"So You Think You Can Dance" Top 20 Finally Compete!

Tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX network will finally bring the Top 20 picks together to compete. Ten male dancers and ten female dancers will be paired up, and each couple will compete against the other nine couples until they are eliminated from the show or until they reach the point when partners are rotated each week by picking names out of a hat. This week one guy and one girl will go home.

This year is unique already. They have a husband and wife ballroom team that both made it, on their own merit, to the "Top 20". You have three tap dancers. Not even one tap dancer has made it to the "Top 20" before. Billy Bell, who was one of my picks to make it into the finals became sick and is out before he got a chance to compete. Brandon, a hip hop dancer will be filling in for him at the last minute. Good luck to Brandon and his partner Pauline.

We have four hip hop dancers:
From Boston, MA, Russell Ferguson, Krumper, Age 19.
From Booklin, New York, Kevin Hunte, Age 23
From Los Angeles, CA, Jonathan "legacy Perez, Age 17

We have seven contemporary dancers:
From Haverhill, MA, Channing Cook Age 18,
From, Orlando, FL, Jakob Karr, Age 18
From, Raleigh, NC, Ariana DeBose, Age 18,
From Downing, CA, Nathan Trasoras, Age 18
From Miami, FL, Victor Smalley, Age 20
From Burbank, CA, Katherine McCormick, Age 18
From Sandford, NC, Noelle Marsh, Age 18
From Palm Beach, FL, Billy Bell, Age 19

We have three tap dancers:
From Los Angeles, CA, Phillip Attmore, Age 25
From Detroit, MI, Bianca Revels, Age 20,
From Philadelphia, PA, Peter Sabisino, age 21

We have three jazz dancers:
From New York, NY, Ellenore Scott, Age 19
From Upland, CA, Mollee Gray, Age 18
From West Covina, CA, Pauline Mata, Age 18

We have three ballroom dancers:
From Fort Lee, NJ, Karen Hauer, Age 27
From Orem, UT, Ryan Di Lello, Age 28
From Orem, UT, Ashleigh Di Lello, Age 27

Noelle has had an accident and hurt her knee, and Billy Bell has become ill. Noelle may be back next week, but Billy is out. Too bad, he was one of my top picks.

So how were they paired up? We'll do a play by play.

From Haverhill, MA, Channing Cook Age 18, and From Los Angeles, CA, Phillip Attmore, Age 25 will be performing a jazz routine. Phillip (tap) is not that much larger than Channing (contemporary), so it was a pairing I'm not sure I like yet. That being said, they did a pretty good job. I didn't come a way with a "wow, that was unbelievable", but it was respectable.

My Scores: Channing - 8 out of 10 Phillip - 8 out of 10

From Orem, UT, Ashleigh Di Lello, Age 27 and From, Orlando, FL, Jakob Karr, Age 18. This routine felt more like a sultry old-time jazz routine. Even though Ashleigh (Ballroom) is from my home state of Utah, and she is beautiful, I don't think she has half the talent of her partner. Jakob (Contemporary) His leaps defy gravity. This couple had more chemistry between them than the first couple. Jakob is an unbelievable dancer. I love watching him.

My Scores: Ashleigh - 9 Jakob - 10

From, Raleigh, NC, Ariana DeBose, Age 18, and From Philadelphia, PA, Peter Sabisino, age 21. Ariana (Contemporary) and Peter (Tap) will be dancing a hip hop dance. Okay, I just watched a tap dancer slide across the floor on his head. Not only that, but he did it very well. Peter was more convincing than Ariana in this style of dance. It was respectable and their chemistry was good, but they weren't clean enough. Their movement was not concise enough.

My Scores: Arianna - 7 Peter - 8

From Sandford, NC, Noelle Marsh, Age 18 and From Boston, MA, Russell Ferguson, Age 19.Noelle (Contemporary) and Russell (Hip Hop/Krumper) are suppose to dance a Foxtrot. Russell has to dance with the co-choreographer, Melanie because his partner has hurt her knee. Russell just performed a Foxtrot like he has been dancing ballroom his whole life. I love this guy. He is going to be big this year like Twitch and Josh from Season Four. He has huge potential. I can't say enough about him. I am impressed.

My Scores: Noelle (didn't dance) Russell Ferguson - 10

From Detroit, MI, Bianca Revels, Age 20, and From Miami, FL, Victor Smalley, Age 20. Bianca (tap) and Victor (contemporary) will be dancing a contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall. It took awhile for Bianca to warm up and get into the routine. Victor was definitely a stronger dancer in general than her. However, she ended the routine better than she started it. There were some great original tricks in the unique choreography by Travis Wall.

My Scores Bianca - 8 Victor - 9

From Fort Lee, NJ, Karen Hauer, Age 27 and From Brooklin, New York, Kevin Hunte, Age 23) Karen, (Latin Ballroom) and Kevin (Hip Hop) will be dancing the ChaChaCha. I'm excited to see what these two can do together. Needless to say Karen took to the Chachacha very well, but even Kevin, who was out of his comfort zone, did a respectable job. They had one hard trick that they worked their way through, but it looked scary and slow. They struggled. I agree with Mary that Kevin could have been sharper in his movement.

My Scores: Karen - 9 Kevin - 8

From New York, NY, Ellenore Scott, Age 19 and From Orem, UT, Ryan Di Lello, Age 28. Ellenore (Jazz) and Ryan (Ballroom) are dancing a contemporary jazz dance. With the theme of a fallen angel, these two dancers performed a strong dance. With equal ability and good chemistry, they were impressive. This is a good strong pairing. I expect great things will come from this match up.

My Scores: Ellenore - 10 Ryan - 10

From West Covina, CA, Pauline Mata, Age 18 and filling in for Billy Bell is Brandon. Pauline (Jazz) and Brandon (Hip Hop) have only practiced together for 2 days. They are performing a Waltz together. This was the surprise of the night for me. I liked them better than the shows judges did. Great couple with huge potential if they make it any further.

My Scores: Pauline - 9 Brandon - 8

From Burbank, CA, Katherine McCormick, Age 18 and From Los Angeles, CA, Jonathan "legacy Perez, Age 17. Katherine (contemporary and Legacy (Hip Hop) will be performing a hip hop routine. This is another good couple. They're well matched and have a great chemistry between the two of them.This will be another coupling that will be tough competition for the rest of the couples.

My Score: Katherine - 10 Legacy -10

From Upland, CA, Mollee Gray, Age 18 and From Downing, CA, Nathan Trasoras, Age 18. Mollee (Jazz) and Nathan (Contemporary) will be dancing disco, so both dancers were a little out of their comfort zone. There was more good than bad in this routine. It was fast and high energy. The performed some hard lifts and tricks. They're both young and a very cute couple. This was tough, extremely tough. They could improve on the sharpness of some of their moves, but overall a great first performance.

My Score: Mollee - 9 Nathan - 8

Dancing For Their Lives

The four who have to dance for their lives are Ariana, Brandon, Pauline and Russell.
First up is Ariana dancing for her life. I agreed with the choice of Ariana. She did a good solo, but there is something about her movement that is unattracitve.

