Dancing With The Stars Power Ranking – The FADS Edition: Week 8

As I mentioned in last week's Power Rankings, Romeo held on in Week 7 only due to Kendra's presence and subsequent elimination. With her out of the way, Romeo was the next weakest link in the DWTS competitive chain.

Something told me, even as I watched the drama of the "in jeopardy" showdown between Romeo and Ralph Macchio, that Romeo's time had come. Ralph's fan base, I'm beginning to think, is much larger than we might have first imagined it to be when the season first began. His combination of personal charm and dancing prowess has obviously won over hundreds of thousands of admirers as the competition has gone on.

That being said, could next week bring an end to Ralph's challenge for the much-prized Mirror Ball trophy?

DWTS POWER RANKING - WEEK EIGHT

#1 - Chelsea Kane
Chelsea Kane finally steals 1st Place from Hines Ward after several weeks of having to look at his back. She would have (should have) been here sooner if not for Hines's huge and imposing fan base. This week the couples again had to dance two dances - one a rehearsed dance and the other an "Instant Dance" where the couples learned of the song they were to perform to only 30 minutes before having to do it. Both of Chelsea's Week 8 dances were again exceptional (though the first, rehearsed dance much more so). Her pro partner, Mark Ballas, must be beside himself at having been paired with such a terrific talent this season. The only possible spoiler in this fairy tale coupling could be Chelsea's fan base, which is probably much smaller at this point than either Hines Ward's or Kirstie Alley's.

#2 - Hines Ward
Hines Ward's smile is his biggest asset in this competition. DWTS judge Bruno Tonioli gave him a "10" for his rehearsed Foxtrot this week, which I thought was a bit of a reach. Regardless, Hines continues with his charmed life in front of the judging panel - all of whom, in my opinion, have consistently over-graded him throughout the course of the season. He is destined for the Final Three - his fan base alone will get him there at this point in the competition.

#3 - Kirstie Alley
Kirstie did a really good job with her Argentine Tango in Week 8. Her follow-up "Instant Dance" (a Salsa) was less inspiring, but still garnered her 25 points. I see next week as a contest between her and Ralph Macchio possibly getting the boot. That being said, though, her loyal fan base could very throw everything completely out of whack.

#4 - Ralph Macchio
Courage, Ralph. Courage. That's just what he showed this week after battling a ruptured cyst behind his knee that made even the simplest of movements very painful for him. Back in Week 6, the dashing Ralph came to his pro partner, Karina Smirnoff's, rescue. In Week 8, Karina returned the favor by quick-coaching Ralph (the couple only had about 9 hours of practice time due to Ralph's injury) to a 25-point Vienna Waltz and a survivable 21 points for their "Instant Dance" Cha-Cha. Both dances brought grimaces of pain from Ralph, but he finished them anyway. He noticeably limped, though, as he stepped over to the judges panel. Ralph's fan base made his last-place finish on Monday night irrelevant as he was able to beat out Romeo on Tuesday's Results show. But with his injury a lingering factor, could next week be Ralph's final curtain call on DWTS?

#5 Romeo
Well, it's the last spot on the DWTS Power Rankings, and that means it's Romeo's turn to say farewell. In what is looking to be somewhat of a trend on this season's DWTS, Romeo had one of his finest performances on Monday night before being ousted by the voters on Tuesday. The young rapper-movie star looked sharp and really focused in his Tango with pro partner Cheslie Hightower. It was a routine worthy of the triple 9s he received from the judges. (I actually thought he danced better than Hines Ward, who received a 10 to go along with a pair of 9s.)

Romeo was a perfect gentleman in defeat. He thanked everyone, from his fans and his pro partner, Cheslie, to the DWTS judges. He said DWTS helped him overcome his life-long fear of dancing and that he had the best time of his life on the show.

"This show has changed my life forever," the upbeat Romeo said to host Tom Bergeron. "I think I showed kids anything is possible if you try."

Well said, Romeo. And well done!

*
So now it's down to four couples competing to take home the Mirror Ball trophy. Last week I figured Kirstie would be one the final three "in jeopardy" celebrities, but instead Chelsea once again found herself there - although this time it was only by default: because there were only five couples to begin with, after Kirstie and Hines were declared safe earlier in the show, that left only three couples remaining.

Next week, look for Hines to once again be declared safe (ugh). If the judges scores happen to somewhat even out the fan scoring, then, we should see either Ralph or Kirstie going home. It would be a shame, though, to see Chelsea walk before it comes down to the Final Three.

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Dancing with the Stars - Week 8 Commentary

[NOTE: This is a re-posting of a post published last week that was evidently removed from Blogger.]

Season 12 of Dancing with the Stars is finally upon us. Each week Syracuse, NY FADS co-owner and award-winning ballroom dancer Natasha Oreshkina will be sharing her thoughts on the competition and giving us her take on which celebrities had the best week on the dance floor and which ones should be getting ready to pack their bags.


*
WEEK EIGHT

[Natasha] This week was "Instant Dance" week on Dancing with the Stars. Each couple had to dance a rehearsed routine plus a second routine where they didn't know the music until 30 minutes before they had to perform.

1st Place - Chelsea Kane/Mark Ballas (W1:21 + W2:18 + W3:23 + W4:26 + W5:26 + W6:28 + W7:34/G30 + W8:29/26 = 261 total) [Overall position: 2nd.]
Chelsea and Mark performed the Slow Walz for their first dance. This was a great performance and the first time a couple received two 10s this season. It was very elegant, very flowing. The past few weeks they've been doing a really great job.

