S14.E15: The Finale

[Rahul]

22 hours ago, Andie1 said:

Just another note, dance wise Koine is usually impeccable, but I think she may have been dancing hurt tonight.  Although the door dance had a lot more flow, she was assisted in her leap off the door by Marco, he was very careful with her,  and she flubbed the I Rise piece, the leap wasn't as effective as it was the first time, and she lost her footing  at the end.  

Kiki is the one who threw her off her shoulders, as he was too unsteady to lift her. He barely was able to do it the first time around. What a sour last note to end the season...

Speaking of Kiki, I'm glad he got booted first. I was quite annoyed that Logan did not get a single encore/reprise. He was in so many great, memorable numbers with Allison--the Sean Cheeseman African Jazz piece, Dee Caspary's contemporary piece featuring the long-stemmed rose set to a haunting Ruelle song and Brian Friedman's "blind date" jazz funk with the visors and glass table. I think the producers deliberately chose not to feature any of Logan's numbers because it would only reinforce how contrived it was for Kiki to be in the top 10, let alone top 4. He should have never made it past the academy when he flubbed hip-hop so badly.

I would have loved to have seen what Logan could have brought to the final 4 but oh well.

Although I wish she had won the competition, I'm very happy for Koine. She was genuinely happy to just be a part of the competition, and I'm sure being the runner up was a real honor for her.

If this show returns for another season, I really hope it returns to a top 20 format without the all stars. 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Rahul

[Andie1]

4 minutes ago, Rahul said:

Kiki is the one who threw her off her shoulders, as he was too unsteady to lift her. He barely was able to do it the first time around. What a sour last note to end the season..

I stand corrected.  Koine is my favorite I should have known it wasn't her fault. I only saw her lose her footing,  I didn't consider the shaky Kiki. He better step it up for the tour.

And Logan was my second fave after Koine.   Kiki or Taylor take your pick stole his rightful place in the top 4

Edited September 27, 2017 by Andie1

[displayname]

33 minutes ago, Rahul said:

Speaking of Kiki, I'm glad he got booted first. I was quite annoyed that Logan did not get a single encore/reprise. He was in so many great, memorable numbers with Allison--the Sean Cheeseman African Jazz piece, Dee Caspary's contemporary piece featuring the long-stemmed rose set to a haunting Ruelle song and Brian Friedman's "blind date" jazz funk with the visors and glass table. I think the producers deliberately chose not to feature any of Logan's numbers because it would only reinforce how contrived it was for Kiki to be in the top 10, let alone top 4. He should have never made it past the academy when he flubbed hip-hop so badly.

See, I actually disagree with Logan having standouts. The one piece of his that I thought was great (Dee's contemporary), Allison outshone him in. He's a good dancer, but I never liked the routines he was given, even though I liked him in them all. His situation really reminds me of Jeanine's -- good dancer with good solos, who was never given great choreography. Difference is that she won.

 

Kiki was in the Salsa with Koine which was a standout. Lex had his contemporary and hip-hop with Gaby, his broadway with Koine and his Jazz with Taylor. Koine had the Salsa, the Broadway and the contemporary with Marko. Taylor had her first Contemporary with Robert (even though I refused to watch Robert in it) and the jazz. Logan didn't get any good routines, imo, even though as a dancer I find him better than Kiki and Taylor.

 

(For that matter, I thought Kaylee's two hip-hops and Contemporary with Cyrus were standouts.)

Edited September 27, 2017 by fan94

[Nessie]

1 hour ago, Rahul said:

Kiki is the one who threw her off her shoulders, as he was too unsteady to lift her. He barely was able to do it the first time around. What a sour last note to end the season...

Speaking of Kiki, I'm glad he got booted first. I was quite annoyed that Logan did not get a single encore/reprise. He was in so many great, memorable numbers with Allison--the Sean Cheeseman African Jazz piece, Dee Caspary's contemporary piece featuring the long-stemmed rose set to a haunting Ruelle song and Brian Friedman's "blind date" jazz funk with the visors and glass table. I think the producers deliberately chose not to feature any of Logan's numbers because it would only reinforce how contrived it was for Kiki to be in the top 10, let alone top 4. He should have never made it past the academy when he flubbed hip-hop so badly.

I would have loved to have seen what Logan could have brought to the final 4 but oh well.

Although I wish she had won the competition, I'm very happy for Koine. She was genuinely happy to just be a part of the competition, and I'm sure being the runner up was a real honor for her.

If this show returns for another season, I really hope it returns to a top 20 format without the all stars. 

I  don't think that's what happened at all.  I just watched it in slow motion, and she was already way off balance while he was raising his hands to steady her.  He certainly didn't throw her off his shoulders, and IMO, I don't think there was anything either one of them could do to save that lift.  I'm sure many on here will disagree with me though, as a lot of people on this board seem to hate him and blame him for "stealing" Logan's place in the top 4* which he absolutely did not.  As discussed in threads earlier this season, this is about "America's favorite dancer", and people can blame judge manipulation all they want, but "America" did not choose to put Logan in their top 4.

I do absolutely 100% agree with your last three sentences, though.

