Thank you, Kathy!

So I have thoughts on last night's top 20 SYTYCD. I apologize already for the next 5 million posts.

Cat in a white doily? Awww, yeah, y’all. SYTYCD is back and in full effect.

I was initially excited to see Robin Antin this season because of my residual love for The Next PCD show, but she sucks ass as a SYTYCD judge and her plastic face is giving me nightmares. Someone please make her go home now. And take Tyce with her because I cannot with the chin strap beard and the standing up just so you can call attention to your diva self and then saying nothing but “Sick” and “Work” like some punch drunk gay maniac and dear god just make it stop. Frikkin’ Tasty. And the bitch is still the worst of the stable of contemporary choreographers (we won’t even get into how he murders broadway) so what is he good for? I need some Tasty-B-Gone.

I like the new mixture of green mile with the meet the dancers format. Let’s do this.

First Group: Ricky, Miranda, Melanie, Sasha in a Stacey Tookey contemporary piece

This group put it down. The choreography was not my favorite, a llittle too expected, but I thought every dancer in this group really shone. I don’t know why we couldn’t see even a second of Miranda prior to tonight. Just too busy with Chubby Santa, I guess. But she was lovely in this piece. Light, ethereal, gorgeous feet. Sasha continued to impress as well. She just has gorgeous technique. And Ricky was also a nice surprise. He has beautiful leaps and he’s a really good partner, solid lifter. But for me this piece was all about Melanie. Melanie is a revelation. She just shines. I didn’t even mind the “Here’s my panties” moment because it seemed full of intention. She exudes joy and passion when she dances and makes it impossible to really watch other people. I hope she can bring it in other styles because she is a wonder.

Second Group: Chris, Wadi, Tadd, Robert in a Dave Scott hip hop

Thank god it’s not NappyTab!

Family, I have some issues with the hip hop picks. I do not get Wadi. He’s fine, I guess. He seemed competent in this piece. But never once did he pop. Not one time were my eyes drawn to him. There wasn’t one move where I was just like “Whoa!” He’s just a solid hip hop dancer with seemingly not that much personality. And yet he’s in and Lil O is out? I call bullshit. And I know they filled their munchkin quotient with Broadway Jess but dammit! I definitely would’ve taken Lil O over Wadi. I also had a problem with Robert making it in over Bryce/Professor Lock. I understand that Robert is 31 and therefore would have had to be taken out and ritually shot if he didn’t make the show, but dammit, he’s just not as entertaining or as charismatic as Bryce seemed to be in the all to brief snippets we got of him in Vegas. Bryce was a solid partner, did well as a locker in both ballroom and contemporary (He kept up with Sasha! That’s not easy). And his schtick is not nearly as tiresome as the “Woo!” I can’t with the “Woo.” Not for a whole season. I’ma have to cut him with those hideous red plastic glasses frames. And was a rhythmic Urkel really the impression he wanted to go for in his first time on the big stage? Because he just completely overplayed that both in the performance and afterwards during the judging. I am tired of him already. I didn’t really have a problem with Tadd. Well, I have a problem with the double “d” at the end of his name, but that’s more a problem with his parents than with him. He was fine. He had some good impact in his b-boy tricks and he didn’t do too badly with the choreo which can sometimes trip breakers up. Solid introduction to the world. He is giving off slightly Dom vibes, though, so I hope he nips that right in the bud. But the stand out for me here was Chris, who once again did not get showcased at all through the audition rounds so that we could make way for more time with Kate Gosselin hair and her non-top 20 making ass. Sigh. Anyway, Chris was amaaaaazing! He was smooth when he needed it, hard hitting when it was (continued...)

( continues...) called for and while I hate to co-sign on anything Robin had to say, dammit if he wasn’t a sexy MF. Seems like he struggled in other styles in Vegas which is concerning, but for now and in his style, I like him.

Dave Scott did the damn thing with the choreo. He usually does when he gets to work with hip hop specialists. Hopefully, he’s learned how to work better with non-hip hop kids so that if he continues to choreograph, we won’t get anymore Tennis, Anyone? numbers.

