The Post Where a Title Eludes Me

I feel like we've been so busy, but now that I'm trying to write about it, it doesn't seem so, well, busy. I'm just going to dive right in! On Saturday we met Spencer's MiMi at the airport to pick her up from a two week long business trip.  She missed Spencie so much that we've been staying with them these past few days.  Since we missed her birthday, as she was an out-of-towner, on Sunday we baked the most delicious, mouthwatering, make-you-want-to-weep, carrot cake.  It took almost all day to make and bake and ice that baby, but it was so worth every scrumptious, highly caloric bite!  I took many a picture of the baking and making process, but I don't have my camera doo-hickey that hooks up to my computer, so I can't download the pictures yet.

I finally joined the rest of mainstream America on Sunday night, as I watched New Moon for the first time. Yes, I'm about 5-6 months behind, but at least I can now say I'm like every other teeny bopper in the universe!  (No offense to those of you who aren't teeny boppers and love Twilight, etc.)

On Monday I got to sleep in and when I woke up breakfast was made for me as I watched Regis and Kelly... heavenly.  And then us gals went and got pedicures!  It was Spencer's first "pedi," but she loved every second of it.  (I also loved every second of it because it was my first one in over a year!) Spence just stood in the water for a minute and then got her toes painted, nothing else, so it wasn't a real pedi for her, but she was thrilled just the same. I took a bunch of pictures of that too, but for the aforementioned reason, I can't post them.  I did try and snap a few of Spencer's tootsies in the car, but it was difficult- here's the best with the least blur:

Spence is absolutely in love with her toes and she takes great joy in showing everybody.  After we had our girly afternoon I had to go to my sociology class.  We had a test and after it was over he let us leave early. (And no, this wasn't our final, out final is on the 10th, which I think is kinda stinky- a test and a final all in two weeks.)   So on my way back the PGP's house, it's about a 45 minute drive, there were some crazy storms that I had to drive through.  But because it was such a long drive, and I was traveling behind the storm, I got to see two separate rainbows!  They were miles apart and I tried to my best take pictures of them while I was driving.  They aren't the best, but you get the idea.

I like to think it was a double good omen!  And I'm so glad that I took these pictures, because you couldn't see them from the PGP's house.  So where am I now?  Tuesday.  Which was yesterday and I should be able to easily recall the events.  I didn't do much yesterday except go the store to buy some sticker books for Spencer, hang out and do a little studying, watch It's Complicated (the movie with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin), read a little, and watch GLEE, etc. I love, love, love, that show. It makes me miss high school, as I was a cheerleader and in the show choir, but it also brings back so many wonderful memories. And then I went to sleep at 11pm. Eleven P. M.  That is unheard of in my world.  

And now we are all caught up to today, whew!  Today the PGP's took Spencie to story time at the library while I snoozed and then woke up and watched the tube and did some studying.  When they got back we we went to the Farmer's Market only to find out that on Wednesdays it's from 3-7pm instead of from 8am-12pm like it is on Saturdays. So we will be heading back there later on this afternoon. Spencer is taking a nap right now, Praise The Lord!  She hasn't been napping since we've been here and she's not been all that pleasant to be around after 3pm.  I couldn't take another afternoon of it and I spent the last hour trying to coax her into dreamland.  

Tomorrow we are going home.  Which means this is my last night of having someone else cook dinner for me(us).  Sometimes it's nice to not always have to do everything by myself, ya know?  I need to make sure our homestead is still there and other various chores.  I have my Anatomy final on Saturday and that's going to be...special.  (not in the good way.)  How weird is this- even though our final is this Saturday, we still have two more labs and one more quiz left to do?  That's just C-RAZY!  

Okay, well I think that's all.  I'm going to try and get those pictures up here soon, along with the recipe for the-best-carrot-cake-recipe-that-has-and-will-ever-exist-here-on-earth.  And just as soon as school is over for the semester I will resume a regular posting schedule.  Promise!

Coco the Underdog

I root for the underdog.  It's ingrained in me, I just can't help it.  The only exceptions to this rule are when either UNC or the Vikings are playing.  But rooting for the Underdog is a tricky, tricky business.  For example, after the Vikings beat Dallas last week, I felt so bad for them- they had become the new underdog.  I got over it pretty quickly, but still...

I can't believe I'm about to blog about Conan and Leno and the Tonight Show fiasco, but I am.  For the sake of pop culture posterity.  Okay.  So way back, five years ago, when NBC announced they were having Conan replace Leno in 2009 and Leno went on the record saying he didn't want to retire, I immediately was on Team Leno.  Which is odd, because I am a loyal Letterman fan.

And then I watched Leno's last Tonight Show, and as his eyed filled with tears, so did mine.  I thought it served Conan right that NBC gave Leno his new prime time gig.  Team Leno all the way.

I still didn't watch either show, I'm a Letterman Girl, but I'd tune in occasionally when nothing else was on.  Then came the current fuster cluck that became then end of The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien.  I don't know what I was hoping for in terms of a resolution, because really, there wasn't any outcome that I would have liked.  But I never wanted NBC to fire Conan and replace him with Leno.  They didn't even give him a year.  It took Leno three years as the host to finally beat Letterman in the ratings.  NBC didn't go Ooops, we made a mistake when we chose Leno over Letterman to replace Johnny Carson- let's get rid of him and hire David.  I know television is a money making industry, but you have to give these things a chance. 

So today when I read that Conan was officially out, I was really sad for him.  Then when I read that  he demanded part of his contract include $13 million for his production staff and crew, I was officially on Team Coco.  He's the new Underdog.  But here's the thing;  I feel guilty for being on his side because I was Team Leno for so long.  And it's not really Leno's fault, I mean it kinda is, but it's mostly NBC's fault for creating this whole stupid fiasco in the first place.  They should've never ousted Leno in the first place, and once they did, they should have let him go to a competing network instead of holding him to his original contract which didn't expire for another year.  And poor Conan.  He picked up his entire life, uprooted his family, and his crew's family for his dream job, the job of his lifetime- all to be fired within 7 months.  It's just wrong.

Rooting for the Underdog is not always easy, but someone has to do it.

Alaska

Last night, when I couldn't sleep and my mind was in overdrive, I watched Alaska State Troopers on the National Geographic Channel. It was the first time I'd ever seen it and now I LOVE the show! Not only was it filled with beautiful natural scenery, but every single police officer was good looking! There wasn't an unattractive one. Maybe it's because Alaska has more men than women, so the chances of their being more handsome men increases? Maybe I need to move to Alaska? haha! Just joking... kinda...

Watch the show if you get a chance and let me know what you think!

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 6 Auditions

This week on SYTYCD the auditions are in Boston and the guest judge is Tyce Diorio. My favorite thing about him judging is that Cat gets to say his name a lot and I love how she says his name, it cracks me up!

Teddy Tedholm - If It Kills Me, by Jason Mraz - He's a lot of fun, very unique. I can't tell if he's an excellent dancer or anything, it looked a little spastic to me. But the audience gives him a standing ovation and Nigel says it was beautiful to look at for his subtleties and that a lot of people will vote vote for him. Mary thought it was crazy/brilliant and clever. I do think he will probably do well on the competition, because he has a lot of personality. He gets a ticket straight to Vegas.

Jean Lloret - He is an insanely amazing b-boy dancer, I mean fan-freakin-tastic! I've never seen moves like that before from anyone! I rewound it three times because I just couldn't believe some of the moves he was doing, like one armed handstand push-ups, while spinning around in a contorted position. As soon as a video goes up on YouTube I'll put it up. All three judges stand up and wave tickets, they don't even do a critique.

Channing Cooke - A Beautiful Mess, by Jason Mraz - A lovely contemporary dancer, I think she'll benefit from having her routines choreographed for her. She's very athletic and strong, she showed the audience her very defined bicep muscle and in the preview she was doing gymnastics on the beach. They send her to the choreograph round and then on to Vegas.

