Thursday, July 28, 2011

This season of So You Think You Can Dance is sizzling!

The Top 12 7.13.2011

My Fave routines--

Jordan and Tadd danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Travis Wall-- Sonya called it true artistry that makes you want to cry.

Melanie and Marko danced a tango choreographed by Louis Van Amstel that made Sonya lose her breath because there was so much conviction and discipline.

Clarice and Jess danced a lyrical hip hop routine choreographed by Chris Scott-- I loved this music for this one and the whole concept (Just the Way You Are by Boyce Avenue). Mary loved the pulse of this piece. Guest judge Jesse Tyler Ferguson asked Clarice if she had a boyfriend because he wants to marry her. He called Clarice a light and said Jess is tremendous.

Melanie and Marko danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Dee Caspary-- This number was simply beautiful and easily one of the most well choreographed numbers this season. It was also the culmination of Melanie and Marko's work together; this partnership was absolutely stunning every week.

Ryan and Alexander were eliminated

The Top 10 7.20.2011

This week was the beginning of the contestants dancing with All Stars

Marko and Chelsie danced a samba choreographed by Jason Gilkison, The music was Cinema Italiano by Kate Hudson-- Guest judge Neil Patrick Harris called it amazing and said what a dirty way to start the show. He said, Marko, you dance with such precision, you're definitely the guy to beat.
I feel like, is there any dance that Marko cannot master; it seems like he can do everything.

Jordan and Brandon danced a contemporary routine choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, The music was Who You Are by Jessie J-- Mary said Jordan was fantastic and fearless. Nigel said she does not have a lot of weaknesses and therefore they were able to choreograph her how they wanted her. Neil said you're beautiful and so inspiring.
I found this dance just effortless.

Tadd and Comfort danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Chuck Maldonado, The music was Look at Me Now by Chris Brown, feat. Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne-- Nigel said the routine was fast and Tadd out-danced his all star. Mary said he has something special and swagger.
There were lots of great tricks in this number that flowed well and were perfectly executed.

Caitlynn and Pasha danced an Argentine tango choreographed by Leonardo & Miriam, The music was Malajunta by Orquesta Color Tango-- Mary said this number was a real treat on the eyes. The passion was more real than any number. You were a real and complete woman tonight, Mary said. Nigel said you were far sexier in this than in anything you've done before. Neil said you were gorgeous, you matched Pasha and you two were truly in sync.
This is honestly one of my favorite routines all season, it was so beautifully danced, and even someone like me who knows little about the technicalities of dancing knows that.

Sasha and Twitch danced a hip hop routine choreographed by Chris Scott, The music was Misty by Dorothy Moore-- The judges all thought it was a hot number. Nigel was at a loss for words and called it a memorable routine and said she had beautiful chemistry with her partner. Neil said this was spectacular and said Chris Scott was amazing. He added that Sasha and Twitch should danced every number together. Mary called it a sexy ass number and called Sasha an all star.
I echo everything the judges said; this was special.

Melanie and Pasha danced a Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jason Gilkison, The music was Everybody Hurts by Tina Arena-- Mary said it's like your feet never touched the floor; I don't know how you do it. Neil called it effortlessly perfect. She said you look like you're from the past but you dance like you're from the future. You're beautiful in every way inside and outside. You're easily my favorite dancer on the show.
It is very clear that every time Melanie takes the floor, something special happens.

Ricky and Allison danced a jazz routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio, The music was Precious Dream by Tori Amos-- Nigel thought it was very creative and that Ricky kept up with Allison. Neil said Tyce, bold move, and Ricky you were fierce.
Ricky really stepped up; Allison has always been really gifted and Ricky matched her.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episodes 8 and 9

I decided to combine the home town dates with the fantasy suite dates in Fiji. Here's what went down....

Episode 8 Home Town Dates

Home town date that most resembled the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Constantine's! Ashley said he was one of the guys that really stuck with her out of the limo. Now that she has gotten to know him she sees so much good in him, he's so honest. She felt comfortable at his restaurant and told his mom that she would be more than happy to relocate to Georgia if it's what makes Constantine happy. Ashley says the thing she loves about Constantine is that she loves hard and she loves for real. I especially loved the part where his entire family showed up and they all started dancing a la My Big Fat Greek Wedding with Constantine's father Dmitri throwing money at them.