Second up is Russell dancing for his life. I disagreed with the choice of Russell. He came out and amazed the crowd with his krumping. He clearly already has a following.

Third up is Pauline dancing for her life. Pauline did a good job on her solo. She has substantial talent. I predict she will beat Ariana.

Fourth up is Brandon dancing for his life. Brandon, who was called in just two days ago, did a phenomenal job on his dance, but he's up against Russell unfortunately. This is where luck comes into play in this show, because Brandon is going to lose to Russell probably and he's a better dancer than some of the other male dancers that will remain.

Judges Adam Shankman, Mary Murphy and Nigel Lythgoe will make the decision this week. There will not be a vote from America. As I expected Ariana and Brandon were eliminated. However, because of Brandon's extenuating circumstances, they're hoping they can make an exception to the rules and Brandon will get another chance to be in the Top 20 next season. I hope it works out that way for him, because I think he is a phenomenal talent.

Sixth Week of "Dancing With The Stars"

We are now in the sixth week of "Dancing With the Stars" , and the rules change slightly this week. The lowest two couples will have a dance off on tomorrow night's show. Each couple prepares a dance of their choosing, but it's a dance they hope they don't have to perform. This will take place in the next two episodes. We have nine couple left in the competition. They will dance either the Waltz or the Jitterbug. After that, they will all come together to do a group Mamba that should prove to be interesting.

Aaron and Karina: Waltz-First of all, I love Karina's outfit. Her light green against his dark green suit was beautiful. Aaron is trying so hard. You have to give this kid an "A" for effort. His posture and upper body movement is really done well in this dance. His footwork isn't as smooth as I would like it, but it's pretty good. This was a good week for Aaron. He has matured as a dancer.
My Score 8 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 8,9,8 Average Score 8.3

Mark and Lacey: Jitterbug-Great choreography. Mark looks like he is having a good time. He does several surprising gymnastic movements. They have humor in the routine. Lacey makes him do quite a few hard moves, and he pulls it off. It was fun and energetic. He got a standing ovation from the audience. Way to go Mark.
My score 9 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 9,9,8 Average Score 8.6

Donny and Kym: Jitterbug-this was an energetic, fun routine. Kym is such a creative choreographer. Donny is coordinated, and he has a good sense of tempo. He is a clown and a showman. There were a couple of sight stumbles, but nothing big.
My score 9 Mom's score 10 Average Score 9.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

Louie and Chelsie: Jitterbug-This a cute routine. Louie is confident, funny, and at ease. He has some genuinely hard tricks and movement that he does well. His energy level is much better than in past episodes. He does some great lifts and catches with Chelsea that take a lot of strength. There were definitely some transition issues, and Chelsea covered at least one place where she was dropped by Louie. Overall this was a step up for Louie.
My score 8 Mom's score 7 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,7,7 Average Score 7

Mike and Anna: Waltz-Michael looks sharp in in his dark blue suit up against Anna's light blue dress. Her dress just floats. This has not been my favorite couple in past episodes, but they look very good tonight. His movement is smooth and fluid. It wasn't a hard routine, but it was done well. Bruno didn't like his posture, but I thought he had excellent upper body posture. It was nice to watch. The judges are calling it a charming and gentle waltz. I would agree with that. I'm not sure that makes it a winning waltz.
My score 7 Mom's Score 8 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 6,8,6 Average Score 6.6

Melissa and Mark: Waltz-Melissa has huge problems with her arms. She doesn't extend them fully. Her posture is lacking in some parts. She has really improved throughout the season, but not enough. She looked nervous and her movement was stiff. The up and down motion and the fluidity of the dance was not there.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 7,7,6 Average Score 6.3

Mya and Dmitry: Jitterbug-I didn't care too much for their outfits. The choreography was okay, and the dancing was good. This routine was not my favorite, but what they did was done well. Mya executed a fun light-hearted routine, but didn't have that intangible pizazz. I think her partner let her down as well, because it wasn't a memorable routine. She will be lost in the crowd this week.
My score 7 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,7,9 Average Score 8

Joanna and Derek: Waltz-Derek is back this week from the flu. I love Derek, but I really liked Joanna much better when she danced with Max last week. Joanna just floats in her light pink dress. JShe has a slight stiffness to her dancing and a lack of flexibility that really inhibits her dancing. However, she looks grand tonight. She has a holding spin at the end of the routine that requires a lot of balance and technique, and she does it very well. She was fluid and moved across the floor very well. Her confidence has grown and it shows.
My score 8 Mom's Score 8 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,9,9 Average Score 8.6

Kelly and Louie: Jitterbug-Kelly looked more at ease this week. Her worse enemy is her lack of self confidence. She needs to believe in herself and relax. That being said, she did have genuine fun in parts. Most of the dance steps were simple and cute. Her energy was somewhat lacking as well.
My score 7 Mom's score 8 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,6,7 Average Score 6.6

The Next Judge's "Top 5 Ranking" of the contestants from tonight's show:
1st Place Ranking: Mark
2nd Place Ranking: Donny
3rd Place Ranking: Joanna
4th Place Ranking: Mya
5th Place Ranking: Aaron

Round Two-Dance Marathon
Group Mambo: This is a totally new thing this season. I think I will really like this. All the couples are dancing on the floor at the same time. When a judge taps them out, they're off the floor. So obviously, you don't want to get tapped out. Last couple out gets ten points and so on down the line. I don't know how the judges can even judge this. It's a whole lot of chaos and confusion to me. This is going to be interesting.

Michael and Anna go first-2 points-22 total judges points for the night.
Louie and Chelsie go second-3 points--24 total judges points
Melissa and Mark go third-4 points-24 total judges points
Kelly and Louie go fourth-5 points-25 total judges points-currently in the lead
Mark and Lacey go fifth-6 points-32 total judges points-new leaders
Donny and Kim go sixth-7 points-31 total judges points-2nd place total judges points so far.
Aaron and Karina go seventh-8 points-33 total judges points-New leaders so far for the evening.
Mya and Dymitri go eighth-9 points-33 total judges points-Tying with Aaron and Karina for 2nd place for the night.
Joanna and Derek go ninth-10 points-36 total judges points-1st place judges points for the night.

The 2nd round moved the top 5 around in the top 5 spots, but other than that, there were no huge changes in the rankings. I believe Melissa will go home this week.

The bottom three couples were Chelsie and Louie, Mike and Anna, and Melissa and Mark. Because there is a double elimination this week, the couple with the lowest overall score is eliminated immediately. The next two couples will participate in a dance off. Based on the dance off, the judges will determine which of the two couples will remain and which will go.

The couple with the lowest score was Melissa and Mark, so we bid adieu to this couple, who improved greatly throughout the season, but didn't improve enough.

Louie and Chelsie will dance against Mike and Anna. Let's see how they do. The couples got to chose their music and their dance style for this dance off.

First up is Mike and Anna: Dancing the Samba, Mike looks the best I've seen him all season. He also looks confident and fluid. Usually Anna is dancing around Mike, but he did his part this time.

Second up is Louie and Chelsie: Performing the Jive is this couple's choice. The step work is hard and fast and Louie is giving it his best, but he's struggling. He has a hard time with his sense of timing and his coordination.

