Wednesday, January 20, 2010

American Idol 2010! Orlando Auditions

Season 9 of American Idol has begun with one hit and one celebrity already. If you haven't heard about "Pants on the Floor" what planet have you been on? Tonight is the fourth night of this brand new season. We will witness the Orlando auditions. The men (Simon, Randy, and Ryan) showed up with a hangover. Meanwhile Kara and our guest judge Kristen Chenowith were making great friends.

During the audition portion of this season, I can only comment on those auditions that we get to see in their entirety. Sometimes we just get video that shows us short clips of a myriad of contestants. There's not much that I can do with that.

Our first character , I mean contestant, is Theo Glinton. He is large black man with a bizarre Lady Gaga look. His voice wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either. He just kind of yelled the song at them. His score from me is 4 out of 10. The judges did not move him forward to Hollywood.

The next contestant from Orlando is 28-year old Seth Rollins, is singing a Frank Sinatra song. He has a great voice. It's fluid and smooth as silk. You could listen to him sing for a long time. His score from me is 8 out of 10. All four judges liked him and moved him forward to Hollywood. Good luck Seth. I think we might be seeing a lot more of him if he can get his performance side up.
Jermaine Purifoy is trying out his luck for the 2nd time. He didn't get through the first time, but he wants to again this year. He agrees he probably wasn't ready that first time, but he thinks he might be ready this time. His score from me is 9 out of 10. The judges all loved him as well and he got that golden ticket.

The last contestant for the first day in Orlando is Shelby Dressel. She comes to us with a disability but it's certainly not her voice. She's got some trouble with muscle strength and it causes some drooping and muscle movement in her face. She is scared to death, but also courageous at the same time, because she's looking for more acceptance than your average contestant. She needs acceptance of her challenges facially and her voice. She gets both from all four judges. They loved her. Her score from me is 8 out of 10. Oh, she's also a beautiful young lady.

2nd Day in Orlando without Kristen Chenowith

The first contestant the next day was Jay Stone. He was a B-Boxer and a singer at the same time. It sounded like a confusing mess to me. When he just sang, he had a pretty good voice. He did make it through, but only because Kara fought for him. His score from me is 6 out of 10.


Cornelius Edwards was singing really well and then he suddenly jumped into the splits and his pants split with him. After seeing that Simon couldn't help but say yes. His voice truly was good. His score from me is 7 out of 10. The judges moved him forward.

We have two sisters for our next contestants. The sister in blue is Bernadette Desimone sang first and she did a great rendition of "Hit The Road Jack". The second sister, Amanada Desimone sang "I want to dance With Somebody." They both sounded great to me and their voices were very similar. Randy and Kara said yes to both. Simon would have only sent Bernadette through himself, but they both moved on.

Our next contestant is Jarrod Norrell from Marietta Georgia. He sang "Amazing Grace". It was not amazing. It was horrible and whiney. He was amazed however that the judges didn't like him. He kept trying to sing again and, of course argued with the judges. They kept asking him to leave and when the two big security guys tried to escort him out, he resisted and ended up being handcuffed. It left the judges in a state of shocked silence. Then Simon turned to Randy and Kara and said, "Well, Yes or No?". They all agreed NO!!!! His score from me -1 out of 10.

Our next contestant made a huge mistake in his life. He decided to rob a bank with a BB Gun at the age of 15. He did it for an adventure. He sincerely regrets that he did something so stupid. He regrets he made his parents cry and. His name is Matthew Lawrence and he sang "Trouble". Some folks told him he had a good voice, so he thought he would give this a try and see what happens. It's safe to say that he made his parents proud this time. Matthew is moving forward. His score from me is 7 out of 10.




Tuesday, January 19, 2010

American Idol 2010! Chicago Auditions

Season 9 of American Idol begins at last! Tonight is the second night of this brand new season. We will witness the Chicago auditions with 12,000 hopefuls auditioning. During the audition portion of this season, I can only comment on those auditions that we get to see in their entirety. Sometimes we just get video that shows us short clips of a myriad of contestants. There's not much that I can do with that.

Changes taking place this season are, of course, the loss of Paula Abdul as a judge, and the addition of Ellen DeGeneres as Paula's replacement. However during the audition portion of this season, famous guest judges join the show each week. This week our guest judge is Shania Twain.

The first contestant of the day is Katelyn Epperly from Iowa. She can sing very well and she is a beautiful girl to look at with a sincere likable personality. Her score from me is 8 out of 10. The judges all liked her and moved her forward to Hollywood.

Our next contestant Amy Lang was a precocious drama queen, but she wasn't a singer. Her score from me is 2 out of 10. The judges did not move her forward.

