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.

Is anyone else watching Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss, or whatever it's called? Year of Weight Loss? Creepy Trainer Man moves into your house for three months and SCARES the weight off you? Something like that.

With Fox's delay on showing SYTYCD online I'm finally watching the top 20 show.

I've skimmed the comments and I can't believe there's only one ballroom dancer. But I loved loved loved Iveta and Pasha's dance.

The Voice: Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy? Does Cee Lo hate these girls as much as I do?