The judges confer together to determine who, out of these two couples, will join Melissa and Mark in the elimination-of-the-week club. Louie and Chelsie were eliminated. I won't miss Louie so much, but I will miss Chelsea.

"So You Think You Can Dance" Introduction to Season 6 Top 20!

Tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX network is something they've never done before. They're introducing each dancer to us as we watch them dance in their own dance style. Tomorrow night's episode starts the actual Season 6 competition when America votes. New permanent judge, Adam Shankman, is in his seat and ready to go. I think he will be a fantastic addition to the show. There is an empty chair sitting next to Nigel with Paula Abdul's name on it. We'll see if he can entice her to be a visiting judge this season.

We have three hip hop dancers.
From Boston, MA, Russell Ferguson, Krumper, Age 19.
From Booklin, New York, Kevin Hunte, Age 23
From Los Angeles, CA, Jonathan "legacy Perez, Age 17

These 3 B-Boys will be dancing to a routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napolean Dubo, a husband and wife choreography team, that has received an Emmy nomination for their past work on this show. This is a dream come true for the dancers and the choreographers. The routine is exciting with plenty of "wow" factors to grab your attention. Watch out for Russell Ferguson. I predict he will go far in this show.

Seventeen dancers to go.

Tyce Diorio is the choreographer for the first of two contemporary numbers. The four dancers in the first number are:
From Haverhill, MA, Channing Cook Age 18,
From, Orlando, FL, Jakob Karr, Age 18 Orlando FL
From, Raleigh, NC, Ariana DeBose, Age 18,
From Downing, CA, NathanTrasoras, Age 18

This routine was great, but not my favorite "Tyce" routine at all. No particular dancer stood out for me either.

Chorographer Derek K Grant, (new to the show this season) will be teaching the routine for not 1, not 2, but 3 tap dancers. A tap dancer has never made it to the top 20 before. This year we have three.
From Los Angeles, CA, Phillip Attmore, Age 25
From Detroit, MI, Bianca Revels, Age 20,
From Philadelphia, PA, Peter Sabisino, age 21

Chorographer Sonya Tayeh, will be teaching the routine to our three jazz dancers.
From New York, NY, Ellenore Scott, Age 19
From Upland, CA, Mollee Gray, Age 18
From West Covina, CA, Pauline Mata, Age 18
I didn't care for this routine very much at all. I don't think the dancers did either. They all looked heavy on their feet and nervous. Hopefully they will do better tomorrow night when they're being judged.

Choreographer Mandy Moore is teaching the 2nd contemporary routine for the night. She does a great job, and it was a very hard routine. The four dancers were phenomenal!
From Miami, FL, Victor Smalley, Age 20
From Burbank, CA, Katherine McCormick, Age 18
From Sandford, NC, Noelle Marsh, Age 18
From Palm Beach, FL, Billy Bell, Age 19
This was the better of the two contemporary routines. Billy Bell is definitely one to watch this season.

Choreographer Jason Gilkison will be teaching a Latin Ballroom routine:
From Fort Lee, NJ, Karen Hauer, Age 27
From Orem, UT, Ryan Di Lello, Age 28
From Orem, UT, Ashleigh Di Lello, Age 27

This was my favorite routine of the night. A husband and wife team with another hot Latin female dancer. The routine featured the two women fighting over the male dancer which was pretty funny. They were fantastic. I loved it. Out of the husband and wife team from Utah, the husband will probably go further than his wife.

"So You Think You Can Dance-Third & Final Week of Vegas

This week is the final portion of the Las Vegas round which will end in the decision by the judges of the "Top 20" finalist for the Season Six Episodes. I've made some predictions, so we'll look at how many of my picks made it all the way.

At the beginning of the episode, 38 contestants are left, and they're so close at this point, they can taste it.

Nathan-Contemporary, The first contestant actually auditioned last season, but he was only 17, so he wasn't old enough. He was so good though, that he got a ticket to Vegas for the next season. He made it into the top 20 at the age of 18!

The next one up, David, a male ballet dancer that I don't believe they have focused on at all in any of the previous shows didn't make it. Several others, who's names were not shared with the viewing audience are rejected as well.

The female contemporary dancer Kathryn has a tendency to cry. Now I'm not putting her down, because I cry at the drop of a kleenix, but the longer she cries, the higher the pitch of her voice goes. It is a little irritating. It could be a long season if she has very many emotional moments. Kathryn make it through.

Channing Cook-a contemporary dancer was voted in by all the judges also.

Mollee has been very close to Noel since they were room mates in Vegas. She's young and she has struggled with the more mature level of dancing expected of her in this show. Despite that she made it through. They're expecting her to mature and grow into it.

It's Noel's turn now. Mollee was cut during the Broadway piece of season 5 Vegas auditions, but she made it all the way. If there is anyone happier than Noel, it's Mollee. They didn't get split up yet.

Billy Bell has drawn a huge focus on the show from his beginning audition to his Vegas solo. Billy has a scholarship at Julliard and they're willing to hold his scholarship for a short time, in order to allow him to be on the show. It's a good thing because he made it.

Amber Jackson, who danced like a gazelle, but was expressionless in her face in her original audition has worked hard to overcome the initial bad first impression. it almost ended her ambitions. She fought back in choreography which got her through to Vegas. Even though she didn't make it into the top 20, the judges loved her technical talent. The judges want that intangible dancing-from-the heart, sharing-with-the-audience thing.

Russell Ferguson, our famous Krumper from Boston, who has received so much attention in past episodes is up next. He amazed the judges time after time when he could pick up other forms of dance that he has never received training in. Needless to say, the underdog has made it all the way. I predicted her would if he could do the other forms of dance. He is another Twitch/Josh kind of talent.

Kevin Hunt also made it through. A hip hop dancer that had to work his way through dance styles he had never attempted before.

3 tap dancers have made it to the final pick to vie for the top 20 for the first time. Bianca is the first tapper up. She originally tried out in Season 4 and came close to making the top 20 then. She was going to give up, after that, but pulled together enough courage to try again. She made it!! Good for the girl who didn't give up on her dream. She got stronger and fought harder and she's the first tapper to make the top 20.

Victor Smalley was well liked by the judges. The more he danced, the more the judges took note. He even shaved off his hair when they commented on how distracting it was. It was well worth the haircut.

Phillip, our 2nd tapper has received some pretty harsh comments from the judges and had a hard time taking criticism. When he got defensive, it almost ended it for him, but he learned to shut up and take it all in. It worked out well, because he made it.

Peter, our 3rd tapper, was getting some rough reviews as well, and now that 2 tappers have made it, he's worried that he won't get the chance. He's wrong. Three tappers made it through to the top 20 this year. It looks like it will indeed be the year of the tappers.

Pauline, who couldn't finish Vegas week due to an injury during the Broadway piece, isn't expecting much but takes the walk on stage to hear her future. Despite that fact, she made it through. The judges were impressed enough with what they saw to put her through.

So contemporary, hip hop, and tap are the lead dance styles taking the top 20 positions so far this year. I haven't seen any ballroom dancers yet.