Group Three: Iveta (+ Pasha) in a Jason Gilickson ballroom

Let me get my Tasty on: Work, dammit! Diva. She made me not watch Pasha because she was just that good. I can’t even . . . I don’t have the vocabulary to describe how good that was. I agree with Nigel that the routine was Anya/Pasha-esque. Homegirl is clearly an expert in her style of dance. And she seemed to more than hold her own in the girls’ group dance. I was trying to track her to see what she would do. All that said, it must be acknowledged that Iveta looks a little bit long in the tooth, yes? I know that 30 in real world years is not old, but most of these kids are babies and Iveta is a woman and it shows. The first partner dance she does will be interesting. I’m trying to picture her paired up with Jess or, I don’t know, even Marko. She will come off very mature. We’ll have to wait and see. But in this routine? Fire.

Let us take a moment for Pasha’s ass. Damn.

Group Four: Clarice, Marko, Jordan, Missy in a Sonya Tayeh Jazz

I have maintained since I saw her first audition that Jordan was more than just stripper moves and attitude despite the amount of hateration she’s caught for the Naughty Girl audition and she really stepped up in this piece. That said, I don’t think her technique was as strong as the other two girls here. Her moves were not as precise and when she sank into some of the rounded, bent knee moves that Sonya favors, she tended to look a little bit stumpy. She needs to learn how to maintain the tension and the pull even in moves where she’s deep in a contraction or working through some awkward positions. Also, there was one section where Marko really seemed to be struggling with a lift and I think she was the girl in question. If so, she has to learn how to engage her core more and really help in those lifts (which would be consistent with the whole balance between tension and contraction in the rest of the dance) I thought Clarice and Missy both tore it up, with Clarice perhaps a tick ahead due to better extensions and longer lines. Marko was great here. Loved the flip over the ladies. I was getting more Mark/Kupono from him here than I was Alex Wong.

I do not like blond Sonya but I did like this routine. She seemed to be stretching beyond her normal style a little bit tonight and it was good to see some new tricks up her sleeve.

Group Five: Jess, Nick in a Chris Scott Broadway/tap routine

Nick Young is the business. I love this kid. Love. This. Kid. I love his Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk tapping style. I love his attitude and his swagger and the whole him-ness of him. And later on he was serving in both the boys’ group routine and the top 20 piece. Serving! I have my eye on this kid. He can bring it. Jess makes me tired. I suppose he did well here, but it felt very desparate. I did not enjoy. And he’s teeny. Partnering will be a problem. As much as I loved Miss Debbie Allen telling Evan how he handled his big woman after he partnered Kayla, I don’t need to see that again. Still trying to figure out why he made the show. Still would rather have Lil O.

Chris Scott, please stick around. I would be so, so happy if Chris Scott and Dave Scott just took over and became NappyTab 2.0 only good, you know? Loved that piece.

Group Six: Caitlin, Ashley, Mitchell, Alexander, Ryan in a Travis Wall Contemporary

Peanut, or somebody telling Peanut what to do, sure loves him some Ryan. Is the pimping usually that blatant? Let’s put this girl front and center for the whole piece and dress her in black while everybody else is dressed in white and give her what amounts to a solo in the middle of the piece. Is that how it’s rolling now? Look, I like Ryan. I think she’s a heckuva dancer. And she did a lovely job in the piece. She did what she was asked to do. But you know what? I don’t need or want her all up in my grill. I thought Ashley was quietly turning it out in the corner upstage left that they had shoved her into and I didn’t even care too much for the pretty black girl through the audition rounds. Caitlin didn’t even get a chance to make an impression on me. If I were one of the girls not named Ryan in this piece, I’d be hot. As for the boys, flippy jeans boy!!! AKA Alexander. AKA oh my gosh, you better stop! He was just as divine as I was imagining both here and in the group numbers. He is fierce on another level. And so, so pretty. Mitchell seems yummy, too, but I can’t even front, I really wasn’t paying attention. Mmmm, Alexander. Mmmmm.

All the flowers on the stage took me to a bad Mia Dead Daddy Dance place before it even started so I feel like I can’t call it on the quality of the piece. I just had a visceral negative reaction before the piece even started. I suppose it was fine, not Peanut’s best work, but even his so-so work is pleasant to behold.

Boys Group in a Chris Scott hip hop/contemporary

Inception-tastic! I thought this was a great number. Almost on a Wade level. The standouts for me here were Chris, Alexander Nick, and Marko. They drew my eye every time they were on stage. In particular, Nick was killing it. I suspect he has trained in a lot more than tap. Jess pulled focus a couple of times and not in a good way. Tadd managed a few solid moments with some tricks although I kind of lost him in the actual choreo. Now that’s how you use a door as a prop, Mia.

I hope they have LXD on as guest artists this season.