I'm ok with the results.  I would have switched Taylor and Kiki, because she bored me and I realized I only really liked her dancing because I liked watching Robert (while Kiki was the opposite - he actually made me like Jenna a little more), and I would have switched Lex and Koine.   But I can't say I'm upset with Lex winning as I did enjoy a lot of his routines, and, like most of you, I expected him to win from the start.

* some still seem to resent him for "stealing" Kevin's place in the top 10, like Jenna was ever going to pick a krumper.  Again though, not Kiki's fault.  

[Cuatro1234]

5 hours ago, Andie1 said:

 

 

5 hours ago, Andie1 said:

 

Count me in to bring back Adam Shankman, this guy HIRES dancers for movies, and what he thinks about a dancer will literally make or break a career.  That's the critical eye I want to hear from.

 

But he did judge for a while and was more bitchy than useful IMO.

i do think Nigel has toned down Uncle Perv this year (he still pats himself on the back as much as always), but I think his and Mary's comments are also much less educational than they used to be.   As a non-dancer, I feel like I've learned a lot through these years of watching, but this year it's all "our lighting dept is fantastic!" and "Marina in costumes is amazing!" instead of "this style requires quick flicks of the foot" or "you kept the weight back on your heels like you were supposed to" or whatever.

my dream panel would be Misty Copeland, an enthusiastic but critique-focused Mary, and dance historian Nigel. 

Edited September 27, 2017 by Cuatro1234
Elaborating on judges

[crossover]

7 hours ago, Rahul said:

Logan did not get a single encore/reprise. He was in so many great, memorable numbers with Allison--the Sean Cheeseman African Jazz piece, Dee Caspary's contemporary piece featuring the long-stemmed rose set to a haunting Ruelle song and Brian Friedman's "blind date" jazz funk with the visors and glass table.

 

I wasn't annoyed that Logan didn't get a reprisal but I was surprised.  Once they gave Robert and Dassy one, I was sure they would give Kaylee/Logan the shadow dance--but was Travis there?  Or, let he and Allison redo the hip hop.  Two of my favorites.  Dee and Brian weren't there.  So I knew they wouldn't do those numbers.  And I figured they would do the Cheeseman group.  So the AJ was out as well.   I even tried to figure which one of Sydney's and Mark's were they going to reprise?  

I loved all of Logan's performances and most of his routines.  He's the type of dancer who elevates a routine.  In comparison to the F4, I loved most of their routines and some of their performances.

[crossover]

7 hours ago, fan94 said:

See, I actually disagree with Logan having standouts. The one piece of his that I thought was great (Dee's contemporary), Allison outshone him in. He's a good dancer, but I never liked the routines he was given, even though I liked him in them all. His situation really reminds me of Jeanine's -- good dancer with good solos, who was never given great choreography. Difference is that she won.

 

Kiki was in the Salsa with Koine which was a standout. Lex had his contemporary and hip-hop with Gaby, his broadway with Koine and his Jazz with Taylor. Koine had the Salsa, the Broadway and the contemporary with Marko. Taylor had her first Contemporary with Robert (even though I refused to watch Robert in it) and the jazz. Logan didn't get any good routines, imo, even though as a dancer I find him better than Kiki and Taylor.

 

(For that matter, I thought Kaylee's two hip-hops and Contemporary with Cyrus were standouts.)

People differ.  I loved most of Logan's routines.  It's a joy to watch him.  Whereas I think Allison had her best performance in the Dee number, I don't think she outshone Logan.  I think he's a great partner and a great dancer. 

Since you didn't like any of Logan's routines, I can see you comparing him to Jeanine.  I didn't like most of Jeanine's routines even the ones with Brandon, and I love Brandon.  I even thought the Travis contemporary was amateurish but they performed it great.  I thought that Russian thing was a joke but they took it on tour as a group.  I guess Jeanine had to have something since she won.  And I remember Jeanine as being the weak link in the trio with Kayla and Melissa.  I only liked a couple of her solos.  Yet, she won???  So I chalked it up to the fact that I just didn't prefer Jeanine.

The only Kaylee routine I liked was the shadow.  I loved Kiki's salsa as well and his contemporary with Jenna.  I loved both of Lex's bwys, Taylor jazz and the Gaby's hip hop.  I guess I like Lex better in jazz than contemporary.  I loved Taylor's first contemporary as well and her jazz with Lex..  Koine is different.  I think I just prefer her.  I think Koine elevated a lot of her routines.  Loved her performances.  But of her routines, I liked the salsa, AJ, Lex's bwy, and hanger contemporary. 

[Tikichick]

9 hours ago, Nessie said:

I  don't think that's what happened at all.  I just watched it in slow motion, and she was already way off balance while he was raising his hands to steady her.  He certainly didn't throw her off his shoulders, and IMO, I don't think there was anything either one of them could do to save that lift.  I'm sure many on here will disagree with me though, as a lot of people on this board seem to hate him and blame him for "stealing" Logan's place in the top 4* which he absolutely did not.  As discussed in threads earlier this season, this is about "America's favorite dancer", and people can blame judge manipulation all they want, but "America" did not choose to put Logan in their top 4.

I do absolutely 100% agree with your last three sentences, though.

I'm ok with the results.  I would have switched Taylor and Kiki, because she bored me and I realized I only really liked her dancing because I liked watching Robert (while Kiki was the opposite - he actually made me like Jenna a little more), and I would have switched Lex and Koine.   But I can't say I'm upset with Lex winning as I did enjoy a lot of his routines, and, like most of you, I expected him to win from the start.