Their second dance was the Salsa. The judges were surprised Chelsea and Mark were able to do such a good job in such a short amount of time. Like Carrie Ann, though, I felt the dance didn't connect to the music.

2nd Place - Hines Ward/Kym Johnson (W1:21 + W2:23 + W3:25 + W4:25 + W5:27 + W6:27 + W7:36/G30 + W8:28/26 = 268 total) [Overall position: 1st.]
Hines and Kym performed the Foxtrot for their first dance. They have a really good connection with each other. It was elegant and fun to watch. Hines's footwork was not so good this time, though, which is surprising because he's usually good.

For their second dance they performed the Jive. The Jive is not an easy dance to do. You need to move your legs and really pick up your feet. Hines didn't do a good job with that.

3rd Place - Kirstie Alley/Maksim Chmerkovskiy (W1:23 + W2:20 + W3:21 + W4:21 + W5:23 + W6:26 + W7:30/G30 + W:28/25 = 247) [Overall position: 5th.]
Kirstie and Maks did the Argentine Tango first. This was a very hot and very passionate performance. When you watch Kirstie dance you can see her footwork was very good and she looked like she was dancing very well.

For their Instant Dance, they did the Salsa. Kirstie showed good movement, and, as usual, did a good job with her footwork and also showed good hip action.

T-5th Place - Romeo/Chelsie Hightower (W1:19 + W2:23 + W3:20 + W4:23 + W5:26 + W6:28 + W7:30/G30 + W:27/25 = 251) [Overall position: 3rd.]
Romeo and Chelsie performed the Tango for their first dance. You can see that Romeo has really improved a lot and has a lot of confidence. He was a little stiff in this dance, however, and the footwork was a little off.

This couple performed the Salsa for the second dance. not much to say about this routine. It was fun, but I could tell it was nothing special.

T-1st Place - Ralph Macchio/Karina Smirnoff (W1:24 + W2:21 + W3:21 + W4:25 + W5:22 + W6:24 + W7:36/G30 + W8:25/21 = 249) [Overall position: 4th.]
Drama, drama, drama! Ralph had a knee injury during the week and so he and Karina only had about nine hours to practice. Ralph's footwork for their Viennese Waltz was not good, but he did well with the upper body movement. He seemed a bit stiff - probably because of the pain he was in from his knee.

Ralph and Karina's second dance was the Cha-Cha. You could see he was very uncomfortable and he looked stiff, with no hip action. Again, though, his knee injury was obviously affecting him.

*
Okay, so this week we saw Romeo get voted off of the show. If we had gone by last week's (Week 7) performance, then he should have gone home. But this week, I'm not so sure. As for Ralph Macchio, I think next week he will be eliminated if he can't show his leg doesn't bother him so much.

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U.S. So You Think You Can Dance getting another overhaul, Mary Murphy says

from thestar.com:

October 25, 2010

Cassandra Szklarski


Mary Murphy says more changes are afoot for the U.S. So You Think You Can Dance.

So You Think You Can Dance will undergo another format overhaul in the U.S. after disappointing ratings over the summer, says Mary Murphy, the high-octane ballroom expert who until last season was a judge on the U.S. series.

Murphy, who also guest-judged the Canadian version of the dance competition, says last season's decision to incorporate all-star dancers into weekly routines did not entirely resonate with audiences.

“Ratings did drop in the States this last season and so they're going to make changes,” Murphy said backstage at So You Think You Can Dance Canada, which crowned ballroom dancer Denys Drozdyuk the winner on Sunday.

“We’re probably going back to the way that we used to do it and they're going to keep the all-stars as well, so they're going to do half of the show the way it used to be done and the later half of the show with the all-stars. How that's going to work out, exactly, I’m not sure yet because does that mean we increase the season if we start off with 20 dancers? Or we may be kicking more dancers off than one couple at a time. So it'll be very interesting to see how that plays.”

The Canadian show maintained the original format in which 20 hopefuls (22 in the case of Season 3) are split into 10 pairs to tackle different dance styles every week, with two eliminations a week until a winner is chosen from the top four.

Last spring, series creator Nigel Lythgoe announced a Top 10 instead of a Top 20 for the U.S. show, one weekly elimination instead of two, and a pool of ex-SYTYCD all-stars to serve as partners.

Murphy says she felt the change took away some of the drama that emerges when novice dancers tackle a genre they're unfamiliar with.

“Everybody knew they had somebody that was a pro in that division, someone that they can go home and practise with, and know that they know what they're talking about,” she said.

“When you get two different styles together and then they draw another style that they know nothing of, we're all sitting at home and we're sitting there as judges going, ‘Oh my gosh, this might be a train wreck!’ . . . But when they do it halfway good you're, like, all fired up over it. We didn't have that this season.”

Fox has ordered an eighth season of So You Think You Can Dance, and auditions began earlier this month in California.

Auditions for Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada begin Nov. 6 in Saint John, N.B.

