) but to my knowledge DTrix and LoFro are still together.

This is actually the first time I have heard anyone other than my husband say "shoobie doobie doo dance"! I didn't know if it was a thing - they are definitely saying "so you think you can dance" but I know my husband always hears it the other way.

I finally got around to watching this last night. I did not realize how attached I had gotten to Nick - I knew he was going but when they announced the bottom 3 I still felt like it was a punch to the gut. And when he was eliminated he looked like such a sad puppy. I have mixed feelings about Misty. I adore her constructive criticism, but she has really been working on her shit sandwiches - "You were so fierce and sexy and fierce! By the way, you could have done this part better <insert actual constructive criticism here>. But you were fabulous and fierce!" I think if she removed those very fake bookends, I would love her commentary much more. I really couldn't watch the WCS - Jessica's popped shoulder creeped me out so much (I'm very squeamish), and I spent the entire dance worrying it would pop out again. Not a good dance, not a good song choice, and not danced well. I did not think I'd like Zack going into this for whatever reason but so far between the tap last week and the African Jazz this week I'm thinking he's a very strong contender! I hope I didn't just jinx him into getting sent home next week... I usually love Luther Brown's choreography and I actually thought his dance this week was really great but unfortunately it was executed very poorly. Meanwhile, I thought Dave Scott's hip hop was danced wonderfully but the choreography wasn't hard hitting enough for me. I wonder how it would have looked if they just switched dancer. With the enormous number of dance styles you can choose from, is it really necessary to do two contemporary, two jazz, and two hip hop numbers each week anyway? So many dances are already variations anyway, including broadway and African jazz, and if they learned anything from Canada they could bring in house, dancehall, or krump instead of having two hip hop dances. They could choose different standard or Latin ballroom dances as well as others like disco, swing, salsa, hustle, etc. No need to have repeats that will likely get compared directly to each other anyway! Their current variety of dance styles is really souring me on contemporary. I would actually prefer to see a country two-step or a Russian folk dance once in a while just for the sake of breaking up the monotony at this point.

I don't have a source but I remember hearing it had something to do with Bell Media taking full ownership of CTV and dropping all CTV original programming, which included SYTYCD Canada. Not sure if anyone else can confirm this?

I agree with everyone who found the episode overall to be underwhelming. And I was so excited going into it too. Most of the contemporary routines just blended to me, but then Ricky and Jessica danced and it just left me breathless. And then the judges started talking and suddenly I was like, okay yes it was great but not THAT great. So good work Nigel for diminishing the routine for me. That tap number was amazing specifically because of Zach. I really do not like the rhythm style tapping that Valerie and so many tap dancers on the show seem to have, and the only tap dancer I've really liked was Everett from SYTYCD Canada (yes Aaron was great overall but specifically as a tapper I thought he was fine, not outstanding). Zach definitely has a captivating stage presence when he dances and I didn't want the routine to end. I always get excited about ballet but I really could not tell the two girls apart, and actually wasn't even sure if it was the same girl making mistakes or if they were both making mistakes and I just couldn't tell them apart. And I think the hip hop was danced really well but I am personally a fan of hard hitting hip hop like Shane Sparks and Luther Brown, so this particular routine was just okay for me. It also doesn't help that the show is so contemporary heavy as it is that when they also do lyrical hip hop it just feels like more of the same. Absolutely adore the ballroom boys, particularly Marquet and Nick! I can't wait to see more from them! I am definitely planning on rewatching that samba. The girls I don't remember as much, except that Brooklyn's limbs seemed too long for ballroom - that or she wasn't carrying her arms properly; it just seemed like she had limbs swinging all over the place. I have no love for Rudy. I wish they had cast Silky instead. ETA: I have decided I would love Jessica a lot more if she just never spoke. She believes in mermaids? Really?