Ryan Casey - Fantastic Voyage, by Coolio - Another tap dancer! I can't believe how many great tap dancers there are this year. He's a bit awkward and very tall, but his tapping skills were great and I had fun watching him dance. He gets sent to choreography. He doesn't get to Vegas this year, but he had a great attitude and said he's only 18 and he'll work harder and be back next year.

Russell Ferguson- He is a krumper and no dancer who's been a krumper has made it to Vegas. I'm not sure that I get the genre, but he seemed very talented. Nigel said "In the words of Lil' C, that was buck!" They want to make sure that he's trained in other styles so they send him to choreography. He's obviously a very trained, very talented dancer, and he's going to Vegas!

Fabrizio "Breeze" Jenkins - I don't know what his style is, I think it's a popping/locking and something else type fusion. He was interesting, he fell over in the middle of the dance, but he recovered well. I don't think he will be making it to Vegas, but Nigel wants to see him in choreography. I'm surprised. Nigel also makes some reference to Mary's ancestors being from Salem - implying that she's a witch I guess. Breeze has some trouble in the choreography round and he leaves before dancing for the judges again.

Karen and Matthew Hauer - Ballroom Dancers - They were very good, I guess I'm going to end up comparing all salsa-esque dancers to Jeanette, and that's not fair. But I liked them, I especially thought it was great that they're the first husband and wife to ever make it Vegas. The judges loved them and thought they looked like movie stars. Off to Sin City.

Gene Bersten - Boom Boom Pow, by the BEP - He seems to be ballroom/jazzy, but the doesn't have a partner. His routine his a lot of fun, he gives Mary some lasciviously glances, and then unbuttons his shirt for her! Mary doesn't like how much he moves his eyebrows and every agrees. It did look a little ball room dance competition-esque. They send him to choreography and then to Vegas.

Paul Magliato - Viva La Vida, by Coldplay - I said I'd write about the really bad ones, and this was really bad. He wore blue spandex pants and shirt that wasn't quite long enough. The routine was akin to an ice skating routine and he's 46 years old - which he said wouldn't stop him. I hate to write mean things about people, especially when it seems like their heart is broken by the harsh words of the judges. I don't know if he really thinks he can dance or if he was playing it up for the camera- either way, I felt badly for him. They are not sending him to Vegas.

Montage of bad dancers with Tyce giving particularly harsh comments and they call him Dr. Evil. My favorite was "watching you dance is like watching paint dry."

Kevin "K'Bez" Hunte - Boom Boom Pow, by the BEP - He's a hip hop dancer and I really liked him. He auditioned a few seasons ago and since then he's been working in contemporary. I felt like the judges were a bit harsh, especially Tyce. They send him to choreography but they were so mean to him, I don't know how he'll be able to perform! But he does and he's going to Vegas.

That's it folks, next week the auditions continue in Atlanta!

So You Think You Can Dance - Season 6 Auditions

Auditions are starting off in Phoenix, Arizona and Mia Michaels is the guest judge. Did ya'll hear the news today about the 3rd permanent judge? Apparently the powers that be decided that they needed a permanent judge instead instead of a roving one and Adam Shankman is the newbie. I'll be interested to read why they decided to do that.

Sasha Mallory - First Love by Adele - She had some pretty powerful jumps, I wasn't a huge fan of her routine, but I have a feeling that she's a pretty amazing dancer. She made it to Vegas in Season 4, but she was only 18 then, and she thinks she's better prepared this year.

Snippets Of:

Katie Muth

Ellie Soto

Allison Becker - You Found Me, The Fray - She's deaf! She doesn't have the best technique, but it's obvious that she loves dancing. You wouldn't be able to tell that she's hearing impaired by the way she dances. Mary begins to cry because she had a deaf cousin who wasn't able to see the joy in life. They put her through to the choreography round and then to Vegas.

Jacob Jason & Willem de Vries -Make You Feel My Love, Adele- A same sex couple- we all know how Nigel feels about that! I actually thought they were pretty good, it was certainly passionate. Mary and Mia both begin to cry because of their courage and passion. Nigel thanks them for showing him that same sex male ballroom dancers can be very strong and very good. he then asks them to go to the choreography round and then they both go to Vegas!

Jarvis Johnson - Hit the Dance Floor - Unk - He has some pretty sick moves and he's super hyper, like a ball of energy on crack times twenty. He does an impressive Moonwalk and actually dances right out of his shoes. I had fun watching him dance. Nigel calls him a dancing fool and he gets sent to the choreography round. He collapses during that round and then goes home.

Montage of Bad Dancers. There's a lot of referencing to the aliens having landed. And there are a lot of strange dancers.

Kelsey White - Only Fools Rush In - Ingrid Michaelson - Lovely dancing, nothing too special. She tells Nigel that the aliens have kidnapped her once before and Nigel walks off stage. They put her through to choreography. They want her to try out next year- she doesn't go on.

Jonathan "Legacy" Perez - Watch Me Now - He's a b-boy dancer and quite phenomenal at it! I really enjoyed watching his routine and he gets sent right through to Vegas.

That's it! Next week auditions are on the East Coast.

SYTYCD - Audition Recap

Since the last season of So You Think You Can Dance just ended, I'm feeling a tad worn out on doing a lengthy recap of the audition rounds. Thankfully this season they're only going to be one hour instead of two, but I've decided to just write about the dancers who make it through to Vegas. If a particular dancer is awesomely horrible, I might write about it- sometimes I just can't help myself!

This round of auditions starts off in Los Angeles, which is a departure from the norm, it usually ends there, or it's one of the last cities. I hope they don't make me fall in love with any dancer only to never show them again and then pick dancers for the Top 20 that we've never seen before. Adam Shankman is the guest judge.

Mollee Gray - Super cute girl who's been a dancer in all three High School Musicals. She just turned 18 and this was the first year she could try out.

Brief snippets of:

David Hovhannisyan

Amanda Kirby- she tried out last season and made it to Vegas, but was cut.

Brandon Dumlau

Ryan Kasprzak - (Evan's older brother who was the 21st, just missing out on the Top 20. Ugh, it still makes me mad that Tony Bellisimo made it over him) He does a very cool tap routine, a capella, and he even sings too. He was always my favorite of the brothers, so I'm very glad he's going to Vegas again. I just hope that America isn't tired of him because of Evan.

Bianca Revels- She wasn't going to try out again after getting cut last year, but she decided to give it one my try. I think that was a smart choice, because she really is a phenomenal tap dancer.


He and Bianca do a "tap off" that was pretty incredible, she does some pretty sick moves. It makes me want to break out my tap shoes and do a few time steps!

Amber Williams - Her mom was paralyzed in a freak accident during back surgery - she dances to a beautiful song that I'm going to download in minute, Always Midnight by Pat Monahan. She's a great dancer, I enjoyed watching her and she was so light on her feet, like she was floating across the floor.

Snippets of contemporary dancers:

Alexie Agdeppa
Paula van Oppen

Christina Santana- Salsa dancer, she's no Janette, but she's very cute and had some good moves, especially a nice spin. She's also a belly dancer, which of course Nigel loves and makes her do a little of.

Phillip Attmore - He's another ridiculously talented tap dancer and a great showman. I think he just might give Ryan a run for his tapping money! They know each other and tapped together when they were on tour in Fosse.

That's it, off to Glee!

Jon Gosselin is a Bag of Summer's Eve

I don't usually say this kind of thing, well that's not entirely true, I don't usually write out this kind of thing, but Jon Gosselin is a douchebag. There's really no other word for him, at least not one that accurately describes his level of dirt bag.

I was dumb and there really wasn't much else on tv so I decided to watch the Prime Time special with the interview of the Father of the Year. I feel guilty that I even gave up 30 minutes of my life for this craptastic display of ... I don't know the word... but he was just so mean. I don't care if Kate is witchy-b, she doesn't deserve to have the father of her 8, eight, children go on tv and proclaim to all the world that he despises her. Yes, he used that word- despise, which Webster defines as- to look down on with contempt or aversion, to regard as worthless.