* some still seem to resent him for "stealing" Kevin's place in the top 10, like Jenna was ever going to pick a krumper.  Again though, not Kiki's fault.  

Clearly one of the most botched things the entire season was the way they presented the selection process -- as if the All Stars actually cast the top ten.  That manipulation irritated me last season.  This season it actually angered me.  Maybe the producers might want to consider whether or not they really want their audience (faithful viewer since Season One, Episode Two no less) to start off the season with an attitude about the show and the casting process?  Obviously you bring back All Stars because you believe they can attract fans.  Why would you want to portray them in an unflattering light and risk alienating any of their fans?

My suggestion, conduct auditions, send dancers to Vegas -- or the Academy, show us some interesting efforts out of that -- and then simply do a live reveal on night one of competition.  Don't try to be in the category of trashy reality TV -- stick with being your own category of celebration of the art of dance.

[Andie1]

11 hours ago, fan94 said:

See, I actually disagree with Logan having standouts. The one piece of his that I thought was great (Dee's contemporary), Allison outshone him in. He's a good dancer, but I never liked the routines he was given, even though I liked him in them all. His situation really reminds me of Jeanine's -- good dancer with good solos, who was never given great choreography. Difference is that she won.

In addition to Dee's contemporary in which I thought Logan really brought it, of course Allison is 10 years his senior with lots of partnering experience so yeah, she's going to be great,  but Logan reminded me of a young Ivan who began to emerge from boy to man.  Also, his Jive with Allison was outstanding in that he not only danced it well, he channelled a 1940's sensibility in the way Comfort could channel 1970's disco. For me, Lex just didn't have that color to his dancing in that same way. 

And absolutely Kiki stole his place,  Kiki wasn't as good as most of the ballroom guys who ever competed on this show.  As for the I Rise piece, he did better the second time, the first time he almost dropped Taylor, so I'm not sure why Koine had to be on such a lean, maybe if Kiki squared his shoulders it could have been successful, who knows.  Unfortunately for Sean Chessman which version does he submit for an Emmy nom?  Certainly not the incomplete lift,  possibly he could splice the ending of the first piece onto the second, because Kiki was terrible on the first version.

[displayname]

14 minutes ago, Andie1 said:

In addition to Dee's contemporary in which I thought Logan really brought it, of course Allison is 10 years his senior with lots of partnering experience so yeah, she's going to be great,  but Logan reminded me of a young Ivan who began to emerge from boy to man.  Also, his Jive with Allison was outstanding in that he not only danced it well, he channelled a 1940's sensibility in the way Comfort could channel 1970's disco. For me, Lex just didn't have that color to his dancing in that same way. 

And absolutely Kiki stole his place,  Kiki wasn't as good as most of the ballroom guys who ever competed on this show.  As for the I Rise piece, he did better the second time, the first time he almost dropped Taylor, so I'm not sure why Koine had to be on such a lean, maybe if Kiki squared his shoulders it could have been successful, who knows.  Unfortunately for Sean Chessman which version does he submit for an Emmy nom?  Certainly not the incomplete lift,  possibly he could splice the ending of the first piece onto the second, because Kiki was terrible on the first version.

I agree that Lex didn't bring colour to all his routines. But I also think that the only chances he got for colour were the AT, the tap and the disco. He looked goofy enough in the disco to me before he started to fail. He looked like whatever he was supposed to look like in his tap, though.

 

I don't like to think of "stealing places" on a popularity contest.

1 hour ago, crossover said:

  I even thought the Travis contemporary was amateurish but they performed it great.

I hated that contemporary.

[luvthepros]

Anyone get "Richman's Frug" vibe from the preview of the new FOX series, "Star"? That choreography is too similar to Bob Fosse's genius.

[crowceilidh]

Quote

Anyone get "Richman's Frug" vibe from the preview of the new FOX series, "Star"?

Yes, it was a deliberate homage.  The choreoed songs on Star often feature some aspect like that.  They're just displaying their choreo chops now it's getting a big tv slot.

[crossover]

1 hour ago, Andie1 said:

In addition to Dee's contemporary in which I thought Logan really brought it, of course Allison is 10 years his senior with lots of partnering experience so yeah, she's going to be great,  but Logan reminded me of a young Ivan who began to emerge from boy to man.  Also, his Jive with Allison was outstanding in that he not only danced it well, he channelled a 1940's sensibility in the way Comfort could channel 1970's disco. For me, Lex just didn't have that color to his dancing in that same way. 

And absolutely Kiki stole his place,  Kiki wasn't as good as most of the ballroom guys who ever competed on this show.  As for the I Rise piece, he did better the second time, the first time he almost dropped Taylor, so I'm not sure why Koine had to be on such a lean, maybe if Kiki squared his shoulders it could have been successful, who knows.  Unfortunately for Sean Chessman which version does he submit for an Emmy nom?  Certainly not the incomplete lift,  possibly he could splice the ending of the first piece onto the second, because Kiki was terrible on the first version.

