SYTYCD Madness: Elite 8 Results/Final Four Matches Now Live! (Including Allison vs Neil)

SYTYCD MADNESS Final Four Matches are now live! Click on any match-up to vote.

Travis vs. Heidi

Neil vs. Allison

ELITE 8 RESULTS

In the battle of the brothers Travis came out on top with almost 20% more of the vote. He'll face off against Heidi in the Final Four, who pulled off a big upset win over Season 1 champ Nick Lazarrini. Nick wasn't the only former winner to fall -- Benji went down to Neil in a very close battle separated by only 5%. Neil is now the only Season 3 representative in the Final Four, as Lacey went down to Allison by a considerable margin.

Allison def. Lacey, 59.6%-40.4%
Allison vs. Lacey

Neil def. Benji, 52.7%-47.3%
Benji vs. Neil

Travis def. Danny, 59.6%-40.4%
Travis vs. Danny

Heidi def. Nick, 59.6%-40.4%
Nick vs. Heidi

RESULTS FROM SWEET 16

The first round of SYTYCD MADNESS: THE GAME is over, and the results are in!

Last year's champ Sabra went down to vote-in winner Allison, while Season 2 champ Benji fought off a charge by Ivan. Lacey was able to squeeze by Season 1 runner-up Melody, and Neil dominated Season 1's Jamile.

Fan-favorite Travis advanced easily over Pasha, and last year's runner-up Danny took out Season 2's Donyelle. First season champ Nick struggled with Natalie, but ultimately prevailed, while Season 2's Heidi had no problem with Season 1's Ashley.

Here are the results from the first round of voting:

Allison def. Sabra, 57%-43%
Sabra (Season 3) vs. Allison (Season 2)

Lacey def. Melody, 64%-36%
Melody (Season 1) vs. Lacey (Season 3)

Neil def. Jamile, 85%-15%
Neil (Season 3) vs. Jamile (Season 1)

Benji def. Ivan, 60%-40%
Benji (Season 2) vs. Ivan (Season 2)

Nick def. Natalie, 55%-45%
Nick (Season 1) vs. Natalie (Season 3)

Heidi def. Ashley, 79%-21
Heidi (Season 2) vs. Ashley (Season 1)

Danny def. Donyelle, 63%-37%
Donyelle (Season 2) vs. Danny (Season 3)

Travis def. Pasha, 74%-26%
Travis (Season 2) vs. Pasha (Season 3)

12 Best SYTYCD Dances: Benji and Heidi's Mambo at #2

Yes, I know, it's been ages since I've continued my list of the 12 Best SYTYCD Dances of All Time, and some of the more loyal Idol Thoughts readers have not let me forget it!

We had left off at #3, with Lacey and Kameron's contemporary dance by Mia Michaels, which leaves us only with #2 and #1. Coming in at the penultimate spot is...

Benji and Heidi's mambo!

I'm as surprised as the next person to have this dance featured as high as it is, especially since I was no fan of Benji's during the second season's competition. But this performance is so intricate, so nuanced, and so well executed, it is impossible not to admire the artistry and workmanship that went into creating it. There is, literally, not one single flaw in this dance, and the spins, footwork, and movement across the stage is breathtaking. Yes, it's a bit creepy to see the cousins gettin' all sexy up on each other, but if you can overlook that, I dare you not to be impressed.

Coming soon...the single best dance ever on So You Think You Can Dance.

Click for more So You Think You Can Dance, including #s 12 through 3.

The Best SYTYCD Group Dance of All Time Is...

I'm up to taking a brief break from identifying the 12 Best SYTYCD Dances of All Time (we're up to #3 -- is the suspense killing you what the top 2 will be??) to identify the Best SYTYCD Group Dance of All Time. Before we get to it, though, a few honorable mentions:

-Season 2' s "Rama Lama (Bang Bang)", choreographed by Wade Robson

-Season 2's "Hide and Seek", choreographed by Mia Michaels

-Season 3's "The Moment I Said It," choreographed by Mia Michaels

-Season 3's "Circle of Life," choreographed by Tyce Diorio

And the number 1 group dance of all time is...