Most picturesque home town date: Ames! Ames's sister Serena immediately noticed a spark in Ames that she has never seen before. Ashley revealed that she likes how introspective and independent he is; he's a man. Serena says Ames is a very loyal person and he cares about the people he loves. Ames's mom sees many similarities with her son and Ashley. By far the most picturesque moment takes places when Ames and Ashley have a picnic under a magnolia tree.

Home town date with the deepest conversation: Ben's. Ashley says everything about Ben screams sexiness to her but she wonders if his family will like her as much as he does. He confesses that he hasn't brought many women home to meet his family, and that she shouldn't be worried because he is confident in what they have built together. Ben's sister Julia says that Ben is in touch with his emotions and feels that he knows what he wants.

Home town date with the most flashbacks: J.P. He takes Ashley to a roller skating rink and she says she feels like they are back in seventh grade again. It is clear that they are so comfortable with one another, and J.P. tells her he feels 100% certain of their relationship. Ashley tells J.P.'s mother that she is smitten with him. His mom can tell that J.P. is not just taken by how beautiful she is on the outside but also how beautiful she is on the inside.

Ames is eliminated in the end.

Episode 9 Fiji

Ryan comes back asking Ashley for another chance and more time together.

Ben: They spend the day on the water on a yacht and they comment on how easy they feel their relationship is. Then they go snorkeling together; it's so clear to me throughout this date that Ben is in love with Ashley. He later confesses he is but does not tell her. Could this mistake prove to be a costly one for Sonoma's most gorgeous bachelor? Ashley says she had a sense of comfort today with Ben that she didn't have before and they take advantage of the fantasy suite by taking a dip in the suite's outdoor pool. Ben then carries her back to their suite.

Constantine: This date was a disaster from almost the beginning. Ashley says Constantine is always guarded and very careful with what he says. She looks at him but can never tell what he is thinking. Ashley thinks maybe he needs time, but they are running out of time. He ultimately leaves before they ever get to the fantasy suite. He says he wouldn't be able to propose to her and he can't say he's in love with her and he promised he wouldn't go further if that wasn't the case.

Ashley told Ryan that she couldn't be with him because they lacked a passion that she found with two other guys.

J.P.: Ashley says J.P. has been her rock throughout this whole process. They fly on a seaplane and go to a private island together where Ashley confesses that Ryan came back and Constantine left. J.P. says he is definitely in love with Ashley, and yet, he too decides not to tell her!

Who will Ashley choose?
Ben or J.P.?

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 7

I have to say that for the most part, this was a rather boring Bachelorette episode. Ashley had three one on one dates with Constantine, Ben, and Ryan.

Here are some highlights from those dates--

Constantine: Ashley and Constantine took a steam engine to Tai Pei. They write their love wishes on lanterns which then float up and away into the sky. Awww, how sweet, I wonder what they wished for. Overall, I like Constantine but I don't think he is quite ready to commit.

Ben: This date starts out with them riding together on a motorcycle. The surprise is that Ben and Ashley stay out all night much to J.P.'s chagrin.

Ryan: The shocker comes during this date in which Ashley sends Ryan home before the date even ends! She gave him the first impression rose; she said you're the perfect guy Ryan, you're my perfect guy. I just don't think we have that romantic connection. Ryan is understandably shocked and says he is looking for never ending love as he walks off. Ashley wonders if she made the right decision.

The group date consists of Lucas, Ames, J.P., and each of them taking wedding photos with Ashley. Lucas is wearing traditional Taiwanese wedding clothing. He says he definitely wants Ashley to come back to Texas and meet his family.

Ames wore some modern/ retro clothing. I hope that makes sense, it had somewhat of a Bohemian look to it. Ames says he has stopped rationalizing his relationship with Ashley; he thinks it just feels right. Ashley agrees that she has never met anyone like Ames.

J.P., despite being very down this week, lucks out with a traditional black tuxedo. Ashley is allowed to give out one rose on this date and gives it to J.P. saying, I want to meet your family so bad.

At the end of the night, in somewhat of a surprise, Ashley sends Lucas, who she felt was very comforting and protective, packing. :-(

What will happen this week?

Monday, July 11, 2011

Ashley Hebert: The Bachelorette Season 7 Episode 6

This is the episode where Bentley comes back, as if we haven't heard enough about this guy, now we have to see him again.

This is also the episode where, gasp, Mickey McLean leaves pulling himself out of the running for Ashley's heart.

Some fun stuff from her meeting with Bentley:
She asked Bentley why he left her with a "dot, dot, dot," if he didn't really want her.
She says "mission a-f*****g-complished" to: were you trying to get me to want you even though you knew you weren't going to stay?
She asks him why he came, "was it for the free vaca(tion)?"
I love when she leaves and he tries to say goodbye to her and she says nothing and just walks out the door and doesn't look back.