So You Think You Can Dance Tour Dates

Sep-19 New Orleans, LA/Lakefront Arena
Sep-21 Houston, TX/Reliant Arena
Sep-22 Grand Prairie, TX/Verizon Theatre
Sep-24 Kansas City, MO/Sprint Center
Sep-25 St. Louis, MO/Chaifetz Arena
Sep-27 Duluth, GA/Arena at Gwinnett Center
Sep-29 Miami, FL/American Airlines Arena
Sep-30 Orlando, FL/Amway Arena
Oct-02 Charlotte, NC/Time Warner Cable Arena
Oct-03 Richmond, VA/Richmond Coliseum
Oct-05 Baltimore, MD/1st Mariner Arena
Oct-06 Trenton, NJ/Sun National Bank Center
Oct-07 New York City, NY/Radio City Music Hall
Oct-09 Mashantucket CT/MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods*
Oct-10 Manchester, NH/Verizon Wireless Arena
Oct-11 Boston, MA/Agganis Arena at Boston University
Oct-13 Rochester, NY/BlueCross Arena
Oct-15 Long Island, NY/Nassau Coliseum
Oct-16 Atlantic City, NJ/Boardwalk Hall
Oct-17 Newark, NJ/Prudential Center
Oct-19 Toronto, ON/Air Canada Centre
Oct-20 Detroit, MI/Joe Louis Arena
Oct-22 Pittsburgh, PA/CONSOL Energy Center
Oct-23 Louisville, KY/KFC Yum! Center
Oct-24 Columbus, OH/Schottenstein Center*
Oct-26 Rosemont, IL/Allstate Arena
Oct-27 Milwaukee, WI/Bradley Center
Oct-29 Rockford, IL/Rockford's MetroCentre
Oct-30 Minneapolis, MN/Target Center
Nov-02 Broomfield, CO/1stBANK Center
Nov-04 West Valley City, UT/Maverik Center
Nov-06 Tacoma, WA/Tacoma Dome
Nov-07 Portland, OR/Rose Garden
Nov-09 Sacramento, CA/ARCO Arena
Nov-10 San Jose, CA/HP Pavilion at San Jose
Nov-12 Las Vegas, NV/The Theater for the Performing Arts Center at Planet Hollywood
Nov-13 San Diego, CA/San Diego Sports Arena
Nov-14 Ontario, CA/Citizens Business Bank Arena
Nov-16 Los Angeles, CA/STAPLES Center
Nov-17 Glendale, AZ/jobing.com arena

Lauren Froderman signals to Fred Astaire Dance Studios!

The Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Phoenix, Arizona is thrilled to have their student, Lauren Froderman, on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance. She promised to give the "shaka" signal on television to show that she's thinking of FADS and here she is...

Fred Astaire Dance Studios On So You Think You Can Dance!

FABIAN SANCHEZ, co-owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Birmingham, Alabama and formerly on Dancing With The Stars, will be choreographing for Salsa and Mambo couples on this season's show.

Fabian will join a list of other notable choreographers in the dance world today, including Louis van Amstel, Napoloeon and Tabitha D’umo, Tyce Diorio, Jean-Marc Genereux, Tony Meredith, Mia Michaels, and Ron Montez.

In addition, LAUREN FRODERMAN, a student at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the top 11 contestants on the show this season. “We have a little thing we decided she would do to say hello to all of her Fred Astaire family [while she’s on the show],” says studio owner Robert Doyle, “At the end of her number when she makes the sign for people to call, she will make the “SHAKA” sign, which means ‘hang loose.’”

Congratulations to Fabian and Lauren for their outstanding achievements!

So You Think You Can Dance Premiere

from sytycdism.com:

The premiere of season seven (May 27, 2010) is coming up! Here’s the TV schedule!

Confirmed:
Thursday, May 27 (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM) – Miami and New York City Auditions
Wednesday, June 2 (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM) – Chicago and Los Angeles Auditions
Thursday, June 3 (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM) – Nashville and Dallas Auditions, Vegas Callbacks Part I
Wednesday, June 9 (8:00 PM – 10:00 PM) – Vegas Callbacks Part II, Top 10 Reveal (Judges going to their houses)
Thursday, June 10 (9:00 PM – 10:00 PM) – Top 10 Intro Show

Notes:
- Auditions actually went chronologically as: New York, Miami, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, Los Angeles
- Schedule for the actual competition: performances Wednesdays 8pm (2 hours), results Thursdays 9pm (1 hour)

So You Think You Can Dance New Season!

from tv.com:

Twelve former SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE show favorites are set to return to summer's No. 1 series as All-Star Dance Partners. Skilled in various dance styles from Krump to Contemporary, the Season Seven All-Star Dance Partners are: Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Comfort Fedoke, Courtney Galiano, Anya Garnis, Lauren Gottlieb, Neil Haskell, Allison Holker, Mark Kanemura, Pasha Kovalev, Kathryn McCormick, Ade Obayomi and Dominic "D-trix" Sandoval. Each week, finalists will be partnered with a different All-Star dancer.

As previously announced, America's favorite summer series returns for its seventh season Thursday, May 27 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX with some exciting new twists, including 10 finalists competing and only one dancer eliminated per week.

Hosted by Cat Deeley, the hit dance competition series will inspire and amaze viewers as dancers skilled in styles ranging from Hip Hop to Ballroom compete to be named America's Favorite Dancer. Last season's winner, Russell Ferguson, danced off with a $250,000 cash prize, the title of America's Favorite Dancer and a cover feature in the March issue of Dance Spirit Magazine.