Our next contestant is Charity Vance. Her voice wasn't big, but it was beautiful and she had a good range. She has a unique voice and she's not bad to look at either. Her score from me is 8 out of 10. The judges moved her forward.

Third time's a charm. Angela Martin has made it as high as the Top 50 last year, but she had to leave the show because of a court date for a traffic violation. The first time she made it to Hollywood, but her father died a week before. So she is here again, trying to make her dream come true. Her score from me is 9 out of 10. Hopefully Angela will have a little more luck on her side this time around, because she is definitely talented.

Eight contestants made it through on the first day in Chicago. Day Two Auditions are about to begin.

The first contestant on the 2nd day is Curley Newbern. He is a large man, but he sings with an excruciatingly high voice that was terribly out of turn. His score from me is 1 out of 10. It was painful for everyone involved.

Our next contestant Alannah Halbert could not sing at all. Her score from me is 1 out of 10. It was painful for everyone involved. Ever with the judges coaching her on her pitch, she still couldn't get in tune.

Our next contestant is Brian Krause. He was singing "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" by Tiny Tim. I don't as a rule like Tiny Tim's music, but after listening to Brian, I'm a new fan of Tiny Tim. Brian is tiptoeing home for a hot relaxing bath. His score from me is 1 out of 10. The judges did not move him forward.

Our next contestant is Harold Davis. Singing Usher's "Nice and Slow". Another very poor singer who truly believed he had talent. He just started crying, hung his head, and left.

Chantelle Graczkowski, along with an extremely irritating line of really bad singers just added to a very long day for the judges. Needless to say, none of them moved forward in the competition.

John Park's parents didn't want him to go into singing, but he has decided to try out anyway. Shania Twain liked his bottom end, she had to clarify that she meant (the low tones of his voice). His score from me is 7 out of 10. The judges moved him forward to Hollywood.

Paige Dechausse has asthma and almost died at one point in her life. She made it through that and is now auditioning for this big show. Simon didn't vote in her behalf. Kara and Shania talked Randy into letting her through, but she has a lot of work to do in her performance skills. Her score from me is 7 out of 10.

A total of 13 Gold tickets were handed out in the Windy City.






Wednesday, January 13, 2010

American Idol 2010! Atlanta Auditions

Season 9 of American Idol begins at last! Tonight is the second night of this brand new season. We will witness the Atlanta auditions. During the audition portion of this season, I can only comment on those auditions that we get to see in their entirety. Sometimes we just get video that shows us short clips of a myriad of contestants. There's not much that I can do with that.

Changes taking place this season are, of course, the loss of Paula Abdul as a judge, and the addition of Ellen DeGeneres as Paula's replacement. However during the audition portion of this season, famous guest judges join the show each week. This week our guest judge is Mary J. Blige.

27-year old Dewone Robinson is a large man and a confident man. He is so confident that he is going to audition with a song he wrote himself. His audition is bizarre. I know that it's not very nice to say that, but he has an awful voice and his original song was one sentence repeated over and over. Now I know you're not
going to believe this, but this man is now going to argue with the judges. His score from me is 1 out of 10. The judges did not move him forward.

26-year old Keia Johnson entered a Miss America contest and won Miss Congeniality. Simon made fun of that, but this girl is beautiful and she can sing. She sang the theme song from Titanic, and that's not an easy song to sing. Her score from me is 9 out of 10. The judges moved her forward to Hollywood. She's on her way. I would watch for this name, because I don't think this is the last we'll see of her.

We just witnessed a string of female singers that all made it through.

26-year old, church singer, Jermaine Sellers, has been taking care of his sick mother for many years. He has a sweet soulful voice, he's good looking in a young and innocent way, and he's very likable. His score from me is 10 out of 10. The judges moved him forward in the competition. This is another name I think we will hear again.

25-year old Christy Marie Agronow, a TV producer from the Atlanta area is singing "Love is a Battlefield". This cheerful contender was not as cheerful on the way out of the audition room. She was, shall we say, of a differing opinion than the judges. Her score from me is 4 out of 10. The judges did not move her forward.

Our next contestant is an interesting story. A young girl with a strong southern accent is tired of living in a small southern town where not many opportunities await her. She's a tomboy that likes jumping off bridges into local canals and river. Vanessa Wolfe wants to find a way out and she thinks her voice might be the vehicle that will carry her. She does have a very interesting voice that could sing a good country song. She looks the part as well. Her score from me is 7 out of 10. The judges like the fact that she iss different and authentic and moved her forward in the competition. She will fly in an airplane for the first time in her life. I suspect she will be having a lot of firsts in this new experience.

