Bella July 9, 2014 Share July 9, 2014 We have the favorite routines thread, but one of our posters, @NextIteration, had some time on her hands and graciously pulled together clips of all of the Season 1 routines. Therefore, I'm setting up this thread for her to paste them in. We can use this thread for reference, and we can also do a rewatch eventually, after Season 11 ends. Thanks, NextIteration! Link to comment
NextIteration July 9, 2014 Share July 9, 2014 (edited) Season One, Auditions Allanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4FSMcpChYI Artem Ashlé Blake Craighttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HnDQsBsA6w Destinicouldn't find separate from Hollywood Week Jamilecouldn't find separate from Hollywood Week Jonniscouldn't find separate from Hollywood Week Kamilah Melody <stickyMichelle Melissa Nick Ryan Sandra Snowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY-WT_TIH5gI didn't go looking for stuff like Sex, or other featured auditions because it was too difficult to find them so these are the Top 16. Season One, Hollywood Week (these get really repetitive because the poster uses the same format for each!) Allanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufMYn84Tx1s Artemhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sym92Qsb60 Ashléhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP__XJF1OFY Blakehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFbLv2hJtic Craighttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5IrGdame_U Destinihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lebu5pXZ3Bo Jamilehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEFBsWXm9oQ Jonnishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdnEYheEFag Kamilahhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waDwJMIB2AM Melodyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otp1fcYjebE Michellehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTbhoLXwxXw Melissahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD91LwZmMcM Nickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFPA_xSlJPk Ryanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWL-z1sYZ2o Sandra Snowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKQC-urfpQs Meet the Top 16 Allanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_8obuJ04XY Artemhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8lzMGxwDSY Ashléhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05NEGtIRxqo Blakehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W55bkCODW8g Craighttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aq-PBoHJpRk Destinihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuC_EgDYS9U Jamilehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGLkUzPb8io Jonnishttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPQx983tuac Kamilahhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sropy5FINQ Melodyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc90JiLRPB4 Michellehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RlIFvJ0Q1I Melissahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n42Vxb8vNhc Nickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj1zfB_98Es Ryanhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWMvjmqwy5U Sandrahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA1FFBPMBwM Snowhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioqtrYCTu8k Season One, Competition Week One (first clip is dance, second is generally jidges commentary) Kamilah and Nick - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyYS6H9W8t0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqCHVsBATgw Michelle and Jonnis - Mambohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eid00zXz044https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIKGbNeelm8 Sandra and Artem - Lyricalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vl7io7tA-Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37LbJ5nqvkE Ashlé and Jamile - Jivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57zJGA0z2sohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK_Z3UEnh-Y Snow and Allan - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPen_ZX8njMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZYwq8cvdtY Melissa and Ryan - Mambohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPWGTEPMwWghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-Uwn4_GL6Q Destini and Blake - Lyricalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4c0YaypGrwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hht4Xa6HQRI Melody and Craig - Jivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhARqOyUpPUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9YfnDXx5fQ Michelle Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IepiFoLrVQM Sandra Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcloeh7k37Mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1JZOdWiPWg <good bye Snow Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2_pJO1Xvlw Jonnis Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=361Sp_8m4FY Artem Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4WfGn9ubN4 Allen Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkeOjt4E6Dg Season One, Competition Week Two Snow and Jamile - Quickstephttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2f3_klN_QUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm3xMH4Pd7Q Destini and Blake - Lyrical Jazzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KpKFPWJLoEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhkV9caJItU Melody and Craig - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_AmG4Xeml0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC57RTvKdJM Michelle and Nick - Quickstephttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKvi1I-2kfkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHXEp33yOLU Ashlé and Artem - Lyrical Jazzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJRbt7DImo4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgg5e7QDr6A Kamilah and Allan - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PejdVfheUFQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o4xq0rFs_s Melissa and Ryan - Sasahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mb_De2_U7chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpnmEMFP42w Snow Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYo7NoBZmyY Melody Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPdSZGeIZ80 Michelle Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFTMPr0NMkQ Jamile Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0jq9JwXv0s Craig Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgWLj3uKD_k <sticky not sure it will work Nick Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4g2XLnNBeA Season One, Competition Week Three Ashlé and Blake - Rock and Rollhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn02nHuPmj0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTgzIgH1nBk Melissa and Artem - Paso Doblehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj855PApwGEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXojiAYUQ9I Melody and Allan - Lyricalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXojiAYUQ9Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bkrRdm31UA Snow and Ryan - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm4wlEDPQPwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIRWsm7uRX4 Destini and Jamile - Viennese Waltzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kiC3Im4Jsghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYuwuIScWdo Kamilah and Nick - Discohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WS675ODdoghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNz3xu-GiA0 Melody Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3Rruzbum3c Snow Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-8gFR3f95E Allan Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2cld3tFUGo Ryan Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6J0gALcwJg Season One, Competition Week Four Melissa and Artem - Pophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tra7sS5fDEMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIm66MvIL_o Melissa and Artem - Quickstephttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydc7HGJ_uc8 Kamilah and Nick - Tangohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9oN8J2xzHMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRuVZKXkUbE Kamilah and Nick - Pophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGQjhiDcxVIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGz5wk7x-CQ Melody and Ryan - Lyricalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y2nUaU9C44https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFyMlqtNBsI Melody and Ryan - Foxtrothttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuA9mCiDTSshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOm4SLO3dE0 Destini and Jamile - Quickstephttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsMbylpkFvwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N86rgvDUA9g Destini and Jamile - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUuXXjJDfwwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjqGSv17yg4 Ashlé and Blake - Sambahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1znBSQNj1Zohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIxDN-HssHY Ashlé and Blake - Lyricalhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehPu7Syiv0Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN55m6FuSpw Melody Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSp6y_SEUvY Destini Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_rWHd5j-A Ryan Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBZrWiRhWT4 Jamile Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ9fbE5BO7o Season One, Competition Week Four Kamilah and Nick - Mambo & Contemporaryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xxdOR6UX9khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2hScJJfWKY Melody and Blake - Lyrical & Discohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSskPk9HJbIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwk85LZ-2A8 Ashlé and Artem - Fox Trot & Cha Chahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ0sfOP7O9Ahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjqj92-uYyk Melissa and Jamile - Hip Hop & Paso Doblehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2pPfemlzsYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-tS1LMiLZE Ashlé Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjyMNeDsHZ0 Melissa Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9eaZBijyLk Artem Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUutnsZhKc <Sticky Jamile Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnLKFaQsatw Season One, Competition Week Five Kamilah and Jamile - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo5Bgzj5O9ghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCnPmaPiph8 