Girls Group in a Sonya Tayeh jazz

The ladies shut it down, y’all. Shut it down. I loved the whole ghoulish geisha concept and that piece was ridiculously demanding from a technical perspective. I could not stay in plie that long. My knees would give out. For real. There was so much going on at all times and seriously? All the girls put in work. There was no one that fell off. As I said earlier, Iveta really kept up well in a demanding piece. And Melanie and Ryan managed to pop for me despite the heavy make up and geisha gear. I also liked the nice black girl pairing on the side with Sasha and Ashley. Those ladies are both standing out in a good way.

Top 20 in a Tyce Contemporary

It was better than a Tyce broadway? Yeah, that’s all I got. Alexander, Nick, and Marko popped for me amongst the boys. Especially Alexander and the tattered shirt. Great gosh almighty! For the girls, Melanie and Ryan again. Ryan really is a little star. I hope the show stops pimping her so relentlessly because she doesn’t need it and it will eventually turn folks against her. Everyone was hampered by Tyce’s overly fussy choreography. Sigh. Can’t we put Tasty out to pasture?

Overall, that was a rousing good first show. There is a ton of talent in this year’s top 20 with lots of really kind of unknown kids. I think these first few weeks it’s gonna be the luck of the partner/style draw. For your top 10 girls, if I had to guess right now, I’d peg Melanie, Ryan, Sasha for locks for top 5. For the other two spaces, I just don’t know yet. I need to get to know them more. For the guys, aside from Marko, I think it’s a total toss up for top 5. I think I can more easily identify who I think doesn’t have a hope of making top 5 than who does: Robert, Jess, Mitchell. Robert’s personality will start to grate really quickly and I’m not sure of his strenght in other styles. Ditto Jess. That hip hop from Vegas wasn’t cute. Mitchell seems competent in a style with a lot of guys who are excellent. I might also put Ricky here but he made more of an impression on me tonight, probably because he wasn’t competing for my attention with Alexander. I really think the two of them are kind of interchangeable.

So basically, I have no idea who’s a front runner or how the season is going to shake out which is awesome. I so love this show!

ETA: OK, that is ridiculous. I guess I did have thoughts.

Oh, and because it can't be said enough, more Debbie Allen please! I'd love to see her as a full time judge. Or even on a show of her own! She is pure love! I loved when she told one of the top 20 to get back stage and call her mama! LOVE!

I think what I'm most excited about this season is how little I know about most of the dancers. It's almost a level playing field for me (except for stupid Woo guy.)

I love Miss Debbie Allen and I hope she serves as a guest judge at least a couple of times this season, but I'm actually kind of glad she's not on the permanent judges panel. I remember how much I used to adore Shankdaddy. Back in S3? I loved Shankdaddy, and that was even after he contributed to the whole "Danny is arrogant" controversy, which I still haven't totally forgiven him for, but I loved him! Then he was put onto the permanent panel and I grew to dislike him. Immensely. He was best in small doses and really? How could I miss him when he wouldn't go away? So for fear of something similar happening, I don't want to see Miss Debbie Allen every week. Because if I had to stop liking her or talking about her bad critiques like she was Tasty or something, my whole world would shatter.

I would, however, love to watch her in her own show. Something like Miss Debbie Allen's Home for Wayward Dancers where she takes the also ran cast offs from the Vegas rounds like Cat Daddy DC and works with them to smooth out the rough edges and polish some of those diamonds in the rough. She could mold them into a troupe that by the end of the season would put on an end of season dance-stravaganza with lots of special guest stars. Yep, I would watch that show every day and twice on Sundays.

Shankman really sank to the bottom didn't he? I loved him too except as a full-time judge.

The wee broadway dude bugs me.

oh, no joke. Is it his attitude?

Shankman really sank to the bottom didn't he?

It was so sad. I couldn't even really enjoy him in the Vegas rounds like I wanted to because I still have the bad memories of him fawning all over Kent.

I just feel like Broadway Jess is trying way too hard all the time. He has an air of desperation that I just don't like, especially not in one so young. I don't get the arrogant thing off of him as much as I get the clueless about how off putting some of his behavior is thing.

I agree with the waves of desperation coming off Jess.

I was interested in seeing the lineup of the top ten boys that one of them is actually shorter than Jess!

Peanut, or somebody telling Peanut what to do, sure loves him some Ryan. Is the pimping usually that blatant?

Isn't she the one that worked with Mia? I think they gave her a lot of play last year because of that. She's a good dancer, but something about her bugs the sh*t out of me. I didn't like her last year and this year is not looking any better.