2nd Day in Atlanta
26-year-old Jessie Hamilton has had three brushes with death. The show went to a lot of trouble to make fun of his life story with cheap dramatizations of his 3 near-death experiences. Jessie has never sang in front of anyone but his mom before. He is not a good singer and is obviously a simple young man, not of the world, just trying to find his place in life. He is currently a welder and does come across as a stereotypical hillbilly from the back woods. What I don't like is that Mary J. Blige feels free to laugh at bad singers easily. She started laughing before he even sang because he froze up. She should have more class than that. I don't like it when the other judges do it either, but it's even worse when you're a successful singer who has been blessed with the talent to sing and laugh at those who don't. His score from me was 3 out of 10. The judges did not move him forward in the competition.

Our next contestant calls herself the human guitar and that is what she looks like with her costuming. This is another phenomenon that you see in shows like this where contestants believe that hokey gags will somehow get them through. Luckily for this nasally high pitched voice, all of a sudden, breaks out into a Loretta Lynn song with a deep big alto voice that sang in pitch and sounded great. Her score from me is 8 out of 10. The judges moved her on despite the fact that Mary J. Blige said no.

Our next contestant is Blake Smith. He had a voice that would maybe be good in a choir, but not as a soloist. His score from me is 5 out of 10. The judges did not move him on to the next level.

Someone that Mary j. Blige did like was Mallorie Haley, a beautiful young country singer who courageously belted out a country ballad. Watch for this name. She has a lot of potential. Her score from me is 9 out of 10. The judges agreed with Mary and moved her on to Hollywood.

Our next contestant has American Idol shaved into his head. He entertains the crowd in the holding room but not with singing. He is confident and all smiles. He assures the judges that he will blow them away. Antonio Wheeler, who comes across as another joke, starts singing "Heard it Through the Grapevine" and does everything he said he would do. Simon didn't like him, but the rest of the judges said his voice is great, but he needs to work on his image. I'm not sure this young man is mentally stable enough to make it through the harsh reality of Hollywood auditions, but that's exactly where he is headed. His score from me is 7 out of 10.

We now have two BFFs who have been best friends since 3rd grade. They're sure that both of them will both make it through to Hollywood. Lauren and Carmen come into the audition together, but have entirely different voices. Lauren Sanders has a very timid soft voice and has a few pitch issues. Her friend Carmen Turner has exactly the opposite kind of voice. She has a strong beautiful voice and sings her song with differing dynamics. Lauren's score is 5 out of 10. Carmen's score is 9 out of 10. The judges moved Carmen forward in the competition.

Our next contestant is a police officer in a local small town. He loves his job, but he also loves singing. Bryan Walker has the best voice I've heard this season. I love him. His score from me is 10 out of 10. The judges liked him too.

Our next contestant is excited to get in front of Mary J. Blige. Lamar Royal has a powerful voice, but it was not pretty. His pitch problems were significant. His score from me was 4 out of 10. The judges did not move him on. He was determined though. He just kept singing and refused to believe the judges. This is when 2 big security guys move in. Needless to say he did not impress Mary. Of course the camera followed him all the way out so we could witness his, mostly bleeped, reaction to his American Idol experience.

Our next contestant is too old to audition for AI, but they allow General Larry Pratt to audition anyway. He was a great comedy relief for the judges, but that was all.

Twenty-five gold tickets went out in Atlanta. We'll see how well the Atlanta talent does in the Hollywood level of the competition.

I think the main theme we will come away with regarding the Atlanta auditions is "Pants on the Ground".










Tuesday, January 12, 2010

American Idol 2010! Boston Auditions

Season 9 of American Idol begins at last! Tonight we will witness the Boston auditions. During the audition portion of this season, I can only comment on those auditions that we get to see in their entirety. Sometimes we just get video that shows us short clips of a myriad of contestants. There's not much that I can do with that.

Changes taking place this season are, of course, the loss of Paula Abdul as a judge, and the addition of Ellen DeGeneres as Paula's replacement. However during the audition portion of this season, famous guest judges join the show each week. This week our guest judge is Victoria Beckham. The 9000 contestants in Boston were under a sea of umbrellas as they waited for their turn in the pouring rain.

Our first contestant has been playing the American Idol video game for sometime, practicing for this big moment. Janet McNamara from Michigan cannot sing at all. Her score from me is 4 out of 10. The judges told her no. I guess you can't trust the American Idol video game to give you a "no-holds-barred" evaluation.

Our second contestant is Maddie Curtis. She sings "Hallelujah". She sings it beautifully hitting both the higher and lower notes very well showing her range and maturity. Her score from me is 8 out of 10. The judges told her yes. Maddie is going to Vegas and moving on in the competition.

Pat Ford, Age 17 is a hyperactive teenager who doesn't have a horrible voice, but he doesn't have a good voice either. He has an outrageous personality and more than makes up for his lack of talent in energy. You can't help but like him because he's fun to be around, unfortunately he doesn't have any talent. His score from me is 5 out of 10. The judges told him no.