Sorry for this rant, but my blood began to boil as I was watching this father completely and totally trash the mother of his kids. And I remembered back a few months ago when he said he was worried about his kids googling him one day and what they might read. Um, well I think when they watch this it's going to be a whole lot more damaging than a google search!

Okay, all done. Wait, not yet, he also said that he loved his new 22 year old "soul mate" more than he loved Kate. Yes, he actually used that word. I think I just threw up a little. Alright, now I'm finished!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Winner

Spoiler! Don't read if you don't want to know who won!

************************************************

4h Place - Kayla

3rd Place - Evan

2nd Place - Brandon

1st Place - Jeanine

SYTYCD - Results Recap

This episode made up 10 fold for the dud that was last night. They brought back all of last year's Emmy nominated routines and had the original dancers perform them. First was Jessica King and William Wingfield performing Tyce Diorio's Adam and Eve routine, then Katee Sheen and Twitch Boss making out and kicking each other around to Mia Michael's The Door/Mercy, Chelsie Hightower and Joshua Allen dancing to Dimitri's A Los Amigos, and again, Chelsie Hightower and Mark Kanemura dancing to Tabitha and Napoleon's Bleeding Love.

Going Home Tonight:

• Melissa
• Ade

Alright, I'm MAD! Both of my favorites are gone, and I'm sorry, but Evan is not even in the same league as Brandon and Ade! How is he in the final? I'm calling conspiracy.
And I'm pretty freaking sure that next week it will be Brandon FTW.

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 6 Dancers

Overall, I really wasn't all that impressed with the performances tonight. There were some very good routines, I loved Jeanine and Ade's hip hop routine, Kayla and Brandon's Disco was super fun, and Brandon's solo was one of the best I've ever seen on the show. Nigel agreed with me. Here's the video of it.

Next week is the finale, so I was hoping that tonight was going to be some of the best dances we've seen all year. Not so much.

These are the dancers who I'd like to see be in the Top 4 Finale next week:

• Melissa
  
• Jeanine
• Ade
• Brandon

It gets so hard when they narrow it down this far, but those are my favorites. As a 27 year old, I identify with Melissa and I think she's been a great example for other women in their mid-twenties who may be too intimated by their age to audition for SYTYCD. And not only is she 29 (which is young in real life!), but she's a classical ballerina who had only taken ballet classes! I just think that's amazing.

Voting Numbers for Tonight:

• Kayla - TEMPO 01
• Ade - TEMPO 02
• Melissa - TEMPO 03
• Brandon - TEMPO 04
• Jeanine - TEMPO 05
• Evan - TEMPO 06
  

SYTYCD - The 100th Episode

So I thought I'd semi-live-blog this shindig, since it's supposed to be fan-freakin'-tastic! So far, we're 27 minutes in and I don't think anything mind blowing has happened. I'm anxiously awaiting Katie Holmes, Nigel! Hok Konishi an Jaimie Goodwin performed their Wade Robeson Hummingbird routine - which I think was just as good as the first time.

The Bottom Two (Four):

• Kayla
• Janette
• Jason
• Brandon

I'm a little surprised by Janette and Brandon both being in the bottom, I thought it would be Evan and Jeanine. But I am SO, SO, SO glad that Ade and Melissa are safe!!
Travis Wall and Heidi Groskreutz just performed their Emmy Award winning routine Park Bench. It was choreographed my Mia Micheals and danced to Celine Dion's Calling You. I think it was better than the first time they did it! She may be a little (lot) of an odd ball, but when Mia Michaels in on, she's on.
The dancers do their solos and they were pretty good, nothing to write home about. Next is another Wade Robeson choreographed routine - it's to Ramalama (Bang Bang), by Roisin Murphy. There's a lot of previous SYTYCD contestants dancing in this piece - Benji Schwimmer (Season 2 Winner), Travis Wall , Allison Holker, Ivan Koumaev, Dmitry Chaplin, Donyelle Jones, Heidi Groskreutz, and Martha Nichols. It's weird, off course. Zombie weird. But I enjoyed seeing all the old dancers again!

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For...

Katie Holmes

(Who I used to love before she became a pod person)

She's singing and it's Hollywood noire. Her voice is very good, much better than when she sang On My Own on Dawson's Creek. Well, upon closer inspection, she's lip synching while dancing, but it's still her voice. She looks very pretty. She doesn't do all that much dancing, I'm pretty sure we did the same thing in show choir. But she didn't embarrass herself and she looked more Katie Holmes than Kate Cruise, which I like.

Going Home:

• Janette
• Jason

I'm really surprised about Janette, she did NOT deserve to go home. She's danced like a hot tamale, ball of fiery goodness every single time. I think it should have been Kayla, but that's just me. What did ya'll think about tonight's show? I'm sad that there weren't more performances by SYTYCD alumni. I would have LOVED to see Danny Tidwell do something and Twitch- actually any of last year's Top 10. Why were they just in the audience?

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Recap

This show is going to be so crammed with filler! Tonight, the solos don't count for anything, it's just for the dancers to perform so they show the audience why they were on the show in first place.
In the Bottom Two (Four) :

• Randi
• Melissa
• Kupono
• Ade
  

Oh, I am so mad about Melissa being in the bottom two! I still think Randi will be the one going home, but I was wrong last week about Phillip, so obviously I'm not that great at this judging thing. And Ade??!! What is wrong with you America?


Going Home

• Randi
• Kupono

Well I think that was right, but I'm worried about next week!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 10 Dancers

Tonight we have our Top 10 dancers and all new couples! Debbie Allen is the guest judge. The dancers are now each doing a solo and they receive their own TEMPO number- judging is done by individual rather than couple now. That also means the three judges also lose their "power" and whoever is sent home will be sent home entirely by the voters. The night starts of with a Bollywood routine by the Top 5 ladies, choreographed by Nakul Dev Mahajan.

Kayla & Evan - Viennese Waltz - Tony Meredith & Melanie Lapatin - Kiss From a Rose, by Seal

I thought it was fine. Considering Kayla is the tallest girl and Evan is the shortest guy, it was fabulous. The judges seemed to be positive towards it, more negative to Evan than Kayla though. Debbie Allen thought Evan was superb and not to listen to what they other judges said.

Brandon's Solo - In Your Eyes, by Jeffrey Gaines- Powerful, beautiful. It's a shame these solos are so short. TEMPO01

Janette & Ade - Funk/Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha - Love Sex Magic, by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake

I. Love. Ade. They do this bit where she is hypnotized by his hair pick. I think they're great, and Janette just seems to be good at everything she does. Nigel said he's going to start wearing a pick in his hair if that's what it does! He says he's going to try and talk Mary out her clothes later, haha. Mary loves the routine and raves about the both of them. She says Janette is a powerhouse and a fireball of a dancer. Debbie loves Ade and wants to keep him away from her daughter, because he's so mesmerizing.

Randi's Solo - Dream, by Priscilla Ahn - It was lovely! She was very light on her feet and graceful. TEMPO02

Kupono's Solo - Marina Gasolina, by Bonde Do Role - Weird, but good. I don't think I get his dancing... TEMPO03

Jeanine & Jason - Contemporary - Travis Wall - Best friends who are hooking up for the first time - If It Kills Me (The Casa Nova Sessions), by Jason Mraz.

Stunning. Both the choreography and performance. It was also pretty steamy! They get a standing ovation from everyone and the judges. Nigel has nothing but praise, he said that the choreography was amazing and only made better by the two people performing it. I agree with him. Mary is speechless at first, teary eyed, is SO proud of Travis, and thinks that Jeanine and Jason really became stars tonight. She puts them on the HOT TAMALE TRAIN! Debbie praises Travis' choreography and is thrilled to be a witness to the his growth and the dancers' growth. She thinks this will definitely be a performance to be remembered and one that they take with them on the tour.