"SexyBack"!!!!!!

Choreographed by Wade Robson, and featuring Season 2's Top 4 (Benji, Travis, Heidi and Donyelle), this dance personified fierceness. Strutting down a catwalk, preening and posing, sportin' their best Zoolander faces, these four looked fierce and absolutely killed it. I could watch this performance over and over -- and have!

Stay tuned for #'s 2 and 1 on the 12 Best list!

Click for more So You Think You Can Dance

Click for Today's Top 10 Posts

12 Best SYTYCD Dances: Benji and Donyelle's Season 2 Broadway at #11

Ok, I admit it...I miss So You Think You Can Dance. I know, I know, it's been almost three weeks since Sabra Johnson was named this year's champ, but I can't get those kids and their fancy footwork out of my head!

So, to satisfy my SYTYCD cravings, I thought I would take a look over the next week or so at the 12 Best SYTYCD Dances of All Time, including a youtube video when available. Like all best-of lists, these choices are subjective, so please feel free to post comments and let me know what you think.


The list started at number 12 with Blake and Ashley's Season 1 Salsa, and now it's time for #11 -- Benji and Donyelle's Season 2 Broadway routine to "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray.

I debated whether or not to include this dance on the list, considering the fact that technically there have been many more difficult dances. However, few dances throughout all seasons of So You Think You Can Dance have been as purely joyful as this one was, and for that reason alone I decided it deserved the #11 spot. Benji and Donyelle completely forgot about technique and just danced this number with abandon, and it was so infectiously joyous you couldn't help but have a smile on your face by the end of it. Broadway routines can fall a little flat on the show, but this one was exciting from beginning to end.

Keep checking back throughout the week for numbers 10 through 1.

Click for #9 -- Ivan and Allison's Season 2 Hip Hop

Click for #10 -- Danny and Anya's Season 3 Waltz

Click for #11 -- Benji and Donyelle's Season 2 Broadway

Click for #12 -- Blake and Ashley's Season 1 Salsa

Click for more So You Think You Can Dance

Click for Today's Top 10 Posts

Ricky and Ashlee Eliminated From So You Think You Can Dance

The first casualties of Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance have been revealed -- Ashlee and Ricky.

I'm not surprised, nor particularly sad, to see Ashlee go -- her performance in the Argentine Tango was pretty bad, and her "dance-for-her-life" solo was less than impressive. Couple that with strong showings from Sabra and Faina, and the fact that I don't know a single thing about Ashlee, and I don't expect to miss her much.

Ricky, on the other hand, was a bit of a shocker, especially because his contemporary performance during Las Vegas week was so spectacular Mia deemed him her "favorite male dancer thus far." I also kinda dug his solo -- certainly more than one-trick pony D-Trix and lanky-lankster Cedric. I wonder if Mia had been on this week's judging panel, would she have fought to save Ricky? My hunch is that the judges (particularly Nigel) just don't like him all that much -- he's odd, he's strange, and he doesn't make for great TV. It's a shame, because the boy clearly has talent, but, with 18 dancers remaining, there's no time for crying over spilled high-kicks. Or something like that.

The rest of the show was entertaining enough, featuring a group number that screamed Wade Robson from the moment it started, and a surprisingly deft dancing/singing live combo from R&B singer Lloyd.

It must be noted, however:

While it was nice to see Benji, and be reminded of how truly awesome his footwork and performance style is, was the "reveal" of the American flag-inspired granny pants really necessary? Between the removal of his pants and the multiple mentions of beautiful women touching his butt, methinks Benji believes he is a bit more of a sex symbol than he actually is.

Now, if last year's runner-up Travis Wall wanted to remove his pants, you wouldn't hear me complaining...