3 short clips of successful female candidates displayed a triumphant morning for female singers, but as of noon on the first day, no male candidates had maneuvered their way to the next level of the competition. Let's hope the afternoon brings better luck for the men.

Our next candidate is a 28-year old male named Amadeo Dirricco. He has a husky huge voice and sings with a lot of passion. This Italian singer had a raspy Jimmy Durante feel to his voice. His score from me is 7 out of 10. (Mainly because he didn't show a lot of range in the song he chose for his audition) The judges moved him on to the next level of the competition.

Our next male candidate isn't quite as large a personality as Amadeo. He's a more quiet, reflective sort of person. Derek Hilton has a horrific voice. These are the people I don't get. They can't hear how bad they are somehow. His score from me is 2 out of 10. The judges did not move him on to the next level.

Why is it that the hyperactive candidates, that dance around and act in a flamboyant manner, are almost always very bad singers. Mere Doyle is a perfect example of this stereotypical participant that you see every year. If pure energy was enough to make you a good singer, Mere would have impressed us. Mere yelled her song out and she was absolutely shocked when the judges told her no. Her score from me is 2 out of 10. This contestant than moves into the stereotypical temper tantrum and lashes out at the judges.

Luke Shaffer from New York and Benjamin Bright had great fun harmonizing with each other in the holding room. They both had great voices. My score for both of them would be a 7 out of 10. The judges moved them both on in the competition.

Another stereotypical participant named Andrew is the egotistical jerk that appears to come for a fight rather than an audition. Andrew Fenion sang the House of the Rising Sun. He could carry a tune fairly well, but his attitude was so horrible the judges didn't want anything to do with him. At first Simon was put off by him, but after a few minutes, he actually took a liking to him, because people like that sometimes provide entertainment for Simon. His score from me is 5 out of 10 and that's generous. The judges did not move him forward and he left wondering why everyone was so upset with him.

Our next contestant Ashley Rodriguez has the looks. Okay, I love her voice. She could go really far in this competition, so watch for this name later on down the road. She is what they call the "total package". Looks, talent, and humble confidence. Her score from me is 9 out of 10. The judges moved her forward in the competition.

Our next contestant is Tyler Grady who comes to the audition with two broken arms. He plays drums, so this injury is the worse possible injury he could have. It just so happens, he also has pipes. Maybe he can give the drums a break for awhile and give singing a try. His score from me is 8 out of 10. Tyler also has good looks. The judges moved him forward in the competition.

Day Two in Boston
The first contestant of the 2nd day is Lisa Olivero. This waitress was sure that she could turn her days of waiting on others to others waiting on her once she reached stardom. Lisa is beautiful to look at, but her voice was not good. She left with a thank you and seemed to take in what the judges told her which was a nice change of pace. Most contestants that leave the auditions deprived of any opportunity of furthering their singing career leave disgrunted. Her score from me was 4 out of 10. The judges did not move her forward.

The next contestant, Mike Davis, is an actor on a local speedboat named Godzilla. He takes tourists for some thrilling rides. He sang the Beatles tune "Yesterday". He had a soulful clear voice that was surprising. His voice didn't match his looks in my mind, not that he looked bad. He has a great personality with eyes that smile. His score from me was 7 out of 10. The judges moved him forward in the competition. This was the first successful candidate of the day and we're well into the day.

Our next contestant, Katie Stevens, is very close to her Portugese grandmother who has Alzheimers. She would like to see her dream of a singing career come true before her grandmother forgets who she is. She sings the classic song "At Last". Her score from me is 9 out of 10. She is only 16 and sings in a very accomplished manner. She also plays the piano. The judges moved her on to the next level of the competition.

Our next contestant is 28-year-old Joshua Blaylock. He is at the point where this is his last shot to get into the show because of his age. He has a good voice and sings with heart, but first the judges are compelled to make him more aggressive by teaching him how to tell Simon to "Shut up". How come, when they find a nice guy, they try to change him and make him more aggressive. Newsflash to Simon, "You can be confident without being aggressive." His score from me is 8 out of 10. The judges moved him to the next level of the competition.

Our next contestant, Justin Williams, has been through a lot in his life. At the age of 20, while serving a mission, he found out he had cancer. He is now cancer free. He is extremely good looking. He has a terrific voice and isn't short on charisma or confidence. Can you tell I like him? His score from me is 9 out of 10.
He is a crooner with a Michael Buble feel. The judges moved him forward in the competition.

Norberto Buerrero is a young man, who is definitely out of the main stream in looks and hair. His singing voice is poor however. His score from me is 2 out of 10. The judges did not move him forward in the competition.