Kamilah and Jamile - Jivehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpKbDJuz79Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1IumSiAt_I Ashlé and Blake - Smooth Waltzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhAtJ0N_QkAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu2i_oJt9EA Ashlé and Blake - Argentine Tangohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlokUdA_M54https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUhX7t6RnxQ Melody and Nick - Broadwayhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kAxMNte-ochttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcJosXoaDfY Melody and Nick - Discohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpL4jIYfKr0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IxbzaD44Dg Kamilah Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5qjDc3iKK8 Melody Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3mOEZp2YiU Ashlé Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAJqt2PCmxw Blake Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94LrTIl9xo4 Jamile Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxYBSIYnDA Nick Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGDKL90yCL0 Season One Finale - Performance Show Melody and Nick - Paso Doblehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIX3Syaq9wghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6MJWF0pcY4 Ashlé and Jamile - Salsahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPybzRUB2sMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKpLfiHpYJE Nick and Jamile - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVOgoqVh1Ughttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQyFe02uxW0 Ashlé and Melody - Contemporaryhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHJgO6gPhhkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHJgO6gPhhk Melody and Jamile - Jazzhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYDc33j9DSwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF6tweh4lyc Ashlé and Nick - Hip Hophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2slQ5I551chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB3pvsV92uM Melody Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4d-ry5I_pQ Ashlé's Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmuHkiz9hhE Jamile's Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DOCtN8k5jM Nick's Solohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGY5zeZd0bc Danceoffhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWfSOOHw8pE Final Recaphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWfSOOHw8pE Season One Finale - Results Show Group Routine Shane Sparkshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AybEL2SYTLs Nick's Favorite - Disco with Kamilahhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGjaffijTpk Ashlé's Favorite - Samba with Blakehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BGUbX5m8Po Jamile's Favorite - Hip Hip with Destinihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7mAxZAPa3Y Melody's Favorite - Broadway with Nickhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tf8ZwxElqU Ashlé's Final Resultshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6NP7G-A9tQ Jamile's Final Resultshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRSrs0uqbS0 Melody and Nick's Final Resultshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBJKfEJGwl8 Have fun! Edited July 9, 2014 by NextIteration 6 Link to comment
ToxicUnicorn July 9, 2014 Share July 9, 2014 Oh, so much love for you, NextIteration. It's Christmas in July! (or, substitute holiday of your choice.) 1 Link to comment
kechara July 9, 2014 Share July 9, 2014 This is wonderful. I wish someone would do that for SYTYCD Canada,my personal favourite Link to comment
dusang July 10, 2014 Share July 10, 2014 Thank you @NextIteration!! Wow, S1 seems so long ago!! It sometimes seems S1 is the red-headed step-child of the SYTYCD -- where are these people now?! (Except Blake, who took his fabulous bitchy ass to SYTYCD-Canada.) I remember that week to week you could see the format revisions as they figured out what worked and what didn't. I have always appreciated the show's willingness to tweak the format, even if there have been some poor choices along the way. Just scrolling through that list, without watching all of them, I actually think the show was harder back then -- Quickstep in week two?! -- and there was WAAAAY less reliance on contemporary. Also, if I remember correctly, the choreographers were a lot more rigid on their definitions -- there was no contemporary-infused hip hop or ballroom, if you know what I mean. But either the producers underestimated the rigors of the choreo or the auditioning pool was a lot smaller -- there's no way a Jonnis or Allan would make it to Top 20 now, IMHO. That reminds me how totally different the Vegas week was back then -- they split the group up and sent them to separate workshops so all the choreographers could work with them and then they brought all of the judges/choreographers together to eliminate people. How do you think the show has improved since S1? Is there anything you'd like to see a return to/of? Link to comment
ToxicUnicorn July 10, 2014 Share July 10, 2014 I think I like a return to the single winner format. But, with its return, I think they ought to increase the prize for the winner. Link to comment