Click for more on So You Think You Can Dance

Thoughts on So You Think You Can Dance's Top 20

Tomorrow night is the night!

As any real fan of either American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance knows, the real competition doesn't start until the contestants get onstage and perform in front of the voting public. We are finally ready to move past the manufactured tension, manipulative backstories, and bickering group members to see what kind of real talent this year's show has in store for us.

Bring it on!

So, here is some info on the contestants (from the press release for the show), along with my thoughts on this year's Top 20 (made only slightly more difficult by the fact that there are a solid handful of contestants that we have not yet seen dance at all -- damn producers!):

Anya Garnis
Age: 25
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from New York, NY. Anya has been living in the U.S. for six years after growing up in Russia. She has been dancing with partner Pasha Kovalev, also a finalist, for nine years.
I Say: There's no question this girl can move -- she and Faina will likely be in competition for the season's best female ballroom dancer. With her thick, muscular legs and sexy performance style, she reminds me a bit of last season's Natalie -- which is a good thing!

Jaimie Goodwin
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Virginia Beach, VA. Jaimie danced in competitions with Season Two contestant Travis before coming onto the show.
I Say: I don't even know who this is. Have they shown her dance?

Lauren Gottlieb
Age: 18
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer who currently lives in Sherman Oaks, CA. After moving to California, she landed a spot dancing with Shakira at the Grammy Awards. She has been dancing since she was 2 years old.
I Say: One of the season's strongest dancers, and already a major personality on the show (thanks to her stint helping Tyce choreograph last year). I wouldn't be surprised to see her around in the Top 4.

Sabra Johnson
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Roy, UT, with training in Ballet and Jazz. She hopes to pursue dancing as a professional career.
I Say: Um, who is this girl?

Ashlee Langas
Age: 19
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Tyler, TX. Ashlee has spent her life dancing in all sorts of settings from dance theaters to high school productions.
I Say: Not to be redundant, but, um, who? Oh wait, this is the one who the judges "like her personality and looks." And her dancing?

Shauna Noland
Age: 18
Contemporary dancer from North Hollywood, CA. She has been dancing for 15 years and also has an avid love of singing.
I Say: She did some nice turns...but we've only seen her dance for about 12 seconds, so that's all I can say at the moment.

Jessi Peralta
Age: 24
They Say: Hip-Hop dancer from Valley Village, CA. She has danced in front of President Bill Clinton at the Apollo and has performed at Madison Square Garden.
I Say: I didn't fall for the baby oil trick as hard as the judges did, but there is no doubt this girl has the performance chops. Does she have the technical dance skills, though?

Faina Savich
Age: 21
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from Brooklyn, NY. Following in her brother Stanislav's footsteps (he was a finalist in Season Two), Faina grew up in Moscow and has been living in the U.S. for six years.
I Say: Definitely fierce and sexy in her own genre, can Faina branch out far enough to make a real impact on the competition? Her brother, after all, was the first one eliminated last season. Will she suffer the same fate?

Lacey Schwimmer
Age: 18
They Say: Swing and International Latin dancer from Redlands, CA. Following in the footsteps of her brother and dance partner, Benji, who won the competition last season, Lacey has her own style which she hopes to showcase this season.
I Say: So far, I'm not impressed. Perhaps it's because I'm comparing her to her brother, but she's going to have to really step up her game if she wants to get out of Benji's large shadow.

Sara Von Gillern
Age: 23
They Say: Hip-Hop/B-girl dancer from Ft. Collins, CO. She is a dance instructor and was one of 30 people from all over the world selected to be part of the Red Bull: Beat Rider program, which gave her the chance to work with some of the biggest names in the Hip-Hop/Breaking field.
I Say: I like that they've got a b-girl representing, and I like that this b-girl seems like she can actually really dance. I've got high hopes for this one.