I agree with most of this.  I can't say Kiki stole Logan's place.  I believe the judges/TPTB constant pimping helped Kiki but it helped Taylor and Lex too.  I also think Kiki  had a great fanbase--PROBABLY dwts influence.   During F4-voting, Kiki ended in 4th place.  The show was still spinning for him.  What happened?  DWTS started.  Let's face it on these reality shows, it's best to have the large fanbase instead of the best talent.  But that's what fuels reality TV--the unexpected.  MAYBE that's why sytycd ratings keep going down.  Since S8, you know the winner by auditions?

[Rahul]

3 hours ago, crossover said:

People differ.  I loved most of Logan's routines.  It's a joy to watch him.  Whereas I think Allison had her best performance in the Dee number, I don't think she outshone Logan.  I think he's a great partner and a great dancer.

I totally agree. Not only did Logan's dancing have a wow factor due to his sheer virtuosity, flexibility, strength and technical ability to do almost anything but he was also great at partnering and lifts. I found him to be a very expressive dancer bringing depth to his performances.

 

2 hours ago, Andie1 said:

In addition to Dee's contemporary in which I thought Logan really brought it, of course Allison is 10 years his senior with lots of partnering experience so yeah, she's going to be great,  but Logan reminded me of a young Ivan who began to emerge from boy to man.  Also, his Jive with Allison was outstanding in that he not only danced it well, he channelled a 1940's sensibility in the way Comfort could channel 1970's disco. For me, Lex just didn't have that color to his dancing in that same way.

Lex is a great technician but for me his dancing lacks an evocative, expressive element. When he does emote (usually when the camera panned to his face in group numbers) I found the faces he made to be over-the-top and incongruous with the mood.  Maybe this is just the mark of his immaturity since he is still quite young, but I didn't find this issue with Logan. Lex is also quite ostensibly weak in partnering and really struggled with his lifts.

For all the reasons above I much preferred Logan to Lex, but favorites are subjective. Kiki garnered plenty of votes despite his inability to pull off a simple jazz leap or arabesque. Quite laughable, really. 

[Tikichick]

49 minutes ago, Rahul said:

I totally agree. Not only did Logan's dancing have a wow factor due to his sheer virtuosity, flexibility, strength and technical ability to do almost anything but he was also great at partnering and lifts. I found him to be a very expressive dancer bringing depth to his performances.

 

Lex is a great technician but for me his dancing lacks an evocative, expressive element. When he does emote (usually when the camera panned to his face in group numbers) I found the faces he made to be over-the-top and incongruous with the mood.  Maybe this is just the mark of his immaturity since he is still quite young, but I didn't find this issue with Logan. Lex is also quite ostensibly weak in partnering and really struggled with his lifts.

For all the reasons above I much preferred Logan to Lex, but favorites are subjective. Kiki garnered plenty of votes despite his inability to pull off a simple jazz leap or arabesque. Quite laughable, really. 

I think Lex is a fantastic dancer and I can't really grouse overmuch about his win, I actually expected it all along.  I've been thinking that I don't really see Lex as much of a duet dancer, which is the key format of the show.  He shines most in solos and group numbers, which often don't require as much focus on portraying a character as much as the duets.  It's possible he could improve with some acting lessons, however I don't know that he's necessarily considering that necessary for his career path.  He seems from his comments to be quite comfortable with his self-described dry personality and seems to be more focused on his dancing. 

I thought about several of them as potential future All Stars as well.  Can't see Lex, Kiki, Taylor being asked back to fill the role for various reasons.  I think Koine would absolutely make the shortlist of candidates.  I do see some potential for Logan to be considered.

[realdancemom]

5 hours ago, Andie1 said:

In addition to Dee's contemporary in which I thought Logan really brought it, of course Allison is 10 years his senior with lots of partnering experience so yeah, she's going to be great,  but Logan reminded me of a young Ivan who began to emerge from boy to man.  Also, his Jive with Allison was outstanding in that he not only danced it well, he channelled a 1940's sensibility in the way Comfort could channel 1970's disco. For me, Lex just didn't have that color to his dancing in that same way.

This so much.   I enjoyed watching Logan dance this season.  Besides the dances that you mentioned, I also enjoyed the Christopher Scott hip-hop and the shadow dance.  This is going to sound weird but one of my favorite parts of the shadow dance is the end.  I know that the dance showed Logan's amazing flexibility, extensions, and jumps.  However, I love the end where he is just standing there and breathing.  He had the correct posture because he is kind of slumped and his chest is not pumped up.  If he stood more upright, it would have made him look like a dancer or gymnast.  But with the slight slump, it made him look like a normal guy who just woke up from a weird dream and then his deep breathing added to it.  It's so simple and yet effective.   Dance isn't all about technique although Logan had plenty of that too.   That's why a lot of the choreographers had him doing so many different turns, ways to get out of turns, break dancing moves, etc.  I think it's unfortunate that Lex and Logan were on the same season because the judges wanted Lex to win from the beginning (as crossover mentioned in the Social Media thread).  Logan would have had a better chance on a different season. 

I could say the same thing with Mark.  It's too bad Mark wasn't on the Street vs. Studio season.  He is a lot more versatile than the two breakers they had on that season.  OTOH, he wouldn't have been paired with Comfort and I loved their partnership.

[Andie1]

1 hour ago, Tikichick said:

think Koine would absolutely make the shortlist of candidates. 