The 12 All-Stars are:

Stephen "tWitch" Boss
Representing: Hip Hop / Popping / Locking / Krump
Appeared: Season 4 (runner-up)
Memorable Routine: "Forever," a Hip Hop number choreographed by Dave Scott and performed with Comfort Fedoke

Stephen "tWitch" Boss was half of the partnership in the "Mercy" dance that earned choreographer Mia Michaels an Emmy nomination. This summer, he will star in "Step Up 3-D," and he soon plans to begin working with the Dizzy Feet Foundation. Currently, Boss belongs to the dance troupes "Breed OCLA" and "Chill Factor Crew."
________________________________________
Comfort Fedoke
Representing: Hip Hop / Krump / Popping / Locking
Appeared: Season 4 (Top
Memorable Routine: "Party People," a Hip Hop number choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo and performed with Mark Kanemura

Comfort Fedoke attended Booker T. Washington Performing Arts High School in Dallas, TX, where she was a featured dancer on the local dance television show, "Dallas Dance Club 21." Fedoke has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Brian Friedman, Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo, Chuck Maldonado, Miley Cyrus and Rosero, and has appeared on GLEE.
________________________________________

Courtney Galiano
Representing: Jazz / Broadway / Cultural / Disco / Contemporary
Appeared: Season 4 (Top 4)
Memorable Routine: "The Garden," a Jazz number choreographed by Sonya Tayeh and performed with Mark Kanemura

Courtney Galiano began her career as a New York Knicks City Dancer. Galiano has appeared in national television commercials and danced in music videos for Adam Lambert, Kat DeLuna and Daddy Yankee. Galiano loaned her voice talents to "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," performed in the television movie "Camp Rock 2" and appeared on GLEE and "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
________________________________________

Anya Garnis
Representing: Ballroom Standard / Ballroom Latin
Appeared: Season 3 (Top 12)
Memorable Routine: "Girlfriend," a Jive choreographed by Tony Meredith and performed with Danny Tidwell

Anya Garnis is currently a guest choreographer for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE's U.S. and Australian versions, and has been a featured guest dancer on "Dancing with the Stars" and "Superstars of Dance." Her credits also include the Emmy Awards, the Academy Awards and the series "True Blood." Last fall, Garnis made her Broadway debut in "Burn The Floor" and toured the globe with the production.
________________________________________

Lauren Gottlieb
Representing: Jazz / Hip Hop / Contemporary / Broadway
Appeared: Season 3 (Top 6)
Memorable Routine: "Night of the Dancing Flame," a Jazz number choreographed by Wade Robson and performed with Neil Haskell

Lauren Gottlieb has worked with Shakira and Mariah Carey, and has appeared in "Hannah Montana: The Movie" with Miley Cyrus. Her television credits include GLEE, "The Ghost Whisperer," "Nip/Tuck" and "Teen Choice 2009," as well as commercials for Subway, AT&T, Old Navy and Nike. She recently completed work assisting Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo on the choreography for Cirque Du Soleil's "Viva ELVIS."
________________________________________

Neil Haskell
Representing: Jazz / Contemporary / Broadway / Disco / Cultural
Appeared: Season 3 (Top 3)
Memorable Routine: "Are You The One," a Contemporary number choreographed by Mia Michaels and performed with Danny Tidwell

Before competing on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, Neil Haskell worked with Twyla Tharp on Broadway's "The Times They Are A-Changin'." Shortly thereafter, Haskell landed a role in the television movie "The American Mall." His theater credits also include the off-Broadway production of "Altar Boyz," the original Broadway cast of "9 to 5" and "Girl Crazy" at New York's legendary City Center.
________________________________________

Allison Holker
Representing: Jazz / Contemporary / Broadway / Disco / Cultural
Appeared: Season 2 (Top
Memorable Routine: "Why," a Contemporary number choreographed by Tyce Diorio and performed with Ivan Koumaev

Allison Holker has been dancing since she was nine years old. Holker was featured in the tap dance show "Revolution" in New York and performed in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Her television credits also include "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2." Most recently, she performed and toured with "Ballroom with a Twist," which was choreographed by Louis Van Amstel.

________________________________________

Mark Kanemura
Representing: Jazz / Contemporary / Broadway / Cultural
Appeared: Season 4 (Top 6)
Memorable Routine: "Beautiful," a Contemporary number choreographed by Mia Michaels and performed with Chelsie Hightower

Since competing on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE and performing in the nationwide tour, Kanemura has toured with Lady Gaga, performed on "America's Got Talent" and the "61st Primetime Emmy Awards" and appeared in several music videos and commercials. His stage credits include "The Nutcracker," "Sweet Charity," "The King and I," "Grease," "Tommy" and "Gypsy."
________________________________________

Pasha Kovalev
Representing: Ballroom Standard / Ballroom Latin
Appeared: Season 3 (Top 6)
Memorable Routine: "Let's Get Loud," a Cha Cha choreographed by Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin and performed with Jessie Peralta

Born in Siberia, Russia, Pasha Kovalev started dancing at age eight. Following a successful career in ballroom competition, he made appearances on several television shows, including SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, "Dancing with the Stars" and "Superstars of Dance." He has choreographed for both the U.S. and Australian versions of DANCE and recently starred in the Broadway cast and touring company versions of "Burn The Floor."
________________________________________

Kathryn McCormick
Representing: Jazz / Contemporary / Broadway / Cultural
Appeared: Season 6 (Top 3)
Memorable Routine: "At This Moment," a Contemporary number choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden and performed with Jakob Karr

Kathryn McCormick began competing in her home state of Georgia at an early age with her local dance studio team, "Augusta West." During her junior year of high school, she was invited to join the Tremaine Dance Convention's Apprentice Company. In late 2008, she secured her first professional role as a supporting dancer in the "Fame" remake. McCormick was also chosen to dance on this year's Academy Awards.