Cutest one on one date: Lucas's! Their date was in Kowloon, Hong Kong which is famous for its lights. They watch street performers and Ashley has this unbelievable glow to her, presumably because she is now free from Bentley and she feels free to pursue the other men. Lucas and Ashley dine on a yacht and he makes a toast to, "a woman I thought I'd never meet, and a life I hope to have." He says the hardest thing he has gone through is his divorce but he truly believes that everything in life happens for a reason. Ashley ends her date by talking about how she feels very comforted by Lucas; he is one of those men that makes her feel like a woman. I love how Lucas asked for permission to kiss her, how super sexy was that?

The group date is a dragon boat race, the guys are put into groups of two and have to recruit people to help them race against one another. Ben and Constantine, Ryan and Blake, and Ames and Mickey square off and Ames and Mickey end up winning. They recruited their team by finding people who actually do dragon boat race, so they had the strongest team.

Best one on one date: J.P. and Ashley-- Ashley asks J.P. what was the last thing that made him cry. J.P. answers: his ex. He said he had to wait for his heart to catch up with his brain because although being with her was not a good idea his heart was not ready to let go. Ashley sees him as a determined, committed, and loyal family man. Ashley decides to confess to J.P. that she saw Bentley two days ago in Hong Kong. Ashley says she needed closure from Bentley in order to move forward with the other guys and give 100%. J.P. says he is happy that Ashley felt comfortable enough to tell him and talk with him about it. He feels he is more attached emotionally to Ashley than he has ever been to anyone. He is crazy about Ashley and doesn't want the night to end and she doesn't either.
Dare I say that I think that these two are the perfect match. J.P. is so understanding of Ashley and her need to have to closure.

Best fiasco: The various responses of the men after Ashley tells them that she saw Bentley.
Constantine says it seems what Ashley told them about moving on with her life is contradictory.
Lucas questioned why she didn't find closure earlier?
J.P. said she is being selfless and honest. She didn't need to tell us anything, she could have just gone on, and if she wanted Bentley back then he would have been here.
Blake said I don't wanna play second fiddle to anyone.
Mickey asked to be sent home and walked off. He said Ashley has a good heart but he isn't the one for her.
Ashley then broke down in tears giving the remaining guys a heartfelt speech about how she didn't want to hurt anyone and cares about all of them so much.

Mickey left and Blake is eliminated.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

So You Think You Can Dance Season 8 . . . . . So Far

I have been mesmerized by So You Think You Can Dance this season. Just when I believed I could not be more impressed after last season's class of amazing dancers, we get yet another amazing group, a good mix of energetic young, and better with age.

Last week was tough for me with the elimination of two of my favorite dancers--- 31 year old hip hop dancer, Robert "Whoo" Taylor Jr. and his partner contemporary dancer 19 year old Miranda Maleski. I was personally shocked that these two ended up in the bottom three, Robert has a wonderful personality and Miranda is such a beautiful soul.
This week two more stunning dancers, Chris Koehl and Ashley Rich were eliminated. Although they were not the weakest dancers, they were arguably the two weakest that ended up in the bottom three. I am sad to see them go though because they did have good chemistry together.


I have so enjoyed this season that I decided to highlight some of my favorite dances so far.

Week 1 (June 15, 2011)

Jordan and Tadd-- Afro Jazz choreographed by Sean Cheesman, music: Riding the Waves Afro Sound Celt System-- Nigel said if that's African Jazz, I love it. Jordan, you were in your element; you're an outstanding dancer and you didn't let yourself down. Tadd, you're a hip hop dancer, if you keep picking up different styles like that, you're gonna be around for a long time.
This dance was so fun to watch because they made it look so easy but, yet you could tell that this dance had lots of intricacies to it.

Melanie and Marko-- Contemporary choreographed by Travis Wall, music: Turn to Stone by Ingrid Michaelson-- Mary called it amazing, perfect performance, great chemistry, and amazing artistry. Megan Mullally said it was one of those special performances. Nigel echoed the chemistry and called Melanie the "queen of the beasts".
I love this partnership and look forward to seeing so many more of their dances.

No one was eliminated at the end of this week.

Week 2 (June 22, 2011)

Caitlynn and Mitchell-- Contemporary choreographed by Stacey Tookey, music: Turning Tables by Adele-- Mary said it was amazing and called the chemistry great. Debbie Reynold called it beautiful and Nigel really felt their souls in the dance.
For some reason, this dance really got to me, I loved the story and I fully believed the two people telling it.