dusang July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 (edited) I think I like a return to the single winner format. But, with its return, I think they ought to increase the prize for the winner. I'm surprised they went back to having a role in a particular show as the prize -- they did that in S2 with Celine Dion but it was a really poor fit for Benji. I'm quite torn on the switch to two regular judges -- Nigel and Mary -- rather than two rotating choreographers and Nigel. I love when their critiques are really technical, so having a ballroom expert on hand all the time is good, but they have stopped doing as many ballroom routines per episode and Mary's gone a bit Hollywood with her nonsensical shrieking, so it's kind of backfired, you know? ETA: I just looked at some of the judging vids and apparently is was pretty standard practice to have FOUR judges back then. Weird! Edited July 11, 2014 by dusang Link to comment
NextIteration July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 The loss of Dan Karaty as a judge is terrible. 1 Link to comment
Anothermi July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 (edited) I'm surprised they went back to having a role in a particular show as the prize -- they did that in S2 with Celine Dion but it was a really poor fit for Benji. I'm quite torn on the switch to two regular judges -- Nigel and Mary -- rather than two rotating choreographers and Nigel. I love when their critiques are really technical, so having a ballroom expert on hand all the time is good, but they have stopped doing as many ballroom routines per episode and Mary's gone a bit Hollywood with her nonsensical shrieking, so it's kind of backfired, you know? ETA: I just looked at some of the judging vids and apparently is was pretty standard practice to have FOUR judges back then. Weird! In Season One they included a paid for apartment for a year in New York (presumably to go there and "break into the Big Time") which Nick did not take. I don't know why the US version has no luck with the non-cash prizes. Australia (at least for the last 2 Seasons) offered 3 different professional dance opportunities and I was surprised when the winner of Season 3 chose Burn the Floor because he was contemporary. I'm pretty sure that each time the winner chose one of the options. But in the Canadian version, Season 1, the winner was given a fancy car (product placement the entire season, yech!) and it turned out he didn't even drive and had no intention of learning. The one prize offer in the US show that seemed to be a winner was the one of a role in Adam Shankman's Step Up franchise. (I actually first wrote fanchise, which is probably an accurate description, but it really was a typo. >.< ) The only thing about that was that it didn't make the winner special because lots of the non-winners got to be in the show as well. (and some with bigger roles than the winner!) So, yeah, I don't quite know why they're trying this idea again. Maybe it's to save money? I don't really know how that works or who ends up paying for what so it's a mystery to me. It could just be like the car in the Canadian version - a product placement. Drumming up an audience? I don't think it's going to work out this time either. RE: the judging panel of 4. It seems that 3 judges is mainly a US thing. Lots of the other SYTYCD franchises used 4 judges. Canada did. Quite a few of the European ones did, and Australia moved to 4 judges in their recent Season 4. I can't fathom why the change for the US show. It didn't reduce the amount of time wasted. It often feels like the 3 judges take up more time than the four ever did! Edited July 11, 2014 by Anothermi Link to comment
dusang July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 (edited) It seems that 3 judges is mainly a US thing. Lots of the other SYTYCD franchises used 4 judges. Canada did. Interesting. I had forgotten that Canada used four judges. TBH, although I love the show and Nico will forever be my favourite everything, I stopped watching SYTYCD-Canada after season 2 because CTV made it SO FRIGGIN DIFFICULT to stream it. (I could literally create and single-handedly populate an entire thread on my absolute hatred of all things CTV.) I can't fathom why the change for the US show. It didn't reduce the amount of time wasted. It often feels like the 3 judges take up more time than the four ever did! Agreed. Even watching just snippets of the judging vids here, they seemed waaaaay more direct and to the point. Oh Brian Friedman... speaking of my everything.... The loss of Dan Karaty as a judge is terrible. I can't even remember him as a judge -- my hatred for his choreography became so overwhelming I think I've blocked out everything about him. I do remember that Blake shit-talked him on camera during like Vegas week in S1 -- Blake was such a little bitch that season. Edited July 13, 2014 by dusang 1 Link to comment
NextIteration July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 ;) Note that I made no reference to his choreography. I only encountered him once in person, the first time my dancer went to jump, I didn't have much of an impression about him as to his combo that he taught, only that he was very sincere and heart felt in his talk about how one could/should make themselves a better dancer and person. It really touched me and it's something I'll never forget. Link to comment