She is the female Marko after all!  And, like Marko her presence elevated everyone's dancing without resorting to selfish camera hogging to do it. 

[realdancemom]

23 minutes ago, Andie1 said:

She is the female Marko after all!  And, like Marko her presence elevated everyone's dancing without resorting to selfish camera hogging to do it. 

Which is why I thought Koine should have won based on the SYTYCD competition and Marko should have beaten Melanie.  Saying who would make a good versatile All-Star is a great way to judge who should win.  Of course, it's America's Favorite Dancer so anybody could vote for whoever they want.

ETA - If they used the All-Stars like they previously did, then it doesn't matter if an All-Star is versatile.  So Kiki can come in and do ballroom.  It would especially help if the female looks older since Paul is young looking.  Other ballroom dancers like Pasha are busy and Nigel seems to use Dmitry for choreographing but not as an All-Star.  And the judges seems to ignore Ryan whenever he comes in to help.  I also noticed that some of the All-Stars get a lot of praises, e.g. Jenna.  But Marko doesn't really get any during the judging comments even though he does a great job.

Edited September 27, 2017 by realdancemom

[Tikichick]

31 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

Which is why I thought Koine should have won based on the SYTYCD competition and Marko should have beaten Melanie.  Saying who would make a good versatile All-Star is a great way to judge who should win.  Of course, it's America's Favorite Dancer so anybody could vote for whoever they want.

ETA - If they used the All-Stars like they previously did, then it doesn't matter if an All-Star is versatile.  So Kiki can come in and do ballroom.  It would especially help if the female looks older since Paul is young looking.  Other ballroom dancers like Pasha are busy and Nigel seems to use Dmitry for choreographing but not as an All-Star.  And the judges seems to ignore Ryan whenever he comes in to help.  I also noticed that some of the All-Stars get a lot of praises, e.g. Jenna.  But Marko doesn't really get any during the judging comments even though he does a great job.

Marko never even got much but judges' crumbs in his own season.  This is the first season he's gotten much acknowledgment from the judges at all -- and even then I don't even think it began to approach the praise he's (long over)due for.  He has literally spent All Star seasons without a judges' comment before.  I know because I noticed and was infuriated.

I agree, the original introduction of the All Stars into the show as specialists was a great way to showcase some spectacular talent -- without having some All Stars suck all of the attention.  I think Jenna is a fantastically talented all around dancer.  She's far from the only one, but it's begun to grate on my nerves that they repeatedly gush on her and have literally ignored other fantastic all around dancers over multiple seasons -- and the contestants actually competing.   I love to see Fikshun and Cyrus dance, but I can't accept that they can bring what's necessary to the contestants working their way through the genres.  There is a solid pool of All Stars they can pull from to come in as virtual all around dancers and others who will be best appreciated and showcased as specialists.  Using the All Stars in the final phase of the season in genres where they can come in and help set the stage ablaze will up the odds that more of the numbers become memorable, which can only help the show stay more popular and relevant. 

[displayname]

I think this is the one of the seasons where I liked the group routines and solos more than most of the duets.

 

Top 5 group routines: 

5. Mandy/Val Disco

4. Hey Pachuco! (Top 9)

3. Mark's Vogue (Top 8)

2.  Prism (Chris Scott, Top 6)

1. Derniere Danse (Brian Friedman, Top 7)

 

Top Solos (Had to stop myself here!):

13. The Drummer - Kiki

12. Wait for you - Kaylee

11. Radical Self - Logan

10. Unravel - Taylor

9. I see Fire - Mark

8.  Is it a crime - Mark

7. Soundclash - Dassy

6. Land of 1000 Dances - Kiki

5. LOVE - Kaylee

4. Infinity Street - Logan

3. Sleep Talk - Lex

2. The Melody - Lex

1.  TRNDSTTR - Lex

 

Top Routines:

8. Kaylee/Cyrus Hip-Hop (Philip Chbeeb) 

7. Kiki/Jenna Cha-Cha

6. Lex/Gaby Contemporary 

5. Lex/Gaby Hip-Hop

4. Kiki/Koine Salsa

3. Kaylee/Cyrus Contemporary (by Tyce)

2. Koine/Marko Contemporary (by Mandy/Elizabeth)

1. Lex/Koine Broadway

 

So yeah, perfect top 2, with Lex edging out Koine based on solos, so I'm glad it shook out the way it did.

 

Contestant Ranking:

Lex, Koine (barely a gap)

(gap)

Kaylee

Logan

Kiki

Mark

Taylor

 

I saw too little out of the rest.

Edited September 27, 2017 by fan94

[luvthepros]

On 9/26/2017 at 9:06 PM, Andie1 said:

Count me in to bring back Adam Shankman, this guy HIRES dancers for movies, and what he thinks about a dancer will literally make or break a career.  That's the critical eye I want to hear from.

Talk about being passionate about dance.....that is Adam Shankman.

Edited September 28, 2017 by luvthepros

[Andie1]

5 hours ago, fan94 said:

I think this is the one of the seasons where I liked the group routines and solos more than most of the duets.