Miranda and Robert-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Break Ya Neck by Busta Rhymes-- Mary liked it and felt Robert did an amazing job with the choreography. She said Miranda took it to another level. Debbie called the dance mesmerizing. Nigel called Miranda the best contemporary dancer to do hip hop, and he said Robert put his dance where his mouth is.
This really stood out for me as one of the best dances so far, and I am sure it will hold up as one of the best throughout the season. I am so sorry that Miranda and Robert have been eliminated.

Jordan and Tadd-- Viennese Waltz choreographed by Jean Marc Genereux, music: Fade Into Me by David Cook-- Nigel said it was just beautiful and called Jordan's flow sensational. He said, Tadd, you're a b-boy and you came up trumps. Mary called Tadd the biggest surprise of the season, and that she's proud of him. Mary said Jordan was just beautiful.
I have to say this dance is usually the kiss of death in this competition, but this was so lovely. This is another partnership that I really love.

Melanie and Marko-- Jazz choreographed by Mandy Moore, music: Sing with a Swing DKS-- Mary said they're so good and Debbie called them the musical stars of today. Nigel called them a perfect combination.
I think this is one of those couples that is incredible to watch every week.

Sasha and Alexander-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Coming Home by Diddy Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey-- Debbie Reynolds said you danced beautifully and told us a story. Mary said she felt Sasha's anguish. Nigel said you showed the passion that will come from military family reunions.
This was a very touching piece, but Sasha and Alexander need to keep pushing of they may find themselves eliminated sooner rather than later.

Ashley and Chris-- Broadway choreographed by Spencer Liff, music: Please Mr. Jailer by Rachel Sweet-- Nigel loved the creativity of the routine and said Chris was fantastic. He said, Ashley, I hope the next time that they put me in jail, you come to visit me sweetheart. Chris agreed. Mary put them on the hot tamale train and said it was sensational.
It makes me sad to think about this routine because it was so great, and after I saw it, I thought, this couple is going to be around for a long time. This was so much potential in this routine.

Eliminated: Wadi & Missy and Nick & Iveta

Week 3 (June 29, 2011)

Melanie and Marko-- Lyrical Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: I Got You by Leona Lweis-- Lil C called this duo a power couple. Nigel said this was a brilliant concept and you guys are the couple to beat. Mary said you guys knock out special performances every week. Marko, you had raw emotion, and Melanie, you were just in the pocket on every move. Guest judge Kristin Chenoweth said you are the epitome of the language I speak.
This was just a super beautiful routine that I could even see being up for an Emmy.

Ryan and Ricky-- Contemporary choreographed by Sonya Tayeh, music: With Every Heartbeat (Remix) by Robyn-- Kristin called it beautiful. Lil C said you guys have seven hours to do this, this is phenomenal; buckness! Nigel said Ricky I couldn't take my eyes off you, incredible. Ryan, you delivered tonight, I'm glad we kept you. Mary appreciated the difficulty of this routine.

Jordan and Tadd-- Hip-Hop choreographed by Nappy Tabs, music: Memories by David Guetta-- Lil C loved the concept, loved the execution: greatness. Nigel said he loved it and it was great fun. Mary said you guys have great stage presence. Kristin said that routine was like dessert and I loved every bite.

Eliminated: Miranda and Robert

Week 4 (July 6, 2011)

Melanie and Marko-- Jazz choreographed by Ray Leeper, music: Americano by Lady Gaga-- Travis commended Marko's strength and called Melanie his favorite dancer this year. Guest judge Carmen Electra said they are such a passionate couple. Mary echoed Carmen's sentiment.
Once again, this couple does not fail to reinvent themselves and rise above the occasion.

Clarice and Jess-- Contemporary choreographed by Justin Giles, music: Light Through the Branches by Celeste Lear-- Travis said the chemistry was honest and he felt them come alive. He said it was his favorite routine of theirs this season. Mary said their partnership has become stronger every week.
I agree with the judge's this couple has become stronger every week, and I was really impressed with their performance, it's like I saw them for the first time.

Caitlynn and Mitchell-- Contemporary choreographed by Mandy Moore, music: To Love You More by Celine Dion-- Travis called Caitlynn the surprise of the season, and said Mitchell was unbelievable. Mary and Nigel both called it the performance of the night. The judge's were all on their feet.
This routine gave me goosebumps, I was just so touched by their ability and raw emotion.

Eliminated: Ashley and Chris