Legacy Perez B-Boy is pretty nervous about making it through because two hiphop dancers have already made it through. So did he.

We now have 3 girls and 2 spots left.

Paula, who has already made it this far before comes to hear her verdict. This time she made it all the way. Perseverance has proven to pay off for several dancers this season.

Two guys and two girls are left for one male position and one female position. They're all ballroom dancers and two of them are married.

The two guys go first. Ryan and Gene are both quite capable of filling this position, but my personal favorite Ryan made it. I predicted he would and I am so happy he did.

Can his wife make it too. She hasn't received as many favorable remarks from the judges as her husband has. Karen and Ashleigh are also both capable and beautiful dancers. The wife did not make it with her husband. Karen has to go back and tell her husband the heartbreaking news that he must move on without her.

Then they surprise everyone by telling us that Ashleigh made it through also because Paula turned down the offer to be in the "Top 20",because she accepted contract for a movie. I guess everyone wins under these circumstances. I love happy endings.

So you're "Top 20" are:
Channing, a contemporary dancer
Nathan, a contemporary dancer
Russel, a krump dancer
Katherine, a contemporary dancer
Betty, a contemporary dancer
Ariana, a contemporary dancer
Ellenore, a Jazz dancer
Jakob, a contemporary dancer
Bianca, a tapp dancer
Kevin, a hip hop dancer
Mollee, a jazz dancer
Phillip a tap dancer
Noelle, a contemporary dancer
Victor, a contemporary dancer
Pauline, a jazz dancer
Peter, a tap dancer
Karen, a ballroom dancer
Legacy, a B-Boy dancer
Ryan, a ballroom dancer
Ashleigh, a ballroom dancer

This is history making for krumpers and tap dancers, one of the oldest and one of the next forms of dance. Good luck to one and all!

The season begins officially now on Monday night on FOX.
Tuesday night will be the results show.

Fifth Week of "Dancing With the Stars"

Believe it or not, we are already half-way through the season. The 10 couples remaining in the competition, will dance either the Paso Doble or the Argentine Tango, and they will also join with the other couples for a group Hustle. That's roughly the equivalent to learning 1 and 1/2 dances. In future weeks, they'll be learning 2 complete dances a week.

The Paso Doble and the Argentine Tango are two of my favorite styles, so I'm excited for this week. Both are very artistic, dramatic, and have complicated technique and footwork to learn. The Hustle will probably be defined in more varied interpretations by the choreographers.

So let's get going:

Aaron and Karina: Argentine Tango-Aaron toned it down this week, so he wasn't as wild and reckless. He does need to show some emotion on his face though. At times he does, he has great eye contact with his partner and looks very passionate, but then he loses it in parts. He is dancing technically much more precise. He was a strong partner, and the judges had nothing but praise for him. Aaron grew from a boy to a man in his maturity on stage. The suit didn't hurt either.
My Score 8 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 8.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

Mark and Lacey: Paso Doble-The cinnamon red costuming for this number was hot. I absolutely loved it. Lacey's choreography is always strong. She can do traditional, and add in new and interesting movement to spice up the routine. Mark is a strong partner tonight. He has to be aggressive and he is. He has clean footwork and precise arm movements. Very strong performance.
My score 9 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 9,9,8 Average Score 8.6

Donny and Kym: Argentine Tango-Donny looks a little more like he's mad rather than passionate at times. Surprisingly these two emotions are very similar, and if you're worried about footwork and posture, you can go with the easier show of intensity. Looking passionate is an intangible look in the eyes that comes straight from the heart. That being said, he was clean, precise, sharp, and a very strong partner. Donny and Bruno have got to stop flirting with each other though. They're hysterically funny, and Bruno's happy now that he's brought Donny to the dark side.
My score 9 Mom's score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 10,9,10 Average Score 9.6

Louie and Chelsie: Argentine Tango-Chelsie's Argentine Tango on "So You Think You Can Dance with JOsh won them an emmy nomination, so she should be able to choreograph something pretty hot. He's in black and she's in a glittery cinamon red outift. Chelsie couldn't look bad if you put her in coveralls. The dance is good and it's choreographed well keeping in mind that Louie really can't dance. He must not be very coordinated, because there was no real footwork. This was the best he's done for several weeks, and his stage presence was good. The judges were much happier with Louie this week as a whole.
My score 7 Mom's score 8 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,8,7 Average Score 7.3

Mike and Anna: Paso Doble-I hate the music Anna chose for this routine. It doesn't go with the style of dance at all. Their costuming is terrific. The choreography is okay. Michael is not as laid back as he has been in past dances. His footwork is better this week. His cape work is messy, but overall he did better than last week. He's a football player, so the strong, aggressive style of the dance better suited his personality.
My score 7 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,7,7 Average Score 7

Melissa and Mark: Argentine Tango-Melissa was the top score last week, however, I don't think we'll see that repeated. Her partner Mark has the flu, so he's fighting his way through the week. He calls in his friend Anna to practice with Melissa, and it was very helpful because she was able to get some tips from a female dancer. Melissa has poor posture from the very start, and posture is a key component to pulling this dance off. Also when her face is close to Mark's, instead of looking like they are intensely in love, it looks like she's off balance and is leaning on him. She looks nervous and her lack of flexibility works against her in this dance. The judges had mixed reviews for Melissa.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 8,8,7 Average Score 7.6

Mya and Dmitry: Argentine Tango-If anyone can do justice to this very intricate style of dance, Mya can. I love the dark blue teal color of her dress. She is not disappointing us at all. She has the technique of a trained dancer, so that speaks to a lot of natural ability on her part. She also has the dramatic stage presence, the precise movement, and the flexibility it takes to pull this off. Even Len should like Mya this week. The judges suggested that she could have been a little less distant, I agree.
My score 9 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 9,9,9 Average Score 9

Natalie and Alec: Paso Doble-Needs stronger posture-If fierce was her goal, she came short at meeting that goal. She is flexible, coordinated, and very precise, but she didn't dance with confidence or heart this week. In the past weeks she has, but she fell short this week.
My score 7 Mom's score 6. Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,8,7 Average Score 7.3

Joanna and Derek: Argentine Tango-Derek got the flu this week also, so Max took over as Joanna's partner. That's hard, because you start to get use to your partner at this point the competition, so she's clearly at a disadvantage. At this point, you've developed trust, and you're use to the choreographer's teaching style. This is a little bit like starting over for her. In my opinion, she actually looks better matched dancing next to Max, but that's just me. They're dancing to "Lola" which is a perfect song for this style of dance. Joanna looks the best I've ever seen her. I think it's the height between the two of them. Joanna could be more flexible, but this was her best dance yet. There was a huge stumble in the middle of the dance, but other than that, I really enjoyed the performance.
My score 9 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

Kelly and Louie: Paso Doble-As Louie explains the dance to Kelly and the fact that he is the bull fighter and she is the cape, she doesn't look thrilled, but she digs in and works hard. Kelly is dancing to one of her dad's (Ozzy Osbourne) songs, and that's a little scary to her. She looks amazing. They are both in a grey black look with a little sparkle. She's very strong and dynamic in her movement, but loses her confidence in her face and eyes at times. At times her posture becomes very rounded as well, but she has a very dynamic style, if she could just be more consistent in her stage presence.
My score 7 Mom's score 8 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