ToxicUnicorn July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 I had completely forgotten about the old-style judging. The first season was back before it got nasty and then the pendulum swung all the way over to vapid praise. Season 1 seems so incredibly innocent and well-intentioned. It felt like they were just trying to be Mickey and Judy who had a barn and were trying to put on a show. *plays the old fart's nostalgia card* 3 Link to comment
Anothermi July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 Season One they couldn't decide if they wanted to go full "reality show" or be more of a dance competition. In S01 they had a lot more "candid" scenes with the dancetestants: - the table of dancers complaining about Blake being on the cover of Dance Spirit (and therefor he had an unfair advantage etc) - scenes of dancers in the hallways commenting on things that had happened in a class (or in the dorm i.e. Blake's dog messing on the floor) - comments by the choreographers/judges between sessions and about contestants I'm really glad they decided not to go that route. Season 2 allowed the contestants to be candid in rehearsals, and Benji, in particular, made that entertaining. But they still rigged some of that (remember Ryan "mooning" over Natalie?). That method worked reasonably well up to the end of Season 4 I think. After that it became apparent that dancers (or at least many of the good ones) didn't necessarily have the skills to provide entertaining filler. So the stupid question interview was instituted and that morphed into the under-ten-second self description. When I think about it that way I can understand how hard it must be to balance the reality/entertainment part of the show that is there to make people want to vote, with the dance competition show part. Link to comment
NextIteration July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 Not for nothing, Benji! always did and always will, make my skin crawl, I did not find him entertaining in any way, shape or form, and still don't. 1 Link to comment
Rick Kitchen July 11, 2014 Share July 11, 2014 Wow, S1 seems so long ago!! It sometimes seems S1 is the red-headed step-child of the SYTYCD -- where are these people now?! Nick and Travis Wall are roommates, and Nick is a member of Travis's company, Shaping Sound. Link to comment
dusang July 13, 2014 Share July 13, 2014 Thanks! It just seems that the contestants from S1 don't reappear at auditions, as choreographers, etc, the way contestants from later seasons do. Link to comment
chocolatine July 13, 2014 Share July 13, 2014 In the second week, while Snow was pulling her partner's name out of the hat, Lauren Sanchez said that Allan (who had danced with Snow in week one) requested not to dance with her again. To those who've watched the entire season, do you remember what the backstory was? From what I've seen of Snow so far she seems hardworking and humble, if not super-personable. Link to comment
Anothermi July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 (edited) I think that particular set up was just awkward. Allan wasn't the only one who got to choose who they "didn't want to dance with again". It was presented as some kind of prize!?! IIRC, Allen framed it like "You know I love you, Snow, but I'd like to try different dance partners." (that is not an exact quote) Basically he was excluding her name from the "Hat". It was not a good concept and I think they dropped it fairly quickly. Season One was the only season where I felt you could tell the partner and dance-style draws were truly random. There were a lot of repeat partnering and repeat dance styles for some of the contestants yet not all of them. I found that realistic as far as randomness goes. It doesn't result in no repeats. Now-a-days it's hard to decide about the dance style allocation. We already know that as of season 2 TPTB set up the initial partnerships. I wish they had a rule that ensured someone couldn't do the same style twice in a row - at the very least! Edited July 14, 2014 by Anothermi Link to comment
chocolatine July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 Thank you, @Anothermi! I'm glad they stopped letting them pick and choose like that. In most professions, including dance, you usually don't get to choose who you work with, so I think the dancetestants should work with whoever they were assigned to, randomly or not. Link to comment
dusang July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 Do you think the static partnering for the first weeks is an improvement? The dance styles definitely seemed more random back then -- and Quickstep showed up like four times in the first season. Now we're lucky if we get it once!! Link to comment
chocolatine July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 Do you think the static partnering for the first weeks is an improvement? I don't mind them as long as one partner isn't so undertrained that they're hurting the chances of the other by imposing limitations on the choreography or making the dances look bad. It can be nice to see a couple grow together not just in terms of skill/technique, but also chemistry. 1 Link to comment
Anothermi July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 I don't mind them as long as one partner isn't so undertrained that they're hurting the chances of the other by imposing limitations on the choreography or making the dances look bad. It can be nice to see a couple grow together not just in terms of skill/technique, but also chemistry.That is why I (and perhaps a few others) prefer the static dance partners for the first few weeks. Even in season 1, the couples who drew each other repeatedly could get a grip on a style new to both of them more easily than a newly formed couple. 1 Link to comment