________________________________________

Ade Obayomi
Representing: Contemporary / Jazz / Cultural / Broadway
Appeared: Season 5 (Top 6)
Memorable Routine: "This Woman's Work," a Contemporary number choreographed by Tyce Diorio and performed with Melissa Sandvig

Arizona native Ade Obayomi has toured with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal and appeared in the film "A Diva's Christmas Carol." His love of dance earned him a scholarship to Chapman University, where he also studied sound engineering. He recently performed on the 2010 Grammy Awards with Beyoncé, appeared in the music video for Rihanna's "Hard" and was a featured dancer on Alicia Keys' world tour.
________________________________________

Dominic "D-trix" Sandoval
Representing: Hip Hop / Breaking
Appeared: Season 3 (Top
Memorable Routine: "Make It Work," a Hip Hop number choreographed by Shane Sparks and performed with Sabra Johnson

Dominic "D-trix" Sandoval started b-boying in 1999 at the age of 13, and joined the Flexible Flav crew in 2000 to tour and compete with them. Sandoval was part of Quest Crew, who won Season Three of "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew." He currently travels and performs around the world, and has performed for Ellen DeGeneres, Snoop Dogg, Usher, Pitbull, Sean Kingston and Donna Summer.

Twitch Signs On For Next Season Of So You Think You Can Dance!

from blog.zap2it.com:

"So You Think You Can Dance" executive producer and judge Nigel Lythgoe made a stunning announcement on Monday (March 29), outlining the major changes coming to the dance series this season: Not only will there be just 10 finalists chosen in Vegas, but those finalists will be partnered with a new "SYTYCD" alum each week of the competition.

Lythgoe promised to reveal which of the show's "all-stars" have signed on to return via Twitter and he wasn't lying.

"I am thrilled that representing the various dance genres of Popping, Locking, Krump etc in the All-Stars Dance-Pool from Season 4 is TWITCH," Lythgoe tweeted Tuesday morning.

No surprise there, considering Stephen "tWitch" Boss -- who is starring in the upcoming "Step Up 3D" and "Stomp the Yard 2" films -- was easily one of the most likable and talented contestants ever to grace the "So You Think You Can Dance" stage and was clearly beloved by the judges as well.
But who else fits that bill?

Shall we do a little armchair casting on which other show alum should return?

Our list...
Benji Schwimmer: Not only did he win the second season of the show, but his expertise in West Coast Swing has already brought him back to the series as a choreographer.
Travis Wall: The contemporary finalist from Season 2 could very well find himself nominated for an Emmy after the choreography work he did during seasons 5 and 6 of "SYTYCD."
Dmitry Chaplin: The international Latin ballroom dancer went on to "Dancing with the Stars" fame, partnering with celebrities like singer Mya and "Girl Next Door" Holly Madison, but he's returned to choreograph for "So You Think You Can Dance" as well and was nominated for an Emmy because of it.
Dominic Sandoval and Hok Konishi: The Season 3 B-Boys went on to win MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" post-"SYTYCD" and are two of the show's most memorable faces. Also, we just want to see Dom hit on host Cat Deeley some more.
Sara Von Gillern: One of the brightest smiles of Season 3, the B-Girl has great style both on and off the stage.
Lacey Schwimmer: The West Coast swinger was the first "So You Think You Can Dance" alum to join "Dancing with the Stars" as a series regular pro, but she's not on the show this season, so perhaps she's free to do her thing on "SYTYCD" once again.
Katee Shean: The Season 4 stand out won the "Top Girl" distinction while on "So You Think" and is arguably the best female dancer to ever do the series.
William Wingfield: Though he was eliminated prior to the finale of Season 4, his skills as a Debbie Allen-trained dancer yielded some of the most beautiful and technically-sound performances in "So You Think You Can Dance" history.
Janette Manrara: The salsa spice girl was a fan and judge favorite in Season 5. In fact, when she was eliminated, Nigel publicly stated that he had wanted her to win the competition.
Evan Kasprzak: The Broadway boy is not only lovable, but one of the only former contestants to be an expert in this particular style.
Jeanine Mason: The season 5 winner is a star through and through.
Brandon Bryant: The contemporary dancer from Season 5 can pretty much do anything.
Russell Ferguson: The Krumper who won Season 6 didn't get to go on Tour, but returning to "So You Think You Could Dance" could be a consolation prize for that. Plus, we love him.

News About So You Think You Can Dance

From reuters.com:

"Think You Can Dance" adds "all-stars" from past

Mon, Mar 29 2010
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Television dance contest "So You Think You Can Dance" will feature a group of "all-stars" from past seasons in a bid to boost audiences when it returns for a 7th season in May.

Executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told reporters on Monday that Emmy-winning choreographer Mia Michaels will return as both a judge and a choreographer, and that just 10 dancers -- instead of 20 -- would be picked for the main competition from the thousands that audition.

In a major shake-up of the Fox summer TV hit, Lythgoe said he was assembling a pool of dancers from previous series. They will pair each week with the 2010 contestants who are vying for a $250,000 cash prize and a dance magazine cover feature.

"The whole reason for doing it is to make the show more exciting...Some of these brilliant dancers (from past seasons) have just disappeared off the face of the earth. To be able to have this show use its own talent is fabulous," Lythgoe said on a conference call.

In the past, 20 contestants have danced in pairs in styles from jazz and ballroom to hip-hop. Viewers vote on weekly eliminations until the finale.

In the new season, starting on Fox on May 27, the top 10 will draw the name of an all-star, and perform in the style perfected by that dancer. Lythgoe will release the names of the all-stars in coming weeks.

Unlike Fox's top-rated TV talent show "American Idol", where the victor gets a recording contract, releases an album, and can forge a best-selling career, winners of "So You Think You Can Dance" have few such high-profile opportunities.

Ratings for the dance contest have declined over the past two years from about 9.7 million viewers in 2008 to 7.1 million in 2009 when "So You Think You Can Dance" was moved from its regular summer spot to the autumn.

"The whole reason for doing improvements on a show is to try and get more people watching," Lythgoe acknowledged.

