When it was announced that Tyce Diorio would be choreographing Kherington and Twitch's Broadway routine on this past week of So You Think You Can Dance, my significant other groaned. Literally groaned.
It got me thinking -- how much do the choreographers end up influencing how we feel about the contesants? When the dance (and the music) are spot-on, the contestants benefit. When they don't (as was the case with Jamie and Rayven's routine this week), they suffer. Consider that on last year's Top 20 show Lacey and Kameron were given a dance by the genius Mia Michaels -- and as a result, Kameron lasted longer in the competition than he probably otherwise would have, and Lacey was immediately something other than "Benji's sister."
So -- who are the best choreographers? And whose work could mean you're doomed? Taking into account three years worth of performances, here's my ranking of the top SYTYCD choreographers -- take the poll and let me know who you think deserves the top spot.
1. Mia Michaels
2. Wade Robson
3. Mandy Moore
4. Tony Meredith
5. Brian Friedman
6. Shane Sparks
7. Jean Mark Generaux
8. Doriana Sanchez
9. Dan Karaty
10. Napoleon and Tabitha
POLL: Who is your favorite SYTYCD choreographer?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Who is the Best So You Think You Can Dance Choreographer?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
So You Think You Can Dance: Ranking the Top 20
POLL: Who was your favorite couple? Who's going home?
Top 20 Individual Rankings
Top 20 Videos
Considering how eagerly anticipated tonight's Top 20 So You Think You Can Dance was, I'd say it wasn't a bad show.
It also, unfortunately, wasn't a great show.
Don't get me wrong -- there was no clunker in the bunch. Almost all of the dancers appear to be very versatile, and none looked totally out of their element (a la last year's Cedric).
However, none of them were instant stand-outs. There was no Nick Lazarrini or Travis Wall or Benji Shwimmer in the house. True, Chelsie, Chelsea, Jason, Joshua, Kherington, Thayne and Twitch were all great, but none of them screamed "next winner of So You Think You Can Dance."
Not to be too much of a Debbie Downer, but I also really wasn't into a lot of the choreography. Mia Michaels can do no wrong for me, but what was that Mandy Moore concoction? Disappointing, considering I was really looking forward to seeing what Kourtni had to offer. And Raven and Jamie's hip-hop routine? Blah central. Unfortunately for them I wasn't able to tell if they were any good or not, and going first in the show will do them no favors tomorrow night. Also in the blah central zone are Susie and Marquis.
Getting back to the positive, I loved Chelsea and Thayne's cha cha (that girl is smokin!), Joshua and Katee's hip-hop (this guy's really got the goods), Kherington and Twitch's Broadway (she lit up that stage), Comfort and Chris' jive (this girl has personality in bucket-loads, though I'm not totally sold on him), and Chelsie and Mark's contemporary (though I wish she wasn't wearing that fluff ball of a dress). I was disappointed in William and Jessica (I thought training with Debbie Allen meant he'd be a bit more interesting to watch) and Gev and Courtney (I love the personality of these two -- too bad their spark didn't carry over to the dance floor).
Having said all that, here's how I'd rank the couples...check back tomorrow morning for my thoughts on who will end up going home.
1. Chelsea and Thayne
2. Joshua and Katee
3. Chelsie and Mark
4. Kherington and Twitch
5. Comfort and Chris
6. William and Jessica
7. Courtney and Gev
8. Kourtni and Mark
9. Raven and Jamie
10. Susie and Marquis
Top 20 Individual Rankings
Top 20 Videos
Agree? Disagree?
POLL: Who was your favorite couple? Who's going home?
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Bravo's Step It Up & Dance Will Premiere April 3
You gotta love Bravo -- they've got a gift for taking a pre-existing idea and turning it into magic. While Project Runway is a true original, Top Chef and Make Me a Supermodel put Bravo's standard classy twist on the cooking and modeling competitions we've seen before, and the result is unadulterated goodness.
Well, get ready for them to do the same thing to the genre of the dance show, because Step It Up & Dance premieres April 3!
Picking up where So You Think You Can Dance leaves off, the show, hosted by Saved By the Bell and Showgirls actress Elizabeth Berkley, will feature 12 dancers trying to make it in the cuthroat dance industry. According to Bravo's press release, "Whether it's a music video one week or a Vegas spectacular the next, [the show] will feature weekly challenges in which the dancers audition for a range of parts, designed to showcase their versatility and moves."
Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Legally Blonde) will mentor the dancers, with world-renowned director and choreographer Vincent Paterson (Madonna's "Blond Ambition" Tour, Michael Jackson's "Bad" Tour), and choreographer Nancy O'Meara ("Hannah Montana," "High School Musical Tour") serving as judges.
Can't wait!!
AMERICAN IDOL
BIG BROTHER
DANCING WITH THE STARS
SURVIVOR
PROJECT RUNWAY / TOP MODEL
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