NextIteration July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 (edited) In the second week, while Snow was pulling her partner's name out of the hat, Lauren Sanchez said that Allan (who had danced with Snow in week one) requested not to dance with her again. To those who've watched the entire season, do you remember what the backstory was? From what I've seen of Snow so far she seems hardworking and humble, if not super-personable. The person that received the highest number of votes (to be saved from getting cut from the judges bottom 3 couples, and it was couples, not individuals) got to choose one person to be taken out of the sorting hat. It was a reward of sorts for garnering the highest number of votes. Do you think the static partnering for the first weeks is an improvement? The dance styles definitely seemed more random back then -- and Quickstep showed up like four times in the first season. Now we're lucky if we get it once!! I hate it, I think it moves away from the whole intention of the show - it sets up power couples, when mostly there have been individual winners. Many times the weaker of the power couple disappears at the Top 10, which means they probably should not have made it that far in the first place. Sure chemistry is important, but creating it with anyone that you dance with is the bigger test. That's my opinion on it anyways. Edited July 14, 2014 by NextIteration 2 Link to comment
dusang July 14, 2014 Share July 14, 2014 I'm not sure how I feel about the static partnering, although I do think it helps out the taller dancers, particularly the girls. Using a massive generalization here, but the Top 20 tends to be majority short with one or two really tall dancers. I can think of a couple of examples where a random pairing put a tall girl with a short guy and the choreographers and judges commented on it because of the effect on hand positions, turns, and lifts. (Also, I am so deeply in love with Jasmine and Aaron that anything that kept them together works for me.) Link to comment
ToxicUnicorn July 17, 2014 Share July 17, 2014 (edited) I prefer random partnering, overall. I can understand if there is a short grace period of static partnering, just so the kids get an idea of the pace of the show and how to partner. In that case, I like 3 weeks as the max for the initial partnerships. Even two weeks can be too long. Remember Faina/Cyrus? I was so disappointed that Faina got an early boot. I think TPTB keep the partnerships together so long to encourage the development of favorite couples, which is sort of a variant of shipping, which I abhor. I really didn't like last season, and a major part of that was it seemed like it was all Jasmine/Aaron and Amy/Fik-shun, all the time. It was BORING to me, especially as it became obvious (quickly) that they were going to dominate the competition. I would have loved to see McKenzie with Fik-shun, or Amy with someone else ... anyone. All the others became forgettable (except my personal favorites, who obviously had no chance of making in to the finale).* IMO, the unexpectedness of different pairings used to be a large part of the fun of the show in S1. As for dances, I love the idea of pulling a dance out of a hat. The problem is, undifferentiated contemporary and jazz and hip hop are in that hat too many times. I wouldn't even mind if contemporary were in a couple of times, as long as there were separate categories of contemporary. For example, I would be fine with, say, a story contemporary and an abstract contemporary, as two different styles that each got one, and only one shot in the hat. That way, if you get two contemporaries drawn for the same night (what are the odds), you wouldn't have both ending with one dancer rejecting the other and walking away slowly while the remaining dancer stands woefully in the center of the stage. The number of times that has happened on the show is beyond ridiculous. (For hip hop, too.) If you had to have the possibility of two jazz routines in a night, you could differentiate them by having Pop Jazz (like the old Brian Friedman routines) or Afro Pop (which I freaking loved, if that is even a thing), or Fosse, or whatever else, again as separate draws of the hat. Ballroom could be divided into Smooth, Latin/Rhythm, Nightclub, and Swing variants. As a ballroom lover, it irks me that most of what we see is Latin/Rhythm. Not that I don't love those dances, because I do, but because it makes it seem as though those are the only exciting parts of ballroom, which isn't true. Folk dances deserves to have a shot at the hat every week. I don't mind Broadway or music video type dancing as categories. Hip hop could be divided up into smooth hip hop (like NappyTabs) versus whatever else. We used to get the occasional krump, or a hard hitting Shane Sparks routine. Whatever happened to those? If I'm really dreaming, I would put maybe one wild card draw: couple gets to choose any style that is Not their styles (at least, not the ones they auditioned with), that neither one also has not done yet. I think that would be nicer than taking someone out of the hat. Instead, they could pick