Contemporary dancer and choreographer Michaels, whose exit last October shocked fans, will return as both a choreographer and judge. Former ballroom dancer and judge Mary Murphy will add choreography to her judging duties, Lythgoe said.

New Dance Show - "Got To Dance"

from upi.com:

CBS orders U.S. version of 'Got to Dance'

LOS ANGELES, March 25 (UPI) -- CBS says it has ordered "Got to Dance," a new U.S. reality-competition series based on the hit British show.
Dancers of any age, group-size and style will be invited to compete to become the country's favorite dance act.

"Amateurs with raw talent from across the nation, either performing solo or in a group, can audition any form of dancing: from ballroom to break dance, bhangra to ballet, and tap to tango," the network said Thursday. "The most talented and entertaining dancers will be invited to audition for the panel of judges, all world-class dancers themselves."

The names of the judges, as well as information regarding auditions, will be announced at a later date, CBS said.

MTV's New Dance Movie! Turn The Beat Around

An ambitious young dancer convinces a wealthy financer to open a disco-themed LA nightclub, only to find her dreams of success threatened by her jealous boyfriend and her scheming nemesis. Zoe's got the moves to make it big, and Michael is the man who can make it all happen for her. But Zoe's boyfriend... Chris is a dancer too, and he's convinced that her relationship with Michael is getting too personal. When scheming dancer Malika sets her sights on Chris, everything starts to fall apart.

Air Date Friday, February 26 at 10/9c on MTV

So You Think You Can Dance NY Auditions

From nydailynews.com:

Hundreds of "So You Think You Can Dance" hopefuls poured into Manhattan's Hammerstein Ballroom on Monday, hoping to shake, spin and glide their way onto TV.

They may not be able to moonwalk like Michael Jackson or hip shimmy like Beyonce, but they all had superstar aspirations.

"This is my dream! All my family and friends have been calling, saying 'I can feel it, you're gonna do well," and tears just come to my eyes," said Jason Taylor, 21, who was born and raised in the Bronx, but now lives in New Britain, Conn.

Taylor got in line for the auditions at 6 a.m. wearing a black Yankees cap pulled on sideways over his braids and high hopes of earning a "golden ticket" from producers that means moving on to audition again in front of judges Tuesday or Wednesday.

Some contestants have made appearances on the show before, like Jamie Greco, 30, a horror movie writer and director who lives in the Bronx. His all-out "gender chameleon" dance audition was aired during Season 2.
This time around, he came armed with a towering fruit hat, a pink fringe skirt and a bag of vegetables to use as props.

"I looove dancing," he gushed. "I'm a little bit intimidated being around all these people with professional training, but I know the real me will shine through."

A powerful personality is key, agreed the show's hostess, Cat Deeley.

"Personality always wins through at the end of the day," she said. "It's the back stories. It's the sense of humor. It's the fun. All those kind of things that make someone have charisma, make people identify with them, make people get off the sofa and actually pick up the phone and vote. And that's not an easy thing to do."

The show will audition wanna-be stars between the ages of 18 to 30 in six cities this season, including Chicago, Nashville, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami.

"Dancing is a huge part of my life and I've watched this show since Season 1," said Amanda Feliciano, 19, of Plainfield, N.J. "I've stretched and practiced. Now it's my turn."

The Dress Makes The Dance!

From latimes.com:

Looks count on TV dance shows

By Vincent Boucher
January 17, 2010

Right about now, in January, as the holiday glow fades and winter boredom sets in, die-hard fans of ballroom, hip-hop, tango and salsa may have a dawning realization: "So You Think You Can Dance" had its season finale the week before Christmas.

And "Dancing With the Stars" won't be back till March.

We'll miss the shows too -- as much for the highly inventive, undeniably glamorous costumes as for the riveting quick steps and rumbas.

The January lull gives us time to ponder and appreciate the work of designers who build the "looks" for both shows from the ground up, in the scant few days between one week's result show and the next week's competition -- with little to go on but a piece of music, a hunch and a ton of Swarovski crystals.

Costume designer Soyon An won an Emmy in 2009 for "So You Think" for doing something that had never occurred to her as a student of fashion design at the Otis College of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. "I thought I was just going to work in a cubicle somewhere," she said.

But the South Korean native, whose family moved to Los Angeles when she was 3, found a different path when she started doing background extra work and "got to see what costume designers were doing backstage." Then a stint assisting celebrity stylist Jessica Paster with her red-carpet clients gave her an extra push.An, a veteran at 19 Entertainment (the production company behind "So You Think" and "American Idol"), took the lead design job at the show during last summer's Season 5, finished fall's Season 6 in December and will be back for Season 7 once a start date is set. In the meantime, she will be the women's costumer for "American Idol" for the season that began Tuesday.

When "So You Think" is in production, she starts her almost never-ending work week by hearing the music for each routine in meetings with the choreographers and picking a color scheme for each performing couple or group number."

Colors just pop into my head while I'm listening to the song," she said, adding that because the choreography is still in the works, she never gets to see it until after she has finished her designs -- and then only once at the dress rehearsal a day before the show. "I don't think fashion trends really influence my work; my thing is called deconstruction. I like to believe I know what's going on, but I also believe I'm a trendsetter," she said, citing influences as varied as cholo street style, Japanese cute, lots and lots of magazines, the Discovery Channel and her own travels. As the dances encompass hip-hop, ballroom and just about everything in between, any show can find her creating a colorful "little cupcake" mini, a slinky ombré disco dress and camo-print beaded fatigues. For the judges, "character" is the holy grail of the show, as the professional dancers try to disappear into the roles demanded by the set. Costumes can help make or break a routine as viewed from the proscenium stage.