The Next Judge's "Top 5 Ranking" of the contestants from tonight's show:
1st Place Ranking: Donny
2nd Place Ranking: Mya
3rd Place Ranking: Mark
4th Place Ranking: Aaron, Joanna, and Kelly

2nd round tonight is the group "Hustle": When Donny Osmond saw the Disco ball in the middle of the room, he felt right at home. All we need is John Tavolta and the Bee Gees. At one point in the group routine, there is a short solo by each couple, they can pretty much do anything they want, including lifts and tricks. Louie, Chelsie's partner is not as thrilled with this style of dance or the era as Donny is. The wigs and costuming are fun or maybe funny is the right word. The shows judges don't get to vote on this routine, so America's votes are the only judges this time. They all really had a good time with this and no one really stuck out. Mya, normally a showstopper, did a great lift, but tripped over her dress also, so it was just a good time for all. Nothing happened that would change the rankings above.

Tomorrow night on the results show, we'll see a tribute to Michael Jackson! I suspect that Louie or Mike will go home this week. Most likely Mike.



The actual results for this week: Natalie is leaving the show. This is hard for everyone to believe. The judges, the audience, and me are all very disappointed to see Natalie leave so early. Sometimes America's voting is fickled.

"So You Think You Can Dance "Las Vegas" 2nd Week

Last week, we watched some of the dancers we truly loved, bite the dust for a myriad of reasons. Three rounds of eliminations took their toll on the, less than half, remaining contestants. The eliminations continue this week, as each dancer vies for the coveted Top 20 positions. So here we go:

It's evening of day 2 with 77 Dancers remaining and they're going to meet the toughest (or in my opinion, the meanest) choreographer, Laurieann Gibson. She takes over as choreographer. She screams at the dancers, but she also insults them. I know it's a tough competition, but come on, we're all human beings here. This is a tough jazz routine, and many of the dancers are struggling.

We lost Matthew, our Latin Lover Dancer to this round. His wife who is continuing on is naturally upset.

Molly, originally from Utah, made it to Vegas through the Las Angeles auditions. She has hurt her foot, but short of Nigel telling her to dance like a woman, not a girl, she made it through. The show's medics decide her foot is injured enough to take her to the hospital. All her effort might be for naught, if she can't continue to dance, because they're going to dance everyone on through the night.

Russell Ferguson, the first Krumper to make it to Vegas has made it this far also. He is amazing. I can't believe what they've thrown at him, and he has no formal training at all. Even Nigel is in a better mood now.

It's 9:00 pm and all the 69 remaining dancers are pulled up onto stage. They are divided into groups and given their mission. They must choreograph a routine as a group and have it prepared by first thing in the morning.

Let the fun begin. We have Russell Ferguson and four lyrical dancers going first. They had a Broadway routine, They worked extremely well together. They were the 1st group to bed last night, so let's see how they did. They were fantastic. I have to admit. That may be the best overnight choreographed routine I've seen on this show. Nothing but love came from all the judges.

Next we saw short clips of the good the bad, and the ugly, but nothing long enough to make remarks about.

Molly who got hurt earlier in the night was diagnosed with a sprained ankle. She showed up two hours after the group got started. They brought her up to speed, but they tried to baby the ankle as well. It was a lot of added stress on everyone. I was impressed with how hard they worked to make her successful in this phase of the competition. They even worked her hurt ankle into the routine. These young people are not only talented, but they have big hearts as well. It wasn't the best choreographed routine, but they all get an "A" from me on the human being scale., The judges must have felt the same way, because everyone in the group made it though.

Comtemporary with Mia Michaels
Mia is known for her talented artistry, and her brutal honesty. She kind of chills everyone out, and has them meditate a little before they start the session. Kevin, our B-Boy is the first dancer to pass through. The judges are very impressed with this young man.

"Legacy", who had to dance for his life the day before is now going to dance Mia Michaels and he is scared to death, but he is also touched by the dance and the emotion behind the movement. The judges were happily amazed at his improvement. He danced with his heart, and his body. Wow, another hiphop dancer that made it through a phase that 11 contemporary dancers didn't.

The day is not over. The final round of choreography is a Broadway routine from Tyce. At this point, you can only imagine how tired these dancers are. A dancer by the name of Pauline, who just missed the Top 20 by "this" much last year is hoping to make the cut this time. While performing the routine, she lands wrong at the very end, and hurts her ankle. More cuts are made; we're getting closer to the top 10 girls and the top 10 boys. Ballroom dancers, husband and wife team, Bryan and Ashley are both still in the running. The judges felt that Ashley was probably the most improved dancer of everyone.

While the girls who made it through are splashing in the pool, the men are now trying their luck at Tyce's routine. Bryan looked great, but he did take his shirt off at the end of routine which put a smile on everyone's face. Bryan and his wife are officially in.

Maybe, it's just because we're down to the best dancers now, but everyone seems to be having a real good time, contestants and judges alike. One dancer, does succumb to the incredible stress of the moment. Dominique, who made it all the way through to the final round in Season 4, only to be injured, is hoping to go all the way this time. However he messes up, and the judges have to let him go when comparing him to the rest. Dominique breaks down, and he gets the "buck up, it's not the end of the world speech" from the judges. After he gathers his emotions, he does state on his way out that he will come back next year. I hope he does.

Several dancers must dance for their lives, because the judges are not quite sure about them yet. Billy Bell made the judges cry. Safe to say, they're rethinking him. It's just nothing short of amazing as you see some of the clips of these last solos. These dancers defy gravity, and pull at your heart strings all at the same time. Now it's all up to the judges. They have to decide who will make it into the top 20. Next week we find out who is out and who is in. I can't wait!


This video is of a routine performed at a summer dance recital for a group of girls I taught back in the 1980s.

Do The Conga from Vickie Niesporek on Vimeo.

4th Week of "Dancing With The Stars"

Tonight we have four new dances being introduced for the first time, and lifts are allowed in some of them. Wow, this is going to be fun. I love lifts. The four dances are the Lambada (Not sure the spelling is correct), the Country Two Step, the Balero, and the Charleston.

We'll evaluate each couple just as we did last week, with comments, critiques, and scores. We'll compare our scores to the show's judges, and we'll give our take on all the controversy. "We" is myself and my mom.