partnerships first and then one lucky couple could think about which style would be a good compromise between the two of them in their non-specialties. Who knows. Maybe someone would choose Bollywood, or choose to work with a particular choreographer. How marvelous would it be to be able to choose to work with Miriam/Leonardo, who always deliver a show-stopping routine? I suppose none of these suggestions would ever make sense, because the show probably has to line up choreographers first, and then I could see not wanting to micro-manage them. But the result is we get an entire evening of boy rejects girl, or girl is a domineering sexpot, or TOO MUCH TRAVIS WALL. Sigh. I'll go crawl back in my hole. *Not to take away from your love of Jasmine/Aaron, dusang. I realize that came off as a bit harsh and it wasn't directed at you. Sometimes, pairs are magical. Benji-Donyelle were that way, for me, and I can't think of S2 without thinking of Heidi-Travis. But - when Benji danced with Natalie, that was so fresh, I realized what I had been giving up. Edited July 17, 2014 by ToxicUnicorn 1 Link to comment
dusang July 18, 2014 Share July 18, 2014 (edited) *Not to take away from your love of Jasmine/Aaron, dusang. I realize that came off as a bit harsh and it wasn't directed at you. Sometimes, pairs are magical. Benji-Donyelle were that way, for me, and I can't think of S2 without thinking of Heidi-Travis. But - when Benji danced with Natalie, that was so fresh, I realized what I had been giving up. No worries. I completely understand your point and perhaps, had I seen Jasmine or Aaron with someone else, I might have fallen in love with that pair. But I think that Jasmine would have been at a distinct disadvantage with most of the other guys despite her (IMHO) obvious talent and stage presence because she was so much taller than almost everyone. Apart from the aesthetic mismatch, I can't see Fik-shun throwing her about the way Aaron did, you know what I mean? It always amazes me to see the dancers stand next to Cat -- I realize she's a tall woman AND wearing stilettos while the dancers are barefoot/flat but DAYUM!! It is VERY rare to see ANY dancer pass her shoulder!! (Another thing that I loved about J/A was that neither one was a first-choice for the judges - Aaron replaced Emilio and Cat had to lobby for Jasmine -- and they just owned the stage from day one, in my respectful submission. Kind of calls the judges' judgement into question, no?) Edited July 18, 2014 by dusang 1 Link to comment
romantic idiot July 25, 2014 Share July 25, 2014 When I think of changing partners pre top 20 - I think Jeanine would have been out first or second week without Philip's popularity to allow her to show off her skills. I remember Brandon and Janette. So then, I don't mind. They did try to change partners in Season 7 and IMO it didn't work at all. I'm okay with one partner shoring up another for a while because I think all dancers bring something to the table (e.g. Serge may not be the most "technical" but his partnering and maturity are helping Carly shine, IMO) so I prefer static partners than not. Link to comment
chocolatine July 25, 2014 Share July 25, 2014 (edited) They did try to change partners in Season 7 and IMO it didn't work at all. Season 7 was the all-star season. The competing dancers got a different all-star partner every week based on the style they were doing - e.g. Anya/Pasha for ballroom, Twitch/Comfort for hip hop, etc. I understood the intention of that season to have the competing dancers raise their game to the level of the all-stars, and I think that worked out well for the most part. Edited July 25, 2014 by chocolatine Link to comment
GinevradiBenci July 26, 2014 Share July 26, 2014 I remember being so hooked by this show, in a way I didn't expect. They really made their dancers execute the dance, it seems - that quickstep that Snow and Nick do has only one real lift in it. And the paso doble with Artem and Ashle was great. But I do remember Saluting Slow-Walking Away Alan, oy. Link to comment
WelcomeStranger September 22, 2014 Share September 22, 2014 (edited) As another fan once unforgettably said about the Alan/Melody lyrical: "Alan was saying good bye to his inner fairy before marching off to the military in the don't ask-don't tell era." That explanation just made the dance fit Mia's description of it as "beautiful, awful, and odd" better than ever. I was obsessed obsessed obsessed with Season 1. Really, modern lyrical dance had never been showcased on a prime-time network TV show before, other than a brief run of Star Search in 2003-2004. When I first saw Nick's audition, immature as his dancing was, it was a revelation to me that they would bother to air it. (Thought Ashle' Dawson's audition was pretty freaking great, too.) I was convinced SYTYCD was going to be another hip-hop show, the auditions were just filler, and that I was never going to see Nick Lazzarini again. When I caught glimpses of him during Hollywood week, I said to myself, "I'm going to judge the worthiness of this show by how well Nick does." So yeah, that was history. Never in my life would I have thought a TV show would come along and make me sick of lyrical. What a fabulous luxury. In all 11 Seasons, I've only missed one episode. Thanks, Nigel, you pompous, self-promotional d-bag, you. Edited September 22, 2014 by WelcomeStranger 1 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.