Jimmy Arguello
Age: 21
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Miami, FL. After taking his first dance class in middle school, Jimmy, at first focused on running in track and field, changed directions completely and found his true calling in dance.
I Say: What? Who?

Kameron Bink
Age: 20
They Say: Contemporary/Hip-Hop dancer from Coral Springs, FL. Known for his distinct red-star hair, Kameron brings over 15 years of dance training to the show and hopes the experience will bring him new and exciting opportunities as he pursues a professional dance career.
I Say: This kid is cute and he can do a back-flip -- and that's all I know for now. But so far, so good.

Cedric Gardner
Age: 23
They Say: Hip-Hop dancer from New Berlin, WI. He started training at 18 at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then moved two-years later to Los Angeles, where he received a full scholarship with Monsters of Hip Hop.
I Say: What? Who?

Neil Haskel
Age: 20
They Say: Contemporary Jazz dancer from Clarence Center, NY. Neil is currently training in New York City, where he performed in the play "The Times They are A-Changin'" on Broadway and was named Male Dancer of the Year in 2005 by the American Dance Awards Competition.
I Say: With his blonde hair, great spins and cute smile, is this Travis 2.0? We should only be so lucky!

Hok Konishi
Age: 22
They say: B-boy dancer from Los Angeles, CA. Born in Tokyo, Hok spent much of his youth in Oxford.
I Say: Totally charming, and, after three seasons auditioning on the show, very popular. However, he is lacking in technical skills, so expect him to make it to the Top 10, but not much further.

Pasha Kovalev
Age: 27
They Say: Latin Ballroom dancer from Fort Lee, NJ. Pasha is originally from Russia and has trained with numerous professional ballroom dancers. He has been dancing with partner Anya Garnis, also a finalist, for nine years.
I Say: Season 1's Artem and Season 2's Dimitri, both ballroom dancers, went far in the competition -- will sexy Pasha do the same?

Ricky Palomino
Age: 25
They Say: Contemporary dancer from Phoenix, AZ. Ricky also enjoys singing (he recently recorded his first CD), and he is a master teacher and choreographer.
I Say: Total wierdo, but there's no question this kid can dance. If Mia Michaels loves him so do I!
Dominic Sandoval
Age: 21
They Say: B-boy/Hip-Hop dancer from Roseville, CA. Born in Sacramento, he started his hip-hop training in January of this year.
I Say: D-Trix definitely has the moves, but can he do the choreography? Time will tell.

Jess Solorio
Age: 23
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from Paso Robles, CA. Jess makes his own wine at his family vineyard.
I Say: Chuy! I think this guy has a real shot at filling the Travis/Nick L. spot.

Danny Tidwell
Age: 23
They Say: Contemporary/Jazz dancer from New York, NY, whose brother Travis Wall was last season's runner-up. Danny was previously involved with the American Ballet Company.
I Say: He certainly hasn't won any personality points so far, but from what we've seen of his dancing, he looks sharp. Will Travis' fans come out in support of his half-brother?

If I had to, completely foolishly, choose a Top 10 simply from this list, I'd go with: Anya, Lauren, Faina, Sara, Danny, Hok, Ricky, Chuy, Neil, and, why not, Jaime.

Who are you excited about?

Click here for more So You Think You Can Dance

Ten To Watch Out For on So You Think You Can Dance

This week on So You Think You Can Dance we will see the 200 contestants who made it through their initial auditions head to Las Vegas to work with various choreographers in an attempt to make it onto the show's Top 20. Perhaps we've seen the winner dance already -- perhaps not. As is the case with American Idol, there is always the chance that a great contestant was not featured in the initial auditions. Consider, for example, that we didn't see last year's 4th place finisher Heidi until Vegas week (and only then did we see her as "Benji's cousin"), and we only saw a snippet of runner-up Travis Wall.

With all that said, here are nine individuals (and one pair) I think we'll be seeing much more of in the next couple of months:

-Caitlin Cucchiara, the 18-year old who was the first to audition in Atlanta.