So let's get going:

Aaron and Karina: Lambada-Aaron didn't do very well last week. This week he redeemed himself. He did a great gymnastics trick over Karina at the beginning that was extremely hard. His dance does look a bit manic, and he could improve by settling down and cleaning up his movement. He's young and he has a lot of energy, so he might have a hard time bringing it down to the judges liking. The audience didn't like the judges low scores and neither did we.
My Score 8 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 8.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 6,6,6 Average Score 6

Chuck and Anna: Country Two Step-I think this was Chuck at his best so far. He did a good job, but he's never going to be a star dancer. That being said, he did a respectable job. Is he going home this week. I don't think so. Is he going to win the show. Not a chance.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 6,5,6 Average Score 5.6

Mark and Lacey: Country Two Step-This style of dance suited Mark much better. His confidence and energy were great. He was off on some of his steps in one section, but other than that he had some interesting and hard choreography.
My score 8 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 8.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,7,7 Average Score 7.3

Donny and Kym: Charleston-This was a Donny kind of dance. He brings great theatrics to his performance and he's very coordinated so Kym can throw a lot of complicated steps at him. We liked him better than the judges did tonight, but they enjoyed him also.
My score 9 Mom's score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

Louie and Chelsea: Country Two Step-this is the young couple of the entire group. So far Len has not been real fond of Louie. I don't think much is going to change. Chelsea looks wonderful, but she looks like she's dancing with someone in a coma. There was no energy. It was lifeless. He actually danced worse than Mike, so it's a tie for me as far as who may go home out of the two of them.
My score 5 Mom's score 5 Average Score 5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 5,5,6 Average Score 5.3

Mike and Anna: Balero- Mike did a much better job of dancing with his heart. He just forgot to dance with his feet. He did not do any real dance steps. He posed a lot while she danced around him. So where he improved in one area, he went down in another. He needs both. He could go home tonight.
My score 6 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 5,6,5 Average Score 5.3

Melissa and Mark: Charleston-Okay, I thought Melissa would go home tonight, but now I'm not so sure. She did her absolute best and it was very good. I'm excited for her. It was a very energetic routine, and you could tell the last 1/4th of the dance, she was looking tired. Is she going to win the show. Not even. Is she going home tonight? It depends on how the others do, but it's not looking like it right now.
My Score 8 Mom's Score 8 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 9,9,10 Average Score 9.3

Mya and Dmitry : Lambada-That was awesome. Can Mya do no wrong. She is so rhythmical and fun. Mya knows how to do sexy for sure. She has so much natural ability and it looks like she was born to dance. I think Len has lost his mind. He won't cut Mya a break for anything.
My score 10 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 9.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 10,8,10 Average Score 9.3

Natalie and Alec: Bolero-This young lady is extremely flexible. She is also a very sexy dancer. The routine almost had a lyrical dance look to it. She has great extension and strength. Her arms are the only limb that could extend more at times. Her lines are beautiful.
My score 9 Mom's score 9. Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,8,8 Average Score 8

Joanna and Derek: S.Lambada-(The forbidden dance) Joanna did better this week, than in week's past. The very last move in the dance however, appeared as if they were a little too connected for my own liking. There were some hard moves in that dance and she did them well.
My score 8 Mom's Score 8 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 9,8,9 Average Score 8.6

Kelly and Louie: Charleston-Kelly is her own worst enemy. The only thing holding her back is herself. She did a good job, but she kept watching Louie, and that looks like you don't know your steps. She also needs to do her movements, at least in this dance, bigger. Louie's movement was twice as big as her. I don't think she'll be going home this week, but she won't win the prize either.
My score 7 Mom's score 9 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,7,8 Average Score 7.6

Out "Top 5 Ranking" of the contestants from tonight's show:
1st Place Ranking: Mya
2nd Place Ranking: Donny and Natalie
3rd Place Ranking: Melissa and Mark


I suspect that Louie or Mike will go home this week.

The actual results for this week: I was wrong. Both Louie and Mike hung on for another week. Louie was in the bottom two however. Chuck and Anna will be going home this week.

Next Week the remaining contestants will be performing the Argentine Tango or the Posse Doble (Not sure of spelling). Then they will perform in a group number doing the Hustle. My favorite is the Argentine Tango. I'll never forget the Tango Chelsea and Joshua performed on "So You Think You Can Dance". They received an Emmy nomination for that one.

"So You Think You Can Dance" Las Vegas!!

We're in Las Vegas finally. Every contestant has to do a solo infront of the judges and the first eliminations will take place after that.

Nathan Trasoras from Los Angeles-When he first auditioned, he was only 17, but he is back. He spins like a top, shows humor and emotion, and danced like a pro.

Ellenore Scott from Nevada did a very funny routine, She showed technique and personality at the same time.

The next dancers were a collage of brief glimpses. We did get a slightly longer look at Shelby Skipper. I think he could make it into the top 20. See my picks in prior posts.

Thomas Hamilton is another one of my picks for the Top 20, but his attempt to climb the equipment on stage did not impress the judges. In fact it stopped his progress forward immediately. Big mistake. It's too bad, because he had tremendous talent, but poor judgement. Maybe next year.

Jacob and Jason are back. They are the gay ballroom dancers. They're fairly good, but no where strong enough to remain. Their technical ability does not have the strength necessary to move any further forward.

Next is choreography with Tabitha and Napolean. After only one hour of learning the routine, they're off in groups of 10. The best B-Boy of all the auditions went out on this round, but declares he will come back next year better prepared. He has huge potential.

Remember Evan's brother Ryan? Well he's back and, for a tap dancer, his hiphop looks pretty darn good. The judges were split, but they kept him in. Ryan was relieved because hiphop is his biggest challenge, so he's a happy camper. I predict he should make it through to the top 20, but only time will tell. I was an Evan fan last season. I could definitely be a Ryan fan.

Louis and Anya are the choreographer the next morning. The routine is fast, and dancer Billy Bell got hit hard in the fact. The result of his first encounter with his partner is a bloody nose.

Our Boston Crumper seems amazingly comfortable during this ballroom phase of the competition. Good For him. I can see him in the top 20. He was was coupled with the blond bombshell ballroom dancer from Salt Lake City. That didn't hurt his chances either. He's moving on to the next phase. That very unlikely partnership has now turned into a great friendship.

By the time Billy Bell got his bloody nose under control, the routine had been taught, and it was up to his partner Kristina to teach him his steps in the hallway. They kept a positive attitude and worked hard and fast to get the routine down. Even with that Billy struggled, so he is going to have to "Dance for his life". The judges know he has potential, and they understand his dilemna, but out of fairness, he is going to have to prove himself. This time he has to bring his personality.

Evan's brother Ryan did not come through in the ballroom phase either, so he's out. He was one person away from getting in the top 20 last season, so I personally really wanted to see him be successful this year, but it didn't happen. The same thing happened last season with Katie's room mate. The main reason for the differing results is the difference in who you're being compared against. Every year the talent gets stiffer and stiffer.

John Litzler from New Orleans is also dancing for his life. His movement is amazing, but his eye contact was horrific. He has got to dance from the heart. The judges were split and Tyce made the deciding vote against him. He vows to come back next year. I hope he does, because he is an amazing talent

John "Legacy" Perez is the next candidate dancing for his life. He is all B-boy and he has plenty of tricks to pull from his bag. If he can't dance "on" his feet as well as "on" his hands, he is not going to make it much further, but his bag of tricks has pulled him through to the next phase. Good for him, I hope he listens to the judges.

In general, most of the dancers, ousted today vowed to be back which is a huge statement to the commitment to their art and in growing their talent.