"The costumes affect the way America sees the performance," said one of the show's judges, producer/director Adam Shankman. He cited contestant Karen Hauer's hip-hop turn wearing a bold yellow mechanic's uniform that obliterated her image as a ballroom dancer as well as modern dancer Noelle Marsh's gowned transformation for a fox trot.

Meanwhile, "Dancing With the Stars" -- which returns to the schedule in the spring -- is a celebrity-driven spectacle of barely there bodices flaunting spray-tanned cleavage, floaty fabric panels that dip and swirl along with the dancer's moves and campy touches such as plopping a Day-Glo green wig on contestant Kelly Osbourne to finish off a '60s look. Women aren't the only ones who put on a show: The professional partners and in-shape male stars bare arms and more in sheer beaded shirts, and they often sport biceps-friendly stand-alone vests. In one notable instance last season, dancer Derek Hough discarded his shirt altogether for just a wide sash in a steamy salsa number.

It's all entertainment, said costume designer Randall Christensen, also an Emmy winner and a former dancer. "I'm lucky to have an Edyta Sliwinska, who can wear a quarter-yard of fabric and get away with it." As each season progresses, he added, the celeb women ask for briefer and briefer costumes as they get in fighting shape. "We like to push it, and they're proud of their bodies," he said, "so why not show it?"

Christensen knows from his own experience the importance of costumes to a dancer: "I learned years ago that when you take the dance floor, they start judging you that minute, and the costumes are a huge part of that." Ideas come from favorite designers such as Gaultier and Cavalli but also from "the classics," such as Ralph Lauren and Chanel. But because he grew up watching the "Sonny and Cher" and "Carol Burnett" TV shows, his biggest inspiration is Bob Mackie, because, he said, it was such "huge fun" to see what the designer would come up with every week. "

For the '70s, he was really pushing the limits," Christensen added, mentioning outfits worn by Cher and Mitzi Gaynor. Sometimes network censors cut to a face shot when a Mackie costume was too revealing.

Christensen believes the influence of his show has women of all ages "asking for a little bling, asking to be sexy" when they go shopping. Once, looking at the beaded bras on display at Victoria's Secret, he thought, "Did we do that first or did they?" Beyond television, dance-influenced fashion has captured the imagination of mainstream designers such as the always-opinionated "Project Runway" alum -- and onetime break dancer -- Jeffrey Sebelia. As the new designer for the L.A.-based casual-wear line Fluxus, his dance-driven spring collection was full of body-conscious ruching and tulle-like sheer modal knit. "It's hard to pinpoint why," Sebelia mused. "When I started looking into fabrics and doing research, it just seemed to be a good time to be doing this."

Characteristically, his inspiration was a little darker. "In this so-called recession," he said, with "this sense of poverty, I was also thinking of one of my favorite movies, 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?' "Sebelia unwittingly hit the nail on the head with his mention of "Horses," Sydney Pollack's's 1969 saga of Depression-era dance marathons in which couples competed for money by dancing until they literally dropped from exhaustion. Maybe the TV dance revival is the reality-show version of a dance marathon, where everyone sits at home voting on which dancers will ultimately get the big prize.

But at least today's contestants are dressed a whole lot better.

No Tour Planned For So You Think You Can Dance Season 6!

It looks like Season 6's winners probably won't be going on tour. Last week, finalist Mollee Gray "tweeted:" "I just heard we aren't having a tour?! Ugghh man that sucks for sure ... :( I'm gunna cry :("
Because "So You Think You Can Dance" aired two back-to-back seasons for the first time -- with 6 starting in September, barely a month after 5 finished -- and Season 7 auditions beginning in just a couple weeks, no tour is planned for Season 6's top 10 finalists.

New Dance Movie in 2010

From seattlepi.com:

Step Up 3-D will premiere on August 6, 2010

Now that America is unabashedly in love with dancing (thank you, America's Best Dance Crew, So You Think You Can Dance, and Dancing with the Stars), you don't have to hide your excitement for yet another Step Up sequel! Next August, Step Up 2 the Streets director Jon Chu takes his crew to the mean rues of Paris, where MSA nerd-popper Moose (Adam Sevani, who battled Miley Cyrus in an online dance-off last year) has been left behind like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone 2 and joins forces with his new French pals to win an international dance competition. Former Step Up stars Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, and Channing Tatum show up, along with SYTYCD alums Twitch, Katee, Joshua, and Ivan.

New Dance TV Show Coming Soon

From worldscreen.com:

ABC Signs On for FremantleMedia's Let's Dance
By Kristin Brzoznowski

BURBANK: Comedian Kathy Griffin is to host Let's Dance, a new series from FremantleMedia North America that will feature stars paying homage to classic dance routines, slated for a five-episode run on ABC.

The show will kick off with a 90-minute premiere episode on November 23 at 9:30 p.m., following the season-nine finale of Dancing with the Stars. Additional episodes of Let's Dance will air on November 30, December 7 and 14, with the finale on December 15.

The first three episodes will feature stars competing in single, group and duo performances. The celebrities will train, rehearse and take to the stage to perform memorable dance routines from movies, pop videos or musicals. A celebrity panel will give their comments after each routine in front of a studio audience. Viewers from across the U.S. will then have their chance to vote for their favorite performance. The celebrity panel and star participants will be announced shortly. From each of these episodes, two performances will be chosen—one by the viewers, one by the celebrity panel—and these two acts will return to dance in the finale. The act with the most viewer votes from the finale will be awarded a prize for the charity of their choice.