-Tony Velez, who is a "b-boy'er" ("not a breakdancer!") and claims to learn choregraphy for a living

-Brandon Norris, the first clogger to ever make it through to Las Vegas.

-Lauren Gotlieb, the 18-year old who last year assisted choreographer Tyce.

-Chuy Solorio, the lyrical hip-hopper who was cut in Las Vegas last year.

-Hok!

-Lacey Schwimmer, the sister of last year's champ Benji. I'm not blown away yet, but if she's anything like her brother, she'll squeeze her way in.

-Faina Savich, who is the sister of last year's Top 20 member Stanislav

-Ballroom dancers Pasha and Anya. Hot hot hot.

-Ashley Keegan, who has been taking dance for six years from Katie Watts (who, while a solid dancer, does not possess the natural gifts of her young student)

Remember, any of these individuals could crash and burn in Vegas, and any number of other individuals could end up shining. I guess we'll have to wait until Wednesday to see what happens!

Click to read more on So You Think You Can Dance

SYTYCD -- LA and Chicago Auditions

Is it just me, or are they showing a lot more good dancers this year on So You Think You Can Dance than they show good singers in the initial audition rounds of American Idol? No complaints here -- I'd much rather get a glimpse of the dancers we will be falling in love with over the next few months than I would see a bunch of people humiliate themselves. I'm just sayin'.

Which is not to say I didn't chuckle at Colin Wheeler as he claimed he is still in communication with the late, great Anna Nicole Smith, even if he was most likely full of crap. He was convincing enough to bring a smile to my face!

But the evening was really about the talent, so out of respect to that, here are some dancers I think we'll be seeing much more of in the coming weeks:

-Lauren Gotlieb, who had assisted choreographer Tyce on last year's show, and apparently has given some lessons to Tobey Maguire. More interesting than her dancing (which was very good) was the revelation that Tobey loves SYTYCD. I knew Spidey and I had something more in common than just our shared ability to scale buildings.

-Jessi Peralta, who whipped out the baby oil for her routine. Baby oil always equals Vegas. Smart girl.

-Chuy Solorio, who got cut in Vegas last year. His dancing looked awesome to me, sort of in the vein of Season 1 winner Nick and Season 2 runner-up Travis, and anything that even remotely evokes either one of those boys is fine by me. He even had a compelling backstory about his wine making ambitions and his father's lack of support. Expect to see this kid around for awhile.

-Hok is back! With a work permit and all! Could this kid be any more charming? And that accent certainly doesn't hurt. It seems a little bit unfair that he is so well-known coming in to the competition, but his moves are so spectacular and original I really hope he makes it to the Top 20.

-Lacey Schwimmer, last year's champion Benji's younger sister. Having the returning champ be your partner -- talk about unfair! There was about, oh, 0% chance this girl wasn't going to make it to Vegas. While she has clearly got some dancin' skills, and she holds two national dancing titles ("one more than her brother"), she didn't blow me away like I hoped she would. Maybe it was the fact that she was being upstaged by Benji, or that she seemed a little too confident that she would make it through, but I just didn't fall head over heels. I have no doubt, however, we'll be seeing quite a bit more of her.

-Phillip Chbeeb, who did some of the most amazing pop-and-locking I (or Shane Sparks) has ever seen. Shane even had a tear in his eye! Who knows if this kid can do anything else besides wiggle his body around like that, but who cares? That was amazing!

-Janet Bombard, who has a prosthetic arm! I literally had no idea that was the case until Nigel brought it up, so I had to rewind and watch the performance again to see if it was glaringly obvious and I had just missed it. Nope, barely noticed it the second time around. I don't know if this girl will be able to hold up with all the partnering these kids have to do, but I am very impressed with what I've seen so far.