Melissa's Solo - Gabriel, by Lamb - En Pointe, beautiful jump and lines. She is so adorable. TEMPO04

Evan's Solo - Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart, by Rufus Wainwright - I don't know how great the dancing was, I think it as good, but he is so cute! He belongs in Vegas or Broadway. TEMPO05

Kayla's Solo - Rock Your Soul, by Elisa - Beautiful dancing. I wish she didn't always have that fakey smile plastered on her face though. But the dancing was flawless. TEMPO06

Randi & Kupono - Paso Doble - Tony Meredith & Melanie Lapatin - Dies Irae, by Karl Jenkins

Randi has long brown hair for this dance- it doesn't look too bad actually! I think Kupono might be doing a better job than Randi. They have a little bobble at the end, but I think they saved and covered it up pretty well. Nigel starts of by commending the choreography but saying that they did not do a good job dancing it. He didn't like the wig on Randi and he thinks there was no passion and chemistry between the two of them. Cat tries to lighten things by saying that it's hard because they're with new partners this week, to which Mary and Nigel both say that it's hard for everyone and they just didn't get it done. Mediocre will not cut in this late stage of the competition. Debbie tries to be the nice judge, but she's still not complimentary of their dancing and performance.

Ade's Solo - Unchained Melody, by The Righteous Brothers - The Best. He just killed it. Gorgeous. I don't have enough positive or lusciously descriptive terms to give it justice. TEMPO07

Jeanine's Solo - Violento (up Mix), by Bailongo! - I'm not a big fan of her outfit, but her dancing is great. She is very powerful while also graceful. TEMPO08

Jason's Solo - Train Fare Home, by Muddy Waters - Very nice, beautiful jumps. He didn't try to include 5,000 different moves into it, which is very good. TEMPO09

Melissa & Brandon - Broadway - Tyce Diorio - Aquarius, from Hair (The New Broadway cast)

It's a very groovy dance, it looks like they should be at a sit in love-fest. I really like it! Every time I hear that song I want to get up and dance. Nigel loves it and said it was very accurate, this was the first musical that paired a white girl with a black guy for a dancing partnership. Mary said that it was Ga-Roo-Vay! Debbie thinks they evoked a real harmony, with both large moves and small steps.

Janette's Solo - This Is Miami, by Sander Kleinenberg - She really is a fireball that can shake it! I like that she's paying homage to Miami. TEMPO10

The Top 5 guys perform an African dance, choreographed by Jeffrey Page. Ya'll know I was an African Studies minor in college, so this dance was right up my alley! Loved it. So that puts an end to the show. Who do you think should get cut tomorrow night? I think it will be either Evan or Kupono. And I'm not sure about the girls, but I'm going with Randi.

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show Recap

Couples in the Bottom Three

• Caitlin & Jason
• Phillip & Jeanine
• Melissa & Ade

I'm very sad that Melissa and Ade are in the bottom three, but I'm really looking forward to watching both of their solos. I think that it will be Caitlin and Jason going home tonight.

Ade's dancing makes me... amorous!

Going home tonight...

• Caitlin Kinney
• Phillip Chbeeb
  

Oh. My. GOSH! I was NOT expecting that at all! I can't believe it. He was so good last night, too! I'm not happy with the judges. Awww, he's crying and I now I'm crying.

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 7 Couples, Top 14 Dancers

Mia Michaels is the guest judge tonight- I wonder what whacked out things she's going to come up with?!

Janette & Brandon - Cha Cha Cha - Jean Marc Genereux & France - Hush Hush; Hush Hush, by the Pussycat Dolls

I think Janette is just on fire tonight. And I find Brandon to be believable as her lovah, so I that's really goods. I thought he did a great job at being her partner instead of being showy for the audience- which is just something I look for, I don't know why. Nigel said it's the best Cha Cha ever seen on the show, and Brandon has "Michelangelo Feet." Mary, well we all know Mary LOVES Brandon. She stands up and screams "YOU TWO HAVE TWO FIRST CLASS TICKETS ON THE HOT TAMALE TRAIN!! WHOOO! WHOOO! WHOOO!" Mia tells Brandon the reason she was so tough on him before, was because she sees so much ability and potential in him. Wow, that was some serious spin Mia! Aww, Brandon starts crying. She says he's amazing and she wants amazing from him. Mia thinks Janette is brilliant and Miami should be very of her. TEMPO01

Kayla & Kupono - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh - A matter of life and death, vampire-esque - Eyes on Fire, by Blue Foundation.

I'm going to go out a limb here, but I kinda like it. I'm not a huge fan of either of them, but I have say that I thought it was very good. Kupono did a much better job than his he's done in his last few performances. Nigel agrees and thinks that it's a great partnership. Mary compliments Sonya on her great choreography- and I have to agree with that, too. It was a great routine, maybe that's why I liked it. Mia says that aesthetically, they are beautiful together and that, in her opinion, it's Sonya's best choreographed piece on the show. Kayla is wonderful and Kupona is getting better and better. She sees him growing and that's the most important thing, and all they can ask of him. So far, Mia had been on her best behavior, hmmm. TEMPO02

Randi & Evan - Broadway - Joey Dowling - Toxic relationship - Rich Man's Frug, from Sweet Charity (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)

I love Broadway routines, so I'm probably not the most impartial judge here! It's a pretty unique routine, and of course I always like Evan, but I really do think he was great tonight. Nigel, once again, praises Randi and tells Evan he needs to be better. Mary said she enjoyed it, but was kinda Meh about it. Mia told Randi she was dancing to heavily and that she knew she could do better than that. They really are both too short, with matching body types, to be partnered with each other. Oh, but Nigel did say the thought they were going to make it into the Top 10. TEMPO03

Jason & Caitlin - Pop Jazz - Brian Freidman - She's the leader and he's the follower- she's an alien impregnating the last human being on the planet. huh? - Creator, Santigold.

First, those costumes are hideous, bizarre and distracting. But on to the dancing. They seems much better than they did last week. I don't know if the strobe lights have something to do with that, but it's a pretty cool performance. Brian Freidman is one weird dude. Nigel says BF comes from another planet, haha, and that Caitlin's outfit looks like a dancing condom, to which Cat says "Safety First, Nigel!" I burst out laughing. Mary doesn't like it and doesn't feel like it played to their strengths. Mia thinks it was fine, but doesn't like Caitlin's outfit and found it completely wrong. She should have looked more Species alien and less Coneheads- meets aluminum foil- alien. TEMPO04

Jeanine & Phillip - Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha D'umo - About what the dancers go through on the show, specifically with their partners. They will be dancing in chains. Love Lockdown, by Kanye West.

I can't wait to see Phillip in his element! I just don't get how he's able to do those things with this body. Jeanine isn't bad, either. The chain actually was a really good prop, and I'm not a prop fan. Nigel says that if they keep dancing like that they should be partners for life. Nigel calls Napoleon and Tabitha, Nappy Tabs, haha. Mary thought it was absolutely, incredibly creative- and she thinks they brought it on. Yea! She was very complimentary of Jeanine for being able to keep up with Phillip and wishes they could always be partners. On to Mia- who starts off with a nod to the fabulosity of Nappy Tabs, but she wasn't a fan of the chain. She thought it was a little unpredictable and sloppy. A little unintentional hilarity ensues when Jeanine is talking about the chains they practiced with and how much they had to practice with them in order to get it right. She said we have them everywhere, all over our apartment, which of course brought out the TMI comments, but it was a cute faux pas. TEMPO05

Melissa & Ade - Classical Pas de Deux - (this is the first time a classical PdD has ever been - Thordal Christensen - Romeo & Juliet, new, tender young lovers - Romeo & Juliet Prokofiev's Suite No. 1 Op. 64b, 6th Movement, by Orchestre De La Suisse Romande & Armin Jordan. Whew!