Our next contestant is Bosa Mora. He sings from the heart and has a good voice, but has a performance issue. He need to step up his performance skills. His score from me is 7 out of 10. The judges moved him forward.

Growing up in a family that did not allow her to listen to secular music, Leah Laurenti, is out to prove more than just that she can sing. She also wants her parents approval. She hopes her success on the show would help with that. She sings "Blue Skies". Her voice is great!. Her look is okay as well. Her jazz style was surprising to the judges. Her score from me is 9 out of 10. The judges moved her forward in the competition, and when she phoned her father, he said he was proud of her.

Tomorrow night we head south, can't wait!























Tuesday, December 15, 2009

"So You Think You Can Dance " Top 6 Vie For Final Prize!

Tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX network will bring the 6 remaining finalist together to compete. Each female dancer will be paired up with each male dancer before the night is through. This is the Finale, so America's voting is more important than ever.

Katherine and Ryan performed a fantastic Salsa. It had an African theme and music that was very interesting as well. Ryan's final lift/throw of Katherine onto his back was something I've never seen before. They did it very well. It was a great finish to a superb routine. Katherine-10 Ryan-10

Ellenore and Jakob are dancing a Jazz routine. No body can jump like Jakob. Choreographers just can't help but throw a few leaps in each of his routines. I do not mind, but that just left Ellenore with the easier choreography. What Ellenore did, she did well, but it was clear that the choreographers knew they could do more with Jakob. Ellenore-8 Jakob-10

Ashleigh and Russell are performing a lyrical routine. They both clearly did a great job, but Russell was hands down better at expressing true emotion throughout the routine. He also performed harder choreography than she did. She looked beautiful and performed her choreography well, but Russell stole the show. Russell-10 Ashleigh-9

Ellenore and Ryan are performing a Jazz routine. This number has a lot of robotic movement that must be performed with exactness. They're both doing a very good job, but Ellenore is slightly better than Ryan. There are a lot of hard lifts though that require Ryan's strength, and he is extremely strong. Ellenore-10 Ryan-9

Ashleigh and Jacob are performing a Foxtrot. I think both dancers did a respectable job on this number, but Ashleigh stole the show. That's not an easy thing to do, when you're dancing with Jakob. They could have gotten a little more into the old time jazz feel of the music in their movement, but overall they did a good job. Ashleigh-10 Jakob-9

Ellenore and Russell are performing a Paso Doble. Neither dancer has done ballromm, so this should be extremely hard. You wouldn't know it watching them. They have all the drama and stregnth of movement you would expect. Russell is an extremey strong young man, so he can lift with the best of them. Ellenore looks beautiful in anything she does, and this was no different. I loved this number. Ellenore-10 Russell-10

Katherine and Jakob are dancing a contemporary number. I love this number and I love these two dancing together. Jakob is such a technician and a great emotional dancer. These guys got a standing ovation even from the judges. This was a great number and both dancers performed it perfectly. Katherine-10 Jakob-10

Ashleigh and Ryan, the first husband and wife to both make into the Top 20 (let alone the Finale) are dancing a contemporary routine together. They are Latin ballroom dancers so this will be foreign for both of them. You can see how well they work with each other. They're use to dancing together even though they're dancing a dance style that is out of their comfort zone. This is a beautiful routine performed by two dancers who were crying at the end with all of us who watched them. Not only did they have good chemistry, you could feel the love and respect they have for each other. No matter the results of this contest, I doubt these two will feel anything but successful. Ashleigh-10 Ryan-10

Katherine and Russell are dancing a Hip Hop routine. This was a hard hitting, physical routine. They both performed this routine extremely well. The competitive spirit tonight has been amazing. Katherine-10 Russell-10



Score Totals For The Night

19-year old, Russell (krumper) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

27-year-old Ashleigh (ballroom) 1st Dance-9 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-29

18-year-old, Jakob (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo- 10 Total-29

19-year old Ellenore (Jazz) 1st Dance-8 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-28

28-year-old Ryan (Ballroom) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-10 Total-29

18-year-old Katherine (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

Favorites of the Night

I can't choose 3 favorite routines, there were too many amazing routines.

My Ranking of the female dancers for tonight are:

Katherine, Ellenore, Ashleigh

My Ranking of the male dancers for tonight are:

Russell, Jakob, Ryan

America votes tonight and we'll post the results of tomorrow night's Results Show.

6th Place-Ryan

5th Place-Ashleigh

4th Place-Ellenore

3rd Place-Katherine

2nd Place-Jakob

1st Place-Russell



Also, I'll be judging American Idol in January.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

"So You Think You Can Dance TOP 8!

Tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX network will bring the 8 remaining finalist together to compete. Four male dancers and four female dancers will be paired up, and each couple will compete against the other three couples for a spot on the Finals.

America determines which dancers will be leaving the show. The show's judges are no longer a part of the decision making process. Each couple is determined by the female dancers pulling their partners name out of the hat. In addition, each couple pull the two styles of dance they will perform out of a hat. America will vote for their favorite dancer rather than their favorite couple. Each dancer will also perform a self-choreographed solo.

The first thing you notice right off the bat is that Ashleigh didn't do her introduction solo, so you're left wondering what the story is. It turns out that she pulled her left shoulder out of the socket earlier today, and the doctors won't clear her.

Katherine and Ryan will be performing a Disco dance choreographed by Dorianna Sanchez.They'll be dancing to one of my favorite disco dance songs: Last Dance. This was an energetic routine with a log of lifts. Ryan is strong and a great partner when lifts are required. They both had great energy and superb chemistry as a couple. Katherine-10 Ryan-10

For their 2nd routine, Katherine and Ryan performed a Chachacha choreographed by Jason Gilkison. This was a hot routine. They perfomed a very hard routine articulately. They had technique and chemistry out of this world. Katherine-10 Ryan-10

Molly and Jacob will be performing a Viennese Waltz with choreographer Jason Gilkison. This is great music for a Waltz. They're performing a beautiful routine, but there hasn't been a lot of standard couple waltzing. What they are performing is done very well though. They had a lot of lifts and leaps that again are not seen in Waltzes usually, but they had a high level of difficulty and performed beautifully with very strong technique. Molly-10 Jacob-10

For their 2nd routine, Mollee and Jacob will be performing a Broadway routine choreographed by Joey Dowling. Jacob was phenomenal, but Mollee struggled. She struggled with some of the movement, but also with the character. Mollee-9 Jacob-10

Ellenore and Legacy will be performing a contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall. This unique routine was a Mr and Mrs Smith type of routine. Two people fighting over a dinner table. You're not sure if they're going to kill each other of fall in love. The intensity of the routine was fantastic. The technique was coordinated with some of Legacy's great tricks. This was a great routine. The level of difficulty and the potential for something to go wrong in this routine was extremely high. They took a chance and they pulled it off. Ellenore-10 Legacy-10

For their 2nd routine, Ellenore and Legacy will be performing a Tabitha and Napolean Dubo Hip Hop routine. This was a very unique routine from a choreography perspective. It was performed well. It was not my favorite routine and especially Ellenore could have been more hard hitting. Ellenore-9 Legacy-9

Jakob's Solo wasn't his best of all time, but it was unique and well danced. Jakob-9

Ashleigh can still be voted back for the finale next week by America based on her body of work throughout season.

Her partner, Russell will be dancing a hip hop routine choreographed by Shane Sparks. Lucky for Russell, this was his style or at least close to his style of dance. This was hiphop and Russell is a Krumper. The fact that he was dancing with an associate of his choreographer's at the last minute just gave this dancer even more credibility. He has a great attitude for being put into such a horrible position at such an important time. Russell, you should be proud of yourself! Russell-10

For his 2nd routine of the night, Russell will be performing a Bollywood routine choreographed by Nakul. Again Russell has to dance with a totally new partner at the last minute. This kid is such an amazing talent and so resilient under such unbelievably difficult circumstances. Russell-10

Molly came out fighting in her solo. She had gymnastics, spins, leaps, .. a little bit of everything. It was choreographed very well to interesting music. Molly-10

Legacy's solo was not well choreographed. He had a prop that didn't work out very well, but his tricks are always fun to see. Legacy-9

Ellenore's routine didn't look like it was planned. It was choppy and scattered. She's good at what she does but this was not her best. Ellenore-9

Russell's solo as Santa was absolutely unbelievable. Not only did he plan this out but he showed a lot of creativity. He is a star! Russell-10

Katherine's solo was well choreographed and danced perfectly She is an amazing talent. Katherine-10

Ryan's solo was again too repetitive. He has a hard time choreographing a competitive solo, but performs just about anything that is choreographed for him. Ryan-9

Score Totals For The Night

19-year old, Russell (krumper) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

27-year-old Ashleigh (ballroom) 1st Dance-NA 2nd Dance-NA Solo-NA Total-NA

18-year-old, Jakob (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-9 Total-29

19-year old Ellenore (Jazz) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-9 Total-28

28-year-old Ryan (Ballroom) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo- 9 Total-29

18-year-old Katherine (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

18-year-old
Legacy (Hip Hop) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-9 Total-28

18-year-old,
Mollee (Jazz) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-10 Total-29

Favorites of the Night

My three favorite routines of the night are Travis Wall's Contemporary Table routine danced by Ellenore and Legacy and Jason Gilkison's Chachacha perfomed by Katherine and Ryan, and Nakul's Bollywood routine danced by Russell.