"So You Think You Can dance" Tuesday and Wednesday

On Tuesday night, we're watching the auditions held in Salt Lake City. Since I'm from Utah, this holds special interest for me. Lacey and Chelsea , both currently dancing on "Dancing With The Stars" are probably the most famous Utahns to date. The judges love coming here, because they found it to be a strong source of great talent. Brandon, who came in 2nd place last season, also from Utah. Just Bragging.

Bryan Boyer - B-Boy This guy is spring loaded, very strong, and does a lot of tricks on his head. His energy was amazing and he was moved onto choreography. Chances of moving past choreography, I thought were good, but he quit when he realized he was out of his league. He vowed to get more training and to come back next year. I hope he does.

Tristi Mirci -This dancer has had dance training, but either didn't pay attention or just was not meant to be a dancer. She was extremely heavy on her feet and her flexibility was poor. She is not strong enough to move any further at all.

Haylee Cloud-This girl can dance, do gymnastics, and break your heart at the same time. Her combination of strength and flexibility are awesome. Haylee's chances of moving past Vegas Poor Good Excellent.

Megan Kinny-Another great dancer. The clip on the show was too short to determine how good.

Genise Rudiaz-Another great dancer. The clip on the show was too short to determine how good.

No comments on the group of quick glimpses at many dancers

Ariana Rowley-She was flexible, had a great sense of rhythm, and knew how to point her toes. Is she a dancer? She is a good stripper but not a good dancer and especially for this show. I
don't believe she should be move forward at all. Nigel did not agree with me. Imagine that! Chances of moving on to Vegas Poor Chances of moving Past Vegas Extremely Poor

Iveta Lukosiute-I believe she is the best ballroom dancer we've seen at any of the auditions this season. She was flexible, stong, beautiful, and, as Mary said, exquisite. Chances of making it past Vegas Poor Good Excellent.

2nd Day in Salt Lake City

Pascal Nayigiyacki- He needs to go into acting. He wants to express emotion to music, which is basically what all dancers are trying to do. However, he is not dancing, he's acting. He should not be able to move forward at all.

It appears that we're in ballroom heaven.

Ashley & Ryan Di Lello- Husband and wife dance team. They're good, but they're not the best I've seen. They have great potential. They'll do good in choreography. Chances of making it past Vegas Poor Good Excellent

Leigh Asay & Josh Murillo- Ballroom dancers He's good, but she's great. There were a couple of stumbles and she lost her toenail completely. She was tough and a good sport, but everyone watching hurt for her. She moved straight to Vegas. He moved on to choreography. His chances of making it to Vegas are not good. Chances of making it past Vegas Poor Good Excellent

152 dancers in all made it to Vegas. Now we get to see them in action. Tomorrow night is VEGAS!

Here is a clip of my daughter doing "Poses". This was back in the mid 1980s, and part of the dance competitions in the state of Utah was performing a five-point star formation with a dance pose at each point.My how dance has changed since then!

Dance Poses Comp. Michelle from Vickie Niesporek on Vimeo.

Since I'm from Salt Lake City, last night's episode was an especially exciting episode for me. I thought Iveta Lukosuite was a very exciting Ballroom dancer. She reminded me of Jeanette from last season. I also liked Leigh Asay and Haylee Cloud. I expect these 3 names may make it into the top 20. The names I expect we might see from other audition episodes are Jamal Jackson, Thomas Hamilton, Johnathan Lytzer, Calvin Turner, Kimalee Piedad, Jakob Karical, Shelby Skipper, Gene (the B-Boy from Boston), and the male crumper from Boston, whose name I didn't catch. I'm not sure if the're making the actual announcements of the top 20 on tonight's Las Vegas episode, but we'll see how many of these names pop up. I want to see what my batting average is, so to speak. There were others who had potential, but the clips we saw of them were so short, I didn't include their names.

Third Week of "Dancing With The Stars"

Tonight is being dubbed as the "Sexiest Night of the Season". Latin Dances will be performed. I'm sure Bruno will be happy. Len might give a few remarks to the contrary. We have an interesting night ahead of us, good luck to the 13 remaining stars.

We'll evaluate each couple just as we did last week, with comments, critiques, and scores. We'll compare our scores to the show's judges, and we'll give our take on all the controversy. "We" is myself and my mom.


Aaron and Karina: Rumba-Aaron didn't do as well this week as last week. His arms were so straight, he almost looked like he was doing drill team. He needs to soften the arms. He looked less confident this week also. There were good moments too though, and he gave a genuine effort.
My Score 7 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 7
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 8,6,7 Average Score 7

Chuck and Anna: Samba-Our scary Tango dancer is going to give the Samba a whirl. He actually did a respectable job. He smiled throughout the routine, he stayed in step, and even looked like he enjoyed himself. That being said, the routine was choreographed simply. That's hard to do, but Anna did it well. I was pleasantly surprised.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 6,5,6 Average Score 5.6

Mark and Lacey: Rumba-Respectable performance. Nothing to get real excited about, but Mark did a pretty good job. He is not a charismatic performer, and as a result, he didn't sell the story, which in most Latin dances is the attraction between the two dancers.
My score 7 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 6,6,6 Average Score 6

Donny and Kym: Rumba-Donny looked more nervous this week. Bruno telling Donny to turn to the dark side was hysterically funny, but, in truth, there was a little lacking on that side of the dance. Donny's posture was pulled inward during his solo, but improved greatly dancing with Kym. The choreography was simpler than some of the others we've seen tonight, but there was a more romantic feel to the performance as well. It felt like a husband and wife who really loved each other were dancing in their living room.
My score 7 Mom's score 9 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,7,7 Average Score 7

Louie and Chelsea: Rumba-Louie, who has great potential, but has struggled a bit, didn't seem to have any trouble with the sexy Rumba. Chelsea was amazed at how easily he took to that particular style (haha). Len didn't like the dance, but I thought he did great!
My score 9 Mom's score 9 Average Score 9
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 8,6,7 Average Score 7

Mike and Anna: Samba-Mike knows how to wiggle and boogie down, but, short of that, Anna has to keep the steps pretty simple and very repetitive. He lacked in energy, and displayed a very laid back approach to his moves. It was a slower beat, so he had plenty of time to really extend and give us everything he had. He didn't.
My score 6 Mom's Score 6 Average Score 6
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 5,4,5 Average Score 4.6

Tom and Cheryl: Samba-He made it through the dance. Tom surprises me each week. I expect him to do worse than what he actually does. Respectable and brave to do it on broken toes on both feet. That says a lot about him. He definitely was not the worse we've seen tonight, but he'll probably be voted out just because, health wise, he's at the end of his rope.
My score 6 Mom's score 6 Average Score 6
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 6,4,5 Average Score 5

Debbie and Max: Samba-The fact that Debbie didn't slap Max during rehearsal this week is a good sign. I don't care for her outfit, and she looks more nervous this week. Her posture is inward and her movement is stiff. Perhaps being in the bottom two last week shook her confidence. The performance was, in my opinion, her worse. She could be at risk of going home this week.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 6,5,6 Average Score 5.6