Wow, what a showcase for Melissa's ballet ability. She kinda reminds me of Julie Kent, when she danced the role of Juliet years ago. You could totally tell that she was loving every minute of it, like this was her dream come true. It was just beautiful. I love ballet. Nigel is very excited about the routine and how they've come full circle on SYTYCD, with having impregnating aliens and then a classical Pas de Deux. Mary loves it, and was very glad to see Melissa in her element. Mia liked the black and white Romeo & Juliet thinks it was brilliant and beautiful, she tells Melissa that she's a True Ballerina. My favorite couple, I'm rootin' for them!TEMPO06

Karla & Vitolio - Quickstep - Jean Marc Generaux - Puttin' On The Ritz, by Rufus Wainwright.

I would not want to be them tonight, especially with Kiss of Death Dance, the Quickstep. Maybe it's just me again, but Vitolio looks like a real ballroom dancer, so debonair. They do a cool costume change on Karla. Nigel thinks it was great, he thought it was a really entertaining routine and was glad to see Vitolio's personality out there. Mary says so much for the kiss of death dance, they brought it alive! She has some ballroom technical mumbo jumbo critiques for them, but overall she thinks it was fabulous. Mia tells Jean Marc he is a genius, from the costuming to the choreography. She's surprised how they stepped up, and wishes Vitolio would be more consistently good like he was tonight, but tat she was very proud of him. For Karla, Mia thought she looked scared a few times, but otherwise she was wonderful. TEMPO07

Everyone was so good tonight, I didn't think any couple had a bad performance. Of course some were better than others, but all of them were pretty solid. Here are my Top 3 Couples of the night:

• Melissa & Ade
• Janette & Brandon
• Jeanine & Phillip

What do ya'll think about tonight's performances?

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 16 Recap

Tonight we have the Top 16 dancers and the guest judge for the evening is Toni Basil. So jumping right in...

Karla & Jonathan - Hip Hop - Dave Scott - Gangsta Love Story is the theme of the dance. By My Side, by Jadakiss.

Well Jonathan didn't look too comfortable tonight in this dance. I thought Karla was pretty good, she hit the routine really hard. None of the judges liked it. They all thought it lacked chemistry and everything else. I still like them! TEMPO01

Asuka & Vitolio - Jazz - Mandy Moore- Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar

They did this routine SO well! I'm not the biggest Asuka fan, but I really like Vitolio, so I guess I'm rooting for them. The routine was jazz meets "thrasher rock." I liked it, and you could still see a lot of their personalities, so that's always a bonus. Nigel LOVED it. Mary thought it was good, but not as good as last weeks waltz. Toni said that they need to make sure their off screen chemistry translates into on screen chemistry. TEMPO02

Melissa & Ade - (my favorite couple!) - International Style Rumba - Tony Meredith - Emotion, by Destiny's Child.

HOT. Melissa has a little bobble, but Ade saved her. It was like LOVE on a stick! Mary is screaming for them as soon as it's over. Everyone loved them, Nigel made some inappropriate comments about Melissa's body, but what else is new? Mary practically screamed her entire critique, and Toni said they were hot because their choreographer, Tony & Meredith, were hot. TEMPO03

Janette & Brandon - Hip Hop - Dave Scott - Brandon is gangasta and Janette is rocker girl. What a World, by Common.

They are surprisingly really, really good. Especially Brandon- if I hadn't known it was him up there dancing, I would never have guessed it. All of the judges love it, Mary screams for them. Toni said she was impressed by their ability to actually dance that way and not just imitate it. TEMPO04

Kayla & Kupono - Viennese Waltz - Jean Marc Genereux - It's a dream sequence - Sweet Dreams for You, by Jewel.

I think it's a really beautiful dance, but I'm not a ball room girl. Nigel said it was a good dance and they make a beautiful couple, but it's not going to make anyone stand up and cheer. Mary said it was a great dream, no nightmare- they had nice lines and good rise and fall. Mary stands up and cheers, and puts them on the hot tamale train (I don't agree). Toni said she likes the routine, but she wished they had shoes on, but they were great partners considering it was their first time dancing together. TEMPO05

Randi & Evan - Contemporary - Mia Michaels - Traditional cat and mouse love story with a "Mia Michaels Spin" - Koop Island Blues, by Kop featuring Ane Brun.

To me it seems ike cracked out dolls, but that's just MHO. They seem to do it well, Evan does a good job focusing on her booty (which was a Mia requirement). Nigel said it was simple choreography, but it was beautifully danced. Nigel makes some more inappropriate comments about Randi's butt, but goes to great lengths to make it seem like a legitimate critique. It looks like Mia doesn't appreciate Nigel's comments, and I think she had tears in her eyes. Mary said it's one of the best numbers of the night and she now seems Evan as a leading dancer. Toni said the danger with MM's choreography is that it can become the star, but they were stars of this performance. TEMPO06

Caitlin & Jason - Paso Doble - Jean Marc Genereux - They hate each other- that's the theme of the dance - O'Fortuna (from Carmina Burana), by Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg & Kurt Prestel.

It's definitely fierce. They look like warring gladiators. I think Jason is doing a better job than Caitlin, she seems a little unsure. Nigel think Jason was performing for the audience too much, but he thought they were very good, especially Caitlin's flow of movement. He would have liked to see more chemistry between them. Mary thought it was really strong and congratualtes them. Toni liked the performance even though some of the moves were a little shaky. TEMPO07

Jeanine & Phillip - Broadway - Tyce Diorio - Moses, from Singin' In The Rain (original soundtrack)

They are really cute at this! And Phillip split his pants, it's pretty funny! Nigel thinks Jeanine was great but Phillip needs to up his game a little. Mary loves it and thought it was a fun performance. Toni thought it was adorable, but not quite up to snuff. They did a good job as a couple though. Well I thought it was a lot a fun and I enjoyed it. TEMPO08

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show Recap - Top 18

The results show opens up with a Mia Michaels choreographed routine. The dancers had on suits and very weird tattoo-esque face paint. They then do a montage of Lil' C's intellectual, on another dimension, critiques. Haha, it's pretty funny!

The first three couples come out on the stage:

• Melissa & Ade - Safe! I love them, I'm glad they're safe.
  
• Jason & Caitlin - In the Bottom Three, dancing for their life.
  
• Phillip & Jeanine - Safe. I'm a little surprised by this, based on their performance last night they probably deserved to be in the Bottom Three.
  

The next three couples:

• Brandon & Janette - Safe
• Jonathan & Karla - Safe! I'm really glad they're safe, I loved their routine last night.
  
• Kupono & Ashley - Bottom Three, dancing their solos. I'm not surprised.

And the final three pairs:

• Evan & Randi - Safe. And his brother Ryan just got his Vegas ticket for Season 6!
  
• Vitolio & Asuka - Safe.
  
• Maks & Kayla - Bottom Three. They both look really shocked, especially Kayla.

While we're waiting for the solos, another international dancer performs, to Ganesha Toda Tatkar by Guru Sundarlal Gangani et. al. It's a Bollywood dance, but there's no male, and she has these bells on her ankles that highlight just how fast she's moving her feet.

Caitlin - performing to Make You Feel My Love, by Adele. She has really beautiful lines and fabulous jumps.

Jason - performing to Superman, by Robin Thicke. He's really good too, and his jumps are lovely.

Ashley - dancing to By Your Side, by Coco Rosie. It's different, but okay.

Kupono - Many Moons, by Janelle Monae - Also different. His outfit it nicely incorporated into routine.

Kayla - Walking on Air, by Kerli - She is very good. She's not my favorite dancer, but I can't deny that she's talented. Her jumps are high and powerful and she's so flexible.

Maks - Footloose, by Kenny Loggins - I LOVE this song! He does a fantastic job, with super fast foot work and spins.