My Ranking of the female dancers for tonight are:

Katherine, Mollee, Ellenore, Ashleigh

My Ranking of the male dancers for tonight are:

Russell, Jakob, Ryan, Legacy

America votes tonight and we'll post the names of the one male dancer and the one female dancer who are eliminated from the show after the results show airs tomorrow night.

The Bottom 2 Female Dancers are: Mollee and Ellenore

The Bottom 2 Male Dancers are: Legacy and Ryan

The Two Dancers Eliminated this week: Mollee and Legacy

Watch for my review of next week's final show for SYTYCD. Also, I'll be judging a brand new show on CBS called "The Sing Off". This will be singing groups that sing without any instrumental help. Their voices are the only instruments you will hear. This is a fairly new phenomenon that reminds me of the old Barber Shop Quartets, but there is much more involved than just harmony.

Also, I'll be judging American Idol in January, so plenty of new and interesting shows coming up.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

"So You Think You Can Dance TOP 10!

Tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on FOX network will bring the 10 remaining finalist together to compete.Five male dancers and five female dancers will be paired up, and each couple will compete against the other four couples.

Beginning this week several changes take place. First, America determines which dancers will be leaving the show rather than just who falls in the bottom three. The show's judges are now taken out of the decision making process. Second, they lose their regular partners and, both the person they partner with and the dance they will perform, will be chosen randomly out of a hat. Third, they stand on their own. America will vote for their favorite dancer rather than their favorite couple.

The reason the Top 10 is such a magical number, aside from the fact that they're that much closer to winning, is the fact that they will perform in the show that will tour America after the season is over.

Each dancer performs two dances with their partner and a self-choreographed solo. This should be very interesting.

The first couple out of the gate are Noelle and Ryan. They are performing a hip hop routine choreographed by Tabitha and Napolean Dubo. This looks like a little office romance is taking place. I was just about ready to give up on Noelle, but she did a fantastic lyrical routine last week, and did a great job on this routine. Her and Ryan had great chemistry. She just looked better dancing with Ryan. It's unbelievable how much better dancers look with different partners. Both dancers did a good job on this routine. Will it be memorable enough for voters to vote for them, maybe not. The night is still young, this was definitely a respectable showing. Noelle-9 Ryan-9

Their second routine of the night is a smooth Waltz. They have great chemistry in this dance. Their movement is fluid and beautiful. They both had great upper body carriage and Ryan's partnering skills really showed in this particular number. Noelle-10 Ryan-10

The 2nd couple is Ashleigh and Legacy. This was choreographed by Gary Stewart. It was very difficult and it requires a lot of effort. It looked like they were both really struggling from the very beginning. It didn't flow, it was extremely choppy and nonsensical. That was partially the fault of the dancers, but also the choreographer. The dancers did dig in deep and get through the dance the best they could. The ending of the dance, with Legacy doing a head stand was very unique, but the routine as a whole wasn't enjoyable for me. Ashleigh-8 Legacy-8

I like this second routine much better than their 1st routine of the night. This is a hip hop vampire themed routine that was well performed by both dancers. Their characters were fun and interesting. There were times when they weren't together and should have been better synchronized. The choreography could have been more demanding but their performance of that choreography was respectable. Ashleigh-9 Legacy-9

Molly will be the first solo of the night. Interestingly enough, we have 3 Utahns in the TOP 10! Molly auditioned in Las Angeles, but she grew up in Utah. Since I'm from Utah, I'm very proud of that fact. The solos are choreographed by the dancers themselves, so they're being judged on dancing and choreography. Molly is a very dynamic performer, but she is also a very young performer, so she has not reached her full potential yet. Her solo was executed well, but not memorable. Molly-8

Russell performed the 2nd Solo of the night. This young man is so talented. He can choreograph and perform in an exciting dynamic manner. He has so many tricks and movement that has not been seen before. Russell-10

Katherine and Nathan are dancing a Broadway routine. Wow this routine takes me back to the days of Fred Estaire andThe took the song "Choreography" from one of my favorite movies "White Christmas" with Danny Kaye. Katherine can do no wrong. This girl can dance. I would not have expected Nathan to do as well as he did. He was great. Maybe Katherine rubbed off on him. Katherine-10 Nathan-9

The 2nd routine of the night is a Rumba. Katherine is so very good. She is also bringing out the best in Nathan. He is dancing with so much feeling and charisma. Wow, I liked this routine and both dancers had terrific chemistry. Katherine-9 Nathan-8