 

Top 5 group routines: 

5. Mandy/Val Disco

4. Hey Pachuco! (Top 9)

3. Mark's Vogue (Top 8)

2.  Prism (Chris Scott, Top 6)

1. Derniere Danse (Brian Friedman, Top 7)

 

Top Solos (Had to stop myself here!):

13. The Drummer - Kiki

12. Wait for you - Kaylee

11. Radical Self - Logan

10. Unravel - Taylor

9. I see Fire - Mark

8.  Is it a crime - Mark

7. Soundclash - Dassy

6. Land of 1000 Dances - Kiki

5. LOVE - Kaylee

4. Infinity Street - Logan

3. Sleep Talk - Lex

2. The Melody - Lex

1.  TRNDSTTR - Lex

 

Top Routines:

8. Kaylee/Cyrus Hip-Hop (Philip Chbeeb) 

7. Kiki/Jenna Cha-Cha

6. Lex/Gaby Contemporary 

5. Lex/Gaby Hip-Hop

4. Kiki/Koine Salsa

3. Kaylee/Cyrus Contemporary (by Tyce)

2. Koine/Marko Contemporary (by Mandy/Elizabeth)

1. Lex/Koine Broadway

 

So yeah, perfect top 2, with Lex edging out Koine based on solos, so I'm glad it shook out the way it did.

 

Contestant Ranking:

Lex, Koine (barely a gap)

(gap)

Kaylee

Logan

Kiki

Mark

Taylor

 

I saw too little out of the rest.

You  must have missed Koine's HOME it is my most favourite solo ever by a female on this show -that cool forward slide move Sean Chessman must have thought it was cool too because he used it in the I Rise piece. 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Andie1

[displayname]

I like Koine's musicality, but I have discussed before that I'm not really a fan of Koine's personal style, I think.

 

I would probably rank it in my Top 20. A really strong season for soloists.

Edited September 28, 2017 by fan94

[Andie1]

 I would never put even one of Kiki solos in the top . He's just a run of the mill ballroom dancer and gives us nothing more than standard rip shirt crap you see on DWTS, fine for horny old men and women but does nothing in terms of style or innovation. He's not even a top competitor in his own field. Denys from SYTYCD Canada, now that was a soloist ballroom dancer, who brought contemporary movement into his solos with great leaps and jumps.  Head to head he beat Kiki sometimes  by a lot in every major ballroom competition they entered. 

9 minutes ago, fan94 said:

I like Koine's musicality, but I have discussed before that I'm not really a fan of Koine's personal style, I think.

That's fine, it obvious choreographers like it because they use her moves 

[Rahul]

1 hour ago, Andie1 said:

 I would never put even one of Kiki solos in the top . He's just a run of the mill ballroom dancer and gives us nothing more than standard rip shirt crap you see on DWTS, fine for horny old men and women but does nothing in terms of style or innovation. He's not even a top competitor in his own field. Denys from SYTYCD Canada, now that was a soloist ballroom dancer, who brought contemporary movement into his solos with great leaps and jumps.  Head to head he beat Kiki sometimes  by a lot in every major ballroom competition they entered. 

Don't forget about all the hair tossing. Kiki flips his lopsided coif more than most contemporary girls who roll around on the floor do!

Edited September 28, 2017 by Rahul

[Andie1]

That's because hairography is  as important to a male ballroom dancer as it is to the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, never mind that it's a cheesy filler for lack of imagination . 

Edited September 28, 2017 by Andie1

[realdancemom]

14 hours ago, fan94 said:

II would probably rank it in my Top 20. A really strong season for soloists.

 

I agree that this was a strong season for soloists.  I think the most generic ones were probably from Taylor and Sydney.  This was also a great season for group numbers.  The group numbers are usually highlights anyway but since the All-Stars have more experience, this season elevated the performances.  That is the reason why I loved the All-Star group routines during the kid season too.  Above is a group routine done last season.  It was choreographed by Mandy and Elizabeth, the same duo that choreographed Koine and Marko's hanger contemporary.

[displayname]

On 9/26/2017 at 4:27 PM, luvthepros said:

Someone said Lex is known as the dancer with air under his feet (or something like that) and that is so very true.

I think that was me! I don't know if he's known as that, but he should be!

[realdancemom]

I really hope that this show comes back next year even if it means the same format and putting up with Vanessa.  This is the best network dance show IMHO.  I like it more than WOD and DWTS.  I tried to catch up with DWTS since I was watching SYTYCD instead of it.  Bleh!!  It was o.k. but I know that I won't get unexpected pleasant surprises with dancers' abilities or wonderful choreography.

[displayname]

1 hour ago, realdancemom said:

wonderful choreography.

I think that was lacking this year, though. :(

[realdancemom]

51 minutes ago, fan94 said:

I think that was lacking this year, though. :(

I thought there was still some good choreography especially with the group routines.   Some seasons are better than others but overall this show is a lot better than the other dance shows.

[Tikichick]

12 minutes ago, realdancemom said:

I thought there was still some good choreography especially with the group routines.   Some seasons are better than others but overall this show is a lot better than the other dance shows.

You said a mouthful.  WOD was a joke, which is absolutely ridiculous.  Many of the SYTYCD folks are affiliated, so it wasn't lack of talent on the part of the contestants.  A good start would be remembering to keep the cameras trained on the dancers while on stage.  I tuned in to see dance, NOT judges.  It's also easier to appreciate the artistry on stage without the horrendous lighting going on around them.  I can go to the laser light show at the planetarium if I want dazzling light displays.

