The 2012 SYTYCD Top 20 is finalized! We’ve watched the initial try outs, the hell of Vegas week, and the final solos, and now each dancer awaits the answer from the judges to see if they are “in or out”.
If you missed the recap of SYTYCD Vegas callbacks, be sure to check it out.
Tonight was the 200th episode of SYTYCD – which I guess is a big deal – but when you are on 2 nights a week, it doesn’t seem like a difficult goal to achieve. This season they were forced down to one night a week, leaving Cat Deeley to find other work to supplement her income. Each of the SYTYCD Top 20 will perform on the live stage in front of a studio audience and the judges.
As always, we are joined by Nigel Lythgoe and Mary Murphy, with guest commentator Zooey Deschanel, I love her show, but thought she was a weird fit for SYTYCD. She did offer up these “gems” when it came to critiquing, and I’m sure the dancers are better for it:
“Wow! It must be difficult to lift each other.”
“What a beautiful routine for such beautiful girls.”
“It looked like a was looking at a painting.”
“I love seeing ladies supporting each other.”
“It was incredible. You guys are like twins.”
I’m surprised she didn’t ask her iPhone if the dancers were dancing.
As Cat Deeley calls their names, each of the 35 remaining dancers take their turn doing the dramatic slow walk down, what is now known to the wannabe contestants as “the green mile“, to hear their fate. The Vegas judges Nigel, Mary, Adam Shankman, Debbie Allen, Tyce Diorio and Lil C (wearing his DJ Lance glasses) sit at a table and mercilessly torture the contestants with drawn out pauses, fake outs, and over explanations. I just wish they would do it gladiator style and get it over with.
Now let’s meet the SYTYCD Season 9 Top 20:
Alexa” dead in the eyes” Anderson: Alexa, may have finally made it to the Top 20, but even she proclaims to have a personality I am falling asleep from her monotone voice.
George Lawrence II: A dead ringer for a member of Debarge, this guy learns he made the Top 20 while wearing an outfit only Carlton would be proud of.
Amber Jackson: Although she is rockin’ that Mary J Blige haircut, she is the first of the Top 20 contestants…THAT NOBODY HAS HEARD OF UNTIL NOW. This girl has no chance of making it far. Especially since Nigel gave her a little tongue lashing for her poor attitude a few seasons ago.
Will Thomas: Again, another contestant that we haven’t seen. Good Luck Will, cause not only have we not seen much of you, your lack of defined abs and pecs leave you at a major disadvantage. Hopefully, you have a great personality.
Alexa, Amber, George, and Will dance a contemporary routine choreographed by Tyce Diorio. Unfortunately George had none of these moves in his performance. My favorite part of this dance was “We Found Love” by Jessie J.
The 2012 SYTYCD Ballroom Contestants
Although each season the judges seem to let multiple contemporary and lyrical dancers into the Top 20, apparently only one Ballroom girl is allowed into the elite group. So they brought in both of the 18-year-old, Utah born, long blonde wavy haired, ballroom dancers to decide which one is moving on, and which one is moving back home.
Lindsay Arnold vs. Whitney Carson: Whitney is in the Top 20, and while hugs and cries between the two girls ensue, Lindsay is also informed that she is in the Top as well. If the judges were doctors, I think they would get a kick out of the “you have cancer…okay not really” fake out. every. single. time. Just cruel.
Nick Bloxsom-Carter: We haven’t seen much of this kid, and although he doesn’t have the sex appeal of past male ballroom contestants. He does have an uncanny resemblance to a Jonas brother, and may win favor with the tween crowd.
Lindsay, Nick, and Whitney put on their sparkly dresses and dance an energetic equivalent to a “ballroom threesome” choreographed by Jason Gilkison.
The 2012 SYTYCD Classically-trained Contestants
Eliana Girard: The pole dancing ballerina, who worked for Cirque Du Soleil for 3 years and lists her talents as aerial, acrobatics, and contortion might be a favorite this season. My only complaint was those dead birds hanging from her ears…oh they were earrings? huh. not my favorite.
Daniel Baker vs Chehon Wespi-Tschopp: Similar to the ballroom dancers, apparently only one ballet male is allowed on the show. They pit two of my favorite dancers against each other on the Green Mile. Oh, SHOCKER, it’s another fake out, and they both make it into the Top 20.
Eliana, Daniel, and Chehon dance a ballet routine choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, that is either, judging from their costumes and the lighting, set in the future or Studio 54.
