So ... with all the bizarre dance genres they've introduced/made up while on something exotic, why don't they ever have a ballet dance? It doesn't HAVE to be on pointe ....

They have had ballet on SYTYCD before. The piece that Jim and Darion did just this season was definitely a ballet piece, and Cheon and Eliana also did a lovely pas de deux on their season. The problem with ballet, IMO, is that it's really not something that you can pick up in a week if you've never done it before. In that way, it's a lot like tap or breakdancing (as opposed to hip hop dancing) or bone breaking. Those are dance genres where the technique is so specific that you need to study for years to get it to look right, even if you are a highly trained dancer with a background in another style. They can only do ballet routines when they have contestants that they can pair together (or pair with an all-star with a ballet background) to perform the routine.

I am finally watching the Top 20 performance show. Yes, I know. But I had to come and say how adorable is Brian Friedman with his stilettos? So cute! The girls were great dancing that number, too.

Hating the camerawork already, btw, as I so often do on this show. Show me all the dancers, dammit!

Oh, my, the ballet boys are lovely.

ETA: Broadway I like, woohoo!

Up to the first elimination episode (I'm finding that watching just the rehearsals and performances and FF-ing past all the judging and whatever while I scroll through the thread looking for what y'all said way back when really works well for me so far (I did watch the Jason Derulo performance because I had no idea what he is all about but I'm afraid I still don't, and I am guessing that I may be missing some fun Cat moments, but I'm okay with that considering how behind I am)), woohoo! I will say this for the Stage vs Street concept: the way they have always done the Dance Ins makes much more sense now than it ever did with Boys and Girls.

Degree has done product placement on a LOT of shows, haven't they?

So does stage vs street just mean it's not one boy and one girl paired up every week? Because, okay, that's good.

I just don't get what the concept is at this point, and if it is explained by the judges I am not going to get it, I suppose.

Jaja and Jim, love. So different from what she usually does, really worked for me.

Oh, I want to like Megz, but girl needs to stand straighter, keep her head up, and have more...crisp? purposeful? movements.

I actually really liked the way she carried herself - I know it's not really correct posture, but it looked, I don't know, determined and purposeful and that made it okay to me.

Dug the seesaw routine a lot, although the camera work was not how I would have liked it to be, dammit. Do not like the sleeves (like fake tattoo sleeves?) on some of them.

Team stage had a couple of cool lifts and when they all came together in a mass was nifty, but I'm not sure I really got what that was about.

I do not remember Darian and Lily from earlier, so I guess I am okay with them leaving. Surprised it was two girls in the bottom for Team Street.

FF-ing through all the non-dance parts of the anniversary show made it very enjoyable indeed.