There were also a few dancers who I had mixed feelings about, but the judges seemed to enjoy:

-Oliva Usey, who signed up to audition because her mother had found a lump in her breast. I don't mean to be insensitive, but her mother was going in for her biopsy on the day of the audition, she wasn't exactly knocking on death's door quite yet. Now, for all I know, she could have received a scary diagnosis, and that would be terrible, but the whole thing smelled like a bit of a ploy to gain some sympathy. Hopefully Olivia's mother is fine, the biopsy came back clean, and I am right to think she was trying to manipulate the viewers. Either way, I thought Olivia was a fine dancer, but she was no Melody or Heidi or Donyelle. I'm just saying.

-Dia and Kurt, ballroom dancers who were winking and hiccuping all over the floor. I though they were a little much, and I wasn't really feeling these two, although I did feel for Kurt as the judges blatantly laughed in his face for a solid 90 seconds over his hiccuping. What, are the judges five years old? (It was kinda funny though, I gotta admit.)

-Brianne Healey, the young blonde who had "grown up" while dancing on a cruise ship. I bet she grew up! She was pretty, and a solid dancer, but, again, the level of talent on this show has been so high in the past, I'm not sure Brianne has what it takes to really make a dent in the competition. We'll see.

-Yesenia Gomez, who Shane Sparks called his "girl." I thought she was a solid dancer, but it pissed me off that Nigel called her "an inspiration," when he had earlier chastised the audience for patronizingly clapping for the overweight EJ as he pranced around the stage. It's okay for Nigel to be patronizing, but not for anyone else? Who is Yesenia an inspiration to, after all? Chubby girls, I would imagine Nigel was suggesting, but the truth is last season's full-figured Donyelle is much more of an inspiration to dancers who are not stick-thin than Yesenia is or will be. Sometime I hate Nigel.

I'm not even gonna talk about Gold Mask guy. Just not gonna do it.

So there it is, several very promising prospects, and, as always, a few duds. Next stop A-T-L!

Click here to read more on So You Think You Can Dance

Sibling Love on So You Think You Can Dance

For those of you (like me!) looking forward to the start of So You Think You Can Dance, here's a little tidbit (courtesy of an article in today's USA Today) to get you even more excited...

For those of you concerned that there won't be contestants as talented and entertaining as last year's winner and runner-up Benji and Travis, take note...both have a sibling who tried out for the show this year! Executive producer (and judge) Nigel Lythgoe says that they are both excellent dancers, so perhaps we could have a repeat of the Schwimmer vs. Wall finale after all!

Click here for more So You Think You Can Dance news

Looking Forward To So You Think You Can Dance

When one door closes, another one opens.

Yes, American Idol is coming to a close for the year, but we've got the debut of another equally addictive treat right around the corner -- So You Think You Can Dance!

I've gotta say, I absolutely love this show! Young, in-shape guys and gals doing amazing dances by world-class choreographers to great music? What more could you ask for? Throw in some very entertaining judges (that Mary Murphy is a hoot!) and you've got a little slice of reality show heaven.

Unlike American Idol, where it is possible someone with a god-given gift, or simply a likeable personality, could advance far in the competition, the folks on So You Think You Can Dance have been training and working their entire lives for an experience like this. There are not many venues for dancers to show what they can do, and the excitement the contestants feel at getting to share their gifts and hard work with the world is palpable.

And let's not forget, the show has produced two of the cutest, most talented reality show contestants ever -- first season winner Nick Lazzarini, and second season runner-up Travis Wall. Add in Season 1's Melody, Jamile, and Ashley, and Season 2's Benji, Allison, Ivan, Heidi, and Natalie, and there's eye-candy for everyone!

To get us in the mood for some dancing, below are some pictures (taken by my good friend Karen T) from the So You Think You Can Dance tour -- I was there with some pals in the 3rd row, and it was fierce! Be sure to keep checking Idol Thoughts this summer for So You Think You Can Dance recaps, predictions, best-of lists and more.