Don't think I've seen DWTS since maybe season four, five at the outset.  I'll watch legit ballroom competitions, but DWTS just didn't do it for me.  I don't need it off the air or anything, it's just not my cup of tea.  

[Andie1]

Hey I'm just popping by to say thanks all for a great chat this season.  If anyone gets a chance to see the live show I'd love to read about your impressions of the dances and the dancers live.  I had a chance to see the show from Season 11 live and it was a truly inspiring experience.   

till next Summer! (hopefully)

[Anothermi]

8 hours ago, Andie1 said:

If anyone gets a chance to see the live show I'd love to read about your impressions of the dances and the dancers live.

Seconding this, whether your a regular poster or mainly lurk. It would be great to hear what you thought of the tour.

[kechara]

Quote

 

I hope it’s not cancelled.  This and ABDC  are two shows I have enjoyed  and one is already gone I think

[jewel21]

2 hours ago, Anothermi said:

Seconding this, whether your a regular poster or mainly lurk. It would be great to hear what you thought of the tour.

I really wanted to go this year, and I've been to three in the past, but they haven't announced any Canadian dates and I'm quite disappointed.

[realdancemom]

On 10/1/2017 at 1:31 AM, Andie1 said:

Hey I'm just popping by to say thanks all for a great chat this season.  If anyone gets a chance to see the live show I'd love to read about your impressions of the dances and the dancers live.  I had a chance to see the show from Season 11 live and it was a truly inspiring experience.   

till next Summer! (hopefully)

Yes, I enjoyed chatting with everyone about the show this season.  I hope that it gets renewed next year.  I watched Season 4 and 11.  Sadly, you can tell that the show wasn't as popular the second time around.  When we went in Season 4, the venue was full and so many people were buying T-shirts, posters, etc.   In the Season 11 show, we went to the same venue but it wasn't sold out at all.   It was probably 1/2 or 3/4 full.  The lines to buy souvenirs were not crowded.  I thought there would be more people since there were a lot of Utah dancers in Season 11.  My younger daughter has danced with both Tanisha and Marquet and wanted to see them again.   My daughters also wanted to watch Ricky.  I just thought there would be more people who would want to see people that they knew/danced with.  Season 4 also had Utah dancers but the tour was popular just because the show was popular at the time. 

Don't think I'll watch the tour this year. 

[Lunula]

On 9/26/2017 at 3:24 AM, Laurie4H said:

If Lex and Taylor are in a relationship why didn't we see them even acknowledge each other after he won?  I only saw her off to the side of everyone at the end.  

I wonder if it was just Taylor being respectful of letting Lex have the spotlight for his win? They were pretty under wraps all season, so not surprising that they would continue to be private to the end. 

Really glad it was Lex & Koine as top 2 - I ended up liking Taylor a lot more towards the end and her duet with Robert really was lovely (more Robert is always a good thing), but I was really rooting for Lex & Koine. Is it bad that I want Koine & Marko to get married and dance together forever? Seriously, they have great chemistry.

To TPTB - next season - don't do this whole "picking a team" garbage. If you do it, then show the all-stars actually dancing with their teammates. Show us the coaching, the hard work and make us believe the final decision. I don't mind switching up the format each season, but that was a huge let-down. It was, "pick your teams!" one week and then "choose your partner" the next with nothing in between. And don't try and make us believe that any all-star is going to select a same sex partner for the season.

Overall, I thought the season felt rushed and I'd rather see more cut out from the "team selection" junk than the dancing. 

I've also solidly decided that I do not like tap. I do not like Broadway. I don't really like disco (except I did like the group disco number this season). I can't stand the judges working so hard to pimp certain dancers or how long they ramble on after seeing each routine. I do not like watching solos (especially the ball room dancers). Bollywood should only ever be done as a group number. 

Oh. And Misty Copeland should be given heaps of money to be next season's 3rd judge. (And she should have a mandatory dance each week).

[Tikichick]

On 10/1/2017 at 1:04 PM, kechara said:

I hope it’s not cancelled.  This and ABDC  are two shows I have enjoyed  and one is already gone I think

I've been holding out hope for ABDC to return also.   The fact the last season was an All Star season makes me wonder if it wasn't the final bow.  It was awesome and brought me the Kinjaz, but I would love to see it return.

[realdancemom]

On 9/28/2017 at 2:56 PM, Tikichick said:

You said a mouthful.  WOD was a joke, which is absolutely ridiculous.  Many of the SYTYCD folks are affiliated, so it wasn't lack of talent on the part of the contestants.  A good start would be remembering to keep the cameras trained on the dancers while on stage.  I tuned in to see dance, NOT judges.  It's also easier to appreciate the artistry on stage without the horrendous lighting going on around them.  I can go to the laser light show at the planetarium if I want dazzling light displays.

Don't think I've seen DWTS since maybe season four, five at the outset.  I'll watch legit ballroom competitions, but DWTS just didn't do it for me.  I don't need it off the air or anything, it's just not my cup of tea.  