Melissa and Mark: Samba-Even though I liked this routine best of all of hers. She is still very stiff, off balance, and looks nervous. She needs to lower her shoulders, relax her face, and increase the flexibility in her back. Good for her for the improvement, but it isn't a big enough improvement to go very far given her competition this year.
My Score 6 Mom's Score 9 Average Score 7.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Scores of 6,6,7 Average Score 6.3

Mya and Dmitry : Rumba-Every week, I am more and more impressed with Mya. She was made to do this dance. Her and Mark are great partners, and this couple is going to go a long way. I will be surprised if she is not in the top 3.
My score 9 Mom's Score 8 Average Score 8.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 10,7,10 Average Score 9

Natalie and Alec: Rumba-That was her best performance yet. She is amazingly flexible, her eye contact, her movement, and her intensity was extremely good. Having Edyta, (Alec's wife) come and give her a few tips was very helpful.
My score 8 Mom's score 8. Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 9,8,9 Average Score 8.6

Joanna and Derek: Samba-In the dance world, the female dancer is often referred to as the eye candy. Joanna is a beautiful lady, but her dancing is poor. She is stiff and, she looked more nervous than I've ever noticed before. I have not been in sync with the judges on Joanna even once. If I liked her, they didn't. The judges and mom liked her a lot more than I did.
My score 6 Mom's Score 7 Average Score 6.5
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,8,8 Average Score 7.6

Kelly and Louie: Samba-She looked much more at ease this week. She has good basic technique, but was still somewhat cautious which always brings the energy of the dance down. She redeemed herself from last week's let down.
My score 7 Mom's score 9 Average Score 8
Comparison with Show's Judges Score of 7,6,7 Average Score 6.6

Out "Top 5 Ranking" of the contestants from tonight's show:
1st Place Ranking: Mya
2nd Place Ranking: Louie had a good night
3rd Place Ranking: Donny came in as a solid 3rd
4th Place Ranking: Natalie jumped up to 4th
5th Place Ranking: Aaron and Kelly's scores are close enough to tie for 5th place

I suspect that Tom will probably go home this week.

The actual results for this week: We did lose Tom, but not to votes. We lost him to injuries. Voting wise Debbie went out this week.

"So You Think You Can Dance" Tuesday and Wednesday Night Episodes

On Tuesday Night's Show,we find ourselves with "SYTYCD" Auditions in Atlanta. We learned about a local favorite move called the "Stanky Leg". At least that is what it sounded like. Cat got it down real well.

Billy Bell-Nigel cautioned him on his sway back and having a fuller hand on top. That being said, they loved his expression, leaps, and technique. He wen straight to Vegas. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Amber Jackson-Unbelievable ability with this dancer, but her inability to connect with the audience by staring off into space during the performance gave off the appearance almost of her being on drugs or something. They did move her on to choreography to give her a 2nd chance. I believe she will get through choreography and move on to Vegas. Her chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

No comments on the short clips of Amber-esque performers that followed her audition.

Travis Denison-This dancer appeared to have a good time. He would be great to have at a party and a lot of fun to watch. However, he is technically not strong enough to move any further.

Jamal Jackson-Great dancer performing to African music. He is extremely talented. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Anthony and Antwain Hart- These twins are not only good dancers, but they already know how to work as a team. They had strong choreography with funny parts as well as good dancing. They didn't have the WOW factor, but they were good. They both should move on to choreography. Chances of making it past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Victor Smalley-Lyrical Dancer with astounding leaps. Great balance and control in his spins. He went straight to Vegas. Chances of making it past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Day Two in Atlanta

Matthew Pollard-Great contortionist, but he lacked in any real dance moves. He's definitely a good candidate for choreography. Chance of making it past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Jessica Jensen-Great dancer, courageous woman who has lost one hand to cancer. Her dancing is strong, but not phenomenal. Her use of the arm without a hand is very strategic. That arm was very able to do all expected of it. She did lack however in a diverse package of skills. She would be a great candidate for choreography. Her chances of making it past choreography are (Poor Good Excellent). Her chances of making it past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent).

Jonathan Bryant- He refers to himself as dope, so there is no lack of confidence in this dancer. He is all that and more in his own mind. He is another dancer that would be fun to watch at a party, but his moves are uncontrolled and his ability level is not strong enough.

Thomas Hamilton-Beautiful music, beautiful dancing. This man has been through so much in his life, and has learned to express himself through dance. Nigel cautioned him about feeling so much during his dancing that it becomes more about him and the audience gets left behind. However, he gave enough to his audience to grab our undying love. the judges moved him onto choreography to ensure that he is well rounded. Chance of making it past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

My favorite two dancers for tonight's show were Jamal and Thomas.

On Wednesday Night, we find ourselves at "SYTYCD" Auditions in New Orleans. The dancers came ready to party:

Shelby (Skip) Skipper-Skip brought us the "New Orleans Bounce". This was a very unique and distinctive style of dance to anything we've seen before. Strong performer both physically and theatrically. They were impressed enough with this young man to send him straight to Vegas. Chances of moving past Poor Good Excellent

Johnathan Lytzler-Polished lyrical dancer. Great gymnastics, dancing, and performance skills. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Alison Nance-Lyrical Dancer.We only got to see a small potion of her dance, but what we did see looked very good. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Calvin Turner-Lyrical Dancer-We only a glimpse again, but he looked tremendous. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Edward Spots-Green T-shirt. Again we only got a short glance at him, but he looked like he had a stong ballet background. (Fair Good Excellent)

Eric Le Blance-Hip Hop Dancer-Fun to watch. Lot's of personality with very little actual technical ability. Fun guy, but he shouldn't be moved forward in the contest. Eric did make it choreography, but was not successful at that level.

Justin Kelly-Hip Hop/Break Dance Style. A car accident almost stopped hs dream, but he's fought his way back. Extremely strong dancer with amazing balance on his hands in just about any position. He didn't dance a lot on his feet, so he might not fare well in choreography. He did make it past choreography. We'll have to wait and see. Chances of making it past Vegas Poor Good Excellent

Day Two in New Orleans

Kimalee Piedad-Ballroom Dancer She was an incredible dancer. She has beauty strength, emotion, and incredible lifts. Chances of making it past Vegas Poor Good Excellent

Micah Nixon-Popper Locker. Good strong moves. Great moonwalk combos. He didn't do any floor work or a lot of spins, turn, or leaps. He should probably make it to choreography, but I doubt he would make it past that point. His technical ability is not strong enough yet.

Lloyd Ballard-Lyrical dancer was not strong enough technically.

Tierney ST. John-Lyrical Dancer has significant postural issues.

Casey Crisoto-This dancer had a sexier approach to his style. So Mary laid down the rules, especially regarding bootie shaking.

Jakob Karical-Dancer He has amazing strength, leaps, spins. His balance allows him to spin forever at whatever speed he chooses. Chances of moving past Vegas (Poor Good Excellent)

Diana Drexler-A little lacking in energy. Good solid technique, flexibility, and honesty in her dancing. She was put through to choreography. Diana did go on to make it to Vegas. Chances of making it past Vegas. Poor Good Excellent

My favorite male dancer tonight was Jakob
My favorite female dancer tonight was Kimalee

Next week's auditions are in Utah; then we're off to Vegas.