I'm predicting that Ashley and Kupono will be going home tonight. While the judges are deliberating, Kristinia Debarge is performing Goodbye. She's lip synching. That's annoying.

We're starting with the girls. And the judges are not unanimous, uh oh.

• Caitlin - Safe
  
• Ashley - Going Home
  
• Kayla - Safe

And the boys.

• Jason - Safe
  
• Kupono - Safe
  
• Maks - Going Home.

Oh rats, I like him, he did NOT deserve to go home. But that seems to happen a lot with the ballroom men. That means Kayla and Kupono will be dancing together next week. See ya'll then!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 18 Recap

Tonight's SYTYCD has the Top 18 dancers, after losing Tony and Paris last week. Cat is wearing a smashing one shouldered red frock. The guest judge tonight is Lil' C! He's one of my favorite, he always give the most intellectual critiques.

Starting the night of is Evan & Randi - Jive - Louis Van Amstel - Shake a Tail Feather, by Ray Charles.

Every year the jive is always a killer, the kiss of death. They're pretty sassy, and it looks like they're having a blast. I still think Evan is the stronger of the two, but maybe not tonight. Lil' C said "Out of the box with a bang." He thinks Evan needs to unsmooth his moves and Randi was a firecracker. Mary said it was fun and that if any two contestants were built for the jive, it was them. She thought Randi was great but Evan fell short of her expectations, just a little. Nigel congratulates Louis on the choreography and said Evan didn't danced it too jazzy. I think they were a little harsh to Evan! ha! TEMPO01

Ade & Melissa - Jazz- Sonya Tayeh - The performance is about a high maintenance girl who's playing hard to get and guy who hates to lose. 24 Hours (The Ashton Shuffle A-Bomb Remix) by Terry Poison.

It's a pretty hot dance! The lifts are strong and powerful and really looks like foreplay on a stick. Lil' C said it was Buck! He thinks Ade is everybody's competition, he's the one to beat. Yea! I feel the same way about Ade that I do/did about Twitch. Mary said it was tough to find anything about their routine and performance that she didn't like. Nigel said that if he didn't know Melissa was a ballerina, he wouldn't have ever been able to guess it. He compliments Ade's strength and jumping ability and Sonya for creating a routine which showcased all of their talents and abilities. TEMPO02

Jason & Caitlin - Hip Hop - Shane Sparks - Their characters met in a bar and had a brief rendez-vous before going separate ways. They randomly see each other again and all their old feelings come back. Missin You, by Trey Songz.

It's a good routine, but it's obviously not their strength. They weren't in sync a few times, it felt more like they were playing to the audience, rather than immersing themselves in their performance. Lil' C didn't like it. Mary said it was like watching Michael Jackson and Britney Spears- two totally different dancers, with totally different styles. Nigel disagrees and thought they did a fine job. I think he just said that because Shane Sparks is back and he didn't want to get him mad, and he has a thing for Caitlin. It wasn't a bad routine, they just weren't into each other the way they should have been. TEMPO03

Brandon & Janette – Disco - Doriana Sanchez - Loving Is Really My Game, by Brainstorm.

It's a really fun, fast number. Brandon is just killing it! I know last week I said I didn't think they'd partner well - I take it back. They're very good together. The lifts are great, they hit all their moves, it's just great. Janette slips a little, but it wasn't bad, and she recovered quickly. Lil' C said, "The primary focus of all obstacles is to induce labor so progression can be born" and he " just saw the birth and progression of two amazing dancers." Brandon did a phenomenal job and he commends Janette for not breaking character when she had that little bobble. Mary said it was the fastest dance she's ever seen on this show and they NAILED IT! (If she were writing this, there would be like 15 exclamation points!) They embodied everything disco ever was, and she SCREAMS and stands up. Nigel said if he could stand up and scream like Mary, he would. It was one of the best Disco routines he's ever seen. TEMPO04

Vitolio & Asuka - Waltz - Louis Van Amstel - Lyrical Spiritual Waltz, for Vitolio to show his pain and journey to get where he is today. Dreams Are More Precious, by Enya.

I would not want to be them, having to follow that routine, especially since they were in the bottom three last week. But I'm wrong again! It's a beautiful routine and a moving performance. It looks nothing like the fakey fake they did last week. I hope the judges like it, because it really looked like Vitolio had his heart on his sleeve up there tonight.

Mary begins to cry and said last week she was slightly disappointed in them, but that's because she didn't think he gave an honest performance. But this was different, it was painfully beautiful and beautifully painful, and it was the most honest performance that's she seen from him. He had some technique problems, but there were so many things he did that just blew her away. Lil' C said the choppy steps were compensated for by his sincere emotion and unfurled vulnerability and that Asuka showed strength in her submission. Nigel thinks they brought a quality to the routine that they rarely see on this program. He feels as though he's seeing a different couple and he hopes America recognizes it. TEMPO05

Max & Kayla – Pop Jazz - Brian Friedman - About a princess and performer who secretly wants to steal her throne. Hot Like Wow, by Nadia Oh

It's an odd routine, they seem to do it well. IMO they're missing some of the pizazz they had last week. Kayla is ridiculously flexible! Lil' C said Maks did great considering Brian was the choreographer and he had no critique for Kayla, she was perfect. Mary said Maks really exceeded her expectations, although she doesn't think he stole the throne. Nigel thinks Kayla is a front runner and Maks reminds of him of a young Kevin Spacey (is that a compliment?) and really brings something special to the show. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think they're THAT worthy of such over the top praise. I mean they're definitely very good, extremely talented dancers, but I don't think they're the cat's pajamas or anything. TEMPO06.

Jonathan & Karla - Contemporary - Stacey Tookey - Strangers who are in love - Falling Slowly, by The Frames. (That's what the TV said, but I thought that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova sang it. They won the Academy Award for Best Song.

So far I'm impressed, I believe they're in love. I think they're beautiful together, I'm getting chills. Mary said Jonathan did this style better than his own and loved the routine, it was wonderful. Nigel agreed and said it was amazing considering they were on the brink of going home last week. Lil' C though the "fulcrum was even," between emotion, technique, posture, and athleticism, it was all even. It was Buck! TEMPO07

Philip & Jeanine – Tango - Tony Meredith - Violento (Up Mix), by Bailango!

I think they're pretty good, especially since Phillip is a Popper, he even has the correct facial expressions! But it is very obvious that he doesn't feel comfortable up there. Mary gives them both an A+ in attitude, but in technique it was more like a C-. She gives a bunch of ballroom dancing lingo to support that grade, but she thinks Jeanine was one "hot mama." Lil' C tells Phillip that a lack of confidence is "the heaviest anchor on your art" and Phillip didn't have any confidence in his performance. Nigel said it wasn't good technically but it was great entertainment. TEMPO08

Kupono & Ashley – Hip Hop - Shane Sparks - She's the shadow following Kupono, she has to do everything he does. Imma Be, by the Black Eyed Peas.

She really surprised me, and was hitting everything. Kupono is having some trouble with this routine. Mary doesn't hate it, but she doesn't love it- it wasn't very memorable to her. Lil' C tells Kupono that he needs to find the serenity inside the chaos, which he hasn't yet, but he has no complaints with Ashley. Nigel tells them he's underwhelmed by their performance and they didn't bring Shane's routine to life like they should have. It just wasn't their night. TEMPO09.

In my opinion, these are the Top 3 couples from tonight:

• Ade & Melissa
• Brandon & Janette
• Karla & Jonathan

Honorable Mention to Vitolio & Asuka, or at least Most Improved.

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show Recap

Tonight is the first results show for SYTYCD, season five. One guy and one girl will be going home at the end of the episode. (They don't have to be partners). Cat is wearing another gorgeous dress and she calls for the dancers to come on stage for their group performance- to Boom Boom Pow, by the Black Eyed Peas. It's like a futuristic urban zombie/mob scene, although it really gets to showcase a lot of the dancers very nicely.