Noelle's solo was okay, but not memorable. Noelle is very good at balance, spins, and flexibility. Her leaps are a little heavy. Her choreography is respectable and she has a refreshing look that makes you want to watch her. There is no wow factor tonight however. Noelle-8

Ellenore and Jakob are dancing the Quickstep for their first routine. This is a good couple even though Ellenore is just as tall, maybe even taller than Jakob. That being said, they did a good job. I don't think I've ever seen both the male and female do running jete's together let alone two in a row. They moved across the floor with a lot of fluidity. Both dancers had great upper body carriage and their feet weren't having any difficulties eitheBoldEllenore-10 Jakob-10

Their second routine was a contemporary routine very different from their Quickstep. Jakob surprises me every time he comes out on the floor. The man can do anything. Their chemistry was phenomenal. Ellenore's movement wasn't as full at times as Jakob's but I don't know if it's fair to compare anyone to Jakob. She was fantastic! Ellenore-10 Jakob-10

Ryan's solo is very dynamic. There are no huge leaps or any hard spins, but it was dynamic and powerful which is what Ryan is very good at. Ryan's problem, like every other ballroom dancer that has had to perform solos on this show, is that without a partner, they're a little lost. Ryan is making a courageous attempt to overcome that, but he still has problems with repetitious footwork and tricks in his solos. Ryan is the 2nd Utahn in the TOP 10! Ryan-8

Katherine's Solo was well choreographed. She is beautiful to watch. She is joyous in her movement. Her choreography was fluid and refreshing. Katherine-9

Mollee and Russell are dancing a lyrical routine. The first lift of the routine was extremely good. Russell is a very strong dancer and Mollee is light on her feet and you can tell that she trusts him implicitly which allows her to dance full out. I'm not sure she had that kind of trust with Nathan. This was a good pairing. The routine was well choreographed and the pairing of this couple was tremendous. Mollee-10 Russell-10

The 2nd dance of the night is the Jive. Mollee should have been a little more comfortable with this routine than Russell, but I don't believe she was. Russell looked like he had been dancing the Jive for a very long time. This is a good couple and they both did a good job. Mollee-8 Russell-9

Nathan's solo is, so far, the best choreographed solo of the night. He can spin, leap, and dance passionately. What a performer. It's hard to believe he started out as a hip hop dancer because he can execute contemporary movement beautifully. Nathan-10

Ellenore's solo is a quirky unique routine with strong movement and fun intricate movement that leaves you wanting more. Ellenore-10

Legacy's solo defies gravity and every form of balance known to man. He isn't as unique as Russell, but his movement and tricks are extremely hard and well executed. He could work on the choreography side of it to ensure a better sense of movement with the music. Legacy-9

Ashleigh's solo is pretty much ballroom done without a partner, but she did some intricate footwork that is not easy and she can surely shake it. She's very good, but has the same problems, from a choreography perspective, with repetition. Ashleigh is our 3rd Utahn in the top 10. Ashleigh-8

Jakob's solo was the most perfect solo of the night. He has balance like he's nailed to the floor, but his leaps are like he defies gravity. He unbelievable. Jakob-10


Score Totals For The Night

18-year old, Noelle (contemporary) 1st Dance-9 2nd Dance- 10 Solo-8 Total-27

19-year old, Russell (krumper) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-10 Total-29

27-year-old Ashleigh (ballroom) 1st Dance-8 2nd Dance-9 Solo-8 Total-25

18-year-old, Jakob (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

19-year old Ellenore (Jazz) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-10 Solo-10 Total-30

28-year-old Ryan (Ballroom) 1st Dance-9 2nd Dance-10 Solo-8 Total-27

18-year-old Katherine (contemporary) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-9 Solo-9 Total-28

18-year-old
Legacy (Hip Hop) 1st Dance-8 2nd Dance-9 Solo-9 Total-26

18-year-old,
Mollee (Jazz) 1st Dance-10 2nd Dance-8 Solo-8 Total-26

18-year-old, Nathan (Contemporary) 1st Dance-9 2nd Dance-8 Solo-10 Total-27

Favorites of the Night

My three favorite routines of the night are Sonya's Contemporary danced by Ellenore and Jakob, Mollee and Russell's Lyrical and Katherine and Nathan's Broadway routine.

My Ranking of the female dancers for tonight are:

Ellenore, Katherine, Noelle, Mollee, Ashleigh

My Ranking of the male dancers for tonight are:

Jakob, Russell, Ryan and Nathan tied, Legacy

America votes tonight and we'll post the names of the one male dancer and the one female dancer who are eliminated from the show after the results show airs tomorrow night.

The Bottom 2 Female Dancers are: Katherine and Noelle

The Bottom 2 Male Dancers are: Ryan and Nathan

The Two Dancers Eliminated this week: Noelle and Nathan