Let’s Dance is produced by Fremantle North America (American Idol, America’s Got Talent) in association with Whizz Kid Entertainment. The show first premiered in the U.K. earlier this year, and was the number one new entertainment series to launch on the BBC since 2002.

“So You Think You Can Dance”: Top 20 Announced

From the Wall Street Journal:

After weeks and weeks of auditions and three weeks of Vegas eliminations, the judges of “So You Think You Can Dance” have selected the Top 20 dancers to compete on season 6.

On the judges’ panel sat Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy, Debbie Allen, Adam Shankman, Tyce D’Orio, and Mia Michaels. One by one, the judges brought in the nervous dancers and either squashed their dreams or granted their wishes of becoming Top 20 dancers. Amazingly, three tap dancers were put into the Top 20. Not a single tapper had made it all the way through before. Also in the history-making category, Russell Ferguson was put through as the first krumper to ever make it to the Top 20.

A twist was presented when contemporary dancer Paula Van Oppen actually turned down the spot the judges presented to her, paving the way for ballroom dancer Ashleigh Di Lello to join her husband Ryan in the Top 20. Apparently, Van Oppen was offered a movie contract, and chose that path instead.

The show announced last month that TV and movie producer and choreographer Adam Shankman would become a permanent judge in season 6, likely ousting the majority of weekly guest judges the show has had in previous seasons. While this move may potentially make the judges’ table a bit static, it does free up all the choreographers to work up routines weekly. (Choreographers can’t present routines and judge in the same week.)

Speaking of Adam Shankman, it was announced this week that he’s now at the helm of the film adaptation of the wildly successful Broadway production “Rock of Ages.” As if that weren’t enough, Shankman will be producing the Academy Awards. Talk about multi-tasking.

On the flip-side, Emmy Award-winning choreographer Mia Michaels announced via Twitter and Facebook last Friday that she was leaving “So You Think You Can Dance.” Lythgoe said in a statement that Michaels was welcome back on the show this season or next. I guess we’ll have to wait to see what she’s up to.

Also, judge and ballroom expert Mary Murphy came forward this week with her heartbreaking story of domestic abuse, having survived an eight-year marriage to her abuser. She tells her story in Us Weekly and on Ellen.

Whew. After all that, let’s get back to our Top 20 results, shall we?

The Top 20 girls are:

Channing Cooke, 18, contemporary

Ariana Debose, 18, contemporary

Ashleigh Di Lello, 26, ballroom

Mollee Gray, 18, jazz

Karen Hauer, 27, Latin ballroom

Noelle Marsh, 18, contemporary

Pauline Mata, 19, jazz

Kathryn McCormick, 19, contemporary

Bianca Revel, 20, tap

Ellenore Scott, 19, contemporary/jazz

The Top 20 guys are:

Phillip Attmore, 25, tap

Billy Bell, 19, contemporary

Ryan Di Lello, 28, ballroom

Russell Ferguson, 20, hip hop/krump

Kevin Hunte, 23, hip hop

Jakob Karr, 19, contemporary

Legacy Perez, 28, hip hop/b-boy

Peter Sabasino, 22, tap

Victor Smalley, 21, contemporary

Nathan Trasoras, 18, contemporary

The show is mixing it up this season with a meet-the-Top-20 special on Monday, Oct. 26, at 8 PM. Also, Lythgoe tweeted that Paula Abdul fans should tune in to Monday’s show. So plan appropriately on Monday, and come to Speakeasy Tuesday morning to discuss your reactions!

Fred Astaire Professional Dancer On SYTYCD!

Kimalee Piedad, a professional dancer with the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Ft. Walton Beach, has made it to the Las Vegas audition round on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance!

“I thought that was just fabulous,” said Mary Murphy after her audition. Lil C thought Kimalee's dancing was “graceful and visually informative.”

Kimalee, a 25-year-old native of Fort Walton Beach, is classically trained as a ballerina. She danced professionally with the Louisville Ballet (2002-2003), Ballet Met (2003-2004), and as a Principal Dancer for the Northwest Florida Ballet in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida.

In 2005, she joined Fred Astaire’s Dance Studio in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida and immediately began her competitive ballroom dancing career. Kimalee and her partner, Jesse Benedetti, are currently ranked second in the nation and the world in the Cabaret Divisions. Together, they hold many dance titles for their unique performances. This dynamic duo most recently placed 2nd at the prestigious United States Championships in the Theatrical division, and were invited as one of the world representatives in 2009 to Blackpool, England.

Watch “So You Think You Can Dance at 8 p.m. Tuesdays and at 7 p.m. Wednesdays on Fox.

So You Think You Can Dance - News About The New Season

From usatoday.com:

The structure of the sixth-season competition, which goes from auditions to viewers picking "America's favorite dancer," will be the same, but with new touches. Darnell says a new permanent judge will join Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, and he won't say who — but it won't be ex-Idol judge Paula Abdul.

Lythgoe, also an executive producer, plans one show where the top 20 dancers show off their specialties outside the competition. "In the past, they were just thrown straight into competition, and if they were fabulous at hip-hop we may have given them ballroom, and nobody knew how good they were."

On results shows, he wants to feature professional dance companies. "We're looking to do a group competition with all different stars of dance, not just hip-hop but ballroom, clogging, ballet, Latin-American formation-style dancing."

Dance will feature guest judges for auditions; Lythgoe would like to see more guest performances like Katie Holmes' appearance last season. Although nothing is scheduled, he has hopes for Abdul, with whom he worked when he produced Idol. "I'm still talking to Paula, and I'd still like her to come on the show."