They show some behind the scenes footage of the dancers' first week of rehearsals with their new partners. Cat says that in order for it to work, they have to follow a few rules: (which, of course, no one does)

1. Respect each others boundaries
   
2. Communication is essential
3. It's important to feel comfortable with your partner
4. Have shared interests
5. It takes hard work and perspiration

Cat brings out the first three couples, and each one gets their own video montage of last night's highlights. I have to say, I really didn't except any of these pairs to be in the bottom three.

• Kayla & Maks - Safe
  
• Evan & Randi - Safe
• Jeanine & Phillip - Safe

It was a fake out! No one from their group has to dance for their life, they're all safe and ecstatic. Thank goodness, because for a minute there I was having some serious self-doubt about my "judging" capabilities!

Four more couples come onto the stage, to me it's obvious who's going to be performing their solos .

• Caitlin & Jason - Safe
• Ade & Melissa - Safe
• Kupono & Ashley - Safe
• Tony & Paris - Dancing for their lives.

And I was right. Adam tells them that while he's not surprised they're in the bottom three, he wanted them to know that his Twitter has been bombarded with Tweeters professing their love and support for the two of them. But he thinks it has more to do with the charming personalities than it does with the actual dancing.

The last three couples come out, two of which will going into the bottom three.

• Vitolio & Asuka - Dancing for their lives
  
• Janette & Brandon - Safe
  
• Jonathan & Karla - Dancing for their lives

I don't think Jonathan & Karla really deserve to be in the bottom three, but I doubt either of them will be going home tonight. The competition was just so good last night, it's hard to decide who should be dancing for the judges.

During every results episode, they're going to feature different dances and dancers from around the world. Tonight we're watching two dancers, who's names I'll never be able pronounce or spell correctly, doing a Tango to Tanguera, by Luis Bravo's Forever Tango. They are fierce!

Paris is up first, dancing to It Doesn't Hurt by Kate Thompson. She's wearing another tutu type skirt. It seems like a fine performance to me, although it's not very remarkable in anyway, but it was a pretty solo to watch.

Tony dances next, to Early in the Morning by The Gap Band, and he's wearing a comical outfit- bright red pants pulled up really high, a bow tie, and black and white socks pulled up over his pants. He's certainly not trying to break out of the dancing niche he's been cast into. It's a fun routine, the girls seemed to eat it up!

The next solo is done by Asuka, she's dancing to Did Ya, by BoA, in a black bra, teeny white cami, and a short poufy black skirt. Generally it's hard for ballroom dancers to perform solos and make it fun to watch. I found her wardrobe choice to be very distracting, but I liked her routine- she showed a lot more personality tonight.

Vitolio performs next, dancing to We Belong Together, by Gavin DeGraw. He's shirtless and in black pants. I really like him, he's such a good dancer with a great personality. I like his routine, I don't think he's going home, but it wasn't a great performance. Hopefully the judges will think the way I do.

Dancing to Natural Woman, by Aretha Franklin, is Karla, wearing a cute black mini dress. She has a little bobble, balance check during an extension, but otherwise it was a good routine and performance.

And last to dance for his life, is Jonathan, to Krazy by Pitbull featuring Lil Jon. He starts off with a tumbling sequence and then shimmies across the floor. Does anyone know what his preferred style of dancing is? From his routine it would appear to be ballroom, but I didn't think he was a ballroom dancer.

While the judges are deciding who they're going to send home, Sean Kingston performs Fire Burnin' On the Dance Floor. I always give some extra cool points to artists who sing live rather than lip snyching, and he definitely earned his points! He sounded really good and he was moving all over that stage, which is a difficult thing to accomplish at the same time.

The girls come out first.

• Karla - Safe. Nigel gives her the first spot, he thought her solo was fine, but warned her about just performing the steps instead of dancing the routine.
  
• Asuka - Safe - Nigel wants to give her a chance to grow, even though he acknowledges that it will difficult as a ballroom dancer.
  
• Paris - Going Home.

Next are the boys.

• Vitolio - Safe
• Jonathan - Safe
• Tony - Going Home. I feel bad for him, those damn montages always get to me! He looks kinda cute actually. I guess there weren't enough tween girls voting last night.

The first eliminations are over. I'm not surprised that Tony and Paris were the first to leave, but I didn't think it would be them, I thought Asuka and Vitolio were going to get the boot. Wouldn't it really stink to make it that far and then be sent home during the first week? Yes, it would.

That's all folks. At least until next Wednesday, that it is!

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 20 Recap

Tonight starts the REAL competition on SYTYCD. Just in case there are some newbies out there, here's what happens. The dancers are paired up, randomly (so they say) and are assigned to a choreographer who teaches them their routine. Every Wednesday is a performance night and every Thursday is an elimination night. America votes, determining which couples are going to be in the bottom three. Those six dancers will each have to dance for their life, performing a solo for the judges, and then they'll choose who's going home - but it's always one male and one female dancer. The judges have no authority in determining which dancers will be in the bottom three, that's all decided by the voters.

The night starts off with the Cat Deeley and is followed by the introduction routines, which are just super short little ditties that don't really tell you anything about the dancer. The guest judge tonight is Adam Shankman. Let's get started! First up is Phillip and Jeanine.

Phillip Chbeeb & Jeanine Mason - Hip-Hop - Choreographed by Napoleon & Tabitha D'Umo, Mad, by Ne-Yo.

Can I just say how much I love Tabitha and Napoleon?!! Because I really do, not only are they great choreographers, but they're a super cute couple, too. Jeanine is really nervous because her background is in ballet, and this type of dancing- especially since she's partnered with the Phillip, is out of her comfort range. I love how all of their routines tell a story.

Okay, so they're really good together- I had to rewind their routine, because I was rapt by it the first go round! Maybe it's because they're the first dancers on the first night, but I think they've really set the bar pretty high. They remind me of Mark and Chelsie's in their Bleeding Love routine from last year.

Adam thinks that Jeanine did a wonderful job, and she was able to hold her own. He says that Phillip is fantastic and he's a really excellent partner. All of the judges agree, Mary even does her scream. Phillip already has a following, but we don't know much about Jeanine, so I'm glad that they're partnered together. 1-888-TEMPO-01

Vitolio Jeune & Asuka Kondoh - Broadway - Tyce Diorio - Hot Honey Rag, from CHICAGO, by BP Studio Musicians. The premise is they're making their own silent film, where Vitolio is the director and Asuka is the actress.

Vitolio's mother died while giving birth to his sister and his grandmother had to put them in an orphanage. Growing up, he felt like he was worthless because he had no parents. These stories always get to me! But it doesn't matter, because I think he's adorable, although I'm not all that impressed by Asuka. His moves are much cleaner, you can tell when they are are supposed to be stacatto and when they're supposed to more fluid (legato, if you will). But I guess that the judges don't agree with me, they're more concerned with the duo's lack of personality in their performance.

For the type of routine that it is, I don't think they were all that bad. There wasn't a lot of room for inserting their personality, and that's what the judges didn't like. Adam recognizes that it was a character performance piece, and that's why it may have seemed a bit artificial- but he thinks it was a solid performance. Mary said she was disappointed, they danced a safe, "nice" routine. Nigel said the problem wasn't with the dancing, their lines were fine, but their personality failed to come through- they needed to put their own energy into it and they didnt. TEMPO02

Jonathan Platero & Karla Garcia - Cha-Cha - Tony Meredith - Poker Face, by Lady Gaga.

