And didn't we think they were really going to push ballroom kids this year? That's already two down.

OK, finally managing to watch last night's SYTYCD (I was going to! I was home! And then I had a migraine).

I mostly liked that intro top-20 number, and was thinking "now this is more actual Broadway-type dancing" during parts of it (though not other parts), which makes sense given the choreographer! I wonder how much "starring role" means actual starring role vs. just being in it. And how much that will affect the judging for a winner...

WTF is this baseball BS? Waste of time. Give me more Vegas week instead!

Rudy and Tanisha--Sonya--I am so not feeling this. Is it the dancers, the music, the choreo? Maybe I'll know more when I read other reactions. It does not help that I can barely remember who these people are, most of them (seriously, halfway through this show and I'm like "Who are these people? What did they dance last week??). I do hate what they did to Tanisha's hair, so unflattering.

Valerie and Rickey--Travis--well, he looks lovely. She's OK.

Emilio and Bridget--I seriously don't even remember her?--hip hop--Does he need to be wearing so much pleather?? (Oh god, Nigel agrees with me!) Otherwise...not bad! There were a couple moments she wasn't great but mostly she was good! And oddly, I felt like the moments she was not good were the ones he was really good, but mostly I liked him a lot better last week?

Jessica and Nick--WEST COAST FREAKIN SWING! about damn time--I have to say though, mostly WCS is all about the improv--the biggest part of the dance conventions is always the Jack and Jills, where you enter and draw a random partner, and then have to dance with them to a random song! There are usually a few choreographed numbers, but I don't like them as much. AND the "classic" division your'e not allowed to do lifts! And Benji put like, 15 of them in here, which is a little weird. (Also, how did they make Benji not look so gay?) Shit, they dislocated her shoulder?!?! Jesus. OK, and my main issue with this (besides the fact that 90% of it was not WCS and the first bit before the song really started was weird...oh, and Benji is always going ON about how we don't dance to actual "swing" songs, but that wasn't one...) anyway. Point being...I did NOT see/feel any connection between them on the actual WCS parts. And he was...not really dancing right? His ass was sticking out weird in parts. Gotta watch again. Points, she is wearing the right shoes. On rewatch, I see the neck thing Misty Copeland is talking about, but def not my first thing. ...I can't wait to see what Kat says about this mess!

Let me instead link you to some dances I enjoy: here's one that's choreographed (and has a fair bit of non-WCS content): (Note also one reason I love WCS is it's one of the few where women compete in pants): [link]

And here is some amazing competition-winning improv (from Seattle): [link]

(There IS a lot of mugging for the audience, in most WCS comps--Benji is an extreme example, but not atypical, so Nigel's critique of that is probably a bit much) Honestly, I think they need a non-Benji choreographer.

Carly and Serge (he's kind of adorable, I gotta say)--Sonya (two Sonya routines in the same show?)--Oh, I'm liking her quite a lot! Not feeling him, adorable as he is. His spin was so ballroom!

Emily and Teddy: Why does she look kind of old? Is it her hair or her tan? Oh god those pants are unflattering on her. THis is...OK. I feel like two other people could've done a better job. He's better than she is, but isn't this his style or something? I don't remember them either. Am I getting old, that I can't remember shit?

Back spasms and dislocated shoulders? They are already breaking these children!!

Malene and Stanley--Broadway--damn, she's got legs. I feel like they each had points where they were good, and points where they weren't. I don't feel much of a connection--until the last few seconds when they were done, and weren't "dancing" anymore! Which...hmm. Nerves? Choreo? Awkward phone cord problem? (Ah yes, Misty (continued...)

( continues...) agrees)

Marcquet and Jourdan--wow, digits of pi?? jazz--he looks super awkward, especially on the ground. She's great though.

Brooklyn and Casey--tango--I have issue with his posture.

Jacque and Zach--"African jazz"--they look like Dr. Seuss characters! I am not feeling "fierce". I'll give her that she's TRYING for fierce in the face...he just looks silly with his open mouth. (Hmm, Misty disagrees with me)

I hate the idea of the group thing, but I do like these tapping girls. And my god, that sentence makes me sound like a 70-year old, all "I like that nice young man on the tee vee!".

And kicked off are? Malena (no shocker there) and...Nick. Eh. I'm so not invested in most of them, at this point.

OK, now to read what y'all wrote--there are a BUNCH of new messages, whee!!

And now comments on your comments!!

No DVR. Gah! I want to watch that opening Broadway number again and again and again. Die, Tasty Broadway, die! That's how you do it.

Kat was watching this on East Coast time?? Also...YES.

The choreo from Peanut was much better this week, but I still felt it was a little bit too on the nose. He's kind of in a slump, no?

Yeah, maybe it's doing too many for this show, or the constraints of it, or maybe he just needs new inspiration.

As far as Teddy, y'all, I just don't like him. I don't buy him as a hip hop kid. Everything feels like a put on. It's like he learned hip hop from buying lessons off the back of a cereal box.

I was kind of wondering if you were going to say his hip hop was like something out of a dance competition. And not a hip hop dance competition.

It's too bad it's not still the early 60s, because Malene could definitely get more work standing around with that styling! She looked amazing.

This. My god.

I wonder how much "starring role" means actual starring role vs. just being in it. And how much that will affect the judging for a winner...

I was wondering the same thing!

I'll just point and nod at everything y'all said. Especially

Give me a panel of Misty, Miss Debbie Allen and...maybe Christina Applegate any day!

How fun and informative would that be! Yes, please.

No comments on SYTYCD??

Non-dance-based comments:

a) Misty is everything!

b) What is up Nigel's butt??

c) So embarrassed for Rudy and Jacque.

d) Even more angry at Nigel, because "what America said" is just a fucking cop out.

I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO WATCH WITHOUT COMMENTARY TO READ!!!

you people make my life hard.

The first routine did remind me in a way of the Mark Chelsea, but not nearly as good.

Were is Kat?

I am just watching now (oh no I will have to form my own opinions without checking out Kat's as I go! Eep!).

Love the group number!

And I love Cat's outfit.