SYTYCD - TV Watchers

Yup! We got a winner folks, but before we tell you who it was, let's quickly go through the 2 hour results show. We had 2 new routines (Top 20 performa Sonya-piece to open the show and a tap routine!), but the rest of the show was made up of the judges' favorites.

I know that they try and have a variety of genres represented in the finale, but quite a few wouldn't have donned my hit list for this season. Here's mine, all of which were performed last night:

Sasha & All-Star tWitch – "Misty Blue" piece – The sexual-tension filled number over the breakfast table

Marko & All-Star Allison – "I Know It's Over" piece – You know the one he dedicated to him mom the night Lady Gaga was judging… perfection.

Melaine & All-Star Neil – "Total Eclipse of the Heart" piece – The one where Melanie did a running leap into Neil's arms.

Sasha & All-Star Kent – "Fool of Me" piece – Hello, the wall-dance. Enough said.

Melanie & Marko – "Turn to Stone" piece – where they first really shined as they were statues brought to life by love.

One that didn't make the list – Tadd & All-Star Ellenore – "Hangin' from a Chandelier" piece - although the judges didn't get it at the time, I thought it was great (I would have taken this one over Tadd & All-Star Lauren's Hat Piece)

Favorite Group Number of the Season – Top 8 Perform to the score of Water for Elephants – The circus piece, loved it!

So, how did the votes go down?!

In 4th Place… TADD. This really wasn't a shocker, he was the least likely to win in my opinion and although he's been solid all season, especially for a B-Boy he just didn't wow like the rest of the contestants did.

In 3rd Place… MARKO. I've loved Marko from the very beginning and I think he deserves to be the top placing male dancer this season. His growth and vulnerability this season have been beyond the rest of his competitors. Kudos.

In 2nd Place… SASHA. Although she's had some stellar routines, I just never could see past the warrior-princess and maybe that's what cost her the title this year.

The 2011 SYTYCD Winner and America's Favorite Dancer is… MELANIE!
From her very first audition I knew this girl had something. As the weeks progressed, she just continued to have this light inside her spill out onto the stage. It was undeniable and I never questioned her sweet personality as not being completely genuine. I think America felt that too and rewarded her for it and all her hard work this season. Well deserved and congratulations. Until next Summer Folks.

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August 12th 2011 @ 19:46

Posted By: Kristi - Category: SYTYCD

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SYTYCD Finale 8/10/11

SYTYCD – A Disappointing Finale to an Otherwise Fantastic Season

If you've been watch this season of So You Think You Can Dance like I have, you know how amazing the dancers have been across the board this season. Sure, there have been low moments, but I have to say that no one ever really bombed a routine… until last night. The Top 4 of Melanie, Sasha, Marko and Tadd all struggled in at least one of their routines. So yes, it was a very disappointing finale.

Yet, I'm not going to harp on it, because do you know how hard it must be to prep 4 new routines in different styles with 4 different partners while also prepping for the results show performances after 3 months of progressively more dancing, with the added pressure of possibly being named America's Favorite Dancer tonight? I wouldn't even want to think about being in their shoes.

LOW - Marko & Melanie – Disco Routine – Disco is always a hard genre to pull from a hat, and I think is much more suited for mid-season compared to a finale performance. These two struggled. Melanie didn't quite look like she had the groove and Marko struggled with ever lift.

HIGH – Sasha & All-Star Mark – Sonya Jazz Routine – Obviously getting a Sonya piece that includes Mark is going to be a win. Add to that Sonya basically said the routine was inspired by the warrior-princess motif Sasha's been labeled with all season, and duh… it was a winner.

MID – Tadd & All-Star Joshua – Lil C Hip Hop – For me, Hip Hop is one of the hardest genres for me to actually like (besides the lyrical hip-hop stuff) because if the 2 dancers performing don't have the same swagga, the same hitting style, the same whatever… it just doesn't look right to me. That's was the case with this piece, Joshua was smooth and natural looking while Tadd was trying to hit hard… eh.

HIGH – Melanie & All-Star Robert – Stacey Tookey Contemporary Routine – I thought the routine was lovely and right in Melanie's comfort zone. But the best part, was that Cat offered her up to Guest Judge Kenny Ortega for a part in his next movie (a remake of Dirty Dancing).

MID – Sasha & Marko – Spencer Broadway Routine – For me this was infinitely better than most of Tyce D's Broadway numbers, and found Marko's quirky betrayal fun and light for the finale, but I also thought that Sasha didn't quite nail the alluring/seducing minx she was suppose to be.

ULTRA-LOW – Tadd & Sasha – Mark Ballas Cha-Cha Routine – OOOF, this one was bad. I don't think either Tadd or Sasha had gotten Cha-Cha before in the season, and being paired together (and not with an All-Star) for this routine really hurt them. They looked like first week contestants in this number, plus the height difference threw me off. It was bad and they knew it.

HIGH – Marko & All-Star Lauren – Tessandra Contemporary Routine – Contemporary routines in which the dancers can really dig their heels in always come out the best. This was no exception. Marko had an emotional connection to the song, Lauren danced it great and the audience responded to it.

HIGH – Melanie & Sasha – Stacey Tookey Contemporary Routine – This was such a simple looking routine, but that's because it was danced so effortlessly by the two remaining female dancers in their own style.

LOW – Marko & Tadd – Stepping Routine – While the girls got their own style, the boys had to do the first stepping routine of the season. Again, I feel like if you're only going to do a style once during the season, it should be somewhere in mid-season, not the finale. Plus stepping is all about the synchronization and the sound. We got neither in this piece. The music drowned out any actually stepping/slapping noises and it's probably a good thing, because the synchronization between the two didn't look like it was that great.

SO… who do I think will be America's Favorite Dancer?

It's been hands-down Melanie for me since I first saw her audition and it was re-enforced when she made the Top 20. Then it was even more apparent to me when she was paired with my favorite male dancer of the season Marko. I just think she's got a sweet, light, fun personality and throws herself into every dance she's gotten all season which makes her easy to root for and a person you want to succeed and watch.

For me, Marko would be my next choice. Barring his lackluster performances in last nights finale, I think he's shown a lot of growth and vulnerability in both his life and his dancing this season.

Next up would be Sasha. I know she's been a judges' favorite and a favorite with America too all season AND I totally agree she's had some really stellar moments this season, especially when she gets a routine in her wheel-house. (Her routine with tWitch was probably my favorite of the whole season). But for me, when she doesn't jive with a routine (like last night's cha-cha) or is outside the realm of warrior-princess, she's loses me.

Lastly, would be Tadd. I think he's been solid all season, especially for a B-Boy in this competition this season. He's got the least amount of background when it comes to learning routines and continually showed he can work up to the challenge (again barring last night's performances). I think if he had tougher b-boy/hip-hop competition this year however, he wouldn't have gotten this Top 4 spot. So luckily for him, he didn't.

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August 11th 2011 @ 20:18

Posted By: Kristi - Category: SYTYCD

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