What a fun routine, the music selection really helps at making it audience friendly, but the choreography is great! I'm usually not very into ballroom routines, but this one really impressed me. Adam gives it is his seal of approval, but said that Jonathan needed to work on his flexibility in his hips. Mary gives a gutteral, rough scream, that breaks into a full blown one. She said she likes her Cha-Cha rough, and like Lady Gaga says, if it's not rough, it's not fun, and that was a whole lot of rough and whole lot of fun. Nigel said they're another couple who's fairly unknown to the audience, and they've just "exploded" onto the stage and onto our tonight. Well the reason they're not on our radar is because you, Nigel Lythgoe, didn't air any of their audition footage until tonight!

But he's also right, I had no clue who either of them where, but now I really know who they are. They seem like they're going to be a good pair, they had nice chemistry and their styles complemented each other. TEMPO03

Evan Kasprzak & Randi Strong-Evans - Jazz - Tyce Diorio - I Only Have Eyes For You, by Jamie Cullum. Tyce wants them to have a connection, it's an intimate and sensuous love story. Randi is married in real life, and that causes both of them to fret just a bit. This routine is one of Tyce's best, at least in my opinion.

My first thought when seeing them dance together is that they're probably not the best suited partners, they're almost the same height. I love Evan, and I am rootin' for him all the way. He really proved he was more than just a Broadway dancer, he was wonderful! I thought Randi was good too, but I think she needs a different partner in order for us to really appreciate her dancing.

Mary said that both of them were at the end of her list when the Vegas round ended, but SCREAM, she thinks they will be around for a long time, and that Evan did his brother proud! Nigel says they were fantastic, and he thinks they're a couple that people will remember and talk about- America will pick up the telephone for them! TEMPO04

Tony Bellisimo & Paris Torres - Hip-Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha - Let The Beat Rock (Boys Noize Megamix) by The Black Eyed Peas. They're wearing futuristic black and red leather outfits.

Paris was in car accident that caused her leg to become permantly numb from the knee down. Tony was jock growing up, but he always liked dancing. He finally chose to pursue it after turning down a chance to play college lacrosse, and that's what he's be doing ever since. Tony is usually a comedic popper, locker, hip hop dancer, but this routine requires him to be fierce. They do some pretty cool moves, and I think Paris is really stepping it up. Tony isn't as bad as I thought he was going to be, but I'd still prefer to have Ryan Kasprzak in his place!

Adam says they did a good job, but he felt their outfits were distracting. He also said they both need more rebound after their stops, some of them were kinda mushy. Mary said it won't be a memorable routine/performance and the audience wanted Tony to prove he was a serious dancer, but what they just did wasn't very good. Nigel agrees with Mary, he said that there's room to grow this season, and Tony needs a lot of growth. He felt they were both just doing steps, that it wasn't real, and it didn't feel real. TEMPO05

Jason Glover & Caitlin Kinney - Bollywood - Nakul Dev Mahaja- Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack.

Everyone remembers Caitlin from the audition rounds, but I don't ever remember seeing Jason- he lucked out getting Caitlin as his partner. Bollywood is so fun and I love to watch it, which probably influences my impression of them, but I thought they did a great job. They incorporated some of Caitlin's gymnastic moves into the routine, and Jason was excellent! I thought he really out-danced Caitlin, he was just ON.

Adam agrees with me about Jason, and says that he's going to be a force of nature on this competition. Mary is glad that Bollywood has come to Hollywood! She liked Caitlin's handstand and leg work, but Jason gets the scream because he he just has that charismatic appeal. Nigel said they "brought it!" and it was a beautiful routine that was beautifully danced. TEMPO06

Brandon Bryant & Janette Manrara- Foxtrot - Louis Van Amstel - Come Fly With Me, by Michael Buble. I think they're an odd pairing, but hopefully it won't be an issue. Janette is a ballroom dancer, so she looks right at home. Brandon looks pretty dapper himself! You can really see his strength and power on display during a lot of the lifts. I guess I was wrong, they look pretty good together.

Adam jokes about how America is probably sad that Brandon is dancing with clothes on, but it seems to be working for him- he was great! Some of the judges had thought Brandon would have a difficult time bring his personality into his dancing (and making sure it was a likeable personality), but he had no problem with it tonight!

Mary said Janette was channeling Ginger Rogers and that anyone who can't see the immense talent that Brandon has is C-R-A-Z-Y!! Nigel said that Janette has a very impressive, graceful carriage and Brandon needed to work a little on dancing within in a frame, but that it was "a wonderful routine. TEMPO07

Kupono Aweau & Ashley Valero - Jazz - Wade Robson - Felt Mountain, by Goldfrapp.

Ashley has auditioned for SYTYCD every year, and every year she's been cut. If anything, I'm already impressed with her perseverance. Wade's routine has them being crash test dummies. They each have different personalities - Kupono's playing the dummy who's been blown up a million times and put back together, and Ashley is a brand new dummy who's intrigued by Kupono. Wade says the theme of the routine is living life like you've never been hurt. His routines are always a little cracked out, so I'm sure it's going to be a little odd.

They're actually dressed like crash test dummies, and looking very futuristic and odd. I don't really know very much about this style of dancing, so I don't know if it's good or not. I think Ashley looks a little too "ballet-y" but that could just be part of the routine/character.

Adam seems too agree with me too, he had a hard time discerning their dancing from their routine, but he thought they were great. Mary loved the routine's concept said they were marvelous and entertaining. Nigel says that Wade is such a genius, and you never know what he's going to come up with, but he always creates memorable and "talked-about" routines. He thinks that both Amanda and Kupono became their characters and kept him immersed in the Crash Test Dummy World. TEMPO08

Ade Obayomi & Melissa Sandvig - Contemporary - Mandy Moore - Right Here Waiting For You, by Richard Marx. Mandy says the routine is about that moment when you first fall in love. Melissa compares it to a dirty game of Twister, haha!

Melissa's background is in ballet and Ade's in in contemporary. He loves music and deejaying, and he hopes to one day become a sound engineer. Ade reminds me of Twitch Boss a little bit in this routine. I really think it's beautiful, they do some impressive moves, and they have great chemistry! This was one of my favorite routines tonight.

Adam tell them they get to see a lot of okay and a lot of good, but today, they got to see something special! Melissa is 29 years old, and Adam says that he knows she's only gotten better as she's gotten older. Mary gives them a shrieking SCREAM. She says that Melissa is spectacular and Ade is living up to her expectations of him- he is a Gentle Giant, A Powerhouse, A Mortal Among Gods. Okay, she didn't go that far, but she loves Ade. Nigel continues to praise them, compliments Mandy Moore on her great routine, which was reminiscent of a pas-de-deux, and tells them they'll be sticking around for a long time. TEMPO09

Maksim Kaptiannikov & Kayla Rodomski - Samba - Louis Van Amstel - Jum Bah Day, by House of Gypsies

Kayla has never done ballroom before, lucky for her, Maks is her partner. He's a lot of fun to watch, with his quick fancy footwork moving across the floor. I think Kayla is pretty good too, especially considering she's never done this type of dancing before. For some reason I keep comparing her to Chelsie Hightower from last year.

Adam says that Kayla is proof that God exists, because only He could have created a creature such as her. He also says that she only looked as good as she did because of Maks' ballroom skills. Mary puts them on the Hot Tamale Train. Nigel said that it had everything they look for in a routine and that Kayla is one of those dancers who can just do anything. Maks doesn't get the kind of effusive praise that Kayla got (Shocking!) and Nigel tells him he needs to work on making some of his moves a little bit sharper. I liked the routine and I thought they did an excellent job, but I don't think it was as good as the judges made it out to be. If they had done that dance in the beginning of the night, I'm pretty sure they judges' reactions would have been a little less Hot Tamale Train-esque. But that's my opinion! TEMPO10

I don't like to predict to who's going to be in the bottom three, it just makes me feel bad, so here are my Top 3 Couples for the night.

• Ade Obayomi & Melissa Sandvig - Contemporary Pas-de-Deux
  
• Phillip Chbeeb & Jeanine Mason - Hip Hop Routine to Ne-Yo
  
• Jason Glover & Caitlin Kinney - Bollywood