I agree with your comments on WOD and SYTYCD.  I only started watching DWTS when Nicole and Evan was on.  It's not my favorite but I just like watching dance shows.  People complain about ringers but I actually like them.  Otherwise, I would be cringing the whole time.  The band is awful too.  Also, some of the pro numbers are really sleazy.  They used to do ballroom dances.  Now, they do a lot of bump and grind stripper moves.  I think they are trying to expand their audience.  The pros are more talented than that and deserve better choreography.

[Tikichick]

On 10/2/2017 at 3:06 PM, realdancemom said:

Yes, I enjoyed chatting with everyone about the show this season.  I hope that it gets renewed next year.  I watched Season 4 and 11.  Sadly, you can tell that the show wasn't as popular the second time around.  When we went in Season 4, the venue was full and so many people were buying T-shirts, posters, etc.   In the Season 11 show, we went to the same venue but it wasn't sold out at all.   It was probably 1/2 or 3/4 full.  The lines to buy souvenirs were not crowded.  I thought there would be more people since there were a lot of Utah dancers in Season 11.  My younger daughter has danced with both Tanisha and Marquet and wanted to see them again.   My daughters also wanted to watch Ricky.  I just thought there would be more people who would want to see people that they knew/danced with.  Season 4 also had Utah dancers but the tour was popular just because the show was popular at the time. 

Don't think I'll watch the tour this year. 

I'd love to see the tour this year but have a schedule conflict.   I've seen seasons 4 and 5 on tour and enjoyed the experience so much.

One of my daughters also saw season 3 on tour and still considers watching Neil and Danny perform the princes number from the fifth row one of her all time favorite live dance performances.  She's definitely got all of her Tshirts packed away as prized possessions.

[crossover]

Anyone have a tour setlist?  They've performed in about 3 venues already.  I saw a little clip of one of the performances.  It looked like Logan and someone were doing his African Jazz?  Surely he's not doing that many routines.  So I'm a little surprised they chose the AJ especially when Marko is part of the tour group.  So Marko and Koine have to be doing their AJ.  And, Still I Rise has to be there.  Just a little curious about which one of the routines were taken.

[mimib101]

15 hours ago, crossover said:

Anyone have a tour setlist?  They've performed in about 3 venues already.  I saw a little clip of one of the performances.  It looked like Logan and someone were doing his African Jazz?  Surely he's not doing that many routines.  So I'm a little surprised they chose the AJ especially when Marko is part of the tour group.  So Marko and Koine have to be doing their AJ.  And, Still I Rise has to be there.  Just a little curious about which one of the routines were taken.

Group Dances:

• Call Me Mother
• Strange Fruit
• Hyperballad 
• Disco
• Dancing on the Ceiling
• Prism
• Floreana
• Still I Rise 
• The elements dance 
• Hey Pachuco
• The African jazz dance

 

Duets

• Bodak Yellow (Kaylee and Robert)
• LOVE (Koine and Lex)
• African Jazz (Koine and Marko)
• Black and Gold (Koine and Kaylee)
• Perm (Jasmine and Robert)
• Protocol (Koine and Logan)
• Shake Your Pants (Dassy and Mark)
• Work Song (Sydney and Lex)
• Miss Otis Regrets was turned into a group but Lex and Jasmine did part of it as a duo
• 5 months 2 weeks 2 days (Logan and Sydney)
• The dances with the canes (Jasmine and Kiki)
• The First Time I saw Your Face (Kiki and Sydney)
• The closet dance (Koine and Marko)
• Shadows (Kaylee and Logan)
• Tilted (Dassy and Mark)
• Strange (Kaylee, Logan and Lex)
• Humble (Lex and Jasmine)
• DKLA (Kaylee and Kiki)
• The Rain (Lex and Kiki)
• I’m Better (Kaylee and Mark)
• Numb and Getting Colder (Lex and Dassy)
• Ending (Mark and Jasmine) (the tutu one)
• African Jazz (Logan and Sydney)

 

they also each have a solo, and there are a few short new group numbers in between other dances

from kelly-sweeney on tumblr

 

Taylor injured her neck just before the first show and hasn't performed yet so not sure which dances she is in, but I would guess:

• Bodak Yellow
• Black and Gold
• Numb and Getting Colder
• and I feel like she and Lex will do at least one of their duets (probably Mia's? The birdcage might be too difficult to get on/off stage)

Edited October 9, 2017 by mimib101

[comosedice]

Kiki and Sydney are there and they are not doing any ballroom together? His Cha Cha with Jenna was exciting and so damn good. This makes no sense but then I remember Mandy Moore is the tour coordinator. Jazz and Contemporary take precedence.

[crossover]

Thanks mimib101.  Quite a list.  I'm surprised they don't have a Kiki/Syd routine as well.  But they packed in a lot.

[mimib101]

2 hours ago, crossover said:

Thanks mimib101.  Quite a list.  I'm surprised they don't have a Kiki/Syd routine as well.  But they packed in a lot.

Yeah you'd think they would have tried to put at least a couple of ballroom numbers in the show..

[crossover]

26 minutes ago, mimib101 said:

Yeah you'd think they would have tried to put at least a couple of ballroom numbers in the show..

Mandy didn't even include the Kiki/Koine salsa.  I guess she thought it was an accident waiting to happen?  Then they included the Logan contemporary that Allison got hurt doing?  They should've taken the Dee one.  But maybe they changed that arm-pull move.  Thanks again.