And while Nigel rambled on, after the performance, about the choreographers being judged as well or something like that, I could only concentrate on the pulsating abs of Daniel and Chehon. Well done boys.
The 2012 SYTYCD Jazz dancers
Janelle Isis: Well I guess she’s not exactly jazz, but she is the first belly dancer to make it to the Top 20. She was unable to perform on the live show (due to an illness) which could put her at a huge disadvantage, but seeing that she has two girls in her group that (again) NOBODY HAS SEEN BEFORE, Janelle should be safe for a while.
Audrey Case and Tiffany Maher: Two brunette haired jazz dancers. I know nothing about them. Good luck girls. Debbie Allen said it best when she claimed, “Tiffany, you have been invisible to most of us in Vegas”.
Audrey and Tiffany dance a jazz routine choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. The wardrobe department must love Sonya, since most of her costumes can be put together with 2-3 long straps of fabric wrapped around the dancers with varying degrees of skin exposure.
Next comes the montage of all the dancers who didn’t make the Top 20 and left Vegas with their dreams crushed. I would feel bad for them, but I don’t. I didn’t know most of them even existed, and therefore we’re not invested in their dreams.
More 2012 SYTYCD Contemporary Dancers
Matthew Kazmierczak: May look like Ryan Gosling, but Ryan has his own dance style.
Dareian Kujawa: The judges think he has bricks for feet, but let him in the Top 20 anyway. I guess neglecting your studies, and concentrating on dance does pay off.
Janaya French: Yep, another dancer that I know nothing about. Even as I watched her segment, I had no inclination to get invested in her. She will NOT be around long.
Amelia Lowe vs. Jill something or other: As the last two girls in the waiting area, they are sent down the green mile together, as only one of them will make the Top 20. I’m sure the producers were trying to make this suspenseful, but I didn’t buy into it. It’s Amelia, who has tons of screen time VS. Jill, a girl nobody has heard of.
I wonder who will make the Top 20. It was Amelia. Anyone shocked?
Amelia Lowe, Dareian, Janaya, Matthew dance a contemporary routine choreographed by Stacey Tookey. One of my favorite routines of the night, but could have done without Amelia’s hair.
Hip-Hop Hooray! The 2012 SYTYCD Top 20 Hip-Hip Dancers
Cole Horibe: The hip hop dancing version of Bruce Lee, has a unique style, but I don’t know how it will translate to other forms of dance.
Brandon Mitchell: Stepped his way into the Top 20. Somewhere the boys at Theta Nu Theta are Stomping the Yard.
Cyrus ‘Glitch’ Spencer: He was one of the final two guys left in the waiting room, and although the commended the other guy for making it through each round with style and talent, Cyrus beat him for the last spot in the Top 20. Cyrus is one of the most talented dancers, in his style, but I think he’s gonna have a rough time doing choreography, but I hope he stays around.
Brandon, Cole, Cyrus dance a contemporary hip hop routine choreographed by Christopher Scott. Although the dance did highlight each of the dancers set of skills, it was a baseball themed number, a blatant and obnoxious plug for the baseball All Star game being shown on Fox.
Travis Wall: The dancer many thought should have won season two over this guy, is a favorite of the SYTYCD production team and has been a staple on the show for the past few seasons. He choreographed the Top 10 Girls.
Sonya Tayeh choreographed the Top 10 guys, and the first thing she tells them in practice is to take off their shirts, leaving Will feeling very self-conscious that he “wiggles” more than the other dancers. Sonya also informs the boys that there will be a lot of man on man partnering, which causes Brandon to tell the cameraman, and America, that he feels awkward because he loves the ladies.
Mia Michaels, donning longer hair and Eugene Felnic style glasses, makes her return to SYTYCD with a beautifully choreographed routine for the entire Top 20.
The show is off next week for July 4th, so we’ll see ya in two weeks for the first live show of Season 9.
I don’t know why SYTYCD always feels the need to do a baseball dance. These guys are obviously not baseball players, so that makes it just weird. I mean really, baseball players don’t pretend like they are ballerinas.
haha what kind of comment is this? they are acting as baseball player no one gonna take them to their teams!. this is stage show! ıts all about dancing and acting! than one of the best routine ever been done was hummingbird of Hok and Jamie! Jamie was flower, Hok was hummingbird! I can imagine your comment about it. “but why? they are not them. Also did you see any dancing hummingbird and flower!” haha…you need to open your imagination!
If baseball players moved more like that, I would totally be willing to watch a game.
Agreed. haha